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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): September 13, 2021 (September 8, 2021)

 

AGREE REALTY CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Maryland

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

 

1-12928

(Commission file number)

38-3148187

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

   

70 E. Long Lake Road

Bloomfield Hills, MI

(Address of principal executive offices)

48304

(Zip code)

 

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) (248) 737-4190

 

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:

 

¨  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
¨  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
¨  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
¨  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $.0001 par value ADC New York Stock Exchange

 

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 ¨

 

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. ¨

 

 

 

 

 

Item 3.03. Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.

 

On September 13, 2021, Agree Realty Corporation (the “Company”) filed, with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland, Articles Supplementary (the “Articles Supplementary”) to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended and supplemented, classifying and designating 7,000 of the Company’s authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock, as 4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”). A summary of the material terms of the Series A Preferred Stock is set forth under the caption “Description of the Series A Preferred Shares and the Depositary Shares” in the Company’s prospectus supplement, dated September 8, 2021 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on September 9, 2021 (the “Prospectus Supplement”). The summary of the Series A Preferred Stock in the Prospectus Supplement and the following description of the Series A Preferred Stock are qualified in their entirety by reference to the Articles Supplementary, which are hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 3.03 and which are filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

The Company filed the Articles Supplementary in connection with its Depositary Shares Offering (as defined below), as further described below.

 

The Series A Preferred Stock rank senior to the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of assets upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company.

 

In addition to other preferential rights, each holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock is entitled to receive a liquidation preference, which is equal to $25,000.00 per share of Series A Preferred Stock, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the date of payment, before any payments are made to the holders of shares of the Company’s Common Stock or any other equity securities that rank junior to the Series A Preferred Stock, in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company.

 

Furthermore, the Company is restricted from declaring or paying any dividends, or setting apart any assets for the payment of dividends, on shares of Common Stock or, subject to certain exceptions, redeeming, purchasing or otherwise acquiring shares of Common Stock unless full cumulative dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock have been declared and either paid or set apartment for payment for all past dividend periods.

 

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

 

The information about the Articles Supplementary set forth under Item 3.03 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 5.03.

 

Item 8.01. Other Events.

 

On September 8, 2021, the Company and Agree Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the several underwriters named on Schedule I therein (collectively, the “Underwriters”), for whom Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. are acting as representatives, pursuant to which the Company agreed to offer and sell 7,000,000 depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing 1/1,000th of a share of the Series A Preferred Stock (the “Depositary Shares Offering”). In the Underwriting Agreement, the Company and the Operating Partnership made certain customary representations, warranties and covenants and agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The closing of the Depositary Shares Offering is expected to occur on September 17, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.

 

The Company estimates that the net proceeds from the Depositary Shares Offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, will be approximately $170.3 million. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock have been registered on the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-238729), which became effective upon filing with the SEC on May 27, 2020, and each amendment thereto.

 

This description of the material terms of the Underwriting Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Underwriting Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 8.01. For a more detailed description of the Underwriting Agreement, see the disclosure under the caption “Underwriting” contained in the Prospectus Supplement, which disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 8.01.

 

 

 

 

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)        Exhibits

 

Exhibit   Description
     
1.1   Underwriting Agreement, dated as of September 8, 2021, by and among the Company, the Operating Partnership and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Raymond James & Associates, Inc., as representatives of the several underwriters named on Schedule I therein.
3.1   Articles Supplementary of the Company establishing and fixing the rights and preferences of the 4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock.
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 

 

 

 

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.

 

  AGREE REALTY CORPORATION
     
     
Date:  September 13, 2021 By:   /s/ Peter Coughenour
    Name: Peter Coughenour
    Title:   Interim Chief Financial Officer

 

   

 

  

Exhibit 1.1

 

AGREE REALTY CORPORATION

 

7,000,000 Depositary Shares 

Each Representing 1/1000th of a Share of 

4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable 

Preferred Stock (Par Value $0.0001 Per Share) 

(Liquidation Preference Equivalent to $25.00 Per Depositary Share)

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

September 8, 2021

 

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC 

550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor 

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 

383 Madison Avenue 

New York, New York 10179

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 

880 Carillon Parkway 

St. Petersburg, Florida 33716

 

As Representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Agree Realty Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Agree Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), confirm their agreement with Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (“Wells Fargo”), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“J.P. Morgan”) and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (“Raymond James”), and each of the other Underwriters, if any, named in Schedule I hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter hereinafter substituted as provided in Section 11 hereof), for whom Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan and Raymond James are acting as representatives (in such capacity, if and as applicable, the “Representatives”) with respect to the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of 7,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of its depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing 1/1000th of a share of the Company’s 4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”). References herein to Underwriters or Representatives shall be deemed to refer to a single firm acting as sole underwriter, as applicable.

 

The Series A Preferred Stock represented by the Shares will, when issued, be deposited by the Company against delivery of Depositary Receipts (“Depositary Receipts”) to be issued by Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Depositary (the “Depositary”), under a master deposit agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”) among the Company, the Depositary and the holders from time to time of the Depositary Receipts issued thereunder. Each Depositary Receipt will represent one or more Depositary Shares.

 

 

  

1.            Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company has prepared and filed on May 27, 2020 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Act”), a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-238729) under the Act (“Registration Statement 333-238729”), including the prospectus contained therein (the “Basic Prospectus”), relating to the issuance and sale of certain securities, including the Shares. The Company has filed with, or transmitted for filing to, or shall promptly hereafter file with or transmit for filing to, the Commission a supplement to the prospectus included in such registration statement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) specifically relating to the Shares, the Series A Preferred Stock and the plan of distribution thereof pursuant to Rule 424. Registration Statement 333-238729 was automatically effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Act. Except where the context otherwise requires, Registration Statement 333-238729, on each date and time that such registration statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective (each, an “Effective Date”), including all exhibits filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement by virtue of Rule 430B (the “Rule 430B Information”), collectively, are herein called the “Registration Statement,” and the Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the final Prospectus Supplement, in the form first used by the Company in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares, is herein called the “Prospectus;” and the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each preliminary form of the Prospectus Supplement used in connection with the offering of the Shares that omitted Rule 430B Information, including the related Basic Prospectus in the form first filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b). The Basic Prospectus together with the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, as amended or supplemented, immediately prior to the Applicable Time is hereafter called the “Pricing Prospectus,” and any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433) relating to the Shares and the Series A Preferred Stock, including the term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”) containing a description of the final terms of the Shares and the offering thereof, is hereafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.” The “Applicable Time” shall mean 4:40 p.m. (Eastern Time) on September 8, 2021 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives. The Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, listed in Schedule II hereto or that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package (as defined below) together with the information included on the Final Term Sheet on Exhibit A all considered together, are hereafter collectively called the “Disclosure Package.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act (the “Incorporated Documents”), as of each Effective Date or the Applicable Time or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be (it being understood that the several specific references in this Agreement to documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are for clarifying purposes only and are not meant to limit the inclusiveness of any other definition herein). For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

 

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “stated” or “described” in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing after the Applicable Time of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

 

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2.            Agreement to Sell and Purchase.

 

(a)            On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company at the purchase price set forth in the Final Term Sheet on Exhibit A, the number of Shares set forth in Schedule I opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Shares which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 11 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 securities.

 

3.            Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the Underwriters propose to offer the Shares for sale to the public as soon after this Agreement has become effective as in their judgment is advisable and initially to offer the Shares upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.

 

The Underwriters represent and agree that, unless they have or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, the Underwriters have not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405, a “Free Writing Prospectus”) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of any Free Writing Prospectuses listed in Schedule II hereto and any electronic road show.

 

4.            Delivery of the Shares and Payment Therefor. Delivery of and payment for the Shares shall be made at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on September 17, 2021, or at such time on such later date not more than three (3) Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by mutual written agreement of the Representatives and the Company (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Shares being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the Shares shall be made against payment by the Underwriters of the purchase price thereof, to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in immediately available funds to an account specified by the Company. The Shares will be delivered to the Representative through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), and the Company will make electronic transfer of the Shares in such names and denominations as the Representatives request.

 

5.            Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)            If, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary for a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement to be declared effective before the offering of the Shares may commence, the Company will use its best efforts to cause such post-effective amendment to become effective as soon as possible and will advise the Representatives promptly and, if requested by the Representatives, will confirm such advice in writing, immediately after such post-effective amendment has become effective.

 

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(b)            If, at any time prior to the filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b), any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would (x) include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading or (y) conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement, omission or conflicting information; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representatives in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.

 

(c)            The Company will advise the Representatives promptly and, if requested by the Representatives, will confirm such advice in writing: (i) of any review, issuance of comments or request by the Commission or its staff on or for an amendment of or a supplement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or for additional information regarding the Company, its affiliates or its filings with the Commission, whether or not such filings are incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus; (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of the suspension of qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation of any proceeding for such purpose or any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Act relating to the Registration Statement or Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Shares; (iii) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and (iv) within the period of time referred to in the first sentence in subsection (f) below, of any change in the Company’s condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties, net worth or results of operations, or of the happening of any event, which results in any statement of a material fact made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) being untrue or which requires the making of any additions to or changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) in order to state a material fact required by the Act to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or of the necessity to amend or supplement the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) to comply with the Act or any other law. If at any time the Commission shall issue any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will make every reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible time.

 

(d)            On request, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters, without charge: (i) one (1) signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and of each amendment thereto, including financial statements and all exhibits to the Registration Statement; (ii) such number of conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, but without exhibits, as the Representatives may request; (iii) such number of copies of the Incorporated Documents, without exhibits, as the Representatives may request; and (iv) one (1) copy of the exhibits to the Incorporated Documents.

 

(e)            The Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or make any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or, prior to the end of the period of time referred to in the first sentence in subsection (f) below, file any document which upon filing becomes an Incorporated Document, of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised or to which, after the Representatives shall have received a copy of the document proposed to be filed, the Representatives shall reasonably object; and no such further document, when it is filed, will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any other filing pursuant to the Exchange Act from the Applicable Time to the Closing Date and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing.

 

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(f)            After the execution and delivery of this Agreement and thereafter from time to time for such period as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a)) in connection with sales by the Underwriters or any dealer (including circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), the Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the Company will expeditiously deliver to the Underwriters and each dealer, without charge, as many copies of the Prospectus (and of any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as each Underwriter may request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus (and of any amendment or supplement thereto) in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the securities or blue sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Shares are offered by the Underwriters and by all dealers to whom Shares may be sold, both in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares and for such period of time thereafter as the Prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a)) in connection with sales by the Underwriters or any dealers. If during such period of time: (i) any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company, or in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus as supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; or (ii) if it is necessary to supplement the Prospectus or amend the Registration Statement (or to file under the Exchange Act any document which, upon filing, becomes an Incorporated Document) in order to comply with the Act, the Exchange Act or any other law, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and forthwith prepare and, subject to the provisions of paragraph (e) above, file with the Commission an appropriate supplement or amendment thereto (or to such document), and will expeditiously furnish to the Underwriters and dealers a reasonable number of copies thereof. In the event that the Company and the Representatives agree that the Prospectus should be amended or supplemented, the Company, if requested by the Representatives, will promptly issue a press release announcing or disclosing the matters to be covered by the proposed amendment or supplement.

 

(g)            The Company will: (i) cooperate with the Underwriters and their counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of the Shares and the Series A Preferred Stock for offering and sale by the Underwriters and by dealers under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters may designate; (ii) maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; and (iii) file such consents to service of process or other documents necessary or appropriate in order to effect such registration or qualification; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Shares, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

 

(h)            The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses listed in Schedule II hereto and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

 

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(i)            The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Underwriters as soon as practicable, but in no event later than fifteen (15) months after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter, a consolidated earnings statement, which need not be audited, covering a 12-month period, which consolidated earnings statement shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.

 

(j)            During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the date occurring three (3) years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters: (i) as soon as available, if requested, a copy of each report of the Company mailed to stockholders or filed with the Commission that is not publicly available on EDGAR or the Company’s website; and (ii) from time to time such other information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(k)            If this Agreement shall terminate or shall be terminated after execution pursuant to any provisions hereof, or if this Agreement shall be terminated by the Representatives because of any inability, failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by the Underwriters in connection herewith.

 

(l)            The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(m)            If Rule 430A, 430B or 430C is employed, the Company will timely file the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and will advise the Representatives of the time and manner of such filing.

 

(n)            Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate of the Company take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

 

(o)            The Company will use its best efforts to continue to qualify as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, the “Code”), so long as its Board of Directors deems it in the best interest of the Company’s stockholders to remain so qualified.

 

(p)            The Company will use all reasonable best efforts to do or perform all things required to be done or performed by the Company prior to the Closing Date to satisfy all conditions precedent to the delivery of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(q)            The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of or enter into any transaction that is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or the Operating Partnership, directly or indirectly, of any preferred securities of the Company (excluding the Shares) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, any preferred securities of the Company, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Commission in respect of any of the foregoing (except that the Company shall be permitted to file a new universal shelf registration statement in anticipation of the expiration of Registration Statement 333-238729), or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position (within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act), any preferred securities of the Company (excluding the Shares) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, any preferred securities of the Company; or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, until thirty (30) days from the date of the Prospectus.

 

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(r)            The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(s)            The Company will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 within the time period required by such rule. The Company will retain, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433(g).

 

(t)            The Company will use reasonable best efforts to complete all required filings with the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and other necessary actions in order to cause the Shares to be listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the NYSE within the time period specified in the Prospectus, subject solely to notice of issuance.

 

(u)            The Company will prepare the Final Term Sheet, in a form approved by the Representatives and substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A hereto, and will file such Final Term Sheet with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) within the time required by such rule.

 

(v)            The Company shall authorize, execute and file articles supplementary (the “Series A Articles Supplementary”) to the Company’s charter with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”) setting forth the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock prior to the Closing Date.

 

(w)            The Company will duly authorize, execute and deliver the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership (the “Second Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement”) prior to the Closing Date.

 

(x)            The Company will reserve at all time the maximum number of shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), issuable upon conversion of the Shares until such time as such shares of Common Stock have been issued or the Shares have been redeemed.

 

6.            Representations and Warranties of the Company and Operating Partnership. The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, represent, warrant and covenant to each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)            The Basic Prospectus and each Preliminary Prospectus, if any, included as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or supplement thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424, complied when so filed in all material respects with the provisions of the Act.

 

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(b)            No order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and the Preliminary Prospectus included in the Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Act, and the Preliminary Prospectus, as of its date and as of the date hereof, did not, does not and will not contain any 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 under which they were made, not misleading. The representation and warranty contained in this Section 6(b) does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Preliminary Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters Content (as defined below).

 

(c)            (i) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act, and (iv) as of the Applicable Time, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405).

 

(d)            The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405) and the Shares have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such automatic shelf registration statement. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company and the Operating Partnership, threatened by the Commission; the Registration Statement, as of the date hereof, and any post-effective amendment thereto, as of its applicable effective date, and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and (ii) as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus, will not contain any 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 under which they were made, not misleading. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice objecting to the use of the shelf registration statement form. The representation and warranty contained in this Section 6(d) does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters Content.

 

(e)            (i) The Disclosure Package, and (ii) each electronic road show, if any, when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package, did not at the Applicable Time, and will not on the Closing Date contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters Content.

 

(f)            (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Shares and (ii) as of the Applicable Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), 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.

 

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(g)            Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any Incorporated Document and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with the Underwriters Content.

 

(h)            The Incorporated Documents heretofore filed, when they were filed (or, if any amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such amendment was filed), conformed in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. No such document when it was filed (or, if an amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such amendment was filed), contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(i)            The Shares and the Series A Preferred Stock have been duly and validly authorized and conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement and, in the case of the Shares, the Deposit Agreement, will be fully paid and nonassessable free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim, and the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company is not subject to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law, under the articles of incorporation, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or under any agreement to which the Company or any one of its subsidiaries is a party; no person has a right of participation or first refusal with respect to the sale of the Shares by the Company. At or prior to the Closing Date, the Company will have executed and filed the Series A Articles Supplementary with the SDAT setting forth the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock. The form of certificate for the Shares will be in valid and sufficient form in compliance with Maryland law and the NYSE requirements.

 

(j)            The shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Shares have been duly and validly authorized and conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, when issued and delivered upon conversion of the Shares in accordance with the terms of the Series A Articles Supplementary will be fully paid and nonassessable free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim and will not be subject to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law, under the articles of incorporation, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or under any agreement to which the Company or any one of its subsidiaries is a party.

 

(k)            Immediately following the Closing Date, 69,633,229 shares of Common Stock of the Company will be issued and outstanding; all of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and are free of any preemptive or similar rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), there are no outstanding (i) securities or obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries convertible into or exchangeable for any equity interests of the Company or any such subsidiary, (ii) warrants, rights or options to subscribe for or purchase from the Company or any such subsidiary any such equity interests or any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations or (iii) obligations of the Company or any such subsidiary to issue any equity interests, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligation, or any such warrants, rights or options. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities, including securities which are convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities, registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company under the Act (other than those that have been waived). The limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership (the “OP Units”) to be issued by the Operating Partnership to the Company upon contribution by the Company to the Operating Partnership of the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares (the “Series A Preferred Units”) have been or by the Closing Date will have been duly authorized in the Second Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement, and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor, the Series A Preferred Units will have been validly issued, and the issuance of such Series A Preferred Units will not be subject to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law, under the articles of incorporation, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or under any agreement to which the Company or any one of its subsidiaries is a party. The OP Units to be issued upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Units have been or by the Closing Date will be duly and validly authorized for issuance upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Units, and when issued and delivered upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Units, will be validly issued, and the issuance of such OP Units will not be subject to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law, under the articles of incorporation, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company or under any agreement to which the Company or any one of its subsidiaries is a party.

 

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(l)            Each of the Company and the Operating Partnership is a corporation and limited partnership, respectively, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its formation, with full corporate or partnership power, as applicable, and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and each is duly registered and qualified to conduct its business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such registration or qualification, except where the failure to so register or qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), prospects, earnings, business, properties, net worth or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

(m)            Each of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company (other than the Operating Partnership) is a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership or trust, as applicable, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its formation, as set forth on Schedule III hereto, except where the failure to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, with full corporate, limited liability company, partnership or trust power, as applicable, and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and each is duly registered and qualified to conduct its business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such registration or qualification, except where the failure to so register or qualify or be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(n)            None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of its subsidiaries does any business in Cuba.

 

(o)            Other than as set forth on Schedule III hereto, the Company has no subsidiary or subsidiaries and does not control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, partnership, joint venture, association or other business association. The issued shares of capital stock of each of the Company’s subsidiaries (including the Operating Partnership) have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned legally and beneficially by the Company free and clear of any security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus.

 

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(p)            There are no legal or governmental actions, suits, inquiries, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries, or to which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any properties of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is subject, that (A) are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus but are not described as required; (B) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby; or (C) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). There are no statutes, regulations, off-balance sheet transactions, contingencies or agreements, contracts, indentures, leases or other instruments or documents of a character that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or any Incorporated Document that are not described, filed or incorporated as required by the Act or the Exchange Act (and the Pricing Prospectus contains or incorporates by reference in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus). The statements in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus under the heading “Material Federal Income Tax Considerations” fairly summarize the matters therein described.

 

(q)            None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is: (A) in violation of (i) its respective articles of incorporation, partnership agreement, operating agreement or by-laws (or analogous governing instruments), (ii) any law, ordinance, administrative or governmental rule or regulation applicable to the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries, except in the case of clause (ii), which violation would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (iii) any decree of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or its subsidiaries; or (B) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in default in any material respect in the performance of any obligation, agreement, condition or covenant (financial or otherwise) contained in any bond, debenture, note or any other evidence of indebtedness or in any Material Agreement (as defined below), indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries or any of their respective properties may be bound, and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such default is expected. All agreements, contracts or other arrangements that are material to the Company and the Operating Partnership are set forth on Schedule IV of this Agreement (the “Material Agreements”).

 

(r)            (A) As of the date of this Agreement, the Company owns either directly or indirectly through its subsidiaries, 1,291 properties (the “Properties”). To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is in violation of any municipal, state or federal law, rule or regulation concerning any of their Properties, which violation would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (B) to the Company’s knowledge, each of the Properties complies with all applicable zoning laws, ordinances and regulations in all material respects and, if and to the extent there is a failure to comply, such failure does not materially impair the value of any of such Properties and will not result in a forfeiture or reversion of title thereof; (C) none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries has received from any governmental authority any written notice of any condemnation of, or zoning change affecting any of, the Properties, and the Company does not know of any such condemnation or zoning change which is threatened and which if consummated would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (D) the leases under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries leases the Properties as lessor (the “Leases”) are in full force and effect and have been entered into in the ordinary course of business of such entity, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (E) the Company and each of its subsidiaries has complied with its respective obligations under the Leases in all material respects and the Company does not know of any default by any other party to the Leases which, alone or together with other such defaults, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (F) all liens, charges, encumbrances, claims or restrictions on or affecting the assets (including the Properties) of the Company and its subsidiaries that are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are disclosed therein.

 

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(s)            Neither the issuance and sale of the Shares, the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement by the Company, or the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Operating Partnership, nor the consummation by the Company or the Operating Partnership of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (including without limitation the execution, delivery and performance of the Deposit Agreement, the issuance and deposit of the Series A Preferred Stock in accordance with the Deposit Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated therein and the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus): (A) requires any consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, agency or official (except for the filing and acceptance for the record of the Series A Articles Supplementary by the SDAT, or such as may be required for the registration of the Shares under the Act, the listing of the Shares on the NYSE and compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of various jurisdictions), or conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach or violation of, or a default under, the articles of incorporation, or by-laws (or analogous governing documents) of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries; or (B) (i) conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of, or a default under, any agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or the Operating Partnership or any properties of the Company or the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries may be bound, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) violates or will violate any statute, law, regulation or filing or judgment, injunction, order or decree applicable to the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries or any properties of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries, or (iii) will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of any agreement or instrument to which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries may be bound, or to which any property or assets of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries is subject.

 

(t)            To the Company’s knowledge, Grant Thornton LLP, who has certified or shall certify the financial statements and schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), is and was, as of the date of this Agreement and during the periods covered by the financial statements on which Grant Thornton LLP reported, an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company as required by the Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder and by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”).

 

(u)            The historical financial statements, together with related schedules and notes, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto), present fairly in all material respects the financial position, results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries on the basis stated in the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents at the respective dates or for the respective periods to which they apply. Such statements and related schedules and notes have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein. The other historical financial and statistical information and data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) are accurately presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the audited financial statements, included or incorporated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries. The financial statements of the businesses or properties acquired or proposed to be acquired, if any, included in, or incorporated by reference into, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein, have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis and otherwise have been prepared in accordance with the applicable financial statement requirements of Rule 3-05 or Rule 3-14 of Regulation S-X with respect to real estate operations acquired or to be acquired. The pro forma financial statements and other pro forma financial information included, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Prospectus include assumptions that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions and events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma adjustments reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the historical financial statement amounts in the pro forma financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The pro forma financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of Regulation S-X under the Act. The Company has filed with the Commission all financial statements, together with related schedules and notes, required to be filed pursuant to Regulation S-X under the Act. Any disclosures contained or incorporated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance in all material respects with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

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(v)            The Company has the corporate power to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as provided herein; the execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by the Company, and this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes the valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity and to the extent that rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws; the execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Operating Partnership of its obligations under, this Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by the Operating Partnership, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Operating Partnership and constitutes the valid and legally binding agreement of the Operating Partnership, enforceable against the Operating Partnership in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity and to the extent that rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws.

 

(w)           Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), subsequent to the respective dates as of which such information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), (A) none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries has incurred any liability or obligation (financial or other), direct or contingent, or entered into any transaction (including any off-balance sheet activities or transactions), not in the ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, as a whole; (B) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, or partnership interests, as the case may be, or material increase in the short-term debt or long-term debt (including any off-balance sheet activities or transactions), of either of the Company or the Operating Partnership or the occurrence of or any development which may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and (C) except for regular quarterly dividends on the Common Stock in amounts per share that are consistent with the past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

 

(x)           The Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all property (real and personal) described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by each of them (including the Properties), free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances that would materially and adversely affect the value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or presently contemplated to be made thereof by them as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except such as are described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or in any document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and each property described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being held under lease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is held by it under a valid, subsisting and enforceable lease.

 

(y)           The “significant subsidiaries” of the Company as defined in Section 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X of the Act are set forth in Schedule III hereto (the “Significant Subsidiaries”).

 

(z)            The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (x) the Closing Date and (y) completion of the distribution of the Shares, will not distribute, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. The Company has not, directly or indirectly: (i) taken any action designed to cause or to result in, or that has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares; or (ii) since the filing of the Registration Statement (A) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares or (B) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.

 

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(aa)        The Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries possess all certificates, permits, licenses, franchises and authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (the “permits”) as are necessary to own their respective properties and to conduct their respective businesses in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, where such failure to possess could have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, subject to such qualifications as may be set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries has fulfilled and performed all of their respective material obligations with respect to such permits, and no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or which would result in any other material impairment of the rights of the holder of any such permit, subject in each case to such qualification as may be set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(bb)       The Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries have established and maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its chief executive officer and chief financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure; and the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting sufficient to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and which includes policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and that receipts and expenditures of the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries are being made only in accordance with the authorization of management, (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisitions, use or dispositions of assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements, and (iv) provide reasonable assurance that the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures have been evaluated for effectiveness as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s most recently filed periodic report on Form 10-Q or 10-K, as the case may be, which precedes the date of the Prospectus and were effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Based on the most recent evaluation of its internal control over financial reporting, the Company was not aware of (i) any material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(cc)        There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including, without limitation, Section 402 related to loans to insiders and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

(dd)        To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries nor any employee or agent of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries has made any payment of funds of the Company or its subsidiaries or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation, which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

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(ee)        None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their 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, the Operating Partnership, their subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, their 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.

 

(ff)         The operations of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(gg)       None of the Company, the Operating Partnership, or any of their subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or  representative of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their 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 (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), 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 Shares, 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.

 

(hh)       No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, exists, is threatened or imminent that could result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, no labor problem or dispute with the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ tenants exists, is threatened or imminent that could result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ii)           Each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries has timely filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed, which returns are complete and correct, or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure to so file timely would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) and has paid all material taxes required to be paid by it and any material other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith. The Company has made appropriate provisions in the Company’s financial statements that are incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement (or otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) in respect of all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise taxes for all current or prior periods as to which the tax liability of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries has not been finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(jj)          No holder of any security of the Company or the Operating Partnership has any right to require registration of the Shares or any other security of the Company or the Operating Partnership because of the filing of the Registration Statement or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, which right has not been waived in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The holders of outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company and the Operating Partnership are not entitled to preemptive or other rights to subscribe for the Shares.

 

(kk)       The Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries own or possess all patents, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and rights described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned by them or necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses. The Company is not aware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries with respect to the foregoing that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ll)          Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is now, and after sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” will be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(mm)      To the Company’s knowledge, the Company, the Operating Partnership, their subsidiaries, the Properties and the operations conducted thereon comply and heretofore have complied with all applicable Environmental Laws, and no expenditures are required to maintain or achieve such compliance, except as disclosed in environmental site assessment reports obtained by the Company on or before the date hereof in connection with the purchase of any of the Properties or in a written summary maintained by the Company of the status of ongoing environmental projects at the Properties, each of which have been directly provided to the Underwriters or their counsel (collectively, the “Environmental Reports”) and except for those circumstances that have not had or would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, or as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(nn)        None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries has at any time and, to the Company’s knowledge, no other party has at any time, handled, buried, stored, retained, refined, transported, processed, manufactured, generated, produced, spilled, allowed to seep, leak, escape or leach, or be pumped, poured, emitted, emptied, discharged, injected, dumped, transferred or otherwise disposed of or dealt with, Hazardous Materials (as defined below) on, to, under or from the Properties, except as disclosed in Environmental Reports, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except for those circumstances that have not had or would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries intends to use the Properties or any subsequently acquired properties for the purpose of handling, burying, storing, retaining, refining, transporting, processing, manufacturing, generating, producing, spilling, seeping, leaking, escaping, leaching, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, dumping, transferring or otherwise disposing of or dealing with Hazardous Materials; provided, however, the tenants of the Company and the Operating Partnership may use Properties for their intended purpose, which may involve the handling, storing and transporting of Hazardous Materials.

 

To the Company’s knowledge, no seepage, leak, escape, leach, discharge, injection, release, emission, spill, pumping, pouring, emptying or dumping of Hazardous Materials into any surface water, groundwater, soil, air or other media on or adjacent to the Properties has occurred, is occurring or is reasonably expected to occur, except as is disclosed in the Environmental Reports or the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except for those circumstances that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries has received written notice from any Governmental Authority or other person of, or has knowledge of, any occurrence or circumstance which, with notice, passage of time, or failure to act, would give rise to any claim against the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries under or pursuant to any Environmental Law or under common law pertaining to Hazardous Materials on or originating from the existing Properties or any act or omission of any party with respect to the existing Properties, except as disclosed in the Environmental Reports, or the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except for those circumstances that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Properties is included or proposed for inclusion on any federal, state, or local lists of sites which require or might require environmental cleanup, including, but not limited to, the National Priorities List or CERCLIS List issued pursuant to CERCLA (as defined below) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or any analogous state list, except as is disclosed in the Environmental Reports or the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except for those circumstances that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

As used herein, “Hazardous Material” shall include, without limitation, any flammable explosives, radioactive materials, hazardous materials, hazardous wastes, hazardous or toxic substances, or related materials, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”), petroleum products and by-products and substances defined or listed as “hazardous substances,” “toxic substances,” “hazardous waste,” or “hazardous materials” in any Federal, state or local Environmental Law.

 

As used herein, “Environmental Law” shall mean all laws, common law duties, regulations or ordinances (including any orders or agreements) of any Federal, state or local governmental authority having or claiming jurisdiction over any of the Properties (a “Governmental Authority”) that are designed or intended to protect the public health and the environment or to regulate the handling of Hazardous Materials, including, without limitation, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 9601 et seq.) (“CERCLA”), the Hazardous Material Transportation Act, as amended (49 U.S.C. Section 1801 et seq.), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 6901 et seq.), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. Section 1251 et seq.), and the Clean Air Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 7401 et seq.), and any and all analogous state or local laws.

 

(oo)        Commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 1994, the Company has been organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and the Company’s current and proposed method of operations as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will enable it to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for its taxable year ending December 31, 2021 and thereafter. No transaction or other event has occurred, and none of the Company, the Operating Partnership, or any of their subsidiaries has taken any action, that would reasonably be expected to cause the Company to not be able to qualify as a REIT for its taxable year ending December 31, 2021 or future taxable years. Each of the Company’s direct or indirect subsidiaries that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes will qualify as a “taxable REIT subsidiary” within the meaning of Section 856(l) of the Code. The Operating Partnership will be treated as a partnership and not as an association taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

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(pp)       The Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged and the value of their properties. All policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect. The Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects and there are no claims by the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for, and the Company does not have any reason to believe that the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries will not be able to renew its respective existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue their respective businesses at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(qq)       The Company, the Operating Partnership and their subsidiaries have title insurance on each of the Properties owned in fee simple in amounts at least equal to the cost of acquisition of such property; with respect to an uninsured loss on any of the Properties, the title insurance shortfall would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(rr)         Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or pursuant to the terms of the indebtedness described therein), no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s assets or property to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

 

(ss)        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 by the Company or sale by the Company of the Shares.

 

(tt)         Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has fulfilled its obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder with respect to each “plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and such regulations and published interpretations) in which employees of the Company and its subsidiaries are eligible to participate. Each such plan is in compliance in all material respects with the presently applicable provisions of ERISA and such regulations and published interpretations. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any unpaid liability to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (other than for the payment of premiums in the ordinary course) or to any such plan under Title IV of ERISA.

 

(uu)       To the knowledge of the Company, no stock option awards granted by the Company have been retroactively granted, or the exercise or purchase price of any stock option award determined retroactively.

 

(vv)       The Company’s authorized capitalization is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued in compliance with all Federal and state securities laws, and are fully paid and nonassessable.

 

(ww)      The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Shares to be listed on the NYSE and to maintain such listing.

 

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(xx)        The statistical and market related data included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources the Company believes to be reliable and accurate as of the respective dates of such documents, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.

 

(yy)       Each of the independent directors (or independent director nominees, once appointed, if applicable) named in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Prospectus satisfies the independence standards established by NYSE and, with respect to members of the Company’s audit committee, the enhanced independence standards contained in Rule 10A-3(b)(1) promulgated by the Commission under the Exchange Act.

 

(zz)        The Company is not required to register as a “broker” or “dealer” in accordance with the provisions of the rules and the Exchange Act and does not, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, control or have any other association with (within the meaning of Article I of the Bylaws of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”)) any member firm of FINRA. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers or stockholders of the Company, on the other hand, which is required by the rules of FINRA to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, which is not so described.

 

(aaa)      Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any material lending or similar relationship with any Underwriter or any bank or other lending institution affiliated with any Underwriter; and (ii) the Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares by the Company hereunder to reduce or retire the balance of any loan or credit facility extended by any affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

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(bbb)     To the Company’s knowledge, with such exceptions as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: there has been no security breach, incident, or other compromise of the Company’s, the Operating Partnership’s or any of their subsidiaries’ information computer systems, networks, and databases (including, without limitation, the personal data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers and vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries, (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”); neither the Company, the Operating Partnership nor any of their subsidiaries have been notified of, or have knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach, incident or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries have implemented appropriate physical, technological and administrative controls designed to maintain and protect the integrity, confidentiality and availability of their IT Systems and Data, taking into account the nature, sensitivity and use of such IT Systems and Data, or as required by applicable regulatory standards in all respects; and the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of their subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes, applicable judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries and internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.

 

(ccc)     None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their subsidiaries, nor any of the officers, directors or partners thereof has taken, nor will any of them take, directly or indirectly, any action resulting in a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act or designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which reasonably might be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities or facilitation of the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(ddd)     The shares of Common Stock are “actively-traded securities” excepted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.

 

(eee)     Assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Deposit Agreement by the Depositary, each Share will represent an interest in 1/1,000th of a share of a validly issued, outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable Series A Preferred Share; assuming due execution and delivery of the Depositary Receipts by the Depositary pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary Receipts will entitle the holders thereof to the benefits provided therein and in the Deposit Agreement.

 

7.            Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)            The Company and the Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of each Underwriter and each person who controls the Underwriters, within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or in any amendment thereof (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 statement therein not misleading; (ii) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of material fact included in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereof) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of 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; and (iii) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the omission or alleged omission therefrom 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. The Company and Operating Partnership, jointly and severally, agree to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company and the Operating Partnership will not be liable in any such case arising in connection with this Section 7 to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriters Content. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability, which the Company and the Operating Partnership may otherwise have.

 

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(b)           Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its directors, the Operating Partnership and each of the Company’s officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company or the Operating Partnership within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company and the Operating Partnership to the Underwriters, but only with reference to the Underwriters Content.

 

(c)            Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party: (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses; and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties, except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if: (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest; (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party; (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action; or (iv) the indemnifying party shall in writing authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. In no event will the indemnifying parties be liable for the fees, costs or 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. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (x) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (y) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

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(d)            In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 7 is unavailable to, or insufficient to hold harmless, an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and by the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Shares; provided, however, that in no case shall the Underwriters be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Shares purchased by the Underwriters hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things: (i) whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company or the Operating Partnership, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other; (ii) the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge; (iii) access to information; and (iv) the opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 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 who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter shall have the same rights to contribution as the Underwriters, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d). The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I hereto and not joint.

 

8.            Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Shares hereunder are subject to the following conditions:

 

(a)            (i) The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reference to Rule 424(b)(8)); and any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433 and (ii) any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.

 

(b)            Subsequent to the Applicable Time, or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereto), the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment thereof), there shall not have occurred any event or development relating to or involving the Company and its subsidiaries or any officer or director of the Company and its subsidiaries which makes any statement made in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus untrue or which, in the opinion of the Company and its counsel or the Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters, requires the making of any addition to or change in the Disclosure Package in order to state a material fact required by the Act or any other law to be stated therein, or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, if amending or supplementing the Disclosure Package to reflect such event or development would, in the opinion of the Representatives, adversely affect the market for the Shares.

 

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(c)            The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter and tax opinion of Honigman LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such date and addressed to the Representatives, to the effect set forth on Exhibit B and Exhibit C, respectively.

 

(d)            The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of such date and addressed to the Representatives with respect to such matters as the Representatives may request.

 

(e)            The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Ballard Spahr LLP, Maryland counsel for the Company, dated as of such date and addressed to the Representatives, to the effect set forth on Exhibit D.

 

(f)            The Representatives shall have received letters addressed to the Underwriters and dated as of the date hereof, the Closing Date from Grant Thornton LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, substantially in the form heretofore approved by the Representatives; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date.

 

(g)      (i)      No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated by the Commission at or prior to the Closing Date; (ii) there shall not have been any change in the capital stock of the Company nor any material increase in the short-term or long-term debt (including any off-balance sheet activities or transactions) of the Company and its subsidiaries (other than in the ordinary course of business) from that set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); (iii) there shall not have been, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), except as may otherwise be stated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Material Adverse Effect; (iv) the Company and its subsidiaries shall not have any liabilities or obligations (financial or other), direct or contingent (whether or not in the ordinary course of business), that are material to the Company or its subsidiaries, other than those reflected in the Registration Statement or the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and (v) all the representations and warranties of the Company and the Operating Partnership contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct at and as of the Applicable Time and on and as of the Closing Date as if made at and as of such time or on and as of such date, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by either the chief executive officer or the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the Company (or such other officers as are acceptable to the Representatives), to the effect set forth in this Section 8(g) and in Section 8(h) hereof.

 

(h)            The Company shall not have failed at or prior to the Closing Date to have performed or complied with any of its agreements herein contained or contained in the Deposit Agreement and required to be performed or complied with by it hereunder or thereunder, at or prior to the Closing Date.

 

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(i)            The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated the date hereof, the Closing Date and signed by the chief financial officer of the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, certifying to the accuracy of certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(j)            Subsequent to the Applicable Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

 

(k)            The Company shall have completed all required filings with the NYSE and other necessary actions in order to cause the Shares and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Shares to be listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the NYSE, subject only to notice of issuance.

 

(l)            As of the Closing Date, the Series A Articles Supplementary shall have been duly executed and filed by the Company with the SDAT and shall be effective under Maryland law.

 

(m)            As of the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a copy of the Second Amended and Restated Partnership Agreement duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(n)            The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives shall have reasonably requested.

 

Any certificate or document signed by any officer of the Company or the general partner of the Operating Partnership and delivered to the Representatives, or to counsel for the Underwriters, shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or the Operating Partnership, as the case may be, to the Underwriters as to the statements made therein.

 

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 8 shall not have been fulfilled in all material respects when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be in all material respects reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and their counsel, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled by the Representatives at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

 

With respect to the Closing Date, the documents required to be delivered by this Section 8 shall be delivered at the offices of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Attention: Mark W. Wickersham, counsel for the Underwriters, at Riverfront Plaza, East Tower, 951 Byrd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219 on or prior to such date.

 

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9.            Expenses. The Company agrees to pay the following costs and expenses and all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction, and filing with the Commission of the registration statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus, if any, the Prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Incorporated Documents, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Shares and the Series A Preferred Stock, including any stamp or other taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Shares and the Series A Preferred Stock; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, the preliminary and supplemental blue sky memoranda, the Deposit Agreement and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Shares and the Series A Preferred Stock; (v) the fees and expenses of the Depositary, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Depositary, if any; (vi) the registration or qualification of the Shares and the Series A Preferred Stock for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states as provided in Section 5(g) hereof (including the reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters relating to the preparation, printing or reproduction, and delivery of the preliminary and supplemental blue sky memoranda and such registration and qualification); (vii) the filing fees and the fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with any filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.; (viii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Shares; (ix) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company.

  

10.            Termination of Agreement. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, without liability on the part of the Underwriters to the Company, by notice to the Company, if, prior to the Closing Date: (i) there shall have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business, prospects, properties, net worth, or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as specifically addressed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), the effect of which, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, is so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendments thereto), the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto); (ii) there shall have occurred any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities or preferred stock of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities or preferred stock of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating); (iii) trading in the Company’s common stock or outstanding preferred stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or the NYSE or trading in securities generally on the NYSE or the Nasdaq Stock Market shall have been suspended or materially limited; (iv) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York or Florida shall have been declared by either federal or state authorities; (v) the Company or any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained a substantial loss by fire, flood, accident or other calamity which renders it impracticable, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, to consummate the sale of the Shares and the delivery of the Shares by the Underwriters at the initial public offering price; or (vi) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other international or domestic calamity, crisis or change in political, financial or economic conditions, the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to commence or continue the offering as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendments thereto), the Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). Notice of such termination may be given to the Company by telegram, telecopy, electronic transmission or by telephone and shall be subsequently confirmed by letter.

 

25

 

 

11.            Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Date to purchase the Shares that it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Shares”), 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 Shares 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:

 

(a)            if the number of Defaulted Shares does not exceed 10% of the number of Shares 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

 

(b)            if the number of Defaulted Shares exceeds 10% of the number of Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section 11 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, either (i) the Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 11.

 

12.            Information Furnished by the Underwriters. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are the second sentence of paragraph 11 and paragraph 12 under the heading “Underwriting” in such documents (collectively, the “Underwriters Content”).

 

13.            Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of their officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares. The provisions of Sections 5(k), 7 and 9 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

 

14.            Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company and Operating Partnership acknowledges and agrees that:

 

(a)            each of the Underwriters has been retained solely to act as an underwriter in connection with the sale of the Shares and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the process leading thereto, irrespective of whether the Underwriters have advised or any of them is advising the Company and the Operating Partnership on other matters;

 

26

 

 

(b)            the price of the Shares set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Underwriters, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(c)            it has been advised that the Underwriters and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Operating Partnership and that no Underwriter has an obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company and the Operating Partnership by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

 

(d)            it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims they may have against the Underwriters for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty.

 

15.            Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered, telefaxed or sent by electronic transmission to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, 550 South Tryon Street, 5th Floor, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attention: Transaction Management, email: tmgcapitalmarkets@wellsfargo.com; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, Tel: 212-834-4533, Fax: 212-834-6081; Raymond James & Associates, Inc., 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716, Attention: General Counsel GEIB, email: GEIBLegal@raymondjames.com; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered, telefaxed or sent by electronic transmission to the office of the Company at 70 E. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48304 (facsimile: 248-737-9110), Attention: Peter Coughenour, Email: peter@agreerealty.com.

 

16.            Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes

 

(a)            In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

(b)            In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

27

 

 

For purposes of this Section 16: (A) a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

  

17.            Successors. This Agreement has been made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Company, the Operating Partnership, their directors and officers, and the other controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof and their respective successors and assigns, to the extent provided herein. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. Neither the term “successor” nor the term “successors and assigns” as used in this Agreement shall include a purchaser from the Underwriters of any of the Shares in his status as such purchaser.

 

18.            Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

19.            Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

20.            Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto 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.

 

21.            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. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

22.            Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

23.            Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each Underwriter is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the Company and any other companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

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24.            Duties. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to create a partnership, joint venture or agency relationship between the parties. The parties hereto undertake to perform such duties and obligations only as expressly set forth herein. Such duties and obligations of the parties hereto with respect to the Shares shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Agreement, and the parties hereto shall not be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations with respect to the Shares as are specifically set forth in this Agreement. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters disclaim any implied duties (including any fiduciary duty), covenants or obligations arising from the Underwriters’ performance of their duties and obligations expressly set forth herein.

 

25.            Definitions. The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated:

 

Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.

 

Rule 158,” “Rule 164,” “Rule 172,” “Rule 173,” “Rule 405,” “Rule 415,” “Rule 424,” “Rule 430A,” “Rule 430B,” “Rule 430C,” “Rule 433” and “Rule 436” refer to such rules under the Act.

 

[Signature page follows.]

 

29

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Underwriters.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  AGREE REALTY CORPORATION
   
  By: /s/ Joel N. Agree
  Name: Joel N. Agree
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
   
  AGREE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
   
  By: AGREE REALTY CORPORATION, its general partner
   
    By: /s/ Joel N. Agree
    Name: Joel N. Agree
    Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to the Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written:

  

As Representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto.

 

WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC  
   
By: /s/ Carolyn Hurley   
Name: Carolyn Hurley   
Title: Managing Director  
   
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC  
   
By: /s/ Stephen L. Sheiner   
Name: Stephen L. Sheiner   
Title: Executive Director  
   
RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.  
   
By:  /s/ Brad Butcher   
Name: Brad Butcher   
Title: Managing Director and Co-Head of Real Estate Investment Banking  

  

[Signature Page to the Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE I

 

Name of Underwriter   Number of
Shares
 
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC     2,240,000  
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC     1,120,000  
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.     980,000  
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.     700,000  
Capital One Securities, Inc.     280,000  
Mizuho Securities USA LLC     280,000  
PNC Capital Markets LLC     280,000  
Regions Securities LLC     280,000  
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated     280,000  
Truist Securities, Inc.     280,000  
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.     280,000  
Total     7,000,000  

 

Schedule I-1

 

 

SCHEDULE II

 

FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES INCLUDED IN THE DISCLOSURE PACKAGE

 

1. The free writing prospectus filed with the Commission substantially in the form of Exhibit A to this Agreement.

 

Schedule II-1

 

 

SCHEDULE III

 

List of Subsidiaries and Joint Ventures

 

Agree Realty Corporation, through its operating partnership, Agree Limited Partnership, is the sole member of the following limited liability companies:

 

Name Jurisdiction of Organization Foreign Qualification
20639 Center Ridge Road, LLC Delaware Ohio
ADC Express, LLC Michigan  
Agree 117 Mission, LLC Michigan  
Agree 2016, LLC Delaware Alabama
    Florida
    Georgia
    Michigan
    North Carolina
    South Carolina
    Tennessee
    Texas
Agree Beecher, LLC Michigan  
Agree Bristol & Fenton Project, LLC Michigan  
Agree Central, LLC                 Delaware Alabama
    Arkansas
    Arizona
    California
    Colorado
    Connecticut
    Florida
    Georgia
    Illinois
    Indiana
    Iowa
    Kansas
    Louisiana
    Maine
    Maryland
    Massachusetts
    Michigan
    Minnesota
    Missouri
    Mississippi
    Nevada
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New Mexico
    New York
    North Carolina

 

Schedule III-1

 

 

Name Jurisdiction of Organization Foreign Qualification
    North Dakota
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Pennsylvania
    South Carolina
    South Dakota
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Virginia
    Wisconsin
    West Virginia
    Wyoming
Agree Chapel Hill NC, LLC Delaware North Carolina
Agree - Columbia Crossing Project, LLC Michigan  
Agree Columbia SC, LLC Delaware South Carolina
Agree Construction Management, LLC Delaware California
Agree Convenience No. 1, LLC     Delaware Alabama
    Arkansas
    California
    Colorado
    Florida
    Georgia
    Illinois
    Iowa
    Kansas
    Kentucky
    Louisiana
    Maryland
    Michigan
    Minnesota
    Missouri
    Mississippi
    New Jersey
    New York
    North Carolina
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Pennsylvania
    Rhode Island
    Texas
    Virginia
    West Virginia
    Wisconsin
Agree Corunna, LLC Michigan  
Agree CW, LLC Delaware Kentucky
    Michigan

 

Schedule III-2

 

 

Name Jurisdiction of Organization Foreign Qualification
    Texas
Agree Dallas Forest Drive, LLC Texas  
Agree Development, LLC Delaware  
Agree DT Jacksonville NC, LLC Delaware North Carolina
Agree Eastern, LLC Delaware Connecticut
    Florida
    Massachusetts
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New York
Agree Farmington NM, LLC Delaware New Mexico
Agree Fort Walton Beach, LLC Florida  
Agree Grandview Heights OH, LLC Delaware Ohio
AGREE GREENWICH CT, LLC Delaware Connecticut
Agree Lebanon NH, LLC Delaware New Hampshire
Agree Limited Partnership Delaware Alabama
    Arizona
    Arkansas
    California
    Colorado
    Connecticut
    Florida
    Georgia
    Idaho
    Illinois
    Indiana
    Iowa
    Kansas
    Kentucky
    Louisiana
    Maryland
    Michigan
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    Montana
    Nebraska
    Nevada
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New Mexico
    New York
    North Carolina
    North Dakota
    Ohio

 

Schedule III-3

 

 

Name Jurisdiction of Organization Foreign Qualification
    Oklahoma
    Oregon
    Pennsylvania
    South Carolina
    South Dakota
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Utah
    Virginia
    Washington
    West Virginia
    Wisconsin
Agree Littleton CO LLC Delaware Colorado
Agree M-59 LLC Michigan  
Agree Madison AL, LLC Michigan Alabama
Agree Marietta, LLC Georgia  
Agree MCW, LLC   Delaware Iowa
New Mexico
Agree Mena AR, LLC Delaware Arkansas
Agree NJ, LLC Delaware New Jersey
Agree Onaway MI, LLC Delaware Michigan
Agree Orange CT, LLC Delaware Connecticut
Agree Oxford Commons AL, LLC Delaware Alabama
Agree Paterson NJ, LLC Delaware  
Agree Realty Services, LLC Delaware Michigan
Georgia
Agree Roseville CA, LLC California  
Agree SB, LLC         Delaware Alabama
    Florida
    Indiana
    Kentucky
    Ohio
    Georgia
    North Carolina
    Tennessee
    Texas
Agree Secaucus NJ, LLC Delaware New Jersey
Agree Shelf ES PA, LLC Delaware Pennsylvania
Agree Shelf PA, LLC Delaware Pennsylvania
Agree Southfield LLC Michigan  
Agree Spring Grove, LLC Illinois  
Agree St Petersburg, LLC Florida  
Agree Stores, LLC                                                   Delaware Alabama
    Arizona
    Arkansas

 

Schedule III-4

 

 

Name Jurisdiction of Organization Foreign Qualification
    California
    Colorado
    Connecticut
    Florida
    Georgia
    Idaho
    Illinois
    Indiana
    Kansas
    Kentucky
    Louisiana
    Maryland
    Massachusetts
    Michigan
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    Nevada
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New Mexico
    New York
    North Carolina
    Ohio
    Oregon
    Pennsylvania
    South Carolina
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Utah
    Virginia
    West Virginia
    Wisconsin
Agree Tallahassee, LLC Florida  
Agree TK, LLC Delaware Illinois
Agree Walker, LLC Michigan  
Agree Wallingford CT, LLC Delaware Connecticut
Agree Wawa Baltimore, LLC Maryland  
Agree Western, LLC Delaware New Mexico
Washington
Agree Wilmington, LLC North Carolina  
Boynton Beach Store No. 150, LLC Delaware  
DD 71, LLC Delaware  
Lunacorp, LLC Delaware Virginia
Mt. Pleasant Shopping Center, L.L.C. Michigan  
Pachyderm Chattanooga TN, LLC Delaware Tennessee

 

Schedule III-5

 

 

Name Jurisdiction of Organization Foreign Qualification
Pachyderm Marietta GA, LLC Delaware Georgia
Pachyderm Myrtle Beach SC, LLC Delaware South Carolina
Pachyderm Philadelphia PA, LLC Delaware Pennsylvania
Pachyderm Properties, LLC     Delaware Alabama
    Arkansas
    Colorado
    Connecticut
    Florida
    Georgia
    Illinois
    Indiana
    Kentucky
    Louisiana
    Maryland
    Massachusetts
    Minnesota
    Mississippi
    Missouri
    New Hampshire
    New Jersey
    New York
    North Carolina
    Ohio
    Oklahoma
    Rhode Island
    South Carolina
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Virginia
    Washington
    Wisconsin
Pachyderm Properties II, LLC Delaware  
Pachyderm Riverdale GA, LLC Delaware Georgia
Pachyderm Waite Park MN, LLC Delaware Minnesota
Paint PA, LLC Delaware Pennsylvania

 

Joint Ventures

 

None

 

Schedule III-6

 

 

SCHEDULE IV

 

MATERIAL AGREEMENTS

 

1. Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated July 8, 1994 by and among the Agree Realty Corporation, Richard Agree, Edward Rosenberg and Joel Weiner

 

2. First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Agree Limited Partnership, dated April 22, 1994, as amended, by and among the Agree Realty Corporation, Richard Agree, Edward Rosenberg and Joel Weiner

 

3. Second Amendment to First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Agree Limited Partnership, dated March 20, 2013

 

4. Amended Employment Agreement, dated July 1, 2014, by and between Agree Realty Corporation and Richard Agree

 

5. Amended Employment Agreement, dated July 1, 2014, by and between Agree Realty Corporation and Joey Agree

 

6. Agree Realty Corporation Profit Sharing Plan

 

7. Agree Realty Corporation 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan

 

8. Form of Restricted Stock Agreement under the Agree Realty Corporation 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan

 

9. Form of Performance Share Award Agreement pursuant to the Agree Realty Corporation 2014 Omnibus Incentive Plan

 

10. Agree Realty Corporation 2017 Executive Incentive Plan, dated February 16, 2017

 

11. Note Purchase Agreement, by Agree Limited Partnership dated May 28, 2015

 

12. Note Purchase Agreement, dated July 28, 2016, by and among Agree Realty Corporation, Agree Limited Partnership, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and Advantus Capital Management, Inc.

 

13. Note Purchase Agreement, dated August 3, 2017, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and the purchasers named therein

 

14. Uncommitted Master Note Facility, dated August 3, 2017, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and Teachers Insurance and Annuity Associate of America (“TIAA”) and each TIAA Affiliate (as defined therein)

 

Schedule IV-1

 

 

15. First Supplement to Uncommitted Master Note Facility, dated September 26, 2018, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and TIAA

 

16. Uncommitted Master Note Facility, dated August 3, 2017, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and Teachers Insurance and AIG Asset Management (U.S.), LLC (“AIG”) and each AIG Affiliate (as defined therein)

 

17. First Supplement to Uncommitted Master Note Facility, dated September 26, 2018, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation, AIG and the institutional investors named therein

 

18. Increase Agreement, dated July 18, 2018 among Agree Limited Partnership, as the Borrower, Agree Realty Corporation, as the parent, PNC Bank, National Association and the other lender parties thereto

 

19. Form of Revolving Note under the Increase Agreement dated July 18, 2018

 

20. Guaranty, dated December 27, 2018, by and among Agree Realty Corporation and each of the subsidiaries of Agree Limited Partnership party thereto

 

21. Reimbursement Agreement, dated November 18, 2014, by and between Agree Realty Corporation and Richard Agree

 

22. Form of Performance Unit Award Notice

 

23. Note Purchase Agreement, dated June 14, 2019, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and the purchasers named therein

 

24. Second Amendment to Amended and Restated Revolving Credit and Term Loan Agreement, dated May 6, 2019, by and among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation, PNC Bank, National Association and the other lenders party thereto

 

25. Second Amended and Restated Revolving Credit and Term Loan Agreement, dated December 5, 2019, among Agree Realty Corporation, the Borrower, PNC Bank and the other lenders party thereto

 

26. Summary of Material Terms of Compensation Arrangement with Danielle M. Spehar (effective December 7, 2019)

 

27. Agree Realty Corporation 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan

 

Schedule IV-2

 

 

28. Form of Restricted Stock Agreement under the Agree Realty Corporation 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan

 

29. Form of Performance Unit Agreement under the Agree Realty Corporation 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan

 

30. Indenture, dated August 17, 2020, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association

 

31. Indenture Officer’s Certificate, dated August 17, 2020, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association

 

32. Employment Agreement, dated October 9, 2020, by and between Agree Realty Corporation and Joel Agree

 

33. Employment Agreement dated June 18, 2020, between Agree Realty Corporation and Craig Erlich

 

34. Addendum to Employment Agreement dated August 19, 2020, between Agree Realty Corporation and Craig Erlich

 

35. Indenture Officer’s Certificate, dated May 14, 2021, among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association

 

36. Form of Global Note for 2.900% Notes due 2030

 

37. Form of Global Note for 2.000% Notes due 2028

 

38. Form of Global Note for 2.600% Notes due 2033

 

39. Form of Guarantee of 2.900% Notes due 2030 by and among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association

 

40. Form of Guarantee of 2.000% Notes due 2028 by and among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association

 

41. Form of Guarantee of 2.600% Notes due 2033 by and among Agree Limited Partnership, Agree Realty Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association

 

Schedule IV-3

 

 

Exhibit 3.1

 

AGREE REALTY CORPORATION

 

ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY

 

ESTABLISHING AND FIXING THE RIGHTS AND PREFERENCES OF
4.250% SERIES A CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK

 

Agree Realty Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “Department”) that:

 

FIRST: Pursuant to the authority expressly vested in the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) by Article Sixth of the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”) and Section 2-208 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, the Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, has duly classified and designated, and authorized the issuance of, 7,000 authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Corporation (“Preferred Stock”) as 4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock of the Corporation.

 

SECOND: The preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of the 4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock of the Corporation are as follows, which, upon any restatement of the Charter, shall become a part of Article Sixth of the Charter, with any appropriate renumbering or relettering of the sections or subsections thereof:

 

4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock

 

1. Designation and Number. A series of Preferred Stock, designated the “4.250% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) is hereby established. The par value of the Series A Preferred Stock shall be $0.0001 per share. The number of authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be 7,000.

 

2. Relative Seniority. The Series A Preferred Stock will, with respect to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, rank (a) senior to all classes or series of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Corporation (“Common Stock”) and to all equity securities the terms of which provide that such equity securities shall rank junior to such Series A Preferred Stock; (b) on a parity with any other equity securities issued by the Corporation the terms of which provide that such equity securities shall rank on a parity with such Series A Preferred Stock (“Parity Preferred Stock”), if any, and (c) junior to all equity securities issued by the Corporation which rank senior to the Series A Preferred Stock and which are issued in accordance with the terms of Section 7(d) hereof. The term “equity securities” shall not include convertible debt securities.

 

 

 

 

3. Dividends.

 

(a)  Holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Corporation, out of assets legally available for the payment of dividends, cumulative preferential cash dividends at the rate of 4.250% per annum of the $25,000.00 per share liquidation preference of the Series A Preferred Stock (equivalent to a fixed annual amount of $1,062.50 per share of Series A Preferred Stock). Such dividends shall accumulate on a daily basis and be cumulative from and including the immediately preceding dividend payment date (or from and including the original date of issuance if no dividends have yet been paid) of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock and be payable monthly in equal amounts in arrears on the first day of each month of each year, beginning on October 1, 2021 (each such day being hereinafter called a “Dividend Payment Date”); provided that if any Dividend Payment Date is not a Business Day (as defined below), then the dividend which would otherwise have been payable on such Dividend Payment Date may be paid on the next succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if paid on such Dividend Payment Date, and no interest or additional dividends or other sums shall accrue on the amount so payable from such Dividend Payment Date to such next succeeding Business Day. Any dividend payable on the Series A Preferred Stock for any partial dividend period shall be prorated and computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dividends shall be payable to holders of record as they appear in the stock records of the Corporation at the close of business on the applicable record date, which shall be the fifteenth day of the calendar month prior to the calendar month in which the applicable Dividend Payment Date falls or such other date designated by the Board of Directors for the payment of dividends that is not more than 30 nor less than 10 days prior to such Dividend Payment Date (each, a “Dividend Record Date”).

 

(b)  No dividend on the Series A Preferred Stock shall be authorized by the Board of Directors or declared by the Corporation or paid or set apart for payment by the Corporation at such time as the terms and provisions of any agreement of the Corporation, including any agreement relating to its 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.

 

(c)  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock shall accumulate whether or not the restrictions referred to in Section 3(b) exist, whether or not the Corporation has earnings, whether or not there are assets legally available for the payment of such dividends and whether or not such dividends are authorized or declared. Accumulated but unpaid dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock will accumulate as of the Dividend Payment Date on which they first become payable or on the date of redemption as the case may be. Accumulated and unpaid dividends will not bear interest.

 

(d)  If any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, no dividends will be authorized by the Board of Directors or declared by the Corporation or paid or set apart by the Corporation for payment on any equity securities of the Corporation of any other class or series ranking, as to distributions, on a parity with or junior to the Series A Preferred Stock unless full cumulative dividends have been or contemporaneously are authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by the Corporation and paid or authorized and declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for such payment on the Series A Preferred Stock for all past dividend periods. When dividends are not paid in full (or a sum sufficient for such full payment is not so set apart) upon the Series A Preferred Stock and all other equity securities ranking on a parity, as to distributions, with the Series A Preferred Stock, all dividends authorized and declared, paid or set apart for payment upon the Series A Preferred Stock and all other equity securities ranking on a parity, as to distributions, with the Series A Preferred Stock shall be authorized and declared and paid pro rata, or authorized and declared and set apart for payment pro rata, so that the amount of dividends authorized and declared per share of Series A Preferred Stock and each such other equity security ranking on a parity, as to distributions, shall in all cases bear to each other the same ratio that accumulated dividends per share of Series A Preferred Stock and such other equity security (which shall not include any accumulation in respect of unpaid dividends for prior dividend periods if such equity securities do not have a cumulative dividend) bear to each other. No interest, or sum of money in lieu of interest, shall be payable in respect of any dividend payment or payments on Series A Preferred Stock which may be in arrears.

 

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(e)  Except as provided in Section 3(d), unless full cumulative dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock have been or contemporaneously are authorized and declared and paid or authorized and declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof is set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, no dividends (other than in shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock as to distributions and upon liquidation) shall be authorized and declared or paid or set apart for payment nor shall any other dividend be authorized and declared or made upon the Common Stock or any other equity securities of the Corporation ranking junior to or on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock as to distributions or upon liquidation, nor shall any shares of Common Stock or any other equity securities of the Corporation ranking junior to or on a parity with the Series A Preferred Stock as to distributions or upon liquidation be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired directly or indirectly for any consideration (or any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such equity securities) by the Corporation (except by conversion into or exchange for other equity securities of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock as to distributions and upon liquidation, by redemption, purchase or acquisition of equity securities under incentive, benefit or share purchase plans of the Corporation for officers, directors or employees or others performing or providing similar services, or by other redemption, purchase or acquisition of such equity securities for the purpose of preserving the Corporation’s status as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for federal income tax purposes.

 

(f)  If, for any taxable year, the Corporation elects to designate as “capital gain dividends” (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 federal income tax purposes) paid or made available for the year to holders of all classes and series of shares (the “Total Dividends”), then the portion of the Capital Gains Amount that shall be allocable to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be the amount that the total dividends (as determined for federal income tax purposes) paid or made available to the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock for the year bears to the Total Dividends. The Corporation may elect to retain and pay income tax on its net long-term capital gains. In such a case, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock would include in income their appropriate share of the Corporation’s undistributed long-term capital gains, as designated by the Corporation.

 

(g)  Holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividend, whether payable in cash, property or shares, in excess of full cumulative dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock as described above. Any dividend payment made on the Series A Preferred Stock shall first be credited against the earliest accumulated but unpaid dividend due with respect to such shares which remains payable.

 

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(h)  In determining whether a distribution (other than upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation) by dividend, redemption or other acquisition of the Corporation’s equity securities is permitted under Maryland law, no effect shall be given to amounts that would be needed, if the Corporation were to be dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of stockholders whose preferential rights on dissolution are superior to those receiving the distribution.

 

(i) “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.

 

4. Liquidation Rights.

 

(a)  In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation (referred to herein sometimes as a “liquidation”), the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock then outstanding shall be entitled to be paid, or have the Corporation declare and set apart for payment, out of the assets of the Corporation legally available for distribution to stockholders (after payment or provision for payment of all debts and other liabilities of the Corporation), a liquidation preference in cash of $25,000.00 per share of Series A Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to all accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the date of payment (the “Liquidation Preference”), before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Stock or any other equity securities of the Corporation that rank junior to the Series A Preferred Stock as to liquidation rights.

 

(b)  If, upon any such voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the assets of the Corporation are insufficient to pay the full amount of the Liquidation Preference to holders of Series A Preferred Stock and all Parity Preferred Stock, then the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and all Parity Preferred Stock shall share ratably in any such distribution of assets in proportion to the full liquidating distributions to which they would otherwise be respectively entitled.

 

(c)  Written notice of the effective date of any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up 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 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the payment date stated therein, to each record holder of the Series A Preferred Stock at the address of such holder as the same shall appear on the stock transfer records of the Corporation.

 

(d)  After payment of the full amount of the Liquidation Preference to which they are entitled, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock will have no right or claim to any of the remaining assets of the Corporation.

 

(e)  None of a consolidation, merger or conversion of the Corporation with or into another entity, a merger of another entity with or into the Corporation, a statutory share exchange by the Corporation or a sale, lease, transfer or conveyance of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets or business shall be considered a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

 

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5. Redemption

 

(a)  Except as described in Section 6 below and this Section 5, the Series A Preferred Stock is not redeemable prior to September 17, 2026. To ensure that the Corporation remains qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, however, the Series A Preferred Stock shall be subject to the provisions of Article Ninth of the Charter pursuant to which shares of Series A Preferred Stock owned by a stockholder in excess of the Aggregate Stock Ownership Limit (as defined in Article Ninth of the Charter) shall automatically be transferred to a Charitable Beneficiary (as defined in Article Ninth of the Charter) and the Corporation shall have the right to purchase such shares, as provided in Article Ninth of the Charter. On and after September 17, 2026, the Corporation, at its option, upon giving notice as provided below, may redeem the Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or from time to time in part, for cash, at a redemption price of $25,000.00 per share of Series A Preferred Stock, plus all accumulated and unpaid dividends on such shares of Series A Preferred Stock to, but not including, the date of such redemption (the “Redemption Right”); provided, that if interests in shares of the Series A Preferred Stock are represented by depositary shares, then the redemption price shall be determined in accordance with the foregoing, but with respect to one depositary share, the redemption price per depositary share shall be $25,000.00 divided by the number of depositary shares that together represent an interest in one share of Series A Preferred Stock.

 

(b)  If fewer than all of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock are to be redeemed pursuant to the Redemption Right, the shares to be redeemed may be selected pro rata (as nearly as practicable without creating fractional shares) or by lot. If such redemption is to be by lot and, as a result of such redemption, any holder of Series A Preferred Stock would become a holder of a number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock in excess of the Aggregate Stock Ownership Limit because such holder’s shares of Series A Preferred Stock were not redeemed, or were only redeemed in part then, except as otherwise provided in the Charter, the Corporation will redeem the requisite number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock of such holder such that no holder will hold in excess of the Aggregate Stock Ownership Limit subsequent to such redemption.

 

(c)  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, unless full cumulative dividends on all shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have been or contemporaneously are declared and paid or authorized and declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, no shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be redeemed unless all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock are simultaneously redeemed; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prevent the redemption or purchase by the Corporation of shares of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to Article Ninth of the Charter or otherwise in order to ensure that the Corporation remains qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes or the purchase or acquisition of shares of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all shares of Series A Preferred Stock. In addition, unless full cumulative dividends on all shares of Series A Preferred Stock have been or contemporaneously are authorized and declared and paid or authorized and declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, the Corporation shall not purchase or otherwise acquire directly or indirectly for any consideration, nor shall any monies be paid to or be made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of, any shares of Series A Preferred Stock (except by conversion into or exchange for equity securities of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock as to distributions and upon liquidation; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prevent any purchase or acquisition of shares of Series A Preferred Stock for the purpose of preserving the Corporation’s status as a REIT for federal income tax purposes or pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock).

 

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(d)  Immediately prior to or upon any redemption of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, the Corporation shall pay, in cash, any accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date, unless a redemption date falls after a Dividend Record Date and prior to the corresponding Dividend Payment Date, in which case each holder of Series A Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Dividend Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such shares on the corresponding Dividend Payment Date (including any accrued and unpaid dividends for prior periods) notwithstanding the redemption of such shares before such Dividend Payment Date. Except as provided above, the Corporation will make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or not in arrears, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock for which a notice of redemption has been given.

 

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

 

(i)  Notice of redemption will be mailed by the Corporation, postage prepaid, no less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the redemption date, addressed to the respective holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed at their respective addresses as they appear on the stock transfer records of the Corporation. No failure to give such notice or any defect thereto or in the mailing thereof shall affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given.

 

(ii)  In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which shares of Series A Preferred Stock may be listed or admitted to trading, such notice shall state: (A) the redemption date; (B) the redemption price; (C) the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed; (D) the place or places where the certificates, to the extent shares of Series A Preferred Stock are certificated, for the Series A Preferred Stock are to be surrendered (if so required in the notice) for payment of the redemption price; and (E) that dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accumulate on such redemption date. If fewer than all of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by any holder are to be redeemed, the notice mailed to such holder shall also specify the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by such holder to be redeemed.

 

(iii)  If the Corporation shall so require and the notice shall so state, on or after the redemption date, each holder of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed shall present and surrender the certificates evidencing such holder’s shares of Series A Preferred Stock, to the extent such shares are certificated, to the Corporation at the place designated in the notice of redemption and thereupon the redemption price of such shares (including all accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date) shall be paid to or on the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate evidencing shares of Series A Preferred Stock as the owner thereof and each surrendered certificate shall be canceled. If fewer than all the shares evidenced by any such certificate evidencing shares of Series A Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, a new certificate shall be issued evidencing the unredeemed shares. In the event that the shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed are uncertificated, such shares shall be redeemed in accordance with the notice and the applicable procedures of any depository and no further action on the part of the holders of such shares shall be required.

 

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(iv)  From and after the redemption date (unless the Corporation defaults in payment of the redemption price), all dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock designated for redemption in such notice shall cease to accumulate and all rights of the holders thereof, except the right to receive the redemption price thereof (including all accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date), shall cease and terminate and such shares shall not thereafter be transferred (except with the consent of the Corporation) on the Corporation’s stock transfer records, and such shares shall not be deemed to be outstanding for any purpose whatsoever. At its election, the Corporation, prior to a redemption date, may irrevocably deposit the redemption price (including accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date) of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock so called for redemption in Corporation for the holders thereof with a bank or trust company, in which case the redemption notice to holders of the Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed shall (A) state the date of such deposit, (B) specify the office of such bank or trust company as the place of payment of the redemption price and (C) require such holders to surrender the certificates evidencing such shares, to the extent such shares are certificated, at such place on or about the date fixed in such redemption notice (which may not be later than the redemption date) against payment of the redemption price (including all accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date). Any monies so deposited which remain unclaimed by the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock at the end of two years after the redemption date shall be returned by such bank or trust company to the Corporation.

 

(f)  Subject to applicable law and the limitation on purchases when dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock are in arrears, the Corporation may, at any time and from time to time, purchase any shares of Series A Preferred Stock in the open market, by tender or by private agreement.

 

(g)  Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock that shall at any time have been redeemed or otherwise acquired shall, after such redemption or acquisition, have the status of authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock, without designation as to class or series until such shares are once more classified and designated as part of a particular class or series by the Board of Directors.

 

6. Special Optional Redemption by the Corporation.

 

(a)  Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control (as defined below), the Corporation will have the option upon written notice mailed by the Corporation, postage pre-paid, not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the redemption date and addressed to the holders of record of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed at their respective addresses as they appear on the stock transfer records of the Corporation, to redeem the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in whole or in part on, or within 120 days after, the first date on which such Change of Control occurred, for cash at $25,000.00 per share of Series A Preferred Stock plus accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, to, but not including, the redemption date (“Special Optional Redemption Right”). No failure to give such notice or any defect thereto or in the mailing thereof shall affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. If, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date (as defined below), the Corporation has provided or provides notice of redemption with respect to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock (whether pursuant to the Redemption Right or the Special Optional Redemption Right), the holders of Series A Preferred Stock to which such notice of redemption relates will not have the conversion right described below in Section 9 and such shares of Series A Preferred Stock will instead be redeemed in accordance with such notice.

 

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A. “Change of Control” is when, after the original issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, the following have occurred and are continuing:

 

(i)  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 shares of the Corporation entitling that person to exercise more than 50% of the total voting power of all shares of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in elections of the Board 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

 

(ii)  following the closing of any transaction referred to in (i) above, neither the Corporation nor the acquiring or surviving entity has a class of common securities (or American Depositary Receipts representing such securities) listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), the NYSE American LLC (the “NYSE American”), or the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”), or listed or quoted on an exchange or quotation system that is a successor to the NYSE, the NYSE American or Nasdaq.

 

(b)  In addition to any information required by law or by the applicable rules of any exchange upon which the Series A Preferred Stock may be listed or admitted to trading, such notice shall state: (A) the redemption date; (B) the redemption price; (C) the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed; (D) the place or places where the certificates for the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, to the extent the Series A Preferred Stock is certificated, are to be surrendered (if so required in the notice) for payment of the redemption price; (E) that the shares of Series A Preferred Stock are being redeemed pursuant to the Special Optional 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; (F) that holders of the Series A Preferred Stock to which the notice relates will not be able to tender such shares of Series A Preferred Stock for conversion in connection with the Change of Control and each share of Series A Preferred Stock tendered for conversion that is selected, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, for redemption will be redeemed on the related redemption date instead of converted on the Change of Control Conversion Date; and (G) that dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed will cease to accumulate on such redemption date. If fewer than all of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by any holder are to be redeemed, the notice mailed to such holder shall also specify the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by such holder to be redeemed.

 

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If fewer than all of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock are to be redeemed pursuant to the Special Optional Redemption Right, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected pro rata (as nearly as practicable without creating fractional shares) or by lot. If such redemption is to be by lot and, as a result of such redemption, any holder of Series A Preferred Stock would become a holder of a number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock in excess of the Aggregate Stock Ownership Limit because such holder’s shares of Series A Preferred Stock were not redeemed, or were only redeemed in part then, except as otherwise provided in the Charter, the Corporation will redeem the requisite number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock of such holder such that no holder will hold in excess of the Aggregate Stock Ownership Limit subsequent to such redemption.

 

(c)  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, unless full cumulative dividends on all shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have been or contemporaneously are authorized and declared and paid or authorized and declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, no shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be redeemed unless all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock are simultaneously redeemed; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prevent the purchase by the Corporation of shares of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to Article Ninth of the Charter or otherwise in order to ensure that the Corporation remains qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes or the purchase or acquisition of shares of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all shares of Series A Preferred Stock. In addition, unless full cumulative dividends on all shares of Series A Preferred Stock have been or contemporaneously are authorized and declared and paid or authorized and declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof set apart for payment for all past dividend periods, the Corporation shall not purchase or otherwise acquire directly or indirectly for any consideration, nor shall any monies be paid to or be made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of, any shares of Series A Preferred Stock (except by conversion into or exchange for equity securities of the Corporation ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Stock as to distributions and upon liquidation; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prevent any purchase or acquisition of shares of Series A Preferred Stock for the purpose of preserving the Corporation’s status as a REIT or pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock).

 

(d)  Immediately prior to any redemption of shares of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to the Special Optional Redemption Right, the Corporation shall pay, in cash, any accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date, unless a redemption date falls after a Dividend Record Date and prior to the corresponding Dividend Payment Date, in which case each holder of Series A Preferred Stock at the close of business on such Dividend Record Date shall be entitled to the dividend payable on such shares on the corresponding Dividend Payment Date (including any accrued and unpaid dividends for prior periods) notwithstanding the redemption of such shares before such Dividend Payment Date. Except as provided above, the Corporation will make no payment or allowance for unpaid dividends, whether or not in arrears, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock for which a notice of redemption has been given.

 

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(e)  If the Corporation shall so require and the notice shall so state, on or after the redemption date, each holder of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed shall present and surrender the certificates evidencing such holder’s shares of Series A Preferred Stock, to the extent such shares are certificated, to the Corporation at the place designated in the notice of redemption and thereupon the redemption price of such shares (including all accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date) shall be paid to or on the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate evidencing Series A Preferred Stock as the owner thereof and each surrendered certificate shall be canceled. If fewer than all the shares evidenced by any such certificate evidencing Series A Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, a new certificate shall be issued evidencing the unredeemed shares. In the event that the shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed are uncertificated, such shares shall be redeemed in accordance with the notice and the applicable procedures of any depository and no further action on the part of the holders of such shares shall be required.

 

(f)  From and after the redemption date (unless the Corporation defaults in payment of the redemption price), all dividends on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock designated for redemption in such notice shall cease to accumulate and all rights of the holders thereof, except the right to receive the redemption price thereof (including all accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date), shall cease and terminate and such shares shall not thereafter be transferred (except with the consent of the Corporation) on the Corporation’s stock transfer records, and such shares shall not be deemed to be outstanding for any purpose whatsoever. At its election, the Corporation, prior to a redemption date, may irrevocably deposit the redemption price (including accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date) of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock so called for redemption in Corporation for the holders thereof with a bank or trust company, in which case the redemption notice to holders of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be redeemed shall (A) state the date of such deposit, (B) specify the office of such bank or trust company as the place of payment of the redemption price and (C) require such holders to surrender the certificates evidencing such shares, to the extent such shares are certificated, at such place on or about the date fixed in such redemption notice (which may not be later than the redemption date) against payment of the redemption price (including all accumulated and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date). Any monies so deposited which remain unclaimed by the holders of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock at the end of two years after the redemption date shall be returned by such bank or trust company to the Corporation.

 

(g)  Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock that shall at any time have been redeemed shall, after such redemption, have the status of authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock, without designation as to class or series until such shares are once more classified and designated as part of a particular class or series by the Board of Directors.

 

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7. Voting Rights.

 

(a)  Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock will not have any voting rights, except as set forth in this Section 7. In any matter in which the holders of Series A Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, each such holder shall have the right to one vote for each share of Series A Preferred Stock held by such holder. If the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of another class or series of Preferred Stock are entitled to vote together as a single class on any matter, the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of such other Preferred Stock shall each have one vote for each $25,000.00 of liquidation preference; provided, that if interests in shares of the Series A Preferred Stock or any other series of Parity Preferred Stock are represented by depositary shares, then the voting rights shall be determined in accordance with the foregoing, but with respect to one depositary share, multiplied by the number of depositary shares that together represent an interest in one share of such series. Holders of the Series A Preferred Stock shall have exclusive voting rights on any amendment to the Charter (including these Articles Supplementary) that would alter only the contract rights, as expressly set forth in the Charter, of the Series A Preferred Stock.

 

(b)  Whenever dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock shall be in arrears for 18 or more monthly periods, whether or not consecutive (a “Preferred Dividend Default”), the number of directors then constituting the Board of Directors shall be increased by two (if not already increased by reason of a similar arrearage with respect to any Voting Parity Stock (as defined below)) and the holders of Series A Preferred Stock (voting together 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 (“Voting Parity Stock”)) will be entitled to vote for the election of a total of two additional directors of the Corporation (each, a “Preferred Stock Director”) at a special meeting called by the holders of at least 33% of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock or the holders of at least 33% of any other class or series of Voting Parity Stock so in arrears if such request is received 90 or more days before the date fixed for the next annual or special meeting of stockholders, or at the next annual or special meeting of stockholders, and at each subsequent annual or special meeting until all dividends accumulated on the Series A Preferred Stock for the past dividend periods shall have been fully paid. The Preferred Stock Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of the Series A Preferred Stock and the Voting Parity Stock when they have the voting rights set forth in this Section 7(b) (voting together as a single class) in the election to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified or until such directors’ right to hold the office terminates as described herein, whichever occurs earlier.

 

(c)  If and when all accumulated dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock shall have been paid in full, the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be divested of the voting rights set forth in Section 7(b) (subject to revesting in the event of each and every Preferred Dividend Default) and, if all accumulated dividends have been paid in full on all other classes or series of Voting Parity Stock, the term of office of each Preferred Stock Director so elected shall terminate and the number of directors shall be reduced accordingly. Any Preferred Stock Director may be removed at any time with or without cause by the vote of, and shall not be removed otherwise than by the vote of, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock when they have the voting rights set forth in Section 7(b) and all other classes or series of Voting Parity Stock (voting together as a single class). So long as a Preferred Dividend Default shall continue, 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 a majority of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock when they have the voting rights set forth in Section 7(b) and all other classes or series of Voting Parity Stock (voting together as a single class). The Preferred Stock Directors shall each be entitled to one vote per Director on any matter.

 

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(d)  So long as any shares of Series A Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the Corporation shall not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding at the time, given in person or by proxy, either in writing or at a meeting (such series voting separately as a class), (i) authorize or create, or increase the authorized or issued amount of, any class or series of equity securities ranking senior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to payment of distributions or the distribution of assets upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, or reclassify any authorized equity securities of the Corporation into any such equity securities, or create, authorize or issue any obligation or security convertible into or evidencing the right to purchase any such equity securities; or (ii) amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the Charter, whether by merger or consolidation (in either case, an “Event”) or otherwise, so as to materially and adversely affect any right, preference, privilege or voting power of the Series A Preferred Stock or the holders thereof; provided, however, that with respect to the occurrence of any Event set forth in (ii) above, so long as shares of Series A Preferred Stock remain outstanding with the terms thereof materially unchanged or the holders of Series A Preferred Stock receive shares of stock or beneficial interest or other equity securities with rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers substantially similar, taken as a whole, to the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers of the Series A Preferred Stock, the occurrence of any such Event shall not be deemed to materially and adversely affect such rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of the Series A Preferred Stock or the holders thereof; and provided further that any increase in the amount of the authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock or the creation or issuance, or increase in the amounts authorized, of any other class or series of equity securities ranking on a parity with or junior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to payment of distributions and the distribution of assets upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, shall not be deemed to materially and adversely affect such rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers.

 

(e)  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 outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed or called for redemption upon proper notice and sufficient funds shall have been deposited in Corporation to effect such redemption.

 

8. Information Rights. During any period in which the Corporation is not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and any shares of Series A Preferred Stock are outstanding, the Corporation will (i) transmit by mail to all holders of the Series A Preferred Stock, as their names and addresses appear in the Corporation’s record books and without cost to such holders, copies of reports containing substantially the same information as would have appeared in the Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q that the Corporation would have been required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act if the Corporation were subject thereto (other than any exhibits that would have been required), and (ii) within 15 days following written request, supply copies of such reports to any prospective holder of the Series A Preferred Stock. The Corporation will mail (or otherwise provide) the reports to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock within 15 days after the respective dates by which the Corporation would have been required to file such reports with the SEC if it were subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

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9. Conversion. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock are not convertible into or exchangeable for any other property or securities of the Corporation, except as provided in this Section 9.

 

(a)  Upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the right, unless, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, the Corporation has provided or provides notice of its election to redeem the shares of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to the Redemption Right or Special Optional Redemption Right, to convert some or all of the shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by such holder (the “Change of Control Conversion Right”) on the Change of Control Conversion Date into a number of shares of Common Stock per share of Series A Preferred Stock to be converted (the “Common Stock Conversion Consideration”) equal to the lesser of (A) the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the sum of (x) the $25,000.00 liquidation preference plus (y) the amount of any accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the Change of Control Conversion Date (unless the Change of Control Conversion Date is after a Dividend Record Date and prior to the corresponding Dividend Payment Date, in which case no additional amount for such accrued and unpaid dividend will be included in such sum) by (ii) the Common Stock Price (as defined below) and (B) 680.3 (the “Share Cap”), subject to the immediately succeeding paragraph.

 

The Share Cap is subject to pro rata adjustments for any stock splits (including those effected pursuant to a Common Stock dividend), subdivisions or combinations (in each case, a “Stock Split”) with respect to 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 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 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.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, subject to the immediately succeeding sentence, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock (or equivalent Alternative Conversion Consideration (as defined below), as applicable) issuable in connection with the exercise of the Change of Control Conversion Right shall not exceed 4,762,100 shares of Common Stock (or equivalent Alternative Conversion Consideration, as applicable) (the “Exchange Cap”). The Exchange Cap is subject to pro rata adjustments for any Stock Splits on the same basis as the corresponding adjustment to the Share Cap and for additional issuances of shares of Series A Preferred Stock in subsequent offerings, if any.

 

In the case of a Change of Control pursuant to which shares of Common Stock shall be converted into cash, securities or other property or assets (including any combination thereof) (the “Alternative Form Consideration”), a holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall receive upon conversion of such shares of Series A Preferred Stock the kind and amount of Alternative Form Consideration which such holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock would have owned or been entitled to receive upon the Change of Control had such holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock held a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 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”).

 

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In the event that holders of Common Stock have the opportunity to elect the form of consideration to be received in the Change of Control, the consideration that the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall receive shall be the form of consideration elected by the holders of the Common Stock who participate in the determination (based on the weighted average of elections) and shall 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.

 

The “Change of Control Conversion Date” shall be a Business Day set forth in the notice of Change of Control provided in accordance with Section 9(c) below that is no less than 20 days nor more than 35 days after the date on which the Corporation provides such notice pursuant to Section 9(c).

 

The “Common Stock Price” shall be (i) the amount of cash consideration per share of Common Stock, if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by holders of Common Stock is solely cash, and (ii) the average of the closing prices per share of Common Stock on the NYSE for the ten consecutive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the effective date of the Change of Control, if the consideration to be received in the Change of Control by holders of Common Stock is other than solely cash.

 

(b)  No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion of shares of Series A Preferred Stock. In lieu of fractional shares, holders shall be entitled to receive the cash value of such fractional shares based on the Common Stock Price.

 

(c)  Within 15 days following the occurrence of a Change of Control, a notice of occurrence of the Change of Control, describing the resulting Change of Control Conversion Right, shall be delivered to the holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock at their addresses as they appear on the Corporation’s stock transfer records and notice shall be provided to the Corporation’s transfer agent. No failure to give such notice or any defect thereto or in the mailing thereof shall affect the validity of the proceedings for the conversion of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given. Each notice shall state: (i) the events constituting the Change of Control; (ii) the date of the Change of Control; (iii) the last date on which the holders of Series A Preferred Stock may exercise their Change of Control Conversion Right; (iv) the method and period for calculating the Common Stock Price; (v) the Change of Control Conversion Date, which shall be a Business Day occurring within 20 to 35 days following the date of such notice; (vi) 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 A Preferred Stock, the holder will not be able to convert shares of Series A Preferred Stock and such shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be redeemed on the related redemption date, even if they have already been tendered for conversion pursuant to the Change of Control Conversion Right; (vii) if applicable, the type and amount of Alternative Conversion Consideration entitled to be received per share of Series A Preferred Stock; (viii) the name and address of the paying agent and the conversion agent; and (ix) the procedures that the holders of Series A Preferred Stock must follow to exercise the Change of Control Conversion Right.

 

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(d)  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 notice pursuant to Section 9(c) above to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock.

 

(e)  In order to exercise the Change of Control Conversion Right, a holder of Series A Preferred Stock shall be required to deliver, on or before the close of business on the Change of Control Conversion Date, the certificates evidencing the shares of Series A Preferred Stock, to the extent such shares are certificated, to be converted, duly endorsed for transfer, together with a written conversion notice completed, to the Corporation’s transfer agent. Such notice shall state: (i) the relevant Change of Control Conversion Date; (ii) the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to be converted; and (iii) that the shares of Series A Preferred Stock are to be converted pursuant to the applicable terms of the Series A Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the shares of Series A Preferred Stock are held in global form, such notice shall comply with applicable procedures of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”).

 

(f)  Holders of Series A 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 the close of business 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 A Preferred Stock; (ii) if certificated shares of Series A Preferred Stock have been issued, the certificate numbers of the withdrawn shares of Series A Preferred Stock; and (iii) the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, if any, which remain subject to the conversion notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the shares of Series A Preferred Stock are held in global form, the notice of withdrawal shall comply with applicable procedures of DTC.

 

(g)  Shares of Series A 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, unless, prior to the Change of Control Conversion Date, the Corporation has provided or provides notice of its election to redeem such shares of Series A Preferred Stock, whether pursuant to its Redemption Right or Special Optional Redemption Right. If the Corporation elects to redeem shares of Series A Preferred Stock that would otherwise be converted into the applicable Conversion Consideration on a Change of Control Conversion Date, such shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be so converted and the holders of such shares shall be entitled to receive on the applicable redemption date $25,000.00 per share, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to, but not including, the redemption date.

 

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(h)  The Corporation shall deliver the applicable Conversion Consideration no later than the third Business Day following the Change of Control Conversion Date.

 

(i)  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no holder of shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be entitled to convert such shares of Series A Preferred Stock into shares of Common Stock to the extent that receipt of such shares of Common Stock would cause the holder of such shares of Common Stock (or any other person) to Beneficially Own or Constructively Own, within the meaning of the Charter, shares of Common Stock of the Corporation in excess of the Aggregate Stock Ownership Limit or the Common Stock Ownership Limit, as such terms are defined in the Charter, as applicable.

 

10. Application of Article Ninth. The Series A Preferred Stock constitutes Capital Stock, as such term is defined in Article Ninth of the Charter, and, as such, is subject to the provisions of Article Ninth of the Charter applicable to Capital Stock.

 

THIRD: The Series A Preferred Stock has been classified and designated by the Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, under the authority contained in the Charter.

 

FOURTH: These Articles Supplementary have been approved by the Board of Directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, in the manner and by the vote required by law.

 

FIFTH: These Articles Supplementary shall be effective at the time the Department accepts these Articles Supplementary for record.

 

SIXTH: The undersigned President and Chief Executive Officer 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 President and Chief Executive Officer 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.

 

[Signature page follows.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, AGREE REALTY CORPORATION has caused these Articles Supplementary to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its President and Chief Executive Officer and witnessed by its Interim Chief Financial Officer on September 13, 2021.

 

WITNESS:   AGREE REALTY CORPORATION
         
By: /s/ Peter Coughenour   By: /s/ Joel N. Agree
  Name: Peter Coughenour     Name: Joel N. Agree
  Title: Interim Chief Financial Officer     Title: President and Chief Executive Officer