EX-4.1 2 ex_787840.htm EXHIBIT 4.1

Exhibit 4.1

DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY’S SECURITIES

REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Although the following summary describes the material terms of the securities of Chatham Lodging Trust (the “Company” or “us”) registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, it is not a complete description of the Maryland REIT Law, or the MRL, the provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law, or the MGCL, provisions applicable to a Maryland real estate investment trust or our declaration of trust and bylaws. We have incorporated by reference our declaration of trust and bylaws as exhibits to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of which this Exhibit 4.1 is a part.

General

Our declaration of trust provides that we may issue up to 500,000,000 common shares, $0.01 par value per share, and 100,000,000 preferred shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share, or preferred shares. Our declaration of trust authorizes our board of trustees to amend our declaration of trust to increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares or the number of shares of any class or series without shareholder approval.

Under the MRL, shareholders are not personally liable for the obligations of a real estate investment trust solely as a result of their status as shareholders.

Common Shares

Subject to the preferential rights, if any, of holders of any other class or series of shares of beneficial interest and to the provisions of our declaration of trust regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of our shares, holders of our common shares are entitled to receive distributions on such shares of beneficial interest out of assets legally available therefor if, as and when authorized by our board of trustees and declared by us, and the holders of our common shares are entitled to share ratably in our assets legally available for distribution to our shareholders in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up after payment of or adequate provision for all of our known debts and liabilities.

Subject to the provisions of our declaration of trust regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of our shares and except as may otherwise be specified in the terms of any class or series of common shares, each outstanding common share entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, including the election of trustees, and, except as provided with respect to any other class or series of shares of beneficial interest, the holders of our common shares will possess the exclusive voting power. There is no cumulative voting in the election of our trustees, which means that the shareholders entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the election of trustees can elect all of the trustees then standing for election, and the remaining shareholders will not be able to elect any trustees.

Holders of common shares have no preference, conversion, exchange, sinking fund, redemption or appraisal rights and have no preemptive rights to subscribe for any of our securities. Subject to the restrictions on ownership and transfer of shares contained in our declaration of trust and the terms of any other class or series of common shares, all of our common shares will have equal dividend, liquidation and other rights.

Preferred Shares

Our declaration of trust authorizes our board of trustees to authorize the issuance of preferred shares in one or more classes or series and may determine, with respect to any such class or series, the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of the preferred shares of that class or series, including distribution rights, conversion rights, voting rights, redemption rights and terms of redemptions and liquidation preferences.

The issuance of preferred shares could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interests of our shareholders. In addition, any preferred shares that we issue could rank senior to our common shares with respect to the payment of distributions, in which case we could not pay any distributions on our common shares until full distributions have been paid with respect to such preferred shares.

Power to Reclassify Our Unissued Shares of Beneficial Interest

Our declaration of trust authorizes our board of trustees to classify and reclassify any unissued common or preferred shares into other classes or series of shares of beneficial interest. Prior to the issuance of shares of each class or series, our board of trustees is required by the MRL and by our declaration of trust to set, subject to the provisions of our declaration of trust regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of shares of beneficial interest, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series. Therefore, our board of trustees could authorize the issuance of common shares or preferred shares that have priority over our common shares as to voting rights, dividends or upon liquidation or with terms and conditions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interests of our shareholders. Currently, no preferred shares are issued and outstanding.

Power to Increase or Decrease Authorized Shares of Beneficial Interest and Issue Additional Common Shares and Preferred Shares

Our declaration of trust authorizes our board of trustees to amend our declaration of trust to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of beneficial interest to issue additional authorized but unissued common shares or preferred shares and to classify or reclassify unissued common shares or preferred shares and thereafter to issue such classified or reclassified shares of beneficial interest. The additional classes or series, as well as the common shares, will be available for issuance without further action by our shareholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded. Although our board of trustees presently does not intend to do so, it could authorize us to issue a class or series that could, depending upon the terms of the particular class or series, delay, defer or prevent a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price for our common shares or otherwise be in the best interests of our shareholders.

Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer

For us to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, our shares of beneficial interest must be beneficially owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months (other than the first year for which an election to be a REIT has been made) or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Also, not more than 50% of the value of our outstanding shares of beneficial interest may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities) during the last half of a taxable year (other than the first year for which an election to be a REIT has been made).

Because our board of trustees believes it is at present in our best interests to qualify as a REIT, among other purposes, our declaration of trust, subject to certain exceptions, restricts the amount of our shares of beneficial interest that a person may beneficially or constructively own. Our declaration of trust provides that, subject to certain exceptions, no person may beneficially or constructively own more than 9.8% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our shares of beneficial interest.

Our declaration of trust also prohibits any person from (i) beneficially owning shares of beneficial interest to the extent that such beneficial ownership would result in our being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of the taxable year), (ii) transferring our shares of beneficial interest to the extent that such transfer would result in our shares of beneficial interest being beneficially owned by less than 100 persons (determined under the principles of Section 856(a)(5) of the Code), (iii) beneficially or constructively owning our shares of beneficial interest to the extent such beneficial or constructive ownership would cause us to constructively own ten percent or more of the ownership interests in a tenant (other than a taxable REIT subsidiary, or TRS) of our real property within the meaning of Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code or (iv) beneficially or constructively owning or transferring our shares of beneficial interest if such ownership or transfer would otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT under the Code, including, but not limited to, as a result of any hotel management companies failing to qualify as “eligible independent contractors” under the REIT rules of the Code. Any person who acquires or attempts or intends to acquire beneficial or constructive ownership of our shares of beneficial interest that will or may violate any of the foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership, or any person who would have owned our shares of beneficial interest that resulted in a transfer of shares to a charitable trust, is required to give written notice immediately to us, or in the case of a proposed or attempted transaction, to give at least 15 days prior written notice, and provide us with such other information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such transfer on our status as a REIT. The foregoing restrictions on ownership and transfer will not apply if our board of trustees determines that it is no longer in our best interests to continue to qualify as a REIT or that compliance is no longer required in order for us to qualify as a REIT.

Our board of trustees, in its sole discretion, may prospectively or retroactively exempt a person from certain of the limits described in the paragraph above and may establish or increase an excepted holder percentage limit for such person. The person seeking an exemption must provide to our board of trustees such representations, covenants and undertakings as our board of trustees may deem appropriate in order to conclude that granting the exemption will not cause us to lose our status as a REIT. Our board of trustees may not grant such an exemption to any person if such exemption would result in our failing to qualify as a REIT. Our board of trustees may require a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, or an opinion of counsel, in either case in form and substance satisfactory to the board of trustees, in its sole discretion, in order to determine or ensure our status as a REIT. Our board of trustees may impose such conditions or restrictions as it deems appropriate in connection with granting an exemption.

Any attempted transfer of our shares of beneficial interest which, if effective, would violate any of the restrictions described above will result in the number of shares causing the violation to be automatically transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable beneficiaries, except that any transfer that results in the violation of the restriction relating to our shares of beneficial interest being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons will be void ab initio . In either case, the proposed transferee will not acquire any rights in such shares. The automatic transfer will be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the business day prior to the date of the purported transfer or other event that results in the transfer to the trust. Shares held in the trust will be issued and outstanding shares. The proposed transferee will not benefit economically from ownership of any shares held in the trust, will have no rights to dividends or other distributions and will have no rights to vote or other rights attributable to the shares held in the trust. The trustee of the trust will have all voting rights and rights to dividends or other distributions with respect to shares held in the trust. These rights will be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiary. Any dividend or other distribution paid prior to our discovery that shares have been transferred to the trust will be paid by the recipient to the trustee upon demand. Any dividend or other distribution authorized but unpaid will be paid when due to the trustee. Any dividend or other distribution paid to the trustee will be held in trust for the charitable beneficiary. Subject to Maryland law, the trustee will have the authority (i) to rescind as void any vote cast by the proposed transferee prior to our discovery that the shares have been transferred to the trust and (ii) to recast the vote in accordance with the desires of the trustee acting for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary. However, if we have already taken irreversible trust action, then the trustee will not have the authority to rescind and recast the vote.

Within 20 days of receiving notice from us that shares of beneficial interest have been transferred to the trust, the trustee will sell the shares to a person designated by the trustee, whose ownership of the shares will not violate the above ownership and transfer restrictions. Upon the sale, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee and to the charitable beneficiary as follows. The proposed transferee will receive the lesser of (i) the price paid by the proposed transferee for the shares or, if the event causing the shares to be held in the trust did not involve a purchase of the shares at market price (as defined in our declaration of trust), the market price of the shares on day of the event causing the shares to be held in the trust and (ii) the price received by the trustee (net of any commission and other expenses of sale) from the sale or other disposition of the shares. The trustee may reduce the amount payable to the proposed transferee by the amount of dividends or other distributions paid to the proposed transferee and owed by the proposed transferee to the trustee. Any net sale proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the proposed transferee will be paid immediately to the charitable beneficiary. If, prior to our discovery that our shares have been transferred to the trust, the shares are sold by the proposed transferee, then (i) the shares shall be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the trust and (ii) to the extent that the proposed transferee received an amount for the shares that exceeds the amount he or she was entitled to receive, the excess shall be paid to the trustee upon demand.

In addition, shares of beneficial interest held in the trust will be deemed to have been offered for sale to us, or our designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of (i) the price per share in the transaction that resulted in the transfer to the trust or, if the event causing the shares to be held in trust did not involve a purchase of the shares at market price, the market price of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be held in trust and (ii) the market price on the date we, or our designee, accept the offer, which we may reduce by the amount of dividends and other distributions paid to the proposed transferee and owed by the proposed transferee to the trustee. We will have the right to accept the offer until the trustee has sold the shares. Upon a sale to us, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee and the charitable beneficiary and any dividends or other distributions held by the trustee shall be paid to the charitable beneficiary.

If a transfer to a charitable trust, as described above, would be ineffective for any reason to prevent a violation of a restriction, the transfer that would have resulted in such violation will be void ab initio, and the proposed transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares.

Every owner of more than 5% (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder) of our shares of beneficial interest, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, is required to give us written notice, stating his or her name and address, the number of shares of each class and series of our shares of beneficial interest that he or she beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each such owner is required to provide us with such additional information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of his or her beneficial ownership on our status as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limits. In addition, each shareholder will upon demand be required to provide us with such information as we may request in good faith in order to determine our status as a REIT and to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance.

These ownership and transfer restrictions could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our shares or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Stock Exchange Listing

Our common shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “CLDT.” Our preferred shares are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “CLDT-PA.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common shares is EQ Shareholder Services.

Number of Trustees; Vacancies

Our declaration of trust and bylaws provide that the number of our trustees may be established by our board of trustees but may not be more than 15. Our declaration of trust also provides that, at such time as we have at least three independent trustees and a class of our common shares or preferred shares is registered under the Exchange Act, we elect to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL regarding the filling of vacancies on our board of trustees. Accordingly, except as may be provided by our board of trustees in setting the terms of any class or series of shares, any and all vacancies on our board of trustees may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining trustees in office, even if the remaining trustees do not constitute a quorum, and any individual elected to fill such vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is duly elected and qualifies.

Each of the members of our board of trustees are elected by our shareholders annually. A plurality of all votes cast on the matter at a meeting of shareholders at which a quorum is present is sufficient to elect a trustee. The presence in person or by proxy of shareholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at a meeting constitutes a quorum.

Policy on Majority Voting

Our board of trustees has adopted a policy regarding the election of trustees in uncontested elections. Pursuant to the policy, in an uncontested election of trustees, any nominee who receives a greater number of votes affirmatively withheld from his or her election than votes for his or her election will, within two weeks following certification of the shareholder vote by our company, submit a written resignation offer to our board of trustees for consideration by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the resignation offer and, within 60 days following certification by our company of the shareholder vote with respect to such election, will make a recommendation to our board of trustees concerning the acceptance or rejection of the resignation offer. Our board of trustees will take formal action on the recommendation no later than 90 days following certification of the shareholder vote by our company. We will publicly disclose the decision of our board of trustees. Our board of trustees will also provide an explanation of the process by which the decision was made and, if applicable, its reason or reasons for rejecting the tendered resignation.

Removal of Trustees

Our declaration of trust provides that, subject to the rights of holders of any class or series of preferred shares, a trustee may be removed only for “cause,” and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of trustees. For this purpose, “cause” means, with respect to any particular trustee, conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such trustee caused demonstrable, material harm to us through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty. These provisions, when coupled with the exclusive power of our board of trustees to fill vacancies on our board of trustees, generally precludes shareholders from removing incumbent trustees except for “cause” and with a substantial affirmative vote and filling the vacancies created by such removal with their own nominees.

Business Combinations

Under Maryland law, certain “business combinations” between a Maryland real estate investment trust and an interested shareholder or an affiliate of an interested shareholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested shareholder becomes an interested shareholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange, or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested shareholder is defined as:

| • | any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, ten percent or more of the voting power of the real estate investment trust’s voting shares; or

| • | an affiliate or associate of the real estate investment trust who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting shares of the real estate investment trust.

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

After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the Maryland real estate investment trust and an interested shareholder generally must be recommended by the board of trustees of the trust and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:

| • | 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding voting shares of the real estate investment trust; and

| • | two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting shares of the real estate investment trust other than shares held by the interested shareholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested shareholder.

These super majority approval requirements do not apply if the real estate investment trust’s common shareholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested shareholder for its shares.

The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the board of trustees before the time that the interested shareholder becomes an interested shareholder.

Pursuant to the statute, our board of trustees has by resolution exempted business combinations between us and any other person from these provisions of the MGCL, provided that the business combination is first approved by our board of trustees, including a majority of trustees who are not affiliates or associates of such person, and, consequently, the five year prohibition and the supermajority vote requirements will not apply to such business combinations. As a result, any person may be able to enter into business combinations with us that may not be in the best interests of our shareholders without compliance by us with the supermajority vote requirements and other provisions of the statute. This resolution, however, may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time. If this resolution is repealed, or our board of trustees does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.

Control Share Acquisitions

Maryland law provides that control shares of a Maryland real estate investment trust acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquirer, by officers or by employees who are trustees of the trust are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares which, if aggregated with all other shares owned by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing trustees within one of the following ranges of voting power:

• | one-tenth or more but less than one-third,

• | one-third or more but less than a majority, or

• | a majority or more of all voting power.

Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained shareholder approval or shares acquired directly from the real estate investment trust. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of control shares, subject to certain exceptions.

A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the board of trustees of the trust to call a special meeting of shareholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the real estate investment trust may itself present the question at any shareholders 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 the real estate investment trust may redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. The right of the real estate investment trust to redeem control shares is subject to certain conditions and limitations. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquirer or of any meeting of shareholders at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a shareholders meeting and the acquirer becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other shareholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquirer in the control share acquisition.

The control share acquisition statute does not apply (a) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the real estate investment trust is a party to the transaction, or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the declaration of trust or bylaws of the real estate investment trust.

Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the control share acquisition statute any and all acquisitions by any person of our shares. There is no assurance that such provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future.

Subtitle 8

Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL permits a Maryland real estate investment trust with a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and at least three independent trustees to elect to be subject, by provision in its declaration of trust or bylaws or a resolution of its board of trustees and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the declaration of trust or bylaws, to any or all of five provisions:

• | a classified board;

• | a two-thirds vote of outstanding shares for removing a trustee;

• | a requirement that the number of trustees be fixed only by vote of the trustees;

• | a requirement that a vacancy on the board be filled only by the remaining trustees and for the remainder of the full term of the class of trustees in which the vacancy occurred; and

• | a majority requirement for the calling of a shareholder-requested special meeting of shareholders.

We have elected to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 that requires that vacancies on our board may be filled only by the remaining trustees and for the remainder of the full term of the trusteeship in which the vacancy occurred. Through provisions in our declaration of trust and bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we already (1) 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 trustee from the board, which removal will be allowed only for cause, (2) vest in the board the exclusive power to fix the number of trusteeships and (3) provide that special meetings of our shareholders may only be called by our chairman, chief executive officer, president and board of trustees.

Meetings of Shareholders

Pursuant to our declaration of trust and bylaws, a meeting of our shareholders for the purpose of the election of trustees and the transaction of any business will be held annually on a date and at the time and place set by our board of trustees. In addition, our chairman, chief executive officer, president or board of trustees may call a special meeting of our shareholders.

Mergers; Extraordinary Transactions

Under the MRL, a Maryland real estate investment trust generally cannot merge with, or convert into, another entity unless advised by its board of trustees and approved by the affirmative vote of shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote on the matter unless a lesser percentage (but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter) is set forth in the trust’s declaration of trust. Our declaration of trust provides that these actions may be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our declaration of trust also provides that we may sell or transfer all or substantially all of our assets if advised by our board of trustees and approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, many of our operating assets are held by our subsidiaries, and these subsidiaries may be able to sell all or substantially all of their assets or merge with another entity without the approval of our shareholders.

Amendment to Our Declaration of Trust and Bylaws

Under the MRL, a Maryland real estate investment trust generally cannot amend its declaration of trust unless advised by its board of trustees and approved by the affirmative vote of shareholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter unless a different percentage (but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter) is set forth in the trust’s declaration of trust.

Except for amendments to the provisions of our declaration of trust related to the removal of trustees and the vote required to amend the provision regarding amendments to the removal provisions itself (each of which require the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter) and certain amendments described in our declaration of trust that require only approval by our board of trustees, our declaration of trust may be amended only if advised by our board of trustees and approved by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

Our board of trustees has the power, subject to the shareholders rights to amend the bylaws to the extent provided in the declaration of trust and the bylaws, to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of our bylaws and to make new bylaws.

Our Termination

Our declaration of trust provides for us to have a perpetual existence. Our termination must be approved by a majority of our entire board of trustees and the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

Advance Notice of Trustee Nominations and New Business

Our bylaws provide that, with respect to an annual meeting of shareholders, nominations of individuals for election to our board of trustees at an annual meeting and the proposal of business to be considered by shareholders may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by or at the direction of our board of trustees or (3) by a shareholder of record both at the time of giving notice and at the time of the annual meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting and has complied with the advance notice provisions set forth in our bylaws. Our bylaws currently require the shareholder generally to provide notice to the secretary containing the information required by our bylaws not less than 120 days nor more than 150 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of our proxy statement for the solicitation of proxies for election of trustees at the preceding year’s annual meeting.

With respect to special meetings of shareholders, only the business specified in our notice of meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to our board of trustees at a special meeting may be made only (1) by or at the direction of our board of trustees or (2) provided that our board of trustees has determined that trustees will be elected at such meeting, by a shareholder of record at the time of giving notice and who is entitled to vote at the meeting in the election of each individual so nominated and has complied with the advance notice provisions set forth in our bylaws. Such shareholder may nominate one or more individuals, as the case may be, for election as a trustee if the shareholder’s notice containing the information required by our bylaws is delivered to the secretary not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., eastern time, on the later of (1) the 90th day prior to such special meeting or (2) the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and the proposed nominees of our board of trustees to be elected at the meeting.

Exclusive Forum

Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, will be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our trustees, officers or other employees to us or to our shareholders, (c) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our trustees, officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the MRL, the MGCL (to the extent applicable to us) or our declaration of trust or bylaws or (d) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our trustees, officers or other employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This exclusive forum provision is intended to apply to claims arising under Maryland sate law and would not apply to claims brought pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any other claim for which federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

Indemnification and Limitation of Trustees’ and Officers’ Liability

Maryland law permits a Maryland real estate investment trust to include in its declaration of trust a provision limiting the liability of its trustees and officers to the trust and its shareholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active or deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment and is material to the cause of action. Our declaration of trust contains a provision which limits the liability of our trustees and officers to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

Our declaration of trust permits us and our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any present or former trustee or officer or (b) any individual who, while a trustee or officer and at our request, serves or has served another real estate investment trust, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a trustee, director, officer, partner, member or manager and who is made or is threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in any such capacity, from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. Our declaration of trust and bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of our company in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of our company or a predecessor of our company. Maryland law requires us to indemnify a trustee or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity.

The MRL permits a Maryland real estate investment trust to indemnify and advance expenses to its trustees, officers, employees and agents to the same extent as permitted for directors and officers of Maryland corporations. The MGCL permits a Maryland corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was a result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer has reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right if the corporation or if the director or officer was adjudged to be liable on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. The MGCL requires us, as a condition to advancing expenses, to obtain (a) a written affirmation by the trustee or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification and (b) a written statement by or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by us if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our trustees and our executive officers providing for procedures for indemnification by us to the fullest extent permitted by law and advancements by us of certain expenses and costs relating to claims, suits or proceedings arising from their service to us.

REIT Qualification

Our declaration of trust provides that our board of trustees may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without approval of our shareholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interests to continue to qualify as a REIT.