Exhibit 10.1
RECKSON ASSOCIATES REALTY CORP.
LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
OP UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
Name of Grantee: Scott H. Rechler ("Grantee")
No. of LTIP OP Units: 100,000
Date of Grant: April 4, 2006
RECITALS
A. The Grantee is an executive officer of Reckson Associates Realty
Corp. (the "Company") or one of its Affiliates.
B. The Grantee was selected by the Compensation Committee of the Board
of Directors of the Company (the "Committee") to receive an award of Long-Term
Incentive Plan OP Units ("LTIP OP Units") in Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P.
(the "Partnership") in the number specified above and having the rights
specified herein and in the Supplement to the Amended and Restated Agreement of
Limited Partnership of the Partnership (the "Partnership Agreement")
Establishing 2006 LTIP Units of Limited Partnership Interest (the "Partnership
Agreement Supplement").
NOW, THEREFORE, the Company hereby grants to the Grantee, effective as
of the Date of Grant specified above, the number of LTIP OP Units listed above
subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
1. Restrictions and Conditions:
(a) The records of the Partnership evidencing the LTIP OP Units
granted herein shall bear an appropriate legend, as determined by the
Partnership in its sole discretion, to the effect that such LTIP OP Units are
subject to restrictions as set forth herein, in the Partnership Agreement
Supplement and in the Partnership Agreement.
(b) None of the LTIP OP Units awarded to the Grantee hereunder shall
be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, given away or in any
other manner disposed of, encumbered, whether voluntarily or by operation of
law, or redeemed in accordance with the Partnership Agreement or the Partnership
Agreement Supplement (a) prior to vesting, (b) for a period of two (2) years
beginning on the Date of Grant specified above other than in connection with a
Change-in-Control, or (c) unless such transfer is in compliance with all
applicable securities laws (including, without limitation, the Securities Act),
and such disposition is in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions
of the Partnership Agreement and the Partnership Agreement Supplement. In
connection with any transfer of LTIP OP Units, the Company may require the
transferor to provide at the Grantee's own expense an opinion of counsel to the
transferor, satisfactory to the Company, that such transfer is in compliance
with all foreign, federal and state securities laws (including, without
limitation, the Securities Act). Any attempted disposition of LTIP OP Units not
in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Section 1(b) shall be null
and void, and the Partnership shall not reflect on its records any change in
record ownership of any LTIP OP Units as a result of any such disposition, shall
otherwise refuse to recognize any such disposition and shall not in any way give
effect to any such disposition of any LTIP OP Units.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in Section 2 hereof or elsewhere
herein, if the Grantee's employment with the Company or its Affiliates is
voluntarily or involuntarily terminated for any reason prior to vesting of the
LTIP OP Units granted herein, the Grantee shall forfeit all LTIP OP Units that
are not vested as of the date of such termination of employment.
2. Vesting of the LTIP OP Units: The LTIP OP Units generally will
become vested as follows:
(a) 50.0% of the LTIP OP Units will become cumulatively vested on
December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 (each, an "Annual Vesting Date"); in
each case provided that the Grantee remains in continuous employment with the
Company or any of its Affiliates until such date; and provided, further, that
any LTIP OP Units which otherwise would become vested on such Annual Vesting
Date will not become so vested unless the Company has achieved, during the
calendar year completed on December 31, 2006, (i) a total return to shareholders
(including all Common Stock dividends and stock appreciation) based on the
respective Initial Base Price that either (x) is at or above the 50th percentile
of the total return to shareholders achieved by members of the Peer Group during
the same period, or (y) subject to the provisions of Section 2(e), equals a
total return of at least 9% per annum or (ii) a per share increase in annual
Funds from Operations of 5% or more. If the vesting performance requirement is
not satisfied for the calendar year ending December 31, 2006, the LTIP OP Units
will not be forfeited and will become vested on December 31, 2007, or if the
performance requirement is not satisfied at such date the LTIP OP Units will not
be forfeited and will become vested on December 31, 2008, if on either of such
dates the vesting performance requirement is satisfied on a cumulative and
compounded basis as measured for an extended performance period beginning with
the annual period for which the vesting performance requirement was not
satisfied through the relevant date. For purposes of this Section, (i) the
performance of the Company relative to the performance of members of the Peer
Group will be determined using the VWAP for the last ten trading days of the
Company's Common Stock and the common stock of the members of the Peer Group at
the applicable calendar year end, and (ii) the per annum percentage performance
of the Company will be determined using the VWAP for the last ten trading days
for the period ending at the applicable calendar year end. If the vesting
performance requirement is not satisfied at December 31, 2008, subject to
Section 2(d), the LTIP OP Units will be forfeited.
2
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Change-in-Control occurs
prior to December 31, 2008 and the Grantee remains in continuous employment with
the Company or any of its Affiliates until such occurrence, all non-vested LTIP
OP Units will thereupon become fully vested provided that, if a
Change-in-Control shall occur and (i) (a) the Company continues in existence as
a public company or (b) another company is the successor to the Company in a
transaction whereby holders of Common Stock receive common stock of the
successor company (or a combination of common stock and cash) and such successor
company expressly assumes the obligations of the Company as the general partner
of the Partnership, and (ii) (a) the Partnership continues in existence as the
operating partnership of the Company (in the event described in clause (i)(a)
above) or (b) another limited partnership, limited liability company or similar
entity is the successor to the Partnership in a transaction whereby holders of
OPU and LTIP OP Units receive equity interests in such successor entity having
substantially identical rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to
distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption as the OPU
and LTIP OP Units, respectively, and expressly assumes the obligations under
this Agreement, and (iii) the Grantee continues employment with the Company or
such successor company or their Affiliates, as the case may be, then no vesting
shall occur under this Section 2(b) as a result of such Change-in-Control, but
this Agreement and the awards hereunder shall continue in effect on the terms
hereof, subject to the adjustment of the Initial Base Price as may be
appropriate pursuant to Section 4 hereof.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Grantee's employment with
the Company and all Affiliates is terminated prior to December 31, 2008 by
reason of the Grantee's death or Disability, by the Grantee for Good Reason or
in the event a Force Out occurs subsequent to a Change-in-Control, or by the
Company or any Affiliate for any reason other than Cause or transfer to another
Affiliate, all non-vested LTIP OP Units will thereupon become fully vested. If
the Grantee's employment with the Company and all Affiliates is terminated prior
to December 31, 2008 for any other reason, any LTIP OP Units that have not yet
become vested will thereupon be forfeited.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Grantee remains in
continuous employment with the Company or any of its Affiliates until an
applicable Annual Vesting Date but the vesting performance requirement is not
satisfied at such date (or any extended performance period as contemplated in
Section 2(b) above), and if the Committee determines that it nevertheless would
be consistent with the spirit and intent of this Agreement to vest some or all
of the LTIP OP Units that otherwise would have become vested on that Annual
Vesting Date, then the Committee, in its sole and absolute discretion, may elect
to vest some or all of such LTIP OP Units.
(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that (i) the LTIP OP
Units would become vested as a result of the Company achieving a total return of
at least 9% per annum in accordance with the terms of Section 2(a), (ii) the
appreciation in the share price of the Common Stock alone has not resulted in
the Company achieving such a 9% per annum total return (i.e., without taking
into account any dividends paid to holders of Common Stock), and (iii) the
Company's Dividend Payout Ratio with regard to its Cash Available for
Distribution exceeds 100% for any relevant annual period or periods, the
Committee may, in its sole discretion, review whether it is appropriate for the
LTIP OP Units to vest for such period or periods, and may determine that the
LTIP OP Units shall not vest, in whole or in part, based upon such facts as it
deems appropriate including, but not limited to, the effect on the Dividend
Payout Ratio of rent concessions, tenant improvements, capital expenditures by
the Company and similar matters that represent uses of operating cash flow for
the purpose of generating incremental cash flow or other returns for the
Company.
3
3. Distributions. Distributions on the LTIP OP Units shall be paid
currently to the Grantee in accordance with the terms of the Partnership
Agreement.
4. Adjustment. The Committee will make or provide for such adjustments
in the number of LTIP OP Units and the vesting performance requirements
applicable to LTIP OP Units, as the Committee may in good faith determine to be
equitably required in order to prevent any dilution or expansion of the rights
of the Grantee that otherwise would result from (i) any stock dividend, stock
split, combination of shares, recapitalization or similar change in the capital
structure of the Company or similar events with respect to the partnership
interests in the Partnership or (ii) any merger, consolidation, spin-off,
spin-out, split-off, split-up, reorganization, partial or complete liquidation
or other distribution of assets, issuance of warrants or other rights to
purchase securities or any other transaction or event having an effect similar
to any of the foregoing.
5. Compliance With Law. The Partnership and the Grantee will make
reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable securities laws. In addition,
notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, no LTIP OP
Units will become vested or be paid at a time that such vesting or payment would
result in a violation of any such law.
6. Investment Representation; Registration.
(a) The Grantee hereby makes the covenants, representations and
warranties set forth on EXHIBIT B attached hereto. All of such covenants,
warranties and representations shall survive the execution and delivery of this
Agreement by the Grantee. The Grantee shall immediately notify the Partnership
upon discovering that any of the representations or warranties set forth on
EXHIBIT B were false when made or have, as a result of changes in circumstances,
become false.
(b) The Partnership may make a notation in its records and/or affix
a legend to the certificates (if any) representing the LTIP OP Units issued
pursuant to this Agreement to the effect that such units have not been
registered under the Securities Act and may only be sold or transferred upon
registration or pursuant to an exemption therefrom.
(c) The Partnership will have no obligation to register under the
Securities Act any LTIP OP Units.
7. Severability. In the event that one or more of the provisions of
this Agreement may be invalidated for any reason by a court, any provision so
invalidated will be deemed to be separable from the other provisions hereof, and
the remaining provisions hereof will continue to be valid and fully enforceable.
8. Governing Law. This Agreement is made under, and will be construed
in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to
the principles of conflicts of laws of such State.
9. Transferability. This Agreement is personal to the Grantee, is
non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or
otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
4
10. Amendment. The Grantee acknowledges that this Agreement may be
amended or canceled by the Partnership for the purpose of satisfying changes in
law or for any other lawful purpose, provided that no such action shall
adversely affect the Grantee's rights under this Agreement without the Grantee's
written consent.
11. No Obligation to Continue Employment. Neither the Company nor any
Affiliate is obligated by or as a result of this Agreement to continue the
Grantee in employment and this Agreement shall not interfere in any way with the
right of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate the employment of the Grantee
at any time.
12. Notices. Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the
Partnership at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered
to the Grantee at the address on file with the Partnership or, in either case,
at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party
in writing.
13. Withholding and Taxes. No later than the date as of which an amount
first becomes includible in the gross income of the Grantee for income tax
purposes or subject to Federal Insurance Contributions Act withholding with
respect to any award under this Agreement, such Grantee will pay to the Company
or, if appropriate, any of its Affiliates, or make arrangements satisfactory to
the Company regarding the payment of, any United States federal, state or local
or foreign taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to such
amount. The obligations of the Company under this Agreement will be conditional
on such payment or arrangements, and the Company and its Affiliates shall, to
the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any
payment otherwise due to the Grantee.
14. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
Partnership's successors and assigns, whether or not this Agreement is expressly
assumed.
15. Certain Definitions.
(a) "Affiliate" means any person or entity that, at the time of
reference, is controlled by, controlling of or under common control with the
Company.
(b) "Cash Available for Distribution" means the Company's cash
available for distribution to holders of the Company's Common Stock on an "as
committed" basis as announced by the Company for the relevant period.
(c) "Cause" means a finding by the Company's Board of Directors
that the Grantee has (i) acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct in
connection with the performance of his material duties to the Company or any
Affiliate; (ii) defaulted in the performance of his material duties to the
Company or any Affiliate and has not corrected such action within 15 days of
receipt of written notice thereof; (iii) willfully acted against the best
interests of the Company or any Affiliate, which act has had a material and
adverse impact on the financial affairs of the Company or such Affiliate; or
(iv) been convicted of a felony or committed a material act of common law fraud
against the Company, any Affiliate or any of their employees and such act or
conviction has had, or the Company's Board of Directors reasonably determines
will have, a material adverse effect on the interests of the Company or such
Affiliate; provided, however, that a finding of Cause will not become effective
unless and until the Board of Directors provides the Grantee notice that it is
considering making such finding and a reasonable opportunity to be heard by the
Board of Directors.
5
(d) A "Change-in-Control" will be deemed to have occurred if
following the Date of Grant:
(i) any Person, together with all "affiliates" and
"associates" (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act")) of such Person,
shall become the "beneficial owner" (as such term is defined in Rule
13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of
the Company representing 30% or more of (A) the combined voting power
of the Company's then outstanding securities having the right to vote
in an election of the Company's Board of Directors ("Voting
Securities"), (B) the combined voting power of the Company's then
outstanding Voting Securities and any securities convertible into
Voting Securities, or (C) the then outstanding shares of all classes of
stock of the Company; or
(ii) individuals who, as of the effective date of this
Agreement, constitute the Company's Board of Directors (the "Incumbent
Directors") cease for any reason, including, without limitation, as a
result of a tender offer, proxy contest, merger or similar transaction,
to constitute at least a majority of the Company's Board of Directors,
provided that any person becoming a director of the Company subsequent
to the effective date of this Agreement whose election or nomination
for election was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the
Incumbent Directors (other than an election or nomination of an
individual whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an
actual or threatened election contest relating to the election of the
directors of the Company, as such terms are used in Rule 14a-11 of
Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act) shall, for purposes of this
Agreement, be considered an Incumbent Director; or
(iii) consummation of (1) any consolidation or merger of the
Company or any subsidiary where the stockholders of the Company,
immediately prior to the consolidation or merger, would not,
immediately after the consolidation or merger, beneficially own (as
such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or
indirectly, but based solely on their prior ownership of shares of the
Company, shares representing in the aggregate more than 60% of the
voting shares of the corporation issuing cash or securities in the
consolidation or merger (or of its ultimate parent corporation, if
any), or (2) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one
transaction or a series of transactions contemplated or arranged by any
party as a single plan) of all or substantially all of the assets of
the Company; or
(iv) stockholder approval of any plan or proposal for the
liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
6
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a "Change-in-Control" shall not
be deemed to have occurred for purposes of the foregoing clause (i) (A)
solely as the result of an acquisition of securities by the Company
which, by reducing the number of shares of stock or other Voting
Securities outstanding, increases (x) the proportionate number of
shares of stock of the Company beneficially owned by any Person to 30%
or more of the shares of stock then outstanding or (y) the
proportionate voting power represented by the Voting Securities
beneficially owned by any Person to 30% or more of the combined voting
power of all then outstanding Voting Securities; provided, however,
that if any Person referred to in clause (x) or (y) of this sentence
shall thereafter become the beneficial owner of any additional stock of
the Company or other Voting Securities (other than pursuant to a share
split, stock dividend, or similar transaction), then a
"Change-in-Control" shall be deemed to have occurred for purposes of
the foregoing clause (i), and (B) solely as a result of the direct or
indirect acquisition of beneficial ownership of Voting Securities by
any executive officers of the Company on the date hereof and/or the
Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any trustee, fiduciary or other
person or entity holding securities under any employee benefit plan of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries if the Grantee is one of the
executive officers participating in such acquisition.
(e) "Common Stock" means the shares of common stock, par value
$0.01 per share, of the Company.
(f) "Disability" means that the Grantee has been unable to
efficiently perform his duties to the Company and all Affiliates because of any
physical or mental injury or illness until the earlier of such time when (i) the
period of injury or illness (whether or not the same injury or illness) exceeds
180 consecutive days or (ii) the Grantee becomes eligible to receive benefits
under a comprehensive disability insurance policy maintained or sponsored by the
Company.
(g) "Dividend Payout Ratio" means the quotient, expressed as a
percentage, derived by dividing the aggregate dividends paid on shares of the
Company's Common Stock during a relevant period by the Cash Available for
Distribution for such period.
(h) "Employment Agreement" means the Amendment and Restatement of
Employment and Noncompetition Agreement, dated as of August 15, 2000, between
the Grantee and the Company as may be amended or restated from time to time, or
any agreement entered into by the Company and the Grantee after the date hereof
with respect to the Grantee's employment by the Company.
(i) "Force Out" means
(i) a change in duties, responsibilities, status or positions
with the Company or successor company, which, in the Grantee's
reasonable judgment, does not represent a promotion from or maintaining
of the Grantee's duties, responsibilities, status or positions as in
effect immediately prior to the Change-in-Control, or any removal of
the Grantee from or any failure to reappoint or reelect the Grantee to
such positions, except in connection with the termination of the
Grantee's employment for Cause, Disability, retirement or death;
7
(ii) a reduction by the Company or such successor company in
the Grantee's base salary as in effect immediately prior to the
Change-in-Control;
(iii) the failure by the Company or such successor company to
provide and credit the Grantee with the number of paid vacation days to
which the Grantee is then entitled in accordance with the Company or
such successor company's normal vacation policies as in effect
immediately prior to the Change-in-Control;
(iv) the Company or such successor company requiring the
Grantee to be based in an office located beyond a reasonable commuting
distance from the Grantee's residence immediately prior to the
Change-in-Control, except for required travel relating to the Company
or such successor company's business to an extent substantially
consistent with the business travel obligations which the Grantee
undertook on behalf of the Company or such successor company prior to
the Change-in-Control;
(v) the failure by the Company or such successor company to
obtain from any successor to the Company or such successor company an
agreement to be bound by this Agreement and the Employment Agreement;
(vi) any refusal by the Company or such successor company to
continue to allow the Grantee to attend to matters or engage in
activities not directly related to the business of the Company or such
successor company which, prior to the Change in-Control, the Grantee
was permitted by the Company or such successor company's Boards of
Directors to attend to or engage in; or
(vii) the failure by the Company or such successor company to
continue in effect any of the benefit plans, programs or arrangements
in which the Grantee is participating at the time of the
Change-in-Control of the Company or such successor company (unless the
Grantee is permitted to participate in any substitute benefit plan,
program or arrangement with substantially the same terms and to the
same extent and with the same rights as the Grantee had with respect to
the benefit plan, program or arrangement that is discontinued) other
than as a result of the normal expiration of any such benefit plan,
program or arrangement in accordance with its terms as in effect at the
time of the Change-in-Control, or the taking of any action, or the
failure to act, by the Company or such successor company which would
adversely affect the Grantee's continued participation in any of such
benefit plans, programs or arrangements on at least as favorable a
basis to the Grantee as is the case on the date of the
Change-in-Control or which would materially reduce the Grantee's
benefits in the future under any of such benefit plans, programs or
arrangements or deprive the Grantee of any material benefits enjoyed by
the Grantee at the time of the Change-in-Control.
(j) "Funds from Operations" means the Company's funds from
operations as defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment
Trusts and as may be adjusted by the Company.
8
(k) "Good Reason" means the occurrence of any of the following
events or conditions, which event or condition is not corrected by the Company
within 30 days of written notice from the Grantee: (i) any failure of the Board
of Directors of the Company to elect the Grantee to offices with the same or
substantially the same duties and responsibilities as in effect on the Date of
Grant, (ii) any material failure by the Company or any Affiliate to timely pay
or provide to the Grantee any compensation or benefits required to be paid or
provided under the terms of any employment or similar agreement in effect during
the term of this Agreement between the Grantee and the Company or such
Affiliate, (iii) any material breach by the Company or any Affiliate of any
other provision of any employment or similar agreement in effect during the term
of this Agreement between the Grantee and the Company or such Affiliate, and
(iv) any failure by the Company or any Affiliate to timely offer to renew (and
to hold such offer to renew open for acceptance for a reasonable period of time)
on substantially identical terms until at least the fourth anniversary of the
Date of Grant any employment agreement in effect on the Date of Grant between
the Grantee and the Company or such Affiliate.
(l) "Initial Base Price" means $35.98 per share of the Common Stock
of the Company.
(m) An "OPU" means a Class A common operating partnership unit of
the Partnership.
(n) "Peer Group" means the business entities set forth on EXHIBIT A
to this Agreement, and any successors to the businesses or assets of such
entities as determined by the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion. If
an entity listed on such Exhibit ceases to exist during the term of this
Agreement and the Committee determines that there is no successor to the
business or assets of such entity, then such entity will cease to be treated as
a member of the Peer Group to the extent and for the periods determined by the
Committee in its sole and absolute discretion.
(o) "Person" has the meaning used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of
the Exchange Act.
(p) "Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933.
(q) "VWAP" means the volume weighted average closing price per
share of a security on the primary exchange or other quotation system on which
the security is traded.
[signature page follows]
9
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be
executed as of the 4th day of April, 2006.
RECKSON ASSOCIATES REALTY CORP.
By: /s/ Jason M. Barnett
-------------------------------------------
Name: Jason M. Barnett
Title: Senior Executive Vice President--
Corporate Initiatives and General
Counsel
RECKSON OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, L.P.
By: /s/ Jason M. Barnett
-------------------------------------------
Name: Jason M. Barnett
Title: Senior Executive Vice President--
Corporate Initiatives and General
Counsel
/s/ Scott H. Rechler
--------------------------------------------
Scott H. Rechler
10
Exhibit A - Peer Group Companies
American Financial Realty Trust
Arden Realty Group, Inc.
Boston Properties, Inc.
Brandywine Realty Trust
CarrAmerica Realty Corporation
Crescent Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Equity Office Properties Trust
Mack-Cali Realty Corporation
Maguire Properties Inc.
Prentiss Properties Trust
SL Green Realty Corporation
Trizec Properties Inc.
Vornado Realty Trust
EXHIBIT B
GRANTEE'S COVENANTS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
The Grantee hereby represents, warrants and covenants as follows:
(a) The Grantee is an individual with income (without including any
income of the Grantee's spouse) in excess of $200,000, or joint income with the
Grantee's spouse, in excess of $300,000, in each of the two most recent years,
and the Grantee reasonably expects to reach the same income level in the current
year.
(b) The Grantee has received and had an opportunity to review the
following documents (the "Background Documents"):
(i) The Company's latest Annual Report to Stockholders;
(ii) The Company's Proxy Statement for its most recent Annual
Meeting of Stockholders;
(iii) The Company's Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
most recently ended;
(iv) The Company's Form 10-Q for the most recently ended
quarter if one has been filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission since the filing of
the report described in clause (iii) above;
(v) Each of the Company's Current Report(s) on Form 8-K, if
any, filed since the end of the fiscal year most recently
ended;
(vi) The Partnership Agreement; and
(vii) The Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation.
The Grantee also acknowledges that any delivery of the Background
Documents and other information relating to the Company and the Partnership
prior to the determination by the Partnership of the suitability of the Grantee
as an LTIP OP Unitholder shall not constitute an offer of LTIP OP Units until
such determination of suitability shall be made.
(c) The Grantee hereby represents and warrants that
(i) The Grantee either (i) is an "accredited investor" as
defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Securities Act"), or (ii) by reason of
his or her business and financial experience, together
with the business and financial experience of those
persons, if any, retained by the Grantee to represent or
advise him or her with respect to the grant to him or her
of LTIP OP Units, has such knowledge, sophistication and
experience in financial and business matters and in
making investment decisions of this type that he or she
(A) is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an
investment in the Partnership and of making an informed
investment decision, (B) is capable of protecting his or
her own interest or has engaged representatives or
advisors to assist him or her in protecting his or her
interests, and (C) is capable of bearing the economic
risk of such investment.
B-1
(ii) The Grantee understands that (A) the award of LTIP OP
Units involves risks different from, and in certain
circumstances substantially greater than those involved
in an award of a comparable number of shares of
restricted common stock of the Company; (B) the Grantee
is responsible for consulting his or her own tax advisors
with respect to the application of the U.S. federal
income tax laws, and the tax laws of any state, local or
other taxing jurisdiction to which the Grantee is or by
reason of the award of LTIP OP Units may become subject,
to his or her particular situation; (C) the Grantee has
not received or relied upon business or tax advice from
the Company, the Partnership or any of their respective
employees, agents, consultants or advisors; (D) the
Grantee provides services to the Partnership on a regular
basis and in such capacity has access to such
information, and has such experience of and involvement
in the business and operations of the Partnership, as the
Grantee believes to be necessary and appropriate to make
an informed decision to accept this Award of LTIP OP
Units; and (E) an investment in the Partnership involves
substantial risks. The Grantee has been given the
opportunity to make a thorough investigation of matters
relevant to the LTIP OP Units and has been furnished
with, and has reviewed and understands, materials
relating to the Partnership and its activities
(including, but not limited to, the Background
Documents). The Grantee has been afforded the opportunity
to obtain any additional information (including any
exhibits to the Background Documents) deemed necessary by
the Grantee to verify the accuracy of information
conveyed to the Grantee. The Grantee confirms that all
documents, records, and books pertaining to his or her
receipt of LTIP OP Units which were requested by the
Grantee have been made available or delivered to the
Grantee. The Grantee has had an opportunity to ask
questions of and receive answers from the Partnership and
the Company, or from a person or persons acting on their
behalf, concerning the terms and conditions of the LTIP
OP Units. THE GRANTEE HAS RELIED UPON, AND IS MAKING ITS
DECISION SOLELY UPON, THE BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS AND OTHER
WRITTEN INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE GRANTEE BY THE
PARTNERSHIP OR THE COMPANY. The Grantee did not receive
any tax, legal or financial advice from the Partnership
or the Company and, to the extent it deemed necessary,
has consulted with its own advisors in connection with
its evaluation of the Background Documents and this
Agreement and the Grantee's receipt of LTIP OP Units.
(iii) The LTIP OP Units to be issued will be acquired for the
account of the Grantee for investment only and not with a
current view to, or with any intention of, a distribution
or resale thereof, in whole or in part, or the grant of
any participation therein, without prejudice, however, to
the Grantee's right (subject to the terms of the LTIP OP
Units and this Agreement) at all times to sell or
otherwise dispose of all or any part of his or her LTIP
OP Units in compliance with the Securities Act, and
applicable state securities laws, and subject,
nevertheless, to the disposition of his or her assets
being at all times within his or her control.
B-2
(iv) The Grantee acknowledges that (A) the LTIP OP Units to be
issued have not been registered under the Securities Act
or state securities laws by reason of a specific
exemption or exemptions from registration under the
Securities Act and applicable state securities laws and,
if such LTIP OP Units are represented by certificates,
such certificates will bear a legend to such effect, (B)
the reliance by the Partnership on such exemptions is
predicated in part on the accuracy and completeness of
the representations and warranties of the Grantee
contained herein, (C) such LTIP OP Units, therefore,
cannot be resold unless registered under the Securities
Act and applicable state securities laws, or unless an
exemption from registration is available, (D) there is no
public market for such LTIP OP Units and (E) the
Partnership has no obligation or intention to register
such LTIP OP Units under the Securities Act or any state
securities laws or to take any action that would make
available any exemption from the registration
requirements of such laws. The Grantee hereby
acknowledges that because of the restrictions on transfer
or assignment of such LTIP OP Units acquired hereby that
are set forth in the Partnership Agreement or this
Agreement, the Grantee may have to bear the economic risk
of his or her ownership of the LTIP OP Units acquired
hereby for an indefinite period of time.
(v) The Grantee has determined that the LTIP OP Units are a
suitable investment for the Grantee.
(vi) No representations or warranties have been made to the
Grantee by the Partnership or the Company, or any
officer, director, shareholder, agent, or affiliate of
any of them, and the Grantee has received no information
relating to an investment in the Partnership or the LTIP
OP Units except the information specified in Paragraph
(b) above.
(d) So long as the Grantee holds any LTIP OP Units, the Grantee shall
disclose to the Partnership in writing such information as may be reasonably
requested with respect to ownership of LTIP OP Units as the Partnership may deem
reasonably necessary to ascertain and to establish compliance with provisions of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), applicable to the
Partnership or to comply with requirements of any other appropriate taxing
authority.
(e) The address set forth on the signature page of this Agreement is
the address of the Grantee's principal residence, and the Grantee has no present
intention of becoming a resident of any country, state or jurisdiction other
than the country and state in which such residence is sited.
B-3
(f) The representations of the Grantee as set forth above are true and
complete to the best of the information and belief of the Grantee, and the
Partnership shall be notified promptly of any changes in the foregoing
representations.
B-4