Exhibit





Exhibit 4.4



Description of the Registrant’s Securities Registered Pursuant 
to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
The summary of the general terms and provisions of the registered securities of Retail Properties of America, Inc. (“RPAI,” “us,” “we,” or “our”) set forth below does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the applicable provisions of our Sixth Articles of Amendment and Restatement, as further amended (our “charter”), and our Sixth Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended (our “bylaws”), each of which are incorporated herein by reference and are filed as an exhibit to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the applicable provisions of Maryland law.
General
Our charter provides that we may issue up to 475,000,000 shares of Class A common stock, 55,000,000 shares of Class B-1 common stock, 55,000,000 shares of Class B-2 common stock, 55,000,000 shares of Class B-3 common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, each having a par value of $0.001 per share. As of February 14, 2020, there were 213,950,261 shares of Class A common stock issued and outstanding and no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding. We issued shares of our Class B-1 common stock, Class B-2 common stock and Class B-3 common stock, collectively our Class B common stock, as a stock dividend in March 2012 in anticipation of the listing of our Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange. All outstanding shares of our Class B common stock subsequently converted into shares of our Class A common stock in accordance with their terms and we do not intend to issue any shares of our Class B common stock in the future.
Our board of directors, without any action on the part of our shareholders, may authorize the issuance of common stock or preferred stock, may establish the terms of any stock to be issued, and, with the approval of a majority of the entire board, may amend our charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series. Under Maryland law, our shareholders generally are not personally liable for our debts and obligations solely as a result of their status as shareholders.
Common Stock
Only our Class A common stock is registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and all shares of our common stock have equal rights as to earnings, assets, dividends and voting.
Dividend Rights
Subject to our charter restrictions on the transfer and ownership of our stock and the preferential rights of holders of any other class or series of our stock, distributions may be made to the holders of our common stock if, as and when authorized by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.
Voting Rights
Subject to our charter restrictions on the transfer and ownership of our stock and except as may otherwise be specified in the terms of any class or series of common stock, each share of our common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, including the election of directors. Except as may be provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of our common stock will possess exclusive voting power. Except as required under Maryland law, holders of all classes of our common stock will vote together as a single class.
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot amend its charter, consolidate, merge, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or dissolve unless the action is advised by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast with respect to such matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for approval of these matters by a lesser 







percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast with respect to such matter. As permitted by Maryland law, our charter provides that any of these actions may be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast with respect to such matter. In addition, all other matters to be voted on by shareholders, other than the election of directors, must be approved by a majority of the votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present, voting together as a single class, subject to any voting rights granted to holders of any then outstanding preferred stock. Pursuant to our bylaws, in a contested election, a director is elected by a plurality of all of the votes cast in the election of directors, and in an uncontested election, a director is elected if he or she receives more votes for his or her election than votes against his or her election. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of our directors. For more information regarding the voting standard for director elections, see “Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws that may have Anti-Takeover Effects—Annual Elections; Majority Voting” below.
Distributions on Liquidation
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of our common stock would be entitled to share ratably in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after payment of or adequate provision for all of our known debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred stock, if any preferred stock is outstanding at such time, and our charter restrictions on the transfer and ownership of our stock.
Other Rights
Shares of our common stock generally have no preemptive, appraisal, preferential exchange, conversion, sinking fund or redemption rights and are freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws, by contract or by the restrictions in our charter.
Restrictions on Transfer
To assist us in complying with certain U.S. federal income tax requirements applicable to real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), among other purposes, we have adopted certain restrictions relating to the transfer and ownership of our stock. See “Restrictions on Transfer” below for more information.
Stock Exchange Listing
Our Class A common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “RPAI.”
Preferred Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to designate and issue one or more classes or series of preferred stock without shareholder approval.  Our board of directors may determine the relative rights, preferences and privileges of each class or series of preferred stock so issued. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price for shares of our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our shareholders. In addition, any shares of preferred stock that we issue could rank senior to shares of our common stock with respect to the payment of distributions, in which case we could not pay any distributions on shares of our common stock until full distributions have been paid with respect to such shares of preferred stock.
Power to Reclassify Our Unissued Shares of Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of common or preferred stock into other classes or series of shares of common or preferred stock. Prior to the issuance of shares of each class or series, our board of directors is required by Maryland law and by our charter to set, subject to our charter restrictions on transfer and ownership of shares of stock, the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Therefore, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of common or preferred stock with terms and conditions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing 


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a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price for our shares of Class A common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.
Power to Increase or Decrease Authorized Shares of Common Stock and Issue Additional Shares of Common and Preferred Stock
We believe that the power of our board of directors to amend our charter to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of stock, to issue additional authorized but unissued shares of common or preferred stock and to classify or reclassify unissued shares of common or preferred stock and thereafter to issue such classified or reclassified shares of stock will provide us with increased flexibility in structuring possible future financings and acquisitions and in meeting other needs that might arise. The additional classes or series, as well as the shares of common stock, will be available for issuance without further action by our shareholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or market system on which our securities may be listed or traded. Therefore, our board of directors could authorize us to issue a class or series that could, depending upon the terms of the particular class or series, delay, defer or prevent a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price for our shares of common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.
Restrictions on Transfer
In order for us to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the Code, our 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 (other than the first year for which an election to be a REIT has been made). Also, not more than 50% of the value of the outstanding shares of our stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer “individuals” (as defined in the Code to include certain entities such as private foundations) during the last half of a taxable year (other than the first taxable year for which an election to be a REIT has been made).
Our charter contains restrictions on the ownership and transfer of our stock. The relevant sections of our charter provide that, after the amendment and restatement of our charter and subject to the exceptions and the constructive ownership rules described below, no person may beneficially or constructively own more than 9.8% in value of the aggregate of our outstanding shares of stock or more than 9.8% in value or number (whichever is more restrictive) of the outstanding shares of our common stock. We refer to these restrictions as the “ownership limits.”
The applicable constructive ownership rules under the Code are complex and may cause stock owned actually or constructively by a group of related individuals and/or entities to be treated as owned by one individual or entity. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% in value of our outstanding stock or less than 9.8% in value or number of our outstanding shares of common stock (or the acquisition of an interest in an entity that owns, actually or constructively, our stock) by an individual or entity could nevertheless cause that individual or entity, or another individual or entity, to own, constructively or beneficially, in excess of 9.8% in value of our outstanding stock or 9.8% in value or number of our outstanding shares of common stock.
In addition to the ownership limits, our charter prohibits any person from actually or constructively owning shares of our stock to the extent that such ownership would cause any of our income that would otherwise qualify as “rents from real property” for purposes of Section 856(d) of the Code to fail to qualify as such. Our charter also prohibits any person from beneficially owning shares of our stock to the extent that such ownership would result in our being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code, without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of a taxable year.
Our board of directors may, in its sole discretion, exempt a person from the ownership limits and certain other limits on ownership and transfer of our stock described above, and may establish a different limit on ownership for any such person. However, the board of directors may not exempt any person whose ownership of our outstanding stock in violation of these limits would result in our failing to qualify as a REIT. In order to be considered by the board of directors for exemption, a person must make such representations and undertakings as are reasonably necessary to ascertain that such person’s beneficial or constructive ownership of our stock will not now or in the future jeopardize 


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our ability to qualify as a REIT under the Code and must agree that any violation or attempted violation of such representations or undertakings will result in the shares of stock being automatically transferred to a trust as described below. As a condition of its waiver, our board of directors may require an opinion of counsel or Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, ruling satisfactory to our board of directors with respect to our qualification as a REIT and may impose such other conditions as it deems appropriate in connection with the granting of the waiver.
In connection with the waiver of the ownership limits or at any other time, our board of directors may from time to time increase the ownership limits for one or more persons and decrease the ownership limits for all other persons; provided that the new ownership limits may not, after giving effect to such increase, result in us being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the ownership interests are held during the last half of a taxable year). Reduced ownership limits will not apply to any person whose percentage ownership of our shares of common stock or total shares of stock, as applicable, is in excess of such decreased ownership limits until such time as such person’s percentage of our shares of common stock or total shares of stock, as applicable, equals or falls below the decreased ownership limits, but any further acquisition of our shares of common stock or total shares of stock, as applicable, in excess of such percentage ownership of our shares of common stock or total shares of stock will be in violation of the ownership limits.
Our charter further prohibits:
		
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	any person from transferring shares of our stock if such transfer would result in shares of our stock being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons (determined without reference to any rules of attribution); and


		
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	any person from beneficially or constructively owning shares of our stock if such ownership would result in our failing to qualify as a REIT.


Any person who acquires or attempts or intends to acquire beneficial or constructive ownership of shares of our stock that will or may violate the ownership limits or any of the other foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership will be required to give notice to us immediately (or, in the case of a proposed or attempted transaction, at least 15 days prior to such transaction) and provide us with such other information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such transfer on our qualification as a REIT. The foregoing provisions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT.
Pursuant to our charter, if there is any purported transfer of our stock or other event that, if effective, would violate any of the restrictions described above, then the number of shares causing the violation (rounded up to the nearest whole share) will be automatically transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of a designated charitable beneficiary, except that any transfer that results in the violation of the restriction relating to our stock being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons will be automatically void and of no force or effect. The automatic transfer will be effective as of the close of business on the business day prior to the date of the purported transfer or other event that results in a transfer to the trust. Any dividend or other distribution paid to the purported transferee, prior to our discovery that the shares had been automatically transferred to a trust as described above, must be repaid to the trustee upon demand. If the transfer to the trust as described above is not automatically effective, for any reason, to prevent violation of the applicable restriction contained in our charter, then the transfer of the excess shares will be automatically void and of no force or effect.
Shares of our stock transferred to the trustee are deemed to be 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 such transfer to the trust (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the market price at the time of such devise or gift) and (ii) the market price on the date we accept, or our designee accepts, such offer. We have the right to accept such offer until the trustee has sold the shares of our stock held in the trust pursuant to the clauses discussed below. Upon a sale to us, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold terminates and the trustee must distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the purported transferee, except that the trustee may reduce the amount payable to the purported transferee by the amount of any dividends or other distributions that we paid to the purported transferee prior to our discovery that the shares had been transferred to the trust and that is owed by the purported transferee to the trustee as described above. 


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Any net sales proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the purported transferee shall be immediately paid to the charitable beneficiary, and any dividends or other distributions held by the trustee with respect to such stock will be paid to the charitable beneficiary.
If we do not buy the shares, the trustee must, as soon as reasonably practicable (and, if the shares are listed on a national securities exchange, within 20 days) of receiving notice from us of the transfer of shares to the trust, sell the shares to a person or entity designated by the trustee who could own the shares without violating the restrictions described above. Upon such a sale, the trustee must distribute to the purported transferee an amount equal to the lesser of (i) the price paid by the purported transferee for the shares or, if the purported transferee did not give value for the shares in connection with the event causing the shares to be held in trust (e.g., in the case of a gift, devise or other such transaction), the market price of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be held in the trust, and (ii) the sales proceeds (net of commissions and other expenses of sale) received by the trustee for the shares. The trustee may reduce the amount payable to the purported transferee by the amount of any dividends or other distributions that we paid to the purported transferee before our discovery that the shares had been transferred to the trust and that is owed by the purported transferee to the trustee as described above.
Any net sales proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the purported transferee will be immediately paid to the charitable beneficiary, together with any dividends or other distributions thereon. In addition, if prior to discovery by us that shares of our stock have been transferred to a trust, such shares of stock are sold by a purported transferee, then such shares shall be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the trust and, to the extent that the purported transferee received an amount for or in respect of such shares that exceeds the amount that such purported transferee was entitled to receive, such excess amount shall be paid to the trustee upon demand. The purported transferee has no rights in the shares held by the trustee.
The trustee shall be designated by us and shall be unaffiliated with us and with any purported transferee. Prior to the sale of any shares by the trust, the trustee will receive, in trust for the beneficiary, all dividends and other distributions paid by us with respect to the shares, and may also exercise all voting rights with respect to the shares.
Subject to Maryland law, effective as of the date that the shares have been transferred to the trust, the trustee shall have the authority, at the trustee’s sole discretion:
		
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	to rescind as void any vote cast by a purported transferee prior to our discovery that the shares have been transferred to the trust; and


		
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	to recast the vote in accordance with the desires of the trustee acting for the benefit of the beneficiary of the trust.


However, if we have already taken irreversible corporate action, then the trustee may not rescind and recast the vote.
In addition, if our board of directors determines in good faith that a proposed transfer would violate the restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock set forth in our charter, our board of directors will take such action as it deems advisable to refuse to give effect to or to prevent such violation, including, but not limited to, causing the company to redeem shares of common stock or preferred stock, refusing to give effect to the transfer on our books or instituting proceedings to enjoin the transfer.
Following the end of each REIT taxable year, every owner of 5% or more (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder) of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our stock, must, upon request, provide us written notice of the person’s name and address, the number of shares of each class and series of our stock that the person beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each such owner shall also 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 beneficial owner or constructive owner of our stock, and any person (including the shareholder of record) who is holding shares of our stock for a beneficial owner or constructive owner shall, upon demand, be required to provide us with such information as we may request in good 


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faith 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.
All certificates representing shares of stock, if any, will bear a legend referring to the restrictions described above. These ownership limits could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.
Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and our Charter and Bylaws that may have Anti-Takeover Effects
Number of Directors; Vacancies
Our charter provides that the number of directors will be set only by our board of directors in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a majority of our entire board of directors may at any time increase or decrease the number of directors. However, the number of directors may never be less than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law, or MGCL, which is one.
Our charter also provides that we elect to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL regarding the filling of vacancies on our board of directors. Accordingly, except as may be provided by our board of directors in setting the terms of any class or series of shares, any and all vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any individual elected to fill such vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the class in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is duly elected and qualifies.
Annual Elections; Majority Voting
Each of our directors will be elected by our shareholders to serve until our next annual meeting of shareholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies. Our bylaws provide for majority voting in uncontested director elections. Pursuant to our bylaws, in a contested election, directors are elected by a plurality of all of the votes cast in the election of directors, and in an uncontested election, a director is elected if he or she receives more votes for his or her election than votes against his or her election.
Removal of Directors
Our charter provides that, subject to the rights, if any, of holders of any class or series of preferred stock to elect or remove one or more directors, a director may be removed only for cause, and then only by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. “Cause” is defined in our charter to mean conviction of a director of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that a director caused demonstrable, material harm to us through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty.
Calling of Special Meetings of Shareholders
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of shareholders may be called by our board of directors and certain of our officers. Additionally, our bylaws provide that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the shareholders requesting the meeting, a special meeting of shareholders to act on any matter that may properly be considered at a meeting of shareholders shall be called by the secretary of the corporation upon the written request of shareholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on such matter at such meeting.
Action by Shareholders
Our charter provides that shareholder action can be taken at an annual or special meeting of shareholders or by written consent in lieu of a meeting only if it is approved unanimously. These provisions, combined with the requirements of our bylaws regarding advance notice of nominations and other business to be considered at a meeting of shareholders and the calling of a shareholder-requested special meeting of shareholders discussed below, may have the effect of delaying consideration of a shareholder proposal.


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Advance Notice Provisions for Shareholder Nominations and Shareholder Proposals
Our bylaws provide that, with respect to an annual meeting of shareholders, nominations of individuals for election to the board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by shareholders may be made only (i) by or at the direction of the board of directors or (ii) by a shareholder who was a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by such shareholder as provided for in our bylaws and at the time of the annual meeting and who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated or on any such other business and who has complied with the advance notice procedures and provided the information required by our bylaws. With respect to special meetings of shareholders, only the business specified in the notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting.
The purpose of requiring shareholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our board of directors a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our board of directors, to inform shareholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business. Although our bylaws do not give our board of directors any power to disapprove shareholder nominations for the election of directors or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or the consideration of shareholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our shareholders.
Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of our Articles and Bylaws
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot amend its charter, consolidate, merge, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or dissolve unless the action is declared advisable by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast with respect to such matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for approval of these matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast with respect to such matter. As permitted by Maryland law, our charter provides that any of these actions may be approved by the shareholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Our bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of a majority of all votes entitled to be cast by the holders of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock at a meeting of our stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present, except the following bylaw provisions, each of which may be amended only with the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on such an amendment by holders of outstanding shares of our common stock at a meeting of our stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present:
		
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	provisions opting out of the control share acquisition statute; and


		
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	provisions prohibiting our board of directors without the approval of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock, from revoking, altering or amending any resolution, or adopting any resolution inconsistent with any previously-adopted resolution of our board of directors, that exempts any business combination between us and any other person or entity from the business combination provisions of the MGCL.


In addition, any amendment to the provisions governing amendments of our bylaws requires the approval of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of outstanding shares of our common stock.
No Shareholder Rights Plan
We have no shareholder rights plan. In the future, we do not intend to adopt a shareholder rights plan unless our shareholders approve in advance the adoption of a plan or, if adopted by our board of directors, we submit the 


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shareholder rights plan to our shareholders for a ratification vote within 12 months of adoption or the plan will terminate.
Business Combinations 
Under the MGCL, certain “business combinations” (including a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in certain circumstances, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities) between a Maryland corporation and an interested shareholder (defined as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s shares or an affiliate 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 the then-outstanding voting stock of the corporation), or an affiliate of an interested shareholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested shareholder becomes an interested shareholder. A person is not an interested shareholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested shareholder. The board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance with any terms and conditions determined by it.
Any such business combination entered into after the five-year prohibition must be recommended by the board of directors of such corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least (a) 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation and (b) two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested shareholder with whom (or with whose affiliate) the business combination is to be effected, unless, among other conditions, the corporation’s common shareholders receive a minimum price (as defined in the MGCL) for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the interested shareholder for its shares.
These provisions of the MGCL do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by a board of directors prior to the time that the interested shareholder becomes an interested shareholder. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting any business combination between us and any other person or entity from the business combination provisions of the MGCL. Our bylaws provide that this resolution or any other resolution of our board of directors exempting any business combination from the business combination provisions of the MGCL may only be revoked, altered or amended, and our board of directors may only adopt any resolution inconsistent with any such resolution, with the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter by holders of outstanding shares of our common stock. We cannot assure you that our board of directors will not recommend to shareholders that the board of directors alter or repeal this resolution in the future.
Control Share Acquisitions
The MGCL provides that holders of “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights with respect to any control shares except to the extent approved at a special meeting of shareholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares of stock of a corporation with respect to which any of the following persons is entitled to exercise or direct the exercise of the voting power of such shares in the election of directors: (i) a person who makes or proposes to make a control share acquisition, (ii) an officer of the corporation or (iii) an employee of the corporation who is also a director of the corporation. “Control shares” are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other such shares of stock previously acquired by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power: (i) one-tenth or more but less than one-third, (ii) one-third or more but less than a majority, or (iii) a majority or more of all voting power. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained shareholder approval. A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition of control shares, subject to certain exceptions.
A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition, upon satisfaction of certain conditions (including an undertaking to pay expenses and making an “acquiring person statement” as described in the MGCL), may compel our board of directors to call a special meeting of shareholders to be held within 50 days of demand to 


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consider the voting rights of the shares acquired or to be acquired in the control share acquisition. If no request for a special meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any shareholders meeting.
If voting rights of control shares are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an “acquiring person statement” as required by the statute, then, subject to certain conditions and limitations, the corporation may redeem any or all of the control shares (except those for which voting rights have previously been approved) for fair value determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquiror or of any meeting of shareholders at which the voting rights of such shares are considered and not approved. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a shareholders meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other shareholders may exercise appraisal rights, unless appraisal rights are eliminated under the charter. Our charter eliminates all appraisal rights of shareholders.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply (a) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation.
Our bylaws exempt any and all acquisitions of shares of our stock from the control share acquisition statute, and this provision of our bylaws may not be amended without the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter by holders of outstanding shares of our common stock.
Certain Elective Provisions of Maryland Law
Title 3, Subtitle 8 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 the charter or bylaws, to any of (1) a classified board, (2) a two-thirds vote requirement for removing a director, (3) a requirement that the number of directors be fixed only by vote of the directors, (4) a requirement that a vacancy on the board be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred, or (5) a majority requirement for the calling of a special meeting of shareholders. Our charter provides that we elect to be subject to the provisions of Subtitle 8 regarding the filling of vacancies on our board of directors. Additionally, through provisions in our charter and bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we already (1) vest in the board the exclusive power to fix the number of directors and (2) require, unless called by our chairman of the board, chief executive officer or president or the board of directors, the written request of shareholders of not less than a majority of all votes entitled to be cast at such a meeting to call a special meeting. Otherwise, we have not elected to be governed by these specific provisions. However, in the future, our board of directors could elect, without shareholder approval, to create a classified board or elect to be subject to one or more of the other provisions of Subtitle 8.
Anti-Takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and Our Charter and Bylaws
The provisions of the MGCL, our charter and our bylaws described above including, among others, the restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock, the exclusive power of our board of directors to fill vacancies on the board of directors and the advance notice provisions of our bylaws could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control of our company that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our shareholders. Likewise, if our board of directors were to opt in to the provisions of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL, or if our board of directors were to opt in to the business combination provisions or the control share acquisition provisions of the MGCL, with the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter by holders of outstanding shares of our common stock, these provisions of the MGCL could have similar anti-takeover effects.
Indemnification and Limitation of Directors’ and Officers’ Liability
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its shareholders for money damages, except to the extent that (i) it is proved that the person actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services for the amount 


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of the benefit or profit in money, property or services actually received; or (ii) a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the person is entered in a proceeding based on a finding in the proceeding that the person’s action or failure to act was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding. Our charter contains a provision that eliminates such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
Our charter authorizes us, to the maximum extent that Maryland law in effect from time to time permits, to obligate us to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while a director or officer of our company and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner, member, manager or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. Our bylaws obligate us, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to:
		
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	any present or former director who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; or


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


Our charter and bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of ours in any of the capacities described above and to any officer, employee or agent of our company or a predecessor of our company.
The MGCL requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity, or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter in the proceeding, against reasonable expenses incurred by the director or officer in connection with the proceeding, claim, issue or matter. The MGCL 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 are threatened to be made a party 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 (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;


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


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


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


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In addition, the MGCL permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of:
		
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	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


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


Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors whereby we indemnify such executive officers and directors and pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding, if such director or executive officer is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law against all expenses and liabilities, subject to limited exceptions. These indemnification agreements also provide that upon an application for indemnity by an executive officer or director to a court of appropriate jurisdiction, such court may order us to indemnify such executive officer or director.
REIT Qualification
Our charter provides that our board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without approval of our shareholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interests to continue to qualify as a REIT.


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