UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 


 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 10, 2017

 


 

FARMLAND PARTNERS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Maryland
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)

 

001-36405
(Commission
File Number)

 

46-3769850
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

4600 S. Syracuse Street, Suite 1450
Denver, Colorado
(Address of principal executive offices)

 

 

80237
(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (720) 452-3100

 

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 


 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

o                  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o                  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o                  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o                  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

  Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company x

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. x

 

 

 



 

Item 1.01.                                         Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

On August 10, 2017, Farmland Partners Inc. (the “Company”) and Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP (the “Operating Partnership”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Jefferies LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule A thereto (the “Underwriters”). Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company agreed to sell 5,250,000 shares of its newly designated 6.00% Series B participating preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Series B Participating Preferred Stock”), at a public offering price of $25.00 per share, which is the initial liquidation preference of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock. Pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 787,500 shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, which the Underwriters exercised in full on August 16, 2017 making an aggregate of 6,037,500 shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock issuable at closing. The Series B Participating Preferred Stock was offered and sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement, dated August 10, 2017 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), and a base prospectus, dated May 14, 2015, relating to the Company’s effective registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-203798). The offering is expected to close on August 17, 2017, subject to certain customary closing conditions.

 

The foregoing summary of the Underwriting Agreement is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed as  Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Amendment No. 2 to the Second Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement

 

On August 16, 2017, Farmland Partners OP GP, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, entered into Amendment No. 2 (the “Amendment”) to the Second Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement of the Operating Partnership in order to provide for the issuance, and the designation of the terms and conditions, of newly classified 6.00% Series B participating preferred units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (“Series B Participating Preferred Units”), the economic terms of which are identical to those of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock. The Company intends to contribute the net proceeds from the offering of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to the Operating Partnership in exchange for 5,250,000 Series B Participating Preferred Units, or 6,037,500 Series B Participating Preferred Units if the Underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock in full. The Operating Partnership intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for future farmland acquisitions in accordance with the Company’s investment strategy and for general corporate purposes.

 

The foregoing summary of the Amendment is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amendment, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 3.03.                                         Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.

 

The Series B Participating Preferred Stock ranks senior to the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), with respect to dividend rights and rights upon the Company’s liquidation dissolution or winding up. Upon issuance of the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock referenced in Item 1.01 above, the ability of the Company to make distributions with respect to, or redeem, purchase or acquire, or make a liquidation payment on, the Company’s Common Stock or any other class or series of the Company’s equity securities ranking junior to or on a parity with the Series B Participating Preferred Stock that may be issued in the future, will be subject to certain restrictions in the event that the Company does not declare distributions on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock during any distribution period.

 

2



 

Item 5.03.                                         Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

On August 16, 2017, the Company filed, with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland (“MSDAT”), Articles Supplementary (the “Articles Supplementary”) to the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company, classifying and designating 6,037,500 shares of the Company’s authorized preferred stock as Series B Participating Preferred Stock.  The Articles Supplementary became effective upon filing with MSDAT. For a summary of the material terms of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock, see the information included as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K, which is excerpted from the Prospectus Supplement under the heading “Description of Series B Participating Preferred Stock”  and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

The “Description of Series B Participating Preferred Stock” included on Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K the and the foregoing description of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock are qualified in their entirety by reference to the Articles Supplementary filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)  Exhibits .

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement, dated August 10, 2017, by and among Farmland Partners Inc., Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP, Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Jefferies LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule A thereto.

3.1

 

Articles Supplementary designating the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

5.1

 

Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP.

8.1

 

Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP.

10.1

 

Amendment No. 2 to the Second Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement of Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP

23.1

 

Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2

 

Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (included in Exhibit 8.1).

99.1

 

Excerpts from the Company’s prospectus supplement dated August 10, 2017.

 

3



 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

FARMLAND PARTNERS INC.

 

 

 

 

Dated: August 16, 2017

 

By:

/s/ Luca Fabbri

 

 

 

Luca Fabbri

 

 

 

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

4



 

Exhibit Index

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement, dated August 10, 2017, by and among Farmland Partners Inc., Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP, Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Jefferies LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule A thereto.

3.1

 

Articles Supplementary designating the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

5.1

 

Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP regarding the legality of shares.

8.1

 

Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP regarding tax matters.

10.1

 

Amendment No. 2 to the Second Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement of Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP

23.1

 

Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

23.2

 

Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (included in Exhibit 8.1).

99.1

 

Excerpts from the Company’s prospectus supplement dated August 10, 2017.

 

5


Exhibit 1.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

FARMLAND PARTNERS INC.

 

 

(a Maryland corporation)

 

5,250,000 Shares of 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

 

Dated:  August 10, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

FARMLAND PARTNERS INC.

 

(a Maryland corporation)

 

5,250,000 Shares of 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

August 10, 2017

 

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.

JEFFERIES LLC

as representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

880 Carillon Parkway

St. Petersburg, Florida 33716

 

c/o Jefferies LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Farmland Partners Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “ Company ”), and Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “ Operating Partnership ”), confirm their respective agreements with Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (“ Raymond James ”), Jefferies LLC (“ Jefferies ”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto, if any (collectively, the “ Underwriters ,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Raymond James and Jefferies are acting as representatives (in such capacity, Raymond James and Jefferies, acting collectively, are herein referred to as the “ Representatives ”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of  6.00% Series B  participating preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company (“ Series B Participating Preferred Stock ”) set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 787,500 additional shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock.  The aforesaid 5,250,000 shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock (the “ Initial Securities ”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 787,500 shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “ Option Securities ”) are herein called, collectively, the “ Securities .”

 

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

 

Concurrently with each Date of Delivery (as defined herein), the Company will contribute the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities sold by the Company to the Operating Partnership, of which the Company is the sole member of the sole general partner, in exchange for Series B participating preferred

 



 

units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (the “ Series B Participating Preferred Units ”).

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-203798), as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed by the Company with the Commission (the “ Base Registration Statement ”), including the related base prospectus, covering the registration of the offer and sale of certain securities, including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ 1933 Act ”), and has filed such amendments thereto, if any, as may have been required to the date hereof.  Such registration statement has been declared effective under the 1933 Act.  Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“ Rule 430B ”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “ 1933 Act Regulations ”) and Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 424(b) ”).  Any information included in such prospectus supplement that was omitted from the Base Registration Statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included therein pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to herein as the “ Rule 430B Information .”  The Base Registration Statement, at any given time, including the amendments thereto at such time, the exhibits thereto and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at such time and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by the 1933 Act Regulations, including the Rule 430B Information, is herein called the “ Registration Statement ”; provided, however , that “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” (within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 430B(f)(2) ”)) of the Registration Statement with respect to the Underwriters and the Securities; and provided further , that if the Company files a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations relating to the Securities (the “ Rule 462(b) Registration Statement ”), then, after such filing, all references to the “Registration Statement” shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The base prospectus and prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted the Rule 430B Information, but including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at the time of first use of such prospectus, is hereinafter called a “ preliminary prospectus .” The base prospectus and the final prospectus supplement, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at the time of the execution of this Agreement, is hereinafter collectively called the “ Prospectus .”

 

Unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this Agreement to documents, financial statements and schedules and other information “contained,” “included,” “stated,” “described in” or “referred to” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package (as defined below), any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to include all such documents, financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference into, or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at the time of execution of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any document filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ 1934 Act ”), that is incorporated by reference into, or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

2



 

For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system (“ EDGAR ”).

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

Applicable Time ” means 3:45, Eastern Time, on August 10, 2017 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.

 

General Disclosure Package ” means every Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) as of the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule B-1 hereto, all considered together.

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 433 ”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 405 ”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show” that is “a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “ bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (a “ Bona Fide Electronic Road Show ”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B-2 hereto.

 

Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus ” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

Statutory Prospectus ” means the base prospectus and the preliminary prospectus supplement dated August 7, 2017 relating to the Securities (including any documents incorporated by reference therein) in the form furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

Testing-the-Waters Communication ” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the 1933 Act.

 

Written Testing-the-Waters Communication ” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B-3 hereto.

 

SECTION 1.                             Representations and Warranties .

 

(a)                                  Representations and Warranties by the Company and the Operating Partnership .  The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to each Underwriter

 

3



 

as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time (as defined below) and each Date of Delivery (as defined below), if any, and agree with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)                                                  Registration Statement and Prospectuses .  The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act in connection with the issuance of the Securities. The Registration Statement was declared effective under the 1933 Act by the Commission.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated.  The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The date of this Agreement is not more than three years subsequent to the initial effective date of the Base Registration Statement.

 

At the respective times the Base Registration Statement and any amendment thereto became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters and the Securities pursuant to 430B(f)(2), at the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any), the Registration Statement complied, complies and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.  Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.  Each preliminary prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering and the Prospectus was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T of the 1933 Act (“ Regulation S-T ”).

 

(ii)                                               Accurate Disclosure .  At the respective times the Base Registration Statement and any amendment thereto became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters and the Securities pursuant to 430B(f)(2), at the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any), the Registration Statement did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied, comply and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission, as applicable, under the 1934 Act (the “ 1934 Act Regulations ”) and, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (a) at the time the Base Registration Statement originally became effective, (b) at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was first used and the Applicable Time, (c) at the Closing Time and (d) and at each Date of Delivery, if any, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

As of the Applicable Time, none of (A) the General Disclosure Package, (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package and (C) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact

 

4



 

necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, if any, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement is issued, at the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any), complied, complies and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, and neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.  For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information set forth in the Prospectus in the fifth paragraph (regarding selling concessions) and the tenth, eleventh and twelfth paragraphs (regarding short sales and stabilizing transactions, and penalty bids, respectively) under the caption “Underwriting” (collectively, the “ Underwriter Information ”).

 

(iii)                                            Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses .  No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.  The Company has made available a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

(iv)                                           Testing-the-Waters Communications .  The Company (A) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than with the prior consent of the Representatives with entities that are “qualified institutional buyers” within the meaning of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or institutions that are “accredited investors” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and (B) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in any Testing-the-Waters Communication.  The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking any Testing-the-Waters Communication. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication other than those previously provided to the Representatives and listed on Schedule B-3 hereto.

 

(v)                                              Company Not Ineligible Issuer .  At the time of filing the Base Registration Statement, any 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

 

(vi)                                           Emerging Growth Company Status.   From the time of the initial confidential submission to the Commission of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-193318) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the 1933 Act (an “ Emerging Growth Company ”).

 

(vii)                                        Independent Accountants .  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who certified the

 

5



 

consolidated financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Accounting Oversight Board.  Deloitte & Touche LLP, who certified the consolidated financial statements and supporting schedules of American Farmland Company, a Maryland corporation (“ AFCo ”), included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Accounting Oversight Board (the “ AFCo Financials ”).

 

(viii)                         Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures .  The financial statements of the Company included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes (the “ Company Financials ”), present fairly the financial position of the Company and the Operating Partnership on a consolidated basis at the dates indicated.  With respect to the historical financial data of AFCo set forth under the heading “AFCO Historical” in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of September 30, 2016 and the unaudited pro forma condensed statements of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and the year ended December 31, 2015, in each case included in Exhibit 99.3 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K filed November 18, 2016, the Company has compared such figures to a corresponding amount in the AFCo Financials and found such figures to be in agreement, after giving effect to aggregation or rounding, as applicable. The Company Financials and the AFCo Financials have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“ GAAP ”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods presented.  The supporting and related schedules, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein.  The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein or incorporated by reference therein.  The historical and pro forma financial statements of the Company and the related notes thereto included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein.  Any pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply as to form with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X.  Except as included therein or incorporated by reference therein, no other financial statements or supporting schedules of the Company or any of its subsidiaries are required to be included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.  All disclosures contained in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

6



 

(ix)                               No Material Adverse Change in Business .  Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and the Operating Partnership, and each of their respective subsidiaries, considered as one consolidated enterprise (including all of the properties described in each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus as being owned by the Company as of the date of each preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as applicable (the “ Properties ”)), whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “ Material Adverse Effect ”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those entered into in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to such entities considered as one enterprise, or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to such entities considered as one enterprise, and (C) except for regular quarterly dividends on the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share “ Common Stock ”), and OP Units (as defined below), there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or any of its subsidiaries on any class of the capital stock or other equity interest of such entity.

 

(x)                                              Good Standing of the Company .  The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland and has the requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and, as the sole member of the general partner of the Operating Partnership, to cause the Operating Partnership to enter into and perform the Operating Partnership’s obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xi)                                           Good Standing of the Operating Partnership; Partnership Agreement .  The Operating Partnership has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited partnership in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has the requisite limited partnership power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Operating Partnership is duly qualified as a foreign partnership to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company is the sole member of the general partner of the Operating Partnership. The Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership, as amended through the date hereof (the “ Partnership Agreement ”), has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the partners of the Operating Partnership and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity and, with respect to rights to indemnity and contribution thereunder, except as rights may be limited by applicable law or policies underlying such law.

 

7



 

(xii)                                        Good Standing of Subsidiaries .  Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each a “ Subsidiary ” and, collectively the “ Subsidiaries ”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, and each Subsidiary has the requisite corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other ownership interests of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is (as applicable) fully paid and nonassessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or other restrictions of any kind.  None of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary.  The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity that is or will be a Subsidiary other than the entities listed on Schedule C hereto.

 

(xiii)                                     Capitalization .  The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company as of June 30, 2017 are as set forth in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, which is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise, redemption or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities or options, including units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (including Series A preferred units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (“ Series A Preferred Units ”)) (collectively, with the Series B Participating Preferred Units, “ OP Units ”), referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable.  The authorized capital stock of the Company and the OP Units conform to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and such descriptions conform in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.  None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.  The Series B Participating Preferred Units to be issued by the Operating Partnership in exchange for the contribution by the Company of the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities have been duly authorized for issuance by the Operating Partnership to the holders thereof and, at the Closing Time, will be validly issued and fully paid. Except for the Series B Participating Preferred Units to be issued by the Operating Partnership in exchange for the contribution by the Company of the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities, the 6,491,198 OP Units (including 117,000 Series A Preferred Units) in aggregate issued in connection with the formation transactions related to the initial public offering of the Company and with certain of the Company’s subsequent acquisitions constitute all of the outstanding OP Units other than those held by the Company. All of the outstanding OP Units have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid.  Other than the Series B Participating Preferred Units to be issued by the Operating Partnership in exchange for the contribution by the Company of the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities, the 6,491,198 OP Units and the OP Units held by the Company, there are no OP Units outstanding,

 

8



 

and there are no other partnership interests in the Operating Partnership outstanding.  All of the outstanding OP Units were issued pursuant to an applicable exemption from registration or qualification under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws. No OP Units have been issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Operating Partnership or any other person or entity.  The Series B Participating Preferred Units will not be issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Operating Partnership or any other person or entity. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities or interests for, shares of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ capital stock, including OP Units or other ownership interests of the Operating Partnership.

 

(xiv)                                    Authorization of Agreement and Articles Supplementary .  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Company and the Operating Partnership. The Articles Supplementary to the Company’s articles of amendment and restatement setting forth the terms of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock (the “ Articles Supplementary ”) will be, on or prior to the Closing Time, duly authorized, executed and filed by the Company with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland (the “ SDAT ”).

 

(xv)                                       Authorization and Description of Securities .  The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.  The Series B Participating Preferred Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.  No holder of any of the Securities will be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such a holder.  The certificates to be used to represent any shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock that are to be certificated will be in substantially the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and will, at the Closing Time and on each Date of Delivery (if any), be substantially in such form.

 

(xvi)                                    Registration Rights .  There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(xvii)                                 Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, bylaws or similar organizational document (including, with respect to the Company’s articles of amendment and restatement, the Articles Supplementary), (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “ Agreements and Instruments ”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the

 

9



 

aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “ Governmental Entity ”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company and the Operating Partnership with their respective obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or limited partnership action, as the case may be, and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances as are described in or contemplated by the Prospectus or that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, bylaws or similar organizational document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity.  As used herein, a “ Repayment Event ” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

(xviii)                              Absence of Labor Disputes .  No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in any case, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.  No officer or other key person of the Company is subject to any noncompete, nondisclosure, confidentiality, employment, consulting or similar agreement that would be violated by such officer or other key person engaging in the present or proposed business activities of the Company or the Operating Partnership as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(xix)                                    Employee Benefits .  (i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all respects with all applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ ERISA ”); (ii) no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or ERISA Affiliates has any liability, whether actual or contingent, excluding any reportable event for which the notice requirements have been waived; (iii) the Company and each of its subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates have not incurred and do not reasonably expect to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA, including with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan”; and (iv) each “employee benefit plan” maintained or contributed to by the Company and each of its subsidiaries that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively the “ Code ”) is the subject of a favorable determination or opinion letter from the Internal Revenue

 

10



 

Service to the effect that it is so qualified and, to the knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; except, in the cases of (i), (ii), and (iii), as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. “ ERISA Affiliate ” means, with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c) or (m) of the Code or Section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member.

 

(xx)                                       Absence of Proceedings .  There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which might materially and adversely affect their respective properties or assets or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company and its subsidiaries of their respective obligations hereunder; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxi)                                    Accuracy of Descriptions .  The statements in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Risk Factors,” “Description of Series B Participating Preferred Stock,” “Description of Common Stock,” “Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and Our Charter and Bylaws,” “Our Operating Partnership and the Partnership Agreement,” “Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” from the sections of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K under “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—U.S. Federal Income Tax Risks” and from the section of the Company’s most recent Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A under “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” and in the documents incorporated by reference therein, insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents, proceedings or affiliate transactions discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents, proceedings or affiliate transactions in all material respects.

 

(xxii)                                 Accuracy of Exhibits .  There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xxiii)                              Absence of Further Requirements .  No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “ NYSE ”), state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“ FINRA ”).

 

(xxiv)                             Possession of Licenses and Permits .  The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “ Governmental Licenses ”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to

 

11



 

conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxv)                                Title to Personal Property .  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to, or valid and marketable rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxvi)                             Real Property .  (i) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable fee simple title to all real property owned by them and the improvements (exclusive of improvements owned by tenants, if applicable) located thereon, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) will not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere in any material respect with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (ii) all of the leases and subleases, if any, material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries lease the Properties, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above; (iii) except as otherwise set forth in or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the mortgages and deeds of trust encumbering the Properties are not convertible into debt or equity securities of the entity owning such Property or of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and such mortgages and deeds of trust are not cross-defaulted or cross-collateralized to any property not owned, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by the Company or its subsidiaries; (iv) to the knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, none of the tenants under any lease of any of the Properties that, singly or in the aggregate, is material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise is the subject of bankruptcy, reorganization or similar proceedings; (v) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received from any Governmental Entities any written notice of any condemnation of or zoning change affecting the Properties or any part thereof, and none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries knows of any such condemnation or zoning change which is threatened and, in each case, which if consummated could materially affect the value of such Property or interfere in any material respect with the use made or proposed to be made of such Property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (vi) each of the Properties complies with all applicable codes, ordinances, laws and regulations (including without limitation, building and zoning codes, laws and regulations and laws relating to access to the Properties), except for failures to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except for such failures to comply that could not individually or in the aggregate materially affect the value of such Property or interfere in any material respect with the use made or proposed to be made of

 

12



 

such Property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (vii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice of any proposed material special assessment or any proposed change in any property tax, zoning or land use law or availability of water affecting any Property that could materially affect the value of such Property or interfere in any material respect with the use made or proposed to be made of such Property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (viii) except as could not individually or in the aggregate materially affect the value of such property or interfere in any material respect with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (a) there are no encroachments upon any Property by improvements on an adjacent property, (b) none of the improvements, if any, on any Property encroach on any adjacent property, streets or alleys and (c) there are no subleases with respect to any Property or portion thereof; (ix) except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is party to any material Lease (as defined below) that is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (x) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries holds any Property under a ground lease; (xi) all real property owned or leased by the Company or a Subsidiary is free of material structural defects and all building systems, if any, contained therein are in good working order in all material respects, subject to ordinary wear and tear or, in each instance, the Company has created an adequate reserve to effect reasonably required repairs, maintenance and capital expenditures; (xii) except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, there is no pending or threatened special assessment, tax reduction proceeding or other action that, individually or in the aggregate, could increase or decrease the real property taxes or assessments of any of such property, that, individually or in the aggregate, could have a Material Adverse Effect; and (xiii) to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, except as set forth in or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or reflected in the pro forma financial statements, and, with respect to (A) through (F) below, except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect: (A) no tenant has asserted in writing any defense or set-off against the payment of rent in connection with any lease nor has any tenant contested any tax, operating cost or other escalation payment or occupancy charge, or any other amounts payable under its leases; (B) all tenants, licensees, franchisees or other parties under any lease, exhibit, schedule, amendment or other document related to the lease of any land or personal property (owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries) at the Properties (the “ Leases ”) are in possession of their respective premises; (C) none of the Leases has been assigned, mortgaged, pledged, sublet, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered, except in connection with secured debt described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (D) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has waived any material provision under any of the Leases; (E) there are no uncured events of default, or events that with the giving of notice or passage of time, or both, would constitute an event of default, by any tenant under any of the terms and provisions of the Leases; and (F) no tenant under any of the Leases and no third party has a right of first refusal or other right to purchase the premises demised under such Lease. Each of the Leases constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case to the extent a party thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and remedies generally, and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity and, with respect to rights to indemnity and contribution thereunder, except as rights may be limited by applicable law or policies underlying such law.

 

(xxvii)                          Possession of Intellectual Property .  The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions,

 

13



 

copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “ Intellectual Property ”) necessary to carry on the business now operated or proposed to be operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxviii)                       No Acquisitions or Dispositions .  There are no contracts, letters of intent, term sheets, agreements, arrangements or understandings with respect to the direct or indirect acquisition or disposition by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of interests in assets or real property that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that are not so described.

 

(xxix)                             Mortgages; Deeds of Trust .  The Company has provided to the Representatives true and complete copies of all credit agreements, mortgages, deeds of trust, guaranties, side letters and other material documents evidencing, securing or otherwise relating to any secured or unsecured indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries that is party to any such document is in default thereunder, nor has an event occurred which with the passage of time or the giving of notice, or both, would become a default that could result in a Material Adverse Effect by any of them under any such document.

 

(xxx)                                Environmental Laws .  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local, municipal or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, standards, legally binding final guidance document or directives, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, directive, decision, consent, decree or judgment, now or hereinafter in effect, regulating, imposing liability, standards or obligations of conduct or relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), natural resources, plants or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials, mold or any hazardous materials as defined by or regulated under any Environmental Laws, as defined below (collectively, “ Hazardous Materials ”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport, exposure to or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “ Environmental Laws ”); (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required by Environmental Laws and are in compliance with their requirements; (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings, including any action, suit or proceeding by any private party, relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (D) there are no events or circumstances that would require clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws; (E) there have been no and are no (i) aboveground or underground storage tanks; (ii) landfills; (iii) surface impoundments; (iv)

 

14



 

disposal areas; (v) polychlorinated biphenyls (“ PCBs ”) or PCB-containing equipment; (vi) asbestos or asbestos containing materials; (vii) lead-based paints; (viii) mold or other airborne contaminants; or (ix) dry-cleaning facilities in, on, under or about any Property owned directly or indirectly by the Company or its subsidiaries; (F) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is conducting or funding any investigation, cleanup, mitigation, restoration, or remedial or corrective action, or is subject to any written agreement to assume the liability of any other Person (including without limitation an agreement to indemnify or hold harmless any such other Person), whether voluntarily pursuant to or as required by any Environmental Law, with respect to any release of Hazardous Materials that has resulted in or could reasonably be anticipated to result in material liability under Environmental Laws against the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and (G) all waste materials generated by the Company and its subsidiaries have been properly stored, transported, treated and disposed of in accordance with all Environmental Laws in all material respects.

 

(xxxi)                 Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls .  The Company and each of its subsidiaries has established and maintains effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the Company’s inception, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(xxxii)                          Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.   The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “ Sarbanes-Oxley Act ”) that are in effect and with which the Company is required to comply as of the date of this Agreement, and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act not currently in effect, upon the effectiveness of such provisions, or which will become applicable to the Company.

 

(xxxiii)                       Federal Tax Status .  Commencing with its short taxable year ended December 31, 2014, the Company was organized and has operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (“ REIT ”) under the Code, and its current and proposed method of operation will enable it to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for the Company’s taxable year ending December 31, 2017 and each taxable year thereafter.  The Company has elected to be treated as a REIT under the Code, commencing with its short taxable year ended December 31, 2014.  The Company satisfied all requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Code for the Company’s short taxable year ended December 31, 2014 and intends to continue to qualify as a REIT under the Code for each taxable year thereafter, and the Company does not know of any event that could cause the Company to fail to qualify as a REIT under the Code during any such time.  All statements regarding the Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT and descriptions of the

 

15



 

Company’s organization and method of operation (inasmuch as they relate to the Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT) set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are accurate and fair summaries of the legal or tax matters described therein in all material respects.  The Operating Partnership will be treated as a partnership within the meaning of Sections 7701(a)(2) and 761(a) of the Code and not as a publicly-traded partnership taxable as a corporation under Section 7704 of the Code.

 

(xxxiv)                      Payment of Taxes . The Company and its current (and, with respect to (A) and (B), former) subsidiaries (A) have paid all material federal, state, local and foreign taxes (whether imposed directly, through withholding or otherwise and including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto) required to be paid through the date hereof, other than those being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been provided on the books of the applicable entity, (B) have timely filed all material tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, and all such tax returns are correct and complete in all material respects and (C) have established adequate reserves for all taxes that have accrued but are not yet due and payable.  The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  No tax deficiency has been asserted against the Company, FP Land LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or any of their respective current or former subsidiaries, nor does any such entity know of any tax deficiency that is likely to be asserted and, if determined adversely to any such entity, could have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxxv)                         Transfer Taxes .  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under federal law or the laws of any state or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or sale by the Company of the Securities.

 

(xxxvi)                      Insurance .  The Company and each of its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business and in such amounts, if greater, as is commercially reasonable for the value of the assets owned, in the aggregate, by the Company and its subsidiaries, and all such insurance is in full force and effect.  Neither the Company nor the Operating Partnership has any reason to believe that it or any of their subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(xxxvii)                   Investment Company Act .  Neither the Company nor the Operating Partnership is, or upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will be, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(xxxviii)                Absence of Manipulation .  Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action

 

16



 

which is designed, or would be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.

 

(xxxix)                      Foreign Corrupt Practices Act .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, director nominee, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “ FCPA ”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

(xl)                                           Money Laundering Laws .  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “ Money Laundering Laws ”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xli)                                        OFAC .  None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, director nominee, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“ Person ”) currently the subject or target of any  sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “ Sanctions ”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

(xlii)                                     Distribution of Offering Material .  The Company and its subsidiaries have not distributed, and prior to the later of the Closing Time and the completion of the distribution of the Securities will not distribute, any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives.

 

17



 

(xliii)                                  Restrictions on Distributions .  No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any distributions to the Company or the Operating Partnership or from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s equity interests, except (A) pursuant to the agreements set forth in Schedule D hereto, (B) as described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (C) as prohibited by applicable law.

 

(xliv)                                 Prior Sales of Common Stock and Series B Participating Preferred Stock .  Except (A) as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (B) for grants under the Company’s equity-based compensation plans and (C) for unregistered sales, issuances or distributions of shares of Common Stock that would not be required to be disclosed under Item 3.02 of Form 8-K, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of Common Stock. The Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

(xlv)                                    No Finder’s Fees .  Except for the Underwriters’ discounts and commissions payable by the Company to the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities contemplated herein or as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not incurred any liability for any brokerage commission, finder’s fees or similar payments in connection with the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby.

 

(xlvi)                                 Approval of Listing .  The Company has applied for the Securities to be listed on the NYSE.

 

(xlvii)                              Absence of Certain Relationships .  No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, director nominees, officers or stockholders of the Company, on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus which is not so described.  The Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any of its subsidiaries, extended credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any executive officer of the Company or the Operating Partnership, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company or the Operating Partnership.

 

(xlviii)                           No Integration .  Neither the Company nor the Operating Partnership has sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Securities pursuant to the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

 

(xlix)                                 Lending Relationship Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

(l)                                                  No FINRA Affiliations .  There are no affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and any of the Company’s officers, directors, director nominees or 5% or greater securityholders.

 

(li)                                               Statistical and Market-Related Data .  Any statistical and market-related data included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure

 

18



 

Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

(lii)                                            Application of Net Proceeds .  The Company and the Operating Partnership intend to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities substantially in accordance with the description set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”  The Company has no present plan or intention to materially alter the investment policies as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(c)                                   Officer’s Certificates .  Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company and the Operating Partnership to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2.                             Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .

 

(a)                                  Initial Securities .  On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(b)                                  Option Securities .  In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 787,500 shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, as set forth in Schedule A, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.  The option hereby granted may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time from time to time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities.  Any such time and date of delivery (a “ Date of Delivery ”) shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time.  If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(c)                                   Payment .  Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 650 Town Center Drive, 20th Floor, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626-1925, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern Time) August 17, 2017 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and

 

19



 

delivery being herein called “ Closing Time ”).  In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company.  Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them.  It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for their account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase.  The Representatives, individually and not as the representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

SECTION 3.                             Covenants of the Company and the Operating Partnership .  The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, covenant with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)                                  Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests .  The Company, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Representatives as soon as reasonably possible, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Securities shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement, the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment, of such new registration statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.  The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus.  The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b)                                  Continued Compliance with Securities Laws .  The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and with the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“ Rule 172 ”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement or to file a new registration statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a

 

20



 

material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or to file a new registration statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will (A) promptly give the Representatives notice of such event, (B) furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, (C) promptly prepare any amendment, supplement or new registration statement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (D) promptly file with the Commission any such amendment, supplement or new registration statement and will use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.  The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as the Underwriters may request.  The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

(c)           Delivery of Registration Statements .  The Company has furnished or, upon request, will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters.  The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(d)           Delivery of Prospectuses .  The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act.  The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)           Blue Sky Qualifications .  The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain

 

21



 

such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however , that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(f)            Rule 158 .  The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

 

(g)           Use of Proceeds .  The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities substantially in accordance with the description set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(h)           Listing .  The Company will use its best efforts to list for trading, subject to official notice of issuance, the Securities on the NYSE.

 

(i)            Restriction on Sale of Securities .  During a period of 30 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Series B Participating Preferred Stock or any substantially similar securities, or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock , whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Series B Participating Preferred Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.  The foregoing sentence shall not apply the Securities to be sold hereunder.

 

(j)            Reporting Requirements .  The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

 

(k)           Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses .  The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representatives will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B-2 hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representatives.  The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representatives as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.  If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would

 

22



 

omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(l)            Testing-the-Waters Communications .  If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

(m)          Emerging Growth Company Status . The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act and (ii) completion of the 30-day restricted period referred to in Section 3(i) hereof.

 

(n)           Absence of Manipulation .  Except as contemplated herein or in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, each of the Company and the Operating Partnership will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(o)           Qualification and Taxation as a REIT .  The Company will use its best efforts to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for its taxable year ending December 31, 2017, and the Company will use its best efforts to continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Code and will not take any action to revoke or otherwise terminate the Company’s REIT election, unless the Company’s board of directors determines in good faith that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to be so qualified.

 

(p)           Sarbanes-Oxley . The Company will comply in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that are in effect.

 

(q)           Notification of Material Events .  The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, shall notify the Representatives of the occurrence of any material events respecting its (including those of the Operating Partnership) activities, affairs or condition, financial or otherwise, if, but only if, as a result of any such event it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel, to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the Prospectus not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) delivered to a purchaser, and the Company will forthwith supply such information as shall be necessary in the opinion of counsel to the Company and the Underwriters for the Company to prepare any necessary amendment or supplement to the Prospectus so that, as so amended or supplemented, the Prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) delivered to a purchaser, not misleading.

 

(r)            Articles Supplementary .  The Company will execute, deliver and file with the SDAT the Articles Supplementary prior to the Closing Time.

 

23



 

SECTION 4.         Payment of Expenses .

 

(a)           Expenses .  The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto; (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors; (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters; (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors; (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of a single counsel for the Underwriters not to exceed $10,000 in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto; (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities; (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, the cost of travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and one-half the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show; (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters not to exceed $10,000 in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the NYSE; and (x) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third sentence of Section 1(a)(ii) hereof. Except as explicitly provided in this Section 4(a) and Sections 4(b), 6 and 7 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel and other advisors.

 

(b)           Termination of Agreement .  If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Sections 5 or 9(a)(i) or (iii) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of a single counsel for the Underwriters.

 

SECTION 5.         Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations .  The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Operating Partnership contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Operating Partnership of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a)           Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Rule 430B Information .  The Registration Statement has become effective and at the Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.  Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus containing the

 

24



 

Rule 430B Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B.

 

(b)           Opinion of Counsel for the Company and the Operating Partnership .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter, each dated the Closing Time, of Morrison & Foerster LLP, counsel for the Company and the Operating Partnership, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

 

(c)           Opinion of Tax Counsel for Company and the Operating Partnership .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, of Morrison & Foerster LLP, tax counsel for the Company and the Operating Partnership, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

 

(d)           Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Time, of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(e)           Officers’ Certificate .  At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that: (i) there has been no such material adverse change; (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time; (iii) each of the Company and the Operating Partnership has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time; and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.

 

(f)            Certificates of Chief Financial Officer .  The Representatives shall have received certificates of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time, certifying to the matters set forth on Exhibit C hereto.

 

(g)           Accountant’s Comfort Letter .  At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

25



 

(h)           Bring-down Comfort Letter .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that each of such accounting firms reaffirms the statements made in the respective letter furnished pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

(i)          Approval of Listing . At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(j)          No Objection .  FINRA has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

 

(k)           No Amendments or Supplements .  No amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall be filed to which the Underwriters shall have reasonably objected in writing.

 

(l)            Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities .  In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company and the Operating Partnership contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any of their subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:

 

(i)            Opinion of Counsel for the Company and the Operating Partnership .  The favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Morrison & Foerster LLP, counsel for the Company and the Operating Partnership, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.

 

(ii)           Opinion of Tax Counsel for Company and the Operating Partnership .  The favorable opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP, tax counsel for the Company and the Operating Partnership, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof.

 

(iv)          Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters .  If requested by the Representatives, the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof.

 

(v)           Officers’ Certificate .  A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(vi)          Certificate of Chief Financial Officer .  A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

26



 

(vii)         Bring-down Comfort Letters A letter from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the respective letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(g) hereof, except that the “specified date” in each letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.

 

(m)          Additional Documents .  At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any) counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(n)           Termination of Agreement .  If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 hereof shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.         Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Underwriters .  The Company and the Operating Partnership agree, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “ Affiliate ”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

(i)            against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in (A) any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities (“ Marketing Materials ”), including any road show or investor presentation made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically),  or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the Prospectus or in Marketing Materials of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)           against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or

 

27



 

of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) hereof below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

 

(iii)          against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of one counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

 

provided, however , that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(b)           Indemnification of Company and Directors and Officers .  Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Operating Partnership, the Company’s directors, each of the Company’s officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls either the Company or the Operating Partnership within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(c)           Actions against Parties; Notification .  Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company.  An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however , that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party.  In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include

 

28



 

a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d)           Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse .  If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) hereof without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

SECTION 7.         Contribution .  If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

The relative benefits received by the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and the total commissions and underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

The relative fault of the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Operating Partnership or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7.  The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

29



 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

 

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Operating Partnership within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or the Operating Partnership.  The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Operating Partnership with respect to contribution.

 

SECTION 8.         Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive .  All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company or the Operating Partnership and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

SECTION 9.         Termination of Agreement .

 

(a)           Termination .  The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or (iv) if trading generally on the NYSE Amex, the NYSE MKT or the NYSE or in the Nasdaq Global Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

30



 

(b)           Liabilities . If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof; provided that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 hereof shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 10.       Default by One or More of the Underwriters .  If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “ Defaulted Securities ”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

 

(i)            if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(ii)           if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase, and the Company to sell, the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i) Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.  As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

SECTION 11.       Notices .  All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication.

 

Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to:

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

880 Carillon Parkway

St. Petersburg, Florida 33716

Attention: John Critchlow

 

31



 

with a copy to :

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

880 Carillon Parkway

St. Petersburg, Florida 33716

Attention: Jamie Graff

 

and

 

Jefferies LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Attention: General Counsel

 

with a copy to :

Jefferies LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Attention: William Cowan

 

and with a copy to (which copy shall not constitute notice):

Latham & Watkins LLP

650 Town Center Drive

20 th Floor

Costa Mesa, CA 92626-1925

Attention: William Cernius, Esq.

 

Notices to the Company or the Operating Partnership shall be directed to:

 

Farmland Partners Inc.

4600 S. Syracuse Street, Suite 1450

Denver, Colorado  80237

Attention: Erica Borenstein, Esq.

 

with a copy to:

Morrison & Foerster LLP

2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 6000

Washington, D.C.  20006

Attention: Justin R. Salon, Esq.

 

SECTION 12.       No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship .  The Company and  its subsidiaries acknowledge and agree that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the initial public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or their respective stockholders, equity interest holders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or its subsidiaries with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the

 

32



 

offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of each of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (e) none of the Underwriters or legal counsel for the Underwriters has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice to the Company or its subsidiaries with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company and its subsidiaries have consulted their own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.

 

SECTION 13.       Parties .  This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and the Operating Partnership and their respective successors.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and the Operating Partnership and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 6 hereof and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained.  This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and the Operating Partnership and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation.  No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 14.       Trial by Jury .  The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), the Operating Partnership and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

SECTION 15.       GOVERNING LAW .  THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

SECTION 16.       TIME . TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 17.       Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

 

SECTION 18.       Effect of Headings .  The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

33



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters, the Company and the Operating Partnership in accordance with its terms.

 

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

FARMLAND PARTNERS INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Luca Fabbri

 

 

Name:

Luca Fabbri

 

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

 

 

 

 

FARMLAND PARTNERS OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Luca Fabbri

 

 

Name:

Luca Fabbri

 

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

[ Signature page to Underwriting Agreement ]

 



 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

 

 

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.

 

 

By:

/s/ Steven Loffman

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

JEFFERIES LLC

 

 

By:

/s/ Matthew Casey

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

Each, for itself and as a representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto, if any.

 

[ Signature page to Underwriting Agreement ]

 



 

SCHEDULE A

 

The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $25.00.

 

The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $23.9375, being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $1.0625 per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) hereof for dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

 

Name of Underwriter

 

Number of
Initial Securities

 

 

 

 

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

2,625,000

 

Jefferies LLC

 

2,625,000

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

5,250,000

 

 

Sch A- 1



 

SCHEDULE B-1

 

1.             Pricing term sheet, as filed by the Company with the Commission on August 10, 2017

 

Sch B - 1



 

SCHEDULE B-2

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

 

See attached

 

Sch B - 2



 

 

PRICING TERM SHEET

 

6.00% SERIES B PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

 

Defined terms used in this free writing prospectus but not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in Farmland Partners Inc.’s preliminary prospectus supplement dated August 7, 2017, or the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement.

 

Issuer

 

Farmland Partners Inc., a Maryland corporation

 

 

 

Securities Offered

 

5,250,000 shares of 6.00% Series B participating preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, or Series B Participating Preferred Stock (plus up to an additional 787,500 shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full).

 

 

 

Public Offering Price / Initial Liquidation Preference

 

$25.00 per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock

 

 

 

Pricing Date

 

August 10, 2017

 

 

 

Expected Settlement Date

 

August 17, 2017 (T+5)

 

 

 

Estimated Proceeds

 

Approximately $125.4 million, after deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by us (or approximately $144.2 million if the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full)

 

 

 

Dividends

 

When, as and if authorized by our Board of Directors, holders of shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends from and including the issue date, payable quarterly in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year, beginning on September 30, 2017, at the rate of 6.00% per annum on the initial liquidation preference per share (equivalent to the fixed annual rate of $1.50 per share). The first dividend is scheduled to be paid on September 30, 2017 to holders of record as of September 15, 2017 and will be a pro rata dividend from and including the original issue date to, but excluding, September 30, 2017. If any dividend payment date falls on any day other than a business day as defined in the Articles Supplementary for our Series B Participating Preferred Stock, the dividend due on such dividend payment date shall be paid on the first business day immediately following such dividend payment date, and no dividends will accrue as a result of such delay. Dividends will accrue and be cumulative from, and including, the prior dividend payment date (or, if no prior dividend payment date, the original issue date of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock) to, but excluding, the next dividend payment date, to holders of record as of 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the related record

 

Sch B - 2



 

 

 

date. The record dates for the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock are the March 15, June 15, September 15 or December 15 immediately preceding the relevant dividend payment date. If any record date falls on any day other than a business day as defined in the Articles Supplementary for our Series B Participating Preferred Stock, the record date shall be the immediately preceding business day. Prior to September 30, 2024, no dividends will accrue or be paid on any FVA Amount. On and after September 30, 2024, in lieu of the prior dividend rate, a dividend rate of 10.000% per annum will be paid on the initial liquidation preference per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock plus the FVA Amount, if any.

 

 

 

Conversion upon a Change of Control

 

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will have the right (unless, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, we have provided or provide notice of our election to redeem the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock) to convert some or all of the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock held by such holder on the Change of Control Conversion Date into a number of shares of our common stock per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be converted equal to the lesser of:

 

·      the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of (x) the initial liquidation preference, plus (y) the FVA Amount for the relevant period (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number), plus (z) any accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared) to, but excluding, the Change of Control Conversion Date (unless the Change of Control Conversion Date is after a record date for a Series B Participating Preferred Stock dividend payment for which dividends have been declared and prior to the corresponding Series B Participating Preferred Stock dividend payment date, in which case no additional amount for such accrued and unpaid dividend will be included in this sum) and such declared dividend will instead be paid, on such dividend payment date, to the holder of record of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be converted as of 5:00 p.m. New York City time, on such record date) by (ii) the Common Stock Price; and

 

·       5.72082 (i.e., the Share Cap), subject to certain adjustments;

subject, in each case, to provisions for the receipt of alternative consideration as described in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement.

 

 

 

Listing

 

We intend to apply to list the Series B Participating Preferred Stock on the NYSE under the symbol “FPI PR B.” If the listing application is approved, we expect trading of shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to commence within 30 days after initial delivery of the shares.

 

 

 

Joint Bookrunning Managers

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Jefferies LLC

 

 

 

CUSIP / ISIN

 

31154R 208 / US31154R2085

 

 

 

Underwriting Discounts

 

$1.0625 per share

 

Sch B - 2



 

Securities Dealers Discount

 

Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $0.6375 per share from the public offering price.

 

The issuer has filed a registration statement on Form S-3 (including a prospectus dated May 14, 2015) (File No. 333-203798) and the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you a copy of the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement if you request it by contacting Raymond James & Associates, Inc., 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, or by calling toll-free at 1-800-248-8863, or by emailing prospectus@raymondjames.com; or by contacting Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10022, or by calling toll-free at 1-877-821-7388 or by emailing Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com.

 

Any disclaimers or other notices that may appear below are not applicable to this communication and should be disregarded. Such disclaimers or other notices were automatically generated as a result of this communication being sent via Bloomberg or another email system.

 

Sch B - 2



 

SCHEDULE B-3

 

Written Testing-the-Waters Communication

 

None.

 

Sch B - 3



 

SCHEDULE C

 

List of Subsidiaries of the Company

 

Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP

 

PH Farms LLC

 

Cottonwood Valley Land LLC

 

FPI Colorado LLC

 

FPI Burlington Farms LLC

 

FPI Arkansas LLC

 

FPI Illinois I LLC

 

FPI Illinois II LLC

 

FPI Agribusiness Inc.

 

American Farmland Company, LP

 



 

SCHEDULE D

 

Restrictive Agreements

 

None.

 


Exhibit 3.1

 

FARMLAND PARTNERS INC.

 

ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY

 

6.00% SERIES B PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

 

FARMLAND PARTNERS INC., a Maryland corporation (the “ Corporation ”), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “ SDAT ”) that:

 

FIRST: The Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Corporation (the “ Charter ”) authorizes the issuance of 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “ Preferred Stock ”), issuable from time to time in one or more classes or series, and provides that the Corporation’s board of directors (the “ Board ”) may classify or reclassify any unissued shares from time to time by setting or changing the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, (including voting rights exclusive to such unissued shares), restrictions (including, without limitation, restrictions on transferability), limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption of such unissued shares.

 

SECOND: Under the authority contained in the Charter, and pursuant to authority vested by the Board in the Pricing Committee of the Board (the “ Pricing Committee ”) at a telephonic meeting of the Board on August 2, 2017, the Pricing Committee, by resolution approved by unanimous written consent on August  10, 2017, has classified and designated 6,037,500 shares of Preferred Stock of the Corporation as 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock, with the following preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption, which upon any restatement of the Charter, shall be deemed to be part of Article VI of the Charter, with any necessary or appropriate changes to the enumeration of sections or subsections hereof. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings set forth in the Charter.

 

6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock

 

(1)  Designation and Number . A series of Preferred Stock, designated as the “6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock” (the “ Series B Preferred Stock ”), is hereby established. The par value of the Series B Preferred Stock is $0.01 per share. The number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be 6,037,500.

 

(2)  Maturity . The Series B Preferred Stock has no stated maturity and will not be subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption, except as provided in paragraph (6)(h)(ii), paragraph (7)(c) and paragraph (11)(c).

 

(3)  Ranking . The Series B Preferred Stock will, with respect to rights to receive dividends and to participate in distributions or payments upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation (a “ Liquidation Event ”), rank (a) senior to the common stock of the Corporation, $0.01 par value per share (“ Common Stock ”), and any other class or series of the Corporation’s equity securities, now or hereafter issued and outstanding, the terms of which provide that such equity securities rank, as to dividend payments and the distribution of assets upon a Liquidation Event, junior to such Series B Preferred Stock (“ Junior Equity Securities ”), (b) on parity with any other preferred or convertible preferred securities of the Corporation, now or hereafter issued and outstanding, other than the securities referred to in clauses (a) and (c) (“ Parity Equity Securities ”); and (c) junior to all existing and future indebtedness and all equity securities issued by the Corporation with terms specifically providing that such equity securities rank senior to the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to rights of dividend payments and the distribution of assets upon a Liquidation Event (“ Senior Equity Securities ”). For the avoidance of doubt, the term “equity securities” does not include convertible debt securities, which debt securities would rank senior to the Series B Preferred Stock.

 

(4)  Dividends .

 

(a) Dividends on each outstanding share of Series B Preferred Stock shall be cumulative from and including August 17, 2017 (the “ Original Issue Date ”) and shall be payable (i) for the period from the Original Issue Date to, but excluding, September 30, 2017 on September 30, 2017 to holders of record as of September 15, 2017, and (ii) for each quarterly distribution period thereafter, quarterly in equal amounts in arrears on the last day of each March, June, September and December, commencing on September 30, 2017 (each such day being hereinafter called a “ Series B Dividend Payment Date ”) at the then applicable annual rate; provided, however, that if any Series B Dividend Payment Date falls on any day other than a Business Day (as defined herein), the dividend that would otherwise have been payable on such Series B Dividend Payment Date may be paid on the next succeeding Business Day (as defined herein) with the same force and effect as if paid on such Series B Dividend Payment Date, and no interest or other sums shall accrue on the amount so payable from such Series B

 



 

Dividend Payment Date to such next succeeding Business Day (as defined herein). Each dividend is payable to holders of record as they appear on the stock records of the Corporation at 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the record date, which shall be March 15, June 15, September 15 or December 15 immediately preceding the applicable Series B Dividend Payment Date.  If such record date is not a Business Day, the record date shall be the immediately preceding Business Day (each such date, a “ Record Date ”). Dividends shall accrue and be cumulative from the most recent Series B Dividend Payment Date to which dividends have been paid (a “ Prior Dividend Payment Date ”) (or if no Prior Dividend Payment Date, from the Original Issue Date) to, but excluding, the next Series B Dividend Payment Date, to holders of record as of 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the related Record Date, whether or not in any such dividend period or periods there shall be funds legally available for the payment of such dividends, whether the Corporation has earnings or whether such dividends are authorized. No interest, or sum of money in lieu of interest, shall be payable in respect of any dividend payment or payments on shares of the Series B Preferred Stock that may be in arrears. Holders of shares of the Series B Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividends, whether payable in cash, property or shares, in excess of full cumulative dividends, as herein provided, on the Series B Preferred Stock. Dividends payable on the Series B Preferred Stock for any period greater or less than a full dividend period will be computed on the basis of a three hundred sixty (360) day year consisting of twelve (12) thirty (30) day months. Dividends payable on the Series B Preferred Stock for each full dividend period will be computed by dividing the applicable annual dividend rate by four. After full cumulative distributions on the Series B Preferred Stock have been paid or declared and funds therefor set aside for payment with respect to a dividend period, the holders of Series B Preferred Stock will not be entitled to any further distributions with respect to that dividend period.

 

(b) From the Original Issue Date to, but excluding, September 30, 2024, holders of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized and declared by the Board, out of funds legally available for payment of dividends, cumulative cash dividends at the rate of 6.00% per annum on the $25.00 liquidation preference (the “ Initial Liquidation Preference ”) of each share of Series B Preferred Stock (equivalent to $1.50 per annum per share).

 

(c) On and after September 30, 2024, in lieu of the dividend rate provided in paragraph (4)(b) above, holders of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized and declared by the Board, out of funds legally available for payment of dividends, cumulative cash dividends at the rate of 10.00% per annum on the sum of the Initial Liquidation Preference per share of Series B Preferred Stock and the FVA Amount (as defined herein and calculated based on the 2024 Land Value Report (as defined herein)) (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number) per share of Series B Preferred Stock. For the avoidance of doubt, no dividends shall accrue on any FVA Amount  prior to September 30, 2024.

 

(d) The Board shall not authorize and declare, and the Corporation shall not pay or set apart for payment, any dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock at such time as the terms and provisions of any agreement of the Corporation, including any agreement relating to the Corporation’s indebtedness, prohibits such declaration, payment or setting apart for payment or provides that such declaration, payment or setting apart for payment would constitute a breach thereof, or a default thereunder, or if such declaration or payment shall be restricted or prohibited by law.

 

(e) If, for any taxable year, the Corporation elects to designate as a “capital gain dividend” (as defined in Section 857 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) any portion (the “ Capital Gains Amount ”) of the dividends (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) paid or made available for the year to holders of all classes of the Corporation’s equity securities (the “ Total Dividends ”), then, except as otherwise required by applicable law, that portion of the Capital Gains Amount that shall be allocable to the holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall be in proportion to the amount that the total dividends (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes) paid or made available to the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock for the year bears to the Total Dividends. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the Corporation will make a similar allocation with respect to any undistributed long-term capital gains of the Corporation which are to be included in its stockholders’ long-term capital gains, based on the allocation of the Capital Gains Amount which would have resulted if such undistributed long-term capital gains had been distributed as “capital gains dividends” by the Corporation to its stockholders.

 

(f) So long as any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Board shall not authorize and declare, and the Corporation shall not pay or set apart for payment, except as described in the immediately following sentence, any dividends on any series or class or classes of Parity Equity Securities for any period unless full cumulative dividends have been declared and paid or are contemporaneously declared and paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for such payment on the Series B Preferred Stock for all prior dividend periods. When dividends are not paid in full or a sum sufficient for such payment is not set apart, as aforesaid, all dividends authorized and declared upon the Series B Preferred Stock and all dividends authorized and declared upon any other series or class or classes of Parity Equity Securities shall be authorized and

 

2



 

declared ratably in proportion to the respective amounts of dividends accrued and unpaid on the Series B Preferred Stock and such Parity Equity Securities.

 

(g) So long as any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Board shall not authorize and declare, and the Corporation shall not pay or set apart for payment, any dividends (other than dividends or distributions paid solely in Junior Equity Securities of, or in options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or purchase, Junior Equity Securities) or other distribution upon Junior Equity Securities, nor shall any Junior Equity Securities be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired (other than a redemption, purchase or other acquisition of Common Stock made for purposes of and in compliance with requirements of an employee incentive or benefit plan of the Corporation or any subsidiary, or a conversion into or exchange for Junior Equity Securities or redemptions for the purpose of preserving the Corporation’s qualification as a REIT), for any consideration (or any monies to be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such shares) by the Corporation, directly or indirectly (except by conversion into or exchange for Junior Equity Securities), unless in each case all cumulative dividends on all outstanding Series B Preferred Stock and any Parity Equity Securities at the time such dividends are payable shall have been paid or set apart for payment for all past dividend periods with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock and all past dividend periods with respect to such Parity Equity Securities.

 

(h) Any dividend payment made on the Series B Preferred Stock, including any Capital Gains Amounts, shall first be credited against the earliest accrued but unpaid dividend due with respect to such shares.

 

(i) As used herein, the term “ Business Day ” shall mean any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.

 

(j) As used herein, the term “ dividend ” does not include dividends payable solely in Junior Equity Securities on Junior Equity Securities, or in options, warrants or rights to holders of Junior Equity Securities to subscribe for or purchase any Junior Equity Securities.

 

(5)  Liquidation Preference .

 

(a) Upon any Liquidation Event of the Corporation, before any payment or distribution of the assets of the Corporation shall be made to or set apart for the holders of Junior Equity Securities, the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive the sum of (i) the Initial Liquidation Preference, (ii) the FVA Amount  (if the FVA Amount for the relevant period is a positive number), and (iii) an amount per share of Series B Preferred Stock equal to all dividends (whether or not authorized or declared) accrued and unpaid thereon to, but excluding, the date of final distribution to such holders (the “ Final Liquidation Preference ”), but such holders of the Series B Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any further payment.

 

(b) If, upon any Liquidation Event of the Corporation, the assets of the Corporation, or proceeds thereof, distributable among the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock shall be insufficient to pay in full the preferential amount aforesaid and liquidating payments on any other Parity Equity Securities, then such assets, or the proceeds thereof, shall be distributed among the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock and any such other Parity Equity Securities ratably in accordance with the respective amounts that would be payable on  the Series B Preferred Stock and any such other Parity Equity Securities if all amounts payable thereon were paid in full. For the purposes of this paragraph (5), none of (i) a consolidation or merger of the Corporation with one or more other entities, (ii) a statutory share exchange or (iii) a voluntary sale, transfer or conveyance of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets, properties or business shall be deemed to be a Liquidation Event of the Corporation.

 

(c) Subject to the rights of the holders of Parity Equity Securities, upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after payment shall have been made in full to the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock, as provided in this paragraph (5), any series or class or classes of Junior Equity Securities shall, subject to any respective terms and provisions applying thereto, be entitled to receive any and all assets remaining to be paid or distributed, and the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to share therein.

 

(d) Written notice of any such Liquidation Event of the Corporation, stating the payment date or dates when, and the place or places where the amounts distributable in such circumstances shall be payable, shall be given by first class mail, postage pre-paid, not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days prior to the payment date stated therein, to each record holder of the Series B Preferred Stock at the respective addresses of such holders as the same shall appear on the stock transfer records of the Corporation.

 

3



 

(6)  Farmland Value Appreciation Amount and Cap .

 

(a) Farmland value appreciation (“ FVA ”) shall be calculated pursuant to paragraph (6)(b) below using the annual agricultural land value report (the “ Land Value Report ”) released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (“ NASS ”), the Agricultural Statistics Board (“ ASB ”) and the United States Department of Agriculture (“ USDA ”) and is currently disclosed at the following URL: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1446. Subject to paragraph (6)(h) below, the value set forth in the Land Value Report (the “ Land Value ”) with respect to each of the 17 states in which the Corporation owned farmland as of June 30, 2017 (the “ Portfolio States ”) listed below, will be used for the purpose of calculating FVA in accordance with the provisions hereof.

 

(b) FVA shall be calculated as follows:

 

(i) The change in FVA for each Portfolio State since the 2017 Land Value Report (as defined below) will be calculated promptly following each date of the release of the Land Value Report for each year (the “ Report Release Date ”) in accordance with the following equation, where “PS x ” represents any given Portfolio State and “FVA x ” represents the change in FVA for such Portfolio State:

 

FVA x  = ((Land Value for PS x  as of the most recent Report Release Date ÷ Land Value for PS x  for 2017) × 100) - 100;

 

provided, that for the avoidance of doubt, for the purposes of calculating FVA x  hereunder, (i) the Land Value for PS x  for 2017 shall be as reported in the Land Value Report that was published on August 3, 2017 (the “ 2017 Land Value Report ”), and (ii) the Land Value for PS x  for 2024 shall be as reported in the Land Value Report that first reports Land Values for the year 2024 (the “ 2024 Land Value Report ”), in each case, notwithstanding any future revisions to such value that may be included in the Land Value Report on subsequent Report Release Dates.

 

(ii) The “Cumulative FVA” is the sum of the seventeen (17) products of (A) the change in FVA for a given Portfolio State since the 2017 Land Value Report (expressed below as “FVA x ” and, for any given Portfolio State, as calculated as described in paragraph (6)(b)(i) above and (B) the relative weighting for a given Portfolio State (expressed below as “W x ” and, for any given Portfolio State, as set forth in the table in paragraph (6)(b)(iii) below), divided by 100 in order to be expressed as a percentage, which shall be calculated by the Corporation promptly following each Report Release Date in accordance with the following equation:

 

Cumulative FVA = ((FVA 1  × W 1 ) + (FVA 2  × W 2 ) + (FVA 3  × W 3 ) + ... (FVA 17  × W 17 )) ÷ 100

 

(iii) The following relative weightings for each Portfolio State shall be used in determining Cumulative FVA in accordance with paragraph (6)(b)(ii), as well as any Premium Amount (as defined herein), which weightings shall be fixed while shares of Series B Preferred Stock remain outstanding:

 

Portfolio State

 

Weighting

 

Illinois

 

34.344

%

California

 

19.265

%

South Carolina

 

6.892

%

North Carolina

 

6.695

%

Colorado

 

6.318

%

Arkansas

 

5.776

%

Nebraska

 

4.292

%

Louisiana

 

4.275

%

Florida

 

3.580

%

Mississippi

 

2.034

%

Georgia

 

1.923

%

Michigan

 

1.451

%

Texas

 

0.855

%

Virginia

 

0.752

%

South Dakota

 

0.696

%

Kansas

 

0.484

%

Alabama

 

0.365

%

Total (17 Portfolio States)

 

100.0

%

 

4



 

(c) The farmland value appreciation factor (the “ FVA Factor ”) for any year shall equal the product of the Cumulative FVA (calculated in accordance with paragraph (6)(b) above) for such year (expressed as a percentage) multiplied by a constant investor participation percentage of fifty percent (50.0%).

 

(d) Subject to paragraph (6)(f) below, the farmland value appreciation amount (the “ FVA Amount ”) for any period shall equal the product of the Initial Liquidation Preference and the FVA Factor for such period; provided, that the FVA Amount for all periods after September 30, 2024 shall be equal to the FVA Amount calculated with respect to the 2024 Land Value Report.

 

(e) If the Corporation exercises its option to redeem or convert the Series B Preferred Stock after September 30, 2021 and before September 30, 2024 in accordance with paragraph (7)(a) below (in the case of a redemption) or paragraph (11)(a) below (in the case of a conversion), the Corporation will pay a premium (the “ Premium Amount ”) in addition to the Initial Liquidation Preference, the FVA Amount (if positive) and all accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the date of such redemption or conversion. The Premium Amount will equal the product of (i) the Initial Liquidation Preference and (ii) the average change in Land Values in the Portfolio States over the immediately preceding four (4) years for which a Land Value Report has been issued (based on the initial Land Values for such years included in such Land Value Reports), weighted by the weightings set forth above in paragraph (6)(b)(iii) above, multiplied by a constant investor participation percentage of fifty percent (50.0%) and prorated for the number of days between the most recent Report Release Date and the date immediately preceding the date of redemption or conversion. The Premium Amount, at any time it is measured, cannot be negative.

 

(f) Until September 30, 2024, the amount payable upon any conversion, redemption or Liquidation Event shall be subject to a cap, such that the total internal rate of return, when considering the Initial Liquidation Preference, plus the FVA Amount (if positive, plus the Premium Amount (if applicable and if positive), plus all dividends (whether paid or accrued) to, but excluding, the date of such redemption, conversion or final distribution to holders in respect of a Liquidation Event, shall not exceed nine percent (9.0%).

 

(g) From and after the Original Issue Date, the Corporation shall make available, as soon as practicable following each Report Release Date, the annual measurement showing the aggregate FVA Amount per share of Series B Preferred Stock for the then-current year and weighted by the weightings set forth in paragraph (6)(b)(iii) above based on the Land Value Report, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A . The Corporation shall also provide updates and maintain such information on the “Investor Relations” page of the Corporation’s corporate website.

 

(h)

 

(i) If at any time prior to September 30, 2024, the NASS, the ASB and/or the USDA no longer publish the Land Value Report, or if the Land Value Report no longer covers one (1) or more of the Portfolio States, the Corporation shall promptly select in its sole discretion and in good faith an alternative or additional publicly available index or indices as an alternative source or sources (if more than one source is required to cover all of the markets identified in paragraph (6)(b) above) after a thorough examination of publicly available indices at the time that are reasonably comparable to the Land Value Report. For the purpose of calculating the FVA Amount and/or Premium Amount for any period, any such alternative source shall be considered only from and after the last period covered for any relevant market by the Land Value Report. The Corporation shall publicly disclose (i) the alternative source, (ii) the amendments to the calculations of the FVA Amount and the Premium Amount to reflect the alternative source and (iii) the results of such calculations and shall otherwise comply with the requirements of this paragraph (6). Such disclosure shall be made and maintained on the “Investor Relations” page of the Corporation’s corporate website and shall be disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed or furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”).

 

(ii) If, following a thorough examination of publicly available indices in accordance with paragraph (6)(h)(i) above, the Corporation determines in good faith that no suitable alternative source or sources is available to be selected in accordance with paragraph (6)(h)(i) above (an “ Absence of Suitable Indices Event ”), the Corporation shall as soon as reasonably practicable (and in any event within 410 days after the most recent Report Release Date), at its option, either (A) redeem all of the

 

5



 

outstanding Series B Preferred Stock in accordance with paragraph (7)(c) below or (B) convert all of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock in accordance with paragraph (11)(c) below.

 

(7)  Redemption . Shares of Series B Preferred Stock are not redeemable except as provided in this paragraph (7).

 

(a)  Redemption at the Option of the Corporation. (i) Except as otherwise permitted by the Charter, this paragraph (7)(a)(i), paragraph (7)(a)(ii) and paragraph (7)(c) hereof, the Corporation may not redeem the Series B Preferred Stock until after September 30, 2021, except in limited circumstances pursuant to the Special Redemption Right (as defined herein). Any time after September 30, 2021 but prior to September 30, 2024, the Corporation, at its option, upon giving notice as provided below, may redeem all, but not less than all, of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock at any time, for cash at a redemption price equal to the Final Liquidation Preference plus the Premium Amount (if applicable and if positive) (such redemption right, or the redemption right described in 7(a)(ii) below, the “ Optional Redemption Right ”).

 

(ii) At any time on or after September 30, 2024, the Corporation, at its option, upon giving notice as provided below, may redeem all, but not less than all, of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock at the redemption price per share equal to the Initial Liquidation Preference, plus the FVA Amount calculated with respect to the 2024 Land Value Report (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number) (the “ Adjusted Value ”), plus any accrued and unpaid dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock (whether or not declared) to, but excluding, the redemption date.

 

(iii) The following provisions set forth the procedures for redemption pursuant to the Optional Redemption Right:

 

(A) A notice of redemption (which may be contingent upon the occurrence of a future event) shall be mailed, postage prepaid, not less than thirty (30) days nor more than sixty (60) days prior to the redemption date, addressed to the holders of record of the Series B Preferred Stock at their addresses as they appear on the Corporation’s stock transfer records. A failure to give such notice or any defect in the notice or in its mailing shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which the Series B Preferred Stock may be listed for trading, each notice shall state: (1) the redemption date; (2) the applicable redemption price; (3) a statement setting forth the calculation of such redemption price in accordance with paragraph (7)(a)(i) or (ii) above, as applicable; (4) the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed (it being understood that such Optional Redemption Right may only be exercised as a redemption of all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock); (5) the place or places where the certificates, if any, evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; (6) procedures for surrendering non-certificated shares of Series B Preferred Stock for payment of the redemption price; (7) that dividends on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such redemption date except as otherwise provided herein; and (8) that payment of the redemption price will be made upon presentation and surrender of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock.

 

(B) Upon any redemption of Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to the Optional Redemption Right, the Corporation shall pay any accrued and unpaid dividends in arrears for any dividend period ending on or prior to the redemption date. If a redemption date falls after a Record Date for a Series B Preferred Stock dividend payment and prior to the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date, then each holder of shares of the Series B Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such shares of Series B Preferred Stock on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date notwithstanding the redemption of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock before such Series B Dividend Payment Date. Except as provided above, the Corporation shall make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or not in arrears, on any shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for redemption.

 

(C) If full cumulative dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and any other series or class or classes of Parity Equity Securities have not been paid or declared and set apart for payment, except as otherwise permitted under the Charter, the Corporation may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire Series B Preferred Stock or any Parity Equity Securities other than in exchange for Junior Equity Securities.

 

(D) On and after the date fixed for redemption pursuant to the Optional Redemption Right, provided that the Corporation has made available at the office of the registrar and transfer agent a sufficient amount of cash to effect the redemption, dividends shall cease to accrue on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for redemption (except that, in the case of a redemption date that falls after a Record Date and prior to the related Series B Dividend Payment Date,

 

6



 

holders of Series B Preferred Stock on the applicable Record Date will be entitled on such Series B Dividend Payment Date to receive the dividend payable on such shares of Series B Preferred Stock on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date), such shares shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares as holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall cease except the right to receive the cash payable upon such redemption, without interest from the date of such redemption.

 

(b)  Special Redemption Right Upon a Change of Control. (i) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined herein), the Corporation shall have the option, upon giving notice to the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock as provided below, to redeem all, but not less than all, of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock at any time within one hundred twenty (120) days after the date on which the Change of Control has occurred (the “ Special Redemption Right ”), for cash equal to the Final Liquidation Preference, to, but excluding, the redemption date (the “ Special Redemption Price ”). If, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined herein), the Corporation exercises its Optional Redemption Right, Special Redemption Right or Absence of Suitable Indices Redemption Right (as defined herein) in connection with a Change of Control, holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall not be permitted to exercise their Change of Control Conversion Right (as defined herein).

 

A “ Change of Control ” shall be deemed to have occurred at such time after the Original Issue Date when the following have occurred and are continuing:

 

(A) the acquisition by any person, including any syndicate or group deemed to be a “person” under Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), of beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly, through a purchase, merger or other acquisition transaction or series of purchases, mergers or other acquisition transactions of securities of the Corporation entitling that person to exercise more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of all capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in elections of directors (except that such person will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such person has the right to acquire, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence of a subsequent condition); and

 

(B) following the closing of any transaction referred to in clause (A) above, neither the Corporation nor the acquiring or surviving entity has a class of common stock (or American Depositary Receipts representing such securities) listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“ NYSE ”), the NYSE MKT or the NASDAQ Stock Market (“ NASDAQ ”), or listed on an exchange that is a successor to the NYSE, NYSE MKT or NASDAQ.

 

(ii) The following provisions set forth the procedures for redemption pursuant to the Special Redemption Right:

 

(A) A notice of redemption (which may be contingent upon the occurrence of a future event) shall be mailed, postage prepaid, not less than thirty (30) nor more than sixty (60) days prior to the redemption date, addressed to the holders of record of the Series B Preferred Stock at their addresses as they appear on the Corporation’s stock transfer records. A failure to give such notice or any defect in the notice or in its mailing shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which the Series B Preferred Stock may be listed or admitted to trading, each notice shall state: (1) the redemption date; (2) the Special Redemption Price; (3) a statement setting forth the calculation of such Special Redemption Price in accordance with paragraph (7)(b) above; (4) the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed (it being understood that such Special Redemption Right may only be exercised as a redemption of all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock); (5) the place or places where the certificates, if any, evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; (6) procedures for surrendering non-certificated shares of Series B Preferred Stock for payment of the redemption price; (7) that dividends on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such redemption date except as otherwise provided herein and unless the Corporation shall fail to pay the redemption price on such date; (8) that payment of the redemption price and any accrued and unpaid dividends will be made upon presentation and surrender of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock; (9) that the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are being redeemed pursuant to the Special Redemption Right in connection with the occurrence of a Change of Control and a brief description of the transaction or transactions constituting such Change of Control; and (10) that the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock to which the notice relates will not be able to tender such shares of Series B Preferred Stock for conversion in connection with such Change of Control and each share of Series B Preferred Stock tendered for conversion that is selected, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined herein), for redemption shall be redeemed on the related redemption date instead of converted on the Change of Control Conversion Date.

 

7



 

(B) Upon the redemption of the Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to the Special Redemption Right, the Corporation shall pay any accrued and unpaid dividends in arrears for any dividend period ending on or prior to the redemption date. If the redemption date falls after a Record Date for a Series B Preferred Stock dividend payment and prior to the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date, then each holder of the Series B Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such shares of Series B Preferred Stock on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date notwithstanding the redemption of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock before such Series B Dividend Payment Date. Except as provided above, the Corporation shall make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or not in arrears, on any shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for redemption.

 

(C) If full cumulative dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and any other series or class or classes of Parity Equity Securities have not been paid or declared and set apart for payment, except as otherwise permitted under the Charter, the Corporation may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of Series B Preferred Stock or any Parity Equity Securities other than in exchange for Junior Equity Securities.

 

(D) On and after the date fixed for redemption pursuant to the Special Redemption Right, provided that the Corporation has made available at the office of the registrar and transfer agent a sufficient amount of cash to effect the redemption, dividends shall cease to accrue on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for redemption (except that, in the case of a redemption date that falls after a Record Date and prior to the related Series B Dividend Payment Date, holders of Series B Preferred Stock on the applicable Record Date will be entitled on such Series B Dividend Payment Date to receive the dividend payable on such shares of Series B Preferred Stock on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date), such shares shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares as holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall cease except the right to receive the cash payable upon such redemption, without interest from the date of such redemption.

 

(c)  Redemption upon Absence of Suitable Indices Event.

 

(i) If, following an Absence of Suitable Indices Event, the Corporation does not convert all of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock in accordance with paragraph (11)(c) below, the Corporation shall redeem all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock for cash at a redemption price equal to the Final Liquidation Preference (the “ Absence of Suitable Indices Redemption Right ”).

 

(ii) The following provisions set forth the procedures for redemption pursuant to the Absence of Suitable Indices Redemption Right:

 

(A) A notice of redemption (which may be contingent upon the occurrence of a future event) shall be mailed, postage prepaid, not less than thirty (30) days nor more than sixty (60) days prior to the redemption date, addressed to the holders of record of the Series B Preferred Stock at their addresses as they appear on the Corporation’s stock transfer records. A failure to give such notice or any defect in the notice or in its mailing shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which the Series B Preferred Stock may be listed for trading, each notice shall state: (1) the redemption date; (2) the redemption price; (3) a statement setting forth the calculation of such redemption price in accordance with paragraph (7)(c)(i) above; (4) the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed (it being understood that such Absence of Suitable Indices Redemption Right may only be exercised as a redemption of all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock); (5) the place or places where the certificates, if any, evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; (6) procedures for surrendering non-certificated shares of Series B Preferred Stock for payment of the redemption price; (7) that dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such redemption date except as otherwise provided herein; and (8) that payment of the redemption price will be made upon presentation and surrender of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock.

 

(B) Upon any redemption of Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to the Absence of Suitable Indices Redemption Right, the Corporation shall pay any accrued and unpaid dividends in arrears for any dividend period ending on or prior to the redemption date. If a redemption date falls after a Record Date for a Series B Preferred Stock dividend payment and prior to the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date, then each holder of the Series B Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such Series B Preferred Stock on the

 

8



 

corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date notwithstanding the redemption of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock before such Series B Dividend Payment Date. Except as provided above, the Corporation shall make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or not in arrears, on any shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for redemption.

 

(C) If full cumulative dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and any other series or class or classes of Parity Equity Securities have not been paid or declared and set apart for payment, except as otherwise permitted under the Charter, the Corporation may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire shares of Series B Preferred Stock or any Parity Equity Securities other than in exchange for Junior Equity Securities.

 

(D) On and after the date fixed for redemption pursuant to the Absence of Suitable Indices Redemption Right, provided that the Corporation has made available at the office of the registrar and transfer agent a sufficient amount of cash to effect the redemption, dividends shall cease to accrue on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for redemption (except that, in the case of a redemption date that falls after a Record Date and prior to the related Series B Dividend Payment Date, holders of Series B Preferred Stock on the applicable Record Date will be entitled on such Series B Dividend Payment Date to receive the dividend payable on such shares on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date), such shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares as holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall cease except the right to receive the cash payable upon such redemption, without interest from the date of such redemption.

 

(d)  Status of Redeemed Series B Preferred Stock. Any shares of Series B Preferred Stock that shall at any time have been redeemed (whether pursuant to the Optional Redemption Right, the Special Redemption Right or the Absence of Suitable Indices Redemption Right) shall, after such redemption, have the status of authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock, without designation as to series until such shares are once more designated or reclassified as part of a particular series by the Board.

 

(8)  Voting Rights . Except as otherwise set forth herein or as required by applicable law, holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall not have any relative, participating, optional or other voting rights or powers, and the consent of the holders thereof shall not be required for the taking of any action by the Corporation. In any matter in which the holders of Series B Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, each such holder shall have the right to one vote for each share of Series B Preferred Stock held by such holder.

 

(a)  Right to Elect Two Directors After Extended Dividend Arrearages.

 

(i) If and whenever six (6) or more quarterly dividends (whether or not consecutive) payable on the Series B Preferred Stock are in arrears, whether or not authorized or declared, the number of directors then constituting the Board shall be increased by two and the holders of Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class with the holders of any other series of Parity Equity Securities upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable (any such other series, the “ Voting Preferred Stock ”), shall have the right to elect two (2) additional directors (each, a “ Preferred Stock Director ”) at a special meeting of the holders of the then-outstanding Series B Preferred Stock called upon the request of the holders of at least ten percent (10%) of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, or at the Corporation’s next annual meeting and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders thereafter until all unpaid dividends with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock and such other Voting Preferred Stock have been paid. Whenever all dividend arrearages on the Series B Preferred Stock and the Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding have been paid and full dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock and the Voting Preferred Stock for the then current quarterly dividend period have been paid in full, then the right of the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock and the Voting Preferred Stock to elect two (2) Preferred Stock Directors will cease, the terms of office of the Preferred Stock Directors shall terminate immediately and the number of directors shall be reduced accordingly; provided, however, the right of the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock and the Voting Preferred Stock to elect the additional directors will again vest if and whenever six (6) quarterly dividends  are in arrears, as described above.

 

(ii) A Preferred Stock Director shall be elected by a vote of holders of record (as of the record date for the special or annual meeting, as the case may be) of a majority of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Voting Preferred Stock (voting together as a single class). Any of the Preferred Stock Directors elected by holders of the Voting Preferred Stock may be removed at any time with or without cause by the vote of, and may not be removed otherwise than by the vote of, holders of record (as of the record date for the special or annual meeting, as the case may be) of a majority of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Voting Preferred Stock (voting as a single class). So long as a dividend arrearage continues, any vacancy in the office of any Preferred Stock Director may be filled by written consent of the Preferred Stock Director remaining in office, or if none remains in office, by a vote of the holders of majority of the then-outstanding

 

9



 

shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Voting Preferred Stock voting as a single class. In no event shall the holders of Series B Preferred Stock be entitled pursuant to these voting rights to elect a director that would cause the Corporation to fail to satisfy a requirement relating to director independence of any national securities exchange on which any class or series of the Corporation’s capital stock is listed. In class votes with other Voting Preferred Stock, preferred stock of different series shall vote in proportion to the initial liquidation preference of the Preferred Stock.

 

(iii) Special meetings pursuant to this paragraph (8)(a) shall be in accordance with the procedures for “Stockholder-Requested Special Meetings” in the Corporation’s bylaws; except that the Corporation, rather than the holders of Series B Preferred Stock, shall pay all costs and expenses of calling and holding such meeting, including without limitation, the costs of preparing and mailing or delivering notice of such meeting, of renting meeting space for such meeting to be held and of collecting and tabulating votes. At all times that the voting rights conferred by this paragraph (8)(a) are exercisable, the holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall have reasonable access to the Preferred Stock transfer records of the Corporation.

 

(iv) The provisions of this paragraph (8)(a) shall supersede anything inconsistent contained in the Charter or bylaws of the Corporation.

 

(b)  Supermajority Voting Rights. So long as any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding, the approval of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of shares of outstanding Series B Preferred Stock, voting together as a class with the Voting Preferred Stock, either at a meeting of stockholders or by written consent, is required (i) to authorize, create, or increase the number of authorized or issued shares of any class or series of Senior Equity Securities, or to reclassify any authorized equity securities of the Corporation into such Senior Equity Securities, or to create, authorize or issue any obligation or security convertible into or evidencing the right to purchase such Senior Equity Securities, or (ii) to amend, alter or repeal any provisions of the Charter (including these Articles Supplementary), whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, to affect materially and adversely the voting powers, rights or preferences of the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock, unless in connection with any such amendment, alteration or repeal, the Series B Preferred Stock remains outstanding without the terms thereof being materially changed in any respect adverse to the holders thereof or is converted into or exchanged for preferred stock of the surviving entity having preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption thereof that are substantially similar to those of the Series B Preferred Stock (provided that if such amendment affects materially and adversely the rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of one or more but not all of the other series of Voting Preferred Stock, the consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then-outstanding shares of each such series so affected is required). However, the Corporation may, without the consent of any holder of Series B Preferred Stock, create and issue additional classes of Parity Equity Securities and Junior Equity Securities, amend the Charter and these Articles Supplementary to increase the authorized number of Parity Equity Securities (including the Series B Preferred Stock) and Junior Equity Securities and/or issue additional series of Parity Equity Securities (including the Series B Preferred Stock) and Junior Equity Securities.

 

(c)  Effect of Redemption Upon Voting Rights. The foregoing voting provisions shall not apply if, at or prior to the time when the act with respect to which such vote would otherwise be required shall be effected, all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed or called for redemption upon proper notice and sufficient funds shall have been deposited in trust to effect such redemption.

 

(9)  Information Rights . During any period in which the Corporation is not subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, and any shares of Series B Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation will (i) transmit by mail (or other permissible means under the Exchange Act) to all holders of Series B Preferred Stock, as their names and addresses appear in the record books of the Corporation and without cost to such holders, copies of the annual reports and quarterly reports that the Corporation would have been required to file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act if the Corporation were subject thereto (other than any exhibits that would have been required) and (ii) promptly, upon request, supply copies of such reports to any prospective holder of Series B Preferred Stock. The Corporation will mail (or otherwise provide) the information to the holders of Series B Preferred Stock within fifteen (15) days after the respective dates by which an annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as the case may be, would be due if the Corporation were subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and was required to file such reports with the SEC.

 

(10)  Other Limitations; Ownership and Transfer . The Series B Preferred Stock constitute equity securities of the Corporation and are governed by and issued subject to all the limitations, terms and conditions of the Charter applicable to equity securities generally, including but not limited to the terms and conditions (including exceptions and exemptions) of Article VII of the Charter applicable to equity securities of the Corporation. The foregoing sentence shall not be construed to limit the applicability to the Series B Preferred Stock of any other term or provision of the Charter.

 

10



 

(11) Conversion . Shares of Series B Preferred Stock are not convertible into or exchangeable for any other property or securities of Corporation, except as provided in this paragraph (11).

 

(a)  Conversion at the Option of the Corporation . At any time after September 30, 2021, the Corporation may convert all, but not less than all, of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock in accordance with this paragraph (11)(a) (the “ Optional Conversion Right ”).

 

(i) If such one-time conversion shall occur after September 30, 2021 but before September 30, 2024, the formula for determining the conversion ratio per share of Series B Preferred Stock shall be equal to (A) the sum of (1) the Initial Liquidation Preference, (2) the FVA Amount for the relevant period (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number), (3) the Premium Amount (if applicable and if the Premium Amount for such period is a positive number) and (4) any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the fourth (4th) Business Day following the notice of conversion (the “ Optional Conversion Date ”), divided by (B) the ten-day volume-weighted average price of the Common Stock on the NYSE or, if not listed on the NYSE, such other domestic securities exchange as the Common Stock may be listed or traded (the “ VWAP ”) on the date the notice of conversion is issued.

 

(ii) If such one-time conversion shall occur on or after September 30, 2024, the formula for determining the conversion ratio per share of Series B Preferred Stock shall be equal to (A) the Adjusted Value, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the Optional Conversion Date, divided by (B) the VWAP on the date the notice of conversion is issued.

 

(iii) In connection with the exercise of the Optional Conversion Right, the Corporation shall comply with all U.S. federal and state securities laws and stock exchange rules in connection with any conversion of shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock.

 

(iv) The Corporation will reserve and keep available at all times, free of any preemptive rights arising by operation of law, under the Charter or bylaws of the Corporation, under any agreement or instrument to which the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries is a party or otherwise, out of its authorized but unissued shares a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock until such time as all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have been converted, repurchased and retired or redeemed and retired. Upon conversion of each share of Series B Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall take all such actions as are necessary in order to ensure that the shares of Common Stock issuable with respect to such conversion shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all taxes, liens, charges and encumbrances with respect to the issuance thereof, other than those imposed by the holder of such share of Series B Preferred Stock and restrictions arising under applicable securities laws. The Corporation shall not close its books against the transfer of shares of Series B Preferred Stock or of shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon conversion of Series B Preferred Stock in any manner which interferes with the timely conversion of Series B Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall assist and cooperate with any holder of Series B Preferred Stock who is required to make any governmental filings or obtain any governmental approval prior to or in connection with any conversion of Series B Preferred Stock hereunder (including, without limitation, making any filings required to be made by the Corporation). All shares of Common Stock which are so issuable shall, when issued, be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges. The Corporation shall take all such actions as may be necessary to assure that all such shares of Common Stock may be so issued without violation of any applicable law or governmental regulation or any requirements of the NYSE or any other domestic securities exchange upon which the shares of Common Stock may be listed (except for official notice of issuance which shall be immediately delivered by the Corporation upon each such issuance).

 

(v) For all purposes hereunder, VWAP shall be as reported by Bloomberg Business News. If a VWAP is not available on Bloomberg Business News or a similar publication, then the volume-weighted average of the high and low trading prices of the Common Stock on the NYSE (or, if not listed on the NYSE, such other domestic securities exchange as the Common Stock may be listed or traded) calculated using the high and low prices (volume weighted) as reported on Bloomberg Business News or a similar publication on the date the notice of conversion is issued shall be used in place of VWAP for all purposes hereunder.

 

(vi) Upon exercise of the Optional Conversion Right, a notice of conversion shall be mailed, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the Series B Preferred Stock at their addresses as they appear on the Corporation’s stock transfer records. A failure to give such notice or any defect in the notice or in its mailing shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the conversion of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which the Series B Preferred

 

11



 

Stock may be listed for trading, each notice shall state: (A) the Optional Conversion Date; (B) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of each share of Series B Preferred Stock; (C) a statement setting forth the calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion in accordance with paragraph (11)(a)(i) or (ii) above as applicable; (D) the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be converted (it being understood that such Optional Conversion Right may only be exercised as a conversion of all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock); (E) the place or places where the certificates, if any, evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for conversion into shares of Common Stock; (F) procedures for surrendering non-certificated shares of Series B Preferred Stock for conversion into shares of Common Stock; (G) that dividends on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such Optional Conversion Date except as otherwise provided herein; and (H) that the issuance of such shares of Common Stock will be made upon presentation and surrender of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are held in global form, such notice shall comply with applicable procedures of the Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”).

 

(vii) If an Optional Conversion Date falls after a Record Date for a Series B Preferred Stock dividend payment and prior to the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date, then each holder of the Series B Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such Series B Preferred Stock on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date notwithstanding the conversion of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock before such Series B Dividend Payment Date. Except as provided above, the Corporation shall make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or not in arrears, on any shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for conversion.

 

(viii) On and after the Optional Conversion Date, provided that the Corporation has made available at the office of the registrar and transfer agent a sufficient amount of shares of Common Stock and cash (in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock as provided in paragraph (11)(d) below) to effect the conversion, dividends shall cease to accrue on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for conversion (except that, in the case of an Optional Conversion Date that falls after a Record Date and prior to the related Series B Dividend Payment Date, holders of Series B Preferred Stock on the applicable Record Date will be entitled on such Series B Dividend Payment Date to receive the dividend payable on such shares on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date), such shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares as holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall cease except the right to receive the shares of Common Stock issuable and cash payable upon such conversion (in accordance with paragraph (11)(d) below).

 

(ix) The Corporation will deliver all shares of Common Stock, cash (in accordance with paragraph (11)(d) below) and any other property owing upon conversion no later than the fourth (4th) Business Day following the Optional Conversion Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the persons entitled to receive any shares of Common Stock or other securities delivered upon conversion will be deemed to have become the holders of record thereof as of the Optional Conversion Date.

 

(b)  Conversion upon a Change of Control.

 

(i) Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of the Series B Preferred Stock shall have the right, subject to the Special Redemption Right of the Corporation, to convert some or all of the Series B Preferred Stock held by such holder (the “ Change of Control Conversion Right ”) on the relevant Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined herein) into a number of shares of Common Stock per share of Series B Preferred Stock (the “ Common Stock Conversion Consideration ”) equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (1) the sum of (x) the Initial Liquidation Preference, plus (y) the FVA Amount for the relevant period (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number), plus (z) any accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared) to, but excluding, the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined herein), except if such Change of Control Conversion Date falls after a Record Date for a Series B Preferred Stock dividend payment for which dividends have been declared and prior to the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date, in which case the amount pursuant to this clause (1)(z) shall equal $0.00 in respect of such dividend payment to be made on such Series B Dividend Payment Date and such declared dividend shall instead be paid, on such Series B Dividend Payment Date, to the holders of record of the Series B Preferred Stock to be converted as of 5:00 p.m. New York City time, on such Record Date), by (2) the Common Stock Price (as defined herein) (such quotient, the “ Conversion Rate ”), and (B) 5.72082 (the “ Share Cap ”), subject to the following:

 

(A) The Share Cap shall be subject to pro rata adjustments for any share splits (including those effected pursuant to a distribution of shares of Common Stock), subdivisions or combinations (in each case, a “ Stock Split ”) with respect to the Common Stock as follows: the adjusted Share Cap as the result of a Stock Split shall be the number of shares of Common Stock that is equivalent to the product of (i) the Share Cap in effect immediately prior to such Stock Split multiplied by (ii) a fraction,

 

12



 

the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding after giving effect to such Stock Split and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such Stock Split.

 

(B) In the case of a Change of Control as a result of which holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive consideration other than solely shares of Common Stock, including other securities, other property or assets (including cash or any combination thereof) with respect to or in exchange for shares of Common Stock (the “ Alternative Form Consideration ”), a holder of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled thereafter to convert (subject to the Corporation’s Special Redemption Right) such shares of Series B Preferred Stock not into shares of Common Stock but solely into the kind and amount of Alternative Form Consideration which the holder of Series B Preferred Stock would have owned or been entitled to receive upon such Change of Control as if such holder of Series B Preferred Stock then held the Common Stock Conversion Consideration immediately prior to the effective time of the Change of Control (the “ Alternative Conversion Consideration ,” and the Common Stock Conversion Consideration or the Alternative Conversion Consideration, as may be applicable to a Change of Control, shall be referred to herein as the “ Conversion Consideration ”).

 

(C) If the holders of Common Stock have the opportunity to elect the form of consideration to be received in such Change of Control, the Conversion Consideration shall be deemed to be the kind and amount of consideration actually received by holders of a majority of shares of Common Stock that voted for such an election (if electing between two types of consideration) or holders of a plurality of shares of Common Stock that voted for such an election (if electing between more than two types of consideration), as the case may be, and will be subject to any limitations to which all holders of Common Stock are subject, including, without limitation, pro rata reductions applicable to any portion of the consideration payable in the Change of Control.

 

(D) As used herein, the term “ Common Stock Price ” shall mean (i) if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by holders of the Common Stock is solely cash, the amount of cash consideration per share of Common Stock, (ii) if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by holders of the Common Stock is other than solely cash, (x) the average of the closing price per share of Common Stock (or, if no closing sale price is reported, the average of the closing bid and ask prices or, if more than one in either case, the average of the average closing bid and the average closing ask prices) for the ten (10) consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the effective date of the Change of Control as reported on the principal U.S. securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then traded, or (y) the average of the last quoted bid prices for the Common Stock in the over-the-counter market as reported by OTC Markets Group, Inc. or similar organization for the ten (10) consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the effective date of the Change of Control, if the Common Stock is not then listed for trading on a U.S. securities exchange.

 

(ii) Within fifteen (15) days following the occurrence of a Change of Control, the Corporation shall provide to holders of Series B Preferred Stock a notice of the occurrence of the Change of Control that describes the resulting Change of Control Conversion Right (“ Change of Control Notice ”). A failure to give such Change of Control Notice or any defect in the notice or in its mailing shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the conversion of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom the Change of Control Notice was defective or not given. Each Change of Control Notice shall state the following: (A) the events constituting the Change of Control; (B) the date of the Change of Control; (C) the last date and time by which the holders of Series B Preferred Stock may exercise their Change of Control Conversion Right, which shall be the “Change of Control Conversion Date”; (D) the method and period for calculating the Common Stock Price; (E) the Change of Control Conversion Date; (F) that if, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, the Corporation has provided or provides notice of its election to redeem all or any portion of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock, holders shall not be able to convert Series B Preferred Stock designated for redemption and such shares shall be redeemed on the related redemption date, even if such shares have already been tendered for conversion pursuant to the Change of Control Conversion Right; (G) if applicable, the type and amount of Alternative Conversion Consideration entitled to be received per share of Series B Preferred Stock; (H) the name and address of the paying agent and the conversion agent; and (I) the procedures that the holders of Series B Preferred Stock must follow to exercise the Change of Control Conversion Right.

 

(iii) The Corporation shall issue a press release for publication on the Dow Jones & Company, Inc., Business Wire, PR Newswire or Bloomberg Business News (or, if such organizations are not in existence at the time of issuance of such press release, such other news or press organization as is reasonably calculated to broadly disseminate the relevant information to the public), or post notice on the Corporation’s website, in any event prior to the opening of business on the first Business Day following any date on which the Corporation provides a Change of Control Notice to the holders of Series B Preferred Stock.

 

(iv) In order to exercise the Change of Control Conversion Right, a holder of Series B Preferred Stock shall be required to deliver, on or before the close of business on the Change of Control Conversion Date, the certificates (if any) or book entries

 

13



 

evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be converted, duly endorsed for transfer (if certificates are delivered), together with a completed written conversion notice, to the transfer agent. Such conversion notice shall state: (A) the relevant Change of Control Conversion Date; (B) the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be converted; and (C) that the Series B Preferred Stock are to be converted pursuant to the applicable provisions of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are held in global form, such notice shall comply with applicable procedures of DTC. The “ Change of Control Conversion Date ” shall be a Business Day selected by the Corporation set forth in the Change of Control Notice that is no less than twenty (20) days nor more than thirty-five (35) days after the date on which the Corporation gives such Change of Control Notice.

 

(v) Holders of Series B Preferred Stock may withdraw any notice of exercise of a Change of Control Conversion Right (in whole or in part) by a written notice of withdrawal delivered to the Corporation’s transfer agent prior to 5:00 PM Eastern time on the Business Day prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date. The notice of withdrawal must state: (i) the number of withdrawn shares of Series B Preferred Stock; (ii) if certificated shares of Series B Preferred Stock have been issued, the certificate numbers of the withdrawn shares of Series B Preferred Stock; and (iii) the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock, if any, which remain subject to the conversion notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are held in global form, the notice of withdrawal shall comply with applicable DTC procedures.

 

(vi) Shares of Series B Preferred Stock as to which the Change of Control Conversion Right has been properly exercised and for which the conversion notice has not been properly withdrawn shall be converted into the applicable Conversion Consideration in accordance with the Change of Control Conversion Right on the Change of Control Conversion Date.

 

(vii) In connection with the exercise of any Change of Control Conversion Right, the Corporation shall comply with all U.S. federal and state securities laws and stock exchange rules in connection with any conversion of shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock.

 

(ix) The Corporation will deliver all shares of Common Stock, cash (in accordance with paragraph (11)(d) below) and any other property owing upon conversion no later than the fourth (4th) Business Day following the Change of Control Conversion Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the persons entitled to receive any shares of Common Stock or other securities delivered upon conversion will be deemed to have become the holders of record thereof as of the Change of Control Conversion Date.

 

(c)  Conversion upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event.

 

(i) If, following an Absence of Suitable Indices Event, the Corporation does not redeem all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock in accordance with paragraph (7)(c) above, the Corporation shall convert all but not less than all of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock in accordance with this paragraph (11)(c) (the “ Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Right ”).

 

(ii) The formula for determining the conversion ratio per share of Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to the Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Right shall be equal to (A) the sum of (1) the Initial Liquidation Preference, (2) the FVA Amount for the relevant period (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number) and (3) any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including,  the fourth (4th) Business Day following the notice of conversion (the “ Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date ”), divided by (B) the VWAP on the date the notice of conversion is issued.

 

(iii) In connection with the exercise of the Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Right, the Corporation shall comply with all U.S. federal and state securities laws and stock exchange rules in connection with any conversion of shares of Series B Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock.

 

(iv) The Corporation will reserve and keep available at all times, free of any preemptive rights arising by operation of law, under the Charter or bylaws of the Corporation, under any agreement or instrument to which the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries is a party or otherwise, out of its authorized but unissued shares a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock until such time as all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall have been converted, repurchased and retired or redeemed and retired. Upon conversion of each share of Series B Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall take all such actions as are necessary in order to ensure that the shares of Common Stock issuable with respect to such conversion shall be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all taxes, liens, charges and encumbrances with respect to the issuance thereof, other than those imposed by the holder of such share of Series B Preferred Stock and restrictions arising under applicable securities laws. The Corporation shall not close its books against the transfer of shares of Series B Preferred Stock or shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon conversion of Series B Preferred Stock in any manner

 

14



 

which interferes with the timely conversion of shares of Series B Preferred Stock. The Corporation shall assist and cooperate with any holder of Series B Preferred Stock required to make any governmental filings or obtain any governmental approval prior to or in connection with any conversion of Series B Preferred Stock hereunder (including, without limitation, making any filings required to be made by the Corporation). All shares of Common Stock which are so issuable shall, when issued, be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges. The Corporation shall take all such actions as may be necessary to assure that all such shares of Common Stock may be so issued without violation of any applicable law or governmental regulation or any requirements of the NYSE or any other domestic securities exchange upon which the Common Stock may be listed (except for official notice of issuance which shall be immediately delivered by the Corporation upon each such issuance).

 

(vi) Upon exercise of the Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Right, a notice of conversion shall be mailed, addressed to the holders of record of the Series B Preferred Stock at their addresses as they appear on the Corporation’s stock transfer records. A failure to give such notice or any defect in the notice or in its mailing shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the conversion of any shares of Series B Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which the Series B Preferred Stock may be listed for trading, each notice shall state: (A) the event constituting the Absence of Suitable Indices Event, (B) the Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date; (C) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of shares of Series B Preferred Stock; (D) a statement setting forth the calculation of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion in accordance with paragraph (11)(c)(ii); (E) the number of shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be converted (it being understood that such Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Right may only be exercised as a conversion of  all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock); (F) the place or places where the certificates, if any, evidencing the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for conversion into shares of Common Stock; (G) procedures for surrendering non-certificated shares of Series B Preferred Stock for conversion into shares of Common Stock; (H) that dividends on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date except as otherwise provided herein; and (I) that the issuance of such shares of Common Stock will be made upon presentation and surrender of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the shares of Series B Preferred Stock are held in global form, such notice shall comply with applicable procedures of DTC.

 

(vii) If an Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date falls after a Record Date for a Series B Preferred Stock dividend payment and prior to the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date, then each holder of the Series B Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such Series B Preferred Stock on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date notwithstanding the conversion of such shares of Series B Preferred Stock before such Series B Dividend Payment Date. Except as provided above, the Corporation shall make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or not in arrears, on any shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for conversion.

 

(viii) On and after the Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date, provided that the Corporation has made available at the office of the registrar and transfer agent a sufficient amount of shares of Common Stock and cash to effect the conversion, dividends shall cease to accrue on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock called for conversion (except that, in the case of an Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date after a Record Date and prior to the related Series B Dividend Payment Date, holders of Series B Preferred Stock on the applicable Record Date will be entitled on such Series B Dividend Payment Date to receive the dividend payable on such shares on the corresponding Series B Dividend Payment Date), such shares of Series B Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares as holders of Series B Preferred Stock shall cease except the right to receive the shares of Common Stock issuable and cash payable upon such conversion.

 

(ix) The Corporation will deliver all shares of Common Stock, cash (including, without limitation, cash in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock) and any other property owing upon conversion no later than the fourth (4th) Business Day following the Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the persons entitled to receive any shares of Common Stock or other securities delivered upon conversion will be deemed to have become the holders of record thereof as of the Absence of Suitable Indices Event Conversion Date.

 

(d)  No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock pursuant to this paragraph (11). In lieu of fractional shares, holders of the Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive the cash value of such fractional shares (A) in the case of a conversion at the option of the Corporation as set forth in paragraphs(11)(a) and (c) hereof, computed on the basis of the applicable per share VWAP, and (B) in the case of a conversion in connection with the Change of Control Conversion Right, based on the Common Stock Price.

 

15



 

(e)  Ownership Limit . Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no holder of Series B Preferred Stock shall be entitled to convert such shares of Series B Preferred Stock for Common Stock to the extent that receipt of such shares of Common Stock would cause such holder (or any other person) to Beneficially Own or Constructively Own, within the meaning of the Charter, Common Stock in excess of the Stock Ownership Limit, as such term is defined in the Charter.

 

(12)  Record Holders . The Corporation and the transfer agent for the Series B Preferred Stock may deem and treat the record holder of any Series B Preferred Stock as the true and lawful owner thereof for all purposes, and neither the Corporation nor the transfer agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

(13) Miscellaneous .

 

(a)  Preemptive Rights . No holder of Series B Preferred Stock, as such, shall have any preemptive or preferential right to subscribe for or to purchase any additional shares of any class or series of equity securities of the Corporation or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of any class or series of equity securities of the Corporation.

 

(b)  Tax Withholding. The Corporation may withhold from or pay on behalf of or with respect to each holder of Series B Preferred Stock any amount of U.S. federal, state, local, or foreign taxes that the Corporation reasonably determines that it was or is required to withhold or pay with respect to any cash or property distributable, allocable or otherwise transferred to such holder pursuant to these Articles Supplementary, including, without limitation, any taxes required to be withheld or paid by the Corporation pursuant to Section 1441, 1442, or 1445 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

(c)  Office or Agency . The Corporation will at all times maintain an office or agency in one of the 48 contiguous states of the United States of America where Series B Preferred Stock may be surrendered for payment (including upon redemption), registration of transfer or exchange.

 

(d)  Severability . If any preference, conversion or other right, voting power, restriction, limitation as to dividends or other distributions, qualification, term or condition of redemption or other term of the Series B Preferred Stock is invalid, unlawful or incapable of being enforced by reason of any rule of law or public policy, then, to the extent permitted by law, all other preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications, terms or conditions of redemption and other terms of the Series B Preferred Stock which can be given effect without the invalid, unlawful or unenforceable preference, conversion or other right, voting power, restriction, limitation as to dividends or other distributions, qualification, term or condition of redemption or other term of the Series B Preferred Stock shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be deemed dependent upon any other such preference, conversion or other right, voting power, restriction, limitation as to dividends or other distributions, qualification, term or condition of redemption or other term of the Series B Preferred Stock unless so expressed herein.

 

(e)  Terms of the Series B Preferred Stock . All references to the “terms” of the Series B Preferred Stock (and all similar references) shall include all of the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions and limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications, terms and conditions of redemption and other terms and provisions set forth in paragraphs (1) through (13), inclusive, hereof.

 

THIRD: The Series B Preferred Stock has been classified and designated by the Pricing Committee under the authority granted by the Board pursuant to the powers of the Board as contained in the Charter. These Articles Supplementary have been approved by the Pricing Committee in accordance with the power delegated to the Pricing Committee by the Board in the manner and by the vote required by law.

 

FOURTH: These Articles Supplementary shall become effective upon acceptance by the SDAT.

 

FIFTH: The undersigned Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Corporation acknowledges these Articles Supplementary to be the act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Corporation acknowledges that to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.

 

16



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these Articles Supplementary to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and attested to by its General Counsel and Secretary on this 16th day of August, 2017.

 

 

 

Farmland Partners Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Luca Fabbri

 

 

Luca Fabbri
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

 

 

 

ATTEST:

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Erica Borenstein

 

 

Erica Borenstein
General Counsel and Secretary

 

 



 

Exhibit A

 

Measurement of Aggregate FVA Amount Per Share of 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock(1)

 

[Date]

 

 

 

 

 

2017

 

2018

 

Portfolio State

 

Relative Weighting
Applied in
Determining FVA

 

2017 Land
Value(2)

 

Assigned
Baseline
Value

 

2018 Land
Value(3)

 

Percentage
Change in
Land Value
to
2017 Baseline

 

Illinois

 

34.344

%

$

7,300

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

California

 

19.265

%

$

8,700

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

South Carolina

 

6.892

%

$

3,000

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

North Carolina

 

6.695

%

$

4,450

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Colorado

 

6.318

%

$

1,430

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Arkansas

 

5.776

%

$

3,180

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Nebraska

 

4.292

%

$

2,900

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Louisiana

 

4.275

%

$

3,000

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Florida

 

3.580

%

$

5,700

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Mississippi

 

2.034

%

$

2,500

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Georgia

 

1.923

%

$

3,550

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan

 

1.451

%

$

4,800

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Texas

 

0.855

%

$

2,090

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Virginia

 

0.752

%

$

4,350

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

South Dakota

 

0.696

%

$

2,180

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas

 

0.484

%

$

1,850

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

Alabama

 

0.365

%

$

2,750

 

100.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cumulative FVA

 

 

 

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FVA Factor (50% Cumulative FVA)

 

 

 

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FVA Amount

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

 

 

 


(1)           The Land Values and FVA Amount for each year since the issuance of the 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock are available on the Company’s website on the “Investor Relations” page.

 

(2)           2017 Land Value represents the 2017 estimated average value per acre of farmland in each Portfolio State, as reported in the 2017 Land Value Report released on August 3, 2017, and will remain constant for 2017 for purposes of calculating the FVA Amount, notwithstanding any subsequent revisions in any subsequent Land Value Report.

 

(3)           2018 Land Value represents the 2018 estimated average value per acre of farmland in each Portfolio State, as reported in the 2018 Land Value Report released on August [  ·  ], 2018, and will remain constant for 2018 for purposes of calculating the FVA Amount, notwithstanding any subsequent revisions in any subsequent Land Value Report.

 


Exhibit 5.1

 

2000 PENNSYLVANIA AVE., NW
WASHINGTON, D.C.
20006-1888

TELEPHONE: 202.887.1500
FACSIMILE: 202.887.0763

WWW.MOFO.COM

MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP

NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO,
LOS ANGELES, PALO ALTO,
SACRAMENTO, SAN DIEGO,
DENVER, NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
WASHINGTON, D.C.

TOKYO, LONDON, BERLIN, BRUSSELS,
BEIJING, SHANGHAI, HONG KONG,
SINGAPORE

 

August 16, 2017

 

Board of Directors

Farmland Partners Inc.
4600 S. Syracuse Street, Suite 1450

Denver, Colorado 80237

 

Re: Public Offering of Series B Participating Preferred Stock

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We are acting as counsel to Farmland Partners Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “ Company ”), in connection with the public offering of 6,037,500 shares (the “ Shares ”) (including 787,500 Shares to be issued in connection with the Underwriters’ (as defined below) option to purchase additional Shares) of Series B participating preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “ Series B Participating Preferred Stock ”), of the Company, all of which Shares are to be sold by the Company pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated August 10, 2017 and the accompanying base prospectus dated May 14, 2015 (such documents, collectively, the “ Prospectus ”) that form part of the Company’s effective registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-203798) (the “ Registration Statement ”), filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”). The Shares are to be sold by the Company pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, dated August 10, 2017 (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”), by and among the Company, Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Jefferies LLC, as Representative of the several Underwriters named on Schedule A thereto (the “ Underwriters ”), and in the manner described in the Prospectus.

 

As counsel for the Company, we have examined the Underwriting Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Company’s Articles of Amendment and Restatement, as amended and supplemented (including the Articles Supplementary (the “ Articles Supplementary ”) designating the terms of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock, the “ Charter ”) and the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, as well as originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of rendering this opinion and we are familiar with the proceedings taken and proposed to be taken by the Company in with the authorization, issuance and sale of the Shares.  In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies.  We also have assumed that the Shares and the shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “ Common Stock ”), issuable upon

 



 

conversion of the Shares (the “ Conversion Shares ”) will not be issued in violation of the ownership limit contained in the Company’s Charter. We have further assumed that, upon the issuance of any of the Shares or the Conversion Shares, the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under the Charter.  This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.

 

This opinion letter is based as to matters of law solely on the Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended. We express no opinion herein as to any other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations. As used herein, the term “Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended” includes the statutory provisions contained therein, all applicable provisions of the Maryland Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting these laws.

 

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that following (i) the filing of the Articles Supplementary, (ii) issuance and delivery of the Shares pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, (iii) receipt by the Company of the consideration for the Shares specified in the resolutions of the Board of Directors and the Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors and in the Underwriting Agreement, and (iv) in the case of the Conversion Shares, a determination by the Board of Directors to convert the Shares and issue the Conversion Shares in accordance with the terms of the Articles Supplementary, the Shares and the Conversion Shares will, when issued in accordance with the Articles Supplementary, be validly issued, fully paid, and non-assessable.

 

This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing by the Company of a Current Report on Form 8-K relating to the offer and sale of the Shares, which Form 8-K will be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and may not be relied upon for any other purpose without our express written consent. No opinion may be implied or inferred beyond the opinion expressly stated. This opinion is given as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in applicable law or any facts or circumstances that come to our attention after the date hereof that may affect the opinion contained herein.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the above-described Current Report on Form 8-K and to the reference to our firm contained under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Morrison & Foerster LLP

 

 

 

Morrison & Foerster LLP

 


Exhibit 8.1

 

12531 HIGH BLUFF DRIVE
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
92130-2040

TELEPHONE: 858.720.5100
FACSIMILE: 858.720.5125

WWW.MOFO.COM

MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP

NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO,
LOS ANGELES, PALO ALTO,
SACRAMENTO, SAN DIEGO,
DENVER, NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
WASHINGTON, D.C.

TOKYO, LONDON, BERLIN, BRUSSELS,
BEIJING, SHANGHAI, HONG KONG,
SINGAPORE

 

August 16, 2017

 

Farmland Partners Inc.

4600 S. Syracuse Street, Suite 1450

Denver, CO 80237

 

Re:                              Farmland Partners Inc.—

Status as a Real Estate Investment Trust;

Information in Registration Statement under Heading

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We are acting as counsel to Farmland Partners Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “ Company ”) in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of 6,037,500 shares (the “ Shares ”) of the Company’s 6.00% Series B participating preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. The Shares are the subject of a registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (the “ Registration Statement ”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “ Securities Act ”), a prospectus dated May 14, 2015 (the “ Base Prospectus ”), a preliminary prospectus supplement dated August 7, 2017 (the “ Preliminary Prospectus ”), and a final prospectus supplement dated August 10, 2017 (the “ Final Prospectus ” and together with the Base Prospectus and the Preliminary Prospectus, the “ Prospectus ”).

 

You have requested our opinion as to certain federal income tax matters regarding the Company.  Although you may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the federal tax treatment and federal tax structure of the Company and all materials of any kind that were provided to you by us relating to such tax treatment and tax structure, this opinion is intended for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and Prospectus.  You may not authorize any other person or entity to rely on this opinion, or otherwise make this opinion available for the benefit of any other person or entity, without our prior written consent, provided this opinion may be relied upon by persons acquiring the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement and Prospectus.

 



 

In our capacity as counsel to the Company and for purposes of rendering this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the following, with your consent: (i) the Registration Statement and Prospectus; and (ii) a certificate executed by duly appointed officers of the Company (the “ Officer’s Certificate ”) setting forth certain factual representations, dated August 16, 2017.  In addition, we have examined such other documents as we have considered relevant to our analysis.  In our examination of such documents, we have assumed the authenticity of original documents, the accuracy of copies, the genuineness of signatures, and the legal capacity of signatories.  We have also assumed that all parties to such documents have acted, and will act, in accordance with the terms of such documents.

 

Our opinion is based on (a) our understanding of the facts as represented to us in the Officer’s Certificate and (b) the assumption that (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have valid legal existences under the laws of the states in which they were formed and have operated in accordance with the laws of such states, (ii) the Company is operated, and will continue to be operated, in the manner described in the Officer’s Certificate, (iii) the facts contained in the Registration Statement and Prospectus are true and complete in all material respects, (iv) all representations of fact contained in the Officer’s Certificate are true and complete and (v) any representation of fact in the Officer’s Certificate that is made “to the knowledge of” or similarly qualified is correct without such qualification.  While we have made such inquiries and investigations as we have deemed necessary, we have not undertaken an independent inquiry into or verification of all such facts either in the course of our representation of the Company or for the purpose of rendering this opinion.  While we have reviewed all representations made to us to determine their reasonableness, and nothing has come to our attention that would cause us to question the accuracy of such representations, we have no assurance that they are or will ultimately prove to be accurate.

 

We note that the tax consequences addressed herein depend upon the actual occurrence of events in the future, which events may or may not be consistent with any representations made to us for purposes of this opinion.  In particular, the qualification and taxation of the Company as a real estate investment trust (“ REIT ”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes depends upon the Company’s ability to meet on a continuing basis certain distribution levels, diversity of stock ownership, and the various qualification tests imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”).  To the extent that the facts differ from those represented to or assumed by us herein, our opinion should not be relied upon.

 

Our opinion herein is based on existing law as contained in the Code, final and temporary Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative pronouncements of the Internal Revenue Service (the “ IRS ”) and court decisions as of the date hereof.  The provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations, IRS administrative pronouncements and case law upon which this opinion is based could be changed at any time, perhaps with retroactive effect.  In addition, some of the issues under existing law that could significantly affect our opinion have not yet been authoritatively addressed by the IRS or the courts, and our opinion is not binding on

 



 

the IRS or the courts.  Hence, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge, or that the courts will agree with, our conclusions.

 

Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing and the next paragraphs below, we are of the opinion that, as of the date hereof:

 

(i)            Commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2014, the Company was organized and has operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and its current and proposed method of operation will enable it to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT for its taxable year ending December 31, 2017 and thereafter.

 

(ii)         We have reviewed the statements included or incorporated by reference (including statements in the Form 8-K filed by the Company on August 9, 2016) in the Base Prospectus under the heading “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” as supplemented by the statements in the Preliminary and Final Prospectuses under the heading “Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” and, insofar as such statements pertain to matters of law or legal conclusions, they are correct in all material respects.

 

We undertake no obligation to update this opinion, or to ascertain after the date hereof whether circumstances occurring after such date may affect the conclusions set forth herein.  We express no opinion as to matters governed by any laws other than the Code, the Treasury Regulations, published administrative announcements and rulings of the IRS, and court decisions.

 

This opinion is furnished to you solely for use in connection with the Registration Statement and Prospectus. Other than as expressly stated above, we express no opinion on any issue relating to the Company or to any investment therein. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to such Registration Statement and Prospectus. We also consent to the reference to our firm name wherever appearing in the Registration Statement and Prospectus.  In giving this consent, we do not admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder, nor do we thereby admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the Registration Statement within the meaning of the term “experts” as used in the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Morrison & Foerster LLP

 

 

 

Morrison & Foerster LLP

 


Exhibit 10.1

 

AMENDMENT NO. 2
TO  SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF FARMLAND PARTNERS OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP

 

This Amendment No. 2 to the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP (this “ Amendment ”) is made as of August 16, 201 7 by Farmland Partners OP GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “ General Partner ”), as sole general partner of Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware   limited partnership (the “ Partnership ”), pursuant to the authority granted to the General Partner in the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP,  dated as of April 16, 2014 (as amended, the “ Partner ship Agreement ”), for the purpose of designating the rights and preferences of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units (as defined below) and issuing additional Partnership Units in the form of Preferred Partnership Units (as defined below).  Capitalized terms used and not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Partnership Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, Farmland Partners Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “ Parent ”), is the sole and managing member of the General Partner;

 

WHEREAS, the Parent and the Partnership, on the one hand, and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Jefferies LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named on Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement (as defined below) (the “ Underwriters ”), on the other hand, have entered into that certain Underwriting Agreement, dated as of August 10, 2017 (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”), providing for, among other things, the issuance and sale of shares of the Parent’s Series B Participating Preferred Stock (as defined below) to the Underwriters;

 

WHEREAS, the Parent will contribute the net proceeds from the sale of its shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock to the Partnership in exchange for Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units; and

 

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Partnership Agreement, the General Partner desires to amend the Partnership Agreement to create additional Partnership Units in the form of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, the Partnership Agreement hereby is amended as follows:

 

1.                                      Article I of the Partnership Agreement is hereby amended to add the following definitions:

 

Series B Articles Supplementary ” means the Articles Supplementary dated August 16, 2017 to the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Parent designating the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 



 

Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Interest ” shall mean an ownership interest in the Partnership evidenced by the 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, having a preference in payment of distributions and upon liquidation as set forth in this Agreement.

 

Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit ” shall mean a fractional, undivided share of the 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Interests of all Partners issued under the Partnership Agreement.

 

Series B Participating Preferred Stock ” shall mean the 6.00% Series B Participating Preferred Stock of the Parent with the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption as described in the Series B Articles Supplementary.

 

2.                                      The Partnership Agreement is hereby amended to incorporate Exhibit A to Amendment No. 1 to the Partnership Agreement designating the terms of the Series A Preferred Partnership Units as Exhibit H to the Partnership Agreement.

 

3.                                      In accordance with Section 4.2 of the Partnership Agreement, set forth in Exhibit A hereto are the terms and conditions of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, which are hereby established and issued to the Parent in consideration of their contribution to the Partnership of the net proceeds from the issuance and sale of the shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement. The Partnership Agreement hereby is amended to incorporate such Exhibit A as Exhibit I thereto.

 

4.                                      Except as modified herein, all terms and conditions of the Partnership Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, which terms and conditions the General Partner hereby ratifies and confirms.

 

5.                                      This Amendment shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles or rules governing conflicts of law.

 

6.                                      If any provision of this Amendment is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

2



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the undersigned has caused this Amendment to be duly executed and delivered on its behalf as of the date first set forth above.

 

 

GENERAL PARTNER:

 

 

 

FARMLAND PARTNERS OP GP, LLC,

 

as sole general partner of Farmland Partners Operating Partnership, LP

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Luca Fabbri

 

Name:

Luca Fabbri

 

Title:

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

Signature Page to Amendment No. 2 to the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of

Limited Partnership of Farmland Partners Realty Operating Partnership, LP

 



 

EXHIBIT A

 

DESIGNATION OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF

SERIES B PARTICIPATING PREFERRED
PARTNERSHIP UNITS

 

(1)                                 Designation and Number . A series of Preferred Partnership Units, designated as Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, hereby is established. The number of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall be 6,037,500.

 

(2)                                 Defined Terms . Capitalized terms used in this Exhibit and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Partnership Agreement. The following defined terms used in this Exhibit to the Partnership Agreement shall have the meanings specified below.

 

(3)                                 Ranking . The Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units will, with respect to rights to receive distributions and upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership (a “ Liquidation Event ”), rank: (a) senior to Common Partnership Units and any other Partnership Units now or hereafter issued and outstanding, the terms of which provide that such Partnership Units rank, as to rights to receive distributions and upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership, junior to such Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units (collectively, with the Common Partnership Units, “ Junior Units ”); (b) on parity with Series A Preferred Partnership Units and any other Partnership Units hereafter issued and outstanding, the terms of which specifically provide that such Partnership Units rank, as to rights to receive distributions and upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership, on a parity with such Series A Preferred Partnership Units (“ Parity Units ”); and (c) junior to all Partnership Units hereafter issued and outstanding, the terms of which specifically provide that such Partnership Units rank, as to rights to receive distributions and upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership, senior to the Series A Preferred Partnership Units (“ Senior Units ”). The Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units will also rank junior to the Partnership’s existing and future indebtedness.

 

(4)                                 Maturity. The Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units have no stated maturity and will not be subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption, except in connection with an Absence of Suitable Indices Event (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary).

 

(5)                                 Distributions .

 

(a)                                 Distributions pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (c) below on each outstanding Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit shall be cumulative from and including August 17, 2017 (the “ Original Issue Date ”) and shall be payable (i) pro rata for the period from the Original Issue Date to, but excluding, September 30, 2017 on September 30, 2017 to holders of record as of September 15, 2017, and (ii) for each quarterly distribution period thereafter, quarterly in equal amounts in arrears on the last day of each March, June, September and December, commencing on September 30, 2017 (each such day being hereinafter called a

 



 

Series B Distribution Payment Date ”) at the then applicable annual rate; provided, however, that if any Series B Distribution Payment Date falls on any day other than a Business Day (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary), the distribution that would otherwise have been payable on such Series B Distribution Date may be paid on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if paid on such Series B Distribution Payment Date, and no interest or other sums shall accrue on the amount so payable from such Series B Distribution Payment Date to such next succeeding Business Day. Each distribution is payable to holders of record as they appear on the records of the Partnership at 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the record date, which shall be March 15, June 15, September 15 or December 15 immediately preceding the applicable Series B Distribution Payment Date.  If such record date is not a Business Day, the record date shall be the immediately preceding Business Day (each such date, a “ Record Date ”). Distributions shall accrue and be cumulative from the most recent Series B Distribution Payment Date to which distributions have been paid (a “ Prior Distribution Payment Date ”) (or if no Prior Distribution Payment Date, from the Original Issue Date) to, but excluding, the next Series B Distribution Payment Date, to holders of record as of 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the related Record Date, whether or not in any such distribution period or periods there shall be funds legally available for the payment of such distributions, whether the Partnership has earnings or whether such distributions are authorized. No interest, or sum of money in lieu of interest, shall be payable in respect of any distribution payment or payments on Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units that may be in arrears. Holders of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall not be entitled to any distributions, whether payable in cash, property or shares, in excess of full cumulative distributions, as herein provided, on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units. Distributions payable on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units for any period greater or less than a full distribution period will be computed on the basis of a three hundred sixty (360) day year consisting of twelve (12) thirty (30) day months. Distributions payable on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units for each full distribution period will be computed by dividing the applicable annual distribution rate by four. After full cumulative distributions on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units have been paid or declared and funds therefor set aside for payment with respect to a distribution period, the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units will not be entitled to any further distributions with respect to that distribution period.

 

(b)                                 From the Original Issue Date to, but excluding, September 30, 2024, holders of the then-outstanding Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized and declared by the General Partner, out of funds legally available for payment of distributions, cumulative cash distributions at the rate of 6.00% per annum on the $25.00 liquidation preference (the “ Initial Liquidation Preference ”) of each Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit (equivalent to $1.50 per annum per unit).

 

(c)                                  On and after September 30, 2024, in lieu of the distribution rate provided in paragraph (4)(b) above, holders of the then-outstanding Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized and declared by the Board, out of funds legally available for payment of distributions, cumulative cash distributions at the rate of 10.000% per annum on the sum of the Initial Liquidation Preference per Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit and the FVA Amount (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary and calculated based on the 2024 Land Value Report (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary) ) (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number) per

 



 

Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit. For the avoidance of doubt, no distributions shall accrue on any FVA Amount prior to September 30, 2024.

 

(d)                                 No distributions on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall be authorized by the General Partner or paid or set apart for payment by the General Partner at such time as the terms and provisions of any agreement of the Parent or the Partnership, including any agreement relating to indebtedness of the Parent or the Partnership, prohibit such authorization, payment or setting apart for payment or provide that such authorization, payment or setting apart for payment would constitute a breach thereof or a default thereunder, or if such authorization, payment or setting apart for payment shall be restricted or prohibited by law.

 

(e)                                  So long as any Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units are outstanding, the General Partner shall not authorize and declare, and the Partnership shall not pay or set apart for payment, except as described in the immediately following sentence, any distributions on any series or class or classes of Parity Units for any period unless full cumulative distributions have been declared and paid or are contemporaneously declared and paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for such payment on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units for all prior distribution periods. When distributions are not paid in full or a sum sufficient for such payment is not set apart, as aforesaid, all distributions authorized and declared upon the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units and all distributions authorized and declared upon any other series or class or classes of Parity Units shall be authorized and declared ratably in proportion to the respective amounts of distributions accrued and unpaid on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units and such Parity Units.

 

(f)                                   So long as any Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units are outstanding, the Board shall not authorize and declare, and the Partnership shall not pay or set apart for payment, any dividends (other than dividends or distributions paid solely in Junior Units) or other distribution upon Junior Units, nor shall any Junior Units be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired (other than a redemption, purchase or other acquisition of Junior Units made for purposes of and in compliance with requirements of an employee incentive or benefit plan of the Parent or any subsidiary, or a conversion into or exchange for Junior Units or redemptions for the purpose of preserving the Parent’s qualification as a REIT), for any consideration (or any monies to be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such units) by the Partnership, directly or indirectly (except by conversion into or exchange for Junior Units), unless in each case all cumulative distributions on all outstanding Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units and any Parity Units at the time such distributions are payable shall have been paid or set apart for payment for all past distribution periods with respect to the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units and all past distribution periods with respect to such Parity Units.

 

(g)                                  Any distribution payment made on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall first be credited against the earliest accrued but unpaid distribution due with respect to such Units.

 

(h)                                 As used herein, the term “ distribution ” does not include distributions payable solely in Junior Units on Junior Units.

 



 

(6)                                 Liquidation Preference .

 

(a)                                 Upon any Liquidation Event of the Partnership, before any payment or distribution of the assets of the Partnership shall be made to or set apart for the holders of Junior Units, the holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall be entitled to receive the sum of (i) the Initial Liquidation Preference, (ii) the FVA Amount (if the FVA Amount for the relevant period is a positive number), and (iii) an amount per Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit equal to all distributions (whether or not authorized or declared) accrued and unpaid thereon to, but excluding, the date of final distribution to such holders (the “ Final Liquidation Preference ”), but such holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall not be entitled to any further payment.

 

(b)                                 If,  upon any Liquidation Event of the Partnership, the assets of the Partnership, or proceeds thereof, distributable among the holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall be insufficient to pay in full the preferential amount aforesaid and liquidating payments on any other Parity Units, then such assets, or the proceeds thereof, shall be distributed among the holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units and any such other Parity Units ratably in accordance with the respective amounts that would be payable on  the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units and any such other Parity Units if all amounts payable thereon were paid in full. For the purposes of this Section (6), none of (i) a consolidation or merger of the Partnership with one or more other entities, (ii) a statutory share exchange or (iii) a voluntary sale, transfer or conveyance of all or substantially all of the Partnership’s assets, properties or business shall be deemed to be a Liquidation Event of the Partnership.

 

(c)                                  Subject to the rights of the holders of Parity Units, upon any Liquidation Event of the Partnership, after payment shall have been made in full to the holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, as provided in this Section (6), any series or class or classes of Junior Units shall, subject to any respective terms and provisions applying thereto, be entitled to receive any and all assets remaining to be paid or distributed, and the holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall not be entitled to share therein.

 

(7)                                 Redemption. In connection with the redemption by the Parent of shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock in accordance with the provisions of the Series B Articles Supplementary,

 

(a)                                 The Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units are not redeemable except as provided in this paragraph (7).

 

(b)                                 Optional Redemption .

 

i.      If Parent exercises its Optional Redemption Right (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary) with respect to any share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock after September 30, 2021 but prior to September 30, 2024, the Partnership shall redeem a Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit by making a payment to the Parent for such purpose in an amount equal to the

 



 

Final Liquidation Preference plus the Premium Amount (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary).

 

ii.   If Parent exercises its Optional Redemption Right to redeem any share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock at any time on or after September 30, 2024, shall redeem a Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit by making a payment to the Parent for such purpose, for cash in an amount equal to the Adjusted Value (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary), plus any accrued and unpaid distributions on the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit to, but excluding, the redemption date.

 

(c)          Special Redemption Right upon a Change of Control. Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary), if and when the Parent exercises its Special Redemption Right (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary) to redeem any share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, the Partnership shall redeem a Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit by making a payment to the Parent for such purpose in an amount equal to the Special Redemption Price (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary)

 

(d)         Redemption upon Absence of Suitable Indices Event . If Parent exercises its Absence of Suitable Indices Event Redemption Right (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary), the Partnership shall redeem a Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Unit by making a payment to the Parent for such purpose in an amount equal to the Final Liquidation Preference.

 

(8)                                 Voting Rights .  Holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units will not have any voting rights.

 

(9)                                 Conversion.

 

(a)         The Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units are not convertible or exchangeable for any other property or securities except as otherwise provided in this Section 9.

 

(b)         In the event the Parent exercises its Optional Conversion Right (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary) or its Absence of Suitable Indices Conversion Right (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary) or in the event a holder of shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock exercises its Change of Control Conversion Right (as defined in the Series B Articles Supplementary), to convert shares of Series B Participating  Preferred Stock into Shares in accordance with the terms of the Series B Articles Supplementary (subject to the Special Redemption Right of the Corporation), then, concurrently therewith, an equivalent number of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units held by the Parent shall be

 



 

automatically converted into a number of Class A Units equal to the number of Shares issued upon conversion of such shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock. Any such conversion will be effective at the same time as the conversion of the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock into Shares.

 

(c)          No fractional units will be issued in connection with the conversion of Series B Participating Preferred Units into Class A Units, and the number of Class A Units to be issued upon conversion shall be rounded down to the nearest whole unit. In lieu of fractional Class A Units, the Parent shall be entitled to receive an amount in cash equal to the fair market value of such fractional Class A Unit that was rounded down on the date of conversion, computed on the basis of the applicable per share VWAP for the Common Stock of Parent.

 

(10)                          Allocations for Capital Account Purposes .  The Partnership’s Net Income, Net Loss and items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit shall be allocated to the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units in accordance with the Partnership Agreement, including Article VI of the Partnership Agreement; it being understood and agreed that in effecting the allocation provisions of the Partnership Agreement, the Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units shall be deemed to constitute Partnership Interests that are entitled to a preference upon liquidation and a preference in distribution for purposes of Section 6.1.A(4) (and Section 6.1.B(3)) and Section 6.1.A(5) of the Partnership Agreement, respectively.  Accordingly, until additional classes of Partnership Interests, if any, are established pursuant to the terms of the Partnership Agreement:

 

(a)                                 pursuant to Section 6.1.A(4) of the Partnership Agreement, Net Income shall be allocated to each holder of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, until the cumulative Net Income allocated under Section 6.1.A(4) of the Partnership Agreement to such holder equals the cumulative Net Losses allocated to such holder under Section 6.1.B(3) of the Partnership Agreement with respect to its Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, pro rata in proportion to the amounts to be allocated pursuant to Section 6.1.A(4) of the Partnership Agreement;

 

(b)                                 pursuant to Section 6.1.A(5) of the Partnership Agreement, Net Income shall be allocated to each holder of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units,  until the cumulative allocations made under Section 6.1.A(5) of the Partnership Agreement to such holder equals the cumulative amount of distributions payable (whether or not authorized or paid) pursuant to Section 5 with respect to such holder’s Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, pro rata in proportion to the amounts to be allocated pursuant to Section 6.1.A(5) of the Partnership Agreement;

 

(c)                                  pursuant to Section 6.1.A(6) of the Partnership Agreement, no Net Income shall be allocated to the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units; and

 

(d)                                 pursuant to Section 6.1.B(3) of the Partnership Agreement, Net Losses shall be allocated to the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Partnership Units, pro rata in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests as of the last day of the period for which such

 



 

allocation is being made (for the avoidance of doubt, Net Losses shall be allocated to Junior Units subject to Section 6.1.B(3) first and thereafter proportionately among Parity Units); provided, however, that Net Losses shall not be allocated to any such holders pursuant to Section 6.1.B(3)  of the Partnership Agreement to the extent that such allocation would cause such holder to have an Adjusted Capital Account Deficit (or increase any existing Adjusted Capital Account Deficit) (determined in each case by not including in the holder’s Adjusted Capital Accounts any amount that the holder is obligated to contribute to the Partnership with respect to any deficit in its Capital Account pursuant to Section 13.3 of the Partnership Agreement) at the end of such taxable year (or portion thereof).

 


Exhibit 99.1

 

DESCRIPTION OF SERIES B PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

 

The description of the particular terms and provisions of our Series B Participating Preferred Stock contained in this prospectus supplement supplements, and to the extent inconsistent therewith replaces, the description of the general terms and provisions of our preferred stock in the accompanying prospectus, to which description reference is hereby made.

 

For purposes of this section, references to “we,” “our” and “the Company” refer only to Farmland Partners Inc. and not to any of its subsidiaries. The term “Articles Supplementary” means the articles supplementary creating and designating the terms of our Series B Participating Preferred Stock that we will file with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland.

 

General

 

Under our articles of amendment and restatement, or our charter, we currently are authorized to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. Our charter further provides that our Board of Directors may classify any unissued shares of preferred stock into one or more classes or series of stock and, prior to issuance of any class or series of preferred stock, shall set the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers (including voting rights exclusive to such class or series), restrictions (including, without limitation, restrictions on transferability), limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption of such class or series. Prior to the completion of this offering, there will be no shares of our preferred stock outstanding. There are no preemptive rights with respect to our Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

Maturity

 

The Series B Participating Preferred Stock has no stated maturity and will not be subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption (except as described below under “—Redemption—Redemption upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event” and “—Conversion Rights—Conversion upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event”), and will remain outstanding indefinitely unless (i) we redeem such shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock at our option as described below in “—Redemption—Redemption at Our Option,” (ii) we convert such shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock at our option as described below in “—Conversion Rights—Conversion at Our Option” or (iii) subject to our special right of redemption in the event of a Change of Control (as defined below), they are converted by the holder of such shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock in the event of a Change of Control as described below in “—Conversion Rights—Conversion upon a Change of Control.”

 

Reopening

 

The Articles Supplementary establishing our Series B Participating Preferred Stock permit us to “reopen” this series, without the consent of the holders of our Series B Participating Preferred Stock, in order to issue additional shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock from time to time. We may in the future issue additional shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock without your consent. Any additional shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will have the same terms as the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock that we are issuing in this offering. These additional shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will, together with the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock being issued in this offering, constitute a single series of securities.

 

S- 31



 

Ranking

 

The Series B Participating Preferred Stock will rank, with respect to dividend rights and rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up:

 

(1) senior to our common stock and to any other class or series of our equity securities expressly designated as ranking junior to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock;

 

(2) on parity with any future class or series of our equity securities expressly designated as ranking on parity with the Series B Participating Preferred Stock; and

 

(3) junior to our existing and future indebtedness and all equity securities issued by us with terms specifically providing that those equity securities rank senior to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock with respect to rights of dividend payments and the distribution of assets upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company, or Liquidation Event, which issuance is subject to the approval of the holders of two-thirds of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock and any parity preference shares.

 

The term “equity securities” does not include convertible debt securities, which debt securities would rank senior to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

In accordance with the terms of the partnership agreement of our Operating Partnership, we will contribute the net proceeds from the sale of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to our Operating Partnership, and our Operating Partnership will issue to us a number of Series B participating preferred units of limited partnership interest in our Operating Partnership, or Series B Participating Preferred Units, equal to the number of shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock sold in this offering. The Series B Participating Preferred Units will rank, with respect to distribution rights and rights upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Operating Partnership, senior to Class A common units, or OP Units, and long term incentive units of partnership interest in our Operating Partnership and on parity with the existing Series A preferred units of limited partnership interest in our Operating Partnership, or Series A Preferred Units.

 

As of June 30, 2017, there are 117,000 Series A Preferred Units outstanding, each of which has a liquidation preference of $1,000 per unit. Series A Preferred Units are entitled to cash distributions at a rate of 3.00% per annum of the $1,000 liquidation preference per Series A Preferred Unit (equivalent to a fixed annual amount of $30.00 per Series A Preferred Unit) payable annually in arrears on January 15 of each year or the next succeeding business day. On or after March 2, 2026, each holder of Series A Preferred Units has the right to convert each Series A Preferred Unit into a number of OP Units equal to (i) the $1,000 liquidation preference plus all accumulated and unpaid distributions, divided by (ii) the volume-weighted average price per share of our common stock for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the applicable conversion date. All OP Units received upon conversion may be immediately tendered for redemption for cash or, at the Company’s option, for shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the partnership agreement for our Operating Partnership. Prior to date on which the Series A Preferred Units are converted into OP Units, the Series A Preferred Units may not be tendered for redemption by the holders. On or after March 2, 2021, our Operating Partnership has the right to redeem some or all of the Series A Preferred Units for cash in an amount equal to the $1,000 liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends.

 

S- 32



 

In the future, our Operating Partnership may create additional classes or series of common or preferred units, including preferred units that are senior to the Series B Participating Preferred Units (subject to the rights of any holders of preferred units), or issue additional common or preferred units of any class or series (including long term incentive units) without the consent of any holder of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

Dividends

 

When, as and if authorized by our Board of Directors, holders of shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends from and including the issue date, payable quarterly in arrears on the last day of March, June, September and December of each year, beginning on September 30, 2017, at the rate of 6.00% per annum on the initial liquidation preference per share (equivalent to the fixed annual rate of $1.50 per share). The first dividend is scheduled to be paid on September 30, 2017 to holders of record as of September 15, 2017 and will be a pro rata dividend from and including the original issue date to, but excluding, September 30, 2017. If any dividend payment date falls on any day other than a business day as defined in the Articles Supplementary for our Series B Participating Preferred Stock, the dividend due on such dividend payment date shall be paid on the first business day immediately following such dividend payment date, and no dividends will accrue as a result of such delay. Dividends will accrue and be cumulative from, and including, the prior dividend payment date (or, if no prior dividend payment date, the original issue date of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock) to, but excluding, the next dividend payment date, to holders of record as of 5:00 p.m., New York time, on the related record date. The record dates for the Series B Participating Preferred Stock are the March 15, June 15, September 15 or December 15 immediately preceding the relevant dividend payment date. If any record date falls on any day other than a business day as defined in the Articles Supplementary for our Series B Participating Preferred Stock, the record date shall be the immediately preceding business day. Prior to September 30, 2024, no dividends will accrue or be paid on any FVA Amount (as defined below).

 

On and after September 30, 2024, in lieu of the dividend rate detailed in the preceding paragraph, a dividend rate of 10.00% per annum will accrue and be paid on the initial liquidation preference per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock plus the FVA Amount, if any.

 

Our Board of Directors will not authorize and we will not pay or set apart for payment dividends on our Series B Participating Preferred Stock at any time when the terms and provisions of any agreement of ours, including any agreement relating to our indebtedness, prohibits the authorization, payment or setting apart for payment or provides that the authorization, payment or setting apart for payment would constitute a breach of the agreement or a default under the agreement, or if the authorization, payment or setting apart for payment shall be restricted or prohibited by law. We also have the right to withhold, from any amounts otherwise payable to you, with respect to all distributions (deemed or actual) to the extent that withholding is or was required for such distributions under applicable tax withholding rules. See the section “Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in this prospectus supplement. You should review the information appearing in the last paragraph under this caption “—Dividends” for information regarding the circumstances under which the terms of our credit facilities, term loans and other debt may limit or prohibit the payment of dividends on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

S- 33



 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, dividends on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock will accrue whether or not there are funds legally available for the payment of those dividends, whether or not we have earnings and whether or not those dividends are authorized. No interest, or sum in lieu of interest, will be payable in respect of any dividend payment or payments on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock that may be in arrears, and holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock will not be entitled to any dividends in excess of full cumulative dividends described above. Any dividend payment made on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock, including any Capital Gains Amounts, as described in the paragraph below, shall first be credited against the earliest accrued but unpaid dividend due with respect to those shares.

 

If, for any taxable year, we designate as a “capital gain dividend,” as defined in Section 857 of the Code, any portion of the dividends, or the Capital Gains Amount, as determined for federal income tax purposes, paid or made available for that year to holders of all classes of our capital stock then, except as otherwise required by applicable law, the portion of the Capital Gains Amount that shall be allocable to the holders of shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will be in proportion to the amount that the total dividends, as determined for federal income tax purposes, paid or made available to holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock for the year bears to the total dividends paid or made available for that year to holders of all classes of our capital stock. In addition, except as otherwise required by applicable law, we will make a similar allocation with respect to any undistributed long-term capital gains that are to be included in our stockholders’ long-term capital gains, based on the allocation of the Capital Gains Amount that would have resulted if those undistributed long-term capital gains had been distributed as “capital gain dividends” by us to our stockholders. For a discussion of the tax treatment of dividends designated as “capital gain dividends,” see “Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in this prospectus supplement.

 

Future distributions on shares of our common stock and shares of our preferred stock, including the Series B Participating Preferred Stock offered hereby, will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, funds from operations, adjusted funds from operations, cash flow from operations, financial condition and capital requirements, the annual distribution requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code, our debt service requirements and any other factors our Board of Directors deems relevant. In addition, our credit facilities, term loans and other debt contain provisions that could limit or, in certain cases, prohibit the payment of distributions on shares of our common stock and preferred stock, including the Series B Participating Preferred Stock offered hereby. Accordingly, although we expect to pay quarterly cash distributions on our common stock and scheduled cash dividends on our Series B Participating Preferred Stock being offered hereby, we cannot guarantee that we will maintain these distributions or what the actual distributions will be for any future period.

 

Voting Rights

 

Holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock generally will have no voting rights. However, if we are in arrears on dividends, whether or not authorized or declared, on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock for six or more quarterly periods, whether or not consecutive, holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock (voting separately as a class together with the holders of all other classes or series of parity preferred stock and upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable) will be entitled to elect two additional directors at a special meeting of stockholders called upon the request of the holders of at least 10% of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock or at our next annual meeting of stockholders and each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders thereafter, each additional director being referred herein to as a Preferred Stock Director, until all

 

S- 34



 

unpaid dividends with respect to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock and such other classes or series of preferred stock with like voting rights have been paid. Any Preferred Stock Directors will be elected by a vote of holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock and any other class or series of parity preferred stock with like voting rights, voting together as a single class. Special meetings of stockholders called in accordance with the provisions described in this paragraph shall be subject to the procedures in our bylaws, except that we, rather than the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock or any other class or series of parity preferred stock entitled to vote thereon when they have the voting rights described above (voting together as a single class), will pay all costs and expenses of calling and holding such special meeting of stockholders.

 

Any Preferred Stock Director may be removed at any time with or without cause by the vote of, and may not be removed otherwise than by the vote of, the holders of record of a majority of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock and all other classes or series of parity preferred stock entitled to vote thereon when they have the voting rights described above (voting together as a single class). So long as a dividend arrearage continues, any vacancy in the office of a Preferred Stock Director may be filled by written consent of the Preferred Stock Director remaining in office or, if none remains in office, by a vote of the holders of record of a majority of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock when they have the voting rights described above (voting as a single class with all other classes or series of parity preferred stock upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable).

 

So long as any shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock remain outstanding, we will not, without the affirmative vote or written consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock and each other class or series of parity preferred stock with like voting rights (voting together as a single class), authorize, create, or increase the number of authorized or issued shares of, any class or series of equity securities ranking senior to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock with respect to rights of dividend payments and the distribution of assets upon a Liquidation Event, or reclassify any of our authorized equity securities into such equity securities, or create, authorize or issue any obligation or security convertible into or evidencing the right to purchase such equity securities. However, we may, without the consent of any holder of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, create and issue additional classes or series of parity equity securities and junior equity securities, and/or amend our charter and the Articles Supplementary for the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to increase the authorized number of shares of parity equity securities (including the Series B Participating Preferred Stock) and junior equity securities.

 

In addition, the affirmative vote or written consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock and each other class or series of parity preferred stock with like voting rights (voting together as a single class) is required for us to amend, alter or repeal any provision of our charter so as to materially and adversely affect the terms of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock. If such amendment to our charter does not equally affect the terms of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock and the terms of one or more other classes or series of parity preferred stock, the affirmative vote or written consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class, is required. Holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock also will have the exclusive right to vote on any amendment to our charter on which holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock are otherwise entitled to vote and that would alter only the rights, as expressly set forth in our charter, of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

S- 35



 

In any matter in which holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock may vote (as expressly provided in the Articles Supplementary setting forth the terms of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock), each share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock shall be entitled to one vote.

 

Liquidation Preference

 

If we experience a Liquidation Event, holders of our Series B Participating Preferred Stock will have the right to receive the sum of (i) the initial liquidation preference, (ii) the FVA Amount (if the FVA Amount for the relevant period is a positive number) and (iii) an amount per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock equal to all dividends (whether or not authorized or declared) accrued and unpaid thereon to, but excluding, the date of final distribution to such holders, or the Final Liquidation Preference, before any distribution or payment is made to holders of our common stock and any other class or series of our equity securities ranking junior to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock as to liquidation, dissolution or winding up. The rights of holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock to receive this amount will be subject to the proportionate rights of any other class or series of our equity securities ranking on parity with the Series B Participating Preferred Stock as to rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, and junior to the rights of any class or series of our equity securities expressly designated as ranking senior to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock. In addition, our obligation to pay the Final Liquidation Preference will be subject to the proportionate rights of holders of Series A Preferred Partnership Units and any other class or series of units of limited partnership interest in our Operating Partnership that rank senior to, or on parity with, the Series A Preferred Units and the Series B Participating Preferred Units.

 

Holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will be entitled to written notice of any distribution in connection with any Liquidation Event not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the distribution payment date. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distributions to which they are entitled, holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will have no right or claim to any of our remaining assets. Our consolidation or merger with or into any other corporation, trust or other entity, or the voluntary sale, transfer or conveyance of all or substantially all of our property or business, will not be deemed to constitute a Liquidation Event.

 

In determining whether a distribution (other than upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation), by dividend, redemption or other acquisition of any of our shares of capital stock or otherwise, is permitted under Maryland law, amounts that would be needed, if we were to be dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will not be added to our total liabilities.

 

Farmland Value Appreciation Amount

 

The initial liquidation preference for the Series B Participating Preferred Stock may be increased by the FVA Amount. The FVA Amount for any year will equal the product of the initial liquidation preference and the FVA Factor (as defined below) for such period. However, the FVA Amount for all periods after September 30, 2024 will be equal to the FVA Amount calculated based on the Land Value Report issued in 2024, or the 2024 Land Value Report, and the FVA Amount will be subject to a cap as described below under the caption “—Cap on Total Return.”

 

The FVA Amount for the Series B Participating Preferred Stock may be realized upon (i) exercise by us of our optional redemption right or conversion right after September 30, 2021,

 

S- 36



 

(ii) any conversion or redemption in connection with a Change of Control (as defined below) or (iii) liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company. In addition, on and after September 30, 2024, dividends will accrue on the FVA Amount, if any, added to the initial liquidation preference per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

The FVA Amount will be calculated only once per year, promptly after the release of the Land Value Report. Accordingly, the FVA Amount will always be calculated using data from the initial publication of each Land Value Report, notwithstanding the fact that the NASS, ASB and/or USDA may update Land Values for any particular year in subsequent Land Value Reports. As a result, holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will not realize the benefit of any increases in Land Values, or the detriment of any decreases in Land Values, that occur after a Report Release Date (as defined below) for any given year but prior to the Report Release Date for the subsequent year, except to the extent of any Premium Amount (as defined below).

 

Farmland Value Appreciation Factor

 

FVA for the Series B Participating Preferred Stock represents the cumulative change, from the 2017 estimated average value per acre of farmland in the 17 states in which we own farmland, weighted by the percentage of the total unaudited book value of our properties held in each Portfolio State as of June 30, 2017, or the Weighting Factor. We refer to these 17 states as Portfolio States. FVA is determined using “Farm Real Estate, Average Value per Acre,” or Land Value, contained in the annual agricultural Land Values summary, or Land Value Report, released by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, or NASS, the Agricultural Statistics Board, or ASB, and the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, and is currently disclosed at the following URL: http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1446. The contents of the USDA website are not incorporated by reference in or otherwise part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. The farm real estate values reported in the Land Value Report are a measure of the values of all land and buildings on farms in the United States. Other indices referenced in this prospectus supplement will not be used in calculating the FVA Amount.

 

As described in the Land Value Report, the estimates of farmland values in the report are based primarily on the June Area Survey, conducted each year during the first two weeks of June. The survey uses a complete, probability-based land-area sampling frame. A sample of approximately 11,000 segments of land is selected, each approximately one square mile in size. Enumerators collecting data for the June Area Survey contact all agricultural producers operating land within the boundaries of the sampled land segments and record land value information for cropland and pasture within these segments. They also collect an estimated value of all land and buildings for the operator’s entire farming operation and the estimated percent change from the previous year.

 

Once data are summarized, each regional field office conducts an analysis of the summarized indications and any other available information for the states covered by the Land Value Report. Those offices then set estimates for land values and submit these recommendations to the ASB, which prepares and disseminates hundreds of reports every year providing the official USDA estimates on crops, livestock and economic indicators in the agricultural industry.

 

Subject to the calculation of the FVA as described below, the value set forth in the Land Value Report, or the Land Value, with respect to each of the 17 Portfolio States listed below, will be used for the purpose of calculating FVA.

 

S- 37



 

FVA for the Series B Participating Preferred Stock will be calculated as follows:

 

(i) The change in FVA for each Portfolio State since the 2017 Land Value Report (as defined below) will be calculated promptly following each date of the release of the Land Value Report for each year, or Report Release Date, in accordance with the following equation, where “PS x ” represents any given Portfolio State and “FVA x ” represents the change in FVA for such Portfolio State:

 

FVA x  = ((Land Value for PS x  as of the most recent Report Release Date ÷ Land Value for PS x  for 2017) × 100) - 100

 

For the avoidance of doubt, for the purposes of calculating FVA x , (i) the Land Value for PS x  for 2017 shall be as reported in the Land Value Report that was published on August 3, 2017, or the 2017 Land Value Report, and (ii) the Land Value for PS x  for 2024 shall be as reported in the 2024 Land Value Report, in each case, notwithstanding any future revisions to such value that may be included in the Land Value Report on subsequent Report Release Dates.

 

(ii) The “Cumulative FVA” is the sum of the seventeen (17) products of (A) the change in FVA for a given Portfolio State since the 2017 Land Value Report (expressed below as “FVA x ” and, for any given Portfolio State, as calculated as described in paragraph (i) above) and (B) the relative weighting for a given Portfolio State (expressed below as “W x ”) and, for any given Portfolio State, as set forth in the table in paragraph (iii) below), divided by 100 in order to be expressed as a percentage, which will be calculated promptly following each Report Release Date in accordance with the following equation:

 

Cumulative FVA = ((FVA 1  × W 1 ) + (FVA 2  × W 2 ) + (FVA 3  × W 3 ) + ... (FVA 17  × W 17 )) ÷ 100

 

S- 38



 

(iii) The following relative weightings for each Portfolio State will be used in determining Cumulative FVA in accordance with paragraph (ii) above, as well as any Premium Amount:

 

Portfolio State

 

Weighting Factor

 

Illinois

 

34.344

%

California

 

19.265

%

South Carolina

 

6.892

%

North Carolina

 

6.695

%

Colorado

 

6.318

%

Arkansas

 

5.776

%

Nebraska

 

4.292

%

Louisiana

 

4.275

%

Florida

 

3.580

%

Mississippi

 

2.037

%

Georgia

 

1.923

%

Michigan

 

1.451

%

Texas

 

0.855

%

Virginia

 

0.752

%

South Dakota

 

0.696

%

Kansas

 

0.484

%

Alabama

 

0.365

%

Total (17 Portfolio States)

 

100.0

%

 

The change in FVA for each Portfolio State since the 2017 Land Value Report will be included in the calculation of “Cumulative FVA” regardless of whether it is positive, negative or zero. The FVA Factor for any year will equal the product of Cumulative FVA (calculated as described above) for such year (expressed as a percentage) multiplied by a constant investor participation percentage of 50%. The FVA Amount, at any time it is measured, cannot be negative, so the liquidation preference per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will never be lower than $25.00.

 

The NASS, the ASB and the USDA have historically released the Land Value Report for a given year in early August. Each year during which shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock are outstanding, we will make available the annual measurement showing the aggregate FVA Amount per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock for the then-current year based on the most recent Land Value Report. We will also provide updates and maintain such information on the “Investor Relations” page of our corporate website.

 

If at any time prior to September 30, 2024, the NASS, the ASB and/or the USDA no longer publish the Land Value Report, or if the Land Value Report no longer covers one or more of the Portfolio States, we will promptly make a good faith selection of a publicly available alternative report, index or indices after examining publicly available reports and indices that are reasonably comparable to the Land Value Report to cover the Portfolio State or Portfolio States no longer covered by the Land Value Report. If we select an alternative source or sources, we will disclose the new source for calculating the FVA Amount and the Premium Amount on the “Investor Relations” page of our corporate website and in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed or

 

S- 39



 

furnished with the SEC. If a suitable public alternative source or sources is not available, we will, at our option, either redeem or convert the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock within 410 days after the date that the Land Value Report was last published, as described in “—Redemption—Redemption upon Absence of Suitable Indices Event” (in the case of a redemption) or as described in “—Conversion Rights—Conversion upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event” (in the case of a conversion). We refer to the absence of a suitable alternative source or sources herein as an Absence of Suitable Indices Event.

 

The following table summarizes the Portfolio States at June 30, 2017 by the Weighting Factor, and the Weighting Factor is fixed while shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock remain outstanding.

 

The following table also sets forth the historical percentage change in the FVA with respect to each of these Portfolio States for the period from 2010 to 2017 and the total weighted average percentage change in the FVA during that period. The table sets forth the methodology used to calculate the percentage change for each Portfolio State and the total weighted average percentage change for all Portfolio States using the Land Values for each Portfolio State. In order to measure the percentage change from 2010, the actual Land Value for each Portfolio State as of 2010 has been set at a baseline value of 100.0. For the subsequent periods, the table sets forth the change in the Land Value relative to the baseline value of 100.0. The information in this table is for illustrative purposes only, is historical and is not intended to predict future farmland value appreciation. See “Risk Factors—The various hypothetical figures and illustrations contained in this prospectus supplement should not be taken as an indication or prediction of future investment results” and “Risk Factors—There is no guarantee that any FVA Amount or Premium Amount will accrue or be paid on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.”

 

S- 40



 

 

 

Weighting

 

Land Value (Relative to 2010) as of

 

Percentage
Change in
FVA from

 

Portfolio State

 

Factor (1)

 

2010 (2) 

 

2011

 

2012

 

2013

 

2014

 

2015

 

2016

 

2017

 

2010 to 2017

 

Illinois

 

34.344

%

100.0

 

122.6

 

144.1

 

167.7

 

161.7

 

161.3

 

159.1

 

157.0

 

57.0

%

California

 

19.265

%

100.0

 

98.5

 

107.5

 

109.0

 

109.0

 

114.9

 

117.9

 

129.9

 

29.9

%

South Carolina

 

6.892

%

100.0

 

100.0

 

100.0

 

98.3

 

103.8

 

103.8

 

103.4

 

103.4

 

3.4

%

North Carolina

 

6.695

%

100.0

 

108.2

 

108.2

 

110.2

 

109.2

 

109.0

 

107.7

 

107.7

 

7.7

%

Colorado

 

6.318

%

100.0

 

101.9

 

108.3

 

118.5

 

125.0

 

133.3

 

131.5

 

132.4

 

32.4

%

Arkansas

 

5.776

%

100.0

 

104.0

 

114.0

 

120.0

 

114.0

 

122.0

 

122.0

 

127.2

 

27.2

%

Nebraska

 

4.292

%

100.0

 

121.9

 

177.4

 

208.9

 

213.7

 

208.9

 

202.1

 

198.6

 

98.6

%

Louisiana

 

4.275

%

100.0

 

107.3

 

117.1

 

124.4

 

130.2

 

136.6

 

141.5

 

146.3

 

46.3

%

Florida

 

3.580

%

100.0

 

94.0

 

92.0

 

90.0

 

105.0

 

108.0

 

106.0

 

114.0

 

14.0

%

Mississippi

 

2.037

%

100.0

 

104.4

 

105.4

 

105.4

 

115.3

 

119.2

 

121.7

 

123.2

 

23.2

%

Georgia

 

1.923

%

100.0

 

97.4

 

89.7

 

92.3

 

84.6

 

83.8

 

87.2

 

91.0

 

–9.0

%

Michigan

 

1.451

%

100.0

 

105.5

 

116.4

 

131.5

 

128.8

 

134.2

 

131.5

 

131.5

 

31.5

%

Texas

 

0.855

%

100.0

 

107.4

 

110.4

 

111.0

 

113.5

 

119.0

 

120.2

 

128.2

 

28.2

%

Virginia

 

0.752

%

100.0

 

97.8

 

96.7

 

98.9

 

93.9

 

93.9

 

93.5

 

94.6

 

–5.4

%

South Dakota

 

0.696

%

100.0

 

119.6

 

152.2

 

195.7

 

225.0

 

252.2

 

244.6

 

237.0

 

137.0

%

Kansas

 

0.484

%

100.0

 

117.9

 

146.2

 

179.2

 

193.4

 

191.5

 

177.4

 

174.5

 

74.5

%

Alabama

 

0.365

%

100.0

 

97.6

 

95.2

 

95.2

 

123.8

 

125.2

 

128.6

 

131.0

 

31.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total / Weighted Average

 

100.0

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

38.8

%(3)

 


(1)          Based on the total unaudited book value of our properties in each Portfolio State as of June 30, 2017. These will be the Weighting Factors for measurement of Cumulative FVA and the Premium Amount and will at no time change as it relates to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

(2)          For the illustrative purposes of this table, the FVA has been indexed as of 2010 and, as such, a baseline index value of 100.0 has been assigned to each Portfolio State as of such year. The Land Values with respect to the other periods presented are relative measures calculated in relation to the baseline index value. The actual FVA will be indexed as of 2017. See the table on the following page for an illustration of how the FVA will be indexed as of 2017.

 

(3)          Represents the total weighted average percentage change in the FVA for the period from 2010 to 2017, based on the Portfolio State weighting percentages set forth above.

 

S- 41



 

The following table sets forth, for each of the Portfolio States (weighted by the Weighting Factor), the actual 2017 Land Values, which is the year from which FVA will be measured for purposes of calculating the FVA Amount. The 2017 Land Values are those that were included in the 2017 Land Value Report, which was published on August 3, 2017, notwithstanding any future revisions to such values that may be included in subsequent Land Value Reports. The table also sets forth the calculations performed in order to assign a baseline value of 100.0 for all Portfolio States as of 2017 for purposes of calculating the cumulative change in FVA for the Portfolio States relative to such date.

 

Portfolio State

 

Weighting Factor (1)

 

2017 Land
Value (2)

 

Multiplier Applied
to Establish
Baseline Value (3)

 

Assigned
Baseline
Value (4)

 

Illinois

 

34.344

%

$

7,300

 

0.013699

 

100.0

 

California

 

19.265

%

$

8,700

 

0.011494

 

100.0

 

South Carolina

 

6.892

%

$

3,000

 

0.033333

 

100.0

 

North Carolina

 

6.695

%

$

4,450

 

0.022472

 

100.0

 

Colorado

 

6.318

%

$

1,430

 

0.069930

 

100.0

 

Arkansas

 

5.776

%

$

3,180

 

0.031447

 

100.0

 

Nebraska

 

4.292

%

$

2,900

 

0.034483

 

100.0

 

Louisiana

 

4.275

%

$

3,000

 

0.033333

 

100.0

 

Florida

 

3.580

%

$

5,700

 

0.017544

 

100.0

 

Mississippi

 

2.037

%

$

2,500

 

0.040000

 

100.0

 

Georgia

 

1.923

%

$

3,550

 

0.028169

 

100.0

 

Michigan

 

1.451

%

$

4,800

 

0.020833

 

100.0

 

Texas

 

0.855

%

$

2,090

 

0.047847

 

100.0

 

Virginia

 

0.752

%

$

4,350

 

0.022989

 

100.0

 

South Dakota

 

0.696

%

$

2,180

 

0.045872

 

100.0

 

Kansas

 

0.484

%

$

1,850

 

0.054054

 

100.0

 

Alabama

 

0.365

%

$

2,750

 

0.036364

 

100.0

 

 


(1)          Based on the total unaudited book value of our properties in each Portfolio State as of June 30, 2017. These will be the Weighting Factors for measurement of Cumulative FVA and the Premium Amount and will at no time change as it relates to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

(2)          Represents the 2017 Land Values as published in the 2017 Land Value Report for each Portfolio State. Such values will remain constant for purposes of calculating the FVA Amount, notwithstanding any revisions to the 2017 Land Values in subsequent Land Value Reports.

 

(3)          In order to index the 2017 Land Value for each Portfolio State (as set forth in the 2017 Land Value Report), which is the date from which the cumulative change in FVA will be measured for purposes of calculating the FVA Amount, the Land Value for each Portfolio State as of such date is being assigned a baseline index value of 100.0 by multiplying each by the multiplier indicated in the table above. The multipliers set forth above are presented solely for the purpose of indicating the numerical relationship between the actual Land Value for each of the Portfolio States and the indexed baseline value of 100.0 for such Portfolio States. The multipliers will remain constant throughout the term of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock and have not and will not be adjusted to reflect any revisions in subsequent Land Value Reports of the 2017 Land Values for each Portfolio State.

 

(4)          Equals the product of the actual 2017 Land Value for each Portfolio State, multiplied by the baseline multiplier for each Portfolio State.

 

The following table illustrates how FVA, as measured in the Land Value Report, would be applied for purposes of determining the liquidation preference, dividend amounts and annual and total return for the Series B Participating Preferred Stock based on the following hypothetical assumptions:

 

·                   That the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock were issued on September 30, 2017.

 

·                   Constant annual FVA of 5%.

 

S- 42



 

·                   Dividend rate per annum of 10.00% for the period from and including September 30, 2024 until the Series B Participating Preferred Stock is no longer outstanding.

 

·                   That during the period presented, there is no liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company and that we do not exercise our option to redeem or convert the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

The information in this table is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to predict future farmland value appreciation, liquidation preferences, dividend amounts or return on investment. See “Risk Factors—The various hypothetical figures and illustrations contained in this prospectus supplement should not be taken as an indication or prediction of future investment results” and “Risk Factors—There is no guarantee that any FVA Amount or Premium Amount will accrue or be paid on the Series B Participating Preferred Stock.”

 

S- 43



 

 

 

 

 

Hypothetical
Cumulative

 

Investor
Participation

 

Hypothetical

 

Hypothetical
Cumulative
Net FVA

 

Hypothetical
Liquidation

 

Hypothetical

 

Hypothetical
Return %

 

Year

 

Date

 

FVA

 

Percentage

 

FVA Factor

 

Amount

 

Preference (1)

 

Dividend

 

Annual

 

Gross (2)

 

Offering

 

September 30, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

25.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year 1 (3)

 

September 30, 2018

 

5.0

%

50

%

2.5

%

$

0.63

 

$

25.63

 

$

1.500

 

8.50

 

8.50

 

Year 2 (3)

 

September 30, 2019

 

10.0

%

50

%

5.0

%

$

1.25

 

$

26.25

 

$

1.500

 

8.50

 

17.00

 

Year 3 (3)

 

September 30, 2020

 

15.0

%

50

%

7.5

%

$

1.88

 

$

26.88

 

$

1.500

 

8.50

 

25.50

 

Year 4 (3)

 

September 30, 2021

 

20.0

%

50

%

10.0

%

$

2.50

 

$

27.50

 

$

1.500

 

8.50

 

34.00

 

Year 5 (4)

 

September 30, 2022

 

25.0

%

50

%

12.5

%

$

3.13

 

$

28.13

 

$

1.500

 

8.50

 

42.50

 

Year 6 (4)

 

September 30, 2023

 

30.0

%

50

%

15.0

%

$

3.75

 

$

28.75

 

$

1.500

 

8.50

 

51.00

 

Year 7 (4)

 

September 30, 2024

 

35.0

%

50

%

17.5

%

$

4.38

 

$

29.38

 

$

1.500

 

8.50

 

59.50

 

Year 8 (5)

 

September 30, 2025

 

40.0

%

N/A

 

 

 

$

4.38

 

$

29.38

 

$

2.938

 

11.75

 

71.25

 

Year 9 (5)

 

September 30, 2026

 

45.0

%

N/A

 

 

 

$

4.38

 

$

29.38

 

$

2.938

 

11.75

 

83.00

 

Year 10 (5)

 

September 30, 2027

 

50.0

%

N/A

 

 

 

$

4.38

 

$

29.38

 

$

2.938

 

11.75

 

94.75

 

 


(1)              Reflects the initial liquidation preference as increased by the hypothetical FVA Amount. The FVA Amount is subject to a cap such that the total internal rate of return, when considering the initial liquidation preference, the FVA Amount (if positive), plus the Premium Amount (if applicable and if positive), plus dividends (whether paid or accrued) to, but excluding, the date of redemption, conversion or liquidation, will not exceed 9.0%. The table does not reflect the payment of any Premium Amount, which may be applicable if we exercise our option to redeem or convert the Series B Participating Preferred Stock after September 30, 2021 but before September 30, 2024. On September 30, 2024, the FVA Amount will become fixed (based on the FVA Amount calculated based on the 2024 Land Value Report) and cease to accrue, and the dividend yield will increase to 10.00% per annum on the initial liquidation preference plus the FVA Amount (if positive). Such cap would apply (i) in the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, (ii) if we exercise our option to redeem or convert the Series B Participating Preferred Stock prior to September 30, 2024 or (iii) on September 30, 2024, which is the date on which dividends begin to accrue on the initial liquidation preference plus the FVA Amount (if any). To illustrate the application of the cap, assuming constant annual FVA of 10% rather than 5%, and assuming that we have not redeemed or converted the Series B Participating Preferred Stock or liquidated, on September 30, 2024, the Hypothetical FVA Amount would be fixed at $6.90, reflecting a 9.0% internal rate of return.

 

(2)              Calculated as (A) cumulative dividends plus (i) for periods prior to September 30, 2024, the hypothetical accrued FVA Amount or (ii) for periods after September 30, 2024, the difference between the initial liquidation preference of $25.00 per share and the Adjusted Value (as defined below), in each case divided by (B) the initial liquidation preference of $25.00 per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

(3)              Prior to October 1, 2021, shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock are not convertible or redeemable.

 

(4)              From and after October 1, 2021, shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock are redeemable and convertible at our option. See “—Redemption” and “—Conversion Rights.”

 

(5)              From and after September 30, 2024, the FVA Amount will equal the FVA Amount calculated based on the 2024 Land Value Report, and will thereafter remain fixed at that amount. From and after September 30, 2024, a dividend rate of 10.00% per annum will be applied to the sum of the $25.00 initial liquidation preference plus the FVA Amount (if positive) calculated based on the 2024 Land Value Report.

 

S- 44



 

Premium Amount

 

If we exercise our option to redeem or convert the Series B Preferred Stock after September 30, 2021 and before September 30, 2024 as described below in “—Redemption—Redemption at Our Option” and “—Conversion Rights—Conversion at Our Option,” we will pay a premium, or the Premium Amount, in addition to the initial liquidation preference, the FVA Amount (if positive) and all accrued and unpaid dividends. The Premium Amount will equal the product of (i) the $25.00 initial liquidation preference and (ii) the average change in Land Values in the Portfolio States over the immediately preceding four years for which a Land Value Report has been issued (based on the initial Land Values for such years included in such Land Value Reports), weighted by the Weighting Factor, multiplied by a constant investor participation percentage of 50% and prorated for the number of days between the most recent Report Release Date and the date immediately preceding the date of redemption or conversion. The Premium Amount, at any time it is measured, cannot be negative.

 

Cap on Total Return

 

Until September 30, 2024, the amount payable upon any conversion, redemption or liquidation event will be subject to a cap, such that the total internal rate of return, when considering the initial liquidation preference, plus the FVA Amount (if positive), plus the Premium Amount (if applicable and if positive), plus all dividends (whether paid or accrued) to, but excluding, the date of such redemption, conversion or final distribution to holders in respect of a Liquidation Event, shall not exceed 9.0%. On September 30, 2024, the FVA Amount will become fixed (based on the FVA Amount calculated with respect to the year 2024) and cease to accrue, the Premium Amount will no longer be payable upon an optional redemption or conversion and the dividend yield will increase to 10.000% per annum on the initial liquidation preference plus the FVA Amount (if positive).

 

Redemption

 

Redemption at Our Option

 

We may not redeem the Series B Participating Preferred Stock until after September 30, 2021, except in limited circumstances relating to maintaining our qualification as a REIT, as described in “Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer” in the accompanying prospectus and pursuant to the special optional redemption provisions upon a change in control that are specified below.

 

After September 30, 2021 but before September 30, 2024, we may redeem for cash all, but not less than all, of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock at a redemption price per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock equal to the Final Liquidation Preference plus the Premium Amount (if applicable and if positive).

 

At any time on or after September 30, 2024, we may redeem for cash all, but not less than all, of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock at a redemption price per share equal to the initial liquidation preference plus the FVA Amount (if positive) calculated based on the 2024 Land Value Report, plus any accrued but unpaid dividends. The initial liquidation preference of $25.00 plus the FVA Amount (if positive) calculated based on the 2024 Land Value Report is referred to as the Adjusted Value.

 

There is no restriction on our ability to redeem shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock while dividends are in arrearage.

 

S- 45



 

Special Redemption Option upon a Change of Control

 

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined below), we may redeem for cash all, but not less than all, of the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock within 120 days after the date on which such Change of Control occurred, by paying the special redemption price, which will equal the Final Liquidation Preference. If, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined below under the caption “—Conversion Rights—Conversion upon a Change in Control”), we have provided or provide notice of redemption with respect to the Series B Participating Preferred Stock (whether pursuant to our optional redemption right, our special redemption option or pursuant to the right described under “—Redemption upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event”), the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will not be permitted to exercise the conversion right described below under “—Conversion Rights—Conversion upon a Change of Control.”

 

We will mail to you, if you are a record holder of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock, a notice of redemption no fewer than 30 days nor more than 60 days before the redemption date. We will send the notice to your address shown on our transfer books. A failure to give notice of redemption or any defect in the notice or in its mailing will not affect the validity of the redemption of any shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective. Each notice will state the following:

 

·                   the redemption date;

 

·                   the special redemption price;

 

·                   a statement setting forth the calculation of such special redemption price;

 

·                   the number of shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be redeemed;

 

·                   the place or places where the certificates, if any, representing shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment of the special redemption price;

 

·                   procedures for surrendering noncertificated shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock for payment of the special redemption price;

 

·                   that dividends on the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accrue on such redemption date unless we fail to pay the special redemption price on such date;

 

·                   that payment of the special redemption price will be made upon presentation and surrender of such shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock;

 

·                   that the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock are being redeemed pursuant to our special redemption option in connection with the occurrence of a Change of Control and a brief description of the transaction or transactions constituting such Change of Control; and

 

·                   that the holders of the shares of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to which the notice relates will not be able to tender such shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock for conversion in connection with the Change of Control and each share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock tendered for conversion that is selected, prior to

 

S- 46



 

the Change of Control Conversion Date, for redemption will be redeemed on the related date of redemption instead of converted on the Change of Control Conversion Date.

 

A “Change of Control” means, after the initial issuance of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock, the following have occurred and are continuing:

 

·                   the acquisition by any person, including any syndicate or group deemed to be a “person” under Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act, of beneficial ownership, directly or indirectly, through a purchase, merger or other acquisition transaction or series of purchases, mergers or other acquisition transactions of securities of the Company entitling that person to exercise more than 50% of the total voting power of all capital stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of our directors (except that such person will be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such person has the right to acquire, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only upon the occurrence of a subsequent condition); and

 

·                   following the closing of any transaction referred to in the bullet point above, neither we nor the acquiring or surviving entity has a class of common stock (or American Depositary Receipts representing such securities) listed on the NYSE, the NYSE MKT or the NASDAQ Stock Market, or NASDAQ, or listed or quoted on an exchange or quotation system that is a successor to the NYSE, the NYSE MKT or NASDAQ.

 

Redemption upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event

 

If, following an Absence of Suitable Indices Event, we do not convert all of the outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock in accordance with the provisions described under “—Conversion Rights—Conversion upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event,” then we will redeem all of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock for cash at a redemption price equal to the Final Liquidation Preference.

 

Conversion Rights

 

Conversion at Our Option

 

After September 30, 2021, we may convert all, but not less than all, of the then-outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock into shares of our common stock. The conversion ratio for such one-time conversion will be determined by a formula and cannot be determined until four business days after the notice of conversion is issued.

 

If such one-time conversion occurs after September 30, 2021 but before September 30, 2024, the formula for determining the conversion ratio per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will be the sum of (i) the initial liquidation preference, (ii) the FVA Amount for the relevant period (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number), (iii) the Premium Amount (if applicable and if positive) and (iv) any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the fourth business day following the notice of conversion, divided by the 10-day volume-weighted average price, or the VWAP, of our common stock on the NYSE, as reported by Bloomberg Business News, if available, on the date the notice of conversion is issued.

 

If such one-time conversion occurs on or after September 30, 2024, the formula for determining the conversion ratio will be (i) the Adjusted Value, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the conversion date, divided by (ii) the VWAP as reported by Bloomberg Business News, if available, on the date the notice of conversion is issued.

 

S- 47



 

If a VWAP is not available on Bloomberg Business News or a similar publication, then the volume-weighted average of the high and low trading prices of our common stock on the NYSE (or, if not listed on the NYSE, such other domestic securities exchange as our common stock is then listed or traded) calculated using the high and low prices (volume-weighted) as reported on Bloomberg Business News or a similar publication on the date the notice of conversion is issued shall be used in place of the VWAP for all purposes hereunder.

 

Conversion upon a Change of Control

 

Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will have the right (unless, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined below), we have provided or provide notice of our election to redeem the Series B Participating Preferred Stock as described above under “—Redemption—Special Redemption Option upon a Change of Control”) to convert some or all of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock held by such holder, or the Change of Control Conversion Right, on the Change of Control Conversion Date into a number of shares of our common stock per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be converted equal to the lesser of:

 

·                   the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of (x) the initial liquidation preference, plus (y) the FVA Amount for the relevant period (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number), plus (z) any accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared) to, but excluding, the Change of Control Conversion Date (unless the Change of Control Conversion Date is after a record date for a Series B Participating Preferred Stock dividend payment for which dividends have been declared and prior to the corresponding Series B Participating Preferred Stock dividend payment date, in which case no additional amount for such accrued and unpaid dividend will be included in this sum) and such declared dividend will instead be paid, on such dividend payment date, to the holder of record of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be converted as of 5:00 p.m. New York City time, on such record date) by (ii) the Common Stock Price (as defined below); and

 

·                   5.72082 (i.e., the Share Cap), subject to certain adjustments;

 

subject, in each case, to provisions for the receipt of alternative consideration as described in this prospectus supplement.

 

The Share Cap is subject to pro rata adjustments for any stock splits (including those effected pursuant to a distribution of shares of our common stock), subdivisions or combinations (in each case, a “Stock Split”) with respect to our common stock as follows: the adjusted Share Cap as the result of a Stock Split will be the number of shares of our common stock that is equivalent to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the Share Cap in effect immediately prior to such Stock Split by (ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of our common stock outstanding after giving effect to such Stock Split and the denominator of which is the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to such Stock Split.

 

In the case of a Change of Control pursuant to which our common stock will be converted into cash, securities or other property or assets (including any combination thereof), or the Alternative Form Consideration, a holder of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will receive upon conversion of such Series B Participating Preferred Stock the kind and amount of Alternative Form Consideration that such holder would have owned or to which that holder would have been entitled to receive upon the Change of Control had such holder held a number of shares of our common stock equal to the Common Stock Conversion Consideration

 

S- 48



 

immediately prior to the effective time of the Change of Control, or the Alternative Conversion Consideration. The Common Stock Conversion Consideration or the Alternative Conversion Consideration, as may be applicable to a Change of Control, is referred to as the Conversion Consideration.

 

If the holders of our common stock have the opportunity to elect the form of consideration to be received upon a Change of Control, the Conversion Consideration will be deemed to be the kind and amount of consideration actually received by holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock that voted for such an election (if electing between two types of consideration) or holders of a plurality of the shares of our common stock that voted for such an election (if electing between more than two types of consideration), as the case may be, and will be subject to any limitations to which all holders of our common stock are subject, including, without limitation, pro rata reductions applicable to any portion of the consideration payable upon such Change of Control.

 

Within 15 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control, we will provide to holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock a notice of the occurrence of the Change of Control that describes the resulting Change of Control Conversion Right. This notice will state the following:

 

·                   the events constituting the Change of Control;

 

·                   the date of the Change of Control;

 

·                   the last date and time by which the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock may exercise their Change of Control Conversion Right;

 

·                   the method and period for calculating the Common Stock Price;

 

·                   the Change of Control Conversion Date;

 

·                   that if, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, we have provided or provide notice of our election to redeem all or any portion of the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, holders will not be able to convert shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock designated for redemption and such shares will be redeemed on the related redemption date, even if such shares have already been tendered for conversion pursuant to the Change of Control Conversion Right;

 

·                   if applicable, the type and amount of Alternative Conversion Consideration entitled to be received per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock;

 

·                   the name and address of the paying agent and the conversion agent; and

 

·                   the procedures that the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock must follow to exercise the Change of Control Conversion Right.

 

We will issue a press release for publication on the Dow Jones & Company, Inc., Business Wire, PR Newswire or Bloomberg Business News (or, if these organizations are not in existence at the time of issuance of the press release, such other news or press organization as is reasonably calculated to broadly disseminate the relevant information to the public), or post a notice on the “Investor Relations” page of our corporate website, in any event prior to the opening of business on the first business day following any date on which we provide the notice described above to the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

S- 49



 

To exercise the Change of Control Conversion Right, the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock will be required to deliver, on or before the close of business on the Change of Control Conversion Date, the certificates (if any) or book entries representing Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be converted, duly endorsed for transfer (if certificates are delivered), together with a completed written conversion notice to our transfer agent. The conversion notice must state:

 

·                   the relevant Change of Control Conversion Date;

 

·                   the number of shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock to be converted; and

 

·                   that the Series B Participating Preferred Stock is to be converted pursuant to the Change of Control Conversion Right Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

The “Change of Control Conversion Date” is the date on which the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock are to be converted, which will be a business day selected by us that is no fewer than 20 days nor more than 35 days after the date on which we provide the notice described above to the holders of Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

The “Common Stock Price” will be (i) if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by the holders of our common stock is solely cash, the amount of cash consideration per share of our common stock or (ii) if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by holders of our common stock is other than solely cash (x) the average of the closing sale prices per share of our common stock (or, if no closing sale price is reported, the average of the closing bid and ask prices or, if more than one in either case, the average of the average closing bid and the average closing ask prices) for the 10 consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the effective date of the Change of Control as reported on the principal U.S. securities exchange on which shares of our common stock are then traded, or (y) the average of the last quoted bid prices for shares of our common stock in the over-the-counter market as reported by OTC Markets Group, Inc. or similar organization for the 10 consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the effective date of the Change of Control, if our common stock is not then listed for trading on a U.S. securities exchange.

 

Conversion upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event

 

If, following an Absence of Suitable Indices Event, we do not redeem all of the outstanding shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock in accordance with the provisions described under “—Redemption—Redemption upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event,” then we will convert all of the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock into shares of our common stock, at a conversion ratio per share of Series B Participating Preferred Stock equal to the sum of (i) the initial liquidation preference, (ii) the FVA Amount for the relevant period (if the FVA Amount for such period is a positive number) and (iii) any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the fourth business day following the notice of conversion, divided by the VWAP, as reported by Bloomberg Business News, if available, on the day the notice of conversion is issued.

 

If a VWAP is not available on Bloomberg Business News or a similar publication, then the volume-weighted average of the high and low trading prices of our common stock on the NYSE (or, if not listed on the NYSE, such other domestic securities exchange as our common stock may be listed or traded) calculated using the high and low prices (volume-weighted) as reported on Bloomberg Business News or a similar publication on the date the notice of conversion is issued shall be used in place of the VWAP for all purposes hereunder.

 

S- 50



 

Fractional Shares; Delivery of Common Stock

 

Upon conversion of shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock, whether pursuant to the rights described under “—Conversion at Our Option,” “—Conversion upon a Change of Control” or “—Conversion upon an Absence of Suitable Indices Event,” we will deliver the shares of our common stock due upon conversion as soon as practicable on or after, but in no event later than the fourth business day after, the conversion date or Change of Control Conversion Date, as applicable. However, on the conversion date or Change of Control Conversion Date, as applicable, the holder to whom the shares of our common stock due upon conversion are to be issued will be deemed to be a holder of record of such shares of common stock.

 

We will not issue fractional shares of our common stock upon the conversion of the shares of Series B Participating Preferred Stock. Instead, we will pay the cash value of any fractional share otherwise due, computed on the basis of the VWAP for a conversion at our option or the Common Stock Price for a conversion upon a Change of Control, as applicable.

 

Power to Increase or Decrease Authorized Shares and Issue Additional Shares of Our Common and Preferred Stock

 

Our charter authorizes our Board of Directors, with the approval of a majority of the entire Board of Directors, to amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series without stockholder approval. We believe that the power of our Board of Directors to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares and to classify or reclassify unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock and thereafter to cause us to issue such shares will provide us with increased flexibility in structuring possible future financings and acquisitions and in meeting other needs which might arise. The additional classes or series, as well as the additional shares, will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders (including holders of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock), unless such action is required by applicable law, the terms of any other class or series of shares or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded. Although our Board of Directors does not intend to do so, it could authorize us to issue a class or series that could, depending upon the terms of the particular class or series, delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control of our company that might involve a premium price for our shareholders or otherwise be in their best interests.

 

Listing

 

We intend to apply to list the Series B Participating Preferred Stock on the NYSE under the symbol “FPI PR B.” If the listing application is approved, we expect trading of the Series B Participating Preferred Stock to commence within 30 days after initial delivery of the shares.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

We have retained American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC as the transfer agent and registrar for our Series B Participating Preferred Stock.

 

S- 51