Document:

Exhibit

Exhibit 4.14

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
References to “Essex,” “we,” “us,” or “our” mean, unless the context indicates otherwise, Essex Property Trust, Inc., not including any of the entities/subsidiaries owned or controlled by Essex Property Trust, Inc. When we refer to Essex’s “Charter,” we mean Essex’s articles of incorporation, as amended, supplemented, corrected and restated from time to time.   
Description of Capital Stock
The following is a summary of the general terms of Essex’s common stock. This description is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the Maryland General Corporation Law and our Charter and Bylaws, copies of which are exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
General
As of December 31, 2019, the total number of shares of stock of all classes which Essex has authority to issue is 1,000,000,000 shares (par value $.0001 per share), consisting of 670,000,000 shares of common stock and 330,000,000 shares of excess stock.  
Common Stock
Voting Rights
The holders of the outstanding shares of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters voted on by stockholders, including the election of directors. The Charter provides that shares of common stock do not have cumulative voting rights.
Undesignated Stock
Our Charter authorizes the Board of Directors of Essex (the “Board of Directors”), without stockholder approval, to reclassify any unissued shares of our common stock into other classes or series of stock, to establish the designation and number of shares of each such class or series and to set, subject to the provisions of our Charter regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of each such class or series.
Dividends
Subject to the preferential rights of any outstanding class or series of capital stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to such distributions as may be authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors and declared by Essex from funds available for distribution to such holders. Essex currently pays regular quarterly dividends to holders of common stock out of funds legally available for distribution when, and if, authorized by the Board of Directors and declared by Essex.
Liquidation Rights
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Essex, the holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably the assets remaining after satisfaction of all liabilities and payment of liquidation preferences and accrued dividends, if any, on any class or series of capital stock that has a liquidation preference. The rights of holders of common stock are subject to the rights and preferences established by the Board of Directors for any stock that may subsequently be issued by Essex.
Other Rights
Under Maryland law, stockholders generally are not personally liable for Essex’s debts or obligations solely as a result of their status as stockholders. The issued and outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable. Our common stock has no sinking fund or redemption provisions or preemptive, conversion or exchange rights (except with respect to shares of excess stock, described below).
Restrictions on Transfer
In order for Essex to qualify as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), among other requirements, no 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, during the last half of a taxable year (other 

than our first year as a REIT) or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. In addition, our stock must be owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months (other than our first year as a REIT) or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year.
The Charter, subject to certain exceptions, provides an “ownership limit” under which no stockholder, other than George M. Marcus (and his wife and children, trusts for the benefit of his descendants and, upon his death, his heirs), may own, or be deemed to own by virtue of the attribution provisions of the Code, more than 6.0% of the value of the issued and outstanding shares of our stock (not including any shares of excess stock). However, the ownership limit provisions provide that a qualified trust, as defined in the Charter, generally may own up to 9.9% of the value of the outstanding shares of our stock. The ownership limit provisions provide that George M. Marcus (and his wife and children, trusts for the benefit of his descendants and, upon his death, his heirs) may own up to 25% of the value of the outstanding shares of our stock. The Board of Directors may also exempt an underwriter of a public offering of our stock or a person who is not an “individual” (as defined under the Code to include certain entities) from the ownership limit if it received, among other things, satisfactory evidence that such stockholder’s ownership of Essex’s shares in excess of the ownership limit will not jeopardize Essex’s status as a REIT. As a condition to providing such an exemption, the Board of Directors must receive an opinion of counsel or ruling of the Internal Revenue Service and representations and agreements from the applicant with respect to preserving Essex’s REIT status. However, the Board of Directors may not grant an exemption to the ownership limit if the applicant would own more than 25% of the value of the outstanding shares of Essex’s stock, unless, in addition to the foregoing, the Board of Directors receives a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service to the effect that such an exemption will not jeopardize Essex’s status as a REIT. The Board of Directors may also increase the ownership limit to a maximum of 9.9% and, in connection therewith, require opinions of counsel, affidavits, undertakings or agreements as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to preserve Essex’s REIT status. If the Board of Directors and Essex’s stockholders determine that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT, the ownership limit provisions of the Charter can be terminated.
If a stockholder attempts to transfer shares of stock that would (i) create a direct or indirect ownership of Essex’s shares in excess of the ownership limit absent a Board exemption, (ii) result in the ownership of Essex’s stock by fewer than 100 persons, or (iii) result in the ownership of more than 50% of the value of Essex’s stock (other than excess stock), directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals, as defined in the Code, the transfer shall be null and void, and the intended transferee will acquire no rights to the shares. In addition, in the event of a transfer or attempted transfer, or other event, that would result in any person owning, directly or indirectly, shares of Essex stock in excess of the ownership limit (or any limit created in connection with an exemption from the ownership limit) or that would result in the ownership of more than 50% of the value of Essex’s stock, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer persons, such shares of our stock will automatically be exchanged for shares of “excess stock.” All shares of excess stock will be automatically transferred, without action by the purported holder, to a person who is unaffiliated with us or the intended transferee, as trustee for the exclusive benefit of one or more organizations described in Sections 170(b), 170(c) or 501(c)(3) of the Code as a charitable beneficiary and designated by resolution of the Board of Directors. Such shares of excess stock held in trust are considered issued and outstanding shares of Essex’s stock. In general, the trustee of such shares is deemed to own the shares of excess stock held in trust for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiary on the day prior to the date of the purported transfer or change in capital structure which resulted in the automatic transfer and has all voting rights and all right to receive distributions payable with respect to the excess shares. Any dividend or other distribution paid prior to the discovery by Essex that shares were exchanged for excess stock must be repaid by the recipient to Essex upon demand or, if Essex elects, will be offset against any future dividends or distributions payable to the recipient. Subject to Maryland law, any vote cast by the purported owner of excess shares will be rescinded and recast in accordance with the direction of the trustee acting for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary.
Essex may cause the trustee to transfer a beneficial interest in the trust representing a number of shares of excess stock if the shares of excess stock would not be excess stock in the hands of the identified transferee. In the event of such a transfer, the purported transferee of the shares exchanged for excess stock may receive a price for its interest in such shares that is the lesser of (i) the price paid by the purported transferee or, if the purported transferee did not give value for the shares in connection with the event causing shares to be exchanged for excess stock (e.g., a gift, devise or other similar transaction), the Market Price (as defined in Essex’s Charter) of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be exchanged for excess stock and (ii) the price received by the trustee from the sale or other disposition of the shares of excess stock. Upon any such a transfer, the shares of excess stock will automatically be exchanged for an equal number of shares of stock of the class and series originally exchanged for such shares of excess stock.
Shares of excess stock held in the trust will be deemed to have been offered for sale to Essex, or its designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of (i) the price per share in the transaction that resulted in the exchange for shares of excess stock (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 that Essex, or its designee, accepts the offer. Essex will have the right to accept the offer for a period of ninety days after the later of the date of the transaction that resulted in the exchange for shares of excess stock and, if Essex does not receive prior notice of such transaction, the date that the Board of Directors determines in good faith that a transaction resulting in excess stock has occurred.

Every owner of more than 5% (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder) of our stock, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, must give us written notice stating the stockholder’s name and address, the number of shares of each class and series of our stock that the stockholder beneficially or constructively owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each such owner must provide to us in writing such additional information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of the stockholder’s beneficial ownership on our status as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limits. In addition, each person who is a beneficial owner or constructive owner of shares of our stock and each person (including the stockholder of record) who is holding shares of our stock for a beneficial owner or constructive owner must, on request, provide to us such information as we may request in order to determine our status as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limits.
Even if the provisions of the Code regarding REITs are changed to eliminate any ownership concentration limitation or increase the limitation, the ownership limitations in the Charter will not be automatically eliminated or modified. Except as described above, any change to such limitations would require an amendment to the Charter, which in turn would require the affirmative vote of holders owning a majority of the outstanding shares of Essex’s common stock. In addition to preserving Essex’s status as a REIT, the ownership limit provisions in the Charter may have the effect of precluding an acquisition of control of Essex without the approval of the Board of Directors.
All certificates representing shares of our equity stock bear a legend referring to the restrictions described above.
Listing 
The common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ESS.” 
Transfer Agent and Registrar
Computershare Trust Company, N.A. is Essex’s transfer agent.
Our Board of Directors
Essex’s Charter and Bylaws provide that its Board of Directors may establish the number of directors as long as the number is not fewer than the minimum required under the Maryland General Corporation Law (which is one). Essex’s Charter provides that a director may be removed, without cause (as defined in the Charter) only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors, and with cause only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors.
Pursuant to Essex’s Charter and Bylaws, each of our directors is elected by our stockholders to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies. Pursuant to Essex’s Bylaws, directors in uncontested elections are elected upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the total votes cast for and affirmatively withheld as to such nominee at a duly called meeting of stockholders, and directors in contested elections are elected by a plurality of all of the votes cast. In both uncontested and contested elections, holders of shares of our common stock have no right to cumulative voting in the election of directors. Consequently, at each annual meeting of stockholders, the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock will be able to elect all of our directors. Essex’s Bylaws further provide that an incumbent director, in an uncontested election, who does not receive the required vote for re-election must offer to resign. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors will consider the resignation offer and recommend to the Board of Directors whether to accept or reject the resignation offer. The Board of Directors will then publicly disclose its decision within 90 days of certification of the election results.
Business Combinations
The Maryland General Corporation Law prohibits “business combinations” between us and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in certain circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. The Maryland General Corporation Law defines an interested stockholder as:
		
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	any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock, or

		
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	an affiliate or associate of ours who, at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of our then-outstanding stock.

A person is not an interested stockholder if our Board of Directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, our Board of Directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by our Board of Directors.

After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between us and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by our Board of Directors and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:
		
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	80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of our then-outstanding shares of voting stock, and

		
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	two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of our voting stock other than stock held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or stock held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder.

These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if our common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined in the Maryland General Corporation Law, for their stock in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its stock.
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are approved or exempted by the Board of Directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. As permitted by the statute, the Board of Directors of Essex irrevocably has elected to exempt any business combination among Essex, George M. Marcus, who is the chairman of Essex, and Marcus & Millichap Company (“MMC”) or any entity owned or controlled by Mr. Marcus and MMC. Mr. Marcus is the chairman of MMC. Consequently, the five-year prohibition and supermajority vote requirements described above will not apply to any business combination between Essex, Mr. Marcus, or MMC. As a result, Essex may in the future enter into business combinations with Mr. Marcus and MMC, without compliance with the supermajority vote requirements and other provisions of the Maryland Business Combination Act.
Control Share Acquisitions
The Maryland General Corporation Law provides that holders of “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights except to the extent approved at a special meeting of stockholders by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquiring person, or by officers or by directors who are our employees, are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. “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:
		
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	one-tenth or more but less than one-third,

		
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	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 the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition of issued and outstanding 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), may compel our Board of Directors to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.
If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then, subject to 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, if a meeting of stockholders is held at which the voting rights of such 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 such appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.
The control share acquisition statute does not apply (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 from the control share acquisition statute any and all acquisitions by any person of our stock. We can provide no assurance that our Board of Directors will not amend or eliminate such provision in the future. 
Subtitle 8
Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the Maryland General Corporation Law permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and with 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,

		
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	a two-thirds vote requirement to remove a director,

		
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	a requirement that the number of directors be fixed only by the vote of the directors,

		
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	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 directorship in which the vacancy occurred, and

		
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	a majority requirement for the calling of a special meeting of stockholders.

Through provisions in our Charter and Bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we (i) require the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter for the removal of any director from the Board of Directors, which removal will be allowed without cause, or the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter for the removal of any director from the Board of Directors, which removal will be allowed only with cause, (ii) vest in the Board of Directors the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships and (iii) require, unless called by the Chairman of the Board, the President, the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors, the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast at such a meeting to call a special meeting.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals, Proxy Access and Director Nominations
Our Bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals 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 who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving the stockholder’s notice required by our Bylaws and at the time of the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting on such business or in the election of such nominee and has provided notice to us within the time period, and containing the information and other materials, specified in the advance notice provisions of our Bylaws.
With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to our Board of Directors may be made only (i) by or at the direction of our Board of Directors, (ii) by a stockholder that has requested that a special meeting be called for the purpose of electing directors in compliance with our Bylaws and that has supplied the information required by our Bylaws about each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election as a director or (iii) if the meeting has been called for the purpose of electing directors, by any stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving the notice required by our Bylaws and at the time of the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each such nominee and who has provided notice to us within the time period, and containing the information and other materials, specified in the advance notice provisions of our Bylaws.
The advance notice procedures of our Bylaws provide that, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice with respect to director nominations or other proposals for an annual meeting must be delivered to our Secretary at our principal executive office not earlier than the 150th day nor later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for our preceding year’s annual meeting. In the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made.
In addition to advance notice procedures, the Bylaws also include provisions permitting, subject to certain eligibility, procedural and disclosure requirements, stockholders who have maintained continuous qualifying ownership of at least 3% of our outstanding shares of common stock for at least three years to use our annual meeting proxy statement to nominate a number of director candidates not to exceed the greater of two candidates or 20% of the number of directors in office.
Meetings of Stockholders
Pursuant to our Bylaws, a meeting of our stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any other business will be held annually on a date and at the time and place set by our Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board, the President, the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors may call a special meeting of our stockholders. Subject to the provisions of our Bylaws, a special meeting of our stockholders to act on any matter that may properly be brought before a meeting of our stockholders must also be called by our Secretary upon the written request of the stockholders entitled to cast 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 delivering the notice of meeting (including our proxy materials), and the requesting stockholder must pay such estimated cost before our Secretary is required to prepare and deliver the notice of the special meeting.

Amendments to Our Charter and Bylaws
Except for those amendments permitted to be made without stockholder approval under Maryland law or our Charter, our Charter generally may be amended only if the amendment is first declared advisable by our Board of Directors and thereafter approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Our Bylaws may be amended by (i) the Board of Directors or (ii) the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock pursuant to a binding proposal submitted by any stockholder or group of up to five stockholders holding at least one percent of the outstanding shares of common stock for at least one year. A stockholder proposal submitted under the Bylaws may not alter or repeal the amendment provisions of the Bylaws or the provisions of the Bylaws related to indemnification of directors and officers of Essex, in either case, without the approval of the Board of Directors.
Forum Selection
Our Bylaws require, subject to limited exceptions, that any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders and other similar actions, may be brought only in specified courts located in the State of Maryland, City of Baltimore.
Dissolution
The dissolution of Essex must be declared advisable by a majority of our entire Board of Directors and approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Anti-Takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws
The Maryland General Corporation Law contains, and our Charter and Bylaws contain, provisions that may delay, defer or prevent 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 stockholders, including provisions of our Charter on removal of directors and the advance notice provisions of the Bylaws. Likewise, with respect to the business combination provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law or if the provision in the Bylaws opting out of the control share acquisition provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law were rescinded, these provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law could have similar anti-takeover effects.
Further, certain provisions of Essex’s Charter and Bylaws might discourage certain types of transactions that involve an actual or threatened change of control of Essex. The ownership limit may delay or impede a transaction or a change in control of Essex that might involve a premium price for Essex’s capital stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders. The issuance of preferred stock by the Board of Directors may also have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of Essex.Exhibit

Exhibit 10.23

3 Year Vest (Executive)

ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
[____] LONG-TERM INCENTIVE AWARD
AWARD AGREEMENT

Name of Grantee:  [________] (“the Grantee”)
No. of Restricted Stock Units: [_________] (the “Stock Units”)
Grant Date: [__________] (the “Grant Date”)

RECITALS

A.       The Grantee is an employee of Essex Property Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”).
 

B.      As of [_____________], the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved the terms of the [______] Long-Term Incentive Awards to be granted by the Company under the Company’s 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2018 Plan”) to provide the Company’s employees with incentive compensation.  This award agreement (this “Award Agreement”) evidences a [______] Long-Term Incentive Award to the Grantee under the 2018 Plan (the “Award”), which is subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the 2018 Plan.

C.      The Grantee was selected by the Company to receive the Award.  The Company, effective as of the Grant Date set forth above, issued to the Grantee the number of Stock Units set forth above.

D.     Capitalized terms used herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in Appendix A hereto. Unless the context requires otherwise, capitalized terms used, but not otherwise defined herein or in Appendix A, shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the 2018 Plan.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

1.        Grant of Stock Units; Issuance of Stock; Payment of Dividends.

(a)     The Company hereby grants the Grantee an award consisting of [________] Stock Units with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.  The 2018 Plan is hereby incorporated herein by reference as though set forth herein in its entirety.

(b)     On the Determination Date, (i) the Committee will determine, pursuant to Section 2(b), the number of Stock Units for which the performance criteria applicable to such Stock Units were satisfied as of the Valuation Date, (ii) the Company will issue to the Grantee a number of shares of Stock equal to the number of such earned Stock Units and (iii) all of the Stock Units shall be canceled.

(c)     Neither this Award nor the Stock Units may be sold, transferred, pledged assigned or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by the Grantee. The shares of Stock issuable hereunder may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by the Grantee prior to vesting and any book entries or certificates for the shares of Stock shall bear an appropriate legend, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, to the effect that such shares are subject to restrictions as set forth herein and in the 2018 Plan.

(d)     With respect to the shares of Stock issuable pursuant to Section 1(b) above, the Grantee shall be entitled to dividends with a record date on or after the later of the Determination Date or the applicable Vesting Date (as defined below). Prior to the occurrence of the later of the Determination Date or the applicable Vesting Date, Grantee shall not be entitled to any dividends with respect to the Stock Units or the Stock issuable in settlement thereof.

2.        Performance Criteria and Attainment Levels.

(a)     The number of Stock Units that will be earned pursuant to this Award will be based on the Company’s Equity REIT Relative TSR as of the Valuation Date in accordance with the following table:

	
					
	Equity REIT Relative TSR
	 
	Percentage of
Stock Units Earned
	 
	Number of
Stock Units
Earned

	Below 5th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 5th percentile but below 25th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 25th percentile but below 50th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 50th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

For Equity REIT Relative TSR falling between the 25th percentile and the 50th percentile, the number of Stock Units earned will be based on linear interpolation between the number of Stock Units that would have been earned if Equity REIT Relative TSR was at the 25th percentile and the number that would have been earned if Equity REIT Relative TSR was at the 50th percentile, as set forth above.

(b)      The Committee, as promptly as practicable following the conclusion of the Performance Period (but, in any event, no later than two and one-half months after the conclusion of the Performance Period), shall determine the actual number of the Stock Units that are earned in accordance with this Section 2.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if a Change in Control occurs on or prior to the twelve (12)-month anniversary of the Grant Date and the Grantee remains employed by the Company or a Company Affiliate until at least immediately prior to the date of such Change in Control or has incurred a Terminating Event prior to such Change in Control, one hundred percent (100%) of the Stock Units subject to this Award shall be deemed earned in accordance with this Section 2.

2

3.        Vesting.

(a)      All of the Stock Units and shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award prior to the Final Vesting Date (as defined below) shall be subject to time-based vesting, with one-third (1/3) of the Stock Units earned pursuant to this Award and the shares of Stock issued or issuable pursuant to this Award vesting on each of the first three (3) anniversaries of the Grant Date (each, a “Vesting Date,” and the third (3rd) anniversary of the Grant Date, the “Final Vesting Date”), subject to the Grantee’s continued employment with the Company (or a Company Affiliate) through the applicable Vesting Date. All shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award after the Final Vesting Date shall be fully vested upon issuance. Except as provided in Sections 3(b) and 3(c) below, if at any time the Grantee shall cease to be an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate for any reason (other than in circumstances where the Grantee immediately thereafter remains or becomes an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate), then the Stock Units and shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award that remain unvested at such time shall automatically and immediately be forfeited by the Grantee without consideration therefor.

(b)     If the Grantee shall cease to be an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate (other than in circumstances where the Grantee immediately thereafter remains or becomes an employee of a Company Affiliate) in circumstances that constitute a Terminating Event, any then unvested Stock Units or shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award will not be forfeited and such Stock Units or shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award will be fully time-vested as of the date of such Terminating Event. Any shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award with respect to Stock Units that vested pursuant to this Section 3(b) will be fully time-vested upon issuance.

(c)      In the event the Grantee shall cease to be an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate (other than in circumstances where the Grantee immediately thereafter remains or becomes an employee of a Company Affiliate) as a result of the Grantee’s change in status from an Employee to a Director or Consultant, then, unless otherwise required by law, the Grantee shall continue to time-vest in any then unvested Stock Units or shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award based on the Grantee’s continued service as a Director or Consultant, in which case, the Grantee ceasing to serve as a Director or Consultant will be treated in the same manner as Grantee ceasing to be an Employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate for purposes of this Agreement.

4.       Tax Withholding.  The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any payments or deemed payments any amount of tax withholding it determines to be required by law.  The Grantee shall, not later than the date as of which vesting or payment in respect of this Award becomes a taxable event, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for payment of any Federal, state and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event; provided that, to the extent such taxable event occurs upon or concurrently with the issuance or vesting of Stock hereunder, the Company will satisfy any required tax withholding obligation by withholding a number of shares of Stock issued or issuable hereunder with a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding equal to the aggregate amount of such tax withholding obligation based on the maximum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to this Award, as determined pursuant to the 2018 Plan.  For purposes of this Section 4, the Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock to be withheld shall be calculated in the same manner as the shares of Stock are valued for purposes of determining the amount of withholding taxes due.

3

5.       Changes in Capital Structure.  If (i) the Company shall at any time be involved in a merger, consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, reorganization, exchange of shares, sale of all or substantially all of the assets or stock of the Company or other transaction similar thereto, (ii) any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, significant repurchases of stock, or other similar change in the capital stock of the Company, (iii) any cash dividend or other distribution to holders of shares of Stock shall be declared and paid other than in the ordinary course, or (iv) any other extraordinary corporate event shall occur that in each case in the good faith judgment of the Committee necessitates action by way of equitable or proportionate adjustment in the terms of this Award Agreement, the Stock Units or the shares of Stock issuable pursuant to this Award to avoid distortion in the value of this Award, then the Committee shall make equitable or proportionate adjustment and take such other action as it deems necessary to maintain the Grantee’s rights hereunder so that they are substantially proportionate to the rights existing under this Award and the terms of the Stock Units and the shares of Stock prior to such event, including, without limitation: (A) interpretations of or modifications to any defined term in this Award Agreement; (B) adjustments in any calculations provided for in this Award Agreement, and (C) substitution of other awards under the 2018 Plan or otherwise.  All adjustments made by the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive.

6.        Effectiveness of Award Agreement

(a)      This award shall be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Grantee and shall be binding upon successors and assigns of the Company.

(b)     Every provision of this Award Agreement is intended to be severable, and if any term or provision hereof is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason whatsoever, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remainder hereof.

7.        Governing Law.

This Award Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland.

8.        Administration.

This Award shall be administered by the Committee, which in the administration of this Award shall have all the powers and authority it has in the administration of the 2018 Plan as set forth in the 2018 Plan.

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9.        Section 409A.

The Award is intended to comply with or be exempt from (under the “short term deferral” exception) Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 409A”) and, to the extent applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A, including without limitation any applicable Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance currently in effect or that may be issued after the effective date of this Agreement. In addition, notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, in the event that following the Grant Date, the Administrator determines that it may be necessary or appropriate to do so, the Administrator may adopt such amendments to the Plan and/or this Agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to (a) exempt the Plan and/or the Stock Units from the application of Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to this Award, or (b) comply with the requirements of Section 409A; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not create an obligation on the part of the Administrator to adopt any such amendment, policy or procedure or take any such other action.  No payment hereunder shall be made during the six (6)-month period following the Grantee’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A) to the extent that the Administrator determines that paying such amount at the time set forth herein would be a prohibited distribution under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i). If the payment of any such amounts is delayed as a result of the previous sentence, then within thirty (30) days following the end of such six (6)-month period (or, if earlier, the Grantee’s death), the Administrator shall pay to the Grantee (or to the Grantee’s estate) the cumulative amounts that would have otherwise been payable to the Grantee during such period, without interest. Notwithstanding anything herein or in the Plan to the contrary, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, a “Change in Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Agreement unless such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

10.      Communication.

Any notice, demand, request or other communication which may be required or contemplated herein shall be sufficiently given if (i) given either by facsimile transmission or telex, by reputable overnight delivery service, postage prepaid, or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid and return receipt requested, to the address indicated herein or to such other address as my party hereto may specify as provided herein, or (ii) delivered personally at such address.

11.      Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.

If the Grantee is now or hereafter become subject to any policy providing for the recovery of Awards, Shares, Stock Units, proceeds or payments to the Grantee in the event of fraud or other circumstances, then this Award, the Stock Units, and any Shares issuable upon the settlement of this Awards or proceeds therefrom, are subject to potential recovery by the Company under the circumstances provided under such policy as may be in effect from time to time.

5

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Award Agreement as of the Grant Date.

	
			
	 
	ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.

	 
	 

	 
	By
	 

	 
	 
	 

	 
	 
	Hereunto duly authorized

	
		
	Agreed and Accepted:
	 

	 
	 

	 
	 

	Name:
	 

[Signature page to [_____] RSU Award Agreement]

6

APPENDIX A

DEFINITIONS

“2018 Plan” means the Essex Property Trust, Inc. 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

“Cause” shall mean, and shall be limited to, the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:

(i)       a willful act of dishonesty by the Grantee with respect to any matter involving the Company or any Company Affiliates;

(ii)      conviction of the Grantee of a crime involving moral turpitude; or

(iii)   the deliberate or willful failure by the Grantee (other than by reason of the Grantee’s physical or mental illness, incapacity or disability) to substantially perform the Grantee’s duties with the Company and the Company Affiliates and the continuation of such failure for a period of 30 days after delivery by the Company or a Company Affiliate to the Grantee of written notice specifying the scope and nature of such failure and its intention to terminate the Grantee for Cause.

For purposes of clauses (i) and (iii) above, no act, or failure to act, on the Grantee’s part shall be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Grantee without reasonable belief that the Grantee’s act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company and/or the Company Affiliates.

“Company Affiliate” means any parent entity of the Company, if any, that directly or indirectly owns a majority of the common equity of the Company, any direct or indirect subsidiary of any such parent entity and any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company.

“Determination Date” means the date on which the number of Stock Units earned pursuant to this Award is determined by the Compensation Committee pursuant to Section 2(b).

“Equity REIT Relative TSR” means the percentile rank of the Company’s total stockholder return during the Performance Period relative to the total stockholder returns of the Index Companies during the Performance Period as determined by dividing (a) the sum of (i) 100% minus the percentage of Index Companies with a total stockholder return greater than the Company during the Performance Period, plus (ii) the percentage of Index Companies with a total stockholder return less than the Company during the Performance Period, by (b) two. For example, if there were nine Index Companies, four with higher total stockholder returns, four with lower total stockholder returns and one with identical total stockholder return during the Performance Period, then the Company would be in the 50th percentile, as calculated by taking the sum of (i) 100% minus the percentage of companies with higher total stockholder returns (100% - 4 / 9 = 56%), and (ii) the percentage of companies with lower total stockholder returns (4 / 9 = 44%) and dividing by two ((56% + 44%) / 2 = 50%).

7

For purposes of this definition, the total stockholder return of the Company and each of the Index Companies shall be computed based on the total return that would have been realized by a stockholder who (1) bought $100 of shares of common equity securities of such company on the first day of the Performance Period at a price per share equal to the closing sales price per share on the principal national stock exchange on which shares of such common equity securities are listed on such date (or, if such date is not a trading date, on the most recent prior trading date), (2) contemporaneously reinvested in shares of Stock each dividend and other distribution declared during the Performance Period and received with respect to such share (and any other shares previously received upon reinvestment of dividends or other distributions) and (3) sold such shares on the last day of the Performance Period for a per share price equal to the average closing sales price per share on the principal national stock exchange on which shares of such common equity securities are listed for the twenty (20) consecutive calendar day period up to and including the Valuation Date; provided that if the Valuation Date is the date upon which a Transactional Change in Control occurs, the ending stock price of the Stock as of such date shall be equal to the fair market value in cash, as determined by the Committee, of the total consideration paid or payable in the transaction resulting in the Transactional Change in Control for one share of Stock. Total stockholder return shall be computed on a consistent basis across all companies, in accordance with the foregoing, using total stockholder return data obtained from SNL Financial (or such other third party data provider as is selected by the Committee in its sole discretion).

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Executive Severance Plan” means the Essex Property Trust, Inc. Executive Severance Plan, as Amended and Restated, effective March 12, 2013, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

“Good Reason” means, for purposes of determining whether a Terminating Event occurred in connection with a Change in Control, the occurrence of any of the following events:

(i)     a substantial adverse change in the nature or scope of the Grantee’s responsibilities, authorities, title, powers, functions, or duties from the responsibilities, authorities, powers, functions, or duties exercised by the Grantee immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

(ii)      a reduction in the Grantee’s annual base salary as in effect on the date hereof or as the same may be increased from time to time; or

(iii)    a reduction in the Grantee’s annual bonus opportunity to an annual bonus opportunity that is less than the highest bonus opportunity during the three fiscal years preceding the date of the Change in Control; or

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(iv)    a reduction in the long-term incentive, savings and retirement program opportunities and health and welfare benefits to a level that is less favorable than the most favorable of such benefits and opportunities as are in effect on the date hereof or as the same may be increased from time to time; or

(v)     a reduction in the fringe benefits programs and policies and vacation accrual rate to a level that is less favorable than the most favorable of such benefits and accrual rates as are in effect on the date hereof or as the same may be increased from time to time; or

(vi)    the relocation of the offices of the Company or Company Affiliate at which the Grantee is principally employed immediately prior to the date of the Change in Control to a location more than 30 miles from such offices, or the requirement by the Company or a Company Affiliate for the Grantee to be based anywhere other than the offices of the Company or Company Affiliate at such location, except for required travel on the business of the Company and the Company Affiliates to an extent substantially consistent with the Grantee’s business travel obligations immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

(vii)   the failure by the Company or a Company Affiliate to pay to the Grantee any portion of Grantee’s compensation or to pay to the Grantee any portion of an installment of deferred compensation under any deferred compensation program of the Company or a Company Affiliate within 15 days of the date such compensation is due without prior written consent of the Grantee; or

(viii)  the failure by the Company and the Company Affiliates to obtain an effective agreement from any successor to assume and agree to perform the obligation of the Company and the Company Affiliates under the Executive Severance Plan; or

(ix)     any material breach by the Company under the Executive Severance Plan or by any successor of the Company.

Notwithstanding the foregoing to the contrary, none of the circumstances described above will constitute Good Reason unless the Grantee has provided written notice to the Company that such circumstances exist within ninety (90) days of the Grantee’s learning of such circumstances and the Company has failed to cure such circumstances within thirty (30) days following its receipt of such notice; and provided further, that the Grantee did not previously consent in writing to the action leading to his or her claim of resignation for Good Reason.

“Index Companies” means, as of a particular date, the companies comprising the SNL Apartment REIT Index which, as of the Grant Date, consists of the companies listed on Appendix B hereto; provided that no such company will be deemed an Index Company if such company ceases to have a class of common equity securities listed on a national stock exchange during the entire Performance Period.

“Performance Period” means the period beginning on [_____________] and ending on the Valuation Date.

9

“Qualified Termination” of the Grantee means (i) termination by the Company and/or a Company Affiliate of the employment of the Grantee with the Company (if the Grantee is then employed by the Company) and all Company Affiliates then employing the Grantee for any reason other than for Cause or the death or disability (as determined under the then existing long-term disability coverage of the Company or such Company Affiliate) of the Grantee or (ii) termination by the Grantee of the Grantee’s employment with the Company (if the Grantee is then employed by the Company) and all other Company Affiliates then employing the Grantee for Good Reason; provided, for avoidance of doubt, that no such termination shall constitute a Qualified Termination if the Grantee remains or becomes an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate immediately following such termination.

“Stock” means a share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share.

“Terminating Event” shall mean:

(A) a Qualified Termination of the Grantee during (i) the 24 months following a Change in Control or (ii) the two-month period prior to the date of a Change in Control, and it is reasonably demonstrated by the Grantee that such termination of employment (1) was at the request of a third party that had taken steps reasonably calculated to effect such Change in Control or (2) otherwise arose in connection with or anticipation of a Change in Control; provided that a Terminating Event under this clause (A) shall not be deemed to have occurred solely as a result of the Grantee being an employee of any direct or indirect successor to the business or assets of the Company, rather than continuing as an employee of the Company following a Change in Control; or

(B) a termination by the Company and/or a Company Affiliate of the employment of the Grantee with the Company (if the Grantee is then employed by the Company) and all Company Affiliates then employing the Grantee for any reason other than for Cause or the death or disability (as determined under the then existing long-term disability coverage of the Company or such Company Affiliate) of the Grantee that occurs (x) at least one year after the Grant Date, and (y) at a time when the Grantee’s combined age and years of Continuous Service are equal to or greater than 68 and the Grantee has at least seven (7) years of Continuous Service with the Company or a Company Affiliate.

“Transactional Change in Control” means a Change in Control resulting from any person or group making a tender offer for Stock, a merger or consolidation where the Company is not the surviving entity, the shares of Stock outstanding immediately prior to such merger are converted or exchanged by virtue of the merger into other property or consisting of a sale, transfer or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.

“Valuation Date” means the earlier of (A) [___________], or (B) the date upon which a Change in Control shall occur.

10

APPENDIX B

SNL Apartment REIT Index

	
		
	AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
	AVB

	BRT Apartments Corp.
	BRT

	Equity Residential
	EQR

	Essex Property Trust, Inc.
	ESS

	Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.
	MAA

	UDR, Inc.
	UDR

	Camden Property Trust
	CPT

	Apartment Investment and Management Co
	AIV

	Independence Realty Trust, Inc.
	IRT

	Investors Real Estate Trust
	IRET

	Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc.
	APTS

	NexPoint Residential Trust Inc.
	NXRT

	Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc.
	BRG

11

Full Vest

ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
[________] LONG-TERM INCENTIVE AWARD
AWARD AGREEMENT

Name of Grantee:  [________] (“the Grantee”)
No. of Restricted Stock Units: [_________] (the “Stock Units”)
Grant Date: [_____________] (the “Grant Date”)

RECITALS

A.       The Grantee is an employee of Essex Property Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”).

B.       As of [_____________], the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved the terms of the [_______] Long-Term Incentive Awards to be granted by the Company under the Company’s 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2018 Plan”) to provide the Company’s employees with incentive compensation.  This award agreement (this “Award Agreement”) evidences a [_______] Long-Term Incentive Award to the Grantee under the 2018 Plan (the “Award”), which is subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the 2018 Plan.

C.      The Grantee was selected by the Company to receive the Award.  The Company, effective as of the Grant Date set forth above, issued to the Grantee the number of Stock Units set forth above.

D.      Capitalized terms used herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in Appendix A hereto. Unless the context requires otherwise, capitalized terms used, but not otherwise defined herein or in Appendix A, shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the 2018 Plan.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

1.            Grant of Stock Units; Issuance of Stock; Payment of Dividends.

(a)      The Company hereby grants the Grantee an award consisting of [________] Stock Units with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.  The 2018 Plan is hereby incorporated herein by reference as though set forth herein in its entirety.

(b)    On the Determination Date, (i) the Committee will determine, pursuant to Section 2(b), the number of Stock Units for which the performance criteria applicable to such Stock Units were satisfied as of the Valuation Date, (ii) the Company will issue to the Grantee a number of shares of Stock equal to the number of such earned Stock Units and (iii) all of the Stock Units shall be canceled.

(c)      Neither this Award nor the Stock Units may be sold, transferred, pledged assigned or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by the Grantee.

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(d)      With respect to the shares of Stock issuable pursuant to Section 1(b) above, the Grantee shall be entitled to dividends with a record date on or after the Determination Date. Prior to the Determination Date, Grantee shall not be entitled to any dividends with respect to the Stock Units or the Stock issuable in settlement thereof.

2.        Performance Criteria and Attainment Levels.

(a)      The number of Stock Units that will be earned pursuant to this Award will be based on the Company’s Equity REIT Relative TSR as of the Valuation Date in accordance with the following table:

	
					
	Equity REIT Relative TSR
	 
	Percentage of
Stock Units Earned
	 
	Number of
Stock Units
Earned

	Below 5th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 5th percentile but below 25th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 25th percentile but below 50th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 50th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

For Equity REIT Relative TSR falling between the 25th percentile and the 50th percentile, the number of Stock Units earned will be based on linear interpolation between the number of Stock Units that would have been earned if Equity REIT Relative TSR was at the 25th percentile and the number that would have been earned if Equity REIT Relative TSR was at the 50th percentile, as set forth above.

(b)     The Committee, as promptly as practicable following the conclusion of the Performance Period (but, in any event, no later than two and one-half months after the conclusion of the Performance Period), shall determine the actual number of the Stock Units that are earned in accordance with this Section 2.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if a Change in Control occurs on or prior to the twelve (12) month-anniversary of the Grant Date, one hundred percent (100%) of the Stock Units subject to this Award shall be deemed earned in accordance with this Section 2.

3.            Vesting.  All of the Stock Units and shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award shall be fully vested upon issuance.

4.          Tax Withholding.  The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any payments or deemed payments any amount of tax withholding it determines to be required by law.  The Grantee shall, not later than the date as of which vesting or payment in respect of this Award becomes a taxable event, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for payment of any Federal, state and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event; provided that, to the extent such taxable event occurs upon or concurrently with the issuance or vesting of Stock hereunder, the Company will satisfy any required tax withholding obligation by withholding a number of shares of Stock issued or issuable hereunder with a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding equal to the aggregate amount of such tax withholding obligation based on the maximum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to this Award, as determined pursuant to the 2018 Plan.  For purposes of this Section 4, the Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock to be withheld shall be calculated in the same manner as the shares of Stock are valued for purposes of determining the amount of withholding taxes due.

13

5.           Changes in Capital Structure.  If (i) the Company shall at any time be involved in a merger, consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, reorganization, exchange of shares, sale of all or substantially all of the assets or stock of the Company or other transaction similar thereto, (ii) any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, significant repurchases of stock, or other similar change in the capital stock of the Company, (iii) any cash dividend or other distribution to holders of shares of Stock shall be declared and paid other than in the ordinary course, or (iv) any other extraordinary corporate event shall occur that in each case in the good faith judgment of the Committee necessitates action by way of equitable or proportionate adjustment in the terms of this Award Agreement, the Stock Units or the shares of Stock issuable pursuant to this Award to avoid distortion in the value of this Award, then the Committee shall make equitable or proportionate adjustment and take such other action as it deems necessary to maintain the Grantee’s rights hereunder so that they are substantially proportionate to the rights existing under this Award and the terms of the Stock Units and the shares of Stock prior to such event, including, without limitation: (A) interpretations of or modifications to any defined term in this Award Agreement; (B) adjustments in any calculations provided for in this Award Agreement, and (C) substitution of other awards under the 2018 Plan or otherwise.  All adjustments made by the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive.

6.        Effectiveness of Award Agreement

(a)      This award shall be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Grantee and shall be binding upon successors and assigns of the Company.

(b)     Every provision of this Award Agreement is intended to be severable, and if any term or provision hereof is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason whatsoever, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remainder hereof.

7.            Governing Law.

This Award Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland.

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8.            Administration.

This Award shall be administered by the Committee, which in the administration of this Award shall have all the powers and authority it has in the administration of the 2018 Plan as set forth in the 2018 Plan.

9.            Section 409A.

The Award is intended to comply with or be exempt from (under the “short term deferral” exception) Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 409A”) and, to the extent applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A, including without limitation any applicable Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance currently in effect or that may be issued after the effective date of this Agreement. In addition, notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, in the event that following the Grant Date, the Administrator determines that it may be necessary or appropriate to do so, the Administrator may adopt such amendments to the Plan and/or this Agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to (a) exempt the Plan and/or the Stock Units from the application of Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to this Award, or (b) comply with the requirements of Section 409A; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not create an obligation on the part of the Administrator to adopt any such amendment, policy or procedure or take any such other action.  No payment hereunder shall be made during the six (6)-month period following the Grantee’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A) to the extent that the Administrator determines that paying such amount at the time set forth herein would be a prohibited distribution under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i). If the payment of any such amounts is delayed as a result of the previous sentence, then within thirty (30) days following the end of such six (6)-month period (or, if earlier, the Grantee’s death), the Administrator shall pay to the Grantee (or to the Grantee’s estate) the cumulative amounts that would have otherwise been payable to the Grantee during such period, without interest.  Notwithstanding anything herein or in the Plan to the contrary, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, a “Change in Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Agreement unless such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

10.          Communication.

Any notice, demand, request or other communication which may be required or contemplated herein shall be sufficiently given if (i) given either by facsimile transmission or telex, by reputable overnight delivery service, postage prepaid, or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid and return receipt requested, to the address indicated herein or to such other address as my party hereto may specify as provided herein, or (ii) delivered personally at such address.

11.          Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.

If the Grantee is now or hereafter become subject to any policy providing for the recovery of Awards, Shares, Stock Units, proceeds or payments to the Grantee in the event of fraud or other circumstances, then this Award, the Stock Units, and any Shares issuable upon the settlement of this Awards or proceeds therefrom, are subject to potential recovery by the Company under the circumstances provided under such policy as may be in effect from time to time.

15

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Award Agreement as of the Grant Date.

	
			
	 
	ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.

	 
	 

	 
	By:
	 

	 
	 
	 

	 
	 
	Hereunto duly authorized

	
		
	Agreed and Accepted:
	 

	 
	 

	 
	 

	Name:
	 

[Signature page to [_______] RSU Award Agreement]

16

APPENDIX A

DEFINITIONS

“2018 Plan” means the Essex Property Trust, Inc. 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

“Company Affiliate” means any parent entity of the Company, if any, that directly or indirectly owns a majority of the common equity of the Company, any direct or indirect subsidiary of any such parent entity and any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company.

“Determination Date” means the date on which the number of Stock Units earned pursuant to this Award is determined by the Compensation Committee pursuant to Section 2(b).

“Equity REIT Relative TSR” means the percentile rank of the Company’s total stockholder return during the Performance Period relative to the total stockholder returns of the Index Companies during the Performance Period as determined by dividing (a) the sum of (i) 100% minus the percentage of Index Companies with a total stockholder return greater than the Company during the Performance Period, plus (ii) the percentage of Index Companies with a total stockholder return less than the Company during the Performance Period, by (b) two. For example, if there were nine Index Companies, four with higher total stockholder returns, four with lower total stockholder returns and one with identical total stockholder return during the Performance Period, then the Company would be in the 50th percentile, as calculated by taking the sum of (i) the percentage of companies with higher total stockholder returns (100% - 4 / 9 = 56%), and (ii) the percentage of companies with lower total stockholder returns (4 / 9 = 44%) and dividing by two ((56% + 44%) / 2 = 50%).

For purposes of this definition, the total stockholder return of the Company and each of the Index Companies shall be computed based on the total return that would have been realized by a stockholder who (1) bought $100 of shares of common equity securities of such company on the first day of the Performance Period at a price per share equal to the closing sales price per share on the principal national stock exchange on which shares of such common equity securities are listed on such date (or, if such date is not a trading date, on the most recent prior trading date), (2) contemporaneously reinvested in shares of Stock each dividend and other distribution declared during the Performance Period and received with respect to such share (and any other shares previously received upon reinvestment of dividends or other distributions) and (3) sold such shares on the last day of the Performance Period for a per share price equal to the average closing sales price per share on the principal national stock exchange on which shares of such common equity securities are listed for the twenty (20) consecutive calendar day period up to and including the Valuation Date; provided that if the Valuation Date is the date upon which a Transactional Change in Control occurs, the ending stock price of the Stock as of such date shall be equal to the fair market value in cash, as determined by the Committee, of the total consideration paid or payable in the transaction resulting in the Transactional Change in Control for one share of Stock. Total stockholder return shall be computed on a consistent basis across all companies, in accordance with the foregoing, using total stockholder return data obtained from SNL Financial (or such other third party data provider as is selected by the Committee in its sole discretion).

17

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Index Companies” means, as of a particular date, the companies comprising the SNL Apartment REIT Index which, as of the Grant Date, consists of the companies listed on Appendix B hereto; provided that no such company will be deemed an Index Company if such company ceases to have a class of common equity securities listed on a national stock exchange during the entire Performance Period.

“Performance Period” means the period beginning on [_____________] and ending on the Valuation Date.

“Stock” means a share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share.

“Transactional Change in Control” means a Change in Control resulting from any person or group making a tender offer for Stock, a merger or consolidation where the Company is not the surviving entity, the shares of Stock outstanding immediately prior to such merger are converted or exchanged by virtue of the merger into other property or consisting of a sale, transfer or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.

“Valuation Date” means the earlier of (A) [_______], or (B) the date upon which a Change in Control shall occur.

18

APPENDIX B

SNL Apartment REIT Index

	
		
	AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
	AVB

	BRT Apartments Corp.
	BRT

	Equity Residential
	EQR

	Essex Property Trust, Inc.
	ESS

	Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.
	MAA

	UDR, Inc.
	UDR

	Camden Property Trust
	CPT

	Apartment Investment and Management Co
	AIV

	Independence Realty Trust, Inc.
	IRT

	Investors Real Estate Trust
	IRET

	Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc.
	APTS

	NexPoint Residential Trust Inc.
	NXRT

	Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc.
	BRG

19

DIP

ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
[_______] LONG-TERM INCENTIVE AWARD
AWARD AGREEMENT

Name of Grantee:  [________] (“the Grantee”)
Maximum Number of Restricted Stock Units: [_________]
Target Number of Restricted Stock Units: [_________]
Grant Date: [_____________] (the “Grant Date”)

RECITALS

A.       The Grantee is an employee of Essex Property Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”).

B.           As of [_____________], the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) approved the terms of the [_______] Long-Term Incentive Awards to be granted by the Company under the Company’s 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “2018 Plan”) to provide the Company’s employees with incentive compensation.  This award agreement (this “Award Agreement”) evidences a [_______] Long-Term Incentive Award to the Grantee under the 2018 Plan (the “Award”), which is subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the 2018 Plan.

C.           The Grantee was selected by the Company to receive the Award.  The Company, effective as of the Grant Date set forth above, issued to the Grantee the Maximum Number of Restricted Stock Units set forth above.

D.           Capitalized terms used herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in Appendix A hereto. Unless the context requires otherwise, capitalized terms used, but not otherwise defined herein or in Appendix A, shall have the respective meanings ascribed to them in the 2018 Plan.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

1.           Grant of Stock Units; Issuance of Stock; Payment of Dividends.

(a)      The Company hereby grants the Grantee an award consisting of [________]1 Restricted Stock Units (the “Stock Units”) with the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.  The 2018 Plan is hereby incorporated herein by reference as though set forth herein in its entirety.

(b)      On the First Determination Date, the Committee will determine the number of Stock Units that will be eligible to be earned hereunder (the “Eligible Stock Units”), as set forth in Section 2(a) (including the final sentence thereof).  In the event that any Stock Units granted hereunder fail to become Eligible Stock Units in accordance with the provisions set forth herein, such Stock Units that fail to become Eligible Stock Units shall thereupon automatically be forfeited by the Grantee without further action and without payment of consideration therefor.  On the Final Determination Date, (i) the Committee will determine, pursuant to Section 2(c), the number of Stock Units for which the performance criteria applicable to such Stock Units pursuant to Section 2(b) were satisfied as of the Valuation Date, (ii) the Company will issue to the Grantee a number of shares of Stock equal to the number of such earned Stock Units and (iii) all of the Stock Units shall be canceled.

_____________________________________________________________

1 Note to Draft:  Maximum Number of Restricted Stock Units.

20

(c)      Neither this Award nor the Stock Units may be sold, transferred, pledged assigned or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by the Grantee. The shares of Stock issuable hereunder may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered or disposed of by the Grantee prior to vesting and any book entries or certificates for the shares of Stock shall bear an appropriate legend, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, to the effect that such shares are subject to restrictions as set forth herein and in the 2018 Plan.

(d)     With respect to the shares of Stock issuable pursuant to Section 1(b) above, the Grantee shall be entitled to dividends with a record date on or after the later of the Final Determination Date or the Vesting Date (as defined below). Prior to the occurrence of the later of the Final Determination Date or the Vesting Date, Grantee shall not be entitled to any dividends with respect to the Stock Units or the Stock issuable in settlement thereof.

2.        Performance Criteria and Attainment Levels.

(a)      The number of Stock Units that will become Eligible Stock Units pursuant to this Award will be based on the gain or purchase price from the disposition of certain assets of the Company’s real estate portfolio, determined by reference to the following formula and subject to the final sentence of this Section 2(a):

Number of Eligible Stock Units = (___%2 * Funded Amount) / $[_______]

The Number of Eligible Stock Units shall be rounded to the nearest whole Stock Unit.

For purposes of this Agreement, “Funded Amount” shall mean the dollar amount that is equal to the product of (A) the greater of (x) 1% of the aggregate purchase price (net of the cost of sale) of all Company real estate dispositions consummated during the Funding Period or (y) 10% of the gain from all Company real estate dispositions consummated during the Funding Period determined in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), multiplied by (B) the quotient of (x) $[_______]3 // $[_______]4 over (y) $[_______]; provided, that the Funded Amount shall not exceed $[_______]5 // $[_______]6. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2(a) to the contrary, in determining the number of Stock Units that become Eligible Stock Units hereunder the Committee (or its designee or delegatee, as applicable) may, in its sole discretion, adjust the number of Stock Units that become Eligible Stock Units under the formula set forth above in this Section 2(a); provided, that in no event shall the number of Eligible Stock Units hereunder, as adjusted, be less than zero or exceed the Maximum Number of Restricted Stock Units (as defined above).

_____________________________________________________________

2 Note to Draft:  Percentage to equal individual’s maximum dollar amount divided by $[_______] - NEOs // $[_______] – Non-NEOs.
3 Note to Draft:  NEO form only.
4 Note to Draft:  Non-NEO form only.
5 Note to Draft:  NEO form only.
6 Note to Draft:  Non-NEO form only.

21

(b)      The number of Eligible Stock Units that will be earned pursuant to this Award will be based on the Company’s Equity REIT Relative TSR as of the Valuation Date in accordance with the following table:

	
					
	Equity REIT Relative TSR
	 
	Percentage of
Eligible Stock Units
Earned
	 
	Number of Eligible
Stock Units Earned

	Below 5th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 5th percentile but below 25th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 25th percentile but below 50th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

	Equal to or above 50th percentile
	 
	[____]
	 
	[____]

For Equity REIT Relative TSR falling between the 25th percentile and the 50th percentile, the number of Eligible Stock Units earned will be based on linear interpolation between the number of Eligible Stock Units that would have been earned if Equity REIT Relative TSR was at the 25th percentile and the number that would have been earned if Equity REIT Relative TSR was at the 50th percentile, as set forth above.

(c)      The Committee, as promptly as practicable following the conclusion of the Performance Period (but, in any event, no later than two and one-half months after the conclusion of the Performance Period), shall determine the actual number of the Eligible Stock Units that are earned in accordance with this Section 2.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if a Change in Control occurs on or prior to [_______], and the Grantee remains employed by the Company or a Company Affiliate until at least immediately prior to the date of such Change in Control [or has incurred a Terminating Event prior to such Change in Control,]7 then, as of the date of such Change in Control, the Target Number of Restricted Stock Units (as defined herein) shall be deemed earned in accordance with Section 2(b) and this Section 2(c).

_____________________________________________________________

7 Note to Draft:  Exec form only.

22

3.        Vesting.

(a)     All of the Stock Units and shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award prior to the Vesting Date (as defined below) shall be subject to time-based vesting, with 100% of the Stock Units earned pursuant to this Award and the shares of Stock issued or issuable pursuant to this Award vesting on [_______] (the “Vesting Date”), subject to the Grantee’s continued employment with the Company (or a Company Affiliate) through such vesting date. All shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award after the Vesting Date shall be fully vested upon issuance. Except as provided in Sections 3(b) and 3(c) below, if at any time the Grantee shall cease to be an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate for any reason (other than in circumstances where the Grantee immediately thereafter remains or becomes an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate), then the Stock Units and shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award that remain unvested at such time shall automatically and immediately be forfeited by the Grantee without consideration therefor.

(b)     If the Grantee shall cease to be an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate (other than in circumstances where the Grantee immediately thereafter remains or becomes an employee of a Company Affiliate) in circumstances that constitute a Terminating Event, any then unvested Stock Units or shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award will not be forfeited and such Stock Units or shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award will be fully time-vested as of the date of such Terminating Event. Any shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award with respect to Stock Units that vested pursuant to this Section 3(b) will be fully time-vested upon issuance.

(c)     In the event the Grantee shall cease to be an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate (other than in circumstances where the Grantee immediately thereafter remains or becomes an employee of a Company Affiliate) as a result of the Grantee’s change in status from an Employee to a Director or Consultant, then, unless otherwise required by law, the Administrator may, on or prior to the date on which such change in status occurs, permit the Grantee to continue to time-vest in any then unvested Stock Units or shares of Stock issued pursuant to this Award based on the Grantee’s continued service as a Director or Consultant, in which case, unless otherwise provided by the Administrator, the Grantee ceasing to serve as a Director or Consultant will be treated in the same manner as Grantee ceasing to be an Employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate for purposes of this Agreement.

4.       Tax Withholding.  The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any payments or deemed payments any amount of tax withholding it determines to be required by law.  The Grantee shall, not later than the date as of which vesting or payment in respect of this Award becomes a taxable event, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for payment of any Federal, state and local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event; provided that, to the extent such taxable event occurs upon or concurrently with the issuance or vesting of Stock hereunder, the Company will satisfy any required tax withholding obligation by withholding a number of shares of Stock issued or issuable hereunder with a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding equal to the aggregate amount of such tax withholding obligation based on the maximum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to this Award, as determined pursuant to the 2018 Plan.  For purposes of this Section 4, the Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock to be withheld shall be calculated in the same manner as the shares of Stock are valued for purposes of determining the amount of withholding taxes due.

23

5.        Changes in Capital Structure.  If (i) the Company shall at any time be involved in a merger, consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, reorganization, exchange of shares, sale of all or substantially all of the assets or stock of the Company or other transaction similar thereto, (ii) any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, significant repurchases of stock, or other similar change in the capital stock of the Company, (iii) any cash dividend or other distribution to holders of shares of Stock shall be declared and paid other than in the ordinary course, or (iv) any other extraordinary corporate event shall occur that in each case in the good faith judgment of the Committee necessitates action by way of equitable or proportionate adjustment in the terms of this Award Agreement, the Stock Units or the shares of Stock issuable pursuant to this Award to avoid distortion in the value of this Award, then the Committee shall make equitable or proportionate adjustment and take such other action as it deems necessary to maintain the Grantee’s rights hereunder so that they are substantially proportionate to the rights existing under this Award and the terms of the Stock Units and the shares of Stock prior to such event, including, without limitation: (A) interpretations of or modifications to any defined term in this Award Agreement; (B) adjustments in any calculations provided for in this Award Agreement, and (C) substitution of other awards under the 2018 Plan or otherwise.  All adjustments made by the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive.

6.        Effectiveness of Award Agreement

(a)      This award shall be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Grantee and shall be binding upon successors and assigns of the Company.

(b)     Every provision of this Award Agreement is intended to be severable, and if any term or provision hereof is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason whatsoever, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remainder hereof.

7.        Governing Law.

This Award Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland.

8.        Administration.

This Award shall be administered by the Committee, which in the administration of this Award shall have all the powers and authority it has in the administration of the 2018 Plan as set forth in the 2018 Plan; provided that, unless the Grantee is an officer or director of the Company subject to reporting under Section 16 of the Exchange Act or as otherwise determined by the Committee, the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company shall serve as the Administrator for purposes of the determination set forth in Section 3 (c).

24

9.        Section 409A.

The Award is intended to comply with or be exempt from (under the “short term deferral” exception) Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 409A”) and, to the extent applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A, including without limitation any applicable Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance currently in effect or that may be issued after the effective date of this Agreement. In addition, notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, in the event that following the Grant Date, the Administrator determines that it may be necessary or appropriate to do so, the Administrator may adopt such amendments to the Plan and/or this Agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to (a) exempt the Plan and/or the Stock Units from the application of Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to this Award, or (b) comply with the requirements of Section 409A; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not create an obligation on the part of the Administrator to adopt any such amendment, policy or procedure or take any such other action.  No payment hereunder shall be made during the six (6)-month period following the Grantee’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of Section 409A) to the extent that the Administrator determines that paying such amount at the time set forth herein would be a prohibited distribution under Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i). If the payment of any such amounts is delayed as a result of the previous sentence, then within thirty (30) days following the end of such six (6)-month period (or, if earlier, the Grantee’s death), the Administrator shall pay to the Grantee (or to the Grantee’s estate) the cumulative amounts that would have otherwise been payable to the Grantee during such period, without interest. Notwithstanding anything herein or in the Plan to the contrary, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, a “Change in Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of this Agreement unless such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

10.      Communication.

Any notice, demand, request or other communication which may be required or contemplated herein shall be sufficiently given if (i) given either by facsimile transmission or telex, by reputable overnight delivery service, postage prepaid, or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid and return receipt requested, to the address indicated herein or to such other address as my party hereto may specify as provided herein, or (ii) delivered personally at such address.

11.      Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.

If the Grantee is now or hereafter become subject to any policy providing for the recovery of Awards, Shares, Stock Units, proceeds or payments to the Grantee in the event of fraud or other circumstances, then this Award, the Stock Units, and any Shares issuable upon the settlement of this Awards or proceeds therefrom, are subject to potential recovery by the Company under the circumstances provided under such policy as may be in effect from time to time.

25

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Award Agreement as of the Grant Date.

	
			
	 
	ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.

	 
	 

	 
	By:
	 

	 
	 
	 

	 
	 
	Hereunto duly authorized

	
		
	Agreed and Accepted:
	 

	 
	 

	 
	 

	Name:
	 

[Signature page to [_______] RSU Award Agreement (DIP)]

26

APPENDIX A

DEFINITIONS

“2018 Plan” means the Essex Property Trust, Inc. 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

“Cause” shall mean, and shall be limited to, the occurrence of any one or more of the following events:

(i)       a willful act of dishonesty by the Grantee with respect to any matter involving the Company or any Company Affiliates;

(ii)     conviction of the Grantee of a crime involving moral turpitude; or

(iii)    the deliberate or willful failure by the Grantee (other than by reason of the Grantee’s physical or mental illness, incapacity or disability) to substantially perform the Grantee’s duties with the Company and the Company Affiliates and the continuation of such failure for a period of 30 days after delivery by the Company or a Company Affiliate to the Grantee of written notice specifying the scope and nature of such failure and its intention to terminate the Grantee for Cause.

For purposes of clauses (i) and (iii) above, no act, or failure to act, on the Grantee’s part shall be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Grantee without reasonable belief that the Grantee’s act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company and/or the Company Affiliates.

“Company Affiliate” means any parent entity of the Company, if any, that directly or indirectly owns a majority of the common equity of the Company, any direct or indirect subsidiary of any such parent entity and any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company.

“Eligible Stock Units” means the Stock Units that the Compensation Committee determines, pursuant to Section 2(a), are eligible to be earned pursuant to this Award.

“Equity REIT Relative TSR” means the percentile rank of the Company’s total stockholder return during the Performance Period relative to the total stockholder returns of the Index Companies during the Performance Period as determined by dividing (a) the sum of (i) 100% minus the percentage of Index Companies with a total stockholder return greater than the Company during the Performance Period, plus (ii) the percentage of Index Companies with a total stockholder return less than the Company during the Performance Period, by (b) two. For example, if there were nine Index Companies, four with higher total stockholder returns, four with lower total stockholder returns and one with identical total stockholder return during the Performance Period, then the Company would be in the 50th percentile, as calculated by taking the sum of (i) 100% minus the percentage of companies with higher total stockholder returns (100% - 4 / 9 = 56%), and (ii) the percentage of companies with lower total stockholder returns (4 / 9 = 44%) and dividing by two ((56% + 44%) / 2 = 50%).

27

For purposes of this definition, the total stockholder return of the Company and each of the Index Companies shall be computed based on the total return that would have been realized by a stockholder who (1) bought $100 of shares of common equity securities of such company on the first day of the Performance Period at a price per share equal to the closing sales price per share on the principal national stock exchange on which shares of such common equity securities are listed on such date (or, if such date is not a trading date, on the most recent prior trading date), (2) contemporaneously reinvested in shares of Stock each dividend and other distribution declared during the Performance Period and received with respect to such share (and any other shares previously received upon reinvestment of dividends or other distributions) and (3) sold such shares on the last day of the Performance Period for a per share price equal to the average closing sales price per share on the principal national stock exchange on which shares of such common equity securities are listed for the twenty (20) consecutive calendar day period up to and including the Valuation Date; provided that if the Valuation Date is the date upon which a Transactional Change in Control occurs, the ending stock price of the Stock as of such date shall be equal to the fair market value in cash, as determined by the Committee, of the total consideration paid or payable in the transaction resulting in the Transactional Change in Control for one share of Stock. Total stockholder return shall be computed on a consistent basis across all companies, in accordance with the foregoing, using total stockholder return data obtained from SNL Financial (or such other third party data provider as is selected by the Committee in its sole discretion).

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

[“Executive Severance Plan” means the Essex Property Trust, Inc. Executive Severance Plan, as Amended and Restated, effective March 12, 2013, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.]8 

“Final Determination Date” means the date on which the number of Eligible Stock Units earned pursuant to this Award is determined by the Compensation Committee pursuant to Section 2(c).

“First Determination Date” means the date on which the number of Stock Units that are Eligible Stock Units pursuant to this Award is determined by the Compensation Committee pursuant to Section 2(a) which date shall be as soon as practicable following [_______], and in no event later than [_______].

“Funding Period” means the period commencing on [_______] and ending on the earlier of (A) [_______], or (B) the date upon which a Change in Control occurs.

[“Good Reason” means, for purposes of determining whether a Terminating Event occurred in connection with a Change in Control, the occurrence of any of the following events:

_____________________________________________________________

8 Note to Draft:  Exec form only.

28

(i)     a substantial adverse change in the nature or scope of the Grantee’s responsibilities, authorities, title, powers, functions, or duties from the responsibilities, authorities, powers, functions, or duties exercised by the Grantee immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

(ii)     a reduction in the Grantee’s annual base salary as in effect on the date hereof or as the same may be increased from time to time; or

(iii)    a reduction in the Grantee’s annual bonus opportunity to an annual bonus opportunity that is less than the highest bonus opportunity during the three fiscal years preceding the date of the Change in Control; or

(iv)   a reduction in the long-term incentive, savings and retirement program opportunities and health and welfare benefits to a level that is less favorable than the most favorable of such benefits and opportunities as are in effect on the date hereof or as the same may be increased from time to time; or

(v)     a reduction in the fringe benefits programs and policies and vacation accrual rate to a level that is less favorable than the most favorable of such benefits and accrual rates as are in effect on the date hereof or as the same may be increased from time to time; or

(vi)     the relocation of the offices of the Company or Company Affiliate at which the Grantee is principally employed immediately prior to the date of the Change in Control to a location more than 30 miles from such offices, or the requirement by the Company or a Company Affiliate for the Grantee to be based anywhere other than the offices of the Company or Company Affiliate at such location, except for required travel on the business of the Company and the Company Affiliates to an extent substantially consistent with the Grantee’s business travel obligations immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

(vii)   the failure by the Company or a Company Affiliate to pay to the Grantee any portion of Grantee’s compensation or to pay to the Grantee any portion of an installment of deferred compensation under any deferred compensation program of the Company or a Company Affiliate within 15 days of the date such compensation is due without prior written consent of the Grantee; or

(viii)  the failure by the Company and the Company Affiliates to obtain an effective agreement from any successor to assume and agree to perform the obligation of the Company and the Company Affiliates under the Executive Severance Plan; or

(ix)     any material breach by the Company under the Executive Severance Plan or by any successor of the Company.

29

Notwithstanding the foregoing to the contrary, none of the circumstances described above will constitute Good Reason unless the Grantee has provided written notice to the Company that such circumstances exist within ninety (90) days of the Grantee’s learning of such circumstances and the Company has failed to cure such circumstances within thirty (30) days following its receipt of such notice; and provided further, that the Grantee did not previously consent in writing to the action leading to his or her claim of resignation for Good Reason.]9 

“Index Companies” means, as of a particular date, the companies comprising the SNL Apartment REIT Index which, as of the Grant Date, consists of the companies listed on Appendix B hereto; provided that no such company will be deemed an Index Company if such company ceases to have a class of common equity securities listed on a national stock exchange during the entire Performance Period.

“Performance Period” means the period beginning on [_____________] and ending on the Valuation Date.

[“Qualified Termination” of the Grantee means (i) termination by the Company and/or a Company Affiliate of the employment of the Grantee with the Company (if the Grantee is then employed by the Company) and all Company Affiliates then employing the Grantee for any reason other than for Cause or the death or disability (as determined under the then existing long-term disability coverage of the Company or such Company Affiliate) of the Grantee or (ii) termination by the Grantee of the Grantee’s employment with the Company (if the Grantee is then employed by the Company) and all other Company Affiliates then employing the Grantee for Good Reason; provided, for avoidance of doubt, that no such termination shall constitute a Qualified Termination if the Grantee remains or becomes an employee of the Company or a Company Affiliate immediately following such termination.]10 

“Stock” means a share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share.

“Terminating Event” shall mean [(A) a Qualified Termination of the Grantee during (i) the 24 months following a Change in Control or (ii) the two-month period prior to the date of a Change in Control, and it is reasonably demonstrated by the Grantee that such termination of employment (1) was at the request of a third party that had taken steps reasonably calculated to effect such Change in Control or (2) otherwise arose in connection with or anticipation of a Change in Control; provided that a Terminating Event under this clause (A) shall not be deemed to have occurred solely as a result of the Grantee being an employee of any direct or indirect successor to the business or assets of the Company, rather than continuing as an employee of the Company following a Change in Control; or (B) ]11a termination by the Company and/or a Company Affiliate of the employment of the Grantee with the Company (if the Grantee is then employed by the Company) and all Company Affiliates then employing the Grantee for any reason other than for Cause or the death or disability (as determined under the then existing long-term disability coverage of the Company or such Company Affiliate) of the Grantee that occurs (x) at least one year after the Grant Date, and (y) at a time when the Grantee’s combined age and years of Continuous Service are equal to or greater than 68 and the Grantee has at least seven (7) years of Continuous Service with the Company or a Company Affiliate.

_____________________________________________________________

9 Note to Draft:  Exec form only.
10 Note to Draft:  Exec form only.
11 Note to Draft:  Exec form only.

30

“Transactional Change in Control” means a Change in Control resulting from any person or group making a tender offer for Stock, a merger or consolidation where the Company is not the surviving entity, the shares of Stock outstanding immediately prior to such merger are converted or exchanged by virtue of the merger into other property or consisting of a sale, transfer or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.

“Valuation Date” means the earlier of (A) [_______], or (B) the date upon which a Change in Control shall occur.

31

APPENDIX B

SNL Apartment REIT Index

	
		
	AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
	AVB

	BRT Apartments Corp.
	BRT

	Equity Residential
	EQR

	Essex Property Trust, Inc.
	ESS

	Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc.
	MAA

	UDR, Inc.
	UDR

	Camden Property Trust
	CPT

	Apartment Investment and Management Co
	AIV

	Independence Realty Trust, Inc.
	IRT

	Investors Real Estate Trust
	IRET

	Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc.
	APTS

	NexPoint Residential Trust Inc.
	NXRT

	Bluerock Residential Growth REIT, Inc.
	BRG

32

ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
2018 STOCK AWARD AND INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION AWARD

	
		
	Grantee’s Name and Address:
	 

	 
	 

	 
	 

You (the “Grantee”) have been granted an option to purchase shares of Common Stock, subject to the terms and conditions of this Notice of Stock Option Award (the “Notice”), the Essex Property Trust, Inc. 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended from time to time (the “Plan”), and the Stock Option Award Agreement (the “Option Agreement”) attached hereto, as follows.  Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same defined meanings in this Notice.

	
			
	Award Number
	 
	 

	Grant Date
	 
	[_____________]

	Exercise Price per Share (*)
	 
	$

	Total Number of Shares Subject to the Option (the “Shares”)
	 
	 

	 
	 
	 

	Total Exercise Price
	 
	$

	
				
	Type of Option
	 
	 
	Incentive Stock Option

	 
	 
	 
	 

	 
	 
	 
	Non-Qualified Stock Option

	 
	 
	 
	 

	Expiration Date
	[_____________]

Post-Termination Exercise Period: Three (3) Months, subject to an extended Post-Termination Exercise period that may apply upon a termination of the Grantee’s Continuous Service under the circumstances set forth in Section 6, 7, or 8 of the Option Agreement.

* An amount in addition to the Exercise Price will become payable if the Fair Market Value of the Shares on date of exercise exceeds the Exercise Price per Share by more than $100 as set forth in Section 2(c) of the Option Agreement.

33

Vesting Schedule:

Subject to the Grantee’s Continuous Service through the vesting dates set forth below and other limitations set forth in this Notice, the Plan and the Option Agreement, the Option may be exercised, in whole or in part, in accordance with the following schedule:

1/3 of the Shares subject to the Option shall vest on the first anniversary of the Grant Date, 1/3 of the Shares subject to the Option shall vest on the second anniversary of the Grant Date, and 1/3 of the Shares subject to the Option shall vest on the third anniversary of the Grant Date.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company and the Grantee have executed this Notice and agree that the Option is to be governed by the terms and conditions of this Notice, the Plan, and the Option Agreement.

Essex Property Trust, Inc.,
a Maryland corporation

	
			
	By:
	 
	 

	
			
	Title:
	 
	 

THE GRANTEE ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE SHARES SUBJECT TO THE OPTION SHALL VEST, IF AT ALL, ONLY DURING THE PERIOD OF THE GRANTEE’S CONTINUOUS SERVICE (NOT THROUGH THE ACT OF BEING HIRED, BEING GRANTED THE OPTION OR ACQUIRING SHARES HEREUNDER). THE GRANTEE FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT NOTHING IN THIS NOTICE, THE OPTION AGREEMENT, OR THE PLAN SHALL CONFER UPON THE GRANTEE ANY RIGHT WITH RESPECT TO FUTURE AWARDS OR CONTINUATION OF THE GRANTEE’S CONTINUOUS SERVICE, NOR SHALL IT INTERFERE IN ANY WAY WITH THE GRANTEE’S RIGHT OR THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY OR RELATED ENTITY TO WHICH THE GRANTEE PROVIDES SERVICES TO TERMINATE THE GRANTEE'S CONTINUOUS SERVICE, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE, AND WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE. THE GRANTEE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT UNLESS THE GRANTEE HAS A WRITTEN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE COMPANY TO THE CONTRARY, THE GRANTEE’S EMPLOYMENT STATUS IS AT WILL.

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THE GRANTEE ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF A COPY OF THE PLAN AND THE OPTION AGREEMENT, AND REPRESENTS THAT HE OR SHE IS FAMILIAR WITH THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS HEREOF AND THEREOF, AND HEREBY ACCEPTS THE OPTION SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS HEREOF AND THEREOF. THE GRANTEE HAS REVIEWED THIS NOTICE, THE PLAN, AND THE OPTION AGREEMENT IN THEIR ENTIRETY, HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN THE ADVICE OF COUNSEL PRIOR TO EXECUTING THIS NOTICE, AND FULLY UNDERSTANDS ALL PROVISIONS OF THIS NOTICE, THE PLAN AND THE OPTION AGREEMENT. THE GRANTEE HEREBY AGREES THAT ALL QUESTIONS OF INTERPRETATION AND ADMINISTRATION RELATING TO THIS NOTICE, THE PLAN AND THE OPTION AGREEMENT SHALL BE RESOLVED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 13 OF THE OPTION AGREEMENT. THE GRANTEE FURTHER AGREES TO THE VENUE SELECTION AND WAIVER OF A JURY TRIAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 14 OF THE OPTION AGREEMENT. THE GRANTEE FURTHER AGREES TO NOTIFY THE COMPANY UPON ANY CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS INDICATED IN THIS NOTICE.

	
					
	Dated:
	 
	 
	Signed:
	 

	 
	 
	 
	 
	 

	 
	 
	 
	 
	Grantee

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	Award Number: 
	 

ESSEX PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
2018 STOCK AWARD AND INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

STOCK OPTION AWARD AGREEMENT

1.              Grant of Option. Essex Property Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), hereby grants to the Grantee (the “Grantee”) named in the Notice of Stock Option Award (the “Notice”), an option (the “Option”) to purchase the Total Number of Shares of Common Stock subject to the Option (the “Shares”) set forth in the Notice, at the Exercise Price per Share set forth in the Notice, and payment of, if applicable, the Purchase Price Supplement (as defined below, and collectively with the Exercise Price, the “Exercise Price”) subject to the terms and provisions of the Notice, this Stock Option Award Agreement (the “Option Agreement”) and the Company’s 2018 Stock Award and Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended from time to time (the “Plan”), all of which are incorporated herein by reference.  Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same defined meanings in this Option Agreement.

If designated in the Notice as an Incentive Stock Option, the Option is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option as defined in Section 422 of the Code. However, notwithstanding such designation, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of Shares subject to Options designated as Incentive Stock Options which become exercisable for the first time by the Grantee during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company) exceeds $100,000, such excess Options, to the extent of the Shares covered thereby in excess of the foregoing limitation, shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options.  For this purpose, Incentive Stock Options shall be taken into account in the order in which they were granted, and the Fair Market Value of the Shares shall be determined as of the date the Option with respect to such Shares is awarded.

2.               Exercise of Option.

(a)      Right to Exercise. The Option shall be exercisable during its term in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set out in the Notice and with the applicable provisions of the Plan and this Option Agreement.  The Option shall be subject to the provisions of Section 11 of the Plan relating to the exercisability or termination of the Option in the event of a Change in Control.  The Grantee shall be subject to reasonable limitations on the number of requested exercises during any monthly or weekly period as determined by the Administrator. In no event shall the Company issue fractional Shares.

(b)      Method of Exercise. The Option shall be exercisable by compliance with such procedures as specified from time to time by the Administrator, which may include completion and delivery of an exercise notice in a form specified by the Administrator.  The Option shall be deemed to be exercised upon completion of the procedures specified by the Administrator and receipt by the Company of the Exercise Price, which, to the extent selected, shall be deemed to be satisfied by use of the broker-dealer sale and remittance procedure to pay the Exercise Price provided in Section 3, below.

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(c)      Purchase Price Supplement.  If, at the time of exercise of the Option, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock exceeds the Exercise Price per Share by more than $100 (the “$100 Spread”), then an amount equal to the amount by which the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock exceeds the $100 Spread shall be payable to the Company in addition to the Exercise Price per Share (the “Purchase Price Supplement”).

(d)     Taxes.  Regardless of any action the Company or any Related Entity takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax-related items related to the Grantee’s participation in the Plan and legally applicable to the Grantee (“Tax-Related Items”), the Grantee acknowledges that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains the Grantee’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or a Related Entity.  The Grantee further acknowledges that the Company (1) makes no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Option, including, but not limited to, the grant or vesting of the Option, the issuance of Shares under the Option, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired pursuant to such issuance and the receipt of any dividends and/or any dividend equivalents; and (2) does not commit to and is under no obligation to structure the terms of the Option or any aspect of the Option to reduce or eliminate the Grantee’s liability for Tax-Related Items or achieve any particular tax result.

Prior to any relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Grantee shall pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company to satisfy all Tax-Related Items.  In this regard, the Grantee hereby authorizes the Company or its agent, at the Company’s discretion, to satisfy the obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by one or a combination of the following methods:

(i)      withholding from wages or other cash compensation otherwise payable to the Grantee by the Company or the Company’s employer (if different); and/or

(ii)      withholding from the proceeds of the sale of Shares acquired upon exercise of the Option, either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company (on the Grantee’s behalf pursuant to this authorization); and/or

(iii)     withholding in Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Option.

Depending on the withholding method, the Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by considering applicable statutory withholding amounts or other applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates, in which case the Grantee will receive a refund of any over-withheld amount in cash and will have no entitlement to the equivalent in Shares.  If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding in Shares, for tax purposes, the Grantee will be deemed to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the exercised portion of the Option, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares are held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items due as a result of any aspect of the Grantee’s participation in the Plan.

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3.              Method of Payment. Payment of the Exercise Price shall be made by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of the Grantee; provided, however, that such exercise method does not then violate any Applicable Law:

(a)       cash;

(b)      check;

(c)      surrender of Shares or delivery of a properly executed form of attestation of ownership of Shares as the Administrator may require which have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender or attestation equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Shares as to which the Option is being exercised; or

(d)     payment through a broker-dealer sale and remittance procedure pursuant to which the Grantee (i) shall provide written instructions to a Company-designated brokerage firm to effect the immediate sale of some or all of the purchased Shares and remit to the Company sufficient funds to cover the aggregate Exercise Price payable for the purchased Shares and (ii) shall provide written directives to the Company to deliver the certificates for the purchased Shares directly to such brokerage firm in order to complete the sale transaction.

4.              Restrictions on Exercise. The Option may not be exercised if the issuance of the Shares subject to the Option upon such exercise would constitute a violation of any Applicable Laws.

5.               Termination or Change of Continuous Service.

(a)      In the event the Grantee’s Continuous Service terminates, other than for Cause, the Grantee may, but only during the Post-Termination Exercise Period (set forth in the Notice), exercise the portion of the Option that was vested at the date of such termination (the “Termination Date”).  In the event of termination of the Grantee’s Continuous Service for Cause, the Grantee’s right to exercise the Option shall terminate concurrently with the termination of the Grantee’s Continuous Service.  In no event, however, shall the Option be exercised later than the Expiration Date set forth in the Notice.

(b)      Change in Status.  In the event of the Grantee’s change in status from Employee, Director or Consultant to any other status of Employee, Director or Consultant or from an Employee whose customary employment is 20 hours or more per week to an Employee whose customary employment is fewer than 20 hours per week, then, unless otherwise required by law, the Option shall remain in place and vesting of the Option shall continue; provided, however, that with respect to any Incentive Stock Option that shall remain in effect after a change in status from Employee to Director or Consultant, such Incentive Stock Option shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option on the day three (3) months and one (1) day following such change in status.  Except as provided in Sections 6, 7 and 8 below, to the extent that the Option was unvested on the Termination Date, or if the Grantee does not exercise the vested portion of the Option within the Post-Termination Exercise Period, the Option shall terminate.

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(c)      Leave of Absence.  During any authorized leave of absence, the vesting of the Option as provided in this schedule shall be suspended after the leave of absence exceeds a period of ninety (90) days.  For purposes of an Incentive Stock Option, in the case of any leave of absence exceeding three months where reemployment upon expiration of the leave is not guaranteed by statute or contract, the Incentive Stock Option shall be treated as a Non-Statutory Stock Option on the date three months and one day following the date that the leave of absence exceeds three months.  Vesting of the Option shall resume upon the Grantee’s termination of the leave of absence and return to service to the Company or a Related Entity.  The Vesting Schedule of the Option shall be extended by the length of the suspension.

(d)      Terminating Event.  Notwithstanding anything in the Notice, this Option Agreement or the Plan to the contrary, upon the termination by the Company and/or a Company Affiliate of the Grantee’s Continuous Service with the Company and all Company Affiliates (for which the Grantee is then providing Continuous Service) for any reason other than for Cause or the death or disability (as determined under the then existing long-term disability coverage of the Company or such Company Affiliate) of the Grantee that occurs (x) at least one year after the Grant Date, and (y) at a time when the Grantee’s combined age and years of Continuous Service are equal to or greater than 68 and the Grantee has at least seven (7) years of Continuous Service with the Company or a Company Affiliate, the Shares subject to the Option that are unvested immediately prior to such termination or change will not be forfeited and will instead vest in full upon such termination of Continuous Service..

6.              Retirement of Grantee.  If the Grantee’s Continuous Service terminates at a time when the Grantee’s combined age and years of Continuous Service is equal to or greater than 68, then the Grantee may, but only within the period ending on the third anniversary of the Termination Date (but in no event later than the Expiration Date), exercise the portion of the Option that was vested as of the Termination Date.  To the extent that the Option was unvested on the Termination Date then, except as provided in Section 5(d) above, the Option shall terminate.  If the Grantee does not exercise the vested portion of the Option within the time specified herein the Option shall terminate.  If the Option is an Incentive Stock Option, such Incentive Stock Option shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option on the day three (3) months and one (1) day following the Termination Date.

7.              Disability of Grantee.  In the event the Grantee’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of his or her Disability, the Grantee may, but only within twelve (12) months from the Termination Date (but in no event later than the Expiration Date), exercise the portion of the Option that was vested on the Termination Date; provided, however, that if such Disability is not a “disability” as such term is defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code (without regard to the last sentence thereof) and the Option is an Incentive Stock Option, such Incentive Stock Option shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option on the day three (3) months and one (1) day following the Termination Date.  To the extent that the Option was unvested on the Termination Date then the Option shall terminate.  If the Grantee does not exercise the vested portion of the Option within the time specified herein the Option shall terminate.  Section 22(e)(3) of the Code provides, in part, that an individual is permanently and totally disabled if he or she is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months.

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8.            Death of Grantee. In the event of the termination of the Grantee’s Continuous Service as a result of his or her death, or in the event of the Grantee’s death during the Post-Termination Exercise Period or during the twelve (12) month period following the Grantee’s termination of Continuous Service as a result of his or her Disability, the person who acquired the right to exercise the Option pursuant to Section 9 may exercise the portion of the Option that was vested at the date of termination within twelve (12) months from the date of death (but in no event later than the Expiration Date).  To the extent that the Option was unvested on the date of death then the Option shall terminate.  If the vested portion of the Option is not exercised within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate.

9.              Transferability of Option. The Option, if an Incentive Stock Option, may not be transferred in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of the Grantee only by the Grantee. The Option, if a Non-Qualified Stock Option, may not be transferred in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, provided, however, that a Non-Qualified Stock Option may be transferred during the lifetime of the Grantee to the extent and in the manner authorized by the Administrator, subject to the applicable limitations, if any, described in the General Instructions to Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act; provided, that any transfer of a Non-Qualified Stock Option that is permitted hereunder shall be without consideration, except as required by Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Grantee may designate one or more beneficiaries of the Grantee’s Incentive Stock Option or Non-Qualified Stock Option in the event of the Grantee’s death on a beneficiary designation form provided by the Administrator. Following the death of the Grantee, the Option, to the extent provided in Section 8, may be exercised (a) by the person or persons designated under the deceased Grantee’s beneficiary designation or (b) in the absence of an effectively designated beneficiary, by the Grantee’s legal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Grantee’s will or under the then applicable laws of descent and distribution. The Option may not be pledged, alienated, attached or otherwise encumbered, and any purported pledge, alienation, attachment or encumbrance of the Option shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Related Entity.  The terms of the Option shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs, successors and transferees of the Grantee.

10.            Term of Option. The Option must be exercised no later than the Expiration Date set forth in the Notice or such earlier date as otherwise provided herein. After the Expiration Date or such earlier date, the Option shall be of no further force or effect and may not be exercised.

11.             Entire Agreement: Governing Law. The Notice, the Plan and this Option Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and the Grantee with respect to the subject matter hereof, and may not be modified adversely to the Grantee’s interest except by means of a writing signed by the Company and the Grantee. Nothing in the Notice, the Plan and this Option Agreement (except as expressly provided therein) is intended to confer any rights or remedies on any persons other than the parties. The Notice, the Plan and this Option Agreement are to be construed in accordance with and governed by the internal laws of the State of Maryland without giving effect to any choice of law rule that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the internal laws of the State of Maryland to the rights and duties of the parties. Should any provision of the Notice, the Plan or this Option Agreement be determined to be illegal or unenforceable, such provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent allowed by law and the other provisions shall nevertheless remain effective and shall remain enforceable.

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12.             Headings. The captions used in the Notice and this Option Agreement are inserted for convenience and shall not be deemed a part of the Option for construction or interpretation.

13.             Administration and Interpretation. The grant of the Option, the vesting of the Option and the issuance of Shares upon exercise of the Option are subject to, and shall be administered in accordance with, the provisions of the Plan, as the same may be amended from time to time.  Any question or dispute regarding the administration or interpretation of the Notice, the Plan or this Option Agreement shall be submitted by the Grantee or by the Company to the Administrator. The resolution of such question or dispute by the Administrator shall be final and binding on all persons.

14.           Venue and Waiver of Jury Trial. The parties agree that any suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Notice, the Plan or this Option Agreement shall be brought in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (or should such court lack jurisdiction to hear such action, suit or proceeding, in a California state court in the County of Santa Clara) and that the parties shall submit to the jurisdiction of such court. The parties irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection the party may have to the laying of venue for any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such court. THE PARTIES ALSO EXPRESSLY WAIVE ANY RIGHT THEY HAVE OR MAY HAVE TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING. If any one or more provisions of this Section 14 shall for any reason be held invalid or unenforceable, it is the specific intent of the parties that such provisions shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it or its application valid and enforceable.

15.            Tax Consequences for Exercise After Per Share Fair Market Value Exceeds $100 Spread.  The Grantee hereby acknowledges that he or she shall be solely responsible for any adverse tax consequences that may arise if the Grantee elects to exercise the Option at any time after the date that the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock exceeds the Exercise Price Per Share by an amount that would exceed the $100 Spread (as contemplated under Section 2(c) hereof).

16.           Notices. Any notice required or permitted hereunder shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon personal delivery, upon deposit for delivery by an internationally recognized express mail courier service or upon deposit in the United States mail by certified mail (if the parties are within the United States), with postage and fees prepaid, addressed to the other party at its address as shown in these instruments, or to such other address as such party may designate in writing from time to time to the other party.

17.             Adjustments.  The number and type of Shares subject to the Option and exercise price Option is subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10 of the Plan.  The Grantee shall be notified of such adjustment and such adjustment shall be binding upon the Company and the Grantee.

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18.           Restrictions on Resale.  The Grantee hereby agrees not to sell any Shares at a time when Applicable Laws, Company policies or an agreement between the Company and its underwriters prohibit a sale.  This restriction will apply as long as the Grantee’s Continuous Service continues and for such period of time after the termination of the Grantee’s Continuous Service as the Company may specify.

19.             Successors and Assigns.  The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company.  Subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth, this Agreement shall be binding upon the Grantee and his or her heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assign.

20.            Severability.  Should any provision of the Notice, the Plan or this Agreement be determined to be illegal or unenforceable, such provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent allowed by law and the other provisions shall nevertheless remain effective and shall remain enforceable.

21.           No Advice Regarding Grant.  The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding the Grantee’s participation in the Plan or the Grantee’s acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares.  The Grantee is hereby advised to consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding the Grantee’s participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

22.            Electronic Delivery.  The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to current or future participation in the Plan by electronic means.  The Grantee hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agree to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company.

23.             Imposition of Other Requirements.  The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Grantee’s participation in the Plan, on the Option and on any Shares acquired under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable in order to comply with local law or facilitate the administration of the Plan, and to require the Grantee to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.

24.           Amendments.  The Company may amend this Agreement at any time, provided that no such amendment shall be made without the Grantee’s consent if such action would materially and adversely affect the Grantee’s rights under this Agreement.  The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Option and the Shares acquired upon vesting of the Option, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable under the laws of the country in which the Grantee resides pertaining to the issuance or sale of the Shares or to facilitate the administration of the Plan.

25.             Counterparts.  For the convenience of the parties and to facilitate execution, this Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same document.

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26.           Waiver.  The Grantee acknowledges that a waiver by the Company of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of this Agreement, or of any subsequent breach by the Grantee or any other person.

27.            Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation.  If the Grantee is now or hereafter becomes subject to any policy providing for the recovery of Awards, Shares, proceeds or payments to the Grantee in the event of fraud or other circumstances, then this Award, and any Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Option or proceeds therefrom, are subject to potential recovery by the Company under the circumstances provided under such policy as may be in effect from time to time.

END OF AGREEMENT

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