BrightSpire Capital, Inc S-3ASR, filed Oct 4, 2022
BrightSpire Capital, Inc. (BRSP)
S-3ASR
2022-10-04
View Original
Added on
October 22, 2026
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 4, 2022
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
BRIGHTSPIRE CAPITAL, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Maryland | 38-4046290 | |||||||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | |||||||
590 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 547-2631
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
David A. Palamé
General Counsel
590 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor
New York, New York 10022
(212) 547-2631
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
COPY TO:
David W. Bonser
Tifarah K. R. Allen
Hogan Lovells US LLP
555 Thirteenth Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Tel: (202) 637-5600
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement as registrant determines based on market conditions and other factors.
If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐
If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒
If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Large accelerated filer ý | Accelerated filer ¨ | Non-accelerated filer ¨ | Smaller reporting company ¨ Emerging growth company ¨ | |||||||||||||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
PROSPECTUS
Class A Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Depositary Shares,
Warrants and Rights
BrightSpire Capital, Inc., a Maryland corporation, may offer, from time to time, one or more series or classes, separately or together, and in amounts, at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements to this prospectus, the following securities:
•Shares of our Class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “common stock”);
•Shares of our preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “preferred stock”);
•Depositary shares representing our preferred stock;
•Warrants to purchase our common stock, preferred stock or depositary shares representing preferred stock; and
•Rights to purchase our common stock.
We refer to our common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants and rights collectively as the “securities.” The selling stockholders may offer and sell common stock from time to time, and in amounts, at prices and on terms to be set forth in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We or any of the selling stockholders may offer the securities in any combination, separately, together or as units with other offered securities, in one or more separate series or classes and in amounts, at prices and on terms described in one or more supplements to this prospectus.
This prospectus describes some of the general terms and conditions that may apply to the securities and the general manner in which they may be offered. The specific terms and conditions of any securities being offered, the net proceeds that we or any of the selling stockholders expect to receive from the sale of such securities and the specific manner in which such securities may be offered will be provided in prospectus supplements to this prospectus. The applicable prospectus supplement also will contain information, where applicable, about U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to, and any listing on a securities exchange of, the securities covered by the prospectus supplement. It is important that you read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement before you invest in any of the securities.
We or the selling stockholders may sell the offered securities in one or more ways: directly to investors, through agents designated from time to time by them or us, or to or through underwriters or dealers in a single offering or on a continuous or delayed basis. If any agents, underwriters or dealers are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement with, between or among them, will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in an accompanying prospectus supplement. For more detailed information, see “Plan of Distribution” on page 30. No securities may be sold without
delivery of this prospectus and a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of those securities.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “BRSP”. On October 3, 2022, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $6.42 per share. Our principal executive offices are located at 590 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10022, and our telephone number is (212) 547-2631.
Investing in our securities involves risks. Before buying our securities, you should refer to the risk factors included in our periodic reports and in the other information that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). You should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 7 of this prospectus, as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, before making a decision to invest in our securities.
Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is October 4, 2022.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we or the selling stockholders may offer and is not meant to provide a complete description of each security. As a result, each time we or the selling stockholders offer securities, to the extent required, a prospectus supplement will be provided, and it will be attached to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will contain specific information about the terms of that offering, including the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities being offered. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, together with additional information described below under the headings “Where To Find Additional Information,” “Incorporation of Certain Information By Reference” and any additional information you may need before making an investment decision.
You should rely only on the information provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. You should rely only on the information provided or information to which we have referred you, including any information incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement. Neither we, nor the selling stockholders, have authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. Neither we, nor the selling stockholders, are making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of these securities is not permitted. You should not assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any free writing prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement prepared by us or the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
You should read carefully the entire prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, which we have referred you to in “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference” on page 3 of this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Information incorporated by reference after the date of this prospectus may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Statements contained or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement as to the content of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete, and in each instance we refer you to the copy of the contract or other document filed as an exhibit to a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus or such prospectus supplement, as applicable, each such statement being qualified in all respects by such reference. Any information in such subsequent filings and any applicable prospectus supplement that is inconsistent with this prospectus will supersede the information in this prospectus or any earlier prospectus supplement.
Except where the context suggests otherwise, the terms the “Company,” “we,” ‘‘us,” and ‘‘our” refer to BrightSpire Capital, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and the “OP” and “Operating Partnership” refer to BrightSpire Capital Operating Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and our operating company.
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WHERE TO FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3, including exhibits, schedules and amendments filed with the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, under the Securities Act, with respect to the securities that may be offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is a part of that registration statement, but does not contain all of the information in the registration statement. We have omitted parts of the registration statement in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to our company and the securities that may be offered by this prospectus, reference is made to the registration statement, including the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document referred to in this prospectus are not necessarily complete and, where that contract or other document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each statement in this prospectus is qualified in all respects by the exhibit to which the reference relates.
We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings, including the registration statement, are available to you on the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov), which contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. We maintain a website at https://www.brightspire.com. You should not consider information on our website to be part of this prospectus.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
SEC rules allow us to incorporate information into this prospectus by reference, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except to the extent superseded by information contained herein or by information contained in documents filed with or furnished to the SEC after the date of this prospectus. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth below that have been previously filed with the SEC:
•our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021;
•the portions of the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the SEC on March 18, 2022 incorporated by reference in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021;
•our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022;
•our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 31, 2022, February 22, 2022 (with respect to Item 5.02 only), May 5, 2022, June 6, 2022, June 23, 2022 and July 13, 2022; and
•the description of our common stock included in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on January 31, 2018.
We also incorporate by reference into this prospectus additional documents that we may file with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act from the date of this prospectus until we have sold all of the securities to which this prospectus relates or the offering is otherwise terminated. We are not, however, incorporating any information furnished under either Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K. These documents may include, among others, Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as proxy statements.
You may obtain copies of any of these filings by contacting BrightSpire Capital, Inc., as described below, or through contacting the SEC or accessing its website as described above. Documents incorporated by reference are available without charge excluding all exhibits unless an exhibit has been specifically incorporated by reference into those documents, by requesting them in writing, by telephone or via the Internet at:
BrightSpire Capital, Inc.
590 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attn: Investor Relations
(212) 547-2631
Our reports and documents incorporated by reference herein may also be found in the “Shareholders” section of our website at https://www.brightspire.com. Our website and the information contained on it or connected to it shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this prospectus or prospectus supplement or the registration statement of which it forms a part.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents that we incorporate by reference may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, and may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Among others, the following uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements:
•operating costs and business disruption may be greater than expected;
•the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, measures intended to prevent its spread and government actions to mitigate its economic impact, as well as changes in consumer behavior or corporate policies in response to the coronavirus pandemic, have had and may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition;
•we depend on borrowers and tenants for a substantial portion of our revenue and, accordingly, our revenue and our ability to make distributions to stockholders will be dependent upon the success and economic viability of such borrowers and tenants;
•rising interest rates may adversely impact the value of our fixed-rate investments, result in higher interest expense and in disruptions to our borrowers’ and tenants’ ability to finance their activities, on whom we depend for a substantial portion of our revenue; deterioration in the performance of the properties securing our investments (including depletion of interest and other reserves or payment-in-kind concessions in lieu of current interest payment obligations) that may cause deterioration in the performance of our investments and, potentially, principal losses to us;
•the fair value of our investments may be subject to uncertainties or decrease;
•the ability to realize substantial efficiencies as well as anticipated strategic and financial benefits, including, but not limited to expected returns on equity and/or yields on investments;
•adverse impacts on our corporate revolver, including covenant compliance and borrowing base capacity;
•adverse impacts on our liquidity, including margin calls on master repurchase facilities, debt service or lease payment defaults or deferrals, demands for protective advances and capital expenditures;
•our real estate investments are relatively illiquid and we may not be able to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic and other conditions, which may result in losses to us;
•the timing of and ability to deploy available capital;
•implementation of our investment strategy may be delayed or hindered as a result of terminating our relationship with our former manager;
•we have not established a minimum distribution payment level, and we cannot assure you of our ability to pay distributions in the future;
•the timing of and ability to complete repurchases of our stock;
•we are subject to risks associated with obtaining mortgage financing on our real estate, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and our ability to make distributions to stockholders; and
•the impact of legislative, regulatory, tax and competitive changes and the actions of governmental authorities, and in particular those affecting the commercial real estate finance and mortgage industry or our business.
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The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. We urge you to carefully review the disclosures concerning risks in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” appearing in this prospectus and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.
We caution investors not to unduly rely on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this prospectus. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus, nor to conform prior statements to actual results or revised expectations, and we do not intend to do so.
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OUR COMPANY
We are a commercial real estate (“CRE”) credit real estate investment trust (“REIT”) focused on originating, acquiring, financing and managing a diversified portfolio consisting primarily of CRE debt investments and net leased properties predominantly in the United States. CRE debt investments primarily consist of first mortgage loans, which the Company expects to be its primary investment strategy. Additionally, we may selectively originate mezzanine loans and make preferred equity investments, which may include profit participations. The mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments may be in conjunction with our origination of corresponding first mortgages on the same properties. Net leased properties consist of CRE properties with long-term leases to tenants on a net-lease basis, where such tenants generally will be responsible for property operating expenses such as insurance, utilities, maintenance capital expenditures and real estate taxes. We will continue to target net leased equity investments on a selective basis. We also currently have investments in CRE debt securities consisting of commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) that are “B-pieces” of a CMBS securitization pool.
We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, beginning with our taxable year ended December 31, 2018. We conduct all our activities and hold substantially all our assets and liabilities through our Operating Partnership. At June 30, 2022, we wholly owned our Operating Partnership.
We were formed as a Maryland corporation on August 23, 2017 and maintain key offices in New York, New York and Los Angeles, California. Our principal executive offices are located at 590 Madison Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10022, and our telephone number is (212) 547-2631.
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement involves risks. You should carefully consider any specific risks set forth under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in any applicable prospectus supplement and the risks and uncertainties described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, which is incorporated by reference herein, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act. You should also carefully consider the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, before you decide to purchase our securities. The occurrence of any of these risks could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities. Some statements in this prospectus constitute forward-looking statements. Please refer to the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” for additional information regarding these forward-looking statements.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless otherwise described in the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus used to offer specific securities, we intend to contribute the net proceeds from any sale of the securities pursuant to this prospectus to our Operating Partnership in exchange for interests in our Operating Partnership. Our Operating Partnership intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of offered securities under this prospectus for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include, without limitation, the repayment of outstanding indebtedness and the acquisition of our target assets in a manner consistent with our investment strategies and investment guidelines. Until we use the net proceeds for the purposes described above, we may invest them in short-term income producing investments, such as commercial paper, government securities or money market funds that invest in government securities and/or commercial paper. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the selling stockholders.
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following description of the terms of our capital stock and certain provisions of Maryland law, our charter and our bylaws is only a summary, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Maryland General Corporation Law, (the “MGCL”), our charter and our bylaws. For a complete description, refer to the MGCL, our charter and our bylaws, which are filed with the SEC and are incorporated herein by reference.
General
Our charter provides that we may issue up to 1,000,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of 950,000,000 shares of our common stock and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. As of October 3, 2022, there were 128,964,934 shares of common stock and no shares of preferred stock outstanding.
Voting Rights of Common Stock
Subject to the provisions of our charter regarding the restrictions on transfer and ownership of shares of our common stock and except as may otherwise be specified in the terms of any class or series of shares of our common stock, each outstanding share of our common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. There will be no cumulative voting in the election of directors.
Under the MGCL, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, convert into another form of entity, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a statutory share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business unless declared advisable by a majority of the corporation’s board of directors and thereafter approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders holding at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter unless a lesser percentage (but not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter) is set forth in the corporation’s charter. Our charter provides that these actions (other than amendments to the provisions of our charter related to the removal of directors and charter amendments, which each require the affirmative vote of the stockholders entitled to cast not less than two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter) may be taken if declared advisable by a majority of our board of directors and approved by the vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, Maryland law permits a corporation to transfer all or substantially all of its assets without the approval of the stockholders of the corporation to one or more persons if all of the equity interests of the person or persons are owned, directly or indirectly, by the corporation.
Dividends, Liquidation and Other Rights of Common Stock
Subject to the preferential rights of any of our other classes or series of stock, and subject to the provisions of our charter regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of shares of our stock, holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends on such shares of common stock if, as and when authorized by our board of directors, and declared by our board of directors out of assets or funds legally available therefor. Such holders are also entitled to share ratably in our assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders in the event of its liquidation, dissolution or winding up or any distribution of its assets after payment or establishment of reserves or other adequate provision for all of our debts and liabilities and any class or series of stock with preferential rights related thereto, including our preferred stock.
Holders of our shares of common stock have no preference, conversion, exchange, sinking fund or redemption rights, have no preemptive rights to subscribe for any of our securities and generally have no appraisal rights. Subject to the provisions of our charter regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of shares of our capital stock, shares of our common stock will have equal dividend, liquidation and other rights. Rights to receive dividends and other distributions on our common stock may be subject to the preferences established in the terms of any class of our capital stock that may be established in the future.
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or any distribution of our assets, each holder of our common stock will be entitled to participate, together with any other class or series of stock not having a preference over our common stock, in the distribution of any remaining assets after payment of our debts and liabilities and distributions to holders of shares having a preference over our common stock.
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Power to Reclassify Unissued Shares of our Capital Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors, without stockholder approval, to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of our common stock and classify any unissued shares of its preferred stock and reclassify any previously classified but unissued shares of its preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and set the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of any such stock. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of preferred stock with priority as to distributions and amounts payable upon liquidation over the rights of the holders of our common stock. Such preferred stock could also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, including an extraordinary transaction (such as a merger, tender offer or sale of all or substantially all of its assets) that might provide a premium price for holders of shares of our common stock.
Power to Increase or Decrease Authorized Shares of our Capital Stock and Issue Additional Shares of our Capital Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors, with the approval of a majority of our board of directors and without stockholder approval, to amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of our capital stock or the number of shares of our capital stock of any class or series that we are authorized to issue. The additional classes or series will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the NYSE. Our board of directors could authorize us to issue a class or series of our capital stock that could, depending upon the terms of the particular class or series, delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control of our company that might involve a premium price for holders of shares of our capital stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.
Conversion of the Company Class B Common Stock
Each share of our Class B common stock converted automatically into one share of our Class A common stock upon the close of trading on February 1, 2019 and each unissued share of Class B common stock was automatically reclassified as a share of Class A common stock.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.
Listing
Our common stock is currently listed on the NYSE under the symbol “BRSP.”
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CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OF OUR CHARTER AND OUR BYLAWS
The following description of the terms of certain provisions of Maryland law and our charter and our bylaws is only a summary, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the MGCL, our charter and our bylaws. For a complete description, refer to the MGCL, our charter and our bylaws, which are filed with the SEC and are incorporated herein by reference.
Our Board of Directors
Our charter and our bylaws provide that, subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of preferred stock, the number of our directors may be established by our board of directors but may not be fewer than the minimum required by the MGCL (which is currently one) nor more than 15. Any vacancy will be filled, at any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, by a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum.
There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors. In uncontested elections, directors are elected by an affirmative vote of the majority of the votes cast for and against each director nominee. In contested elections, directors are elected by a plurality of the votes cast. An election will be considered to be contested if (i) our secretary has received notice that a stockholder has nominated an individual for election as a director in compliance with the advance notice procedures of our bylaws and (ii) such nomination has not been withdrawn by the stockholder at least 10 days prior to the date that our proxy statement with respect to the meeting at which such nomination would be made is first released to stockholders and, as a result of which, the number of nominees is greater than the number of directors to be elected at the meeting. In any uncontested election of a director, any incumbent director who does not receive a majority of the votes cast with respect to the election of such director shall tender his or her resignation within three days after certification of the results, in accordance with our written corporate governance guidelines.
Our charter provides that we elect to be subject to a provision of Maryland law requiring that vacancies on our board of directors be filled only by the remaining directors and that any directors elected by our board of directors to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred.
Removal of Directors
Our charter provides that, subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of preferred stock, a director may be removed only for cause (defined in our charter to mean, with respect to any particular director, conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such director caused demonstrable, material harm to us through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty), and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. This provision, when coupled with the provisions in our charter and our bylaws authorizing our board of directors to fill vacant directorships, precludes stockholders from removing incumbent directors (except by a substantial affirmative vote and only for cause) and filling the vacancies created by the removal with their own nominees.
Special Meetings of Stockholders
The Chairperson of our board of directors, the Vice Chairman of our board of directors, our Chief Executive Officer, our President and our board of directors may call special meetings of our stockholders. A special meeting of our stockholders to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of our stockholders must also be called by our secretary upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at the meeting and containing the information required by our bylaws. Our secretary will inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of meeting (including our proxy materials), and the requesting stockholder must pay such estimated cost before our secretary may prepare and mail the notice of the special meeting.
Business Combinations
Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation that has 100 or more beneficial owners of its voting stock and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These
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business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested stockholder is defined as:
•any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or
•an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of then outstanding voting stock of the corporation.
A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors of the corporation approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. In approving a transaction, the board of directors of the corporation may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board of directors.
After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
•80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and
•two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder.
These supermajority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.
The statute provides various exemptions from its provisions, including for business combinations that are exempted by the board of directors of the corporation before the time that an interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder for purposes of the statute. In accordance with this statute, our board of directors has exempted any business combinations between us and any person, provided that any such business combination is first approved by our board of directors. Consequently, the five-year prohibition and the supermajority vote requirements will not apply to any future business combinations between us and any interested stockholders (or their affiliates) that are first approved by our board of directors, including any future business combination with the operating company of DigitalBridge Group, Inc., our former external manager, or any of their current or future affiliates.
The business combination statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of the Company in the future and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.
Control Share Acquisitions
Maryland law provides that control shares (as defined below) of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition (as defined below) have no voting rights except to the extent approved by the affirmative vote of the holders entitled to cast two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquiror, by officers or by directors who are employees of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are outstanding voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:
•one-tenth or more but less than one-third;
•one-third or more but less than a majority; or
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•a majority or more of all voting power.
Control shares do not include shares that the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval or shares acquired directly from the corporation. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of issued and outstanding control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the board of directors of the corporation to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of a demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.
If voting rights of the control shares acquired in a control share acquisition are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then the corporation may redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. The right of the corporation to redeem control shares is subject to certain conditions and limitations. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquiror or, if a meeting of stockholders is held at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved, as of the date of the meeting. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply: (i) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction; or (ii) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation.
Our bylaws contain a provision exempting us from the control share acquisition statute. This provision may be amended or eliminated at any time in the future.
Amendments to Our Charter
Subject to the rights of any shares of preferred stock outstanding from time to time and except for its provisions relating to removal of directors and charter amendments (which each require the affirmative vote of the stockholders entitled to cast not less than two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter), our charter may be amended only if declared advisable by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of shares entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, except in limited circumstances where stockholder approval is not required under Maryland law or by a specific provision in our charter.
Amendments to Our Bylaws
Our bylaws may be altered or repealed, and new bylaws may be adopted, by the vote of a majority of our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of stockholders representing a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter at a duly called annual meeting or special meeting of the stockholders and at which a quorum is present; provided, that any such stockholder proposal must be submitted in accordance with the advance notice procedures and deadlines set forth in our bylaws.
Dissolution
The dissolution of the Company must be declared advisable by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of the stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Subtitle 8
Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and at least three independent directors to elect to be subject, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors and notwithstanding any contrary provision in its charter or bylaws, to any or all of five provisions:
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•a classified board;
•a two-thirds vote requirement for removing a director;
•a requirement that the number of directors be fixed only by vote of the directors;
•a requirement that a vacancy on the board be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office (even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum) and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred; and
•a majority requirement for the calling of a stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders.
Through provisions in our charter and our bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL, our Company already: (i) requires a two-thirds vote for the removal of any director from our board of directors (and only for cause); (ii) vests in our board of directors the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships, and fill vacancies; and (iii) requires, unless called by the Chairperson of our board of directors, the Vice Chairman of our board of directors, President, Chief Executive Officer or our board of directors, the request of holders of a majority of outstanding shares to call a special meeting of stockholders. We have not elected to create a classified board. In the future, our board of directors may elect, without stockholder approval, to classify itself pursuant to the provisions of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL.
Advance Notice of Director Nominations and New Business
Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of persons for election to our board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders may be made only: (i) pursuant to our notice of the meeting; (ii) by or at the direction of our board of directors; or (iii) by a stockholder of record at the time of giving notice, at the record date set by our board of directors for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of directors and who has complied with the advance notice procedures of our bylaws. Stockholders generally must provide notice to our secretary not before the 150th day or after the 120th day before the first anniversary of the date of our proxy statement for the solicitation of proxies for the election of directors at the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in connection with our first annual meeting, 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 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made.
With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of persons for election to our board of directors at a special meeting may be made only: (i) by our board of directors; or (ii) by a stockholder at a special meeting that has been called in accordance with our bylaws for the purpose of electing directors, provided that such stockholder is a stockholder of record at the record date set by our board of directors for the special meeting and has complied with the advance notice provisions of our bylaws. Stockholders generally must provide notice to our secretary no earlier than the 120th day before such special meeting and no later than the later of the 90th day before the special meeting or the 10th day after public announcement of the date of the special meeting and the nominees of our board of directors to be elected at the meeting.
Anti-Takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Our Bylaws
The business combination provisions and the control share acquisition provisions of Maryland law (if we decide to be bound by such provisions by future action), the provisions of our charter relating to removal of directors and filling vacancies on our board of directors, the restrictions on ownership and transfer of our shares of stock and the advance notice provisions of our bylaws could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.
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Indemnification for Liabilities of Our Directors, Officers and Controlling Persons
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision eliminating the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from: (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in the form of money, property or services; or (ii) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment and is material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision which eliminates liability of our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
Our charter and our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, (i) any present or former director or officer or (ii) any individual who, while a director or officer and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, REIT, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, trustee, member, manager, employee, partner or agent, and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, a proceeding by reason of his or her service in such capacity, and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding. Our charter and our bylaws also obligate us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served our predecessor in any of the capacities described above and permit us, with the approval of our board of directors, to provide the same (or lesser) indemnification and advancement of expenses to any of our or our predecessors’ employees or agents.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party to, or witness in, by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that:
•the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;
•the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in the form of money, property or services; or
•in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.
A Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer with respect to a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation in which the director or officer was adjudged liable to the corporation or a proceeding charging improper personal benefit to the director or officer in which the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. Upon application by one of our directors or officers to a court of appropriate jurisdiction and upon such notice as the court may require, the court may order indemnification of such director or officer if:
•the court determines that such director or officer is entitled to reimbursement for expenses in a matter in which the director has been successful, in which case the director or officer shall be entitled to recover from us the expenses of securing such indemnification; or
•the court determines that such director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether or not the director or officer has met the standards of conduct for which indemnification is permitted under the MGCL or has been adjudged liable for receipt of an “improper personal benefit” under the MGCL; provided, however, that our indemnification obligations to such director or officer will be limited to the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or her, or on his or her behalf, in connection with any proceeding by us or in our right or in which the officer or director
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shall have been adjudged liable for receipt of an improper personal benefit under Section 2-418(c) of the MGCL.
In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of: (i) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and (ii) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers that require us to indemnify such directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and to pay such persons’ expenses in defending any civil or criminal proceeding in advance of the final disposition of such proceeding.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be provided to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Exclusive Forum
Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our directors or officers or other employees to us or to our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors or officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or our charter or our bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors or officers or other employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK
The following description sets forth certain general terms of the preferred stock to which any prospectus supplement may relate. This description and the description contained in any prospectus supplement are not complete and are in all respects subject to and qualified in their entirety by reference to our charter, the applicable articles supplementary that describes the terms of the related class or series of preferred stock, and our bylaws, each of which we will make available upon request.
General
Our charter provides that we may issue up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. As of October 3, 2022, no shares of preferred stock were issued and outstanding. Our charter authorizes our board of directors to classify any unissued preferred stock from time to time into one or more classes or series of preferred stock. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or series, the board of directors is required by the MGCL and our charter to set for each such class or series, subject to the provisions of our charter regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of shares and subject to the express terms of any class or series of shares then outstanding, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each such class or series.
The rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of any series of preferred stock will be fixed by articles supplementary relating to the series. We will describe the specific terms of the particular series of preferred stock in the prospectus supplement relating to that series, which terms will include:
(1) the designation and par value of the preferred stock;
(2) the voting rights, if any, of the preferred stock;
(3) the number of shares of preferred stock offered, the liquidation preference per preferred share and the offering price of the preferred stock;
(4) the distribution rate(s), period(s) and payment date(s) or method(s) of calculation thereof applicable to the preferred stock;
(5) whether distributions will be cumulative or non-cumulative and, if cumulative, the date(s) from which distributions on the preferred stock will accumulate;
(6) the procedures for any auction and remarketing for the preferred stock, if applicable;
(7) the provision for a sinking fund, if any, for the preferred stock;
(8) the provision for, and any restriction on, redemption, if applicable, of the preferred stock;
(9) the provision for, and any restriction on, repurchase, if applicable, of the preferred stock;
(10) the terms and provisions, if applicable, upon which the preferred stock will be convertible into our common stock, including the conversion price (or manner or calculation thereof) and conversion period;
(11) the terms under which the rights of the preferred stock may be modified, if applicable;
(12) the relative ranking and preferences of the preferred stock as to distribution rights and rights upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs;
(13) any limitation on issuance of any other series of preferred stock, including any series of preferred stock ranking senior to or on parity with the series of preferred stock as to distribution rights and rights upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our affairs;
(14) any listing of the preferred stock on any securities exchange;
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(15) if appropriate, a discussion of any additional material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the preferred stock;
(16) information with respect to the transfer agent, paying agent and registrar for the preferred stock, and any book-entry procedures, if applicable;
(17) in addition to those restrictions described below, any other restrictions on the actual and constructive ownership and restrictions on transfer of the preferred stock, in each case as may be appropriate to preserve our status as a REIT; and
(18) any other specific terms, additional rights, preferences, privileges or restrictions of the preferred stock.
Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and Our Charter and Bylaws
For a description of certain provisions of Maryland law and our charter and bylaws that may affect the rights and restrictions related to our preferred stock, see “Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and Our Charter and Our Bylaws.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
We will select the transfer agent, registrar and dividend reimbursement agent for a series of preferred stock, which will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. The registrar for preferred stock will send notices to stockholders of any meetings at which holders of preferred stock have the right to vote on any matter.
Restrictions on Ownership
With certain exceptions, our charter contains restrictions on the number of shares of our capital stock that a person may own. No person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, in excess of 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of all classes of our capital stock. In addition, no person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, shares of our common stock in excess of 9.8% (in value or number, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Holders of our preferred stock will be subject to these ownership limits. For more information regarding these ownership restrictions and certain other restrictions intended to protect our qualification as a REIT, see “Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.”
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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
General
We may issue receipts for depositary shares, each of which will represent a fractional interest of a share of a particular series of preferred stock, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Preferred stock of each series represented by depositary shares will be deposited under a separate deposit agreement among us, the depositary named therein and the holders from time to time of the depositary receipts. Subject to the terms of the applicable deposit agreement, each owner of a depositary receipt will be entitled, in proportion to the fractional interest of a share of a particular series of preferred stock represented by the depositary shares evidenced by such depositary receipt, to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock represented by such depositary shares (including dividend, voting, conversion, redemption and liquidation rights).
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the applicable deposit agreement. Immediately following the issuance and delivery of the shares of preferred stock by us to a preferred share depositary, we will cause such preferred shares depositary to issue, on our behalf, the depositary receipts. Copies of the applicable form of deposit agreement and depositary receipt may be obtained from us upon request, and the statements made hereunder relating to the deposit agreement and the depositary receipts to be issued thereunder are summaries of certain provisions thereof and do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the applicable deposit agreement and related depositary receipts. As of October 3, 2022, no depositary shares were issued and outstanding.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The preferred share depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions received in respect of the shares of preferred stock to the record holders of depositary receipts evidencing the related depositary shares in proportion to the number of such depositary receipts owned by such holders, subject to certain obligations of holders to file proofs, certificates and other information and to pay certain charges and expenses to the preferred shares depositary.
In the event of a distribution other than in cash, the preferred shares depositary will distribute property received by it to the record holders of depositary receipts entitled thereto, subject to certain obligations of holders to file proofs, certificates and other information and to pay certain charges and expenses to the preferred shares depositary, unless the preferred shares depositary determines that it is not feasible to make such distribution, in which case the preferred shares depositary may, with our approval, sell such property and distribute the net proceeds from such sale to such holders.
No distribution will be made in respect of any depositary share to the extent that it represents any shares of preferred stock converted into other securities.
Withdrawal of Shares
Upon surrender of the depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the applicable preferred shares depositary (unless the related depositary shares have previously been called for redemption or converted into other securities), the holders thereof will be entitled to delivery at such office, to or upon such holder’s order, of the number of whole or fractional shares of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by the depositary shares evidenced by such depositary receipts. Holders of depositary receipts will be entitled to receive whole or fractional shares of preferred stock on the basis of the proportion of preferred shares represented by each depositary share as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, but holders of such preferred shares will not thereafter be entitled to receive depositary shares therefor. If the depositary receipts delivered by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares in excess of the number of depositary shares representing the number of shares of preferred stock to be withdrawn, the preferred shares depositary will deliver to such holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing such excess number of depositary shares.
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Redemption of Depositary Shares
Whenever we redeem shares of preferred stock held by the preferred shares depositary, the preferred shares depositary will redeem as of the same redemption date the number of depositary shares representing shares of preferred stock so redeemed, provided we shall have paid in full to the preferred shares depositary the redemption price of the preferred stock to be redeemed plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends thereon to the date fixed for redemption. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the corresponding proportion of the redemption price and any other amounts per share payable with respect to the preferred stock. If fewer than all the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected pro rata (as nearly as may be practicable without creating fractional depositary shares) or by any other equitable method determined by us that will not result in a violation of the ownership restrictions in our charter.
From and after the date fixed for redemption, all dividends in respect of the preferred stock so called for redemption will cease to accrue, the depositary shares so called for redemption will no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares so called for redemption will cease, except the right to receive any moneys payable upon such redemption and any money or other property to which the holders of such depositary receipts were entitled upon such redemption and surrender thereof to the preferred shares depositary.
Voting of the Shares of Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of the applicable shares of preferred stock are entitled to vote, the preferred shares depositary will mail the information contained in such notice of meeting to the record holders of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares which represent such shares of preferred stock. Each record holder of depositary receipts evidencing depositary shares on the record date (which will be the same date as the record date for the preferred shares) will be entitled to instruct the preferred shares depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the amount of preferred shares represented by such holder’s depositary shares. The preferred shares depositary will vote the amount of preferred shares represented by such depositary shares in accordance with such instructions, and we will agree to take all reasonable action which may be deemed necessary by the preferred shares depositary in order to enable the preferred shares depositary to do so. The preferred shares depositary will abstain from voting the amount of preferred shares represented by such depositary shares to the extent it does not receive specific instructions from the holders of depositary receipts evidencing such depositary shares. The preferred shares depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instruction to vote, or for the manner or effect of any such vote made, as long as any such action or non-action is in good faith and does not result from negligence or willful misconduct of the preferred shares depositary.
Liquidation Preference
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of each depositary receipt will be entitled to the fraction of the liquidation preference accorded each shares of preferred stock represented by the depositary shares evidenced by such depositary receipt, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Conversion of Preferred Shares
The depositary shares, as such, are not convertible into common stock or any of our other securities or property. Nevertheless, if so specified in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to an offering of depositary shares, the depositary receipts may be surrendered by holders thereof to the preferred shares depositary with written instructions to the preferred shares depositary to instruct us to cause conversion of the preferred shares represented by the depositary shares evidenced by such depositary receipts into whole shares of common stock or other preferred stock, and we agree that upon receipt of such instructions and any amounts payable in respect thereof, we will cause the conversion thereof utilizing the same procedures as those provided for delivery of shares of preferred stock to effect such conversion. If the depositary shares evidenced by a depositary receipt are to be converted in part only, a new depositary receipt or receipts will be issued for any depositary shares not to be converted. No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon conversion, and if such conversion would result in a fractional share being
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issued, an amount will be paid in cash by us equal to the value of the fractional interest based upon the closing price of our common stock on the last business day prior to the conversion.
Amendment and Termination of Deposit Agreement
The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares which represent the preferred stock and any provision of the deposit agreement may at any time be amended by agreement between us and the preferred shares depositary. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary receipts or that would be materially and adversely inconsistent with the rights granted to the holders of the related preferred shares will not be effective unless such amendment has been approved by the existing holders of at least two-thirds of the applicable depositary shares evidenced by the applicable depositary receipts then outstanding. No amendment shall impair the right, subject to certain exceptions in the deposit agreement, of any holder of depositary receipts to surrender any depositary receipt with instructions to deliver to the holder the related shares of preferred stock and all money and other property, if any, represented thereby, except in order to comply with law. Every holder of an outstanding depositary receipt at the time any such amendment becomes effective shall be deemed, by continuing to hold such receipt, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by the deposit agreement as amended thereby.
The deposit agreement may be terminated by us upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice to the preferred shares depositary if (i) such termination is necessary to preserve our status as a REIT or (ii) a majority of each series of preferred stock affected by such termination consents to such termination, whereupon the preferred shares depositary shall deliver or make available to each holder of depositary receipts, upon surrender of the depositary receipts held by such holder, such number of whole or fractional shares of preferred stock as are represented by the depositary shares evidenced by such depositary receipts together with any other property held by the preferred shares depositary with respect to such depositary receipts. We have agreed that if the deposit agreement is terminated to preserve our status as a REIT, then we will use our best efforts to list the preferred stock issued upon surrender of the related depositary shares on a national securities exchange. In addition, the deposit agreement will automatically terminate if (i) all outstanding depositary shares shall have been redeemed, (ii) there shall have been a final distribution in respect of the related preferred stock in connection with our liquidation, dissolution or winding up and such distribution shall have been distributed to the holders of depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares representing such preferred stock or (iii) each related share of preferred stock shall have been converted into our securities not so represented by depositary shares.
Charges of Preferred Shares Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the deposit agreement. In addition, we will pay the fees and expenses of the preferred shares depositary in connection with the performance of its duties under the deposit agreement. However, holders of depositary receipts will pay the fees and expenses of the preferred shares depositary for any duties requested by such holders to be performed which are outside of those expressly provided for in the deposit agreement.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The preferred shares depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us notice of its election to do so, and we may at any time remove the preferred shares depositary, any such resignation or removal to take effect upon the appointment of a successor preferred shares depositary. A successor preferred shares depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and that meets certain combined capital and surplus requirements.
Miscellaneous
The preferred shares depositary will forward to holders of depositary receipts any reports and communications from us which are received by the preferred shares depositary with respect to the related preferred shares.
Neither the preferred shares depositary nor we will be liable if it is prevented from or delayed in, by law or any circumstances beyond its control, performing its obligations under the deposit agreement. Our obligations and the
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obligations of the preferred shares depositary under the deposit agreement will be limited to performing their duties thereunder in good faith and without negligence (in the case of any action or inaction in the voting of preferred shares represented by the depositary shares), gross negligence or willful misconduct, and we and the preferred shares depositary will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary receipts, depositary shares or preferred shares represented thereby unless satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We and the preferred shares depositary may rely on written advice of counsel or accountants, or information provided by persons presenting preferred shares represented thereby for deposit, holders of depositary receipts or other persons believed in good faith to be competent to give such information, and on documents believed in good faith to be genuine and signed by a proper party.
In the event the preferred shares depositary shall receive conflicting claims, requests or instructions from any holders of depositary receipts, on the one hand, and us, on the other hand, the preferred shares depositary shall be entitled to act on such claims, requests or instructions received from us.
Restrictions on Ownership
With certain exceptions, our charter contains restrictions on the number of shares of our capital stock that a person may own. No person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, in excess of 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of all classes of our capital stock. In addition, no person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, shares of our common stock in excess of 9.8% (in value or number, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Holders of our depositary shares will be subject to the same restrictions as holders of our preferred stock. For more information regarding these ownership restrictions and certain other restrictions intended to protect our qualification as a REIT, see “Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.”
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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS
We may offer by means of this prospectus warrants for the purchase of any of the types of securities offered by this prospectus. We may issue warrants separately or together with any other securities offered by means of this prospectus, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent specified therein or the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants of such series and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants. As of October 3, 2022, no warrants were issued and outstanding.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the following terms, where applicable, of the warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered:
•the title of such warrants;
•the aggregate number of such warrants;
•the aggregate number of shares purchasable upon exercise of such warrants;
•the price or prices at which such warrants will be issued and provisions for changes or adjustments in the exercise price;
•the currencies in which the price or prices of such warrants may be payable;
•the price or prices at which and currency or currencies in which the securities purchasable upon exercise of such warrants may be purchased;
•the designation, amount and terms of the securities purchasable upon exercise of such warrants;
•if applicable, the date on and after which such warrants and the securities purchasable upon exercise of such warrants will be separately transferable.
•the designation and terms of the other securities with which such warrants are issued and the number of such warrants issued with each such security;
•the date on which the right to exercise such warrants shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire;
•the minimum or maximum amount of such warrants which may be exercised at any one time;
•information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
•a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations; and
•any other material terms of such warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of such warrants.
Restrictions on Ownership
With certain exceptions, our charter contains restrictions on the number of shares of our capital stock that a person may own. No person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, in excess of 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of all classes of our capital stock. In addition, no person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, shares of our common stock in excess of 9.8% (in value or number, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Holders of warrants to purchase our common stock or our preferred stock will, upon exercise of the warrant, be subject to these ownership limits. Such limits could restrict the warrant holder’s ability to exercise the warrants it holds. For more information regarding these ownership restrictions and certain other restrictions intended to protect our qualification as a REIT, see “Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.”
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DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS
We may issue rights to our stockholders for the purchase of shares of our common stock. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent, all as set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to the particular issue of rights. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the certificates relating to the rights of such series and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights. The rights agreement and the rights certificates relating to each series of rights will be filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. As of October 3, 2022, no rights were issued and outstanding.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the rights to be issued, including the following, where applicable:
•the date for determining the stockholders entitled to the rights distribution;
•the aggregate number of shares of common stock purchasable upon exercise of such rights;
•the exercise prices of such rights and provisions for changes or adjustments in the exercise price;
•the aggregate number of rights being issued;
•the date, if any, on and after which such rights may be transferable separately;
•the date on which the right to exercise such rights shall commence and the date on which such right shall expire;
•any special U.S. federal income tax consequences; and
•any other terms of such rights, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the distribution, exchange and exercise of such rights.
Restrictions on Ownership
With certain exceptions, our charter contains restrictions on the number of shares of our capital stock that a person may own. No person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, in excess of 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of all classes of our capital stock. In addition, no person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, shares of our common stock in excess of 9.8% (in value or number, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Holders of rights to purchase our common stock will, upon exercise of the rights, be subject to these ownership limits. Such limits could restrict the rights holder’s ability to exercise the rights it holds. For more information regarding these ownership restrictions and certain other restrictions intended to protect our qualification as a REIT, see “Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.”
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RESTRICTIONS ON OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER
For us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, our capital stock must be beneficially owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Also, not more than 50% of the value of our outstanding stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities) during the last half of a taxable year.
Our charter contains restrictions on the number of shares of our capital stock that a person may own. No person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, in excess of 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of all classes of our capital stock, which we refer to as the aggregate stock ownership limit. In addition, no person, including entities, may acquire or hold, directly or indirectly, shares of our common stock in excess of 9.8% (in value or number, whichever is more restrictive) of the aggregate of the outstanding shares of our common stock, which we refer to as the common stock ownership limit and, together with the aggregate stock ownership limit, we refer to as the ownership limits.
Our charter further prohibits: (i) any person from beneficially or constructively owning shares of our capital stock that would result in us (A) being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of the taxable year); (B) owning (directly or constructively) an interest in a tenant as described in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code if the income derived by us (either directly or indirectly through one or more partnerships or limited liability companies) from such tenant for the taxable year during which such determination is made would reasonably be expected to equal or exceed the lesser of either (1) one percent of our gross income (as determined for purposes of Section 856(c) of the Code); or (2) the amount that would (or, in the sole judgment of our board of directors, could) cause us to fail to satisfy any of the gross income requirements of Section 856(c) of the Code; or (C) otherwise failing to qualify as a REIT; and (ii) any person from transferring our stock if the transfer would result, if effective, in our stock being owned by fewer than 100 persons. Any person who acquires or who attempts or intends to acquire shares of our capital stock that may violate any of these restrictions or who is the intended transferee of shares of our capital stock, which are transferred to a trust as described below is required to give us immediate written notice, or in the case of a proposed or attempted transaction, give at least 15 days prior written notice, and provide us with such information as it may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of the transfer on our qualification as a REIT.
The above restrictions will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to, or continue to, qualify as a REIT (or that compliance is no longer required for REIT qualification). Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt (prospectively or retroactively) a person from the ownership limits, subject to such terms, conditions, representations and undertakings as it may determine and as are contained in our charter. Additionally, our board of directors may increase or decrease the ownership limits for one or more persons and increase or decrease the ownership limits for all other persons subject to such terms, conditions, representations and undertakings as it may determine and as are contained in our charter.
Any attempted transfer of shares of our capital stock that would result in shares of our capital stock being owned by fewer than 100 persons will be null and void, and the intended transferee will acquire no rights in such shares. Any attempted transfer of shares of our capital stock which, if effective, would result in any other violation of the above limitations, will cause the number of shares causing the violation (rounded up to the nearest whole share) to be automatically transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable beneficiaries and the proposed transferee will not acquire any rights in such shares. If the automatic transfer to the trust would not be effective for any reason to prevent the violation of the above limitations, then the transfer of that number of shares of our capital stock that otherwise would cause the violation will be null and void, and the intended transferee will not acquire any rights in such shares. The automatic transfer will be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the business day (as defined in our charter) prior to the date of the purported transfer.
Shares of our capital stock held in a trust pursuant to our charter will continue to be issued and outstanding shares of our capital stock. The prohibited owner will not benefit economically from ownership of any shares of our capital stock held in the trust, will have no rights to dividends or other distributions and no rights to vote or other rights attributable to the shares of our capital stock held in the trust. The trustee of the trust will have all voting
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rights and rights to dividends or other distributions with respect to shares held in the trust. These rights will be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiary or beneficiaries. Any dividend or other distribution paid with respect to shares of our capital stock prior to the discovery by us that shares have been transferred to the trustee must be paid by the prohibited owner to the trustee upon demand. Any dividend or other distribution authorized but unpaid will be paid when due to the trustee. Any dividend or other distribution paid to the trustee will be held in trust for the charitable beneficiary or beneficiaries. Subject to Maryland law, effective as of the date that the shares of our capital stock are transferred to the trust, the trustee will have the authority, at the trustee’s sole and absolute discretion, to: (i) rescind as void any vote cast by the prohibited owner prior to the discovery by us that the shares have been transferred to the trustee; and (ii) recast the vote. However, if we have already taken irreversible corporate action, then the trustee will not have the authority to rescind and recast the vote. Our board of directors may establish additional trusts with distinct trustees and charitable beneficiaries to which shares may be transferred, if necessary to protect our qualification as a REIT. Furthermore, our charter grants our board of directors the authority to take other actions, including the redemption of shares of stock that it deems advisable to prevent a violation of the transfer and ownership restrictions described above.
Within 20 days of receiving notice from us that shares of our capital stock have been transferred to the trust, the trustee of the trust will sell the shares to a person designated by the trustee, whose ownership of the shares will not violate the above ownership limits. Upon the sale, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the prohibited owner and to the charitable beneficiary as follows. The prohibited owner will receive the lesser of: (i) the price paid by the prohibited owner for the shares or, if the prohibited owner did not give value for the shares in connection with the event causing the shares to be held in the trust (e.g., a gift, devise or other similar transaction), the market price (as defined in our charter) of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be held in the trust and (ii) the price per share received by the trustee, net of any commission and other expenses of sale, from the sale or other disposition of the shares held in the trust. The trustee may reduce the amount payable to the prohibited owner by the amount of dividends or other distributions which have been paid to the prohibited owner and are owed by the prohibited owner to the trustee. Any net sale proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the prohibited owner will be paid immediately to the charitable beneficiary. If, prior to us discovering that shares of our capital stock have been transferred to the trustee, the shares are sold by the prohibited owner, then: (i) the shares will be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the trust; and (ii) to the extent that the prohibited owner received an amount for the shares that exceeds the amount he, she or it was entitled to receive, the excess will be paid to the trustee upon demand.
In addition, shares of our capital stock held in the trust will be deemed to have been offered for sale to us, or our designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of: (i) the price per share in the transaction that resulted in the transfer to the trust (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the market price at the time of the devise or gift); and (ii) the market price on the date we, or our designee, accepts the offer. We may reduce the amount payable to the prohibited owner by the amount of dividends or other distributions that have been paid to the prohibited owner and are owed by the prohibited owner to the trustee. We may pay the amount of such reduction to the trustee for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary. We will have the right to accept the offer until the trustee has sold the shares. Upon a sale to us, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the prohibited owner.
Any certificates representing shares of our capital stock will bear a legend referring to the restrictions described above.
Every owner of 5% or more (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder) of our outstanding stock is required, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, to give us written notice stating his, her or its name and address, the number of shares of each of our classes and series of stock that he, she or it beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each such owner must provide us with such additional information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such owner’s beneficial ownership on our qualification as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limits. In addition, each stockholder must provide us with such information as we may request in order to determine our qualification as a REIT and to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance and to ensure compliance with the ownership limits.
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These restrictions on ownership and transfer could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of shares of our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.
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BOOK-ENTRY SECURITIES
We may issue the securities offered by means of this prospectus in whole or in part in book-entry form, meaning that beneficial owners of the securities will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the securities, except in the event the book-entry system for the securities is discontinued. If securities are issued in book entry form, they will be evidenced by one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depository identified in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the securities. The Depository Trust Company is expected to serve as depository. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual securities represented thereby, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depository for the global security to a nominee of such depository or by a nominee of such depository to such depository or another nominee of such depository or by the depository or any nominee of such depository to a successor depository or a nominee of such successor. Global securities may be issued in either registered or bearer form and in either temporary or permanent form. The specific terms of the depository arrangement with respect to a class or series of securities that differ from the terms described here will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we anticipate that the following provisions will apply to depository arrangements.
Upon the issuance of a global security, the depository for the global security or its nominee will credit on its book-entry registration and transfer system the respective principal amounts of the individual securities represented by such global security to the accounts of persons that have accounts with such depository, who are called “participants.” Such accounts shall be designated by the underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to the securities or by us if the securities are offered and sold directly by us. Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to the depository’s participants or persons that may hold interests through such participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in the global security will be shown on, and the transfer of that ownership will be effected only through, records maintained by the applicable depository or its nominee (with respect to beneficial interests of participants) and records of the participants (with respect to beneficial interests of persons who hold through participants). The laws of some states require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such limits and laws may impair the ability to own, pledge or transfer beneficial interest in a global security.
So long as the depository for a global security or its nominee is the registered owner of such global security, such depository or nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by such global security for all purposes under the applicable instrument defining the rights of a holder of the securities. Except as provided below or in the applicable prospectus supplement, owners of beneficial interest in a global security will not be entitled to have any of the individual securities of the series represented by such global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of any such securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders thereof under the applicable instrument defining the rights of the holders of the securities.
Payments of amounts payable with respect to individual securities represented by a global security registered in the name of a depository or its nominee will be made to the depository or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the global security representing such securities. None of us, our officers and board members or any trustee, paying agent or security registrar for an individual series of securities will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the global security for such securities or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests.
We expect that the depository for a series of securities offered by means of this prospectus or its nominee, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest, dividend or other amount in respect of a permanent global security representing any of such securities, will immediately credit its participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the principal amount of such global security for such securities as shown on the records of such depository or its nominee. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in such global security held through such participants will be governed by standing
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instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Such payments will be the responsibility of such participants.
If a depository for a series of securities is at any time unwilling, unable or ineligible to continue as depository and a successor depository is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue individual securities of such series in exchange for the global security representing such series of securities. In addition, we may, at any time and in our sole discretion, subject to any limitations described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such securities, determine not to have any securities of such series represented by one or more global securities and, in such event, will issue individual securities of such series in exchange for the global security or securities representing such series of securities.
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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
Information about selling stockholders, where applicable, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act that are incorporated herein by reference.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Unless otherwise set forth in a prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus, we or any of the selling stockholders may sell the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus to or through one or more underwriters or dealers for public offering and sale by them, or we or the selling stockholders may sell the securities to investors directly or through agents, which agents may be affiliated with us. Any such underwriter, dealer or agent involved in the offer and sale of the securities will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. We or the selling stockholders may sell securities directly to investors on our or their own behalf in those jurisdictions where we or they are authorized to do so. Direct sales to investors may be accomplished through subscription offerings or through subscription rights distributed to our stockholders. In connection with subscription offerings or the distribution of subscription rights to stockholders, if all of the underlying offered securities are not subscribed for, we or the selling stockholders may sell such unsubscribed offered securities to third parties directly or through agents and, in addition, whether or not all of the underlying offered securities are subscribed for, we or the selling stockholders may concurrently offer additional offered securities to third parties directly or through agents, which agents may be affiliated with us.
The distribution of the offered securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices at the time of sale, such as an “at the market offering,” or at negotiated prices, any of which may represent a discount from the prevailing market price. We or the selling stockholders also may, from time to time, authorize underwriters or dealers acting as our agents to offer and sell the securities upon the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. In connection with the sale of offered securities, underwriters may receive compensation from us or the selling stockholders in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions and may also receive commissions from purchasers of offered securities for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell offered securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents.
Our securities may also be sold in one or more of the following transactions: (a) block transactions (which may involve cross transactions) in which a broker-dealer may sell all or a portion of such shares as agent, but may position and resell all or a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; (b) purchases by any such broker-dealer as principal, and resale by such broker-dealer for its own account pursuant to a prospectus supplement; (c) a special offering, an exchange distribution or a secondary distribution in accordance with applicable NYSE or other stock exchange, quotation system or over-the-counter market rules; (d) ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which any such broker-dealer solicits purchasers; (e) sales “at the market” to or through a market maker or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise, for such shares and (f) sales in other ways not involving market makers or established trading markets, including direct sales to purchasers.
Any underwriting compensation paid by us or the selling stockholders to underwriters or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers, will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.
Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us or the selling stockholders, to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Any such indemnification agreements will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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Unless otherwise set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement, the obligations of any underwriters to purchase any of the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of such securities, if any are purchased.
Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us and our affiliates, or the selling stockholders, in the ordinary course of business.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we or the selling stockholders will authorize underwriters or dealers acting as our agents to solicit offers by institutions to purchase offered securities from us or the selling stockholders at the public offering price set forth in such prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in such prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate principal amount of securities sold pursuant to contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Institutions with which we or the selling stockholders may make these delayed delivery contracts include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and others but will in all cases be subject to our approval. The obligations of any purchaser under any such delayed delivery contract will be subject to the condition that the purchase by an institution of the securities shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the purchaser is subject. The underwriters and other agents will not have any responsibility with regard to the validity or performance of these delayed delivery contracts.
In connection with the offering of the securities hereby, certain underwriters, and selling group members and their respective affiliates may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the applicable securities. Such transactions may include stabilization transactions effected in accordance with Rule 104 of Regulation M promulgated by the SEC pursuant to which such persons may bid for or purchase securities for the purpose of stabilizing their market price. The underwriters in an offering of securities may also create a “short position” for their account by selling more securities in connection with the offering than they are committed to purchase from us or the selling stockholders. In such case, the underwriters could cover all or a portion of such short position by either purchasing securities in the open market following completion of the offering of such securities or by exercising any over-allotment option granted to them by us or the selling stockholders. In addition, the managing underwriter may impose “penalty bids” under contractual arrangements with other underwriters, which means that they can reclaim from an underwriter (or any selling group member participating in the offering) for the account of the other underwriters, the selling concession with respect to securities that are distributed in the offering but subsequently purchased for the account of the underwriters in the open market. Any of the transactions described in this paragraph or comparable transactions that are described in any accompanying prospectus supplement may result in the maintenance of the price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. None of such transactions described in this paragraph or in an accompanying prospectus supplement are required to be taken by any underwriters and, if they are undertaken, may be discontinued at any time.
We or the selling stockholders may sell the securities in exchange in whole or part for consideration other than cash. This consideration may consist of services or products, whether tangible or intangible, and including services or products we may use in our business; our outstanding debt or equity securities or one or more of our subsidiaries; debt or equity securities or assets of other companies, including in connection with investments, joint ventures or other strategic transactions, or acquisitions; release of claims or settlement of disputes; and satisfaction of obligations, including obligations to make payments to distributors or other suppliers and payment of interest on outstanding obligations. We or the selling stockholders may sell the securities as part of a transaction in which our outstanding debt or equity securities or one or more of our subsidiaries are surrendered, converted, exercised, canceled or transferred.
Our shares of common stock are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “BRSP.” Any new securities that we issue, other than our common stock, will be new issues of securities with no established trading market and may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange, quotation system or over-the-counter market. Any underwriters or agents to or through which securities are sold by us or the selling stockholders may make a market in such securities, but such underwriters or agents will not be obligated to do so and any of them may discontinue any
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market making at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of or trading market for any securities sold by us.
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the securities offered by means of this prospectus and certain federal income tax matters have been passed upon for us by Hogan Lovells US LLP. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us, any selling stockholders or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of BrightSpire Capital, Inc. appearing in BrightSpire Capital, Inc.'s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2021 (including the financial statement schedules appearing therein), and the effectiveness of BrightSpire Capital, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements are, and audited financial statements to be included in subsequently filed documents will be, incorporated herein in reliance upon the reports of Ernst & Young LLP pertaining to such financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the respective dates (to the extent covered by consents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being registered.
| Filing Fee—SEC | $ | * | |||||||||
| Fee—Financial Industry Regulatory Authority | ** | ||||||||||
| Fees and Expenses of Accountants | ** | ||||||||||
| Fees and Expenses of Counsel | ** | ||||||||||
| Printing Expenses | ** | ||||||||||
| Blue Sky Qualification Fees and Expenses | ** | ||||||||||
| Fees and Expenses of Transfer Agent | ** | ||||||||||
| Total | $ | ** | |||||||||
_______________
| * | In accordance with Rule 456(b) and Rule 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee, which will be paid at the time of any particular offering of securities under the registration statement, and is therefore not currently determinable. | ||||
| ** | The calculation of these fees and expenses is dependent on the number of issuances and amount of securities offered and, accordingly, cannot be estimated at this time. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the estimated aggregate amount of expenses payable in respect of any offering of securities. | ||||
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision eliminating the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (ii) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment and is material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision which eliminates liability of our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
Our charter and our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, (i) any present or former director or officer or (ii) any individual who, while a director or officer and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, REIT, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, trustee, member or manager, employee, partner or agent, and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, a proceeding by reason of his or her service in such capacity, and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding. Our charter and our bylaws also obligate us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served our predecessor in any of the capacities described above and permit us with the approval of our board of directors, to provide the same (or lesser) indemnification and advancement of expenses to any of our predecessor’s employees or agents.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party to, or witness in, by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that:
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•the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;
•the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in the form of money, property or services; or
•in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.
A Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer with respect to a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation in which the director or officer was adjudged liable to the corporation or a proceeding charging improper personal benefit to the director or officer in which the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. Upon application by one of our directors or officers to a court of appropriate jurisdiction and upon such notice as the court may require, the court may order indemnification of such director or officer if:
•the court determines that such director or officer is entitled to reimbursement for expenses in a matter which the director has been successful, in which case the director or officer shall be entitled to recover from us the expenses of securing such indemnification; or
•the court determines that such director or officer is fairly or reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether or not the director or officer has met the standards of conduct for which indemnification is permitted under the MCGL or has been adjudged liable for receipt of an “improper personal benefit” under MGCL; provided, however, that our indemnification obligations to such director or officer will be limited to the expenses actually or reasonably incurred by him or her, or on his or her behalf, in connection with any proceeding by us or in our right in which the officer or director shall have been adjudged liable for receipt of an improper personal benefit.
In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of: (i) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and (ii) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers that require us to indemnify such directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland and to pay such persons’ expenses in defending any civil or criminal proceeding in advance of final disposition of such proceeding.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be provided to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the act and is therefore unenforceable.
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Item 16. Exhibits.
| Exhibit number | Description | |||||||
| 1.1** | Form of Common Stock Underwriting Agreement. | |||||||
| 1.2** | Form of Preferred Stock Underwriting Agreement. | |||||||
| 1.3** | Form of Depositary Shares Underwriting Agreement. | |||||||
| 1.4** | Form of Warrants Underwriting Agreement. | |||||||
| 1.5** | Form of Rights Underwriting Agreement. | |||||||
| 2.1 | ||||||||
| 3.1 | ||||||||
| 3.2 | ||||||||
| 4.1** | Form of Deposit Agreement for Depositary Shares. | |||||||
| 4.2** | Form of Common Stock Warrant Agreement. | |||||||
| 4.3** | Form of Rights Agreement. | |||||||
| 5.1* | ||||||||
| 8.1* | ||||||||
| 23.1* | ||||||||
| 23.2* | ||||||||
| 23.3* | ||||||||
| 24.1* | ||||||||
| 107* | ||||||||
______________________________________
* Filed herewith.
** To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of specific securities.
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Item 17. Undertakings.
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: | ||||
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: | |||||||
| (i) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; | |||||||
(ii) | To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and | |||||||
| (iii) | To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement; | |||||||
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of this registration statement. | ||||||||
| (2) | That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. | |||||||
| (3) | To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering. | |||||||
| (4) | That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser: | |||||||
| (A) | Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in this registration statement; and | |||||||
II- 4
| (B) | Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in this registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into this registration statement or prospectus that is part of this registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in this registration statement or prospectus that was part of this registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date. | |||||||
| (5) | That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: | |||||||
The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
| (i) | Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; | |||||||
| (ii) | Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; | |||||||
| (iii) | The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and | |||||||
| (iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. | |||||||
| (b) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. | ||||
| (c) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. | ||||
II- 5
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of New York, State of New York on October 4, 2022.
| BrightSpire Capital, Inc. | |||||||||||||||||
| a Maryland corporation | |||||||||||||||||
| By: | /s/ Frank V. Saracino | ||||||||||||||||
| Name: Frank V. Saracino | |||||||||||||||||
| Title: Chief Financial Officer | |||||||||||||||||
II- 6
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Michael J. Mazzei, Frank V. Saracino and David A. Palamé, and each of them severally, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to this registration statement and any and all registration statements necessary to register additional securities, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory authority, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
/s/ Michael J. Mazzei | Chief Executive Officer and Director | October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Michael J. Mazzei | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||||||||||||
/s/ Frank V. Saracino | Chief Financial Officer | October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Frank V. Saracino | (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) | |||||||||||||
/s/ Catherine D. Rice | Director | October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Catherine D. Rice | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Kim S. Diamond | Director | October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Kim S. Diamond | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Catherine F. Long | Director | October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Catherine F. Long | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Vernon B. Schwartz | Director | October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| Vernon B. Schwartz | ||||||||||||||
/s/ John E. Westerfield | Director | October 4, 2022 | ||||||||||||
| John E. Westerfield | ||||||||||||||
II- 7
Exhibit 5.1
 | Hogan Lovells US LLP Columbia Square 555 Thirteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20004 T +1 202 637 5600 F +1 202 637 5910 www.hoganlovells.com | ||||
October 4, 2022
Board of Directors
BrightSpire Capital, Inc.
590 Madison Avenue
33rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are acting as counsel to BrightSpire Capital, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its registration statement on Form S-3 (the “Registration Statement”), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed public offering of an unlimited amount of one or more series of the following securities of the Company: (i) shares of Class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), (ii) shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Preferred Stock”), (iii) Depositary Shares representing Preferred Stock (the “Depositary Shares”), (iv) warrants to purchase Common Stock (the “Common Stock Warrants”), (v) warrants to purchase Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock Warrants”), (vi) warrants to purchase Depositary Shares (the “Depositary Shares Warrants,” and, together with the Common Stock Warrants and the Preferred Stock Warrants, the “Warrants”), and (vii) rights to purchase Common Stock (the “Rights” and, together with the Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Depository Shares and Warrants, the “Securities”), all of which may be sold from time to time and on a delayed or continuous basis, as set forth in the prospectus which forms a part of the Registration Statement, and as to be set forth in one or more supplements to the prospectus. This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. § 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed. In our examination of the aforesaid documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to us, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies (including pdfs). As to all matters of fact, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the documents so
Hogan Lovells US LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in the District of Columbia. “Hogan Lovells” is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP, with offices in: Alicante Amsterdam Baltimore Beijing Birmingham Boston Brussels Colorado Springs Denver Dubai Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hong Kong Houston Johannesburg London Los Angeles Luxembourg Madrid Mexico City Miami Milan Minneapolis Monterrey Munich New York Northern Virginia Paris Perth Philadelphia Rome San Francisco São Paulo Shanghai Silicon Valley Singapore Sydney Tokyo Warsaw Washington, D.C. Associated Offices: Budapest Jakarta Riyadh Shanghai FTZ Ulaanbaatar. Business Service Centers: Johannesburg Louisville. Legal Services Center: Berlin. For more information see www.hoganlovells.com
Board of Directors BrightSpire Capital, Inc. | - 2 - | October 4, 2022 | ||||||
reviewed, and we have not independently established the facts so relied on. This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that (i) the issuance, sale, amount and terms of any Securities of the Company to be offered from time to time will have been duly authorized and established by proper action of the board of directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee of such board (“Board Action”) consistent with the procedures and terms described in the Registration Statement and in accordance with the Company’s charter and bylaws and applicable Maryland corporate law, in a manner that does not violate any law, government or court-imposed order or restriction or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company or otherwise impair the legal or binding nature of the obligations represented by the applicable Securities; (ii) at the time of offer, issuance and sale of any Securities, the Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and no stop order suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect; (iii) any Warrants will be issued under one or more warrant agreements, each to be between the Company and a financial institution identified therein as a warrant agent; (iv) prior to any issuance of Preferred Stock or Depositary Shares, appropriate articles supplementary shall be filed and accepted for record by the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation; (v) any Depositary Shares will be issued under one or more deposit agreements by the financial institution identified therein as a depositary, each deposit agreement to be between the Company and the financial institution identified therein as a depositary; (vi) any Rights will be issued under one or more rights agreements, each to be between the Company and a financial institution identified therein as a rights agent; (vii) if being sold by the issuer thereof, the Securities will be delivered against payment of valid consideration therefor and in accordance with the terms of the applicable Board Action authorizing such sale and any applicable underwriting agreement or purchase agreement and as contemplated by the Registration Statement and/or the applicable prospectus supplement; (viii) the Company will remain a Maryland corporation; and (ix) the Securities will not be issued in violation of the ownership limit contained in the Company’s Articles of Amendment and Restatement, as amended.
To the extent that the obligations of the Company with respect to the Securities may be dependent upon such matters, we assume for purposes of this opinion that the other party under the warrant agreement for any Warrants, under the deposit agreement for any Depositary Shares, and under any rights agreement for any Rights, namely, the warrant agent, the depository or the rights agent, respectively, is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization; that such other party is duly qualified to engage in the activities contemplated by such warrant agreement, rights agreement, or deposit agreement, as applicable; that such warrant agreement, rights agreement, or deposit agreement, as applicable, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the other party and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the other party enforceable against the other party in accordance with its terms; that such other party is in compliance with respect to performance of its obligations under such warrant agreement, rights agreement, or deposit agreement, as applicable, with all applicable laws, rules and regulations; and that such other party has the requisite organizational and legal power and authority to perform its obligations under such warrant agreement, rights agreement, or deposit agreement, as applicable.
This opinion letter is based as to matters of law solely on the applicable provisions of the following, as currently in effect: (i) as to the opinions given in paragraphs (a) and (b), the Maryland General
Board of Directors BrightSpire Capital, Inc. | - 3 - | October 4, 2022 | ||||||
Corporation Law, as amended, and (ii) as to the opinions given in paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g), applicable provisions of the laws of the State of New York (but not including any laws, statutes, ordinances, administrative decisions, rules or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level). We express no opinion herein as to any other statutes, rules or regulations (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other statutes, rules or regulations may have on the opinions expressed herein).
Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
(a) The Common Stock (including any Common Stock duly issued upon the exchange or conversion of Preferred Stock that are exchangeable for or convertible into Common Stock or upon the exercise of Common Stock Warrants or Rights and receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such conversion, exchange or exercise), upon due execution and delivery on behalf of the Company of certificates therefor, including global certificates, or the entry of the issuance thereof in the books and records of the Company, as the case may be, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(b) The Preferred Stock (including any Preferred Stock represented by Depositary Shares or that are duly issued upon the exercise of Preferred Stock Warrants and receipt by the Company of any additional consideration payable upon such exercise), upon due execution and delivery on behalf of the Company of certificates therefor, including global certificates, or the entry of the issuance thereof in the books and records of the Company, as the case may be, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(c) The depositary receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares, upon due countersignature thereof and issuance against a deposit of duly authorized and validly issued Preferred Stock in accordance with the deposit agreement relating thereto, will be validly issued and entitle the holders thereof to the rights specified in such depositary receipts and deposit agreement.
(d) The Common Stock Warrants, upon due execution and delivery of an equity warrant agreement relating thereto on behalf of the Company and the warrant agent named therein and due authentication of the Common Stock Warrants by such warrant agent, and upon due execution and delivery of the Common Stock Warrants on behalf of the Company, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
(e) The Preferred Stock Warrants, upon due execution and delivery of an equity warrant agreement relating thereto on behalf of the Company and the warrant agent named therein, and due authentication of the Preferred Stock Warrants by such warrant agent, and upon due execution and delivery of the Preferred Stock Warrants on behalf of the Company, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
(f) The Depositary Share Warrants, upon due execution and delivery of a warrant agreement relating thereto on behalf of the Company and the warrant agent named therein, and due authentication of the Depositary Share Warrants by such warrant agent, and upon due execution and delivery of the Depositary Share Warrants on behalf of the Company, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
Board of Directors BrightSpire Capital, Inc. | - 4 - | October 4, 2022 | ||||||
(g) The Rights, upon due execution and delivery of a rights agreement relating thereto on behalf of the Company, and upon due execution and delivery of one or more certificates bearing such terms on behalf of the Company, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
The opinions expressed in paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) above with respect to the valid and binding nature of obligations may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights and remedies (including, without limitation, the effect of statutory and other law regarding fraudulent conveyances, and fraudulent, preferential or voidable transfers) and by the exercise of judicial discretion and the application of principles of equity, good faith, fair dealing, reasonableness, conscionability and materiality (regardless of whether the Securities are considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), including, without limitation, principles limiting the availability of specific performance and injunctive relief.
This opinion letter has been prepared for use in connection with the Registration Statement. We assume no obligation to advise of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the effective date of the Registration Statement.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Hogan Lovells US LLP
HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP
Exhibit 8.1
 | Hogan Lovells US LLP Columbia Square 555 Thirteenth Street, NW Washington, DC 20004 T +1 202 637 5600 F +1 202 637 5910 www.hoganlovells.com | ||||
October 4, 2022
BrightSpire Capital, Inc.
590 Madison Avenue
33rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
| Re: | REIT Qualification Opinion | ||||
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as tax counsel to BrightSpire Capital, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its registration statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement"), filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed public offering of an unlimited amount of one or more series of the following securities of the Company: (i) shares of Class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), (ii) shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (the "Preferred Stock"), (iii) Depositary Shares representing Preferred Stock (the "Depositary Shares"), (iv) warrants to purchase Common Stock (the "Common Stock Warrants"), (v) warrants to purchase Preferred Stock (the "Preferred Stock Warrants"), (vi) warrants to purchase Depositary Shares (the "Depositary Shares Warrants," and, together with the Common Stock Warrants and the Preferred Stock Warrants, the "Warrants"), and (vii) rights to purchase Common Stock (the "Rights") and, together with the Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Depository Shares and Warrants, the "Securities"), all of which may be sold from time to time and on a delayed or continuous basis, as set forth in the prospectus (the “Prospectus”) which forms a part of the Registration Statement, and as to be set forth in one or more supplements to the Prospectus. You have requested our opinion concerning certain federal income tax considerations relating to the Company, including with respect to the qualification of the Company as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under Section 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
Bases for Opinions
The opinions set forth in this letter are based on relevant current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Treasury Regulations thereunder (including proposed and temporary Treasury Regulations), and interpretations of the foregoing as expressed in court
Hogan Lovells US LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in the District of Columbia. “Hogan Lovells” is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP, with offices in: Alicante Amsterdam Baltimore Beijing Birmingham Boston Brussels Colorado Springs Denver Dubai Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hong Kong Houston Johannesburg London Los Angeles Luxembourg Madrid Mexico City Miami Milan Minneapolis Monterrey Moscow Munich New York Northern Virginia Paris Perth Philadelphia Rome San Francisco São Paulo Shanghai Silicon Valley Singapore Sydney Tokyo Warsaw Washington, D.C. Associated Offices: Budapest Jakarta Riyadh Shanghai FTZ Ulaanbaatar. Business Service Centers: Johannesburg Louisville. Legal Services Center: Berlin. For more information see www.hoganlovells.com
October 4, 2022 | Page 2 of 5 | |||||||
decisions, applicable legislative history, and the administrative rulings and practices of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), including its practices and policies in issuing private letter rulings, which are not binding on the IRS except with respect to a taxpayer that receives such a ruling, all as of the date hereof. These provisions and interpretations are subject to change by the IRS, Congress and the courts (as applicable), which may or may not be retroactive in effect and which might result in material modifications of our opinions. Our opinions do not foreclose the possibility of a contrary determination by the IRS or a court of competent jurisdiction, or of a contrary position taken by the IRS or the Treasury Department in regulations or rulings issued in the future. In this regard, an opinion of counsel with respect to an issue represents counsel's best professional judgment with respect to the outcome on the merits with respect to such issue, if such issue were to be litigated, but an opinion is not binding on the IRS or the courts, and is not a guarantee that the IRS will not assert a contrary position with respect to such issue or that a court will not sustain such a position asserted by the IRS. Terms or phrases that are not capitalized but appear in quotation marks are used herein as they are used for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the Code, Treasury Regulations, and administrative guidance and rulings.
In rendering the following opinions, we have examined such statutes, regulations, records, agreements, certificates and other documents as we have considered necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion, including, but not limited to:
1.the Registration Statement and Prospectus;
2.the Master Combination Agreement, and the exhibits thereto, dated as of August 25, 2017, as amended and restated on November 20, 2017 (the "Combination Agreement"), by and among (i) DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (at such time operating under the name Colony NorthStar, Inc.), a Maryland corporation ("Constellation"), (ii) the Selling Stockholder (at such time operating under the name Colony Capital Operating Company, LLC) and the operating company of Constellation, (iii) NRF RED REIT Corp., a Maryland corporation, (iv) NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation ("Nova I"), (v) NorthStar Real Estate Income Trust Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership and the operating partnership of Nova I, (vi) NorthStar Real Estate Income II, Inc., a Maryland corporation ("Nova II"), (vii) NorthStar Real Estate Income Operating Partnership II, LP, a Delaware limited partnership and the operating partnership of Nova II, (viii) the Company (at such time operating under the name Colony NorthStar Credit Real Estate, Inc.) and (ix) the Operating Partnership (at such time operating under the name Credit RE Operating Company, LLC), which, among other things, provided for the merger of Nova I with and into the Company with the Company surviving the merger (the "Nova I Merger") and the merger of Nova II with and into the Company, with the Company surviving the merger (the "Nova II Merger," and together with the Nova I Merger, the "Mergers"); and
3.certain organizational documents of the Company and its subsidiaries (including the Operating Partnership) (those documents referred to in clauses (1) through (3), the "Reviewed Documents").
October 4, 2022 | Page 3 of 5 | |||||||
The opinions set forth in this letter are premised on, among other things, written representations of:
1.the Company with respect to the Company, its subsidiaries, and various REITs in which the Company owns or owned a direct or indirect substantial interest (each a "Company Subsidiary REIT"1) contained in a letter to us dated as of the date hereof (the "Company Management Representation Letter");
2.Nova I contained in a letter to Alston & Bird LLP and us dated January 31, 2018, in connection with the separate opinion of Alston & Bird LLP as to the qualification of Nova I (or its predecessor by merger) as a REIT for the period commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2010 and ending at the Nova I Merger Effective Time, as defined in the Combination Agreement (the "Nova I Management Representation Letter"); and
3.Nova II contained in a letter to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and us dated January 31, 2018, in connection with the separate opinion of Greenberg Traurig, LLP as to the qualification of Nova II (or its predecessor by merger) as a REIT for the period commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2013 and ending at the Nova II Merger Effective Time, as defined in the Combination Agreement (the "Nova II Management Representation Letter," together with the Company Management Representation Letter and the Nova I Management Representation Letter, the "Management Representation Letters").
Although we have discussed the Management Representation Letters with the Company, for purposes of rendering our opinions, we have not made an independent investigation or audit of the facts set forth in the Reviewed Documents and the Management Representation Letters. We consequently have relied upon the representations and statements of the signatories to the respective Management Representation Letters, as described in the Reviewed Documents and the Management Representation Letters, and assumed that the information presented in such documents or otherwise furnished to us is accurate and complete in all material respects.
In this regard, we have assumed with your consent the following:
(1)that (A) all of the representations and statements as to factual matters set forth in the Reviewed Documents and the Management Representation Letters are true, correct, and complete as of the date hereof, (B) any representation or statement in the Reviewed Documents and the Management Representation Letters made as a belief or made "to the knowledge of or similarly qualified is true, correct and complete as of the date hereof, without such qualification, (C) each agreement described in the Reviewed Documents is valid and binding in accordance with its terms, and (D) each of the obligations of the Company, and its subsidiaries, as described in the Reviewed Documents, has been or will be performed or satisfied in accordance with its terms;
(2)the genuineness of all signatures, the proper execution of all documents, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of documents
1 This term includes, for purposes of this opinion letter, any REITs in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, a 10% or greater interest.
October 4, 2022 | Page 4 of 5 | |||||||
submitted to us as copies, and the authenticity of the originals from which any copies were made;
(3)that any documents as to which we have reviewed only a form were or will be duly executed without material changes from the form reviewed by us;
(4)that the Company, for itself and as successor to Nova I and Nova II, and each Company Subsidiary REIT, will comply with the representations contained in the Company Management Representation Letter, that it will utilize all appropriate "savings provisions" (including the provisions of Sections 856(c)(6), 856(c)(7), and 856(g) of the Code, and the provision included in Section 856(c)(4) of the Code (flush language) allowing for the disposal of assets within 30 days after the close of a calendar quarter, and all available deficiency-dividend procedures) available to the Company and each Company (for itself and as successor to Nova I and Nova II) and each Company Subsidiary REIT under the Code in order to correct any violations of the applicable REIT qualification requirements of Sections 856 and 857 of the Code, to the full extent the remedies under such provisions are available, but only to the extent available; and
(5)that at the time of the Mergers, (A) Nova I qualified as a REIT and had qualified as a REIT for the entire period of its existence as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and (B) Nova II qualified as a REIT and had qualified as a REIT for the entire period of its existence as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Any material variation or difference in the facts from those set forth in the documents that we have reviewed and upon which we have relied (including, in particular, the Management Representation Letters) may adversely affect the conclusions stated herein.
Opinions
Based upon and subject to the assumptions and qualifications set forth herein, including, without limitation, the discussion in the next paragraph below, we are of the opinion that:
1.the Company has been organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2018, and the Company's current organization and current and proposed method of operation (as described in the Registration Statement and the Company Management Representation Letter) will enable it to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for its taxable year ending December 31, 2022, and future taxable years; and
2.the portions of the discussion in Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 22, 2022, under the heading "Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations" that describe applicable provisions of U.S. federal income tax law are correct in all material respects as of the date hereof.
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The Company's qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code depend upon the ability of the Company and each Company Subsidiary REIT to meet on an ongoing basis (through actual quarterly and annual operating results, distribution levels, diversity of stock ownership and otherwise) the various qualification tests imposed under the Code, and upon the Company, for itself and as successor to Nova I and Nova II, and each Company Subsidiary REIT, as applicable, utilizing any and all appropriate "savings provisions" (including the provisions of Sections 856(c)(6), 856(c)(7), and 856(g) of the Code and the provision included in Section 856(c)(4) of the Code (flush language) allowing for the disposal of assets within 30 days after the close of a calendar quarter, and all available deficiency-dividend procedures) available to the Company, for itself and as successor to Nova I and Nova II, and each Company Subsidiary REIT, as applicable, under the Code to correct violations of specified REIT qualification requirements of Sections 856 and 857 of the Code. Our opinions set forth above do not foreclose the possibility that the Company and/or one or more of the Company Subsidiary REITs may have to utilize one or more of these "savings provisions" in the future, which could require the Company and/or one or more of the Company Subsidiary REITs to pay an excise or penalty tax (which could be significant in amount) in order to maintain its REIT qualification. We have not undertaken to review the Company's or any Company Subsidiary REIT's compliance with these requirements on a continuing basis, nor will we do so in the future. The accuracy of our opinions is entirely dependent on the Company's representations contained in the Company Management Representation Letter regarding the anticipated value and composition of its assets that it will own, and the nature of its income derived therefrom. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of the Company's operations, the sources of its income, the nature of its assets, the level of its distributions to stockholders and the diversity of its stock ownership for any given taxable year will satisfy the requirements under the Code for qualification and taxation as a REIT.
This opinion letter has been prepared solely for your use for filing as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We assume no obligation by reason of this opinion letter or otherwise to advise you of any changes in our opinion letter after the date hereof. Except as provided in the next paragraph, this opinion letter may not be distributed, quoted in whole or in part or otherwise reproduced in any document, or filed with any governmental agency without our express written consent.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 8.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to Hogan Lovells US LLP in the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, however, we do not admit thereby that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This opinion letter should not be relied upon by any person other than you or for any other purpose.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Hogan Lovells US LLP
HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Experts" in the Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of BrightSpire Capital, Inc. for the registration of its Class A common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, warrants, and rights and to the incorporation by reference therein of our reports dated February 22, 2022, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules of BrightSpire Capital, Inc., and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of BrightSpire Capital, Inc., included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
New York, New York
October 4, 2022