George David C Form 4 DARDEN RESTAURANTS / DAVID C GEORGE ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

GEORGE DAVID C

(Last) (First) (Middle)

1000 DARDEN CENTER DRIVE

(Street)

ORLANDO FL 32837

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC [ DRI ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
President, Olive Garden

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/22/2015

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	12/22/2015		M		40,683(1)	A	$38.21	60,673	D
Common Stock	12/22/2015		M		12,322(1)	A	$31.93	72,995	D
Common Stock	12/22/2015		S		40,008	D	$63.7844(2)	32,987	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$31.93	12/22/2015		M			12,322(1)	10/01/2007	02/13/2017	Common Stock	12,322	$0.0000	0.0000	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	$38.21	12/22/2015		M			40,683(1)	10/01/2010(3)	10/01/2017	Common Stock	40,683	$0.0000	0.0000	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. The number of stock options was adjusted in connection with the spin-off (the Spin-Off) of Four Corners Property Trust, Inc. (FCPT) from Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Darden) on November 9, 2015. The adjustmentreflects the product of (i) the number of shares subject to the stock options award immediately prior to the Spin-Off and (ii) the ratio of (A) the pre-Spin-Off closing price on November 9, 2015 of Darden Common Stock (Darden Pre-Spin-Off Price) and (B) the difference between the Darden Pre-Spin-Off Price and the volume weighted average price of FCPT Common Stock trading on the NYSE on the trading day immediately following the distribution date (adjusted to reflect the Darden-to-FCPT pro rata share distribution ratio in the Spin-Off).

2. This transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $64.00 to $64.28. The price reported above reflects the weighted average sale price. The reporting person hereby undertakes to provide upon request to the SEC staff, the Issuer or a security holder of the Issuer full information regarding the number of shares and prices at which the transaction was effected.

3. This option vested in two equal annual installments beginning on the third anniversary of the grant.

	Bruce A. Brown, Attorney-in-fact for GEORGE, DAVID C.	12/23/2015
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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