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TABLE OF CONTENTS
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 22, 2012
Registration No. 333-158400
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE EQUITIES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
95-4502084 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE EQUITIES, L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
95-4705259 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
385 East Colorado Boulevard, Suite 299
Pasadena, California 91101
(626) 578-0777
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)
Joel S. Marcus
Chief Executive Officer
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
385 East Colorado Boulevard, Suite 299
Pasadena, California 91101
(626) 578-0777
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone
number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Kenneth E. Kohler
Morrison & Foerster LLP
555 West Fifth Street, 35th Floor
Los Angeles, California 90013
(213) 892-5200
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: o
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: ý
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ý
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ý
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.:
Large accelerated filer ý | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Smaller reporting company o |
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P.:
Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer o | Non-accelerated filer ý (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) |
Smaller reporting company o |
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered/ Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Unit/ Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price/ Amount of Registration Fee |
|
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Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share |
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Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share |
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Rights |
(1) | |
Warrants |
||
Debt Securities |
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Guarantees of Debt Securities(2) |
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This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-158400) of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (the "Company") is being filed for the purpose of (i) adding Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Operating Partnership"), as a co-registrant to the Registration Statement; (ii) registering guarantees by the Operating Partnership of debt securities of the Company as additional securities to be offered under the prospectus included herein; (iii) amending the prospectus that forms a part of the Registration Statement to describe the guarantees of debt securities and to update certain information contained in the Registration Statement; and (iv) filing additional exhibits to the Registration Statement under Item 16 of Part II thereof. This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 shall become effective immediately upon filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.
PROSPECTUS
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Common Stock | Rights | |
Preferred Stock | Warrants | |
Debt Securities |
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P.
Guarantees of Debt Securities
We may issue shares of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.'s common stock, preferred stock, rights, warrants or debt securities, and we or any selling security holders may offer and sell these securities from time to time in one or more offerings. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. may guarantee any debt securities that we issue under this prospectus.
Each time that we or any selling security holders sell securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or other offering material that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement or other offering material may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or other offering material, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement or such other offering material.
We or any selling security holders may sell the securities to or through underwriters, and also to other purchasers or through agents. The names of the underwriters will be stated in the prospectus supplements or other offering material. We also may sell securities directly to investors. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of common stock, preferred stock, rights, warrants, debt securities or guarantees sold by any selling security holder.
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ARE."
Investing in our securities involves risks. See "Risk Factors" on page 1.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is February 22, 2012.
i
Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this prospectus to "we," "us," "our," "our company" or "the company" refer to Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., a Maryland corporation, together with its consolidated subsidiaries, including Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.
This prospectus is part of a "shelf" registration statement that we have filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. By using a shelf registration statement, we or any selling security holders may sell the common stock, preferred stock, rights, warrants or debt securities and the related guarantees described in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any other offering material:
If any securities are sold pursuant to this prospectus by any persons other than us, we will, in a prospectus supplement, name the selling security holders, indicate the nature of any relationship such holders have had with us or any of our affiliates during the three years preceding such offering, state the amount of securities of the class owned by such security holder prior to the offering and the amount to be offered for the security holder's account, and state the amount and (if one percent or more) the percentage of the class to be owned by such security holder after completion of the offering.
Neither this prospectus nor any accompanying prospectus supplement contains all of the information included in the registration statement, as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. To understand fully the terms of the securities we or any selling security holders are offering with this prospectus, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and any other offering material, as well as the documents we have incorporated by reference. We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, and therefore file reports and other information with the SEC. Statements contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement or other offering material about the provisions or contents of any agreement or other document are only summaries. If SEC rules or regulations require that any agreement or document be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, you should refer to that agreement or document for its complete contents. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any other offering material is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of each document.
YOU SHOULD CAREFULLY READ THIS PROSPECTUS, THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND ANY APPLICABLE OTHER OFFERING MATERIAL, AS WELL AS THE DOCUMENTS WE HAVE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE AS DESCRIBED UNDER THE SECTION ENTITLED "WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION." WE ARE NOT MAKING AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY IN ANY STATE WHERE SUCH OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED.
THIS PROSPECTUS MAY NOT BE USED TO SELL SECURITIES UNLESS IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT OR OTHER OFFERING MATERIAL.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement and/or other offering materials, and the documents we have incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information provided by this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, our other offering materials or the documents we have incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the respective document.
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Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus involves risks. Before acquiring any offered securities pursuant to this prospectus, you should carefully consider the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any accompanying prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the risk factors incorporated by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in the applicable accompanying prospectus supplement before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or a part of your investment in the offered securities. Please also refer to the section below entitled "Forward-Looking Statements."
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Where Documents are Filed; Copies of Documents
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act in accordance with which we file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. This registration statement, the exhibits and schedules forming a part thereof, and the reports, proxy statements and other information we have filed with the SEC can be inspected and copied at the Public Reference Room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Such material also may be accessed by visiting the following internet website maintained by the SEC that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers, such as us, that file electronically with the SEC: http://www.sec.gov. In addition, our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and similar information regarding us and the information we provide to the exchange may be inspected and copied at the offices of The New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.
You may also access further information about us by visiting our website at www.are.com. Please note that the information and materials found on our website, except for our SEC filings expressly described below, are not part of this prospectus and are not incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
Incorporation of Documents by Reference
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-3 with respect to the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is a part of that registration statement. As allowed by the SEC, this prospectus does not contain all of the information you can find in the registration statement or the exhibits to the registration statement. Instead, the SEC allows us to "incorporate by reference" information into this prospectus. This means that we can disclose particular important information to you without actually including such information in this prospectus by simply referring you to another document that we filed separately with the SEC.
The information we incorporate by reference is an important part of this prospectus and should be carefully read in conjunction with this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. Information that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus will automatically update and may supersede some of the information in this prospectus as well as information we previously filed with the SEC and that was incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
The following documents are incorporated by reference into this prospectus:
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If information in any of these incorporated documents conflicts with information in this prospectus, prospectus supplement or any other offering materials, you should rely on the most recent information. If information in an incorporated document conflicts with information in another incorporated document, you should rely on the information in the most recent incorporated document.
You may request from us at no cost a copy of any document we incorporate by reference, excluding all exhibits to such incorporated documents (unless we have specifically incorporated by reference such exhibits either in this prospectus or in the incorporated document), by making such a request in writing or by telephone to the following address:
Alexandria
Real Estate Equities, Inc.
385 East Colorado Boulevard, Suite 299
Pasadena, California 91101
Attention: Corporate Secretary
(626) 578-0777
Except as provided above, no other information (including information on our website) is incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
2
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. is a Maryland corporation formed in October 1994 that has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for federal income tax purposes. We are the largest owner and preeminent REIT focused principally on science-driven cluster development through the ownership, operation, management, selective acquisition, development, and redevelopment of properties containing life science laboratory space. We are the leading provider of high-quality, environmentally sustainable real estate, technical infrastructure, and services to the broad and diverse life science industry. Client tenants include institutional (universities and independent non-profit institutions), pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, product, and service entities and government agencies. Our primary business objective is to maximize stockholder value by providing our stockholders with the greatest possible total return based on a multifaceted platform of internal and external growth. Our operating platform is based on the principle of "clustering," with assets and operations located adjacent to life science entities driving growth and technological advances within each cluster.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. is a Delaware limited partnership of which our wholly owned subsidiary, ARE-QRS Corp., is the sole general partner. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and ARE-QRS Corp. together hold all of the limited partnership interests in Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. We directly or indirectly hold a majority of our interests in our properties and land, and conduct most of our operations, through Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. and its subsidiaries.
For additional information regarding our business, we refer you to our filings with the SEC incorporated by reference in this prospectus. See "Where You Can Find More Information."
Our principal executive offices are located at 385 East Colorado Boulevard, Suite 299, Pasadena, California 91101 and our telephone number is (626) 578-0777.
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SECURITIES THAT MAY BE OFFERED
We or any selling security holder may offer and sell from time to time, at prices determined by negotiation, "at-the-market" or otherwise, as described by the applicable prospectus or other offering material, in one or more offerings, the following securities:
The descriptions of the securities contained in this prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material, summarize all the material terms and provisions of the various types of securities that we or any selling security holder may offer under this prospectus. The particular terms of the securities offered by this prospectus will be described in a prospectus supplement or other offering material.
This prospectus contains a summary of the material general terms of the various securities that we or any selling security holder may offer. The specific terms of the securities will be described in a prospectus supplement or other offering material, which may be in addition to or different from the general terms summarized in this prospectus. The summaries contained in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplements or other offering material may not contain all of the information that you would find useful. Accordingly, you should read the actual documents relating to any securities sold pursuant to this prospectus. See "Where You Can Find More Information" to find out how you can obtain a copy of those documents.
The terms of any offering of securities, the initial offering price of any such offering and the net proceeds to us, will be contained in the prospectus supplement or other offering material relating to that offering.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities to reduce the outstanding balance on our unsecured line of credit or other borrowings or for general corporate purposes. If initially used to pay down our unsecured line of credit, we may then borrow from time to time under our unsecured line of credit to fund potential future acquisitions, to repay debt, or for general working capital and other corporate purposes, including the selective development or redevelopment of existing or new life science properties.
We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the securities to which this prospectus relates that are offered by any selling security holders.
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The following summary of the terms of our stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter and our bylaws.
General
Our charter provides that we may issue up to
Of our preferred stock,
As of December 31, 2011 the following securities were issued and outstanding:
All 1,543,500 previously issued and outstanding shares of our Series A preferred stock were redeemed as of July 7, 2004, and all 2,300,000 previously issued and outstanding shares of our Series B preferred stock were redeemed as of March 20, 2007.
Under Maryland law, stockholders generally are not liable for a corporation's debts or obligations.
Common Stock
Subject to the preferential rights of any other class or series of our stock and to the provisions of our charter regarding restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends on such shares if, as and when authorized by our board of directors and declared by us out of assets legally available therefor. Our holders of common stock are also entitled to share ratably in our assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up after payment of or adequate provision for all our known debts and liabilities.
Subject to the provisions of our charter regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock, each outstanding share of common stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors, and, except as provided with respect to any other class or series of our stock, the holders of such shares will possess the exclusive
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voting power. In uncontested elections of directors, the affirmative vote of a majority of the total votes cast "for" or "against," or withheld as to a director nominee is sufficient to elect such director nominee. In contested elections, a plurality of votes cast is required for the election of a director. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock can elect all of the directors then standing for election, and the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any directors.
Holders of shares of our common stock generally have no preference, conversion, exchange, sinking fund or appraisal rights and have no preemptive rights to subscribe for any of our securities. Subject to the provisions of our charter regarding restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock, shares of our common stock will each have equal distribution, liquidation and other rights.
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to reclassify any unissued shares of our common stock into other classes or series of classes of stock and to establish the number of shares in each class or series and to set the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption for each such class or series. Thus, the Board could authorize the issuance of shares of common stock or preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest.
Our outstanding shares of common stock are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ARE." Any additional shares of common stock we issue will also be listed on the New York Stock Exchange upon official notice of issuance.
Preferred Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors, without the approval of our stockholders, to classify any unissued shares of preferred stock and to reclassify any previously classified but unissued shares of preferred stock of any series. Prior to the issuance of shares of any series, our board of directors is required by the Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter to set, subject to the provisions of our charter regarding restrictions on transfer of our stock, the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each such series, all of which will be set forth in articles supplementary to our charter adopted for that purpose by our board of directors or a duly authorized special committee thereof. Using this authority, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions that could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or for other reasons be desired by them.
Upon issuance against full payment of the purchase price therefor, shares of preferred stock will be fully paid and nonassessable. The specific terms of a particular class or series of preferred stock to be offered pursuant to this prospectus will be described in the prospectus supplement or other offering material relating to that class or series, including a prospectus supplement or other offering material providing that preferred stock may be issuable upon the exercise of warrants or conversion of other securities issued by us. The description of preferred stock set forth below and the description of the terms of a particular class or series of preferred stock set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the articles supplementary relating to that class or series.
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Rank. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material, our preferred stock will, with respect to dividend rights and rights upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, rank:
Conversion Right. The terms and conditions, if any, upon which any shares of any class or series of our preferred stock are convertible into shares of our common stock will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material relating thereto. Such terms will include:
Power to Issue Additional Shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock
We believe that the power of our board of directors to authorize us to issue additional authorized but unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock and to classify or reclassify unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock and thereafter to cause us to issue such classified or reclassified shares of stock will provide us with increased flexibility in structuring possible future financing and acquisition transactions and in meeting other needs that may arise. The additional classes or series of our preferred stock, as well as our common stock, will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless further action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded. Although our board of directors has no present intention to do so, it could authorize us to issue a class or series of stock that could, depending upon the terms of such class or series, delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of common stock or for other reasons be desired by them.
Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer
In order to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code, not more than 50% of the value of our outstanding stock may be owned, directly or constructively, by five or fewer individuals or certain tax-exempt entities (as set forth in the Internal Revenue Code) during the last half of a taxable year (other than the first year for which an election to be a REIT has been made). Furthermore, shares of our outstanding stock must be beneficially owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a
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taxable year of 12 months (other than the first year for which an election to be a REIT has been made) or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year.
In order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT, among other purposes, our charter provides for an ownership limit, which prohibits, with certain exceptions, direct or constructive ownership of shares of stock representing more than 9.8% of the combined total value of our outstanding shares of stock by any person, as defined in our charter.
Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may waive the ownership limit for any person. However, our board of directors may not grant such waiver if, after giving effect to such waiver, five individuals could beneficially own, in the aggregate, more than 49.9% of the value of our outstanding stock. As a condition to waiving the ownership limit, our board of directors may require a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of counsel in order to determine our status as a REIT. Notwithstanding the receipt of any such ruling or opinion, our board of directors may impose such conditions or restrictions as it deems appropriate in connection with granting a waiver.
Our charter further prohibits any person from:
Any transfer in violation of any of these restrictions is void ab initio. Any person who acquires or attempts to acquire beneficial or constructive ownership of shares of our stock in violation of the foregoing restrictions on ownership and transfer is required to give us notice immediately and provide us with such other information as we may request in order to determine the effect of such transfer on our status as a REIT. The foregoing restrictions on ownership and transfer will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to continue to qualify, or to attempt to qualify, as a REIT.
If any transfer of shares of our stock or other event occurs that would result in any person beneficially or constructively becoming the owner of shares of our stock in excess or in violation of the above ownership or transfer limitations, or becoming a prohibited owner, then that number of shares of our stock (rounded up to the nearest whole share) the beneficial or constructive ownership of which otherwise would cause such person to violate such limitations shall be automatically exchanged for an equal number of shares of excess stock. Those shares of excess stock will be automatically transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable beneficiaries, and the prohibited owner will generally not acquire any rights in such shares. This automatic exchange will be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the business day prior to the date of such violative transfer. Shares of excess stock held in the trust will be issued and outstanding shares of our stock. The prohibited owner will not:
The trustee of the trust will have all voting rights and rights to dividends or other distributions with respect to shares of stock held in the trust, which rights shall be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiary. Any dividend or other distribution paid prior to the discovery by us that shares of stock have been transferred to the trustee will be paid by the recipient of such dividend or distribution to us upon demand, or, at our sole election, will be offset against any future dividends or distributions payable to the purported transferee or holder, and any dividend or distribution authorized but unpaid will be rescinded as void ab initio with respect to such shares of stock and promptly
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thereafter paid over to the trustee with respect to such shares of excess stock, as trustee of the trust for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiary. The prohibited owner will have no voting rights with respect to shares of excess stock held in the trust and, subject to Maryland law, effective as of the date that such shares of stock have been transferred to the trustee, the trustee will have the authority (at the trustee's sole discretion) to:
However, if we have already taken irreversible corporate action, then the trustee will not have the authority to rescind and recast such vote.
Within 180 days after the date of the event that resulted in shares of our excess stock being transferred to the trust (or as soon as possible thereafter if the trustee did not learn of such event within such period), the trustee shall sell the shares of stock held in the trust to a person, designated by the trustee, whose ownership of the shares will not violate the ownership and transfer limitations set forth in our charter. Upon such sale, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and those shares of excess stock will be automatically exchanged for an equal number of shares of the same class or series of stock that originally were exchanged for the excess stock.
The trustee shall distribute to the prohibited owner, as appropriate:
If such shares are sold by a prohibited owner, then to the extent that the prohibited owner received an amount for such shares that exceeds the amount that such prohibited owner was entitled to receive pursuant to the aforementioned requirement, such excess shall be paid to the trustee.
All certificates representing shares of common stock and preferred stock will bear a legend referring to the restrictions described above.
Every owner of more than 5% (or such lower percentage as may be required by our charter, the Internal Revenue Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder) of all classes or series of our stock, including shares of common stock, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, is required to give written notice to us stating the name and address of such owner, the number of shares of each class and series of our stock which the owner beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which such shares are held. Each such owner must provide us such additional information as we may reasonably request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such beneficial ownership on our status as a REIT. In addition, each stockholder will be required upon demand to provide us such information as we may reasonably request in order to determine our status as a REIT, to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance, or to comply with the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
These ownership limits could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for the holders of our common stock or might otherwise be desired by such holders.
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We may issue rights to purchase our common stock, preferred stock or other offered security independently or together with any other offered security. Any rights that we may issue may or may not be transferable by the person purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering to our stockholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other person would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent, that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the certificates relating to the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.
The applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material will describe the specific terms of any offering of rights for which this prospectus is being delivered, including the following to the extent applicable:
The description in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material of any rights that we may offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable rights certificate, which will be filed with the SEC.
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We may issue warrants to purchase shares of our preferred stock, common stock or our debt securities. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities offered by any prospectus supplement or other offering material and may be attached to or separate from such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants of such series and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any provisions of the warrants offered hereby.
The applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material will describe the terms of the warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, including, where applicable, the following:
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES AND RELATED GUARANTEES
The debt securities that we may offer will be issued under indentures between us and a trustee. The following is a summary of the material provisions of the form of indenture included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is part for additional information. Unless the context requires otherwise, this prospectus refers to that indenture as the "indenture."
The following summary of some of the material provisions of the indenture and of our debt securities and related guarantees, if any, is not complete and is subject to the detailed provisions of the applicable indenture to be entered into between us and the applicable trustee. For a full description of these provisions, including the definition of some terms used in this prospectus, and for other information regarding the debt securities and related guarantees, if any, see the applicable indenture. Wherever we refer to particular sections or defined terms of the indenture, those sections or defined terms are incorporated by reference in this prospectus or prospectus supplement or other offering material.
The following summarizes what we expect to be certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities and related guarantees, if any. Each time we offer debt securities, the prospectus supplement or other offering material relating to that offering will describe the terms of the debt securities we are offering, including the terms of any related guarantees.
General
We may issue debt securities from time to time in one or more series without limitation as to aggregate principal amount. The debt securities will be unsecured and unsubordinated obligations and will rank equally and ratably with other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations outstanding from time to time. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. may fully and unconditionally guarantee the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on one or more series of such debt securities, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or repayment or otherwise, in accordance with the terms of the applicable guarantee and the applicable indenture.
Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement or other offering material, principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities will be payable, and the transfer of debt securities will be registrable, at any office or agency maintained by us for that purpose. The debt securities will be issued only in fully registered form without coupons and, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material, in denominations of $1,000 or integral multiples thereof. No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of the debt securities, but we may require you to pay a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge imposed in connection with the transfer or exchange.
The prospectus supplement or other offering material will describe the following terms of the debt securities we are offering:
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We may offer and sell the debt securities as original issue discount securities at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount. The prospectus supplement or other offering material will describe the federal income tax consequences and other special considerations applicable to original issue discount securities and any debt securities the federal tax laws treat as having been issued with original issue discount. "Original issue discount securities" means any debt security that provides for an amount less than its principal amount to be due and payable upon the declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the debt security upon the occurrence and continuation of an "Event of Default."
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The indenture does not contain covenants or other provisions designed to afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event of a highly leveraged transaction, change in credit rating or other similar occurrence.
Covenants
The prospectus supplement or other offering material will describe any material covenants of a series of debt securities.
Events of Default
With respect to a series of debt securities, any one of the following events will constitute an event of default under the indenture:
If any event of default occurs and continues, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25 percent in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may declare the principal amount or, if the debt securities of that series are original issue discount securities, the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of those debt securities, of all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately by a notice in writing to us, and to the trustee if given by holders. The principal amount (or specified amount) will then be immediately due and payable. After acceleration, but before a judgment or decree for payment based on acceleration has been obtained, the holders of a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of that series may by written notice to us and the trustee, under specified circumstances, rescind and annul the acceleration.
Additional or different events of default applicable to a series of debt securities may be described in a prospectus supplement or other offering material. An event of default of one series of debt securities is not necessarily an event of default for any other series of debt securities. The prospectus supplement or other offering material relating to any series of debt securities that are original issue discount securities will contain the particular provisions relating to acceleration of the stated maturity of a portion of the principal amount of that series of original issue discount securities upon the occurrence and continuation of an event of default.
The indenture in part provides that, subject to the duty of the trustee during default to act with the required standard of care, the trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture at the request or direction of any of the holders, unless the holders offer the trustee reasonable security or indemnity. Generally, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee.
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A holder of any series of debt securities will not have any right to institute any proceeding with respect to the indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy, unless:
However, these limitations do not apply to a suit instituted by a holder for enforcement of payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest on its debt securities on or after the respective due dates.
We are required to furnish to the trustee annually a statement as to our performance of certain obligations under the indenture and as to any default.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of not less than the majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series which is affected. Neither we nor the trustee may, however, modify or amend the indenture without the consent of the holders of all debt securities affected if such action would:
The holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of all holders of that series, waive compliance by us with certain restrictive
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provisions of the indenture. The holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may, on behalf of all holders of that series, waive any past default under the indenture, except a default:
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We, and any guarantor, may not consolidate with or merge into any other company or entity or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety and may not permit any company or entity to merge into or consolidate with us or any guarantor or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to us or any guarantor, unless:
Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
The indenture provides, unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement or other offering material relating to that particular series of debt securities, that, at our option, we:
in each case, if we deposit, in trust, with the trustee, money or United States Government obligations, which through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms will provide money, in an amount sufficient to pay all the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the debt
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securities of that series on the dates such payments are due, which may include one or more redemption dates that we designate, in accordance with the terms of the debt securities of that series.
We may establish this trust only if, among other things:
If we fail to comply with remaining obligations under the indenture after a defeasance of the indenture with respect to the debt securities of any series as described under the second item of the first sentence of this section and the debt securities of such series are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any event of default, the amount of money and United States Government obligations on deposit with the trustee may be insufficient to pay amounts due on the debt securities of that series at the time of the acceleration resulting from the event of default. We will, however, remain liable for those payments.
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DESCRIPTION OF GLOBAL SECURITIES
Book-Entry, Delivery and Form
The common stock, preferred stock, rights, warrants or debt securities may be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities. The global securities are expected to be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), New York, New York, as depositary, and registered in the name of Cede & Co. (DTC's partnership nominee) or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.
DTC is:
DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, including transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants' accounts, which eliminates the need for physical movement of securities certificates. "Direct participants" in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation ("DTCC"). DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as "indirect participants," that clear transactions through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.
Purchases of securities within the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for those securities on DTC's records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which is sometimes referred to as a "beneficial owner," is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants' records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they entered into the transactions. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities except under the limited circumstances described below.
To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC's partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other DTC nominee do not effect any change in beneficial ownership.
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DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC's records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants will remain responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.
So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive any payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants.
Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time.
Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities within an issue are being redeemed, DTC will determine the amount of the interest of each direct participant in such issue to be redeemed in accordance with DTC's procedures.
Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (nor any other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to securities unless authorized by a direct participant in accordance with DTC's applicable procedures. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date (identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy).
So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. Unless otherwise specified in our prospectus supplement, if securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below, we will have the option of paying interest by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment.
Principal and interest payments, redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC's practice is to credit direct participants' accounts upon DTC's receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us or our agent, if any, on the payable date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC's records. Payments by direct and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in "street name." Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC, our agent, if any, or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements as may be in effect from time to time. Payment of principal and interest, redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co. (or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC) will be our responsibility or the responsibility of our agent, if any, disbursement of such payments to direct participants will be the responsibility of DTC and disbursement of such payments to the beneficial owners will be the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.
Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each purchaser of securities must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the applicable indenture.
The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.
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DTC is under no obligation to provide its services as depositary for the securities and may discontinue providing its services at any time by giving reasonable notice to us or our agent, if any. Neither we nor the trustee will have any responsibility for the performance by DTC or its direct participants or indirect participants under the rules and procedures governing DTC.
As noted above, each purchaser of securities generally will not receive certificates representing those securities. However, we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for the securities evidenced by the global securities if:
Any interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described above will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of securities evidenced by the global securities.
The information in this section concerning DTC and DTC's book-entry system has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy thereof.
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PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OF OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS
The following summary of certain provisions of Maryland General Corporation Law and of our charter and bylaws does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter and bylaws.
Board of Directors
Our bylaws provide that the number of our directors may be established by our board of directors, but may not be fewer than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law, which is one, nor more than 15. All directors are elected to serve until the next annual meeting of our stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualify.
Our charter and bylaws provide that our stockholders may remove any director by a vote of not less than two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter and bylaws further provide that our board of directors may fill board vacancies and that any director elected to fill a vacancy may hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred. Holders of shares of common stock will have no right to cumulative voting in the election of directors. Consequently, at each annual meeting of stockholders, the holders of a majority of the shares of common stock will be able to elect all of the directors then standing for election.
Business Combinations
Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, specified "business combinations" (including a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in specified circumstances, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities) between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the 10% or more beneficial owner acquires such status. An interested stockholder is defined as:
A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which he otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. In approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board.
After the five year period, any such business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder must be recommended by the board of directors of such corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation's common stockholders receive "a minimum price" (as defined in the Maryland General Corporation Law) for their shares; and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the 10% or more beneficial owner for its shares.
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These provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by the board of directors of the corporation prior to the time before the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution providing that the "business combination" provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law shall not apply to us generally and that such resolution is irrevocable unless revocation, in whole or in part, is approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock, but revocation will not affect any business combination consummated, or any business combination contemplated by any agreement entered into, prior to the revocation. As a result of the foregoing, any person who becomes a 10% or more beneficial owner may be able to enter into business combinations with us that may not be in the best interest of the stockholders, without our compliance with the business combination provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law.
Control Share Acquisitions
The Maryland General Corporation Law provides that control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares of stock owned by the acquiror, by officers or by directors who are employees of the corporation. Control shares are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other such shares of stock previously acquired by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of control shares, subject to specified exceptions.
Under Maryland law, a person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition, upon satisfaction of specified conditions (including an undertaking to pay expenses of the meeting), may compel the board of directors of the corporation to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any meeting of the stockholders.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then, subject to specified conditions and limitations, the corporation may redeem any or all of the control shares (except those for which voting rights have previously been approved) for fair value determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquiror or of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of such shares are considered and not approved. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a meeting of the stockholders and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of such appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply (a) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction, or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation.
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Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the control share acquisition statute any acquisition by any person of shares of our stock. Our board of directors has resolved that, subject to Maryland law, this provision may not be amended or repealed without the approval of holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock. There can be no assurance, however, that the provision will not be amended or eliminated in the future or that the resolution is enforceable under Maryland law.
Advance Notice of Director Nominations and New Business
Our bylaws provide that:
Amendment to Our Bylaws
The board of directors has the exclusive power to adopt, alter, repeal or amend our bylaws.
Extraordinary Actions
Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business unless advised by the board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders holding at least two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote on the matter unless a lesser percentage (but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter) is set forth in the corporation's charter. Our charter provides for approval of such matters by the affirmative vote of a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast thereon. Maryland law permits a corporation to transfer all or substantially all of its assets without the approval of the stockholders of the corporation to one or more persons if all of the equity interests of the person or persons are owned, directly or indirectly, by the corporation. Maryland law also does not require approval of the stockholders of a parent corporation to merge or sell all or substantially all of the assets of a subsidiary entity. Because operating assets may be held by a corporation's subsidiaries, as in our situation, this may mean that a subsidiary may be able to merge or to sell all or substantially all of its assets without a vote of the corporation's stockholders.
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Subtitle 8
Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the Maryland General Corporation Law permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and at least three independent directors to elect to be subject, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to any or all of five provisions:
Through provisions in our charter and bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we already:
We have also elected to be subject to the provisions of Subtitle 8 relating to:
Anti-Takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law, Our Charter and Our Bylaws
The possible future application of the business combination, the control share acquisition and Subtitle 8 provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and the advance notice provisions of our bylaws may delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of common stock or for other reasons be desired by them.
FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax considerations relevant to our qualification as a "real estate investment trust" ("REIT") and the ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock. This discussion is based on current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), current and proposed Treasury regulations, administrative decisions and rulings of the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") and court decisions as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change (possibly with retroactive effect) and all of which are subject to differing interpretation. This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances or to persons subject to special treatment under the federal income tax laws. In particular, this discussion deals only with stockholders that hold our common stock as capital assets within the meaning of the Code. Except as expressly provided below, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of special classes of stockholders, such as banks, insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, financial institutions, broker-dealers, persons holding our stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction, constructive sale or conversion transaction, U.S. expatriates, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax, foreign corporations, foreign estates or trusts and persons who are not citizens or residents of the United States This discussion may not be applicable to stockholders who acquired our stock pursuant to the
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exercise of options or warrants or otherwise as compensation. Furthermore, this discussion does not address any state, local, foreign or non-income tax considerations.
If a partnership (including, for this purpose, any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of our common stock, the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A stockholder that is a partnership, and the partners in such partnership, should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations of an investment in our shares.
THE DISCUSSION SET FORTH BELOW IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, NOR SHOULD IT BE CONSTRUED TO BE, LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE TO ANY PARTICULAR STOCKHOLDER. ACCORDINGLY, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISORS ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION AS WELL AS APPLICABLE STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN AND NON-INCOME TAX LAWS.
Taxation of Our Company
General
We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 1996, and intend to continue to operate in a manner consistent with such election and all rules with which a REIT must comply. Although we believe we are organized as and operate in such a manner, we cannot assure you we qualify or will continue to qualify as a REIT. Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions for which there are only limited judicial and administrative interpretations. The determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control may affect our ability to qualify. If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we will be subject to federal income tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) on taxable income at regular corporate rates. In addition, unless entitled to relief under certain statutory provisions, we will be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification is lost. The additional tax would significantly reduce the cash flow available for distributions to stockholders. In addition, we would not be obligated to make distributions to stockholders.
We have received from Morrison & Foerster LLP its opinion to the effect that, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2004, we were organized and have operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and that our proposed method of operation will enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code. It must be emphasized that this opinion is based and conditioned upon certain assumptions and representations made by us as to factual matters (including representations concerning, among other things, our business and properties, the amount of rents attributable to personal property and other items regarding our ability to meet the various requirements for qualification as a REIT). The opinion is expressed as of its date, and Morrison & Foerster LLP has undertaken no obligation to advise holders of our securities of any subsequent change in the matters stated, represented or assumed or any subsequent change in the applicable law. Moreover, qualification and taxation as a REIT depends on our having met and continuing to meet, through actual annual operating results, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership, the various qualification tests imposed under the Code discussed below, the results of which will not be reviewed by Morrison & Foerster LLP.
In any year in which we qualify as a REIT we will not be subject to federal income tax on that portion of our REIT taxable income or capital gain that is distributed to our stockholders, thereby substantially eliminating the "double taxation" of such income or gain (i.e., the taxation of such income
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or gain at the corporate level and the taxation of any distribution of such income or gain at the shareholder level).
Notwithstanding our qualification as a REIT, we may be subject to tax under the following circumstances:
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such sum over the amounts actually distributed. To the extent we elect to retain and pay income tax on our long-term capital gain, such retained amounts will be treated as having been distributed for purposes of the 4% excise tax.
We will use the calendar year both for federal income tax purposes and for financial reporting purposes. The requirements for our qualification as a REIT and certain additional matters are discussed in greater detail in the subsections that follow.
Share Ownership Test
Our shares must be held by a minimum of 100 persons for at least 335 days in each taxable year of 12 months or a proportionate number of days in any shorter taxable year. In addition, at all times during the second half of each taxable year, no more than 50% in value of our shares may be owned, directly or indirectly, including via application of constructive ownership rules, by five or fewer individuals, including certain tax-exempt entities. Any shares held by a qualified domestic pension or other retirement trust will be treated as held directly by its beneficiaries in proportion to their actuarial interest in such trust. If we comply with applicable Treasury regulations for ascertaining our actual ownership and did not know, or exercising reasonable diligence would not have reason to know, that more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares were held, actually or constructively, by five or fewer individuals, then we will be treated as meeting this share ownership requirement.
To ensure compliance with the 50% share ownership test, we have placed restrictions on the transfer of our shares to prevent concentration of ownership. Moreover, to evidence compliance with these requirements, under applicable Treasury regulations we must maintain records that disclose the actual ownership of our outstanding shares. Such regulations impose penalties for failing to do so. In fulfilling our obligation to maintain records, we must and will demand written statements each year from the record holders of designated percentages of our shares disclosing the actual owners of such shares as prescribed by Treasury regulations. A list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with such demand must be maintained as a part of our records. A stockholder failing or refusing to comply with our written demand must submit with his or her tax returns a similar statement disclosing the actual ownership of our shares and other information. In addition, our charter provides restrictions regarding the transfer of shares that are intended to assist us in continuing to satisfy the share ownership requirements. We intend to enforce the percentage limitations on ownership of shares of our stock to assure that our qualification as a REIT will not be compromised.
Asset Tests
At the close of each quarter of our taxable year, we must satisfy certain tests relating to the nature of our assets:
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one issuer and no more than 5% of the value of our total assets may be represented by securities of any one issuer. For purposes of the 10% value test, certain additional securities are excluded, including certain "straight debt", loans to individuals or estates and obligations to pay rents from real property.
For purposes of the 10% value test described above:
We currently hold and expect to hold in the future securities of various issuers. While we do not anticipate our securities holdings would result in a violation of the REIT asset tests, fluctuations in value and other circumstances existing from time to time may increase our risk under the asset tests.
If we meet the asset tests at the close of a quarter, we will not lose our status as a REIT if we fail to satisfy such tests at the end of a subsequent quarter solely by reason of changes in the relative values of our assets (including changes caused solely by the change in the foreign currency exchange rate used to value a foreign asset). If we would fail these tests, in whole or in part, due to an acquisition of securities or other property during a quarter, we can avoid such failure by disposing of sufficient non-qualifying assets within 30 days after the close of such quarter. If we fail the 5% or 10% asset tests at the end of any quarter and do not cure within 30 days, we may still cure such failure or otherwise satisfy the requirements of such tests within six months after the last day of the quarter in which our identification of the failure occurred, provided the non-qualifying assets do not exceed the lesser of 1% of the total value of our assets at the end of the relevant quarter or $10,000,000. If our failure of the 5% and 10% asset tests exceeds this amount or we fail any of the other asset tests and do not cure within 30 days, we may avoid disqualification as a REIT provided (i) the failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (ii) we file certain reports with the IRS, (iii) we take steps to satisfy the requirements of the applicable asset test within six months after the last day of the quarter in which our identification of the failure occurred, including the disposition of sufficient assets to meet the asset tests, and (iv) we pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the product of (x) the net income generated by the non-qualifying assets during the period in which we failed to satisfy the relevant asset test and (y) the highest U.S. federal income tax rate then applicable to U.S. corporations.
Gross Income Tests
Two separate percentage tests related to the sources of our gross income must be satisfied each taxable year.
First, at least 75% of our gross income (excluding gross income from "prohibited transactions," discussed below) for the taxable year generally must be: "rents from real property"; interest on obligations secured by mortgages on, or interests in, real property; gains from the disposition of interests in real property and real estate mortgages, other than gain from property held primarily for sale to customers ("dealer property"); distributions on shares in other REITs, as well as gain from the sale of such shares; abatements and refunds of real property taxes; income from the operation, and
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gain from the sale, of "foreclosure property"; commitment fees received for agreeing to make loans secured by mortgages on real property or to purchase or lease real property; and certain qualified temporary investment income.
Second, at least 95% of our gross income (excluding gross income from "prohibited transactions," discussed below) for the taxable year must be derived from the above-described qualifying income and dividends, interest or gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or other securities that are not dealer property.
Rents we receive will qualify as "rents from real property" only under the following conditions:
Foreign currency gain with respect to income that otherwise qualifies for purposes of the 75% or 95% income test will not constitute gross income for purposes of the 75% or 95% income tests, respectively.
Income from a hedging transaction made (i) to hedge indebtedness incurred or to be incurred by us to acquire or own real estate assets, or (ii) primarily to manage the risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would qualify under the 75% or 95% income tests (or any
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property which generates such income or gain), in each case generally will not constitute gross income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests. Any such hedging transactions must be properly identified.
For purposes of determining whether we comply with the 75% and 95% gross income tests, gross income also does not include income from "prohibited transactions." A "prohibited transaction" is a sale of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business, excluding foreclosure property, unless we hold such property for at least two years and other requirements relating to the number of properties sold in a year, their tax bases, and the cost of improvements made to the property are satisfied. See "Taxation of Our CompanyGeneral" for certain tax consequences of prohibited transactions.
Even if we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% or 95% gross income tests for any taxable year, we may still qualify as a REIT for such year if we are entitled to relief under certain relief provisions of the Code. These relief provisions generally will be available if:
If these relief provisions apply nonetheless we will be subject to a special tax upon the greater of the amount by which we fail either the 75% or 95% gross income test for that year. See "Taxation of Our CompanyGeneral" for a discussion of such tax.
Annual Distribution Requirements
In order to qualify as a REIT, we are required to make distributions, other than capital gain dividends, to our stockholders each year in an amount at least equal to (i) 90% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and REIT net capital gain, plus (ii) 90% of our net income after tax, if any, from foreclosure property, minus (iii) the sum of certain items of excess non-cash income. Such distributions must be made in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if declared before we timely file our tax return for such year and if paid on or before the first regular dividend payment after such declaration.
To the extent we do not distribute all of our net capital gain or distribute at least 90%, but less than 100%, of our REIT taxable income, as adjusted, we will be subject to tax on the undistributed amount at regular capital gains or ordinary corporate tax rates, as the case may be. We may elect to retain, rather than distribute, our net capital gain and pay tax on such gain. If we make this election, our stockholders would include in their income as long-term capital gains their proportionate share of the undistributed net capital gains as designated by us, and we would have to pay the tax on such gains within 30 days of the close of our taxable year. Each of our stockholders would be deemed to have paid such stockholder's share of the tax paid by us on such gains, which tax would be credited or refunded to the stockholder. Each stockholder would increase his tax basis in our shares by the amount of income to the holder resulting from the designation less the holder's credit or refund for the tax paid by us.
We intend to make timely distributions sufficient to satisfy the annual distribution requirements. It is possible that we may not have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet the 90% distribution requirement, due to timing differences between the actual receipt of income and actual payment of expenses on the one hand, and the inclusion of such income and deduction of such expenses in computing our REIT taxable income on the other hand. To avoid any problem with the 90% distribution requirement, we will closely monitor the relationship between our REIT taxable income and cash flow and, if necessary, borrow funds or distribute property in-kind to satisfy the distribution
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requirements. In addition, from time to time, we may determine to declare taxable dividends payable in cash or stock at the election of each stockholder, subject to a limit on the aggregate cash that could be paid. The IRS has ruled a distribution of our stock pursuant to such an election will be considered a taxable distribution of property in an amount equal to the amount of cash that could have been received instead of stock if certain requirements are met. Any such dividend would be distributed in a manner intended to count toward satisfaction of our annual distribution requirements.
If we fail to meet the 90% distribution requirement as a result of an adjustment to our tax return by the IRS, or if we determine that we have failed to meet the 90% distribution requirement in a prior taxable year, we may retroactively cure the failure by paying a "deficiency dividend," plus applicable penalties and interest, within a specified period.
If we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for such year, (ii) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for such year, other than capital gains we elect to retain and pay tax on and (iii) any undistributed taxable income from prior years, we would be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of such sum over the amounts actually distributed. To the extent we elect to retain and pay income tax on our long-term capital gain, such retained amounts will be treated as having been distributed for purposes of the 4% excise tax.
Absence of Earnings and Profits from Non-REIT Years
In order to qualify as a REIT, we must not have accumulated earnings and profits attributable to any non-REIT years. A REIT has until the close of its first taxable year in which it has non-REIT earnings and profits to distribute any such accumulated earnings and profits. Unless the "deficiency dividend" procedures described above apply and we comply with those procedures, failure to distribute such accumulated earnings and profits would result in our disqualification as a REIT. We believe that we had no accumulated earnings and profits as of December 31, 1995.
Tax Aspects of Our Investments in Partnerships
Certain of our investments are held through partnerships or entities treated like partnerships for federal income tax purposes. In general, partnerships are "pass-through" entities that are not subject to federal income tax. Rather, partners are allocated their proportionate share of the items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of the partnership and are subject to tax thereon without regard to whether the partners receive a distribution from the partnership. We will include our proportionate share of the foregoing partnership items for purposes of the various REIT gross income tests and in our computation of our REIT taxable income, and we will include our proportionate share of the assets held by each partnership for purposes of the REIT asset tests.
Investments in Taxable REIT Subsidiaries
We and any entity treated as a corporation for tax purposes in which we own an interest may jointly elect to treat such entity as a "taxable REIT subsidiary." In addition, if a taxable REIT subsidiary of ours owns, directly or indirectly, securities representing 35% or more of the vote or value of an entity treated as a corporation for tax purposes, that subsidiary also will be treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary of ours. Taxable REIT subsidiaries are permitted to engage in certain types of activities that cannot be performed directly by REITs without jeopardizing their REIT status.
Certain of our subsidiaries have elected to be treated as taxable REIT subsidiaries of us and additional elections may be made in the future. As taxable REIT subsidiaries, these entities will pay federal and state income taxes at the full applicable corporate rates on their income prior to the payment of any dividends to us. Our taxable REIT subsidiaries will attempt to minimize the amount of such taxes, but there can be no assurance whether or the extent to which measures taken to minimize taxes will be successful. To the extent a taxable REIT subsidiary is required to pay federal, state or
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local taxes, the cash available for distribution by such taxable REIT subsidiary to its stockholders will be reduced accordingly. Taxable REIT subsidiaries are subject to limitations on the deductibility of payments made to the associated REIT, which could materially increase the taxable income of the taxable REIT subsidiary. Further, we will be subject to a tax of 100% on the amount of any rents from real property, deduction or excess interest paid by any of our taxable REIT subsidiaries to us that would be reduced through reapportionment to more clearly reflect the income of the taxable REIT subsidiary.
Failure to Qualify
In the event we fail to satisfy one or more requirements for qualification as a REIT, other than the REIT asset and gross income tests, each of which is subject to the cure provisions described above, we will retain our REIT qualification if (i) the violation is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and (ii) we pay a penalty of $50,000 for each failure to satisfy the provision.
If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year and relief provisions do not apply, we will be subject to tax, including applicable alternative minimum taxes, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. Distributions to stockholders in any year in which we fail to qualify as a REIT will not be deductible by us, nor generally will they be required to be made under the Code. In such event, to the extent of current and accumulated earnings and profits, all distributions to our stockholders will be taxable as dividends and, subject to the limitations set forth in the Code, corporate distributees may be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Unless entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we also will be disqualified from re-electing taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.
Taxation of Our Stockholders
For purposes of the following discussions, a "domestic stockholder" generally refers to (i) a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (including an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized under the laws of the United States or of a political subdivision of the United States; (iii) an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or (iv) any trust if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) it has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person. A "foreign stockholder" generally refers to a person that is not a domestic stockholder.
If a partnership or an entity treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes holds our stock, the federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner in a partnership holding our common stock, you should consult your own tax advisor regarding the consequences of the ownership and disposition of shares of our stock by the partnership.
Taxation of Taxable Domestic Stockholders
As long as we qualify as a REIT, distributions made to our taxable domestic stockholders out of current or accumulated earnings and profits, and not designated as capital gain dividends, will be taken into account by them as ordinary dividends and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction for corporations. Generally our ordinary dividends will be taxable to our domestic stockholders as ordinary income. However, prior to January 1, 2013, such dividends will be taxable to individuals at the rate applicable to long-term capital gains to the extent such dividends are attributable to dividends received by us from non-REIT corporations (e.g., taxable REIT subsidiaries) or are attributable to income upon which we have paid corporate income tax (e.g., to the extent we distribute less than 100%
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of our taxable income). We do not expect a significant portion of our ordinary dividends to be eligible for taxation at long-term capital gain rates.
We may designate portions of our distributions as capital gain dividends. Alternatively, we may elect to retain and pay income taxes on capital gains rather than distribute them, in which case stockholders include their proportionate share of such undistributed gain in income, receive a credit for their share of the taxes paid by us and increase their basis in their shares by the amount of income included less the credit or refund. Distributions designated as capital gain dividends and retained net capital gain will be taxed as long-term capital gains to the extent they do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year, without regard to the period for which a stockholder has held its shares. However, corporate stockholders may be required to treat up to 20% of certain capital gain dividends as ordinary income. In addition, net capital gains attributable to the sale by us of depreciable real property held for more than 12 months are taxable to individuals at a 25% maximum federal income tax rate to the extent of previously claimed real property depreciation.
To the extent we make distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits, these distributions are treated as a return of capital to the stockholder, reducing the tax basis of a stockholder's shares by the amount of such distribution, with distributions in excess of the stockholder's tax basis taxable as capital gains.
Any dividend declared by us in October, November or December of any year and payable to a stockholder of record on a specific date in any such month may be treated as both paid by us and received by the stockholder on December 31 of such year, provided the dividend is actually paid by us during January of the following calendar year. Stockholders may not include in their individual income tax returns any of our net operating losses or capital losses.
A stockholder will realize capital gain or loss upon the sale or other taxable disposition of our stock equal to the difference between the sum of the fair market value of any property and cash received in such disposition and the stockholder's adjusted tax basis. Such gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the stockholder has held its shares for more than one year. Capital losses generally are available only to offset capital gains of the stockholder except in the case of individuals, who may offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income each year. In general, any loss upon a sale or exchange of shares by a stockholder who has held such shares for six months or less, after applying certain holding period rules, will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of distributions from us required to be treated by such stockholder as long-term capital gains.
See "Tax Rates" below for a discussion of applicable capital gains rates. Stockholders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the taxation of capital gains and capital gain dividends and with regard to state, local and foreign taxes on capital gains and other income.
Taxation of Foreign Stockholders
As background to this discussion, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 ("FIRPTA"), a "United States real property interest" ("USRPI") generally refers to interests in U.S. real property and shares of corporations at least 50% of whose assets consist of such interests. However, shares of certain "domestically controlled qualified investment entities" are excluded from USRPI treatment. We will qualify as a domestically controlled qualified investment entity so long as we qualify as a REIT and less than 50% in value of our shares are held by foreign stockholders. We currently anticipate we will qualify as a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, although no assurance can be given that we will continue to qualify at all times.
Distributions to foreign stockholders out of our current and accumulated earnings and profits and not attributable to capital gains generally will be a dividend subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% unless (i) an applicable tax treaty reduces such rate or (ii) such dividend is effectively connected
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to a U.S. trade or business conducted by such stockholder. Dividends effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business will be subject to federal income tax in the same manner and at the same rates applicable to domestic stockholders and, with respect to corporate foreign stockholders, may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax. We plan to withhold at the 30% rate unless (i) the foreign stockholder files a IRS Form W-8BEN with us evidencing the application of a lower treaty rate or (ii) the foreign stockholder files an IRS Form W-8ECI with us claiming the distribution is effectively connected.
To the extent distributions not attributable to capital gains exceed current and accumulated earnings and profits, such distributions would not be subject to federal income taxation. If we cannot determine at the time we make a distribution whether or not the distribution will exceed our current and accumulated earnings and profits, we normally will withhold tax on the entire amount of any distribution at the same rate as we would withhold on a dividend. However, a stockholder may obtain a refund of amounts that we withhold if we later determine that a distribution in fact exceeded our current and accumulated earnings and profits.
Under FIRPTA, distributions attributable to capital gains from the sale or exchange by us of USRPIs are treated like income effectively connected to a U.S. trade or business, are subject to federal income taxation in the same manner and at the same rates applicable to domestic stockholders and, with respect to corporate foreign stockholders, may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax. However, these distributions will not be subject to tax under FIRPTA, and will instead be taxed in the same manner as distributions described above, if:
We are required by applicable Treasury regulations to withhold 35% of any distribution to a foreign stockholder owning more than 5% of the relevant class of shares that could be designated by us as a capital gain dividend. Any amount so withheld is creditable against the foreign stockholder's FIRPTA tax liability.
Distributions attributable to capital gains from the sale or exchange of non-USRPIs are not subject to federal income taxation.
Gains from the sale or exchange of our stock by a foreign stockholder will not be subject to federal income taxation, provided we qualify as a domestically controlled qualified investment entity or the stockholder does not own more than 5% of the class of stock sold.
Distributions and gains otherwise not subject to taxation under the foregoing rules may be subject to tax to the extent such distributions or gains were effectively connected to the conduct of a foreign stockholder's trade or business or were made to a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for more than 182 days during the taxable year.
Common stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is not a citizen or resident of the United States (as specially defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be includible in the individual's gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise.
THE FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION OF FOREIGN STOCKHOLDERS IS A HIGHLY COMPLEX MATTER THAT MAY BE AFFECTED BY MANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. ACCORDINGLY, FOREIGN STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE INCOME AND WITHHOLDING TAX CONSIDERATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THEIR INVESTMENT IN US.
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Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders
While generally exempt from federal income taxation, tax-exempt entities, including qualified employee pension and profit sharing trusts and individual retirement accounts, are subject to tax on their unrelated business taxable income ("UBTI"). The IRS has issued a revenue ruling in which it held that amounts distributed by a REIT to a tax-exempt employees' pension trust do not constitute UBTI. Subject to the following paragraph, based upon the ruling, the analysis in the ruling and the statutory framework of the Code, distributions by us to a stockholder that is a tax-exempt entity also should not constitute UBTI, provided the tax-exempt entity has not financed the acquisition of its shares with "acquisition indebtedness" (within the meaning of the Code), the shares are not otherwise used in an unrelated trade or business of the tax-exempt entity and, consistent with our present intent, we do not hold a residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit.
Certain social clubs, voluntary employee benefit associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts, and qualified group legal services plans that are exempt from taxation under special provisions of the federal income tax laws are subject to different UBTI rules, which generally will require them to characterize distributions received from us as UBTI. Furthermore, if any pension or other retirement trust that qualifies under Section 401(a) of the Code holds more than 10% by value of the interests in a "pension-held REIT" at any time during a taxable year, a portion of the dividends paid to the qualified pension trust by such REIT may constitute UBTI. For these purposes, a "pension-held REIT" is defined as a REIT that would not have qualified as a REIT but for the provisions of the Code that look through such a qualified pension trust in determining ownership of stock of the REIT and at least one qualified pension trust holds more than 25% by value of the interests of such REIT or one or more qualified pension trusts, each owning more than a 10% interest by value in the REIT, hold in the aggregate more than 50% by value of the interests in such REIT. We do not believe that we are, and we do not expect to become, a pension-held REIT.
Tax Rates Applicable to Individual Stockholders
Long-term capital gains (i.e., capital gains with respect to assets held for more than one year) and "qualified dividends" received by an individual generally are subject to federal income tax at a maximum rate of 15%. Short-term capital gains (i.e., capital gains with respect to assets held for one year or less) generally are subject to federal income tax at ordinary income rates. Because we are not generally subject to federal income tax on the portion of our REIT taxable income or capital gains distributed to our stockholders, our dividends generally are not eligible for the 15% maximum tax rate on qualified dividends. As a result, our ordinary dividends generally are taxed at the higher tax rates applicable to ordinary income. However, the 15% maximum tax rate for long-term capital gains and qualified dividends generally applies to:
Without future congressional action, the maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains will increase to 20% in 2013, and the maximum rate on ordinary dividends, whether or not qualified under present law, will increase to 39.6% in 2013.
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Information Reporting and Back-up Withholding
We will report to our domestic stockholders and to the IRS the amount of distributions paid during each calendar year, and the amount of tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Under the back-up withholding rules, a domestic stockholder may be subject to back-up withholding at applicable rates on distributions paid unless the stockholder (i) is a corporation or is otherwise specifically exempt from back-up withholding and, when required, demonstrates this fact or (ii) provides a taxpayer identification number, certifies as to no loss of exemption from back-up withholding, and complies with applicable requirements of the back-up withholding rules. A stockholder that does not provide us with his or her correct taxpayer identification number may also be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS.
Payments of dividends or of proceeds from the disposition of stock made to a foreign stockholder may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding unless such holder establishes an exemption, for example, by properly certifying its foreign status on an IRS Form W-8BEN or another appropriate version of IRS Form W-8. Notwithstanding the foregoing, backup withholding may apply if either we or our paying agent has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that a stockholder is a U.S. person.
Any amount paid as back-up withholding will be credited against the stockholder's income tax liability. In addition, we may be required to withhold a portion of any capital gain distributions made to any stockholders who fail to certify their non-foreign status to us. Currently, the back-up withholding rate is 28%. The rate is scheduled to increase to 31% for taxable years 2013 and thereafter.
Additional Healthcare Tax
With respect to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, certain U.S. persons, including individuals, estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional 3.8% tax, which, for individuals, applies to the lesser of (i) "net investment income" or (ii) the excess of "modified adjusted gross income" over $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly or $125,000 if married and filing separately). "Net investment income" generally equals the taxpayer's gross investment income reduced by the deductions that are allocable to such income. Investment income generally includes passive income such as interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, rents and capital gains.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA"), a 30% U.S. withholding tax will apply to dividends, interest and certain other items of income, and to the gross proceeds from a disposition of property that produces such income, paid to a foreign financial institution, unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury Department to collect and provide to the Treasury Department certain information regarding U.S. account holders with such institution, including certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners. FATCA also generally imposes a withholding tax of 30% on such amounts when paid to a non-financial foreign entity unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial U.S. owners of the entity. Under certain circumstances, a taxpayer may be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. By its terms, FATCA generally applies to payments made after December 31, 2012, but excluding payments pursuant to debt obligations outstanding as of March 18, 2012. However, the IRS and Treasury Department have issued proposed Treasury regulations deferring application of FATCA's withholding obligations to payments of income items until January 1, 2014 and payments of gross proceeds until January 1, 2015. In addition, such proposed Treasury regulations exclude from FATCA payments pursuant to debt obligations outstanding as of January 1, 2013.
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Possible Legislative or Other Actions Affecting Tax Consequences
Prospective stockholders should recognize that the present federal income tax treatment of an investment in us may be modified by legislative, judicial or administrative action at any time and that any such action may affect investments and commitments previously made. The rules dealing with federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process, the IRS and the Treasury, resulting in revisions of regulations and revised interpretations of established concepts as well as statutory changes. Revisions in federal tax laws and interpretations of these laws could adversely affect the tax consequences of your investment.
State, Local and Foreign Taxes
We and our stockholders may be subject to state, local or foreign taxation in various jurisdictions, including those in which we or they transact business or reside. The state, local and foreign tax treatment of us and our stockholders may not conform to the federal income tax consequences discussed above. Consequently, prospective stockholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effects of state, local and foreign tax laws on an investment in us.
Certain legal matters with respect to the guarantees and federal income tax will be passed upon for us by Morrison & Foerster LLP, Los Angeles, California. The validity of the securities will be passed upon for us by Venable LLP, Baltimore, Maryland. If legal matters in connection with any offering of any of the securities described in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material are passed on by counsel for any underwriters of such offering, that counsel will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material.
The consolidated financial statements and schedule of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2011 appearing in Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.'s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 22, 2012, and the effectiveness of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011 as reported in Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included and incorporated by reference therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements and schedule and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. management's assessment of the effective of internal controls over financial reporting as of December 31, 2011 are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
This prospectus and the documents we have incorporated by reference contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. You can identify some of the forward-looking statements by their use of forward-looking words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates," or the negative of these words or similar words. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties regarding events, conditions and financial trends that may affect our future plans of operation, business strategy, results of operations and financial position. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or contemplated by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those described in our most recently filed
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Annual Report on Form 10-K as incorporated herein by reference. See "Where You Can Find More Information." We do not undertake any responsibility to update any of these factors or to announce publicly any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distributions.
The estimated expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, in connection with the offering of the securities, are as follows:
Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee |
$ | * | ||
Listing Fees and Expenses |
390,000 | |||
Printing and Engraving Expenses |
510,000 | |||
Legal Fees and Expenses |
770,000 | |||
Accounting Fees and Expenses |
510,000 | |||
Trustee and Transfer Agent Fees |
390,000 | |||
Miscellaneous |
130,000 | |||
Total |
$ | 2,700,000 | ||
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
The Maryland General Corporation Law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (ii) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision that eliminates such liability to the maximum extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law.
Our charter authorizes us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to obligate ourselves to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any present or former director or officer or (ii) any individual who, while a director of us and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee from and against any claim or liability to which such person may become subject or to which such person may incur by reason of his or her serving as a present or former director or officer of us.
Our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (ii) any individual who, while a director or officer of us and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, member or manager and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Our charter and bylaws also permit us, with the approval of our board of directors, to indemnify and advance expenses to any individual who served our predecessor in any of the capacities described above and to any of our employees or agents or our predecessor.
The Maryland General Corporation Law requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or
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threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The Maryland General Corporation Law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (i) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (ii) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (iii) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under the Maryland General Corporation Law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, the Maryland General Corporation Law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation's receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
Each of the indemnification agreements with our executive officers require that we indemnify such officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, and to pay such persons' expenses in defending any civil or criminal proceeding in advance of final disposition of such proceeding.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P.
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership") is governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. Subject to any standards or restrictions set forth in a partnership agreement, Section 17-108 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the "DRULPA") empowers a Delaware limited partnership to indemnify and hold harmless any partner or other persons from and against all claims and demands whatsoever.
The limited partnership agreement of the Operating Partnership (the "LP Agreement") provides that that the Operating Partnership is required to indemnify and hold harmless its partners and agents from and against any and all claims, demands, liabilities, costs, damages, causes of action of any nature whatsoever (including without limitation reasonable attorneys' fees or other expenses incurred in connection with settlement or any legal proceeding, but excluding income taxes payable by the Operating Partnership's partners (the "Partners") as a result of such Partner's ownership of an interest in the Operating Partnership) arising out of actions taken by the Partners in the management of the Operating Partnership affairs, except where any such Partner has committed fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct. The foregoing indemnification rights are cumulative of, and in addition to, any and all rights, remedies and recourse to which a Partner may be entitled, whether pursuant to the provisions of the LP Agreement, at law or in equity. Indemnifications made pursuant to the LP Agreement shall be made from assets of the Operating Partnership and no Partner shall be personally liable to any indemnitee.
The foregoing is only a general summary of certain aspects of Delaware law and the Operating Partnership's organizational documents dealing with indemnification of its Partners and agents and does not purport to be complete. It is qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable provisions of the DRULPA and of the Operating Partnership's organizational documents.
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Exhibit Number | Exhibit | ||
---|---|---|---|
1.1* | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | ||
4.1 | Specimen certificate representing shares of common stock, filed as an exhibit to our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2011. | ||
4.2* | Form of Rights Agreement. | ||
4.3* | Form of Warrant Agreement. | ||
4.4** | Form of Indenture relating to debt securities issued by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. | ||
4.5 | Form of Indenture relating to debt securities issued by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and guaranteed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. | ||
5.1** | Opinion of Venable LLP. | ||
5.2 | Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP regarding the registration of the guarantee securities. | ||
8.1** | Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP regarding certain federal income tax matters. | ||
23.1** | Consent of Venable LLP (filed with Exhibit 5.1). | ||
23.2 | Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (filed with Exhibit 5.2). | ||
23.3** | Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (filed with Exhibit 8.1). | ||
23.4 | Consent of Ernst & Young LLP. | ||
24.1** | Power of Attorney (included in the signature page of the Registration Statement (File No. 333-158400) filed with the SEC on April 3, 2009). | ||
25.1 | Statement of Eligibility of The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee, on Form T-1. |
Each undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
a. To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
i. to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
ii. to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration statement;
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iii. to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
Provided, however, that:
paragraphs a.i and a.ii above do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement; and
paragraphs a.i, a.ii and a.iii above do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
b. That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
c. To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
d. That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
i. If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B:
1. Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
2. Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or
ii. if the registrant is subject to Rule 430C, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in this registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness.
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Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into this registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in this registration statement or prospectus that was part of this registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
e. That, for the purpose of determining liability of a registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
i. Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
ii. Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
iii. The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
iv. Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
f. That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
g. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
Each undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under Section 305(b)2 of the Trust Indenture Act.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this post-effective amendment to the registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Pasadena, State of California on February 22, 2012.
ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE EQUITIES, INC. | ||||
By: |
/s/ Joel S. Marcus Joel S. Marcus Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this post-effective amendment to the registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on February 22, 2012.
Name
|
Title
|
|||
---|---|---|---|---|
/s/ Joel S. Marcus Joel S. Marcus |
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
|||
/s/ Dean A. Shigenaga Dean A. Shigenaga |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Chief Accounting Officer) |
|||
* Richard B. Jennings |
Director |
|||
* John L. Atkins, III |
Director |
|||
* Richard H. Klein |
Director |
|||
* James H. Richardson |
Director |
|||
* Martin A. Simonetti |
Director |
|||
* Alan G. Walton |
Director |
|||
*By: |
/s/ Dean. A. Shigenaga Dean. A. Shigenaga, as Attorney-in-Fact |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this post-effective amendment to the registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Pasadena, State of California on February 22, 2012.
ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE EQUITIES, L.P. | ||||
By: |
ARE-QRS Corp., its General Partner |
|||
By: |
/s/ Joel S. Marcus Joel S. Marcus Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this post-effective amendment to the registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on February 22, 2012.
Name
|
Title
|
|
---|---|---|
/s/ Joel S. Marcus Joel S. Marcus |
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
|
/s/ Dean A. Shigenaga Dean A. Shigenaga |
Chief Financial Officer and Director (Principal Financial and Chief Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit Number |
Exhibit | ||
---|---|---|---|
1.1 | * | Form of Underwriting Agreement. | |
4.1 |
|
Specimen certificate representing shares of common stock, filed as an exhibit to our Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011, filed with the SEC on May 5, 2011. |
|
4.2 |
* |
Form of Rights Agreement. |
|
4.3 |
* |
Form of Warrant Agreement. |
|
4.4 |
** |
Form of Indenture relating to debt securities issued by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. |
|
4.5 |
Form of Indenture relating to debt securities issued by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and guaranteed by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, L.P. |
||
5.1 |
** |
Opinion of Venable LLP. |
|
5.2 |
Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP regarding the registration of the guarantee securities. |
||
8.1 |
** |
Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP regarding certain federal income tax matters. |
|
23.1 |
** |
Consent of Venable LLP (filed with Exhibit 5.1). |
|
23.2 |
Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (filed with Exhibit 5.2). |
||
23.3 |
** |
Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (filed with Exhibit 8.1). |
|
23.4 |
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP. |
||
24.1 |
** |
Power of Attorney (included in the signature page of the Registration Statement (File No. 333-158400) filed with the SEC on April 3, 2009). |
|
25.1 |
Statement of Eligibility of The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as Trustee, on Form T-1. |