Form 8-K
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 2, 2010
Brandywine Realty Trust
Brandywine Operating Partnership, L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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Maryland
(Brandywine Realty Trust)
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001-9106
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23-2413352 |
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Delaware (Brandywine
Operating Partnership, L.P.)
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000-24407
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23-2862640 |
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(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
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(Commission File Number)
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(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
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555 East Lancaster Avenue, Suite 100 Radnor, PA
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19087 |
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(Address of principal executive offices)
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(Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (610) 325-5600
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
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Item 5.02 |
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Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of
Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory
Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Brandywine Realty Trust was held on June 2, 2010.
Brandywine Realty Trust (referred to below as we, our, or us) is the sole general partner of
Brandywine Operating Partnership, L.P.
At the meeting, our shareholders approved the amendment and restatement of our Amended and
Restated 1997 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the Plan) to, among other things, increase the number of
common shares that may be issued or the subject of awards under the Plan by 6,000,000 (of which
3,600,000 are available solely for awards of options and share appreciation rights (SARs)). Other
revisions to the Plan include (i) replacing the restriction on the maximum number (4,500,000) of
options or SARs that may be granted to an individual under the Plan with a restriction that no
individual may be granted options or SARs in any calendar year to acquire more than 750,000 common
shares and the maximum number of common shares with respect to which other awards may be made to
any individual during any calendar year is 1,000,000; (ii) providing for minimum vesting periods
for restricted share and performance share awards; (iii) providing that the exercise price of
options may not be less than the last reported sale price of common shares on the date the option
is granted; (iv) establishing a maximum term for SARs of ten years from the date of grant; (v)
restricting transfers of options and SARs for value; (vi) providing that a change of control as a
result of a qualifying merger occurs upon consummation of the merger rather than upon shareholder
approval of the merger; and (vii) other clarifying and updating changes. Our trustees, officers
and other employees are eligible to participate in the Plan. The Plan permits award types such as
options, restricted common shares and share-based performance awards.
We have attached the Plan as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporate
it herein by reference.
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Item 5.03 |
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Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year. |
Amendments to Bylaws
On June 2, 2010, pursuant to authorization from our Board of Trustees, we amended and restated
our Bylaws to, among other things, (a) reflect amendments to the Maryland REIT Law and Maryland
General Corporation Law, (b) take account of changes to New York Stock Exchange rules, (c) address
recent developments in public company governance, (d) clarify certain corporate procedures and (e)
make certain other enhancements and technical corrections. Among the changes effected by the
amendment and restatement are the following:
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clarifications relating to the setting of the date, time and place of shareholders
meetings; |
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revisions to provisions relating to special meetings requested by shareholders,
including clarification of the situations in which we may revoke the notice or refrain
from mailing the notice of a shareholder-requested special meeting; |
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addition of provisions clarifying that shareholder meeting notices may be
transmitted electronically, permitting householding of shareholder meeting notices
and expressly authorizing postponement or cancellation of shareholder meetings; |
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expansion of the list of powers of the presiding officer over the conduct of a
shareholders meeting, including determining when and for how long the polls should be
opened and when the polls should be closed and complying with any state or local laws
and regulations concerning safety and security; |
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clarification of the appointment and responsibilities of independent inspectors at a
shareholders meeting; |
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requirement that a shareholder submitting a business proposal or trustee nomination
provide advance notice of the proposal or nomination not earlier than the
150th day and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the
120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the preceding years
proxy statement (as opposed to 90 to 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the
date of mailing of the notice for the previous years annual meeting); |
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requirement that a shareholder notify the secretary of trustee nominations for
special meetings not earlier than the 120th day and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern
Time, on the later of the 90th day before the date of the meeting or the tenth day
following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special
meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Trustees to be elected at such
meeting; |
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expansion of information required to be provided by shareholders submitting business
proposals or trustee nominations, including disclosure of the shareholders hedging or
similar transactions or agreements and the shareholders investment strategy or
objective, and inclusion of procedures for the verification and update of information
provided by the shareholder submitting the business proposal or trustee nomination; |
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clarification that unanimous consents by trustees or committee members may be given
by electronic transmission as well as in writing; |
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addition of a provision clarifying that trustees and officers may rely on
information prepared or presented by others whom the director or officer reasonably
believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented; |
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addition of a provision that authorizes the Board of Trustees or shareholders to
ratify any action or inaction by the Company or its officers to the extent that the
Board of Trustees or shareholders could have originally authorized the matter; |
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clarification that an officers resignation or removal will not affect contract
rights and clarification of the methods by which a resignation of a trustee or officer
may be delivered to the Company; |
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simplification of provisions related to certificated and uncertificated shares; |
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clarification that the right of trustees and officers to indemnification vests
immediately upon their election and deletion of certain provisions relating to
indemnification that are set forth by statute; |
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simplification of provisions related to certificated and uncertificated shares. |
The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the
full text of our Bylaws, as amended and restated, which we have attached as Exhibit 3.1 to this
Current Report and which we incorporate herein by reference.
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Item 5.07 |
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Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
We held our annual meeting of shareholders on June 2, 2010. At the meeting, each of the seven
individuals nominated for election to our Board of Trustees was elected to the Board. These
individuals will serve on the Board until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until their
successors are elected and qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal. We set forth
below the voting results:
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Trustee |
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For |
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Withheld |
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Broker Non-Votes |
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Walter DAlessio |
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106,650,398 |
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3,615,304 |
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8,236,330 |
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Anthony A. Nichols, Sr. |
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106,634,173 |
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3,631,529 |
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8,236,330 |
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Gerard H. Sweeney |
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107,179,411 |
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3,086,291 |
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8,236,330 |
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D. Pike Aloian |
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107,004,991 |
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3,260,711 |
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8,236,330 |
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Wyche Fowler |
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108,638,942 |
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1,626,760 |
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8,236,330 |
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Michael J. Joyce |
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108,481,604 |
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1,784,098 |
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8,236,330 |
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Charles P. Pizzi |
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106,652,128 |
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3,613,574 |
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8,236,330 |
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At the annual meeting, our shareholders voted as follows to ratify the appointment of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the calendar
year 2010:
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For |
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118,395,007 |
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Against |
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69,459 |
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Abstain |
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37,566 |
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At our annual meeting, our shareholders voted as follows to approve the amendment and
restatement of our Amended and Restated 1997 Long-Term Incentive Plan. See also Item 5.02 above.
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For |
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100,405,817 |
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Against |
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9,809,927 |
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Abstain |
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49,958 |
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Broker Non-Votes |
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8,236,330 |
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Item 9.01. |
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Financial Statements and Exhibits |
(d) |
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Exhibits. The following exhibits are being filed herewith. |
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Exhibits |
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3.1
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Bylaws of Brandywine Realty Trust, as amended and restated (June 2, 2010). |
10.1
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Brandywine Realty Trust Amended and Restated 1997 Long-Term Incentive
Plan (June 2, 2010) (previously filed as an exhibit to Brandywine Realty
Trusts Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated June 2, 2010 and
incorporated herein by reference). |
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.
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Brandywine Realty Trust
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By: |
/s/Howard M. Sipzner
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Howard M. Sipzner |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
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Brandywine Operating Partnership, its sole
General Partner
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By: |
/s/Howard M. Sipzner
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Howard M. Sipzner |
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Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
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Date: June 4, 2010
Exhibit Index
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Exhibits |
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3.1
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Bylaws of Brandywine Realty Trust, as amended and restated (June 2, 2010). |
10.1
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Brandywine Realty Trust Amended and Restated 1997 Long-Term Incentive
Plan (June 2, 2010) (previously filed as an exhibit to Brandywine Realty
Trusts Registration Statement on Form S-8 dated June 2, 2010 and
incorporated herein by reference). |
Exhibit 3.1
Exhibit 3.1
BRANDYWINE REALTY TRUST
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1. Principal Office. The principal office of Brandywine Realty Trust (the
Trust) shall be located at such place as the Board of Trustees may designate.
Section 2. Additional Offices. The Trust may have additional offices at such places
as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine or the business of the Trust may require.
ARTICLE II
MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS
Section 1. Place. All meetings of shareholders shall be held at the principal
executive office of the Trust or at such other place as shall be set in accordance with these
Bylaws and stated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 2. Annual Meeting. An annual meeting of the shareholders for the election of
Trustees and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Trust shall be held on the
date and at the time and place set by the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. Special Meetings.
(a) General. Each of the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President and the
Board of Trustees may call a special meeting of the shareholders. Except as provided in subsection
(b)(4) of this Section 3, a special meeting of shareholders shall be held on the date and at the
time and place set by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or the Board of
Trustees, whoever has called the meeting. Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special
meeting of shareholders shall also be called by the Secretary of the Trust upon the written request
of the shareholders to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of
shareholders in accordance with Article 7 of the Declaration of Trust of the Trust (the
Declaration of Trust).
(b) Shareholder-Requested Special Meetings. (1) Any shareholder of record seeking to have
shareholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the Secretary (the
Record Date Request Notice) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of
Trustees to fix a record date to determine the shareholders entitled to request a special meeting
(the Request Record Date). The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the
meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more shareholders
of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying
the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of
each such shareholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such
shareholder, each individual whom the shareholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection
as a Trustee, and each matter proposed to be acted on at the meeting that would be required to be
disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election of Trustees or the
election of each such individual, as applicable in an election contest (even if an election contest
is not involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such a solicitation, in each
case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the Exchange Act). Upon
receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Trustees may fix a Request Record Date. The
Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of
business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board
of Trustees. If the Board of Trustees, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date
Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request
Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which a Record
Date Request Notice is received by the Secretary.
(2) In order for any shareholder to request a special meeting to act on any matter that may
properly be considered at a meeting of shareholders, one or more written requests for a special
meeting (collectively, the Special Meeting Request) signed by shareholders of record (or their
agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date
entitled to cast not less than ten percent of all of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter
at such meeting (the Special Meeting Percentage) shall be delivered to the Secretary. In
addition, the Special Meeting Request shall (a) set forth the purpose of the meeting and the
matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in
the Record Date Request Notice received by the Secretary), (b) bear the date of signature of each
such shareholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (c) set forth (i) the name
and address, as they appear in the Trusts books, of each shareholder signing such request (or on
whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed), (ii) the class, series and number of all
shares of beneficial interest of the Trust which are owned beneficially or of record by each such
shareholder, and (iii) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares of beneficial interest of the
Trust owned beneficially but not of record by such shareholder, (d) be sent to the Secretary by
registered mail, return receipt requested, and (e) be received by the Secretary within 60 days
after the Request Record Date. Any requesting shareholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing
accompanying the revocation of the Special Meeting Request) may revoke his, her or its request for
a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the Secretary.
(3) The Secretary shall inform the requesting shareholders of the reasonably estimated cost of
preparing and mailing or delivering the notice of the meeting (including the Trusts proxy
materials). The Secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon shareholder request
and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2)
of this Section 3(b), the Secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the
preparation and mailing or delivery of such notice of the meeting.
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(4) In the case of any special meeting called by the Secretary upon the request of
shareholders (a Shareholder-Requested Meeting), such meeting shall be held at such place, date
and time as may be designated by the Board of Trustees; provided, however, that the date of
any Shareholder-Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such
meeting (the Meeting Record Date); and provided further that if the Board of
Trustees fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is
actually received by the Secretary (the Delivery Date), a date and time for a
Shareholder-Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m., local time, on the
90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business
Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided further
that in the event that the Board of Trustees fails to designate a place for a Shareholder-Requested
Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal
executive office of the Trust. In fixing a date for any special meeting, the Chairman of the
Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or Board of Trustees may consider such factors as he, she
or it deems relevant, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered,
the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for the meeting and any plan of the Board of
Trustees to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Shareholder-Requested
Meeting, if the Board of Trustees fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days
after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery
Date shall be the Meeting Record Date. The Board of Trustees may revoke the notice for any
Shareholder-Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting shareholders fail to comply with the
provisions of paragraph (3) of this Section 3(b).
(5) If written revocations of the Special Meeting Request have been delivered to the Secretary
and the result is that shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of
the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered,
and not revoked, requests for a special meeting on the matter to the Secretary: (i) if the notice
of meeting has not already been delivered, the Secretary shall refrain from delivering the notice
of the meeting and send to all requesting shareholders who have not revoked such requests written
notice of any revocation of a request for a special meeting on the matter, or (ii) if the notice of
meeting has been delivered and if the Secretary first sends to all requesting shareholders who have
not revoked requests for a special meeting on the matter written notice of any revocation of a
request for the special meeting and written notice of the Trusts intention to revoke the notice of
the meeting or for the chairman of the meeting to adjourn the meeting without action on the matter,
(A) the Secretary may revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the
commencement of the meeting or (B) the chairman of the meeting may call the meeting to order and
adjourn the meeting without acting on the matter. Any request for a special meeting received after
a revocation by the Secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new
special meeting.
(6) The Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, President or Board of Trustees may
appoint regionally or nationally recognized independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent
of the Trust for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any
purported Special Meeting Request received by the Secretary. For the purpose of permitting the
inspectors to perform such review, no such purported Special Meeting Request shall be deemed to
have been delivered to the Secretary until the earlier of (i) five Business Days after receipt by
the Secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as
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the independent inspectors certify to the Trust that the valid requests received by the Secretary
represent, as of the Request Record Date, shareholders of record entitled to cast not less than the
Special Meeting Percentage. Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed
to suggest or imply that the Trust or any shareholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity
of any request, whether during or after such five Business Day period, or to take any other action
(including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with
respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
(7) For purposes of these Bylaws, Business Day shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the State of New York or the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(8) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 3, holders of a class or series
of preferred shares of beneficial interest of the Trust may call a special meeting in accordance
with applicable provisions of the Declaration of Trust or as otherwise permitted by law.
Section 4. Notice. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of
shareholders, the Secretary shall give to each shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to
each shareholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting notice in writing or
by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special
meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is
called, by mail, by presenting it to such shareholder personally, by leaving it at the
shareholders residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by Maryland law.
If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail
addressed to the shareholder at the shareholders address as it appears on the records of the
Trust, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to
be given when transmitted to the shareholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number
of the shareholder at which the shareholder receives electronic transmissions. The Trust may give
a single notice to all shareholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as
to any shareholder at such address, unless a shareholder objects to receiving such single notice or
revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to
one or more shareholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any
meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such
meeting.
Section 5. Scope of Notice. Any business of the Trust may be transacted at an annual
meeting of shareholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business
as is required by statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a
special meeting of shareholders except as specifically designated in the notice. The Trust may
postpone or cancel a meeting of shareholders by making a public announcement (as defined in
Section 14(c)(3) of this Article II) of such postponement or cancellation prior to the meeting.
Notice of the date, time and place to which the meeting is postponed shall be given not less than
ten days prior to such date and otherwise in the manner set forth in this section.
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Section 6. Organization and Conduct of Meetings. Every meeting of shareholders shall
be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees to be chairman of the meeting or,
in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, by the Chairman of the Board or, in the
case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the Chairman of the Board, by one of the following
officers present at the meeting in the following order: the Vice Chairman of the Board, if there is
one, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the Vice Presidents in their order of rank and
seniority, the Secretary, or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the
shareholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by shareholders present in person or by
proxy. The Secretary or, in the Secretarys absence, an Assistant Secretary, or, in the absence of
both the Secretary and Assistant Secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees or,
in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall
act as Secretary. In the event that the Secretary presides at a meeting of the shareholders, an
Assistant Secretary or, in the absence of all Assistant Secretaries, an individual appointed by the
Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting. The
order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of shareholders shall be
determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules,
regulations, and procedures and take such actions as, in the discretion of the chairman and without
any action of the shareholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including,
without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting;
(b) limiting attendance at the meeting to shareholders of record of the Trust, their duly
authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c)
limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to shareholders of record of the Trust entitled
to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chairman of
the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments; (e) determining
when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed; (f)
maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any shareholder or other individual who
refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the
meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time
and at a place announced at the meeting and (i) complying with any state and local laws and
regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the
meeting, meetings of shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of
parliamentary procedure.
Section 7. Quorum. At any meeting of shareholders, the presence in person or by proxy
of shareholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on
any matter shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any
statute or the Declaration of Trust for the vote necessary for the approval of any matter. If such
a quorum is not established at any meeting of the shareholders, the chairman of the meeting may
adjourn the meeting sine die or from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the
original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned
meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been
transacted at the meeting as originally notified.
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The shareholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called
and at which a quorum has been established, may continue to transact business until adjournment,
notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough shareholders to leave fewer than would be
required to establish a quorum.
Section 8. Voting. A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting of shareholders
duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect a Trustee. Shareholders
shall not be entitled to cumulate their votes in the election of Trustees. A majority of the votes
cast at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient
to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority
of the votes cast is required by statute or by the Declaration of Trust. Unless otherwise provided
by statute or by the Declaration of Trust, each outstanding share of beneficial interest,
regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting
of shareholders.
Section 9. Proxies. A shareholder may cast the votes entitled to be cast by the
holder of the shares of beneficial interest owned of record by the shareholder in person or by
proxy executed by the shareholder or by the shareholders duly authorized agent in any manner
permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the
Secretary of the Trust before or at the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months
after its date, unless otherwise provided in the proxy.
Section 10. Voting of Shares by Certain Holders. Shares of beneficial interest of the
Trust registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity, if entitled to
be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, general partner, trustee or managing
member thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals,
unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such shares pursuant to a bylaw or a
resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners
of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case
such person may vote such shares. Any trustee or fiduciary may vote shares of beneficial interest
registered in the name of such person in the capacity of such trustee or fiduciary, either in
person or by proxy.
Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be
voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares
entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in
which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding
shares at any given time.
The Board of Trustees may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a shareholder may certify
in writing to the Trust that any shares of beneficial interest registered in the name of the
shareholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the shareholder. The
resolution shall set forth the class of shareholders who may make the certification, the purpose
for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be
contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record
date within which the certification must be received by the Trust; and any other provisions with
respect to the procedure which the Board of Trustees considers necessary or desirable. On receipt
by the Trust of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as,
for the purposes set forth in the certification, the shareholder of record of the specified shares
of beneficial interest in place of the shareholder who makes the certification.
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Section 11. Inspectors. The Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting may
appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors for the meeting and any successor to the
inspector. The inspectors, if any, shall (i) determine the number of shares of beneficial interest
represented at the meeting in person or by proxy and the validity and effect of proxies, (ii)
receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (iii) report such tabulation to the chairman
of the meeting, (iv) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the
right to vote, and (v) do such acts as are proper to fairly conduct the election or vote. Each
such report shall be in writing and signed by the inspector or by a majority of them if there is
more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of
a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the
number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie
evidence thereof.
Section 12. Voting by Ballot. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva
voce unless the presiding officer shall order or any shareholder shall demand that voting be by
ballot.
Section 13. No Shareholder Action by Written Consent. Subject to the rights of the
holders of any series of preferred shares of beneficial interest to elect additional Trustees under
specific circumstances, any action required or permitted to be taken by the shareholders of the
Trust must be effected at an annual or special meeting of shareholders and may not be effected by
any consent in writing by such shareholders.
Section 14. Advance Notice of Shareholder Nominees for Trustee and Other Shareholder
Proposals.
(a) Annual Meetings of Shareholders. (1) Nominations of individuals for election to
the Board of Trustees and the proposal of other business to be considered by the shareholders may
be made at an annual meeting of shareholders (i) pursuant to the Trusts notice of meeting, (ii) by
or at the direction of the Board of Trustees or (iii) by any shareholder of the Trust who was a
shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by the shareholder as provided for in
this Section 14(a) and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in
the election of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and who has complied
with this Section 14(a).
(2) For any nomination or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a
shareholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 14, the shareholder must
have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Trust and, in the case of any
such other business, such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the
shareholders. To be timely, a shareholders notice shall set forth all information required under
this Section 14 and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the
Trust not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the
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120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement (as defined
in Section 14(c)(3) of this Article II) for the preceding years annual meeting; provided, however,
that in connection with the Trusts first annual meeting or in the event that the date of the
annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date
of the preceding years annual meeting, notice by the shareholder to be timely must be so delivered
not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later
than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such
annual meeting, as originally convened, or the tenth day following the day on which public
announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. The public announcement of a postponement
or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a
shareholders notice as described above.
(3) Such shareholders notice shall set forth:
(i) as to each individual whom the shareholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection
as a Trustee (each, a Proposed Nominee), all information relating to the Proposed Nominee that
would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the election
of the Proposed Nominee as a Trustee in an election contest (even if an election contest is not
involved), or would otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation, in each case
pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act;
(ii) as to any other business that the shareholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a
description of such business, the shareholders reasons for proposing such business at the meeting
and any material interest in such business of such shareholder or any Shareholder Associated Person
(as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the
shareholder or the Shareholder Associated Person therefrom;
(iii) as to the shareholder giving the notice, any Proposed Nominee and any Shareholder
Associated Person,
(A) the class, series and number of all shares of beneficial interest or other securities of
the Trust or any affiliate thereof (collectively, the Company Securities), if any, which are
owned (beneficially or of record) by such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated
Person, the date on which each such Company Security was acquired and the investment intent of such
acquisition, and any short interest (including any opportunity to profit or share in any benefit
from any decrease in the price of such stock or other security) in any Company Securities of any
such person,
(B) the nominee holder for, and number of, any Company Securities owned beneficially but not
of record by such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, and
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(C) whether and the extent to which such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder
Associated Person, directly or indirectly (through brokers, nominees or otherwise), is subject to
or during the last six months has engaged in any hedging,
derivative or other transaction or series of transactions or entered into any other agreement,
arrangement or understanding (including any short interest, any borrowing or lending of securities
or any proxy or voting agreement), the effect or intent of which is to (I) manage risk or benefit
of changes in the price of (x) Company Securities or (y) any security of any entity that was listed
in the Peer Group in the Share Performance Graph in the most recent annual report to security
holders of the Trust (a Peer Group Company) for such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder
Associated Person or (II) increase or decrease the voting power of such shareholder, Proposed
Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person in the Trust or any affiliate thereof (or, as applicable,
in any Peer Group Company) disproportionately to such persons economic interest in the Company
Securities (or, as applicable, in any Peer Group Company); and
(D) any substantial interest, direct or indirect (including, without limitation, any existing
or prospective commercial, business or contractual relationship with the Trust), by security
holdings or otherwise, of such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person, in
the Trust or any affiliate thereof, other than an interest arising from the ownership of Company
Securities where such shareholder, Proposed Nominee or Shareholder Associated Person receives no
extra or special benefit not shared on a pro rata basis by all other holders of the same class or
series;
(iv) as to the shareholder giving the notice, any Shareholder Associated Person with an
interest or ownership referred to in clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (3) of this Section
14(a) and any Proposed Nominee,
(A) the name and address of such shareholder, as they appear on the Trusts share ledger, and
the current name and business address, if different, of each such Shareholder Associated Person and
any Proposed Nominee, and
(B) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such shareholder and each such
Shareholder Associated Person who is not an individual and a copy of the prospectus, offering
memorandum or similar document, if any, provided to investors or potential investors in such
shareholder and each such Shareholder Associated Person; and
(v) to the extent known by the shareholder giving the notice, the name and address of any
other shareholder supporting the nominee for election or reelection as a Trustee or the proposal of
other business on the date of such shareholders notice.
(4) Such Shareholders notice shall, with respect to any Proposed Nominee, be accompanied by a
certificate executed by the Proposed Nominee (i) certifying that such Proposed Nominee (a) is not,
and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or
entity other than the Trust in connection with service or action as a Trustee that has not been
disclosed to the Trust and (b) will serve as a Trustee of the Trust if elected; and (ii) attaching
a completed Proposed Nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Trust,
upon request, to the shareholder providing the notice and shall include all information relating to
the Proposed Nominee that would be required to be disclosed in connection with the solicitation of
proxies for the election of the Proposed
Nominee as a Trustee in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or would
otherwise be required in connection with such solicitation in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A
(or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder, or would be required
pursuant to the rules of any national securities exchange or over-the-counter market).
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(5) Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Section 14 to the contrary, in the
event that the number of Trustees to be elected to the Board of Trustees is increased, and there is
no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date
of the proxy statement (as defined in Section 14(c)(3) of this Article II) for the preceding years
annual meeting, a shareholders notice required by this Section 14(a) shall also be considered
timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it
shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not later than
5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is
first made by the Trust.
(6) For purposes of this Section 14, Shareholder Associated Person of any shareholder shall
mean (i) any person acting in concert with, such shareholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares
of beneficial interest of the Trust owned of record or beneficially by such shareholder (other than
a shareholder that is a depositary) and (iii) any person that directly, or indirectly through one
or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, such
shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person.
(b) Special Meetings of Shareholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a
special meeting of shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the
Trusts notice of meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees may be
made at a special meeting of shareholders at which Trustees are to be elected only (i) by or at the
direction of the Board of Trustees, (ii) by a shareholder that has requested that a special
meeting be called for the purpose of electing Trustees in compliance with Section 3 of this Article
II and that has supplied the information required by Section 3 of this Article II about each
individual whom the Shareholder proposes to nominate for election as a Trustee or (iii) provided
that the special meeting has been called in accordance with Section 3(a) of this Article II for the
purpose of electing Trustees, by any shareholder of the Trust who is a shareholder of record both
at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 14 and at the time of the special
meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and
who has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 14. In the event the Trust
calls a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the
Board of Trustees, any shareholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be)
for election as a Trustee as specified in the Trusts notice of meeting, if the shareholders
notice, containing the information required by paragraph (a)(3) of this Section 14 is delivered to
the secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not earlier than the 120th
day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the
90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which
public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed
by the Board of Trustees to be elected at such meeting. The public announcement of a postponement
or adjournment of a
special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a shareholders notice as
described above.
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(c) General. (1) If information submitted pursuant to this Section 14 by any
shareholder proposing a nominee for election as a Trustee or any proposal for other business at a
meeting of shareholders shall be inaccurate in any material respect, such information may be deemed
not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 14. Any such shareholder shall notify
the Trust of any inaccuracy or change (within two Business Days of becoming aware of such
inaccuracy or change) in any such information. Upon written request by the secretary or the Board
of Trustees, any such shareholder shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such
request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (A) written verification,
satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Trustees or any authorized officer of the Trust, to
demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the shareholder pursuant to this Section
14 and (B) a written update of any information submitted by the shareholder pursuant to this
Section 14 as of an earlier date. If a shareholder fails to provide such written verification or
written update within such period, the information as to which written verification or a written
update was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 14.
(2) Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 14 shall be
eligible for election by shareholders, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of
shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 14. The
chairman of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other
business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in
accordance with this Section 14.
(3) For purposes of this Section 14, the date of the proxy statement shall have the same
meaning as the date of the companys proxy statement released to shareholders as used in Rule
14a-8(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as interpreted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission from time to time. Public announcement shall mean disclosure (A) in a press release
reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or other
widely circulated news or wire service or (B) in a document publicly filed by the Trust with the
Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act.
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 14, a shareholder shall also
comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 14. Nothing in this
Section 14 shall be deemed to affect any right of a shareholder to request inclusion of a proposal
in, or the right of the Trust to omit a proposal from, the Trusts proxy statement pursuant to Rule
14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Nothing in this Section 14 shall
require disclosure of revocable proxies received by the shareholder or Shareholder Associated
Person pursuant to a solicitation of proxies after the filing of an effective Schedule 14A by such
shareholder or Shareholder Associated Person under Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act.
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Section 15. Exemption of Certain Shares. All of the acquisitions of: (i) the common
shares of beneficial interest (Common Shares) of the Trust now or hereafter owned by Safeguard
Scientifics, Inc., The Nichols Company and any of their current or future affiliates or associates
(collectively, the SSI/TNC Affiliates); (ii) the Common Shares and preferred shares of beneficial
interest (Preferred Shares) now or hereafter owned by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State
Employees Retirement System, RAI Real Estate Advisers, Inc. and any of their current or future
affiliates or associates (collectively, the SERS Affiliates); (iii) the Common Shares now or
hereafter owned by Morgan Stanley Asset Management, Inc., Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund, Inc. -
U.S. Real Estate Portfolio and Morgan Stanley, Sicav Subsidiary, SA and any of their current or
future affiliates or associates (collectively, the Morgan Affiliates); and (iv) the Common Shares
now or hereafter owned by Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. and any of their current or
future affiliates or associates (collectively, the C&S Affiliates) are hereby exempted from
Subtitle 7 of Title 3 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, and the Trust shall have no right to
exercise the redemption right with respect to such Common Shares arising under said Subtitle 7. In
no event will any Shareholder of the Trust have any rights under Section 3-708 of said Subtitle 7
as a result of the ownership by the SSI/TNC Affiliates of Common Shares or by the SERS Affiliates
of Common Shares or Preferred Shares or by the Morgan Affiliates of Common Shares or by the C&S
Affiliates of Common Shares as aforesaid. As used herein, the terms affiliates and associates
have the respective meanings assigned to them in Subtitles 6 and 7, respectively, of said Title 3.
Section 16. Inapplicability of Title 3, Subtitle 7. Notwithstanding any other
provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws but subject to Article II, Section 15 of
these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (or any successor statute) shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of
shares of beneficial interest of the Trust. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at
any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to
the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share
acquisition.
Section 17. Reports To Shareholders. The President or some other executive officer
designated by the Board of Trustees shall prepare annually a full and correct statement of the
affairs of the Trust, which shall include a balance sheet and a financial statement of operations
for the preceding fiscal year. The statement of affairs shall be submitted at the annual meeting
of the shareholders and, within 20 days after the annual meeting of shareholders, placed on file at
the principal office of the Trust.
ARTICLE III
TRUSTEES
Section 1. General Powers; Qualifications; Number and Tenure. The business and
affairs of the Trust shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Trustees. A Trustee
shall be an individual at least 21 years of age who is not under legal disability. At any regular
meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of
Trustees may establish, increase or decrease the number of Trustees, provided that the number
thereof shall never be less than three, nor more than 15, and further provided that the tenure of
office of a Trustee shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of Trustees. In case of
failure to elect Trustees at the designated time, the Trustees holding over shall continue to
manage the business and affairs of the Trust until their successors are elected and qualify.
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Section 2. Annual and Regular Meetings. An annual meeting of the Board of Trustees
shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of shareholders, no
notice other than this Bylaw being necessary. In the event such meeting is not so held, the
meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter
provided for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may provide, by
resolution, the time and place for the holding of regular meetings of the Board of Trustees without
notice other than such resolution.
Section 3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called
by or at the request of the Chairman or Chief Executive Officer or by a majority of the Trustees
then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Trustees
may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Trustees called by
them. The Board of Trustees may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of
special meetings of the Board of Trustees without other notice than such resolution.
Section 4. Notice. Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be
delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, courier or United
States mail to each Trustee at his or her business, electronic mail or residence address. Notice
by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least
24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three business
days prior to the meeting and shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail
properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given
when the Trustee or the Trustees agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to
which the Trustee or the Trustees agent is a party. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed
to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Trust by
the Trustee and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Electronic mail shall be
deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the
Trust by the Trustee. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given upon delivery to the address
given to the Trust by the Trustee and receipt by such courier of a signature evidencing delivery
thereat. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or
special meeting of the Board of Trustees need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required
by statute or these Bylaws.
Section 5. Quorum. A majority of the Board of Trustees shall constitute a quorum for
transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Trustees, provided that, if less than a
majority of such Trustees is present at such meeting, a majority of the Trustees present may
adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if,
pursuant to applicable law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or
other percentage of a particular group of Trustees is required for action, a quorum must also
include a majority or such other percentage of such group.
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The Trustees present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been
established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal
from the meeting of enough Trustees to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.
Section 6. Voting. The action of a majority of the Trustees present at a meeting at
which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless the concurrence of a
greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law or the Declaration of Trust or
these Bylaws. If enough Trustees have withdrawn from a meeting to leave fewer than required to
establish a quorum, but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of
Trustees necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of
Trustees, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable
law, the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws.
Section 7. Organization. At each meeting of the Board of Trustees, the Chairman of
the Board or, in the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, shall act as
chairman of the meeting. In the absence of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board, the
Chief Executive Officer or, in the absence of the Chief Executive Officer, the President or, in the
absence of the President, a Trustee chosen by a majority of the Trustees present, shall act as
chairman of the meeting. The Secretary or, in his or her absence, an Assistant Secretary of the
Trust or, in the absence of the Secretary and all Assistant Secretaries, an individual appointed by
the chairman of the meeting, shall act as secretary of the meeting.
Section 8. Telephone Meetings. Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a
conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting
can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute
presence in person at the meeting.
Section 9. Consent of Trustees Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to
be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in
writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each Trustee and is filed with the
minutes of proceedings of the Board of Trustees.
Section 10. Vacancies and Resignations. If for any reason any or all of the Trustees
cease to be Trustees, such event shall not terminate the Trust or affect these Bylaws or the powers
of the remaining Trustees hereunder (even if fewer than three Trustees remain). Any vacancy
(including a vacancy created by an increase in the number of Trustees) shall be filled, at any
regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, by a majority of the remaining
Trustees, even if such majority is less than a quorum. Any individual so elected as a Trustee
shall serve for the unexpired term of the Trustee he is replacing until his successor has been duly
elected and qualified. Any Trustee of the Trust may resign at any time by giving written notice of
his resignation to the Board of Trustees. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its
receipt or at such later time as specified therein. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be
necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.
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Section 11. Compensation. Trustees shall not receive any stated salary for their
services as Trustees but, by resolution of the Board of Trustees, fixed sums per year and/or per
meeting. Expenses of attendance, if any, may be allowed to Trustees for attendance at each annual,
regular or special meeting of the Board of Trustees or of any committee thereof; but nothing herein
contained shall be construed to preclude any Trustees from serving the Trust in any other capacity
and receiving compensation therefor.
Section 12. Removal of Trustees. The shareholders may, at any time, remove any
Trustee in the manner provided in the Declaration of Trust.
Section 13. Reliance. Each Trustee or officer, employee or agent of the Trust shall,
in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Trust, be entitled to rely on any
information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial
data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Trust whom the Trustee or officer
reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified
public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the Trustee or officer reasonably believes
to be within the persons professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a Trustee, by a
committee of the Board of Trustees on which the Trustee does not serve, as to a matter within its
designated authority, if the Trustee reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.
Section 14. Ratification. The Board of Trustees or the shareholders may ratify and
make binding on the Trust any action or inaction by the Trust or its officers to the extent that
the Board of Trustees or the shareholders could have originally authorized the matter. Moreover,
any action or inaction questioned in any shareholders derivative proceeding or any other
proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest
of a trustee, officer or shareholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper
principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by
the Board of Trustees or by the shareholders, and if so ratified, shall have the same force and
effect as if the questioned action or inaction had been originally duly authorized, and such
ratification shall be binding upon the Trust and its shareholders and shall constitute a bar to any
claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned action or inaction
Section 15. Certain Rights of Trustees, Officers, Employees and Agents. Any Trustee
who is not also an officer of the Trust shall have no responsibility to devote his or her full time
to the affairs of the Trust. Any Trustee or officer, employee or agent of the Trust, in his
personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee, or agent of any other person, or
otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to or in addition
to those of or relating to the Trust.
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ARTICLE IV
COMMITTEES
Section 1. Number, Tenure and Qualifications. The Board of Trustees may appoint from
among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Corporate Governance Committee, a
Compensation Committee and other committees, composed of one or more Trustees, to serve at the
pleasure of the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. Powers. The Board of Trustees may delegate to committees appointed under
Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. Committee Procedures. Each Committee may fix rules of procedure for its
business. Unless otherwise determined by a committee, notice of committee meetings shall be given
in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. A majority of the
members of a committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and the action of
a majority of those present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be action of the
committee. In the absence of any member of any committee, the members thereof present at any
meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another Trustee to act in the place
of such absent member. Any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of a committee
may be taken without a meeting, if a unanimous consent which sets forth the action is given in
writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the committee and filed with the minutes of
the proceedings of such committee. The members of a committee of the Board of Trustees may
participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if
all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a
meeting by such means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 4. Emergency. In the event of a state of disaster of sufficient severity to
prevent the conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Trust by its Board of
Trustees and officers as contemplated by the Declaration of Trust and these Bylaws, any two or more
available members of the then incumbent Executive Committee, if any, shall constitute a quorum of
that Committee for the full conduct and management of the affairs and business of the Trust in
accordance with the provisions of this Article. In the event of the unavailability, at such time,
of a minimum of two members of the then incumbent Executive Committee, the available Trustees shall
elect an Executive Committee composed of any two members of the Board of Trustees, whether or not
they be officers of the Trust, which two members shall constitute the Executive Committee for the
full conduct and management of the affairs of the Trust in accordance with the foregoing provisions
of this Section. This Section shall be subject to implementation by resolution of the Board of
Trustees passed form time to time for that purpose, and any provisions of the Bylaws (other than
this Section) and any resolutions which are contrary to the provisions of this Section or to the
provisions of any such implementing resolutions shall be suspended until it shall be determined by
any interim Executive Committee acting under this Section that it shall be to the advantage of the
Trust to resume the conduct and management of its affairs and business under all of the other
provisions of these Bylaws.
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ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. General Provisions. The officers of the Trust may consist of a Chairman of
the Board, a Chief Executive Officer, a President, one or more Vice Presidents, a Chief Financial
Officer, a Secretary, and one or more Assistant Secretaries. In addition, the Board of Trustees
may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem
necessary or desirable. The officers of the Trust shall be elected annually by the Board of
Trustees, except that the Chief Executive Officer or President may from time to time appoint one or
more Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries or other officers. Each officer shall serve until his
or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, resignation or removal in the
manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices, except President and Vice President, may be
held by the same person. In their discretion, the Board of Trustees may leave unfilled any office.
Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Trust and
such officer or agent.
Section 2. Removal and Resignation. Any officer or agent of the Trust may be removed,
with or without cause, by the Board of Trustees if in its judgment the best interests of the Trust
would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if
any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Trust may resign at any time by delivering
notice of his resignation to the Board of Trustees, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive
Officer, the President or the Secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its
receipt or at such later time specified therein. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be
necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall
be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Trust.
Section 3. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Trustees
for the balance of the term.
Section 4. Chairman of the Board. The Board of Trustees may designate from among its
members a Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board shall preside over the meetings of the
Board of Trustees. The Chairman of the Board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to
him by the Board of Trustees. Except where by law the signature of the Chief Executive Officer is
required, the Chairman of the Board shall possess the same power as the Chief Executive Officer to
sign deeds, mortgages, bonds, contracts or other instruments.
Section 5. Chief Executive Officer. The Board of Trustees may designate a Chief
Executive Officer from among the elected officers. In the absence of such designation, the
Chairman of the Board shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Trust. The Chief Executive
Officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Trust, as
determined by the Board of Trustees, and for the management of the business affairs of the Trust.
The Chief Executive Officer shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs
of the Trust. He may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in
cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Trustees or by these
Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise
executed, and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of Chief Executive Officer
and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Trustees from time to time.
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Section 6. President. In the absence of a Chief Executive Officer, the President
shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Trust. He or she may
execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution
thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Trustees or by these Bylaws to some other
officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general
shall perform all duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be
prescribed by the Board of Trustees from time to time.
Section 7. Vice Presidents. In the absence of the Chief Executive Officer and the
President or in the event of a vacancy in such offices, the Vice President (or in the event there
be more than one Vice President, the Vice Presidents in the order designated at the time of their
election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform
the duties of the Chief Executive Officer and President and when so acting shall have all the
powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chief Executive Officer and President,
and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Chief
Executive Officer, the President or by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may designate
one or more Vice Presidents as Executive Vice President or as Vice President for particular areas
of responsibility.
Section 8. Secretary. The Secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of
the shareholders, the Board of Trustees and committees of the Board of Trustees in one or more
books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the
provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the Trust records and of the
seal of the Trust; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each shareholder, which shall
be furnished to the Secretary by such shareholder; (e) have general charge of the share transfer
books of the Trust; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be
assigned to him by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or by the Board of Trustees.
Section 9. Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall have the
custody of the funds and securities of the Trust and shall keep full and accurate accounts of
receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Trust and shall deposit all moneys and other
valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Trust in such depositories as may be
designated by the Board of Trustees.
The Chief Financial Officer shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the
Board of Trustees, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the Chief
Executive Officer, the President and Board of Trustees, at the regular meetings of the Board of
Trustees or whenever they may require it, an account of all of his transactions as Chief Financial
Officer and of the financial condition of the Trust.
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Section 10. Assistant Secretaries. The assistant secretaries, in general, shall
perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the Secretary, or by the Chief Executive
Officer, the President or the Board of Trustees.
Section 11. Salaries. The salaries of the officers shall be fixed from time to time
by the Board of Trustees, and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary by reason of
the fact that he is also a Trustee.
ARTICLE VI
CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 1. Contracts. The Board of Trustees may authorize any officer or agent to
enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of
the Trust, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement,
deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Trust when duly
authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Trustees and executed by an authorized person.
Section 2. Checks and Drafts. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of
money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Trust shall be signed by
such officer or officers, agent or agents of the Trust and in such manner as shall from time to
time be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. Deposits. All funds of the Trust not otherwise employed shall be deposited
from time to time to the credit of the Trust as the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive Officer,
the President, the Chief Financial Officer, or any other officer designated by the Board of
Trustees may determine.
ARTICLE VII
SHARES
Section 1. Certificates. The Board of Trustees may authorize the Trust to issue some
or all of the shares of any class or series of its shares of beneficial interest without
certificates. In the event that the Trust issues shares of beneficial interest represented by
certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board of Trustees or a
duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the Maryland REIT
Law (the MRL) and shall be signed by the officers of the Trust in the manner permitted by the
MRL. The signatures may be either manual or facsimile. In the event that the Trust issues shares
of beneficial interest without certificates, upon written request, the Trust shall provide to the
record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MRL to be
included on share certificates. There shall be no differences in the rights and obligations of
shareholders based on whether or not their shares are represented by certificates. If shares of a
class or series of beneficial interest are authorized by the Board of Trustees to be issued without
certificates, no shareholder shall be entitled to a certificate or certificates representing any
shares of such class or series of beneficial interest held by such shareholder
unless otherwise determined by the Board of Trustees and then only upon written request by such
shareholder to the Secretary of the Trust.
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Section 2. Transfers. All transfers of shares shall be made on the books of the
Trust, by the holder of the shares, in person or by his or her attorney, in such manner as the
Board of Trustees or any officer of the Trust may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated,
upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer
of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board of Trustees that such shares
shall no longer be represented by certificates. Upon the transfer of any uncertificated shares, to
the extent then required by the MRL, the Trust shall provide to the record holders of such shares a
written statement of the information required by the MRL to be included on share certificates.
Certificates shall be treated as negotiable, and title thereto and to the shares they
represent shall be transferred by delivery thereof to the same extent as those of a Maryland stock
corporation. The Trust shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of beneficial
interest as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any
equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether
or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the
laws of the State of Maryland.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of beneficial
interest will be subject in all respects to the Declaration of Trust and all of the terms and
conditions contained therein.
Section 3. Replacement Certificates. Any officer of the Trust may direct a new
certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore
issued by the Trust alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of
an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or
mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate
shall be issued unless requested in writing by such shareholder and the Board of Trustees has
determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the
Trust, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his
or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new
certificate or certificates, to give the Trust a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity
against any claim that may be made against the Trust.
Section 4. Fixing of Record Date. The Board of Trustees may set, in advance, a record
date for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of
shareholders, or determining shareholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the
allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of shareholders for any other
proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the
record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of
shareholders, not less than ten days before the date on which the meeting or particular action
requiring such determination of shareholders of record is to be held or taken.
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If no record date is fixed for the determination of shareholders, (a) the record date for the
determination of shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders shall
be at the close of business on the day on which the notice of meeting is mailed or the 30th day
before the meeting, whichever is the closer date to the meeting; and (b) the record date for the
determination of shareholders entitled to receive payment of a dividend or an allotment of any
other rights shall be the close of business on the day on which the resolution of the Board of
Trustees, declaring the dividend or allotment of rights, is adopted.
When a record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at
any meeting of shareholders has been set as provided in this section, such record date shall
continue to apply to the meeting if adjourned or postponed, except if the meeting is adjourned or
postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in
which case a new record date for such meeting may be determined as set forth herein.
Section 5. Share Ledger. The Trust shall maintain at its principal office or at the
office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger
containing the name and address of each shareholder and the number of shareholders of each class
held by such shareholder.
Section 6. Fractional Shares; Issuance of Units. The Board of Trustees may authorize
the Trust to issue fractional shares or authorize the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and
under such conditions as they may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the
Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, the Board of Trustees may authorize the Trust to issue units
consisting of different securities of the Trust. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same
characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Trust, except that the Board of Trustees
may provide that for a specified period securities of the Trust issued in such unit may be
transferred on the books of the Trust only in such unit.
ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTING YEAR
The Board of Trustees shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the
Trust by a duly adopted resolution.
ARTICLE IX
DIVIDENDS
Section 1. Authorization. Dividends and other distributions upon the shares of
beneficial interest of the Trust may be authorized by the Board of Trustees, subject to the
provisions of law and the Declaration of Trust. Dividends may be paid in cash, property or shares
of beneficial interest of the Trust, subject to the provisions of law and the Declaration of trust.
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Section 2. Contingencies. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions,
there may be set aside out of any assets of the Trust available for dividends or other
distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Trustees may from time to time, in their absolute
discretion, think proper as the reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends, for
repairing or maintaining any property of the Trust or for such other purpose as the Board of
Trustees shall determine to be in the best interest of the Trust, and the Board of Trustees may
modify or abolish any such reserve.
ARTICLE X
INVESTMENT POLICY
Subject to the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, the Board of Trustees may from time to
time adopt, amend, revise or terminate any policy or policies with respect to investments by the
Trust as it shall deem appropriate in its sole discretion.
ARTICLE XI
SEAL
Section 1. Seal. The Board of Trustees may authorize the adoption of a seal by the
Trust. The seal shall contain the name of the Trust and the year of its formation. The Board of
Trustees may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.
Section 2. Affixing Seal. Whenever the Trust is permitted or required to place its
seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation
relating to a seal to place the word (SEAL) adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to
execute the document on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE XII
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, the Trust shall
indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to
indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a
proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former trustee or officer of the Trust and who
is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that
capacity or (b) any individual who, while a trustee or officer of the Trust and at the request of
the Trust, serves or has served as a trustee, director, officer, member, manager or partner of
another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made
a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The rights to
indemnification and advance of expenses provided by the Declaration of Trust and these Bylaws shall
vest immediately upon election of a trustee or officer. The Trust may, with
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the approval of its Board of Trustees, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses
to an individual who served a predecessor of the Trust in any of the capacities described in (a) or
(b) above and to any employee or agent of the Trust or a predecessor of the Trust. The
indemnification and payment or reimbursement of expenses provided in these Bylaws shall not be
deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or
payment or reimbursement of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, resolution,
insurance, agreement or otherwise.
Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article, nor the adoption or amendment of any other
provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws inconsistent with this Article, shall apply
to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or
failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.
ARTICLE XIII
WAIVER OF NOTICE
Whenever any notice of a meeting is required to be given pursuant to the Declaration of Trust
or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic
transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the
time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business
to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice of
such meeting, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting
shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for
the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting
has not been lawfully called or convened.
ARTICLE XIV
AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
The Board of Trustees shall have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision
of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.
The foregoing are certified as the Bylaws of the Trust, as amended, approved by the Trustees
on June 2, 2010.
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/s/ Brad A. Molotsky
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Brad A. Molotsky |
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Secretary |
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