with acquisitions of assets or businesses in which common stock is issued as consideration, or (4) in connection with the entry into or settlement of a transaction under a forward equity sales agreement, including a forward sale agreement.
Conflicts of Interest
All of the proceeds of this offering (excluding proceeds paid to us with respect to any shares of our common stock that we may sell to the underwriters in lieu of the forward purchasers or their affiliates selling our common stock to the underwriters) will be paid to the forward purchasers. As a result, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, or their affiliates, will receive more than 5% of the net proceeds of this offering, not including the underwriting discount. Nonetheless, in accordance with Rule 5121 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc., the appointment of a qualified independent underwriter is not necessary in connection with this offering, as REITs are excluded from that requirement.
Other Relationships
In the ordinary course of their business, the underwriters, the forward purchasers, or their respective affiliates have in the past performed, and may continue to perform, investment banking, broker dealer, financial advisory or other services for us, for which they received or may receive, customary fees and commissions. In addition, each of, or an affiliate of, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., TD Securities (USA) LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Capital One Securities, Inc., PNC Capital Markets LLC, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Fifth Third Bank, Regions Securities LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. and Associated Banc-Corp are lenders under our unsecured senior line of credit. An affiliate of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is the Administrative Agent for our unsecured senior line of credit. Each of, or an affiliate of, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. are Joint Lead Arrangers for our unsecured senior line of credit. Each of, or an affiliate of, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are Joint Bookrunners for our unsecured senior line of credit. Affiliates of each of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are L/C Issuers for our unsecured senior line of credit. Affiliates of each of Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., TD Securities (USA) LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Capital One Securities, Inc., PNC Capital Markets LLC, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Fifth Third Bank, Regions Securities LLC and Truist Securities, Inc. are Co-Documentation Agents for our unsecured senior line of credit. Affiliates of each of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BofA Securities, Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are Co-Syndication Agents for our unsecured senior line of credit. Associated Investment Services, Inc. (AIS), a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority member, a subsidiary of Associated Banc-Corp, is being paid a referral fee by Samuel A. Ramirez & Company, Inc. Associated Investment Services, Inc. is an affiliate of Associated Bank, N.A., which is a lender for our unsecured senior line of credit. Additionally, some or all of the underwriters, or their affiliates, may be holders from time to time of our commercial paper and could receive a portion of the net proceeds from the physical settlement of the forward sale agreements to the extent that we use any such proceeds to reduce the outstanding indebtedness under our commercial paper program.
Underwriters, forward purchasers and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. Of the underwriters (or their affiliates) and the forward purchasers (or their affiliates) that have lending relationships with us, certain of them routinely hedge and others may hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. Typically, these underwriters, forward purchasers, and/or their respective affiliates would hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities. Any such credit default swaps or short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the common stock offered