SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

As of December 31, 2015, there were two share-based compensation plans under which the Company has outstanding awards, the CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. 2012 Stock Incentive Plan ("the 2012 Plan") and CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. Second Amended and Restated Stock Incentive Plan ("the 1993 Plan"). The Company can only make new awards under the 2012 Plan, which was approved by the Company's shareholders in May 2012. The 2012 Plan permits the Company to issue stock options and common stock to selected officers, employees and non-employee directors of the Company up to a total of 10,400,000 shares. The Company did not issue any new awards under the 1993 Plan, which was approved by the Company's shareholders in May 2003, between the adoption of the 2012 Plan to replace the 1993 Plan in May 2012 and the termination of the 1993 Plan (as to new awards) on May 5, 2013. As the primary operating subsidiary of the Company, the Operating Partnership participates in and bears the compensation expense associated with the Company's share-based compensation plans. The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) administers the plans.

Stock Awards

Under the plans, common stock may be awarded either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with other stock awards granted under the plans. The Committee has the authority to determine eligible persons to whom common stock will be awarded, the number of shares to be awarded and the duration of the vesting period, as defined. Generally, an award of common stock vests either immediately at grant or in equal installments over a period of five years. Stock awarded to independent directors is fully vested upon grant; however, the independent directors may not transfer such shares during their board term. The Committee may also provide for the issuance of common stock under the plans on a deferred basis pursuant to deferred compensation arrangements. The fair value of common stock awarded under the plans is determined based on the market price of CBL’s common stock on the grant date and the related compensation expense is recognized over the vesting period on a straight-line basis.

The Company may make restricted stock awards to independent directors, officers and its employees under the 2012 Plan. These awards are generally granted based on the performance of the Company and its employees. None of these awards have performance requirements other than a service condition of continued employment, unless otherwise provided. Compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period.

The share-based compensation cost related to the restricted stock awards was $4,287, $3,442 and $2,682 for 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Share-based compensation cost resulting from share-based awards is recorded at the Management Company, which is a taxable entity. Share-based compensation cost capitalized as part of real estate assets was $274, $268 and $202 in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company’s nonvested restricted stock awards as of December 31, 2015, and changes during the year ended December 31, 2015, is presented below:



	Shares		Weighted- Average Grant-Date Fair Value
Nonvested at January 1, 2015	498,862		$	18.35
Granted	267,410		$	20.30
Vested	(220,568	)	$	18.62
Forfeited	(12,300	)	$	19.41
Nonvested at December 31, 2015	533,404		$	19.19

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of shares granted during 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $20.30, $17.11 and $20.17, respectively. The total fair value of shares vested during 2015, 2014 and 2013 was $4,298, $3,484 and $4,305, respectively.

As of December 31, 2015, there was $7,927 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested stock awards granted under the plans, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.2 years.

Long-Term Incentive Program

In 2015, the Company adopted a long-term incentive program ("LTIP") for its named executive officers, which consists of performance stock unit ("PSU") awards and annual restricted stock awards, that may be issued under the 2012 Plan. The number of shares related to the PSU awards that each named executive officer may receive upon the conclusion of a three-year performance period is determined based on the Company's achievement of specified levels of long-term total stockholder return ("TSR") performance relative to the NAREIT Retail Index, provided that at least a "Threshold" level must be attained for any shares to be earned. Under the LTIP, annual restricted stock awards consist of shares of time-vested restricted stock awarded based on a qualitative evaluation of the performance of the Company and the named executive officer during the fiscal year.

Annual Restricted Stock Awards

Annual restricted stock awards for the Company's named executive officers under its LTIP vest in five annual equal installments with the initial installment vesting on the grant date and the remainder vesting in four annual equal installments, regardless of the named executive officer's age and years of service.

Performance Stock Units

In March 2015, the Company granted 138,680 PSUs at a grant-date fair value of $15.52 per PSU. Shares earned pursuant to the PSU awards vest 60% at the conclusion of the performance period while the remaining 40% of the PSU award vests 20% on each of the first two anniversaries thereafter.

The fair value of the PSU awards was estimated on the date of grant using a Monte Carlo Simulation model. The valuation consisted of computing the fair value using CBL's simulated stock price as well as TSR over the performance period from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2017. The award is modeled as a contingent claim in that the expected return on the underlying shares is risk-free and the rate of discounting the payoff of the award is also risk-free.

Compensation cost is recognized on a tranche-by-tranche basis using the accelerated attribution method. The resulting expense is recorded regardless of whether any PSU awards are earned as long as the required service period is met. Share-based compensation expense related to the PSUs was $624 for 2015. Unrecognized compensation costs related to the PSUs was $1,528 as of December 31, 2015.