S-3 1 d417778ds3.htm FORM S-3 Form S-3
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 2, 2022

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Orion Office REIT Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Maryland   87-1656425

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

2325 E. Camelback Road, Suite 850

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Tel: (602) 698-1002

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Paul C. Hughes, Esq.

General Counsel and Secretary

Orion Office REIT Inc.

2325 E. Camelback Road, Suite 850

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Tel: (602) 698-1002

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent For Service)

 

 

Copy to:

Samuel M. Kardon, Esq.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

200 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10166

Telephone: (212) 309-1000

Facsimile: (212) 309-1100

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after this registration statement becomes effective.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  ☐

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.  ☒

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.  ☐

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.  ☐

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.  ☐

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.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer      Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject to Completion,

Preliminary Prospectus Dated November 2, 2022

PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

Orion Office REIT Inc.

1,120,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

 

This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time by the selling stockholders identified in this prospectus (including their permitted transferees, pledgees, donees or other successors) of up to 1,120,000 shares of our common stock issuable to the selling stockholders upon exercise of their warrants to purchase shares of our common stock (the “Arch Street Warrants”). The selling stockholders are Arch Street Capital Partners, LLC (“Arch Street Capital Partners”) and its affiliate, OAP Holdings LLC (the “Arch Street Partner”), our partner in our unconsolidated joint venture, OAP/VER Venture, LLC (the “Arch Street Joint Venture”). The Arch Street Warrants were granted to the selling stockholders on November 12, 2021 in connection with our entry into an amendment and restatement of the limited liability company operating agreement of the Arch Street Joint Venture (the “LLCA”). See “Prospectus Summary—The Separation and the Distribution” and “Selling Stockholders” for more information.

We are registering the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus to provide the selling stockholders with freely tradable securities in accordance with our obligations under the Arch Street Warrants. The registration of these shares does not necessarily mean that any shares of our common stock will be sold by the selling stockholders. We cannot predict when, if or in what amounts the selling stockholders may sell any of the shares offered by this prospectus.

The Arch Street Warrants entitle the respective holders to purchase shares of our common stock at a price per share equal to $22.42, at any time. The Arch Street Warrants may be exercised, in whole or in part, through a cashless exercise, in which case the holder would receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of our common stock determined according to the formula set forth in the Arch Street Warrants.

Our common stock is listed on The New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “ONL.” On November 1, 2022, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $9.36 per share.

The shares of common stock described in this prospectus or in any supplement to this prospectus may be sold from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any such supplement thereto by the selling stockholders (including their permitted transferees, pledgees, donees or other successors), to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, who may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions therefrom, in ordinary brokerage transactions, in transactions in which brokers solicit purchases, in negotiated transactions, or in a combination of any such methods of sale, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices, at fixed prices or prices subject to change, or at negotiated prices. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information.

We are not selling any of the shares of our common stock described in this prospectus, and we will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of such shares by the selling stockholders. We will, however, receive the net proceeds of any Arch Street Warrants exercised by the selling stockholders for cash. The selling stockholders will pay all brokerage fees and commissions and similar sale-related expenses. We will bear all original issue and transfer taxes, if any, with respect to the issue and delivery of the shares of common stock and all other fees and expenses necessarily incurred by us in connection with the Arch Street Warrants, including the fee and expenses of registering the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus.

A supplement to this prospectus may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with the documents we incorporate by reference, carefully before you invest.

You should carefully read this prospectus and any amendments or supplements and any related free writing prospectuses, together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information,” before you invest.

We elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes (“REIT”), commencing with our initial taxable year ended December 31, 2021. Shares of our common stock are subject to limitations on ownership and transfer that are intended to assist us in qualifying as a REIT, among other purposes. Our charter generally provides that no person may actually, beneficially or constructively own more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or more than 9.8% in value of the aggregate outstanding shares of all classes and series of our stock. See the section entitled “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer” included in this prospectus.

 

 

Investing in our securities involves risks. Before making a decision to invest in our securities, you should carefully consider the risks described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 of this prospectus and those included under the same title in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including any risks described in any accompanying prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is             , 2022.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     ii  

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF INFORMATION FILED WITH THE SEC

     iii  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     iv  

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     v  

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

     1  

RISK FACTORS

     3  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     4  

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     5  

MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     7  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     31  

LEGAL MATTERS

     33  

EXPERTS

     33  

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any applicable free writing prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, as well as information that we have previously filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and incorporated by reference, is accurate only as of the date of the applicable document. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since such date.

The distribution of this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement and the offering of our securities in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. If you possess this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement, you should find out about and observe these restrictions. This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement are not an offer to sell our securities and are not soliciting an offer to buy our securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted or where the person making the offer or sale is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is not permitted to make such offer or sale. See “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process for the delayed offering and sale of securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Under this shelf registration process, the selling stockholders named in this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus may sell the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that may be sold by the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders are required to provide you with this prospectus and, in certain cases, a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the selling stockholders and the terms upon which the securities are being offered.

We may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus by means of a prospectus supplement or by incorporating by reference information that we file or furnish to the SEC. The registration statement that we filed with the SEC includes exhibits that provide more detail on the matters discussed in this prospectus. If the information in this prospectus is inconsistent with a prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement. Please carefully read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with the additional information described under the headings “Incorporation by Reference of Information Filed with the SEC” and “Where You Can Find More Information,” before purchasing any securities.

Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “Orion,” “Company,” “our company,” “we,” “us” and “our” are to Orion Office REIT Inc., a Maryland corporation, together with our consolidated subsidiaries, including Orion Office REIT LP, a Maryland limited partnership of which we are the sole general partner and through which we conduct substantially all of our business (our “operating partnership”).

 

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF INFORMATION FILED WITH THE SEC

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement. Any statement contained in a document which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is automatically updated and superseded if information contained in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement, or information that we later file with the SEC, modifies or replaces such information. We incorporate by reference the following documents we filed with the SEC:

 

   

our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022;

 

   

the information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December  31, 2021 from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 7, 2022;

 

   

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 4, 2022;

 

   

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on August 3, 2022;

 

   

our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on November 2, 2022;

 

   

our Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February  14, 2022 and May 27, 2022; and

 

   

the description of our common stock contained in our Registration Statement on Form 10, filed with the SEC on October 4, 2021, including any amendment or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

We are also incorporating by reference additional documents that we file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act: (i) after the date of the initial registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of the registration statement and (ii) after the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating by reference any documents or portions thereof, whether specifically listed above or filed in the future, that are not deemed “filed” with the SEC, including any information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or certain exhibits furnished pursuant to Item 9.01 of Form 8-K.

We will provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, upon his or her written or oral request, a copy of any or all documents referred to above that have been or may be incorporated by reference into this prospectus, excluding exhibits to those documents unless they are specifically incorporated by reference into those documents at no cost to the requestor. Requests for those documents should be directed to us as follows:

Orion Office REIT Inc.

2325 E. Camelback Road, Suite 850

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Attention: Investor Relations

(602) 675-0338

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains a website that contains annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, we maintain a website that contains information about us at www.onlreit.com. The information found on, or otherwise accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into, and does not form a part of, this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement or any other report or document we file with or furnish to the SEC.

We have filed with the SEC a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3, of which this prospectus is a part, including exhibits, schedules and amendments filed with, or incorporated by reference into, the registration statement, under the Securities Act, with respect to the securities registered hereby. This prospectus, which forms a part of the registration statement, and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. For further information with respect to us and the securities registered hereby, reference is made to the registration statement, including the exhibits to the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement are not necessarily complete and, where such contract or other document is an exhibit to the registration statement, each statement is qualified in all respects by the exhibit to which the reference relates. The registration statement of which this prospectus is a part is and the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement are available to you on the SEC’s website.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference each contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (set forth in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Also, documents we subsequently file with the SEC and incorporate by reference will contain forward-looking statements. In particular, statements relating to our liquidity and capital resources, portfolio performance, results of operations, financial condition and business, including leasing and occupancy, acquisitions, dispositions, rent receipts, the payment of future dividends and our growth may contain forward-looking statements. Furthermore, all of the statements regarding future events and plans, future financial or operating performance or expectations, or anticipated market conditions and demographics are forward-looking statements. We are including this cautionary statement to make applicable, and take advantage of, the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for any such forward-looking statements. We caution investors that any forward-looking statements presented in this prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference in each are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. When used, the words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “future,” “goals,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “result,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will” and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions and may be affected by known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, estimated or projected. We do not guarantee that the transactions and events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all).

Some of the risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance, liquidity or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

 

   

the risk of rising interest rates, including that our borrowing costs may increase and we may be unable to refinance our debt obligations on favorable terms and in a timely manner, or at all;

 

   

the risk of inflation, including that our operating costs, such as insurance premiums, utilities, real estate taxes, capital expenditures and repair and maintenance costs, may rise;

 

   

conditions associated with the global market, including an oversupply of office space, tenant credit risk and general economic conditions;

 

   

the extent to which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic or any future pandemic or outbreak of a highly infectious or contagious disease or fear of such pandemics or outbreaks impacts our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects, which is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the U.S. economy and potential changes in tenant behavior that could adversely affect the use of and demand for office space;

 

   

our ability to acquire new properties and sell non-core assets on favorable terms and in a timely manner, or at all;

 

   

our ability to comply with the terms of our credit agreements or to meet the debt obligations on certain of our properties;

 

   

our ability to access the capital markets to raise additional equity or refinance maturing debt on favorable terms and in a timely manner, or at all;

 

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changes in the real estate industry and in performance of the financial markets and interest rates and our ability to effectively hedge against interest rate changes;

 

   

the risk of tenants defaulting on their lease obligations, which is heightened due to our focus on single tenant properties;

 

   

our ability to renew leases with existing tenants or re-let vacant space to new tenants on favorable terms and in a timely manner, or at all;

 

   

the cost of rent concessions, tenant improvement allowances and leasing commissions;

 

   

the potential for termination of existing leases pursuant to tenant termination rights;

 

   

the amount, growth and relative inelasticity of our expenses;

 

   

risks associated with the ownership and development of real property;

 

   

risks accompanying the management of the Arch Street Joint Venture;

 

   

our ability to close pending real estate transactions, which may be subject to conditions that are outside of our control;

 

   

risks associated with acquisitions, including the integration of the office portfolios of Realty Income Corporation (“Realty Income”) and VEREIT, Inc. (“VEREIT”) into Orion;

 

   

Realty Income’s inability or failure to perform under the various transaction agreements effecting the Separation (as defined below) and the Distribution (as defined below);

 

   

risks associated with the fact that we have a limited operating history and our future performance is difficult to predict;

 

   

our properties may be subject to impairment charges;

 

   

risks resulting from losses in excess of insured limits or uninsured losses;

 

   

risks associated with the potential volatility of our common stock;

 

   

the risk that we may fail to qualify and maintain our qualification as a REIT; and

 

   

other factors described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, including those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors,” and the sections captioned “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents that we file with the SEC.

All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time and it is not possible to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, readers of this prospectus and any prospectus supplement are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements included herein. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could impact our future results, performance, liquidity or transactions, see the section in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement entitled “Risk Factors,” and the sections captioned “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents that we file with the SEC.

 

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. It may not contain all of the information that is important to you. You should carefully read the entire prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus before deciding whether to invest in our securities.

About Orion Office REIT Inc.

Orion is an internally managed REIT engaged in the ownership, acquisition, and management of a diversified portfolio of mission-critical regional and corporate headquarters office buildings located in high quality suburban markets across the U.S. and leased primarily on a single-tenant net lease basis to creditworthy tenants. Orion Office REIT Inc. was incorporated in the State of Maryland on July 1, 2021 and has been operating in a manner so as to qualify and has elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, commencing with our initial taxable year ended December 31, 2021.

We had 87 office properties with an aggregate of 10.0 million leasable square feet located in 29 states, with an occupancy rate of 88.0% and a weighted-average remaining lease term of 3.9 years as of September 30, 2022. Including our pro rata share of square feet and annualized base rent from the Arch Street Joint Venture, we owned an aggregate of 10.1 million leasable square feet with an occupancy rate of 88.2% and a weighted-average remaining lease term of 3.9 years as of September 30, 2022.

The Separation and the Distribution

On April 29, 2021, Realty Income entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as amended, the “Merger Agreement”) with VEREIT, its operating partnership, VEREIT Operating Partnership, L.P. (“VEREIT OP”), Rams MD Subsidiary I, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Realty Income (“Merger Sub 1”), and Rams Acquisition Sub II, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Realty Income (“Merger Sub 2”).

On November 1, 2021, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub 2 merged with and into VEREIT OP, with VEREIT OP continuing as the surviving partnership, and immediately thereafter, VEREIT merged with and into Merger Sub 1, with Merger Sub 1 continuing as the surviving corporation (together, the “Mergers”, and such effective time of the Mergers, the “Merger Effective Time”).

Upon the Merger Effective Time, as part of the Mergers, Realty Income acquired certain office real properties and related assets previously owned by subsidiaries of VEREIT (collectively, “VEREIT Office Assets”). Following the Merger Effective Time, in accordance with the Merger Agreement, Realty Income contributed the portion of the combined business comprising certain office real properties and related assets previously owned by subsidiaries of Realty Income and the VEREIT Office Assets (the “Separation”) to Orion and our operating partnership.

On November 12, 2021, following the Separation, in accordance with the Merger Agreement and that certain Separation and Distribution Agreement dated as of November 11, 2021, by and among Realty Income, Orion and our operating partnership, Realty Income effected a special distribution to its stockholders (including the former holders of VEREIT common stock and certain former VEREIT OP common unitholders prior to the Mergers) of all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (the “Distribution”). Following the Distribution, we became an independent publicly traded company and have been operating in a manner so as to qualify and have elected to be taxed as a REIT, commencing with our initial taxable year ended December 31, 2021.

 

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On November 12, 2021, in connection with the Distribution, our operating partnership also entered into the LLCA with the Arch Street Partner, pursuant to which the Arch Street Partner consented to the transfer of the equity interests of the Arch Street Joint Venture previously held by VEREIT Real Estate, L.P. to our operating partnership. See “Selling Stockholders” for further information.

Through November 12, 2021, we had not conducted any business as a separate company other than start-up related activities.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 2325 E. Camelback Road, Suite 850, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Our telephone number is (602) 698-1002. Our website is www.onlreit.com. Our website and the information contained therein or connected thereto do not constitute a part of this prospectus.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Before purchasing any securities offered by this prospectus, you should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated by reference into this prospectus from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, the risks, uncertainties and additional information set forth in our SEC reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and in the other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and any risks described in any accompanying prospectus supplement. For a description of these reports and documents, and information about where you can find them, see the sections in this prospectus entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference of Information Filed with the SEC.” Additional risks not presently known or that are currently deemed immaterial could also materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, business and prospects.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time by the selling stockholders of up to 1,120,000 shares of our common stock issuable to the holders of the Arch Street Warrants upon their exercise of such warrants. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of any shares of common stock offered by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus. We will, however, receive the net proceeds of any Arch Street Warrants exercised by the selling stockholders for cash. We intend to use any such net proceeds for general corporate purposes.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The selling stockholders are Arch Street Capital Partners and its affiliate, the Arch Street Partner, our partner in the Arch Street Joint Venture, our unconsolidated joint venture, in which we hold a non-controlling ownership interest. The Arch Street Warrants were granted pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act to the selling stockholders on November 12, 2021 in connection with our entry into the LLCA. See “Prospectus Summary—The Separation and the Distribution” for further details.

We are registering the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus to provide the selling stockholders with freely tradable securities in accordance with our obligations under the Arch Street Warrants. We have agreed to use our commercially reasonable efforts to cause the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part to become effective and to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement, and a current prospectus relating thereto, subject to customary black-out periods as reasonably determined by us, until the earlier of (a) the expiration of the Arch Street Warrants, or (b) the shares issuable upon exercise of the Arch Street Warrants become freely tradable under United States federal securities laws by anyone who is not an affiliate (as such term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act (or any successor rule)) of us. The registration of these shares does not necessarily mean that any shares of our common stock will be sold by the selling stockholders. The holders of the Arch Street Warrants will also remain subject to the ownership limitations in our charter related to the maintenance of our ability to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.”

The Arch Street Warrants entitle the respective holders to purchase shares of our common stock at a price per share equal to $22.42, at any time. The Arch Street Warrants may be exercised, in whole or in part, through a cashless exercise, in which case the holder would receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of our common stock determined according to the formula set forth in the Arch Street Warrants. The Arch Street Warrants expire on the earlier of (a) ten years after issuance and (b) if the Arch Street Joint Venture is terminated, the later of the termination of the Arch Street Joint Venture and seven years after issuance.

Also in connection with the entry into the LLCA, the Arch Street Joint Venture’s lender consented to the transfer of the interests of the Arch Street Joint Venture previously held by VEREIT Real Estate, L.P. to our operating partnership, and, in connection therewith, our operating partnership agreed to become a guarantor of certain limited customary recourse obligations and provide certain customary environmental indemnities under the Arch Street Joint Venture’s existing indebtedness.

Also in connection with the entry into the LLCA, we and the Arch Street Joint Venture entered into that certain Right of First Offer Agreement (the “ROFO Agreement”), dated November 12, 2021, pursuant to which, subject to certain limitations, we, on behalf of ourselves and our affiliates, agreed not to acquire or purchase a fee simple or ground leasehold interest in any office real property, including by way of an acquisition of equity interests, within certain investing parameters without first offering the property for purchase to the Arch Street Joint Venture. The ROFO Agreement will expire upon the earlier of (1) the third anniversary of its execution, (2) the date on which the Arch Street Joint Venture is terminated or (3) the date on which the Arch Street Joint Venture’s gross book value of assets is below $50.0 million. If the Arch Street Joint Venture decides not to acquire any such property, we may seek to acquire the property independently, subject to certain restrictions. We do not anticipate that the ROFO Agreement will have a material impact on our ability to acquire additional office real properties, although it could result in us acquiring future properties through the Arch Street Joint Venture rather than as sole 100% owner.

The following tables sets forth the maximum number of securities that may be sold by the selling stockholders, the name of the selling stockholders, and the number of securities to be owned by each selling stockholder after completion of the offering.

 

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We prepared the following tables based on information provided to us by the selling stockholders. We have not sought to verify such information. Additionally, the selling stockholders may have sold or transferred some or all of their securities in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act since the date on which the information in the table was provided to us. Other information about the selling stockholders may also change over time and, if necessary, we will amend or supplement this prospectus accordingly and as required. Each of the selling stockholders named below and its permitted transferees, pledgees, donees or other successors may from time to time offer the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus:

 

     Shares of Common Stock
Beneficially Owned Prior to the
Offering(1)
    Shares of
Common Stock
Offered
Hereby(3)
     Shares of Common Stock
Beneficially Owned After
Completion of the
Offering(4)
 

Name of Selling Stockholder

   Number      Percent(2)     Number      Number      Percent  

Arch Street Capital Partners, LLC(5)

     280,000            280,000        —          —    

OAP Holdings LLC(6)

     840,000        1.45     840,000        —          —    

 

*

Represents less than 1%.

(1)

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act. A person is deemed to be the beneficial owner of any shares of our common stock if that person has or shares voting power or investment power with respect to those shares, or has the right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time within 60 days of the date of the table. As used herein, “voting power” is the power to vote or direct the voting of shares and “investment power” is the power to dispose or direct the disposition of shares. Except as otherwise indicated, each selling stockholder has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to such securities.

(2)

Calculated based on 57,755,038 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding on September 30, 2022, which includes the assumed exercise of all 1,120,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Arch Street Warrants and registered hereby.

(3)

The number of shares of common stock being offered hereby includes the shares of common stock issuable to each selling stockholder upon exercise in-full of the Arch Street Warrants then held by each selling stockholder. Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act, the shares of common stock being registered hereunder include such indeterminate number of shares of common stock as may be issuable with respect to the shares of common stock being registered hereunder as a result of stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(4)

Because the selling stockholders are not obligated to sell all or any portion of the shares of our common stock shown as offered by them, we cannot estimate the actual number or percentage of shares of our common stock that will be held by the selling stockholders upon completion of this offering. However, for purposes of this table, we have assumed that all shares of common stock being registered under the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part are sold in this offering, and that the selling stockholders do not acquire additional shares of our common stock after the date of this prospectus and prior to completion of this offering.

(5)

Anup Patel controls and has sole voting and dispositive power over securities held by Arch Street Capital Partners, LLC.

(6)

OAP Investor Corp. is the managing member of OAP Holdings LLC. Khaled AlBaijan and Aysha Almudhaf comprise the entirety of the Board of Directors of OAP Investor Corp. and therefore control and share voting and dispositive power over securities held by OAP Holdings LLC.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

This section summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax considerations that you, as a stockholder, may consider relevant in connection with the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common stock. Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP has acted as our counsel, has reviewed this summary, and is of the opinion that the discussion contained herein is accurate in all material respects. Because this section is a summary, it does not address all aspects of taxation that may be relevant to particular stockholders in light of their personal investment or tax circumstances, or to certain types of stockholders that are subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal income tax laws, such as:

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

tax-exempt organizations (except to the limited extent discussed in “—Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders” below);

 

   

financial institutions or broker-dealers;

 

   

non-U.S. individuals, foreign partnerships and foreign corporations (except to the limited extent discussed in “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders” below);

 

   

U.S. expatriates;

 

   

persons who mark-to-market our common stock;

 

   

subchapter S corporations;

 

   

U.S. stockholders (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

   

regulated investment companies and REITs;

 

   

trusts and estates;

 

   

holders who receive our common stock through the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation;

 

   

persons holding our common stock as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion transaction,” “synthetic security” or other integrated investment;

 

   

persons subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Code; and

 

   

persons holding our common stock through a partnership or similar pass-through entity.

This summary assumes that stockholders hold shares of our stock as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which generally means property held for investment.

The statements in this section are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, tax advice. The statements in this section are based on the Code, current, temporary and proposed U.S. Treasury Department (“Treasury”) Regulations (“Treasury Regulations”), the legislative history of the Code, current administrative interpretations and practices of the IRS, and court decisions. The reference to IRS interpretations and practices includes the IRS practices and policies endorsed in private letter rulings, which are not binding on the IRS except with respect to the taxpayer that receives the ruling. In each case, these sources are relied upon as they exist on the date of this discussion. Future legislation, Treasury Regulations, administrative interpretations and court decisions could change current law or adversely affect existing interpretations of current law on which the information in this section is based. Any such change could apply retroactively. We have not received any rulings from the IRS concerning our qualification as a REIT. Accordingly, even if there is no change in the applicable law, no assurance can be provided that the statements made in the following discussion, which do not bind the IRS or the courts, will not be challenged by the IRS or will be sustained by a court if so challenged.

 

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WE URGE YOU TO CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE SPECIFIC TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU OF THE PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP AND SALE OF OUR COMMON STOCK AND OF OUR ELECTION TO BE TAXED AS A REIT. SPECIFICALLY, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN, AND OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH PURCHASE, OWNERSHIP, SALE AND ELECTION, AND REGARDING POTENTIAL CHANGES IN APPLICABLE TAX LAWS.

Taxation of our Company

We elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with our short taxable year ended December 31, 2021. We believe that, commencing with such taxable year, we have been organized and have operated in such a manner as to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Code, and we intend to continue to operate in such a manner, but no assurances can be given that we will operate in a manner so as to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT. This section discusses the laws governing the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a REIT and its stockholders. These laws are highly technical and complex.

In the opinion of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, we qualified to be taxed as a REIT for our short taxable year ended December 31, 2021, and our organization and current and proposed method of operation will enable us to continue to satisfy the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the U.S. federal income tax laws for our taxable year ending December 31, 2022 and subsequent taxable years. Investors should be aware that Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s opinion is based upon customary assumptions, is conditioned upon certain representations made by us as to factual matters, including representations regarding the nature of our assets and the conduct of our business, is not binding upon the IRS or any court, and speaks as of the date issued. In addition, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s opinion is based on existing U.S. federal income tax law governing qualification as a REIT, which is subject to change either prospectively or retroactively. Moreover, our qualification and taxation as a REIT depends upon our ability to meet on a continuing basis, through actual annual and quarterly operating results, certain qualification tests set forth in the U.S. federal income tax laws. Those qualification tests involve the percentage of income that we earn from specified sources, the percentage of our assets that falls within specified categories, the diversity of our capital stock ownership, and the percentage of our earnings that we distribute. Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP will not review our compliance with those tests on a continuing basis. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that our actual results of operations for any particular taxable year will satisfy such requirements. Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP’s opinion does not foreclose the possibility that we may have to use one or more of the REIT savings provisions described below, which would require us to pay an excise or penalty tax (which could be material) in order for us to maintain our REIT qualification. For a discussion of the tax consequences of our failure to qualify as a REIT, see “—Failure to Qualify.”

If we qualify as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the taxable income that we distribute to our stockholders. The benefit of that tax treatment is that it avoids the “double taxation,” or taxation at both the corporate and stockholder levels, that generally results from owning stock in a corporation. However, we will be subject to U.S. federal tax in the following circumstances:

 

   

We will pay U.S. federal income tax on any taxable income, including undistributed net capital gain, that we do not distribute to stockholders during, or within a specified time period after, the calendar year in which the income is earned.

 

   

We will pay income tax at the highest corporate rate on:

 

   

net income from the sale or other disposition of property acquired through foreclosure or after a default on a lease of the property (“foreclosure property”) that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, and

 

   

other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property.

 

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We will pay a 100% tax on net income from sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business.

 

   

If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, as described below under “—Gross Income Tests,” and nonetheless continue to qualify as a REIT because we meet other requirements, we will pay a 100% tax on:

 

   

the gross income attributable to the greater of the amount by which we fail the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, in either case, multiplied by

 

   

a fraction intended to reflect our profitability.

 

   

If we fail to distribute during a calendar year at least the sum of (i) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for the year, (ii) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for the year, and (iii) any undistributed taxable income required to be distributed from earlier periods, we will pay a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the sum of (A) the amount we actually distributed plus (B) retained amounts on which corporate-level tax was paid by us.

 

   

We may elect to retain and pay income tax on our net long-term capital gain. In that case, a U.S. stockholder would be taxed on its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gain (to the extent that we made a timely designation of such gain to the stockholders) and would receive a credit or refund for its proportionate share of the tax we paid.

 

   

We will be subject to a 100% excise tax on transactions with any taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis.

 

   

If we fail any of the asset tests, other than a de minimis failure of the 5% asset test, the 10% vote test or the 10% value test, as described below under “—Asset Tests,” as long as the failure was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, we file a description of each asset that caused such failure with the IRS, and we dispose of the assets causing the failure or otherwise comply with the asset tests within six months after the last day of the quarter in which we identify such failure, we will pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the highest U.S. federal income tax rate then applicable to U.S. corporations on the net income from the non-qualifying assets during the period in which we failed to satisfy the asset tests.

 

   

If we fail to satisfy one or more requirements for REIT qualification, other than the gross income tests and the asset tests, and such failure is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, we will be required to pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure.

 

   

If we acquire any asset from a C corporation, or a corporation that generally is subject to full corporate-level tax, in a merger or other transaction in which we acquire a basis in the asset that is determined by reference either to the C corporation’s basis in the asset or to another asset, we will pay tax at the highest regular corporate rate applicable if we recognize gain on the sale or disposition of the asset during the five-year period after we acquire the asset provided no election is made for the transaction to be taxable on a current basis. The amount of gain on which we will pay tax is the lesser of:

 

   

the amount of gain that we recognize at the time of the sale or disposition, and

 

   

the amount of gain that we would have recognized if we had sold the asset at the time we acquired it.

 

   

We may be required to pay monetary penalties to the IRS in certain circumstances, including if we fail to meet record-keeping requirements intended to monitor our compliance with rules relating to the composition of a REIT’s stockholders, as described below in “—Recordkeeping Requirements.”

 

   

The earnings of our lower-tier entities that are subchapter C corporations, including any of our TRSs and any other TRSs we form in the future, will be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax.

In addition, notwithstanding our qualification as a REIT, we also may have to pay certain state and local income taxes because not all states and localities treat REITs in the same manner that they are treated for U.S. federal

 

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income tax purposes. Moreover, as further described below, our TRSs and any other TRSs we form the future will be subject to U.S. federal, state and local corporate income tax on their taxable income.

Requirements for Qualification

A REIT is a corporation, trust or association that meets each of the following requirements:

 

  1.

It is managed by one or more trustees or directors.

 

  2.

Its beneficial ownership is evidenced by transferable shares, or by transferable certificates of beneficial interest.

 

  3.

It would be taxable as a domestic corporation, but for the REIT provisions of the U.S. federal income tax laws.

 

  4.

It is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company subject to special provisions of the U.S. federal income tax laws.

 

  5.

At least 100 persons are beneficial owners of its shares or ownership certificates.

 

  6.

Not more than 50% in value of its outstanding shares or ownership certificates is owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals, which the Code defines to include certain entities, during the last half of any taxable year.

 

  7.

It elects to be a REIT, or has made such election for a previous taxable year, and satisfies all relevant filing and other administrative requirements established by the IRS that must be met to elect and maintain REIT status.

 

  8.

It meets certain other qualification tests, described below, regarding the nature of its income and assets and the amount of its distributions to stockholders.

 

  9.

It uses a calendar year for U.S. federal income tax purposes and complies with the recordkeeping requirements of the U.S. federal income tax laws.

We must meet requirements 1 through 4, 7, 8 and 9 during our entire taxable year and must meet requirement 5 during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. Requirements 5 and 6 applied to us beginning with our 2022 taxable year. If we comply with all the requirements for ascertaining the ownership of our outstanding stock in a taxable year and have no reason to know that we violated requirement 6, we will be deemed to have satisfied requirement 6 for that taxable year. For purposes of determining stock ownership under requirement 6, an “individual” generally includes a supplemental unemployment compensation benefits plan, a private foundation, or a portion of a trust permanently set aside or used exclusively for charitable purposes. An “individual,” however, generally does not include a trust that is a qualified employee pension or profit sharing trust under the U.S. federal income tax laws, and beneficiaries of such a trust will be treated as holding our stock in proportion to their actuarial interests in the trust for purposes of requirement 6.

Our charter contains restrictions regarding the transfer and ownership of shares of our capital stock. See “—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.” We believe that we have issued sufficient stock with sufficient diversity of ownership to allow us to satisfy requirements 5 and 6 above. The restrictions in our charter are intended (among other things) to assist us in continuing to satisfy requirements 5 and 6 above. These restrictions, however, may not ensure that we will, in all cases, be able to satisfy such share ownership requirements. If we fail to satisfy these share ownership requirements, our qualification as a REIT may terminate.

Qualified REIT Subsidiaries. A corporation that is a “qualified REIT subsidiary” is not treated as a corporation separate from its parent REIT. All assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of a “qualified REIT subsidiary” are treated as assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of the REIT. A “qualified REIT subsidiary” is a corporation, other than a TRS, all of the stock of which is owned by the REIT.

 

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Thus, in applying the requirements described herein, any “qualified REIT subsidiary” that we own will be ignored, and all assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of such subsidiary will be treated as our assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit.

Other Disregarded Entities and Partnerships. An unincorporated domestic entity, such as a limited liability company that has a single owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes, generally is not treated as an entity separate from its owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes. An unincorporated domestic entity with two or more owners generally is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the case of a REIT that is a partner in a partnership that has other partners, the REIT is treated as owning its proportionate share of the assets of the partnership and as earning its allocable share of the gross income of the partnership for purposes of the applicable REIT qualification tests. Our proportionate share for purposes of the 10% value test (see “—Asset Tests”) is based on our proportionate interest in the equity interests and certain debt securities issued by the partnership. For all of the other asset and income tests, our proportionate share is based on our proportionate interest in the capital interests in the partnership. Our proportionate share of the assets, liabilities, and items of income of any partnership, joint venture, or limited liability company that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes in which we acquire an equity interest, directly or indirectly, are treated as our assets and gross income for purposes of applying the various REIT qualification requirements.

We have control of our operating partnership and intend to control any subsidiary partnerships and limited liability companies, and we intend to operate them in a manner consistent with the requirements for our qualification as a REIT. We may from time to time be a limited partner or non-managing member in some of our partnerships and limited liability companies. If a partnership or limited liability company in which we own an interest takes or expects to take actions that could jeopardize our status as a REIT or require us to pay tax, we may be forced to dispose of our interest in such entity. In addition, it is possible that a partnership or limited liability company could take an action that could cause us to fail a gross income or asset test, and that we would not become aware of such action in time to dispose of our interest in the partnership or limited liability company or take other corrective action on a timely basis. In that case, we could fail to qualify as a REIT unless we were entitled to relief, as described below.

Taxable REIT Subsidiaries. A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. A TRS is a fully taxable corporation that may earn income that would not be qualifying income if earned directly by the parent REIT. The subsidiary and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. A corporation (other than a REIT) of which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the outstanding securities will automatically be treated as a TRS. We are not treated as holding the assets of a TRS or as receiving any income that the TRS earns. Rather, the stock issued by a TRS to us is an asset in our hands, and we treat the distributions paid to us from such TRS, if any, as dividend income to the extent of the TRS’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. This treatment may affect our compliance with the gross income and asset tests. Because we do not include the assets and income of TRSs in determining our compliance with the REIT requirements, we may use such entities to undertake indirectly activities that the REIT rules might otherwise preclude us from doing directly or through pass-through subsidiaries. Overall, no more than 20% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. A TRS generally may not directly or indirectly operate or manage any health care facilities or lodging facilities or provide rights to any brand name under which any health care facility or lodging facility is operated.

A TRS pays income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the TRS rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. In addition, overall limitations on the deductibility of net interest expense by businesses could apply to any TRS. Further, the rules impose a 100% excise tax on transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT or the REIT’s tenants that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis, such as any redetermined rents, redetermined deductions, excess interest or redetermined TRS service income. In general, redetermined rents are rents from real property that are overstated as a result of any services furnished to any of our tenants by a TRS of ours, redetermined deductions and excess interest represent any amounts that are

 

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deducted by a TRS of ours for amounts paid to us that are in excess of the amounts that would have been deducted based on arm’s length negotiations, and redetermined TRS service income is income of a TRS that is understated as a result of services provided to us or on our behalf. Rents we receive will not constitute redetermined rents if they qualify for certain safe harbor provisions contained in the Code. Dividends paid to us from a TRS, if any, will be treated as dividend income received from a corporation. The foregoing treatment of TRSs may reduce the cash flow generated by us and our subsidiaries in the aggregate and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and may affect our compliance with the gross income tests and asset tests.

Rent that we receive from a TRS will qualify as “rents from real property” as long as (1) at least 90% of the leased space in the property is leased to persons other than TRSs and related-party tenants, and (2) the amount paid by the TRS to rent space at the property is substantially comparable to rents paid by other tenants of the property for comparable space, as described in further detail below under “—Gross Income Tests—Rents from Real Property.” If we lease space to a TRS in the future, we will seek to comply with these requirements. We have elected to treat at least one of our subsidiaries as a TRS. TRSs are subject to corporate income tax on their taxable income. We may elect to treat other entities as TRSs in the future.

Gross Income Tests

We must satisfy two gross income tests annually to maintain our qualification as a REIT. First, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year must consist of defined types of income that we derive, directly or indirectly, from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property or qualified temporary investment income (the “75% gross income test”). Qualifying income for purposes of that 75% gross income test generally includes:

 

   

rents from real property;

 

   

interest on debt secured by mortgages on real property, or on interests in real property, and interest on debt secured by mortgages on both real and personal property if the fair market value of such personal property does not exceed 15% of the total fair market value of all such property;

 

   

dividends or other distributions on, and gain from the sale of, shares in other REITs;

 

   

gain from the sale of real estate assets;

 

   

income and gain derived from foreclosure property; and

 

   

income derived from the temporary investment of new capital that is attributable to the issuance of our stock or a public offering of our debt with a maturity date of at least five years and that we receive during the one-year period beginning on the date on which we received such new capital.

Although a debt instrument issued by a “publicly offered REIT” (i.e., a REIT that is required to file annual and periodic reports with the SEC under the Exchange Act) is treated as a “real estate asset” for the asset tests, neither the gain from the sale of such debt instruments nor interest on such debt instruments is treated as qualifying income for the 75% gross income test unless the debt instrument is secured by real property or an interest in real property.

Second, in general, at least 95% of our gross income for each taxable year must consist of income that is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, other types of interest and dividends, gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities, or any combination of these (the “95% gross income test”). Gross income from our sale of property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator in both gross income tests. In addition, income and gain from “hedging transactions” (as defined in “—Hedging Transactions”) that we enter into to hedge indebtedness incurred or to be incurred to acquire or carry real estate assets and that are clearly and timely identified as such will be excluded from both the numerator and the denominator for purposes of the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test. In

 

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addition, certain foreign currency gains will be excluded from gross income for purposes of one or both of the gross income tests. See “—Foreign Currency Gain.” Finally, gross income attributable to cancellation of indebtedness income will be excluded from both the numerator and denominator for purposes of both of the gross income tests. The following paragraphs discuss the specific application of the gross income tests to us.

Rents from Real Property. Rent that we receive from our real property will qualify as “rents from real property,” which is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test, only if the following conditions are met:

 

   

First, the rent must not be based, in whole or in part, on the income or profits of any person, but may be based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales.

 

   

Second, neither we nor a direct or indirect owner of 10% or more of our stock may own, actually or constructively, 10% or more of a tenant from whom we receive rent, other than a TRS.

 

   

Third, if the rent attributable to personal property leased in connection with a lease of real property is 15% or less of the total rent received under the lease, then the rent attributable to personal property will qualify as rents from real property. However, if the 15% threshold is exceeded, the rent attributable to personal property will not qualify as rents from real property.

 

   

Fourth, we generally must not operate or manage our real property or furnish or render services to our tenants, other than through an “independent contractor” who is adequately compensated and from whom we do not derive revenue. Furthermore, we may own up to 100% of the stock of a TRS which may provide customary and noncustomary services to our tenants without tainting our rental income for the related properties. However, we need not provide services through an “independent contractor” or a TRS, but instead may provide services directly to our tenants, if the services are “usually or customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of space for occupancy only and are not considered to be provided for the tenants’ convenience. In addition, we may provide a minimal amount of “noncustomary” services to the tenants of a property, other than through an independent contractor or a TRS, as long as our income from the services (valued at not less than 150% of our direct cost of performing such services) does not exceed 1% of our income from the related property.

As described above, in order for the rent that we receive to constitute “rents from real property,” several other requirements must be satisfied. First, rent must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. Percentage rent, however, will qualify as “rents from real property” if it is based on percentages of receipts or sales and the percentages:

 

   

are fixed at the time the leases are entered into;

 

   

are not renegotiated during the term of the leases in a manner that has the effect of basing rent on income or profits; and

 

   

conform with normal business practice.

More generally, rent will not qualify as “rents from real property” if, considering the leases and all the surrounding circumstances, the arrangement does not conform with normal business practice, but is in reality used as a means of basing the rent on income or profits.

Second, if we own, at any time during the taxable year, actually or constructively, 10% or more (measured by voting power or fair market value) of the stock of a corporate lessee, or 10% or more of the assets or net profits of any non-corporate lessee (each a “related party tenant”), other than a TRS, any income we receive from the lessee during the year will be non-qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test. The constructive ownership rules generally provide that, if 10% or more in value of our stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for any person, we are considered as owning the shares owned, directly or indirectly, by or for such person. We believe that all of our properties are and will be leased to third parties that do not constitute related party

 

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tenants. In addition, our charter provides that transfers of our stock that would cause us to own actually or constructively, 10% or more of the ownership interests in any non-TRS lessee are prohibited. Based on the foregoing, we should never own, actually or constructively, 10% or more of any lessee other than a TRS. However, because the constructive ownership rules are broad and it is not possible to monitor continually direct and indirect transfers of our stock, no absolute assurance can be given that such transfers or other events of which we have no knowledge will not cause us to own constructively 10% or more of a lessee (or a subtenant, in which case only rent attributable to the subtenant is disqualified) other than a TRS at some future date.

As described above, we may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraph, under an exception to the related-party tenant rule, rent that we receive from a TRS will qualify as “rents from real property” as long as (i) at least 90% of the leased space in the property is leased to persons other than TRSs and related-party tenants, and (ii) the amount paid by the TRS to rent space at the property is substantially comparable to rents paid by other tenants of the property for comparable space. The “substantially comparable” requirement must be satisfied when the lease is entered into, when it is extended, and when the lease is modified, if the modification increases the rent paid by the TRS. If the requirement that at least 90% of the leased space in the related property is rented to unrelated tenants is met when a lease is entered into, extended, or modified, such requirement will continue to be met as long as there is no increase in the space leased to any TRS or related party tenant. Any increased rent attributable to a modification of a lease with a TRS in which we own directly or indirectly more than 50% of the voting power or value of the stock (a “controlled TRS”) will not be treated as “rents from real property.” If in the future we receive rent from a TRS, we will seek to comply with this exception.

Third, the rent attributable to the personal property leased in connection with the lease of a property must not be greater than 15% of the total rent received under the lease. The rent attributable to the personal property contained in a property is the amount that bears the same ratio to total rent for the taxable year as the average of the fair market values of the personal property at the beginning and at the end of the taxable year bears to the average of the aggregate fair market values of both the real and personal property contained in the property at the beginning and at the end of such taxable year (the “personal property ratio”). With respect to each of our leases, we believe either that the personal property ratio is less than 15% or that any rent attributable to excess personal property, when taken together with all of our other non-qualifying income, will not jeopardize our ability to qualify as a REIT. There can be no assurance, however, that the IRS would not challenge our calculation of a personal property ratio, or that a court would not uphold such assertion. If such a challenge were successfully asserted, we could fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test or 95% gross income test and thus potentially lose our REIT status.

Fourth, except as described below, we cannot furnish or render noncustomary services to the tenants of our properties, or manage or operate our properties, other than through an independent contractor who is adequately compensated and from whom we do not derive or receive any income. However, we need not provide services through an “independent contractor,” but instead may provide services directly to our tenants, if the services are “usually or customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of space for occupancy only and are not considered to be provided for the tenants’ convenience. In addition, we may provide a minimal amount of “noncustomary” services to the tenants of a property, other than through an independent contractor, as long as our income from the services (valued at not less than 150% of our direct cost for performing such services) does not exceed 1% of our income from the related property. Finally, we may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs, which may provide noncustomary services to our tenants without tainting our rents from the related properties. We believe that we do not perform any services other than customary ones for our lessees, other than services that are provided through independent contractors or TRSs.

If a portion of the rent that we receive from a property does not qualify as “rents from real property” because the rent attributable to personal property exceeds 15% of the total rent for a taxable year, the portion of the rent that is attributable to personal property will not be qualifying income for purposes of either the 75% gross income test or 95% gross income test. Thus, if such rent attributable to personal property, plus any other income that is

 

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non-qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test, during a taxable year exceeds 5% of our gross income during the year, we would lose our REIT qualification. If, however, the rent from a particular property does not qualify as “rents from real property” because either (i) the rent is considered based on the income or profits of the related lessee, (ii) the lessee either is a related party tenant or fails to qualify for the exceptions to the related party tenant rule for qualifying TRSs or (iii) we furnish more than de minimis noncustomary services to the tenants of the property, or manage or operate the property, other than through a qualifying independent contractor or a TRS, none of the rent from that property would qualify as “rents from real property.” In that case, we might lose our REIT qualification because we might be unable to satisfy either the 75% gross income test or 95% gross income test. In addition to the rent, the lessees are required to pay certain additional charges. To the extent that such additional charges represent either (i) reimbursements of amounts that we are obligated to pay to third parties, such as a lessee’s proportionate share of a property’s operational or capital expenses, or (ii) penalties for nonpayment or late payment of such amounts, such charges should qualify as “rents from real property.” However, to the extent that late charges do not qualify as “rents from real property,” they instead will be treated as interest that qualifies for the 95% gross income test. We believe that our leases are structured in a manner that will enable us to continue satisfy the REIT gross income tests.

Interest. For purposes of the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test, the term “interest” generally does not include any amount received or accrued, directly or indirectly, if the determination of such amount depends in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. However, interest generally includes the following:

 

   

an amount that is based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales; and

 

   

an amount that is based on the income or profits of a debtor, as long as the debtor derives substantially all of its income from the real property securing the debt from leasing substantially all of its interest in the property, and only to the extent that the amounts received by the debtor would be qualifying “rents from real property” if received directly by a REIT.

Interest on debt secured by a mortgage on real property or on interests in real property, including, for this purpose, discount points, prepayment penalties, loan assumption fees, and late payment charges that are not compensation for services, generally is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. However, if a loan is secured by real property and other property and the highest principal amount of a loan outstanding during a taxable year exceeds the fair market value of the real property securing the loan as of the date the REIT agreed to originate or acquire the loan or on the date the REIT modifies the loan (if the modification is treated as “significant” for U.S. federal income tax purposes), a portion of the interest income from such loan will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, but will be qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test. The portion of the interest income that will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test will be equal to the portion of the principal amount of the loan that is not secured by real property—that is, the amount by which the loan exceeds the value of the real estate that is security for the loan. For purposes of this paragraph, however, we do not need to redetermine the fair market value of the real property securing a loan in connection with a loan modification that is occasioned by a borrower default or made at a time when we reasonably believe that the modification to the loan will substantially reduce a significant risk of default on the original loan. In addition, in the case of a loan that is secured by both real property and personal property, if the fair market value of such personal property does not exceed 15% of the total fair market value of all such property securing the loan, then the personal property securing the loan will be treated as real property for purposes of determining whether the interest on such loan is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test.

If a loan contains a provision that entitles a REIT to a percentage of the borrower’s gain upon the sale of the real property securing the loan or a percentage of the appreciation in the property’s value as of a specific date, income attributable to that loan provision will be treated as gain from the sale of the property securing the loan, which generally is qualifying income for purposes of both gross income tests assuming the loan is held for investment.

Dividends. Our share of any dividends received from any corporation (including any TRS, but excluding any REIT) in which we own an equity interest will qualify for purposes of the 95% gross income test but not for

 

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purposes of the 75% gross income test. Our share of any dividends received from any other REIT in which we own an equity interest, if any, will be qualifying income for purposes of both gross income tests.

Fee Income. We may receive various fees. Fee income generally will not be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test. Any fees earned by a TRS are not included for purposes of the gross income tests. We do not expect such amounts, if any, to negatively impact our compliance with REIT gross income tests.

Prohibited Transactions. A REIT will incur a 100% tax on the net income (including foreign currency gain) derived from any sale or other disposition of property, other than foreclosure property, that the REIT holds primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business. Net income derived from such prohibited transactions is excluded from gross income for purposes of the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test. We believe that none of our assets are held primarily for sale to customers and that a sale of any of our assets will not be in the ordinary course of our business. Whether a REIT holds an asset “primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business” depends, however, on the facts and circumstances in effect from time to time, including those related to a particular asset. A safe harbor to the characterization of the sale of property by a REIT as a prohibited transaction and the 100% prohibited transaction tax is available if the following requirements are met:

 

   

the REIT has held the property for not less than two years;

 

   

the aggregate expenditures made by the REIT, or any partner of the REIT, during the two-year period preceding the date of the sale that are includable in the basis of the property do not exceed 30% of the selling price of the property;

 

   

either (i) during the year in question, the REIT did not make more than seven sales of property other than foreclosure property or sales to which Section 1031 or 1033 of the Code applies, (ii) the aggregate adjusted bases of all such properties sold by the REIT during the year did not exceed 10% of the aggregate bases of all of the assets of the REIT at the beginning of the year, (iii) the aggregate fair market value of all such properties sold by the REIT during the year did not exceed 10% of the aggregate fair market value of all of the assets of the REIT at the beginning of the year, (iv) (a) the aggregate adjusted bases of all such properties sold by the REIT during the year did not exceed 20% of the aggregate adjusted bases of all property of the REIT at the beginning of the year and (b) the three-year average percentage of properties sold by the REIT compared to all the REIT’s properties (measured by adjusted bases) taking into account the current and two prior years did not exceed 10%, or (v) (a) the aggregate fair market value of all such properties sold by the REIT during the year did not exceed 20% of the aggregate fair market value of all property of the REIT at the beginning of the year and (b) the three-year average percentage of properties sold by the REIT compared to all the REIT’s properties (measured by fair market value) taking into account the current and two prior years did not exceed 10%;

 

   

in the case of property not acquired through foreclosure or lease termination, the REIT has held the property for at least two years for the production of rental income; and

 

   

if the REIT has made more than seven sales of non-foreclosure property during the taxable year, substantially all of the marketing and development expenditures with respect to the property were made through an independent contractor from whom the REIT derives no income or a TRS.

We will attempt to comply with the terms of the safe-harbor provisions in the U.S. federal income tax laws prescribing when an asset sale will not be characterized as a prohibited transaction. We cannot assure you, however, that we can comply with the safe-harbor provisions or that we will avoid owning property that may be characterized as property that we hold “primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business.” The 100% tax will not apply to gains from the sale of property that is held through a TRS or other taxable corporation, although such income will be taxed to the corporation at regular corporate income tax rates.

 

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Foreclosure Property. We will be subject to tax at the maximum corporate rate on any net income from foreclosure property, which includes certain foreign currency gains and related deductions, other than income that otherwise would be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, less expenses directly connected with the production of that income. However, gross income from foreclosure property will qualify under the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test. Foreclosure property is any real property, including interests in real property, and any personal property incident to such real property:

 

   

that is acquired by a REIT as the result of the REIT having bid on such property at foreclosure, or having otherwise reduced such property to ownership or possession by agreement or process of law, after there was a default or default was imminent on a lease of such property or on indebtedness that such property secured;

 

   

for which the related loan was acquired by the REIT at a time when the default was not imminent or anticipated; and

 

   

for which the REIT makes a proper election to treat the property as foreclosure property.

A REIT will not be considered to have foreclosed on a property where the REIT takes control of the property as a mortgagee-in-possession and cannot receive any profit or sustain any loss except as a creditor of the mortgagor. Property generally ceases to be foreclosure property at the end of the third taxable year (or, with respect to qualified health care property, the second taxable year) following the taxable year in which the REIT acquired the property, or longer if an extension is granted by the Secretary of the Treasury. However, this grace period terminates and foreclosure property ceases to be foreclosure property on the first day:

 

   

on which a lease is entered into for the property that, by its terms, will give rise to income that does not qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test, or any amount is received or accrued, directly or indirectly, pursuant to a lease entered into on or after such day that will give rise to income that does not qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test;

 

   

on which any construction takes place on the property, other than completion of a building or any other improvement, where more than 10% of the construction was completed before default became imminent; or

 

   

which is more than 90 days after the day on which the REIT acquired the property and the property is used in a trade or business which is conducted by the REIT, other than through an independent contractor from whom the REIT itself does not derive or receive any income or a TRS.

Hedging Transactions. From time to time, we have entered and may enter in the future into hedging transactions with respect to one or more of our assets or liabilities. Our hedging activities may include entering into interest rate swaps, caps, and floors, options to purchase such items, and futures and forward contracts. Income and gain from “hedging transactions” will be excluded from gross income for purposes of both the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test provided we satisfy the identification requirements discussed below. A “hedging transaction” means (i) any transaction entered into in the normal course of our or our operating partnership’s trade or business primarily to manage the risk of interest rate changes, price changes, or currency fluctuations with respect to borrowings made or to be made, or ordinary obligations incurred or to be incurred, to acquire or carry real estate assets, (ii) any transaction entered into primarily to manage the risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would be qualifying income under the 75% gross income test or 95% gross income test (or any property which generates such income or gain) or (iii) any transaction entered into to “offset” a transaction described in (i) or (ii) if a portion of the hedged indebtedness is extinguished or the related property is disposed of. We are required to clearly identify any such hedging transaction before the close of the day on which it was acquired, originated or entered into and to satisfy other identification requirements. We believe we have structured our hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our qualification as a REIT.

Foreign Currency Gain. Certain foreign currency gains will be excluded from gross income for purposes of one or both of the gross income tests. “Real estate foreign exchange gain” will be excluded from gross income for

 

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purposes of the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test. Real estate foreign exchange gain generally includes foreign currency gain attributable to any item of income or gain that is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, foreign currency gain attributable to the acquisition or ownership of (or becoming or being the obligor under) obligations secured by mortgages on real property or an interest in real property and certain foreign currency gain attributable to certain “qualified business units” of a REIT that would satisfy the 75% gross income test and 75% asset test (discussed below) on a stand-alone basis. “Passive foreign exchange gain” will be excluded from gross income for purposes of the 95% gross income test. Passive foreign exchange gain generally includes real estate foreign exchange gain as described above, and also includes foreign currency gain attributable to any item of income or gain that is qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test and foreign currency gain attributable to the acquisition or ownership of (or becoming or being the obligor under) obligations. These exclusions for real estate foreign exchange gain and passive foreign exchange gain do not apply to foreign currency gain derived from dealing, or engaging in substantial and regular trading, in securities. Such gain is treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test.

Failure to Satisfy Gross Income Tests. We may have gross income that fails to constitute qualifying income for purposes of one or both of the gross income tests. Taking into account our anticipated sources of non-qualifying income, however, we expect that our aggregate gross income will allow us to continue to satisfy the 75% gross income test and 95% gross income test applicable to REITs. If we fail to satisfy one or both of the gross income tests for any taxable year, we nevertheless may qualify as a REIT for that year if we qualify for relief under certain provisions of the U.S. federal income tax laws. Those relief provisions are available if:

 

   

our failure to meet those tests is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect; and

 

   

following such failure for any taxable year, we file a schedule of the sources of our income in accordance with Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury.

We cannot predict, however, whether in all circumstances we would qualify for the relief provisions. In addition, as discussed above in “—Taxation of Our Company,” even if the relief provisions apply, we would incur a 100% tax on the gross income attributable to the greater of the amount by which we fail the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test multiplied, in either case, by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability.

Asset Tests

To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we also must satisfy the following asset tests at the end of each quarter of each taxable year.

First, at least 75% of the value of our total assets must consist of:

 

   

cash or cash items, including certain receivables, money market funds and, in certain circumstances, foreign currencies;

 

   

U.S. government securities;

 

   

interests in real property, including leaseholds and options to acquire real property and leaseholds, and personal property to the extent such personal property is leased in connection with real property and rents attributable to such personal property are treated as “rents from real property”;

 

   

interests in mortgage loans secured by real property;

 

   

interests in mortgage loans secured by both real property and personal property if the fair market value of such personal property does not exceed 15% of the total fair market value of all such property;

 

   

stock in other REITs and debt instruments issued by “publicly offered REITs”; and

 

   

investments in stock or debt instruments during the one-year period following our receipt of new capital that we raise through equity offerings or public offerings of debt with at least a five-year term (the “75% asset test”).

 

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Second, of our investments not included in the 75% asset class, the value of our interest in any one issuer’s securities may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets (the “5% asset test”).

Third, of our investments not included in the 75% asset class, we may not own more than 10% of the voting power of any one issuer’s outstanding securities or 10% of the value of any one issuer’s outstanding securities (the “10% vote test” or “10% value test,” respectively).

Fourth, no more than 20% of the value of our total assets may consist of the securities of one or more TRSs.

Fifth, no more than 25% of the value of our total assets may consist of the securities of TRSs and other non-TRS taxable subsidiaries and other assets that are not qualifying assets for purposes of the 75% asset test.

Sixth, no more than 25% of the value of our total assets may consist of debt instruments issued by “publicly offered REITs” to the extent such debt instruments are not secured by real property or interests in real property.

For purposes of the 5% asset test, the 10% vote test and the 10% value test, the term “securities” does not include shares in another REIT, debt of “publicly offered REITs,” equity or debt securities of a qualified REIT subsidiary or TRS, mortgage loans that constitute real estate assets, or equity interests in a partnership. The term “securities,” however, generally includes debt securities issued by a partnership or another REIT (other than a “publicly offered REIT”), except that for purposes of the 10% value test, the term “securities” does not include:

 

   

“Straight debt” securities, which is defined as a written unconditional promise to pay on demand or on a specified date a sum certain in money if (i) the debt is not convertible, directly or indirectly, into equity, and (ii) the interest rate and interest payment dates are not contingent on profits, the borrower’s discretion, or similar factors. “Straight debt” securities do not include any securities issued by a partnership or a corporation in which we or any controlled TRS (i.e., a TRS in which we own directly or indirectly more than 50% of the voting power or value of the stock) hold non-“straight debt” securities that have an aggregate value of more than 1% of the issuer’s outstanding securities. However, “straight debt” securities include debt subject to the following contingencies:

 

   

a contingency relating to the time of payment of interest or principal, as long as either (i) there is no change to the effective yield of the debt obligation, other than a change to the annual yield that does not exceed the greater of 0.25% or 5% of the annual yield, or (ii) neither the aggregate issue price nor the aggregate face amount of the issuer’s debt obligations held by us exceeds $1 million and no more than 12 months of unaccrued interest on the debt obligations can be required to be prepaid; and

 

   

a contingency relating to the time or amount of payment upon a default or prepayment of a debt obligation, as long as the contingency is consistent with customary commercial practice.

 

   

Any loan to an individual or an estate;

 

   

Any “Section 467 rental agreement,” other than an agreement with a related party tenant;

 

   

Any obligation to pay “rents from real property”;

 

   

Certain securities issued by governmental entities;

 

   

Any security issued by a REIT;

 

   

Any debt instrument issued by an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes in which we are a partner to the extent of our proportionate interest in the equity and debt securities of the partnership; and

 

   

Any debt instrument issued by an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes not described in the preceding bullet points if at least 75% of the partnership’s gross income, excluding income from prohibited transactions, is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test described above in “—Gross Income Tests.”

 

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For purposes of the 10% value test, our proportionate share of the assets of a partnership is our proportionate interest in any securities issued by the partnership, without regard to the securities described in the last two bullet points above.

In general, under the applicable Treasury Regulations, if a loan is secured by real property and other property and the highest principal amount of the loan outstanding during a taxable year exceeds the fair market value of the real property securing the loan as of: (1) the date we agreed to acquire or originate the loan; or (2) in the event of a significant modification not covered by the IRS Revenue Procedure described below, the date we modified the loan, then a portion of the interest income from such a loan will not be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, but will be qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test. Although the law is not entirely clear, a portion of the loan will also likely be a non-qualifying asset for purposes of the 75% asset test. The non-qualifying portion of such a loan would be subject to, among other requirements, the 10% vote or the 10% value test. IRS Revenue Procedure 2014-51 provides a safe harbor under which the IRS has stated that it will not challenge a REIT’s treatment of a loan as being, in part, a qualifying real estate asset in an amount equal to the lesser of (1) the fair market value of the loan on the relevant quarterly REIT asset testing date or (2) the greater of (a) the fair market value of the real property securing the loan on the relevant quarterly REIT testing date or (b) the fair market value of the real property securing the loan on the date the REIT committed to originate or acquire the loan. It is unclear how the safe harbor in Revenue Procedure 2014-51 is affected by the subsequent legislative changes regarding the treatment of loans secured by both real property and personal property where the fair market value of the personal property does not exceed 15% of the sum of the fair market values of the real property and personal property securing the loan. We intend to invest in mortgage loans, if any, in a manner that will enable us to continue to satisfy the asset and gross income test requirements.

We will monitor the status of our assets for purposes of the various asset tests and will manage our portfolio in order to comply at all times with such tests. However, there is no assurance that we will not inadvertently fail to comply with such tests. If we fail to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a calendar quarter, we will not lose our REIT qualification if:

 

   

we satisfied the asset tests at the end of the preceding calendar quarter; and

 

   

the discrepancy between the value of our assets and the asset test requirements arose from changes in the market values of our assets and was not wholly or partly caused by the acquisition of one or more non-qualifying assets.

If we did not satisfy the condition described in the second item, above, we still could avoid disqualification by eliminating any discrepancy within 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter in which it arose.

If we violate the 5% asset test, the 10% vote test or the 10% value test described above, we will not lose our REIT qualification if (i) the failure is de minimis (up to the lesser of 1% of our assets or $10 million) and (ii) we dispose of assets causing the failure or otherwise comply with the asset tests within six months after the last day of the quarter in which we identify such failure. If we fail any of the asset tests (other than de minimis failures described in the preceding sentence), as long as the failure was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, we will not lose our REIT qualification if we (i) dispose of assets causing the failure or otherwise comply with the asset tests within six months after the last day of the quarter in which we identify the failure, (ii) file a description of each asset causing the failure with the IRS and (iii) pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the highest U.S. federal corporate income tax rate applicable to the net income from the assets causing the failure during the period in which we failed to satisfy the asset tests.

We believe that the assets that we hold, and that we will acquire in the future, will allow us to satisfy the foregoing asset test requirements. However, we do not typically obtain independent appraisals to support our conclusions as to the value of our assets. Moreover, the values of some assets may not be susceptible to a precise determination. As a result, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not contend that our ownership of certain assets violates one or more of the asset tests applicable to REITs.

 

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Distribution Requirements

Each taxable year, we must distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends and deemed distributions of retained capital gain, to our stockholders in an aggregate amount at least equal to:

 

   

the sum of

 

   

90% of our “REIT taxable income,” computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and our net capital gain or loss, and

 

   

90% of our after-tax net income, if any, from foreclosure property, minus

 

   

the excess of the sum of certain items of non-cash income over a specified percentage of our “REIT taxable income” (the “90% distribution requirement”).

We must pay such distributions in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if either (i) we declare the distribution before we timely file our U.S. federal income tax return for the year and pay the distribution on or before the first regular dividend payment date after such declaration or (ii) we declare the distribution in October, November or December of the taxable year, payable to stockholders of record on a specified day in any such month, and we actually pay the dividend before the end of January of the following year. The distributions under clause (i) are taxable to the stockholders in the year in which paid, and the distributions in clause (ii) are treated as paid on December 31 of the prior taxable year. In both instances, these distributions relate to our prior taxable year for purposes of the 90% distribution requirement to the extent of our earnings and profits for such prior taxable year.

If we cease to be a “publicly offered REIT,” then in order for our distributions to be counted as satisfying the annual distribution requirement for REITs and to provide us with the REIT-level tax deduction, such distributions must not have been “preferential dividends.” A dividend is not a preferential dividend if that distribution is (i) pro rata among all outstanding shares within a particular class of stock and (ii) in accordance with the preferences among different classes of stock as set forth in our charter.

We will pay U.S. federal income tax on taxable income, including net capital gain, that we do not distribute to stockholders. Furthermore, if we fail to distribute during a calendar year, or by the end of January following the calendar year in the case of distributions with declaration and record dates falling in the last three months of the calendar year, at least the sum of:

 

   

85% of our REIT ordinary income for such year,

 

   

95% of our REIT capital gain income for such year, and

 

   

any undistributed taxable income from prior periods,

we will incur a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the amounts we actually distribute.

We may elect to retain and pay U.S. federal income tax on the net long-term capital gain we receive in a taxable year. If we so elect, we will be treated as having distributed any such retained amount for purposes of the 4% nondeductible excise tax described above. We intend to make timely distributions sufficient to satisfy the annual distribution requirements and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% nondeductible excise tax.

It is possible that, from time to time, we may experience timing differences between the actual receipt of income and actual payment of deductible expenses and the inclusion of that income and deduction of such expenses in arriving at our REIT taxable income. For example, we may not deduct recognized capital losses from our “REIT taxable income.” Further, it is possible that, from time to time, we may be allocated a share of net capital gain attributable to the sale of depreciated property that exceeds our allocable share of cash attributable to that sale. As a result of the foregoing, we may have less cash than is necessary to distribute taxable income sufficient to

 

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avoid corporate income tax and the excise tax imposed on certain undistributed income or even to meet the 90% distribution requirement. In such a situation, we may need to borrow funds or, if possible, pay taxable dividends of our capital stock or debt securities.

We may satisfy the 90% distribution requirement with taxable distributions of our stock or debt securities. The IRS has issued a revenue procedure authorizing publicly offered REITs to treat certain distributions that are paid partly in cash and partly in stock as dividends that would satisfy the REIT annual distribution requirement and qualify for the dividends paid deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We currently do not intend to pay taxable dividends payable in cash and stock.

Under certain circumstances, we may be able to correct a failure to meet the distribution requirement for a year by paying “deficiency dividends” to our stockholders in a later year. We may include such deficiency dividends in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. Although we may be able to avoid income tax on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends, we will be required to pay interest to the IRS based upon the amount of any deduction we take for deficiency dividends.

Recordkeeping Requirements

To avoid a monetary penalty, we must request on an annual basis information from our stockholders designed to disclose the actual ownership of our outstanding stock. We have complied and intend to continue to comply with these requirements. A stockholder that fails or refuses to comply with such request is required by the Treasury Regulations to submit a statement with its tax return disclosing the actual ownership of our stock and other information.

Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer

Shares of our common stock are subject to limitations on ownership and transfer that are intended to assist us in qualifying as a REIT, among other purposes. Our charter generally provides that no person may actually, beneficially or constructively own more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or more than 9.8% in value of the aggregate outstanding shares of all classes and series of our stock.

Failure to Qualify

If we fail to satisfy one or more requirements for REIT qualification, other than the gross income tests and the asset tests, we could avoid disqualification if our failure is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect and we pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure. In addition, there are relief provisions for a failure of the gross income tests and asset tests, as described in “—Gross Income Tests” and “—Asset Tests.”

If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, and no relief provision applies, we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. In calculating our taxable income in a year in which we fail to qualify as a REIT, we would not be able to deduct amounts paid out to stockholders. In fact, we would not be required to distribute any amounts to stockholders in that year. In such event, to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, distributions to stockholders generally would be taxable as ordinary dividend income, regardless if they are attributable to capital gains. Subject to certain limitations of the U.S. federal income tax laws, corporate stockholders may be eligible for the dividends received deduction and stockholders taxed at individual rates may be eligible for a reduced U.S. federal income tax rate on such dividends. Unless we qualified for relief under specific statutory provisions, we also would be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we ceased to qualify as a REIT. We cannot predict whether in all circumstances we would qualify for such statutory relief.

 

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Taxation of Taxable U.S. Stockholders

As used herein, the term “U.S. stockholder” means a beneficial owner of our capital stock that for U.S. federal income tax purposes is:

 

   

a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a corporation (including an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any of its states or the District of Columbia;

 

   

an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

   

any trust if (i) 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 (ii) it has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.

If a partnership, entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the U.S. 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 capital stock, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock by the partnership.

Taxation of U.S. Stockholders on Distributions on Common Stock

As long as we qualify as a REIT, a taxable U.S. stockholder must generally take into account as ordinary income distributions made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits that we do not designate as capital gain dividends or retained long-term capital gain. For purposes of determining whether a distribution is made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, our earnings and profits will be allocated first to our preferred stock dividends and then to our common stock dividends. Our dividends will not qualify for the dividends received deduction generally available to corporations. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2026, individuals, trusts and estates may be able to deduct a portion of certain pass-through income, including ordinary REIT dividends that are not “capital gain dividends” or “qualified dividend income,” subject to certain limitations (the “pass-through deduction”). Qualified dividend income generally includes dividends paid by domestic C corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations to U.S. stockholders that are taxed at individual rates. Because we are not generally subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our REIT taxable income distributed to our stockholders (See—“Taxation of Our Company” above), our dividends generally will not be eligible for the preferential tax rate on qualified dividend income. As a result, our ordinary REIT dividends generally will be taxed at the higher tax rate applicable to ordinary income. However, the preferential tax rate for qualified dividend income will apply to our ordinary REIT dividends (i) attributable to dividends received by us from non-REIT corporations during the taxable year, such as a TRS, and (ii) to the extent attributable to income upon which we have paid corporate income tax (e.g., to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our taxable income). In general, to qualify for the reduced tax rate on qualified dividend income, a U.S. stockholder must hold our common stock for more than 60 days during the 121 day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the date on which our common stock becomes ex-dividend.

A U.S. stockholder generally will take into account as long-term capital gain any distributions that we designate as capital gain dividends without regard to the period for which the U.S. stockholder has held our stock. We generally will designate our capital gain dividends as either from the sale or exchange of “Section 1250 property,” or depreciable real property, or distributions from the sale or exchange of all other capital assets. See “—Capital Gains and Losses.” A corporate U.S. stockholder, however, may be required to treat a portion of its capital gain dividends as ordinary income.

We may elect to retain and pay income tax on the net long-term capital gain that we receive in a taxable year. In that case, to the extent that we designate such amount in a timely notice to such stockholder, a U.S. stockholder would be taxed on its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gain. The U.S. stockholder

 

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would receive a credit for its proportionate share of the tax we paid. The U.S. stockholder would increase the basis in its stock by the amount of its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gain, minus its share of the tax we paid.

A U.S. stockholder will not incur tax on a distribution in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits if the distribution does not exceed the adjusted basis of the U.S. stockholder in the shares of common stock on which the distribution was paid. Instead, the distribution will reduce the adjusted basis of such stock. A U.S. stockholder will recognize a distribution in excess of both our current and accumulated earnings and profits and the U.S. stockholder’s adjusted basis in his or her stock as long-term capital gain, or short-term capital gain if the shares of stock have been held for one year or less, assuming the shares of stock are a capital asset in the hands of the U.S. stockholder. In addition, if we declare a distribution in October, November, or December of any year that is payable to a U.S. stockholder of record on a specified date in any such month, such distribution shall be treated as both paid by us and received by the U.S. stockholder on December 31 of such year, provided that we actually pay the distribution during January of the following calendar year.

U.S. stockholders may not include in their individual income tax returns any of our net operating losses or capital losses. Instead, these losses are generally carried over by us for potential offset against our future income. Taxable distributions from us and gain from the disposition of our common stock will not be treated as passive activity income and, therefore, U.S. stockholders generally will not be able to apply any “passive activity losses,” such as losses from certain types of limited partnerships in which the U.S. stockholder is a limited partner, against such income. In addition, taxable distributions from us and gain from the disposition of our common stock generally will be treated as investment income for purposes of the investment interest limitations. We will notify U.S. stockholders after the close of our taxable year as to the portions of the distributions attributable to that year that constitute ordinary income, return of capital and capital gain.

Taxation of U.S. Stockholders on the Disposition of Common Stock

A U.S. stockholder who is not a dealer in securities must generally treat any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of our stock as long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder has held our stock for more than one year and otherwise as short-term capital gain or loss. In general, a U.S. stockholder will realize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the sum of the fair market value of any property and the amount of cash received in such disposition and the U.S. stockholder’s adjusted tax basis. A U.S. stockholder’s adjusted tax basis generally will equal the stockholder’s acquisition cost, increased by the excess of net capital gains deemed distributed to the U.S. stockholder (discussed above) less tax deemed paid on such gains and reduced by any returns of capital. However, a U.S. stockholder must treat any loss upon a sale or exchange of stock held by such stockholder for six months or less as a long-term capital loss to the extent of capital gain dividends and any other actual or deemed distributions from us that such U.S. stockholder treats as long-term capital gain. All or a portion of any loss that a U.S. stockholder realizes upon a taxable disposition of shares of our stock may be disallowed if the U.S. stockholder purchases other stock within 30 days before or after the disposition.

Capital Gains and Losses

A taxpayer generally must hold a capital asset for more than one year for gain or loss derived from its sale or exchange to be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, which generally entitles the taxpayer to a preferential rate on such gain for taxpayers that are taxed at individual rates. The tax rate on gain from the sale or exchange of “Section 1250 property,” or depreciable real property, applies to the lesser of the total amount of the gain or the accumulated depreciation on the Section 1250 property.

With respect to distributions that we designate as capital gain dividends and any retained capital gain that we are deemed to distribute, we generally may designate whether such a distribution is from the sale or exchange of “Section 1250 property” or of other capital assets in order to determine which individual tax rate applies. The tax rate differential between capital gain and ordinary income for those taxpayers may be significant. In addition, the

 

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characterization of income as capital gain or ordinary income may affect the deductibility of capital losses. A non-corporate taxpayer may deduct capital losses not offset by capital gains against its ordinary income only up to a certain maximum annual amount. A non-corporate taxpayer may carry forward unused capital losses indefinitely. A corporate taxpayer must pay tax on its net capital gain at ordinary corporate rates. A corporate taxpayer may deduct capital losses only to the extent of capital gains, with unused losses being carried back three years and forward five years.

FATCA Withholding

Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), a U.S. withholding tax will be imposed on dividends paid to certain U.S. stockholders who own our shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of any amounts withheld.

Additional Medicare Tax

Certain U.S. stockholders, including individuals, estates and trusts, will be subject to an additional tax, which, for individuals, applies to the lesser of (i) “net investment income” or (ii) the excess of “modified adjusted gross income” over a certain threshold amount. “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. It is unclear whether the deduction that individuals may take with respect to ordinary dividends received from us is available to reduce the taxpayer’s gross investment income for these purposes.

Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders

Tax-exempt entities, including qualified employee pension and profit sharing trusts and individual retirement accounts, generally are exempt from U.S. federal income taxation. However, they are subject to taxation on their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). Although many investments in real estate generate UBTI, the IRS has issued a ruling that dividend distributions from a REIT to an exempt employee pension trust do not constitute UBTI. Based on that ruling, amounts that we distribute to tax-exempt stockholders generally should not constitute UBTI. However, if a tax-exempt stockholder were to finance (or be deemed to finance) its acquisition of common stock with debt, a portion of the income that it receives from us would constitute UBTI pursuant to the “debt-financed property” rules. Moreover, 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 U.S. federal income tax laws are subject to different UBTI rules, which generally will require them to characterize distributions that they receive from us as UBTI. Finally, in certain circumstances, a qualified employee pension or profit sharing trust that owns more than 10% of our common stock must treat a percentage of the dividends that it receives from us as UBTI. Such percentage is equal to the gross income we derive from an unrelated trade or business, determined as if we were a pension trust, divided by our total gross income for the year in which we pay the dividends. That rule applies to a pension trust holding more than 10% of our common stock only if:

 

   

the percentage of our dividends that the tax-exempt trust must treat as UBTI is at least 5%;

 

   

we qualify as a REIT by reason of the modification of the rule requiring that no more than 50% of our capital stock be owned by five or fewer individuals that allows the beneficiaries of the pension trust to be treated as holding our capital stock in proportion to their actuarial interests in the pension trust; and

 

   

either:

 

   

one pension trust owns more than 25% of the value of our capital stock; or

 

   

a group of pension trusts individually holding more than 10% of the value of our capital stock collectively owns more than 50% of the value of our capital stock.

 

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Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders

As used herein, the term “non-U.S. stockholder” means a beneficial owner of our common stock that is not a U.S. stockholder, a partnership (or entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or a tax-exempt stockholder. The rules governing U.S. federal income taxation of nonresident alien individuals, foreign corporations, foreign partnerships, and other foreign stockholders are complex. This section is only a summary of such rules. We urge non-U.S. stockholders to consult their tax advisors to determine the impact of federal, state, and local income tax laws on the purchase, ownership and sale of our capital stock, including any reporting requirements.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders on Distributions on Common Stock

A non-U.S. stockholder that receives a distribution that is not attributable to gain from our sale or exchange of a “United States real property interest” (“USRPI”), as defined below, and that we do not designate as a capital gain dividend or retained capital gain will recognize ordinary income to the extent that we pay such distribution out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. A withholding tax equal to 30% of the gross amount of the distribution ordinarily will apply to such distribution unless an applicable tax treaty reduces or eliminates the tax. However, if a distribution is treated as effectively connected with the non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business the non-U.S. stockholder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the distribution at graduated rates, in the same manner as U.S. stockholders are taxed with respect to such distribution, and a non-U.S. stockholder that is a corporation also may be subject to the 30% branch profits tax with respect to that distribution. We plan to withhold U.S. income tax at the rate of 30% on the gross amount of any such distribution paid to a non-U.S. stockholder unless either:

 

   

a lower treaty rate applies and the non-U.S. stockholder files an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E, as applicable (or any applicable successor form), evidencing eligibility for that reduced rate with us;

 

   

the non-U.S. stockholder files an IRS Form W-8ECI (or any applicable successor form) with us claiming that the distribution is effectively connected income; or

 

   

the distribution is treated as attributable to a sale of a USRPI under FIRPTA (discussed below).

A non-U.S. stockholder will not incur tax on a distribution in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits if the excess portion of such distribution does not exceed the adjusted basis of the non-U.S. stockholder in the shares of common stock on which the distribution was paid. Instead, the excess portion of such distribution will reduce the adjusted basis of such stock. A non-U.S. stockholder will be subject to tax on a distribution that exceeds both our current and accumulated earnings and profits and the adjusted basis of its common stock, if the non-U.S. stockholder otherwise would be subject to tax on gain from the sale or disposition of its common stock, as described below. We may be required to withhold at the applicable rate under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) with respect to any distribution that exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Consequently, although we intend to withhold at a rate of 30% on the entire amount of any distribution, to the extent that we do not do so, we may withhold at the applicable FIRPTA withholding rate on any portion of a distribution not subject to withholding at a rate of 30%. Because we generally cannot determine at the time we make a distribution whether 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 non-U.S. stockholder may claim a refund of amounts that we withhold if we later determine that a distribution in fact exceeded our current and accumulated earnings and profits.

For any year in which we qualify as a REIT, a non-U.S. stockholder may incur tax on distributions that are attributable to gain from our sale or exchange of a USRPI under FIRPTA. A USRPI includes certain interests in real property and stock in certain corporations at least 50% of whose assets consist of USRPIs. Under FIRPTA, subject to the exceptions discussed below, a non-U.S. stockholder is taxed on distributions attributable to gain from sales of USRPIs as if such gain were effectively connected with a U.S. business of the non-U.S.

 

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stockholder. A non-U.S. stockholder thus would be taxed on such a distribution at the normal capital gains rates applicable to U.S. stockholders, subject to applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of a nonresident alien individual. A non-U.S. corporate stockholder not entitled to treaty relief or exemption also may be subject to the branch profits tax on such a distribution.

Capital gain distributions to the holders of shares of a class of our common stock that are attributable to our sale of a USRPI will be treated as ordinary dividends rather than as gain from the sale of a USRPI, as long as (i) (a) common stock is treated as being “regularly traded” on an established securities market in the United States, and (b) the non-U.S. stockholder did not own more than 10% of such class of capital stock at any time during the one-year period preceding the distribution or (ii) the non-U.S. stockholder was treated as a “qualified shareholder” or “qualified foreign pension fund,” as discussed below. As a result, non-U.S. stockholders holding 10% or less of our common stock generally will be subject to withholding tax on such capital gain distributions in the same manner as they are subject to withholding tax on ordinary dividends. We believe that our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market in the United States. If a class of our capital stock is not regularly traded on an established securities market in the United States or the non-U.S. stockholder owned more than 10% of the applicable class of our capital stock at any time during the one-year period preceding the distribution, capital gain distributions that are attributable to our sale of real property would be subject to tax under FIRPTA, as described in the preceding paragraph. In such case, we must withhold on any distribution that we could designate as a capital gain dividend at the applicable FIRPTA rate. A non-U.S. stockholder may receive a credit against its tax liability for the amount we withhold. Moreover, if we are a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity,” and a non-U.S. stockholder disposes of shares of our common stock during the 30-day period preceding a dividend payment, and such non-U.S. stockholder (or a person related to such non-U.S. stockholder) acquires or enters into a contract or option to acquire that common stock within 61 days of the first day of the 30-day period described above, and any portion of such dividend payment would, but for the disposition, be treated as being subject to FIRPTA to such non-U.S. stockholder, then such non-U.S. stockholder shall be treated as having income subject to FIRPTA in an amount that, but for the disposition, would have been treated as income subject to FIRPTA.

Although the law is not clear on the matter, it appears that amounts we designate as retained capital gains in respect of our common stock held by U.S. stockholders generally should be treated with respect to non-U.S. stockholders in the same manner as actual distributions by us of capital gain dividends. Under this approach, a non-U.S. stockholder would be able to offset as a credit against its U.S. federal income tax liability resulting from its proportionate share of the tax paid by us on such retained capital gains, and to receive from the IRS a refund to the extent of the non-U.S. stockholder’s proportionate share of such tax paid by us exceeds its actual U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the non-U.S. stockholder furnishes required information to the IRS on a timely basis.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders on the Disposition of Common Stock

Non-U.S. stockholders could incur tax under FIRPTA with respect to gain realized upon a disposition of our common stock if we are a United States real property holding corporation during a specified testing period. If at least 50% of a REIT’s assets are USRPIs, then the REIT will be a United States real property holding corporation. We believe that we are and will continue to be a United States real property holding corporation based on our investment strategy. However, despite our status as a United States real property holding corporation, a non-U.S. stockholder generally would not incur tax under FIRPTA on gain from the sale of our common stock if we are a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity.” A domestically controlled qualified investment entity includes a REIT in which, at all times during a specified testing period, less than 50% in value of its shares are held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. stockholders. We cannot assure you that this test will be met. If our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, an additional exception to the tax under FIRPTA will be available with respect to that class of our capital stock, even if we do not qualify

 

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as a domestically controlled qualified investment entity at the time the non-U.S. stockholder sells shares of our common stock. Under that exception, the gain from such a sale by such a non-U.S. stockholder will not be subject to tax under FIRPTA if:

 

   

our common stock is treated as being regularly traded under applicable Treasury Regulations on an established securities market; and

 

   

the non-U.S. stockholder owned, actually or constructively, 10% or less of our common stock at all times during a specified testing period.

As noted above, we believe our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market.

If the gain on the sale of shares of our common stock were taxed under FIRPTA, a non-U.S. stockholder would be taxed on that gain in the same manner as U.S. stockholders, subject to applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals. Furthermore, a non-U.S. stockholder generally will incur tax on gain not subject to FIRPTA if:

 

   

the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. stockholder’s U.S. trade or business, in which case the non-U.S. stockholder will be subject to the same treatment as U.S. stockholders with respect to such gain; or

 

   

the non-U.S. stockholder is a nonresident alien individual who was present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the United States.

Qualified Shareholders

Subject to the exception discussed below, any distribution to a “qualified shareholder” who holds REIT stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation under FIRPTA and thus will not be subject to the special FIRPTA withholding rules. While a “qualified shareholder” generally will not be subject to FIRPTA withholding on REIT distributions, the portion of REIT distributions attributable to certain investors in a “qualified shareholder” (i.e., non-U.S. persons who hold interests in the “qualified shareholder” (other than interests solely as a creditor), and directly or indirectly hold more than 10% of the stock of such REIT (whether or not by reason of the investor’s ownership in the “qualified shareholder”)) may be subject to FIRPTA withholding. REIT distributions received by a “qualified shareholder” that are exempt from FIRPTA withholding may still be subject to regular U.S. withholding tax.

In addition, a sale of shares of our common stock by a “qualified shareholder” who holds such shares directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) generally will not be subject to U.S. income taxation under FIRPTA. As with distributions, the portion of amounts realized attributable to certain investors in a “qualified shareholder” (i.e., non-U.S. persons who hold interests in the “qualified shareholder” (other than interests solely as a creditor), and directly or indirectly hold more than 10% of the stock of such REIT (whether or not by reason of the investor’s ownership in the “qualified shareholder”)) may be subject to U.S. income taxation and FIRPTA withholding on a sale of our shares of common stock.

A “qualified shareholder” is a foreign person that (i) either is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty which includes an exchange of information program and whose principal class of interests is listed and regularly traded on one or more recognized stock exchanges (as defined in such comprehensive income tax treaty), or is a foreign partnership that is created or organized under foreign law as a limited partnership in a jurisdiction that has an agreement for the exchange of information with respect to taxes with the United States and has a class of limited partnership units representing greater than 50% of the value of all the partnership units that is regularly traded on the NYSE or Nasdaq markets, (ii) is a qualified collective investment vehicle (defined below), and (iii) maintains records on the identity of each person who, at any time during the foreign person’s taxable year, is the direct owner of 5% or more of the class of interests or units (as applicable) described in (i), above.

 

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A qualified collective investment vehicle is a foreign person that (i) would be eligible for a reduced rate of withholding under the comprehensive income tax treaty described above, even if such entity holds more than 10% of the stock of such REIT, (ii) is publicly traded, is treated as a partnership under the Code, is a withholding foreign partnership, and would be treated as a “United States real property holding corporation” if it were a domestic corporation, or (iii) is designated as such by the Secretary of the Treasury and is either (a) fiscally transparent within the meaning of Section 894 of the Code, or (b) required to include dividends in its gross income, but is entitled to a deduction for distributions to its investors.

Qualified Foreign Pension Funds

Any distribution to a “qualified foreign pension fund” (or an entity all of the interests of which are held by a “qualified foreign pension fund”) who holds REIT stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to U.S. income taxation under FIRPTA and thus will not be subject to the special FIRPTA withholding rules. REIT distributions received by a “qualified foreign pension fund” that are exempt from FIRPTA withholding may still be subject to regular U.S. withholding tax. In addition, a sale of shares of our common stock by a “qualified foreign pension fund” that holds such shares directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to U.S. income taxation under FIRPTA.

A qualified foreign pension fund is any trust, corporation, or other organization or arrangement (i) which is created or organized under the law of a country other than the United States, (ii) which is established to provide retirement or pension benefits to participants or beneficiaries that are current or former employees (or persons designated by such employees) of one or more employers in consideration for services rendered, (iii) which does not have a single participant or beneficiary with a right to more than 5% of its assets or income, (iv) which is subject to government regulation and with respect to which annual information reporting about its beneficiaries is provided or otherwise made available to the relevant tax authorities in the country in which it is established or operates, and (v) with respect to which, under the laws of the country in which it is established or operates, (a) contributions to such organization or arrangement that would otherwise be subject to tax under such laws are deductible or excluded from the gross income of such entity or taxed at a reduced rate, or (b) taxation of any investment income of such organization or arrangement is deferred or such income is taxed at a reduced rate.

FATCA Withholding

Under FATCA, a U.S. withholding tax will be imposed on dividends paid on our common stock received by certain non-U.S. stockholders if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. If payment of withholding taxes is required, non-U.S. stockholders that are otherwise eligible for an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. withholding taxes with respect to such dividends will be required to seek a refund from the IRS to obtain the benefit of such exemption or reduction. We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of any amounts withheld.

Information Reporting Requirements and Withholding

We will report to our stockholders and to the IRS the amount of distributions we pay during each calendar year, and the amount of tax we withhold, if any. Under the backup withholding rules, a stockholder may be subject to backup withholding with respect to distributions unless the stockholder:

 

   

is a corporation or qualifies for certain other exempt categories and, when required, demonstrates this fact; or

 

   

provides a taxpayer identification number, certifies as to no loss of exemption from backup withholding, and otherwise complies with the applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules.

A stockholder who does not provide us with its correct taxpayer identification number also may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS. Any amount paid as backup withholding will be creditable against the stockholder’s income tax liability. In addition, we may be required to withhold a portion of capital gain distributions to any stockholders who fail to certify their non-foreign status to us.

 

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Backup withholding generally will not apply to payments of dividends made by us or our paying agents, in their capacities as such, to a non-U.S. stockholder provided that the non-U.S. stockholder furnishes to us or our paying agent the required certification as to its non-U.S. status, such as providing a valid IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or IRS Form W-8ECI, or certain other requirements are met. Notwithstanding the foregoing, backup withholding may apply if either we or our paying agent has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that the holder is a U.S. person that is not an exempt recipient. Payments of the proceeds from a disposition or a redemption effected outside the U.S. by a non-U.S. stockholder made by or through a foreign office of a broker generally will not be subject to information reporting or backup withholding. However, information reporting (but not backup withholding) generally will apply to such a payment if the broker has certain connections with the U.S. unless the broker has documentary evidence in its records that the beneficial owner is a non-U.S. stockholder and specified conditions are met or an exemption is otherwise established. Payment of the proceeds from a disposition by a non-U.S. stockholder of stock made by or through the U.S. office of a broker generally is subject to information reporting and backup withholding unless the non-U.S. stockholder certifies under penalties of perjury that it is not a U.S. person and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption from information reporting and backup withholding.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be refunded or credited against the stockholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability if certain required information is furnished to the IRS. Stockholders should consult their tax advisors regarding application of backup withholding to them and the availability of, and procedure for obtaining an exemption from, backup withholding.

Legislative or Other Actions Affecting REITs

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs may be modified, possibly with retroactive effect, by legislative, judicial or administrative action at any time. The REIT rules are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and Treasury, which may result in statutory changes as well as revisions to Regulations and interpretations. We cannot predict the long-term effect of any recent changes or any future law changes on REITs and their stockholders. Prospective investors are urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding the effect of potential changes to the U.S. federal tax laws on an investment in our common stock.

State, Local, and Foreign Taxes

We and/or you may be subject to taxation by various states, localities and foreign jurisdictions, including those in which we or a stockholder transacts business, owns property or resides. The state, local and foreign tax treatment may differ from the U.S. federal income tax treatment described above. Consequently, you should consult your tax advisors regarding the effect of state, local and foreign tax laws upon an investment in our common stock.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The shares of common stock listed in the table appearing under the heading “Selling Stockholders” are being registered to permit the resale of such shares by the selling stockholders and their permitted transferees, pledgees, donees or other successors.

The selling stockholders may sell all or a portion of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by them and offered hereby from time to time directly to purchasers or through one or more underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such market prices, at a fixed price or prices subject to change or at negotiated prices, by a variety of methods including the following:

 

   

on any national securities exchange or over-the-counter market on which the shares of common stock may be listed or quoted at the time of sale;

 

   

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

 

   

block trades in which a broker-dealer may attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

   

purchases by a broker-dealer, as principal, and a subsequent resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

   

in “at the market” offerings to or through market makers into an existing market for the shares;

 

   

privately negotiated transactions;

 

   

through an in-kind distribution by any selling stockholder to its shareholders or members (or their respective beneficiaries) or creditors;

 

   

through a combination of any such methods; or

 

   

through any other method permitted under applicable law.

In addition, the selling stockholders may enter into option, derivative or hedging transactions with respect to the shares of common stock beneficially owned by them and offered hereby from time to time, and any related offers or sales of shares may be made pursuant to this prospectus. For example, the selling stockholders may:

 

   

enter into transactions involving short sales of the shares by broker-dealers in the course of hedging the positions they assume with the selling stockholders;

 

   

sell shares of common stock short itself and deliver the shares registered hereby to settle such short sales or to close out stock loans incurred in connection with their short positions;

 

   

write call options, put options or other derivative instruments (including exchange-traded options or privately negotiated options) with respect to the shares, or which they settle through delivery of the shares;

 

   

enter into option transactions or other types of transactions that require the selling stockholders to deliver shares to a broker, dealer or other financial institution, who may then resell or transfer the shares under this prospectus; or

 

   

lend or pledge the shares to a broker, dealer or other financial institution, which may sell the shares under this prospectus.

In effecting sales, broker-dealers engaged by the selling stockholders may arrange for other broker-dealers to participate. If the selling stockholders effect such transactions by selling the shares to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholder or commissions from purchasers of the shares for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal. Underwriters may sell securities to or through dealers, and dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent.

 

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The selling stockholders and any underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents that participate in such distribution may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts, commissions or concessions received by any underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents might be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. Any selling stockholder who is an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act and the provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder relating to stock manipulation.

In order to comply with the securities laws of some states, the shares sold in those jurisdictions may only be sold through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states, the shares may not be sold unless the shares have been registered or qualified for sale in that state or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.

To our knowledge, there are currently no plans, arrangements or understandings between the selling stockholders and any underwriter, broker-dealer or agent regarding the sale of our common stock by the selling stockholders.

The selling stockholders will pay all brokerage fees and commissions and similar sale-related expenses. We will bear all original issue and transfer taxes, if any, with respect to the issue and delivery of the shares of common stock and all other fees and expenses necessarily incurred by us in connection with the Arch Street Warrants, including the fee and expenses of registering the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The description of U.S. federal income tax consequences contained in the section of this prospectus entitled “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” is based on the opinion of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. Certain matters of Maryland law in connection with the offering of common stock covered by this prospectus will be passed upon for by us by Ballard Spahr LLP.

EXPERTS

The consolidated and combined financial statements of Orion Office REIT Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021 and the financial statement schedule have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

The financial statements of VEREIT Office Assets as of October 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, and for the ten months ended October 31, 2021, and for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2020, incorporated by reference in this Prospectus, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report. Such financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance upon the report of such firm, given their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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Orion Office REIT Inc.

1,120,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

LOGO

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

 

 

 

 


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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14.

Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table itemizes the expenses incurred by us in connection with the issuance and registration of the securities being registered hereunder.

 

SEC Registration Fee

   $ 1,171  

Printing Costs

     10,000  

Legal Fees and Expenses

     30,500  

Accounting Fees and Expenses

     60,000  

Miscellaneous Expenses

     5,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 106,671  
  

 

 

 

 

Item 15.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Maryland 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 that is established by a final judgment and that is material to the cause of action. Our charter contains a provision that eliminates the liability of our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

The MGCL requires us (unless our 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 a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The MGCL permits us to indemnify our 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:

 

   

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;

 

   

the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or

 

   

in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.

Under the MGCL, we may not indemnify a director or officer in a suit by us or in our right in which the director or officer was adjudged liable to us or in a suit in which the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. A court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. However, indemnification for an adverse judgment in a suit by us or in our right, or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, is limited to expenses.

In addition, the MGCL permits us to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon our receipt of:

 

   

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 us; and

 

   

a written undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by us if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer did not meet the standard of conduct.

 

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Our charter obligates the Company to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to:

 

   

any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, a proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; and

 

   

any individual who, while a director or officer of the Company and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, trustee, member, manager, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, REIT, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.

Our charter also permits us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of the Company in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of the Company or a predecessor of the Company.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that provide for indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Item 16.

Index to Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

Number

   Description
  3.1    Articles of Amendment and Restatement of Orion Office REIT Inc. (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on November 15, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference)
  3.2    Amended and Restated Bylaws of Orion Office REIT Inc. (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on November 15, 2021 and incorporated herein by reference)
  4.1    Form of Arch Street Warrant (filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3, filed on November 2, 2022 and incorporated herein by reference)
  5.1    Opinion of Ballard Spahr LLP*
  8.1    Opinion of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP with respect to tax matters*
23.1    Consent of KPMG LLP*
23.2    Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP*
23.3    Consent of Ballard Spahr LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)*
23.4    Consent of Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (included in Exhibit 8.1)*
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this registration statement)*
107    Filing fee table*

 

*

Filed herewith

 

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Item 17.

Undertakings.

 

(a)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (1)

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 of 1933;

 

  (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 this 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 Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

  (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 this registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 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.

 

  (2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, 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.

 

  (3)

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.

 

  (4)

That, for purposes of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

 

  (A)

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

 

  (B)

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 that 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

 

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  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.

 

  (5)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned 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.

 

(b)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes 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.

 

(c)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act 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 Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities 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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that the Registrant meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Phoenix, State of Arizona, on November 2, 2022.

 

ORION OFFICE REIT INC.
By:  

/s/ Gavin B. Brandon

Name:   Gavin B. Brandon
Title:   Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President and Treasurer

 

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Paul C. Hughes and Gavin B. Brandon, with full power to act without the other, such person’s true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this registration statement and any and all amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) and any related registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with exhibits and schedules thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or desirable to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each said attorney-in-fact and agent or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

SIGNATURE    TITLE   DATE

/s/ Paul H. McDowell

Paul H. McDowell

  

Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

  November 2, 2022

/s/ Gavin B. Brandon

Gavin B. Brandon

  

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

(Principal Financial Officer)

  November 2, 2022

/s/ Revea L. Schmidt

Revea L. Schmidt

  

Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer

(Principal Accounting Officer)

  November 2, 2022

/s/ Reginald H. Gilyard

   Director, Non-Executive Chairman   November 2, 2022
Reginald H. Gilyard

/s/ Kathleen R. Allen

   Director   November 2, 2022
Kathleen R. Allen

/s/ Richard J. Lieb

   Director   November 2, 2022
Richard J. Lieb

/s/ Gregory J. Whyte

   Director   November 2, 2022
Gregory J. Whyte

 

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