Exhibit 10.1
LIMITED WAIVER UNDER ADVISORY AGREEMENT
This LIMITED WAIVER UNDER ADVISORY AGREEMENT (this “Waiver”) is entered into as of March 15, 2022, by and among ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST, INC. (the “Company”), ASHFORD HOSPITALITY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP (the “Operating Partnership”), ASHFORD TRS CORPORATION (“TRS”), ASHFORD INC. (“AINC”), and ASHFORD HOSPITALITY ADVISORS LLC (“Ashford LLC” and, together with AINC, the “Advisor”).
RECITALS:
A. The parties hereto are parties to that certain Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement, dated as of January 14, 2021 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Advisory Agreement”).
B. Section 5 of the Advisory Agreement allocates responsibility for certain employee costs between the Company and the Advisor.
C. Section 6.3 of the Advisory Agreement provides that, subject to the limitations set forth therein, the Board of Directors of the Company shall issue annual equity awards in the Company or the Operating Partnership to employees, officers, consultants, non-employee directors, Affiliates or representatives of the Advisor, based on achievement by the Company of certain financial or other objectives or otherwise as the Board of Directors of the Company sees fit.
D. The Company has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to award cash compensation to employees, officers, consultants, non-employee directors, Affiliates or representatives of the Advisor, and, as more fully set forth herein, the parties hereto desire to provide for a waiver of the operation of provisions under the Advisory Agreement, if any, that might otherwise limit the Company’s ability to make such awards.
AGREEMENT:
In consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein and for other valuable consideration, the parties hereto agree as follows:
Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used in this Waiver but not defined have the meaning provided in the Advisory Agreement. Each reference to “hereof”, “hereunder”, “herein” and “hereby” and each other similar reference and each reference to “this Agreement” and each other similar reference contained in the Advisory Agreement shall refer to the Advisory Agreement after giving effect to this Waiver.
Section 2. Waiver.
2.1 The Company, the Operating Partnership, TRS and the Advisor hereby waive the operation of any provision in the Advisory Agreement that would otherwise limit the ability of the Company in its discretion, at the Company’s cost and expense, to award during the first and second fiscal quarters of calendar year 2022 (the “Waiver Period”) cash incentive compensation to employees, officers, consultants, non-employee directors, Affiliates or representatives of the Advisor, in each case on a current, deferred and/or contingent basis and subject to such other terms and conditions as the Board of Directors of the Company or its delegates may establish in their discretion; provided, that, in no event shall this Waiver permit the Company to award during the Waiver Period cash incentive compensation in excess of $8,476,000, in the aggregate.
2.2 The waiver contained in this Waiver shall be effective only in this instance and for the specific purpose for which it was intended and shall not be deemed to be a consent to any other transaction or matter or waiver of compliance in the future, or a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach of the same or any other covenant or provision of the Advisory Agreement.
Section 3. Miscellaneous.
3.1 Advisory Agreement Unaffected. Each reference to the Advisory Agreement shall hereafter be construed as a reference to the Advisory Agreement after giving effect to this Waiver. Except as herein otherwise specifically provided, all provisions of the Advisory Agreement (after giving effect to this Waiver) shall remain in full force and effect and be unaffected hereby.
3.2 Headings. Section headings herein are included herein for convenience of reference only and shall not constitute a part hereof for any other purpose or be given any substantive effect.
3.3 Counterparts. This Waiver may be executed in any number of counterparts, by different parties hereto in separate counterparts and by facsimile signature or other electronic transmissions, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute but one and the same agreement.
3.4 Governing Law; Consent to Jurisdiction. The provisions of Section 21 of the Advisory Agreement shall be set forth herein mutatis mutandis.
[Signature pages follow.]
2
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Waiver has been duly executed and delivered as of the date first above written.
| ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ J. Robison Hays III | |
| Name: | J. Robison Hays III | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| ASHFORD HOSPITALITY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP | ||
| By: Ashford OP General Partner LLC, its general partner | ||
| By: | /s/ Alex Rose | |
| Name: | Alex Rose | |
| Title: | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | |
| ASHFORD TRS CORPORATION | ||
| By: | /s/ Deric S. Eubanks | |
| Name: | Deric S. Eubanks | |
| Title: | President and Secretary | |
| ASHFORD HOSPITALITY ADVISORS LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ Jeremy Welter | |
| Name: | Jeremy Welter | |
| Title: | President and Chief Operating Officer | |
| ASHFORD INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Jeremy Welter | |
| Name: | Jeremy Welter | |
| Title: | President and Chief Operating Officer | |
[Signature Page to Waiver]