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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 17, 2010

Registration No. 333-                     

 

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM S-3

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 


 

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Maryland

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

13-3956775

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)

 


 

420 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10170
(212) 594-2700

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
of registrants’ principal executive offices)

 


 

Marc Holliday
Chief Executive Officer
SL Green Realty Corp.
420 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10170
(212) 594-2700

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of agent for service)

 

Copies to:

 

David J. Goldschmidt, Esq.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Four Times Square
New York, New York  10036
(212) 735-3000

 


 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:  From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box: o

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box: x

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: o

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering: o

 

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box: x

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box: o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

 

Large accelerated filer  x

 

Accelerated filer  o

 

 

 

Non-accelerated filer  o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

Smaller reporting company  o

 


 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title of Each Class of Securities to Be Registered

 

Amount to Be
Registered(1)

 

Proposed Maximum
Offering Price Per
Share(2)

 

Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering
Price(2)

 

Amount of
Registration
Fee(3)

&nb sp;

Common stock (par value $.01 per share)

 

898,177

 

$

59.12

 

$

53,100,224

 

$

3,786.05

 

 

(1)

This registration statement also relates to such additional shares of common stock as may be issued in connection with a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction, pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

 

(2)

Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based upon the average of the high and low reported sale prices of the common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 10, 2010.

 

 

(3)

A filing fee of $18,131.00 was previously paid in connection with unsold  shares of common stock registered under a registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-143941) initially filed by SL Green Realty Corp. on June 21, 2007.  Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 457(p) under the Securities Act of 1933, SL Green Realty Corp. i s offsetting $3,786.05 of previously paid filing fees against the total filing fee of $3,786.05 due in connection with the filing of this registration statement.

 

 

 



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PROSPECTUS

 

898,177 Shares

 

 

Common Stock

 

This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time of up to 898,177 shares, or the registered shares, of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share, by persons who receive such shares in exchange for the 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027, or the notes, issued by our operating partnership, SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P., or SLGOP, in a private placement on March 26, 2007.  Under certain circumstances, we may issue shares of common stock upon the exchange or redemption of the notes.  In such circumstances, the recipients of such common stock, whom we refer to collectively herein as the selling stockholders, may use this prospectus to resell from time to time the shares of common stock that we may issue to them upon the exchange or redemption of the notes.  Additional selling stockholders may be named in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendme nt, or in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus.  The registration of the common stock to which this prospectus relates does not necessarily mean that any of the selling stockholders will exchange their notes for common stock, that upon any exchange or redemption of the notes we will elect, in our sole and absolute discretion, to exchange or redeem some or all of the notes for shares of common stock rather than cash, or that any shares of common stock received upon exchange or redemption of the notes will be sold by the selling stockholders.

 

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol “SLG.”  On June 16, 2010, the closing sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $62.70 per share.

 

Investing in our common stock involves risks that are described in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and other reports that we may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as discussed on page 1 herein.

 

The selling stockholders from time to time may offer and sell registered shares held by them directly or through agents or broker-dealers on terms to be determined at the time of sale.  To the extent required, the names of any agent or broker-dealer and applicable commissions or discounts and any other required information with respect to any particular offer will be set forth in a prospectus supplement.  Each of the selling stockholders reserves the right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of registered shares to be made directly or through agents.

 

The selling stockholders and any agents or broker-dealers that participate with the selling stockholders in the distribution of registered shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and any commissions received by them and any profit on the sale of registered shares may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act.

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete.  Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this prospectus is June 17, 2010.

 



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

About This Prospectus

ii

Risk Factors

1

The Company

2

Forward-Looking Statements May Prove Inaccurate

4

Use of Proceeds

6

Description of Common Stock

7

Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions of Maryland Law

9

Restrictions on Ownership of Capital Stock

11

Selling Stockholders

13

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

21

Plan of Distribution

34< /p>

Legal Matters

35

Experts

35

Where You Can Find More Information

35

 


 

Our principal executive offices are located at 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170 and our telephone number is (212) 594-2700.

 

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.  We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information.  If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it.  We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.  The information appearing in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate only as of their respective dates or on other dates which are specified in those documents.  Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

 

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the offered shares of common stock.  Each time the selling stockholders sell any of these offered shares of common stock, the selling stockholders will provide you with this prospectus and a prospectus supplement or other offering material, if applicable, that will contain specific information about the terms of that sale and the manner by which such shares of common stock are offered.  The prospectus supplement or other offering material also may add, update or change any information contained in this prospectus.  You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or other offering material, together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”  Information incorporated by reference after the date of this prospectus may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus.  Any information in such subsequent filings that is inconsistent with this prospectus will supersede the information in this prospectus or any earlier prospectus supplement.

 

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, under the Securities Act, using a “shelf” registration process.  Under a shelf registration process, the selling stockholders may, from time to time, sell shares of common stock covered by this prospectus in one or more offerings.  This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement do not contain all of the information included in the registration statement.  For further information, we refer you to the registration statement, including its exhibits, which can be read at the SEC’s web site (www.sec.gov) or at the SEC’s offices referred to under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”  This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein , but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information.  All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents.  Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed or will be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”  You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date of each document.

 

As used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “SL Green” and “our company” refer to SL Green Realty Corp. and all entities owned or controlled by SL Green Realty Corp., including SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P., our operating partnership.  In addition, the term “properties” means those which we directly own by holding fee title, leasehold or otherwise or indirectly own, in whole or in part, by holding interests in entities that own such properties.

 

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RISK FACTORS

 

Investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk.  You should carefully consider the risks described in the section “Risk Factors” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, which has been filed with the SEC, in addition to the other information contained in this prospectus, in an applicable prospectus supplement, or incorporated by reference herein, before purchasing any of our securities.  Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business operations.  Any of these risks described could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, or ability to make distributions to our stockholders.  In such case, you could lose a portion or all of your original investment.  In c onnection with the forward-looking statements that appear in or are incorporated by reference in this prospectus, you should carefully review the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and the cautionary statements referred to in “Forward-Looking Statements May Prove Inaccurate” beginning on page 4 of this prospectus.

 

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THE COMPANY

 

We are a self-managed real estate investment trust, or a REIT, with in-house capabilities in property management, acquisitions, financing, development, construction and leasing.  We were formed in June 1997 for the purpose of continuing the commercial real estate business of S.L. Green Properties, Inc., our predecessor entity.  S.L. Green Properties, Inc., which was founded in 1980 by Stephen L. Green, the Chairman of the Board of SL Green, had been engaged in the business of owning, managing, leasing, acquiring and repositioning office properties in Manhattan.  We began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on August 15, 1997 under the symbol “SLG.”

 

As of March 31, 2010, we owned the following interests in commercial office properties in the New York Metro area, primarily in midtown Manhattan, a borough of New York City, or Manhattan.  Our investments in the New York Metro area also include investments in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester County, Connecticut and New Jersey, which are collectively known as the Suburban assets:

 

Location

 

Ownership

 

Number of
Properties

 

Square Feet

 

Weighted Average
Occupancy(1)

 

Manhattan

 

Consolidated properties

 

22

 

14,829,700

 

90.9

%

 

 

Unconsolidated properties

 

8

 

9,429,000

 

93.4

%

Suburban

 

Consolidated properties

 

25

 

3,863,000

 

83.5

%

 

 

Unconsolidated properties

 

6

 

2,941,700

 

94.2

%

 

 

 

 

61

 

31,063,400

 

91.0

%

 


(1)               The weighted average occupancy represents the total leased square feet divided by total available square feet.

 

As of March 31, 2010, our Manhattan properties were comprised of fee ownership (23 properties), including ownership in condominium units, leasehold ownership (five properties) and operating sublease ownership (two properties).  Pursuant to the operating sublease arrangements, we, as tenant under the operating sublease, perform the functions traditionally performed by landlords with respect to its subtenants.  We are responsible for not only collecting rent from subtenants, but also maintaining the property and paying expenses relating to the property.  As of March 31, 2010, our Suburban properties were comprised of fee ownership (30 properties), and leasehold ownership (one property).

 

We also own investments in eight retail properties encompassing approximately 374,212 square feet, three development properties encompassing approximately 399,800 square feet and two land interests.  In addition, we manage three office properties owned by third parties and affiliated companies encompassing approximately 1.0 million rentable square feet.  In addition, as of March 31, 2010, we also held approximately $786 million of structured finance investments.

 

In May 2010, we completed the acquisition of the 303,515 square foot property located at 600 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, for $193.0 million. In connection with the acquisition, we assumed $49.85 million of in-place financing. The 5.74% interest-only loan matures in March 2014. In May 2010, we entered into a joint venture arrangement with a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, a Canadian Crown corporation (“CPPIB”) pursuant to which we sold a 45% joint venture ownership stake at 600 Lexington Avenue to CPPIB.

 

In May 2010, we sold our 45% beneficial interest in the property known as 1221 Avenue of the Americas, located in Manhattan for a total consideration of approximately $576 million, subject to a working capital adjustment.  We realized a gain of approximately $130 million on the sale of this property, which encompassed approximately 2.5 million rentable square feet.

 

In May 2010, we also entered into an agreement to acquire 125 Park Avenue, a Manhattan office tower overlooking New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, for $330 million. In connection with the acquisition, we will assume $146.25 million of in-place financing. The 5.748% interest-only loan matures in October 2014. Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions that are to be satisfied prior to the closing, the acquisition of the property at 125 Park Avenue is expected to close during the third quarter of 2010.

 

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On June 15, 2010, Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. (“ROP”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SLGOP, completed the repurchase of approximately $80.72 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.00% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2025  (the “Debentures”) pursuant to the option of the holders to require ROP to purchase all or a portion of such holders’ Debentures (the “Put Option”).  Following the Put Option, $657,000 aggregate principal amount of the Debentures remain outstanding.

 

We were incorporated in the State of Maryland on June 10, 1997.  Our principal executive offices are located at 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170 and our telephone number is (212) 594-2700.  We maintain a website at www.slgreen.com.  The information contained on or connected to our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you must not consider the information to be a part of this prospectus.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS MAY PROVE INACCURATE

 

Certain statements in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference, and in future oral and written statements that we make, may be forward-looking. These statements reflect our beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting our business, consolidated financial condition and results of operations. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations concerning future events and discuss, among other things, anticipated future performance and future business plans. Forward-looking statements are identified by such words and phrases as “anticipates,” “believes,” “could be,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans to,” “may,” “will” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements.

 

The following are important factors that we believe could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements:

 

·                  general economic or business (particularly real estate) conditions, either nationally or in the New York Metro area being less favorable than expected if the credit crisis continues;

 

·                  reduced demand for office space;

 

·                  risks of real estate acquisitions;

 

·                  risks of structured finance investments and borrowers;

 

·                  availability and creditworthiness of prospective tenants and borrowers;

 

·                  tenant bankruptcies;

 

·                  adverse changes in the real estate markets, including increasing vacancy, increasing availability of sublease space, decreasing rental revenue and increasing insurance costs;

 

·                  availability, terms and deployment of capital (debt and equity);

 

·                  unanticipated increases in financing and other costs, including a rise in interest rates;

 

·                  our ability to comply with financial covenants in our debt instruments;

 

·                  declining real estate valuations and impairment charges;

 

·                  market interest rates could adversely affect the market price of our common stock, as well as our performance and cash flows;

 

·                  our ability to satisfy complex rules in order for us to qualify as a REIT, for federal income tax purposes, our operating partnership’s ability to satisfy the rules in order for it to qualify as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to qualify as REITs and certain of our subsidiaries to qualify as taxable REIT subsidiaries for federal income tax purposes and our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to operate effectively within the limitations imposed by these rules;

 

·                  competition with other companies;

 

·                  availability of and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel;

 

·                  the continuing threat of terrorist attacks on the national, regional and local economies including, in particular, the New York City area and our tenants;

 

·                  legislative or regulatory changes adversely affecting REITs and the real estate business; and

 

·                  environmental, regulatory and/or safety requirements.

 

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Except to the extent required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus might not occur and actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from that anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of any registered shares by the selling stockholders.  We will bear certain expenses of the registration of the registered shares under federal and state securities laws.  To the extent that we issue shares, our operating partnership issues partnership units to us.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK

 

The following description of the terms of our common stock is only a summary. This description is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our charter and bylaws, each as amended, each of which has previously been filed with the SEC, and the Maryland General Corporation Law, or the MGCL.

 

General

 

Our charter provides that we may issue up to 160,000,000 shares of SL Green common stock, $.01 par value per share. Subject to the provisions of the charter regarding excess stock, each outstanding share of common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors, and, except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of this stock will possess the exclusive voting power. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock can elect all of the directors then standing for election and the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any directors. On March 31, 2010, there were 81,284,236 shares of our common stock outstanding (including 3,360,000 shares held in treasury).  In addition, as of March 31, 2010, there were 1,298,113 shares of common stock underlying outstanding options granted under our equity compensation plans, 1.9 million shares of common stock reserved and available for future issuance under our equity compensation plans, 1,408,104 shares of common stock issuable upon redemption of SLGOP’s units of limited partnership interest and an aggregate of 1,705,880 shares of common stock issuable upon exchange of the outstanding 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027 and the 4.00% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2025, respectively.

 

Subject to the preferential rights of any other shares or series of stock and to the provisions of the charter regarding excess stock, holders of shares of common stock are entitled to receive dividends on this stock if, as and when authorized by our board of directors and declared by us out of assets legally available therefor and to share ratably in our assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up after payment of or adequate provision for all of our known debts and liabilities.

 

Holders of shares of common stock 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 provisions of the charter regarding excess stock, shares of common stock will have equal dividend, liquidation and other rights.

 

Provisions of Our Charter

 

The charter authorizes our board of directors to reclassify any unissued shares of common stock into other classes or series of stock and to establish the number of shares in each class or series and to set the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations and restrictions on ownership, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series.

 

Our board of directors is divided into three classes of directors, each class constituting approximately one-third of the total number of directors, with the classes serving staggered terms. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the class of directors to be elected at the meeting will be elected for a three-year term and the directors in the other two classes will continue in office. We believe that classified directors will help to assure the continuity and stability of our board of directors and our business strategies and policies as determined by our board of directors. The use of a staggered board may delay or defer a change in control of the company or removal of incumbent management.

 

The charter also provides that, except for any directors who may be elected by holders of a class or series of capital stock other than common stock, directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of stockholders holding at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast for the election of directors. Vacancies on the board of directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and a director so elected shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred and until his or her successor is elected and qualifies.

 

On February 19, 2010, we adopted a policy on majority voting in the election of directors. Pursuant to this policy, in an uncontested election of directors, any nominee who receives a greater number of votes withheld from

 

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his or her election than votes for his or her election will, within ten business days following the certification of the stockholder vote, tender his or her written resignation to the Chairman of the Board for consideration by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the resignation and, within 60 days following the date of the stockholders’ meeting at which the election occurred, will make a recommendation to the board of directors concerning the acceptance or rejection of the resignation.

 

Under the policy, our board of directors will take formal action on the recommendation no later than 90 days following the date of the stockholders’ meeting. In considering the recommendation, our board of directors will consider the information, factors and alternatives considered by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and such additional factors, information and alternatives as the board deems relevant. We will publicly disclose, in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC, the board of directors’ decision within four business days after the decision is made.  The board of directors also will provide, if applicable, its reason or reasons for rejecting the tendered resignation.

 

Restrictions on Ownership

 

For SL Green to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, which is referred to herein as the Code, not more than 50% in value of outstanding common stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals, according to the definition in the Code, during the last half of a taxable year and the common stock must be beneficially owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. To satisfy the above ownership requirements and other requirements for qualification as a REIT, the board of directors has adopted, and the stockholders prior to the initial public offering approved, a provision in the charter restricting the ownership or acquisition of shares of our capital stock.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for the common stock is The Bank of New York Mellon.

 

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CERTAIN ANTI-TAKEOVER PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW

 

The following summary of certain anti-takeover provisions of Maryland law does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to Maryland law, our charter and bylaws, each as amended.

 

Business Combinations

 

Under the MGCL, certain “business combinations” (including a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in certain circumstances, an asset transfer or issuance or transfer of equity securities or reclassification of equity securities) between a Maryland corporation and any person who beneficially, directly or indirectly, owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation or an affiliate of the corporation 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 the then-outstanding voting stock of the corporation, referred to as an interested stockholder, or an affiliate of such an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Thereafter, any such business combination must be recommended by the board of directors of such corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least (i) 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation and (ii) two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares of voting stock held by the interested stockholder with whom (or with whose affiliate) the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder, unless, among other conditions, the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price (as defined in the Maryland corporation law) for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares. These provisions of the Maryland corporation law do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by a board of directors prior to the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder.

 

Our board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance with any terms and conditions determined by it. However, pursuant to the statute, our board of directors has by resolution opted out of these provisions of the Maryland corporation law and, consequently, the five-year prohibition and the super-majority vote requirements will not apply to business combinations between SL Green and any interested stockholder of SL Green. As a result, anyone who later becomes an interested stockholder may be able to enter into business combinations with SL Green that may not be in the best interest of its stockholders, without compliance by SL Green with the super-majority vote requirements and the other provisions of the statute. However, no assurances can be given that such resolution will not be modified, amended or revoked in the future or that the provisions of the MGCL relative to business combinations will not be reinstated or again become applicable to SL Green.

 

Control Share Acquisitions

 

The MGCL provides that “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 by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares of stock in a corporation in respect of which any of the following persons is entitled to exercise or direct the exercise of the voting power of shares of stock of the corporation in the election of directors: (i) a person who makes or proposes to make a control share acquisition, (ii) an officer of the corporation or (iii) an employee of the corporation who is also a director of the corporation. “Control shares” are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other such shares of stock owned by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror, directly or indirectly, to exercise or direct the exercise of, voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power: (i) one-tenth or more but less than one-third, (ii) one-third or more but less than a majority, or (iii) a majority or more of all voting power. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition, directly or indirectly, of control shares, subject to certain exceptions.

 

A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition, upon satisfaction of certain conditions (including an undertaking to pay expenses), may compel our board of directors to call a special meeting

 

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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 of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of such shares are considered and not approved. 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 holder of its shares. There can be no assurance that this 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 corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and at least three independent directors to elect to be subject, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to any or all of five provisions:

 

·                  a classified board;

 

·                  a two-thirds vote requirement for removing a director;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

We have elected to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 that requires that a vacancy on the board be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred. Through provisions in our charter and bylaws, unrelated to Subtitle 8, we also (i) have a classified board and (ii) vest in the board the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships.

 

Anti-Takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law

 

The business combination provisions, the control share acquisition provisions and Subtitle 8 of the MGCL could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control of SL Green that might involve a premium price for holders of securities or otherwise be in their best interests.

 

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Table of Contents

 

RESTRICTIONS ON OWNERSHIP OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

Excess Stock

 

Our charter provides that we may issue up to 75,000,000 shares of excess stock, par value $.01 per share. For a description of excess stock, see “—Restrictions on Ownership” below.

 

Restrictions on Ownership

 

For our company to qualify as a REIT under the Code, among other things, not more than 50% in value of our outstanding capital stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals during the last half of a taxable year, other than the first year, and the shares of capital stock 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, or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Pursuant to the Code, common stock held by specific types of entities, such as pension trusts qualifying under Section 401(a) of the Code, United States investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, partnerships, trusts and corporations, will be attributed to the beneficial owners of these entities for purposes of the five or fewer requirement. Generally, for the purposes of restrictions on ownership, the beneficial owners of these entities will be counted as our stockholders.

 

In order to protect our company against the risk of losing its status as a REIT due to a concentration of ownership among its stockholders, our charter, subject to exceptions, provides that no stockholder may own, or be deemed to own by virtue of certain attribution provisions of the Code, more than 9.0%, which we refer to as the “Ownership Limit,” of the lesser of the aggregate number or value of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Limitations on the ownership of preferred stock are also imposed by SL Green. Any direct or indirect ownership of shares of stock in excess of the Ownership Limit or that would result in our disqualification as a REIT, including any transfer that results in shares of capital stock being owned by fewer than 100 persons or results in our company being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code, shall be null and void, and the intended transferee will acquire no rights to the shares of capital stock. The foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in its best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT. Our board of directors may, in its sole discretion, waive the Ownership Limit if evidence satisfactory to the board of directors and our tax counsel is presented that the changes in ownership will not then or in the future jeopardize our REIT status and our board of directors otherwise decides that this action is in our best interest.

 

Shares of capital stock owned, or deemed to be owned, or transferred to a stockholder in excess of the Ownership Limit will automatically be converted into shares of excess stock that will be transferred, by operation of law, to the trustee of a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable organizations described in Section 170(b)(1)(A) and 170(c) of the Code. The trustee of the trust will be deemed to own the excess stock for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary on the date of the violative transfer to the original transferee-stockholder. Any dividend or distribution paid to the original transferee-stockholder of excess stock prior to the discovery by SL Green that capital stock has been transferred in violation of the provisions of our charter shall be repaid to the trustee upon demand. Any dividend or distribution authorized and declared but unpaid shall be rescinded as void from the beginning with respect to the original transferee-stockholder and shall instead be paid to the trustee of the trust for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary. Any vote cast by an original transferee-stockholder of shares of capital stock constituting excess stock prior to the discovery by SL Green that shares of capital stock have been transferred in violation of the provisions of the charter shall be rescinded as void from the beginning. While the excess stock is held in trust, the original transferee-stockholder will be deemed to have given an irrevocable proxy to the trustee to vote the capital stock for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary. The trustee of the trust may transfer the interest in the trust representing the excess stock to any person whose ownership of the shares of capital stock converted into this excess stock would be permitted under the Ownership Limit. If this transfer is made, the interest of the charitable beneficiary shall terminate and the proceeds of the sale shall be payable to the original transferee stockholder and to the charitable beneficiary as described herein. The original transferee-stockholder shall receive the lesser of (i) the price paid by the original transferee-stockholder for the shares of capital stock that were converted into excess stock or, if the original transferee-stockholder did not give value for the shares, the average closing price for the class of shares from which the shares of capital stock were converted for the ten trading days immediately preceding the sale or gift, and (ii) the price received by the trustee from the sale or other disposition of the excess stock held in trust. The trustee may reduce the amount payable to the original transferee-stockholder by

 

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the amount of dividends and distributions relating to the shares of excess stock which have been paid to the original transferee-stockholder and are owed by the original transferee-stockholder to the trustee. Any proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the original transferee-stockholder shall be paid by the trustee to the charitable beneficiary. Any liquidation distributions relating to excess stock shall be distributed, with respect to excess stock converted from preferred stock, ratably with each other holder of preferred stock of the same class or excess stock converted from preferred stock of the same class, and with respect to excess stock converted from SL Green common stock, ratably with each other holder of SL Green common stock or excess stock converted from SL Green common stock. The liquidation distributions allocated to a share of excess stock will be distributed in the same manner as proceeds from a sale of such share of excess stock would be distributed. If the foregoing transfer restrictions are determined to be void or invalid by virtue of any legal decision, statute, rule or regulations, then the original transferee-stockholder of any shares of excess stock may be deemed, at our option, to have acted as an agent on our behalf in acquiring the shares of excess stock and to hold the shares of excess stock on our behalf.

 

Shares of excess stock shall be deemed to have been offered to the corporation or its designee for 90 days at a price per share payable to the purported transferee equal to the lesser of (i) the price per share in the transaction that created the excess shares (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the market price at the time of such devise or gift) or (ii) the market price of our common stock or preferred stock which was converted into such excess stock on the date the corporation or its designee accepts the offer. We may reduce the amount payable to the original transferee-stockholder by the amount of dividends and distributions relating to the shares of excess stock which have been paid to the original transferee-stockholder and are owed by the original transferee-stockholder to the trustee. We may pay the amount of the reductions to the trustee for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary. The 90-day period begins on the later date of which notice is received of the violative transfer if the original transferee-stockholder gives notice to SL Green of the transfer or, if no notice is given, the date our board of directors determines that a violative transfer has been made.

 

These restrictions will not preclude settlement of transactions through the NYSE.

 

All certificates representing shares of stock will bear a legend referring to the restrictions described above.

 

Each stockholder shall upon demand be required to disclose to us in writing any information with respect to the direct, indirect and constructive ownership of capital stock of SL Green as our board of directors deems necessary to comply with the provisions of the Code applicable to REITs, to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental agency or to determine any such compliance.

 

The Ownership Limit may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company unless our board of directors determines that maintenance of REIT status is no longer in our best interest.

 

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Table of Contents

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

The notes were originally issued by our operating partnership and sold by the initial purchaser of the notes in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act to persons reasonably believed by the initial purchaser to be qualified institutional buyers as defined by Rule 144A under the Securities Act.  Under certain circumstances, we may issue shares of common stock upon the exchange or redemption of the notes.  In such circumstances, the recipients of shares of common stock, including their transferees, pledges or donors or their successors, whom we refer to as the selling stockholders, may use this prospectus to resell from time to time the shares of common stock that we may issue to them upon the exchange or redemption of the notes.  Information about selling stockholders is set forth herein and information about additional selling stockholders may be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment, or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

 

The table below provides, as of June 17, 2010, the names of each selling stockholder and the number of shares of common stock offered by each selling stockholder.  As we are not obligated to issue common stock upon exchange or redemption of the notes and the selling stockholders may sell all, some or none of their shares of common stock, no estimate can be made of the aggregate number of shares of common stock that are to be offered hereby, or the aggregate number of shares of common stock that will be owned by each selling stockholder upon completion of the offering to which this prospectus relates.  The number of shares in the column “Number of shares offered hereby” includes the number of shares of common stock the selling stockholder may receive in exchange for the notes, except as noted.  Amounts shown in the column “Number of shares owned before the offering” represent the number of securities shown in the column “Number of shares offered hereby” plus shares of common stock owned by the selling stockholders that are not covered by the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

The number of shares of common stock issuable upon the exchange or redemption of the notes shown in the table below assumes exchange of the full amount of notes held by each selling stockholder at the initial exchange rate of 5.7703 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes and a cash payment in lieu of any fractional share.  This exchange rate is subject to adjustment in certain events.  Accordingly, the number of shares of common stock issued upon the exchange or redemption of the notes may increase or decrease from time to time.

 

With respect to the information presented concerning the selling stockholders listed in the table below, we have not conducted any independent inquiry or investigation to ascertain that information and have relied on written questionnaires furnished to us by the selling stockholders for the express purpose of including that information in a registration statement for the registration of the resale of the shares that may be issuable upon exchange of the notes.  Based upon information provided by the selling stockholders, none of the selling stockholders has, or within the past three years has had, any position, office or other material relationship with us or any of our affiliates, except that (i) Citigroup Global Markets Inc. acted as the initial purchaser in the original issuance of the notes on March 26, 2007, (ii) Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. each acted as initial purchasers in connection with the issuance of the 7.75% Senior Notes due 2020 and as dealer managers in connection with our tender offer for certain securities of SLGOP and ROP on March 11, 2010, (iii) Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and The City University of New York (CUNY) or certain of their affiliates are among our largest tenants and (iv) certain other selling stockholders or their affiliates may be a party to our revolving credit facilities or tenants of our properties.

 

Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated March 26, 2007, between SL Green and SLGOP, the Company has agreed to register pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, all shares issuable upon exchange of the notes that have been requested by the holder to be so registered.  The selling stockholders named below have previously requested registration of the shares issuable upon exchange and have not subsequently informed the Company of the disposition of such corresponding notes.  Therefore, the shares listed in the table below exceed the number of shares issuable upon exchange of all outstanding notes at the current exchange rate.  The registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part of registers all shares issuable upon exchange of outstanding notes and such additional shares of common stock as may be issued in connection with a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction.  As of June 16, 2010, $155,655,000 aggregate principal amount of notes were outstanding, and, based on the current exchange rate of 5.7703 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes, an aggregate of 898,177 shares of common stock would be issuable should all such notes be exchanged for shares of common stock at the current exchange rate.  Subject to the foregoing, the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus may be offered from time to time by the selling stockholders named below:

 

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Table of Contents

 

Name

 

Number of
shares owned
before the
offering

 

Number of shares
offered hereby

(1)

 

Number of shares
owned after the
offering

(2)

 

Percentage of
shares owned
after the
offering

(2)(3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admiral Flagship Master Fund, LTD*

 

129,831

 

129,831

 

0

 

+

 

Advent Convertible Arb Master (4)

 

16,122

 

16,122

 

0

 

+

 

Advent Enhanced Phoenix (4)

 

23,081

 

23,081

 

0

 

+

 

Agamas Continuum Master Fund, Ltd. (5)

 

171,667

 

171,667

 

0

 

+

 

Alcon Laboratories (4)

 

2,389

 

2,389

 

0

 

+

 

Alexandra Global Master Fund Ltd. (6)

 

34,621

 

34,621

 

0

 

+

 

Altma Fund SICAV PLC (in respect of Trinity Sub-Fund)

 

28,799

 

28,799

 

0

 

+

 

AM International E Mac 63 LTD

 

73,311

 

73,311

 

0

 

+

 

AM Master Fund I, L.P.

 

91,632

 

91,632

 

0

 

+

 

Bayerische Hypo - und Vereinsbank AG

 

28,851

 

28,851

 

0

 

+

 

British Virgin Islands Social Security Board (4)

 

791

 

791

 

0

 

+

 

Canyon Capital Arbitrage Master Fund, Ltd.*(7)

 

14,137

 

14,137

 

0

 

+

 

Canyon Value Realization Fund, L.P.*(8)

 

5,857

&nbs p;

5,857

 

0

 

+

 

Canyon Value Realization Mac 18, Ltd.* (9)

 

1,010

 

1,010

 

0

 

+

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.* (10)

 

58,845

 

58,845

 

0

 

+

 

City University of New York (CUNY) (4)

 

687

 

687

 

0

 

+

 

CNH CA Master Account, L.P. (11)

 

4,040

 

4,040

 

0

 

+

 

Credit Suisse Securities Ltd, USA* (12)

 

28,852

 

28,852

 

0

 

+

 

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC* (12)

 

152,913

 

152,913

 

0

 

+

 

CQS Convertible and Quantitative Strategies Master Fund Limited (13)

 

115,406

 

115,406

 

0

 

+

 

DBAG London* (14)

 

18 1,764

 

181,764

 

0

 

+

 

D.E. Shaw Valence Portfolios, L.L.C.* (15)

 

875,563

 

57,703

 

817,860

 

+

 

Deutsche Bank Securities*(16)

 

28,852

 

28,852

 

0

 

+

 

DKR SoundShore Oasis Holding Fund Ltd.(17)

 

28,852

 

28,852

 

0

 

+

 

Domestic + Foreign Missionary Society

 

237

 

237

 

0

 

+

 

Ferox Master Fund Limited (18)

 

76,099

 

76,099

 

0

 

+

 

Fore Convertible Master Fund, Inc.

 

3,647

 

3,647

 

0

 

+

 

Forest Global Convertible Master Fund L.P.

 

31,772

 

31,772

 

0

 

+

 

Forest Multi Strategy Master Fund SPC, on behalf of its Multi Strategy Segregated Portfolio

 

3,509

 

3,509

 

0

 

+

 

FXMC Limited (19)

 

21,794

 

21,794

 

0

 

+

 

GMIMCO Trust (4)

 

8,880

 

8,880

 

0

 

+

 

Grace Convertible Arbitrage Fund, Ltd.(20)

 

28,850

 

28,850

 

0

 

+

 

Grady Hospital Foundation (4)

 

656

 

656

 

0

 

+

 

HBK Master Fund L.P.*(21)

 

28,852

 

28,852

 

0

 

+

 

HFR CA Global Opportunity Master Trust

 

10,537

 

10,537

 

0

 

+

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

+

0

HFRCA Opportunity Master Trust (4)

 

675

 

675

 

0

 

+

 

HFR RVA Select Performance Master Trust

 

2,978

 

2,978

 

0

 

+

 

Highbridge Convertible Arbitrage Master Fund L.P. (22)

 

21,638

 

21,638

 

0

 

 

Highbridge International LLC (22)

 

36,064

 

36,064

 

0

 

+

 

Independence Blue Cross (KHPE Advent Convertible) (4)

 

3,606

 

3,606

 

0

 

+

 

Inflective Convertible Opportunity Fund I, LTD*(23)

 

8,079

 

8,079

 

0

 

+

 

Inflective Convertible Opportunity Fund I, L.P.*(23)

 

1,153

 

1,153

 

0

 

+

 

Institutional Benchmarks Master Fund Ltd.

 

7,086

 

7,086

 

0

 

+

 

Institutional Benchmark Series-Ivan Segregated Acct.*(23)

 

9,232

 

9,232

 

0

 

+

 

Institutional Benchmarks Series - IVAN Segregated Account*

 

5,194

 

5,194

 

0

 

+

 

Institutional Benchmark Series Limited(4)

 

1,298

 

1,298

 

0

 

+

 

John Hancock Funds II — Spectrum Income Fund (24)

 

1,731

 

1,731

 

0

 

+

 

JP Morgan Securities, Inc.*

 

57,657

 

57,657

 

0

 

+

 

Kamunting Street Master Fund, Ltd. (25)

 

57,703

 

57,703

 

 

+

 

KBC Financial Products USA Inc.*

 

6,979

 

6,979

 

0

 

+

 

LDG Limited (26)

 

371,000

 

371,000

 

0

 

+

 

Lehman Brothers Inc.

 

46,162

 

46,162

 

0

 

+

 

Linden Capital LP (27)

 

40,392

 

40,392

 

0

 

+

 

Lucent Technologies, Inc. Master Pension Trust (24)

 

2,308

 

2,308

 

0

 

+

 

Lydian Global Opportunities Master Fund L.T.D (28)

 

239,467

 

239,467

 

0

 

+

 

Lydian Overseas Partners Master Fund L.T.D (28)

 

620,307

 

620,307

 

0

 

+

 

Lyxor / AM Investment Fund, LTD.

 

15,718

 

15,718

 

0

 

+

 

Lyxor/Canyon Capital Arbitrage Fund Ltd.*(29)

 

4,039

 

4,039

 

0

 

+

 

Lyxor / Forest Fund Limited

 

54,761

 

54,761

 

0

 

+

 

Lyxor / Inflective Convertible Opportunity Fund* (23)

 

37,507

 

37,507

 

0

 

+

 

Lyxor Master Trust Fund (4)

 

514

 

514

 

0

 

+

 

Magnetar Capita l Master Fund, Ltd. (30)

 

100,980

 

100,980

 

0

 

+

 

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (4)

 

1,581

 

1,581

 

0

 

+

 

Pearl Assurance PLC (31)

 

4,039

 

4,039

 

0

 

+

 

Penn Series Funds, Inc. — High Yield Bond Fund (24)

 

1,010

 

1,010

 

0

 

+

 

PFA Invest — Global High Yield (Jyske Invest Engros Afdeling 4)(24)

 

3,895

 

3,895

 

0

 

+

 

Polygon Global Opportunities Master Fund (32)

 

432,772

 

432,772

 

0

 

+

 

Price Rowe High Yield II — (Delaware Public Employees Retirement System) (24)

 

2,308

 

2,308

 

0

 

+

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

Pro Mutual (4)

 

4,339

 

4,339

 

0

 

+

 

Redbrick Capital Master Fund, LTD (33)

 

86,555

 

86,555

 

0

 

+

 

S.A.C. Arbitrage Fund, LLC (34)

 

57,703

 

57,703

 

0

 

+

 

San Francisco City and County ERS (4)

 

6,786

 

6,786

 

0

 

+

 

Satellite Convertible Arbitrage Master Fund, LLC (35)< /p>

 

14,426

 

14,426

 

0

 

+

 

SGAM AI Boreal

 

90,593

 

90,593

 

0

 

+

 

Stark Master Fund Ltd.*(36)

&n bsp;

155,798

 

155,798

 

0

 

+

 

SuttonBrook Capital Portfolio LP (37)

 

86,555

 

86,555

 

0

 

+

 

The Canyon Value Realization Fund (Cayman), Ltd.* (9)

 

15,349

 

15,349

 

0

 

+

 

The Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit (4)

 

2,654

 

2,654

 

0

 

+

 

TQA Master Fund Ltd. (38)

 

13,653

 

13,653

 

0

 

+

 

TQA Master Plus Fund Ltd. (38)

 

8,552

 

8,552

 

0

 

+

 

Tribeca Convertibles

 

23,081

 

23,081

 

0

 

+

 

Tribeca Convertibles LP*

 

31,448

 

31,448

 

0

 

+

 

T. Rowe Price Fixed Income Trust (24)

 

433

 

433

 

0

 

+

 

T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. (24)

 

66,070

 

66,070

 

0

 

+

 

Trustmark Insurance Company (4)

 

1,702

 

1,702

 

0

 

+

 

UBS O’Connor LLC F/B/O: O’Connor Global Convertible Arbitrage Master Limited (39)

 

80,071

 

80,071

 

0

 

+

 

UBS O’Connor LLC F/B/O: O’Connor Global Convertible Arbitrage II Master Limited (39)

 

6,483

 

6,483

 

0

 

+

 

UBS Securities LLC* (40)

 

123,860

 

28,851

 

95,009

 

+

 

Wachovia Capital Markets LLC*

 

17,957

 

17,957

 

0

 

+

 

Zurich Institutional Benchmarks Master Fund Ltd. c/o TQA Investors, LLC (38)

 

4,507

 

4,507

 

0

 

+

 

Total**

 

5,411,114

 

4,498,245

 

912,869

 

1.17

%

 


+              Less than 1%.

 

*              The selling stockholders identified with this symbol have identified that they are, or are affiliates of, registered broker-dealers.  These selling stockholders have represented that they acquired their securities in the ordinary course of business and in the open market, and, at the time of the acquisition of the securities, had no agreements or understandings, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute the securities.  To the extent that we become aware that any such selling stockholder did not acquire its securities in the ordinary course of business or did have such an agreement or understanding, we will file a post-effective amendment to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part to designate such person as an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act.

 

**           Information about any other selling stockholders will be set forth in one or more prospectus supplements or amendments, if required.  Assumes that any other holder of notes or any future transferee of any such holder does not beneficially own any of our common shares other than the common shares issuable upon exchange of the notes at the initial exchange rate.

 

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Table of Contents

 

(1)           Represents the maximum number of common shares issuable in exchange for all of the selling stockholder’s notes, based on the initial exchange rate of 5.7703 of our common shares per $1,000 principal amount of the notes.  This conversion rate is, however, subject to adjustment.  As a result, the number of our common shares issuable upon conversion of the notes may increase or decrease in the future.

 

(2)           Assumes the selling stockholder sells all of its shares of common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus.

 

(3)           Based on a total of 78,159,352 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 16, 2010.

 

(4)           Tracy Maitland is the controlling person of Advent Convertible Arb Master, Advent Enhanced Phoenix, Alcon Laboratories, British Virgin Islands Social Security Board, City University of New York (CUNY), GMIMCO Trust, Grady Hospital Foundation, HFRCA Opportunity Master Trust, Independence Blue Cross (KHPE Advent Convertible), Institutional Benchmark Series Limited, Lyxor Master Trust Fund, Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Pro Mutual, San Francisco City and County ERS, The Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit and Trustmark Insurance Company.

 

(5)           The controlling person of Agamas Continuum Master Fund, Ltd. is Michael Reeber.

 

(6)           The controlling person of Alexandra Global Master Fund Ltd. is Mikhail Filimonov. The 34,621 shares reflect the shares issuable upon exchange of the total holdings of Alexandra Global Master Fund Ltd. as of March 7, 2008 with respect to the 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027.

 

(7)           Canyon Capital Advisors LLC is the investment advisor for Canyon Capital Arbitrage Master Fund, Ltd. and has the power to direct investments by Canyon Capital Arbitrage Master Fund, Ltd.  The managing partners of Canyon Capital Advisors LLC are Joshua S. Friedman, Mitchell R. Julis, and K. Robert Turner. Canyon Capital Arbitrage Master Fund, Ltd., is a Cayman Islands Exempted company.

 

(8)           The general partner for Canyon Value Realization Fund, L.P. is Canpartners Investments III, L.P. Canyon Capital Advisors LLC is the General Partner of Canpartners Investments III.  The managing partners of Canyon Capital Advisors LLC are Joshua S. Friedman, Mitchell R. Julis and K. Robert Turner.

 

(9)           Canyon Capital Advisors LLC is the Investment Advisor for Canyon Value Realization MAC 18, Ltd and the Canyon Value Realization Fund (Cayman), Ltd.  The managing partners of Canyon Capital Advisors LLC are Joshua S. Friedman, Mitchell R. Julis and K. Robert Turner.

 

(10)         Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is a subsidiary of Citigroup Inc.

 

(11)         CNH Partners, LLC is the Investment Advisor of CNH CA Master Account, L.P. and has sole voting and dispositive power over the Registrable Securities.  Investment principals for CNH Partners, LLC are Robert Krail, Mark Mitchell and Todd Pulvino.  The 4,040 shares reflect the shares issuable upon exchange of the total holdings of CNH CA Master Account, L.P. as of July 17, 2008 with respect to the 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027.

 

(12)         Credit Suisse Securities Ltd., USA and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC are each an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(13)         Alan Smith, Dennis Hunter, Karla Bodden, Jane Fleming and Jonathan Crowther are the Directors of CQS Convertible and Quantitative Strategies Master Fund Limited.

 

(14)         Patrick Corrigan is the controlling person of DBAG London.

 

(15)         D.E. Shaw & Co. L.P., as either managing member or investment adviser, has voting and investment control over any shares of common stock issuable upon exchange of the notes owned by D.E. Shaw Valence Portfolios, L.L.C.  Julius Gaudio, Eric Wespic, and Anne Dinning, or their designees exercise voting and investment control over the notes on D.E. Shaw & Co. L.P.’s behalf.

 

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(16)         Deutsche Bank Securities is a publicly held company.

 

(17)         The investment manager of DKR SoundShore Oasis Holding Fund Ltd. is DKR Oasis Management Company LP.  DKR Oasis Management Company LP has the authority to do any and all acts on behalf of DKR SoundShore Oasis Holding Fund, Ltd., including voting any shares held by DKR SoundShore Oasis Holding Fund, Ltd.  Mr. Seth Fischer is the managing partner of Oasis Management Holdings LLC, one of the general partners of DKR Oasis Management Company LP.  Mr. Fischer has ultimate responsibility for investments with respect to DKR SoundShore Oasis Holding Fund Ltd.  Mr. Fischer disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares.

 

(18)         The controlling person of Ferox Master Fund Limited is Henning von Issendorff.

 

(19)         The controlling entity of FXMC Limited is Inter Caribbean Services Ltd. The controlling person of Inter Caribbean Services Ltd. is Jan Oyens.

 

(20)         Michael Brailon is the controlling person of Grace Convertible Arbitrage Fund, Ltd.

 

(21)         HBK Investments L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, has shared voting and dispositive power over the shares included herein pursuant to an Investment Management Agreement between HBK Investments L.P. and the HBK Master Fund L.P.  HBK Investments L.P. has delegated discretion to vote and dispose of such shares to HBK  Services LLC.  The following individuals may be deemed to have control over HBK Investments L.P.: Jamiel A. Akhtar, Richard L. Booth, David C. Haley, Laurence H. Lebowitz , and William E. Rose.

 

(22)         Highbridge Capital Management, LLC is the trading manager of Highbridge Convertible Arbitrage Master Fund, L.P. and Highbridge International LLC and has voting control and investment discretion over the securities held by Highbridge Convertible Arbitrage Master Fund, L.P. and Highbridge International LLC.  Glenn Dubin and Henry Swieca control Highbridge Capital Management, LLC and have voting control and investment discretion over the securities held by Highbridge Convertible Arbitrage Master Fund, L.P. and Highbridge International LLC.  Each of Highbridge Capital Management, LLC, Glenn Dubin and Henry Swieca disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by Highbridge Convertible Arbitrage Master Fund, L.P. and Highbridge Int ernational LLC.

 

(23)         Thomas J. Ray is the controlling person of Inflective Convertible Opportunity Fund I, LTD., Inflective Convertible Opportunity Fund I, LP., Institutional Benchmarks Series-IVAN Segregated Account and Lyxor/Inflective Convertible Opportunity Fund.

 

(24)         Mark Vaselkiv at T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is the portfolio manager of Penn Series Funds, Inc. — High Yield Bond Fund, T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc., PFA Invest — Global High Yield (Jyske Invest Engros Afdeling 4), John Hancock Funds II — Spectrum Income Fund, T. Rowe Price Fixed Income Trust, Price Rowe High Yield II — (Delaware Public Employees Retirement System) and Lucent Technologies, Inc. Master Pension Trust, and, subject to the proxy voting guidelines of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., exercises sole voting and/or investment power as portfolio manager over the shares of common stock being included by these selling stockholders in this prospectus. T. Rowe Price Associates,&nbs p;Inc. may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of these shares; however, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. expressly disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares. T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. is the wholly-owned subsidiary of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., a publicly traded financial services holding company. Penn Series Funds, Inc. — High Yield Bond Fund, T. Rowe Price High Yield Fund, Inc. and John Hancock Funds II — Spectrum Income Fund have informed us that they are each a registered investment company.

 

(25)         The controlling person for Kamunting Street Master Fund, Ltd. is Allen Teh.

 

(26)         TQA Investors LLC has sole investment power and sole voting power.  Its members are: Paul Bucci, Darren Langis, Andrew Anderson and Steven Potamis.

 

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(27)         Siu Min Wong is the controlling person of Linden Capital LP.

 

(28)         The controlling person of Lydian Global Opportunities Master Fund L.T.D and of Lydian Overseas Partners Master Fund L.T.D is David Friezo.

 

(29)         Canyon Capital Advisors LLC is the investment advisor for Lyxor/Canyon Capital Arbitrage Fund Ltd. and has the power to direct investments by Lyxor/Canyon Capital Arbitrage Fund Ltd. The managing partners of Canyon Capital Advisors LLC are Joshua S. Friedman, Mitchell R. Julis, and K. Robert Turner.

 

(30)         Magnetar Financial LLC is the investment advisor of Magnetar Capital Master Fund, Ltd. and consequently has voting control and investment discretion over securities held by Magnetar Capital Master Fund, Ltd.  Magnetar Financial LLC disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Magnetar Capital Master Fund, Ltd.  Alec Litowitz has voting control over Supernova Management LLC, the general partner of Magnetar Capital Partners LP, the sole managing member of Magnetar Financial LLC.  As a result, Mr. Litowitz may be considered the beneficial owner of any shares deemed to be beneficially owned by Magnetar Financial LLC.  Mr. Litowitz disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares.

 

(31)         The controlling entity of Pearl Assurance PLC is Pearl Assurance Ltd. The controlling person of Pearl Assurance Ltd. is Jonathan Moss.

 

(32)         Polygon Investment Partner LLP and Polygon Investment Partners LP, Polygon Investments Ltd., Alexander E. Jackson, Reade E. Griffith, and Patrick G. G. Dear share voting and dispositive power of the securities held by Polygon Global Opportunities Master Fund.  Polygon Investment Partner LLP and Polygon Investment Partners LP, Polygon Investments Ltd., Alexander E. Jackson, Reade E. Griffith, and Patrick G. G. Dear disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities held by Polygon Global Opportunities Fund.

 

(33)         Jeff Baum and Tony Morgan are the controlling persons of Redbrick Capital Master Fund, Ltd.

 

(34)         Each of S.A.C. Capital Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and S.A.C. Capital Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, share all investment and voting power with respect to the securities held by S.A.C. Arbitrage Fund, LLC.  Mr. Steven A. Cohen controls both S.A.C. Capital Advisers, LLC and S.A.C. Capital Management, LLC.  Each of S.A.C. Capital Advisers, LLC, S.A.C. Capital Management, LLC and Mr. Cohen disclaim beneficial ownership of the securities.

 

(35)         The discretionary investment manager of Satellite Convertible Arbitrage Master Fund, LLC is Satellite Asset Management, L.P. (“SAM”).  The controlling entity of SAM is Satellite Fund Management, LLC (“SFM”).  The managing members of SFM are Lief Rosenblatt, Mark Sonnino and Gabe Nechamkin.  SAM and SFM and each named individual disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities.

 

(36)         Michael A. Roth and Brian J. Stark have voting and investment control over the securities held by Stark Master Fund Ltd., but Messrs. Roth and Stark disclaim beneficial ownership of such securities.

 

(37)         SuttonBrook Capital Management LP is the investment manager of SuttonBrook Capital Portfolio LP.  John London and Steven M. Weinstein are the natural persons with control and voting power over SuttonBrook Capital Management LP.

 

(38)         TQA Investors, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser for TQA Master Fund Ltd. and TQA Master Plus Fund Ltd. and Zurich Institutional Benchmarks Master Fund c/o TQA Investors, LLC, has sole investment power and shared voting power over any registered shares.  The principals of TQA Investors, LLC are Robert Butman, John Idone, Paul Bucci, George Esser, Bartholomew Tesoriero, DJ Langis and Andrew Anderson.

 

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(39)         The selling stockholder is a fund which cedes investment control to UBS O’Connor LLC, which makes all of the investment decisions and voting decisions.  UBS O’Connor LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

(40)         UBS Securities LLC is required to file periodic and other reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

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CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

The following discussion summarizes the material federal income tax consequences that are generally applicable to prospective holders of the offered securities. The specific tax consequences of owning the offered securities will vary depending on the circumstances of a particular stockholder. The discussion contained herein does not address all aspects of federal income taxation that may be relevant to particular holders. Therefore, we strongly recommend that stockholders review the following discussion and then consult with a tax advisor to determine the anticipated tax consequences of owning the offered securities.

 

The information in this section and the opinions of Greenberg Traurig, LLP are based on the Code, existing and proposed Treasury regulations thereunder, current administrative interpretations and court decisions. We cannot assume that future legislation, Treasury regulations, administrative interpretations and court decisions will not significantly change current law or affect existing interpretations of current law in a manner which is adverse to stockholders. Any such change could apply retroactively to transactions preceding the date of change. We cannot assume that the opinions and statements set forth herein, which do not bind the IRS or the courts, will not be challenged by the IRS or will be sustained by a court if so challenged.

 

This summary does not discuss state, local or foreign tax considerations. Except where indicated, the discussion below describes general federal income tax considerations applicable to individuals who are U.S. persons for federal income tax purposes (as described below) and who hold the offered securities as ‘‘capital assets’’ within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code. Accordingly, the following discussion has limited application to domestic corporations and persons subject to specialized federal income tax treatment, such as foreign persons, trusts, estates, tax-exempt entities, regulated investment companies and insurance companies.

 

Under applicable Treasury regulations a provider of advice on specific issues of law is not considered an income tax return preparer unless the advice is (i) given with respect to events that have occurred at the time the advice is rendered and is not given with respect to the consequences of contemplated actions, and (ii) is directly relevant to the determination of an entry on a tax return. Accordingly, prospective stockholders should consult their respective tax advisors and tax return preparers regarding the preparation of any item on a tax return, even where the anticipated tax treatment has been discussed herein. In addition, prospective stockholders are urged to consult with their own tax advisors with regard to the application of the federal income tax laws to such stockholders’ respective personal tax situations, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.

 

Taxation of SL Green

 

We elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code effective for our taxable year ended December 31, 1997. We believe that we have been organized and have operated, and we intend to continue to operate, in a manner to qualify as a REIT. In the opinion of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2001, we have been organized and have been operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code and our proposed method of operation will enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code. This opinion is based on factual representations relating to the organization and operation of SL Green, the operating partnership, their respective subsidiaries, factual representations relating to our continued efforts to comply with the various REIT tests and such documents that Greenberg Traurig, LLP has considered necessary or appropriate to review as a basis for rendering this opinion. Qualification and taxation as a REIT depends upon our ability to meet on a continuing basis, through actual annual operating results, the various qualification tests imposed under the Code. Greenberg Traurig, LLP will not review compliance with these tests on a continuing basis. See “Failure to Qualify” below.

 

The following is a general summary of the material Code provisions that govern the federal income tax treatment of a REIT and its stockholders. These provisions of the Code are highly technical and complex.

 

If we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal corporate income taxes on net income that we distribute currently to stockholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the double taxation (taxation at both the corporate and stockholder levels) that generally results from investment in a corporation. However, we will be subject to federal income and excise tax in specific circumstances, including the following:

 

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·                  we will be taxed at regular corporate rates on any undistributed REIT taxable income, including undistributed net capital gains;

 

·                  we may be subject to the alternative minimum tax on our items of tax preference;

 

·                  if we have (a) net income from the sale or other disposition of foreclosure property (which is, in general, property acquired by foreclosure or otherwise on default of a loan secured by the property) held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business or (b) other nonqualifying income from foreclosure property, we will be subject to tax at the highest corporate rate on such income;

 

·                  if we have net income from prohibited transactions, which are, in general, sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, such income will be subject to a 100% tax;

 

·                  if we fail to satisfy either the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, but nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because other requirements have been met, we will be subject to a 100% tax on (i) the greater of (a) the amount by which we fail the 75% test and (b) the amount by which we fail the 95% test, multiplied by (ii) a fraction intended to reflect our profitability;

 

·                  if we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (a) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for such year, (b) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for such year and (c) any undistributed taxable income from prior years, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the amounts actually distributed;

 

·                  if we fail to satisfy any of the REIT asset tests (other than a de minimis failure to meet the 5% or 10% asset test) due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, and we nonetheless maintain our REIT qualification because of specified cure provisions, we will be required to pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the highest corporate tax rate multiplied by the net income generated during a certain period by the nonqualifying assets that caused us to fail such test;

 

·                  if we fail to satisfy any provision of the Code that would result in our failure to qualify as a REIT (other than a violation of the REIT gross income tests or a de minimis failure of the 5% or 10% asset test) and the violation is due to reasonable cause, and not due to willful neglect, we may retain our REIT qualification but we will be required to pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure;

 

·                  if we acquire any asset from a corporation generally subject to full corporate level tax in a transaction in which the basis of the asset in our hands is determined by reference to the basis of the asset in the hands of the corporation and we recognize gain on the disposition of such asset during the ten-year period beginning on the date on which such asset was acquired by us, then we will be subject to the built-in gain rule. Built-in gain is the excess of the fair market value of such property at the time of acquisition by us over the adjusted basis in such property at such time. Under the built-in gain rule, we will be subject to tax on such gain at the highest regular corporate rate applicable;

 

·                  if it is determined that amounts of certain income and expense were not allocated between us and a Taxable REIT Subsidiary (as defined herein) on the basis of arm’s-length dealing, or to the extent we change a Taxable REIT Subsidiary interest in excess of a commercially reasonable rate, we will be subject to a tax equal to 100% of those amounts;

 

·                  if we fail to comply with the requirement to send annual letters to our shareholders requesting information regarding the actual ownership of our shares, and the failure was not due to reasonable cause or to willful neglect, we will be required to pay a penalty of $25,000, or if the failure is intentional, a $50,000 penalty; and

 

·                  Certain of our subsidiaries are C corporations, the earnings of which will be subject to United States federal and state income tax.

 

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Requirements for Qualification

 

The Code defines a REIT as a corporation, trust, or association:

 

(a)                                  that is managed by one or more trustees or directors;

 

(b)                                 the beneficial ownership of which is evidenced by transferable shares or by transferable certificates of beneficial interest;

 

(c)                                  that would be taxable as a domestic corporation, but for Sections 856 through 859 of the Code;

 

(d)                                 that is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company subject to specific provisions of the Code;

 

(e)                                  the beneficial ownership of which is held by 100 or more persons;

 

(f)                                    during the last half of each taxable year not more than 50% in value of the outstanding stock of which is owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals; and

 

(g)                                 that meets other tests, described below, regarding the nature of its income and assets.

 

The Code provides that conditions (a) through (d), inclusive, must be met during the entire taxable year and that condition (e) must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. Conditions (e) and (f), however, will not apply until after the first taxable year for which an election is made to be taxed as a REIT. We believe we have issued and have outstanding sufficient shares of stock with sufficient diversity of ownership to allow us to satisfy conditions (e) and (f). In addition, we intend to comply with Treasury regulations requiring us to ascertain the actual ownership of our outstanding shares. Our charter includes restrictions regarding the transfer of shares of capital stock that are intended to assist us in continuing to satisfy the share ownership requirements described in (e) and (f) above. See “Restrictions on Ownership of Capital Stock” beginning on page 11 of this prospectus.

 

If a REIT owns a corporate subsidiary that is a qualified REIT subsidiary (generally, a corporation wholly owned by the REIT), that subsidiary is disregarded for federal income tax purposes and all assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit of the subsidiary are treated as assets, liabilities and items of the REIT itself. Similarly, a single member limited liability company owned by the REIT or by the operating partnership is generally disregarded as a separate entity for federal income tax purposes.

 

In the case of a REIT that is a partner in a partnership, Treasury regulations provide that for purposes of the gross income tests and asset tests, the REIT will be deemed to own its proportionate share, based on its interest in partnership capital, of the assets of the partnership and will be deemed to be entitled to the income of the partnership attributable to such share. In addition, the assets and gross income of the partnership will retain the same character in the hands of the REIT for purposes of Section 856 of the Code, including satisfying the gross income tests and asset tests, that they have in the hands of the partnership. Thus, our proportionate share of the assets, liabilities and items of gross income of the operating partnership will be treated as our assets, liabilities and items of gross income for purposes of applying the requirements described herein.

 

Finally, a corporation may not elect to become a REIT unless its taxable year is the calendar year. Our taxable year is the calendar year.

 

Income Tests. In order to maintain qualification as a REIT, we must annually satisfy two gross income tests. First, at least 75% of the REIT’s gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, certain hedging

 

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transactions entered into after July 30, 2008, and certain foreign currency gains recognized after July 30, 2008, for each taxable year must be derived directly or indirectly from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property, including rents from real property and, in specific circumstances, from certain types of temporary investments. Second, at least 95% of the REIT’s gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, certain hedging transactions, and certain foreign currency gains recognized after July 30, 2008, for each taxable year must be derived from such real property investments described above and from dividends, interest and gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities, or from any combination of the foregoing. If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% or the 95% gross income tests for any taxable year, we nevertheless may qualify as a REIT for such year if we are entitled to relief under specific provisions of the Code. These relief provisions generally are available if our failure to meet any such tests was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, we attach a schedule of the sources of our income to our federal corporate income tax return and any incorrect information on the schedule was not due to fraud with intent to evade tax. It is not possible, however, to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions. As discussed above, even if these relief provisions were to apply, a tax would be imposed with respect to the non-qualifying gross income.

 

For purposes of the income tests, rents received by a REIT will qualify as rents from real property only if the following conditions are met:

 

·                  the amount of rent must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. However, an amount received or accrued generally will not be excluded from rents from real property solely by reason of being based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales;

 

·                  rents received from a tenant generally will not qualify as rents from real property in satisfying the gross income tests if the REIT, or a direct or indirect owner of 10% or more of the REIT, owns 10% or more, directly or constructively, owns 10% or more of such tenant;

 

·                  if rent attributable to personal property, leased in connection with a lease of real property, is greater than 15% of the total rent received under the lease, then the portion of rent attributable to such personal property will not qualify as rents from real property; and

 

·                  the REIT generally must not operate or manage the property or furnish or render services to tenants, except through a Taxable REIT Subsidiary (as defined herein) or through an independent contractor who is adequately compensated and from whom the REIT derives no income.

 

The independent contractor requirement, however, does not apply to the extent the services provided by the REIT are usually or customarily rendered in connection with the rental of space for occupancy only and are not otherwise considered rendered to the occupant. Additionally, under the de minimis rule for noncustomary services, if the value of the noncustomary service income with respect to a property, valued at no less than 150% of the REIT’s direct costs of performing such services, is 1% or less of the total income derived from the property, then the noncustomary service income will not cause other income from the property to fail to qualify as rents from real property (but the noncustomary service income itself will never qualify as rents from real property).

 

We have received a favorable ruling from the IRS with respect to our provision of telecommunication services, including high-speed Internet access, to our tenants. Under the ruling, providing these services to a property will not disqualify rents received from the property. In addition, amounts that we receive for providing these services will constitute rents from real property.

 

From time to time, we may enter into hedging transactions with respect to one or more of our assets or liabilities. Our hedging activities may include entering into interest rate swaps, caps and floors, options to purchase these items, and futures and forward contracts. Income from a hedging transaction, including gain from the sale or disposition of such a transaction, that is clearly identified as a hedging transaction as specified in the Code will not constitute gross income and thus will be exempt from the 95% gross income test to the extent such a hedging transaction is entered into on or after January 1, 2005, and will not constitute gross income and thus will be exempt from the 75% gross income test as well as the 95% gross income test to the extent such hedging transaction is entered into after July 30, 2008. Income and gain from a hedging transaction, including gain from the sale or disposition of such a transaction, entered into on or prior to July 30, 2008 will be treated as nonqualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. Income and gain from a hedging transaction, including gain from the sale

 

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or disposition of such a transaction, entered into prior to January 1, 2005 will be qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test. The term “hedging transaction,” as used above, generally means any transaction we enter into in the normal course of our business primarily to manage risk of (1) interest rate changes or fluctuations with respect to borrowings made or to be made by us to acquire or carry real estate assets, or (2) for hedging transactions entered into after July 30, 2008, currency fluctuations with respect to an item of qualifying income under the 75% or 95% gross income test. To the extent that we do not properly identify such transactions as hedges or we hedge with other types of financial instruments, the income from those transactions is not likely to be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the gross income tests. We intend to structure any hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our status as a REIT.

 

Prohibited Transaction Income. Any gain that we realize (including any net foreign currency gain recognized after July 30, 2008) on the sale of property held as inventory or otherwise held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business (other than foreclosure property) will be treated as income from a prohibited transaction that is subject to a 100% penalty tax. This prohibited transaction income may also adversely affect our ability to satisfy the income tests for qualification as a REIT. Under existing law, whether property is held as inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business is a question of fact that depends on all the facts and circumstances surrounding the particular transaction. We intend to hold our properties for investment with a view to long-term appreciation, to engage in the business of acquiring, developing and owning our properties and to make occasional sales of the properties as are consistent with our investment objectives. We do not intend to enter into any sales that are prohibited transactions. However, the IRS may successfully contend that some or all of our sales are prohibited transactions, and we would be required to pay the 100% penalty tax on the gains resulting from any such sales.

 

Penalty Tax. Any redetermined rents, redetermined deductions or excess interest we generate will be subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, redetermined rents are rents from real property that are overstated as a result of any services furnished to any of our tenants by one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries, and redetermined deductions and excess interest represent any amounts that are deducted by a taxable REIT subsidiary for amounts paid to us that are in excess of the amounts that would have been deducted based on arm’s-length negotiations. Rents we receive will not constitute redetermined rents if they qualify for certain safe harbor provisions contained in the Code.

 

From time to time our taxable REIT subsidiaries may provide services to our tenants. We intend to set any fees paid to our taxable REIT subsidiaries for such services at arm’s-length rates, although the fees paid may not satisfy the safe-harbor provisions described above. These determinations are inherently factual, and the IRS has broad discretion to assert that amounts paid between related parties should be reallocated to clearly reflect their respective incomes. If the IRS successfully made such an assertion, we would be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on the excess of an arm’s-length fee for tenant services over the amount actually paid.

 

Asset Tests. In order to maintain qualification as a REIT, we must also satisfy, at the close of each quarter of our taxable year, the following tests relating to the nature of our assets:

 

·                                          at least 75% of the value of our total assets must be represented by real estate assets, including (a) our allocable share of real estate assets held by the operating partnership or any partnerships in which the operating partnership owns an interest and (b) stock or debt instruments held for not more than one year purchased with the proceeds of a stock offering or long-term (i.e., at least five-year) public debt offering of SL Green, cash, cash items and government securities;

 

·                                          no more than 25% of the value of our total assets may consist of securities other than those that qualify under the 75% test described above;

 

·                                          no more than 25% (20% for our taxable years beginning before January 1, 2009) of the value of our total assets may be securities of one or more Taxable REIT Subsidiaries; and

 

·                                          except for securities in the 75% asset class and securities of a Taxable REIT Subsidiary or a qualified REIT subsidiary: (a) the value of any one issuer’s securities owned by us may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets; (b) we may not own more than 10% of the total voting power of any one issuer’s outstanding

 

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securities; and (c) we may not own more than 10% of the total value of any one issuer’s outstanding securities (other than certain “straight debt” securities).

 

We own in excess of 10% of the stock of each of Gramercy Capital Corp. and a number of non-publicly traded REITs, each of which has elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, each of these companies is subject to the various REIT qualification requirements. We believe that each of these companies has been organized and has operated in a manner to qualify for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes and will continue to be organized and operated in this manner. If any of these companies were to fail to qualify as a REIT, our interest in the stock of such company could cease to be a qualifying real estate asset for purposes of the 75% asset test and could thus become subject to the 5% asset test, the 10% voting stock limitation and the 10% value limitation applicable to our ownership in corporations generally (other than REITs, qualified REIT subsidiaries and Taxable REIT Subsidiaries). As a result, we could fail to qualify as a REIT.

 

A “Taxable REIT Subsidiary” is a corporation in which we own an interest that may earn income that would not be qualifying income if we earned it directly and may hold assets that would not be qualifying assets if we held them directly. We may hold up to 100% of the stock in a Taxable REIT Subsidiary. To treat a corporation as a Taxable REIT Subsidiary, we and the corporation must make a joint election by filing a Form 8875 with the IRS. A Taxable REIT Subsidiary will be liable for tax at corporate rates on any income it earns. Moreover, to prevent shifting of income and expenses between us and a Taxable REIT Subsidiary, the Code imposes on us a tax equal to 100% of certain items of income and expense that are not allocated between us and the Taxable REIT Subsidiary at arm’s length. The 100% tax is also imposed to the extent we charge a Taxable REIT Subsidiary interest in excess of a commercially reasonable rate.

 

After initially meeting an asset test at the close of any quarter, we will not lose our status as a REIT for failure to satisfy that asset test at the end of a later quarter solely by reason of changes in asset values (including, for tax years beginning after July 30, 2008, a discrepancy caused solely by the change in the foreign currency exchange rate used to value a foreign asset). If the failure to satisfy the asset test results from an acquisition of securities or other property during a quarter, the failure can be cured by disposition of sufficient nonqualifying assets within 30 days after the close of that quarter.

 

Effective beginning with our 2005 taxable year, we would not lose our REIT status as the result of a failure to meet the 5% test, the 10% vote test or the 10% value test if the value of the assets causing the violation did not exceed the lesser of 1% of the value of our assets at the end of the quarter in which the violation occurred or $10,000,000 and we were to cure the violation by disposing of assets within six months of the end of the quarter in which we identified the failure. In addition, for a failure to meet the 5% test, the 10% vote test or the 10% value test that is larger than this amount, and for a failure to meet the 75% test, the 25% test, or the 25% (20% for our taxable years beginning before January 1, 2009) taxable REIT subsidiary asset test, we would not lose our REIT status if the failure were for reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and we were to (i) file a schedule with the IRS describing the assets causing the violation, (ii) cure the violation by disposing of assets within six months of the end of the quarter in which we identified the failure and (iii) pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the product derived by multiplying the highest federal corporate income tax rate by the net income generated by the non-qualifying assets during the period of the failure. It is not possible, however, to state whether in all cases we would be entitled to these relief provisions.

 

Annual Distribution Requirements. In order to qualify as a REIT, we are required to distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends, to our stockholders in an amount at least equal to (a) the sum of (A) 90% of our REIT taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and our net capital gain) and (B) 90% of the net income, after tax, if any, from foreclosure property, minus (b) the sum of specific items of non-cash income. We must pay the distribution during the taxable year to which the distributions relate, or during the following taxable year, if declared before we timely file our tax return for the preceding year and paid on or before the first regular dividend payment after the declaration. In addition, a dividend declared and payable to a stockholder of record in October, November or December of any year may be treated as paid and received on December 31 of such year even if paid in January of the following year. To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain or distribute at least 90%, but less than 100%, of our REIT ordinary taxable income, we will be subject to tax on the undistributed amount at regular corporate capital gain and ordinary income rates, respectively. Furthermore, if we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (a) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for such

 

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year, (b) 95% of our REIT capital gain income for such year and (c) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of such amounts over the amounts actually distributed.

 

We intend to make timely distributions sufficient to satisfy the annual distribution requirements. In this regard, it is expected that our REIT taxable income will be less than our cash flow due to the allowance of depreciation and other non-cash charges in computing REIT taxable income. Moreover, the partnership agreement of the operating partnership authorizes us, as general partner, to take such steps as may be necessary to cause the operating partnership to make distributions to its partners in amounts sufficient to permit us to meet these distribution requirements. It is possible, however, that we may not have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet the 90% distribution requirement. In the event that such circumstances do occur, then in order to meet the 90% distribution requirement, we may cause the operating partnership to arrange for short-term, or possibly long-term, borrowings to permit the payment of required distributions.

 

In addition, IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-15 and IRS Revenue Procedure 2010-12 set forth a safe harbor pursuant to which certain part-stock and part-cash dividends distributed by REITs with respect to our 2009, 2010 and 2011 taxable years, will satisfy the REIT distribution requirements. Under the terms of these IRS Revenue Procedures, up to 90% of our dividends could be paid with our stock. We paid our 2009 dividends entirely in the form of cash and we currently intend to pay our 2010 and 2011 dividends entirely in the form of cash. However, final determination is subject to formal declaration of such dividends by our board of directors.

 

Under specific circumstances, we may rectify a failure to meet the distribution requirement for a year by paying deficiency dividends to stockholders in a later year that may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. Thus, we may be able to avoid being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends. However, we would be required to pay to the IRS interest based upon the amount of any deduction taken for deficiency dividends.

 

Failure to Qualify

 

If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year and certain relief provisions do not apply, we will be subject to tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. Distributions to stockholders in any year in which we fail to qualify as a REIT will not be deductible by us, nor will we be required to make distributions. Unless entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we also will be disqualified from taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost. It is not possible to state whether in all circumstances we would be entitled to such statutory relief.

 

Effective beginning with our 2005 taxable year, we would not lose our REIT status as the result of a failure to satisfy certain REIT requirements, such as requirements involving our organizational structure, if the failure was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and we were to pay a tax of $50,000. It is not possible, however, to state whether in all cases we would be entitled to this statutory relief.

 

Taxation of Stockholders

 

This discussion does not address all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to particular stockholders in light of their particular circumstances. Stockholders should consult their own tax advisors for a complete description of the tax consequences of investing in our stock.

 

As used herein, the term “U.S. Stockholder” means any beneficial owner of our stock, other than an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes (i) a citizen or resident of the United States, (ii) a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source, (iv) a trust if (A) a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and (B) one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (v) an eligible trust that elects to be taxed as a U.S. person under applicable Treasury Regulations.

 

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As used herein, the term “Non-U.S. Stockholder” means a beneficial owner of our stock, other than an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, that is not a U.S. Stockholder.

 

If a partnership (including for this purpose any entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of SL Green common stock, the treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. A beneficial owner of SL Green common stock that is a partnership and partners in such partnership should consult their tax advisors about the U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of SL Green common stock received pursuant to an exchange of a note.

 

U.S. Stockholders

 

Distributions. As long as we qualify as a REIT, distributions made to our taxable U.S. Stockholders out of current or accumulated earnings and profits and not designated as capital gain dividends will be taken into account by them as ordinary income. Corporate stockholders will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction as to such amounts. Earnings and profits are allocated to distributions with respect to preferred stock before they are allocated to distributions with respect to common stock. Distributions that are designated as capital gain dividends will be taxed as capital gains to the extent they do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year without regard to the period for which the stockholder has held our stock. If we elect to retain and pay income tax on any net capital gain, a U.S. Stockholder would include in their income as capital gain their proportionate share of such net capital gain. A U.S. Stockholder would also receive the right to claim a refundable tax credit for such stockholder’s proportionate share of the tax paid by us on such retained capital gains and an increase in its basis in our stock. This increase in basis will be in an amount equal to the excess of the undistributed capital gains over the amount of tax paid thereon by us. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will not be taxable to a U.S. Stockholder to the extent that they do not exceed the adjusted basis of the stock, but rather will reduce the adjusted basis of such U.S. Stockholder’s stock. To the extent that such distributions exceed a U.S. Stockholder’s adjusted basis in the stock, such distribution will be included in income as capital gain, assuming the stock is a capital asset in the hands of the stockholder.

 

Any dividend declared by us in October, November or December of any year payable to a stockholder of record on a specific date in any such month shall be treated as both paid by us and received by the stockholder on December 31 of such year, provided the dividend is actually paid by us during January of the following calendar year.

 

Under IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-15 and IRS Revenue Procedure 2010-12, a REIT is permitted to pay taxable dividends in 2009, 2010 and 2011 of which up to 90% of the dividend is payable with the REIT’s stock. If we were to pay such a dividend, taxable U.S. Stockholders would generally be required to report the full amount of the dividend, including the fair market value of any stock distributed, as ordinary income. We paid our 2009 dividends entirely in the form of cash, and we currently intend to pay our 2010 and 2011 dividends entirely in the form of cash. However, final determination is subject to formal declaration of such dividends by our board of directors.

 

Sale or Exchange.  In general, a taxable U.S. Stockholder recognizes capital gain or loss on the sale or exchange of our stock equal to the difference between (a) the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received on such disposition, and (b) the stockholder’s adjusted basis in the stock. To the extent a U.S. Stockholder who is an individual, a trust or an estate holds the stock for more than one year, any gain recognized would be subject to tax rates applicable to long-term capital gains. However, any loss recognized by a U.S. Stockholder from selling or otherwise disposing of our stock held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of dividends received by the stockholder that were required to be treated as long-term capital gains.

 

Tax Rates On Capital Gains. The maximum tax rate for non-corporate U.S. Stockholders for (1) capital gains, including certain “capital gain dividends,” has generally been temporarily reduced to 15% (although depending on the characteristics of the assets which produced these gains and on designations which we may make, certain capital gain dividends may be taxed at a 25% rate) and (2) “qualified dividend income” has generally been reduced to 15%. In general, dividends payable by REITs are not eligible for the reduced tax rate on qualified dividend income, except to the extent that certain holding requirements have been met and the REIT’s dividends are

 

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attributable to dividends received from taxable corporations (such as its taxable REIT subsidiaries) or to income that was subject to tax at the corporate/REIT level (for example, if it distributed taxable income that it retained and paid tax on in the prior taxable year). The currently applicable provisions of the United States federal income tax laws relating to the 15% tax rate are currently scheduled to “sunset” or revert to the provisions of prior law effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2010, at which time the capital gains tax rate will be increased to 20% and the rate applicable to dividends will be increased to the tax rate then applicable to ordinary income. U.S. Stockholders that are corporations may, however, be required to treat up to 20% of some capital gain dividends as ordinary income.  In addition, we may be required to withhold a portion of capital gain distributions made to any stockholders who fail to certify their U.S. status to us.

 

Backup Withholding. We will report to our U.S. Stockholders and the IRS the amount of dividends paid during each calendar year and the amount of tax withheld, if any, with respect thereto. Under the backup withholding rules, a stockholder may be subject to backup withholding currently at a rate of 28% with respect to dividends paid unless the stockholder (a) is a corporation or comes within other exempt categories and, when required, demonstrates this fact, or (b) provides a taxpayer identification number and certifies with respect to certain matters, and otherwise complies with the applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules.

 

An individual who is a U.S. Stockholder may satisfy the requirements for avoiding backup withholding by providing us with an appropriately prepared IRS Form W-9. If a U.S. Stockholder does not provide us with their correct taxpayer identification number, then the U.S. Stockholder may also be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS.

 

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be refunded or credited against the U.S. Stockholders federal income tax liability, provided the U.S. Stockholder timely furnishes the required information to the IRS.

 

Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders

 

The IRS has ruled that amounts distributed as dividends by a REIT generally do not constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) when received by a U.S. tax-exempt entity. Based on that ruling, the dividend income from our stock will not be UBTI to a U.S. tax-exempt stockholder, provided that the tax-exempt U.S. stockholder has not held stock as debt financed property within the meaning of the Code and such stock is not otherwise used in a trade or business unrelated to the tax-exempt stockholder’s exempt purpose. Similarly, income from the sale of the stock will not constitute UBTI unless such tax-exempt stockholder has held such stock as debt financed property within the meaning of the Code or has used the stock in a trade or business.

 

Notwithstanding the above paragraph, if we are a pension-held REIT, then any qualified pension trust that holds more than 10% of our stock will have to treat dividends as UBTI in the same proportion that our gross income would be UBTI. A qualified pension trust is any trust described in Section 401(a) of the Code that is exempt from tax under Section 501(a) of the Code.  In general, we will be treated as a pension-held REIT if both (a) we are predominantly owned by qualified pension trusts (i.e., if one such trust holds more than 25% of the value of our stock or one or more such trusts, each holding more than 10% of the value of our stock, collectively hold more than 50% of the value of our stock) and (b) we would not be a REIT if we had to treat our stock held by qualified pension trust as owned by the qualified pension trust (instead of treating such stock as owned by the qualified pension trust’s multiple beneficiaries). Although we do not anticipate being classified as a pension-held REIT, we cannot assume that this will always be the case.

 

In addition, if you are a tax-exempt stockholder described in Section 512(a)(3) of the Code, then distributions received from us may also constitute UBTI. You are described in Section 512(a)(3) of the Code if you qualify for exemption under Sections 501(c)(7), (9), (17), or (20) of the Code.

 

Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders

 

The rules governing the U.S. federal income taxation of a Non-U.S. Stockholder are complex and no attempt will be made herein to provide more than a summary of such rules. Non-U.S. Stockholders should consult with their own tax advisors to determine the impact of U.S. Federal, state and local income tax laws with regard to an investment in our stock, including any reporting requirements.

 

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Ordinary Dividends. Distributions, other than distributions that are treated as attributable to gain from sales or exchanges by us of U.S. real property interests and other than distributions designated by us as capital gain dividends, will be treated as ordinary income to the extent that they are made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Such distributions to Non-U.S. Stockholders will ordinarily be subject to a withholding of U.S. federal income tax equal to 30% of the gross amount of the distribution, unless an applicable tax treaty reduces that tax rate. However, if income from the investment in the shares of our stock is treated as effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Stockholder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business, the Non-U.S. Stockholder generally will be subject to a tax at graduated rates in the same manner as U.S. stockholders are taxed with respect to such dividends and may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax if the stockholder is a foreign corporation.

 

Under IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-15 and IRS Revenue Procedure 2010-12, a REIT is permitted to pay taxable dividends in 2009, 2010 and 2011 of which up to 90% of the dividend is payable with the REIT’ s stock. If we were to pay such a dividend, we generally would be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax with respect to such dividends paid to Non-U.S. Stockholders, including in respect of all or a portion of such dividend that is payable in stock. We paid our 2009 dividends entirely in the form of cash and we currently intend to pay our 2010 and 2011 dividends entirely in the form of cash. However, final determination is subject to formal declaration of such dividends by our board of directors.

 

Dividends paid to an address in a country outside the United States are not presumed to be paid to a resident of such country for purposes of determining the applicability of withholding discussed above and the applicability of a tax treaty rate. A Non-U.S. Stockholder who wishes to claim the benefit of an applicable treaty rate generally will need to satisfy certification and other requirements, such as providing an IRS Form W-8BEN. A Non-U.S. Stockholder who wishes to claim that distributions are effectively connected with a United States trade or business, generally will need to satisfy certification and other requirements in order to avoid withholding, such as providing IRS Form W-8ECI. Other requirements may apply to Non-U.S. Stockholders that hold their shares through a financial intermediary or foreign partnership.

 

Return of Capital. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, which are not treated as attributable to the gain from the disposition by us of a U.S. real property interest, will not be taxable to a Non-U.S. Stockholder to the extent that they do not exceed the adjusted basis of our stock, but rather will reduce the adjusted basis of such stock. To the extent that such distributions exceed the adjusted basis of the stock, they will give rise to tax liability if the Non-U.S. Stockholder otherwise would be subject to tax on any gain from the sale or disposition of its stock, as described below. If it cannot be determined at the time a distribution is made whether such distribution will be in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distribution will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at the rate applicable to dividends. However, the Non-U.S. Stockholder may seek a refund of such amounts from the IRS to the extent it is subsequently determined that such distribution was, in fact, in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits.

 

Capital Gain Dividends. For any year in which we qualify as a REIT, distributions that are attributable to gain from sales or exchanges by us of U.S. real property interests will be taxed to a Non-U.S. Stockholder under the provisions of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, as amended (“FIRPTA”). Under FIRPTA, these distributions are taxed to a Non-U.S. Stockholder as if such gain were effectively connected with a U.S. business. Thus, Non-U.S. Stockholders will be taxed on such distributions at the same capital gain rates applicable to U.S. stockholders, subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax and special alternative minimum tax (in the case of nonresident alien individuals), without regard to whether such distributions are designated by us as capital gain dividends. Also, distributions subject to FIRPTA may be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a corporate Non-U.S. Stockholder not entitled to treaty relief or exemption. We are required by applicable Treasury Regulations under FIRPTA to withhold 35% of any distribution that could be designated by us as a capital gain dividend. However, capital gain dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Stockholder with respect to a class of REIT stock that is regularly traded on an established securities market in the United States will be treated as ordinary dividends, and not as capital gain dividends subject to FIRPTA, if the Non-U.S. Stockholder owns no more than 5% of the class of stock at any time during the one-year period ending on the dividend payment date.

 

Sale or Exchange of Stock.  Gain recognized by a Non-U.S. Stockholder upon a sale or exchange of stock, including a redemption that is treated as a sale, generally will not be taxed under FIRPTA if we are a domestically controlled REIT. A REIT is a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity” if at all times during a specified testing period less than 50% in value of its stock is held directly or indirectly by Non-U.S. persons. However, gain

 

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not subject to FIRPTA will be taxable to a Non-U.S. Stockholder if (a) investment in the stock is treated as effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Stockholder’s U.S. trade or business, in which case the Non-U.S. Stockholder will be subject to the same treatment as U.S. stockholders with respect to such gain, or (b) the Non-U.S. Stockholder is a nonresident alien individual who was present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year (and certain other requirements are met), in which case the nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% tax on the individual’s capital gains. A similar rule will apply to capital gain dividends not subject to FIRPTA.

 

Although we anticipate that we will qualify as a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, we cannot assume that we will continue to so qualify. If we were not a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, whether or not a Non-U.S. Stockholder’s sale of stock would be subject to tax under FIRPTA would depend on whether or not the stock was regularly traded on an established securities market and on the size of the selling Non-U.S. Stockholder’s interest in us. Currently, our stock is regularly traded on an established securities market.  However, we cannot assure you that our stock will be so traded at the time you may wish to dispose of our stock.  If the gain on the sale of the stock were to be subject to tax under FIRPTA, the Non-U.S. Stockholder would be subject to the same treatment as U.S. stockholders with respect to such gain, subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax (in the case of nonresident alien individuals) and the purchaser of such stock may be required to withhold 10% of the gross purchase price.

 

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting. Information reporting requirements and backup withholding generally will not apply to payments made by us or our agent on stock to a Non-U.S. Stockholder if IRS Form W-8BEN (or suitable substitute form) is duly provided by such holder, provided that the withholding agent does not have actual knowledge that the holder is a U.S. person. An IRS Form W-8BEN is generally effective for the remainder of the year of signature plus three full calendar years unless a change in circumstances renders any information on the form incorrect. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, an IRS Form W-8BEN with a U.S. taxpayer identification number will remain effective until a change in circumstances makes any information on the form incorrect, provided that the withholding agent reports at least annually to the beneficial owner. The beneficial owner must inform the withholding agent within 30 days of such change and furnish a new IRS Form W-8BEN. A Non-U.S. Stockholder that is not an individual or corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holding the stock on its own behalf may have substantially increased reporting requirements and should consult its tax advisor.

 

Information reporting requirements and backup withholding will not apply to any payment of the proceeds of the sale of stock effected outside the United States by a non-U.S. office of a “broker” (as defined in applicable Treasury Regulations), unless such broker (i) is a United States person, (ii) derives 50% or more of its gross income for certain periods from the conduct of a trade or business in the United States, (iii) is a controlled foreign corporation within the meaning of the Code or (iv) is a U.S. branch of a foreign bank or a foreign insurance company. Payment of the proceeds of any such sale effected outside the United States by a non-U.S. office of any broker that is described in (i), (ii) or (iii) of the preceding sentence will not be subject to backup withholding, but will be subject to the information reporting requirements unless such broker has documentary evidence in its records that the beneficial owner is a Non-U.S. Stockholder and certain other conditions are met, or the beneficial owner otherwise establishes an exemption.

 

Payment of the proceeds of any such sale to or through the United States office of a broker is subject to information reporting and backup withholding requirements, unless the beneficial owner of the stock provides IRS Form W-8BEN or otherwise establishes an exemption.

 

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amount withheld from a payment to a holder of a stock under the backup withholding rules is allowable as a credit against such holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability (which might entitle such holder to a refund), provided that such holder timely furnishes the required information to the IRS.

 

Recent Legislation

 

On March 18, 2010, the President signed into law the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act of 2010, or the HIRE Act. The HIRE Act imposes a U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate on dividends and proceeds of sale in respect of our stock received by U.S. Stockholders who own their shares through foreign accounts or foreign

 

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intermediaries and certain Non-U.S. Stockholders if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. If payment of withholding taxes is required, Non-U.S. Stockholders that are otherwise eligible for an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. withholding taxes with respect to such dividends and proceeds will be required to seek a refund from the IRS to obtain the benefit of such exemption or reduction. We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of any amounts withheld. These new withholding rules are generally effective for payments made after December 31, 2012.

 

On March 30, 2010, the President signed into law the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or the Reconciliation Act. The Reconciliation Act will require certain U.S. Stockholders who are individuals, estates or trusts to pay a 3.8% Medicare tax on, among other things, dividends on and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of our stock, subject to certain exceptions. This tax will apply for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. U.S. Stockholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of the Reconciliation Act on their ownership and disposition of our stock.

 

Other Tax Considerations

 

Effect of Tax Status of Operating Partnership and Other Entities on REIT Qualification

 

All of our significant investments are held through the operating partnership. The operating partnership may hold interests in properties through property-owning entities. The operating partnership and the property-owning entities involve special tax considerations. These tax considerations include:

 

·                  allocations of income and expense items of the operating partnership and the property owning entities, which could affect the computation of taxable income of SL Green;

 

·                  the status of the operating partnership and the property-owning entities as partnerships or entities that are disregarded as entities separate from their owners, as opposed to associations taxable as corporations, for income tax purposes, and

 

·                  the taking of actions by the operating partnership or any of the property-owning entities that could adversely affect our qualification as a REIT.

 

In the opinion of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, based on the factual representations by SL Green and the operating partnership, as set forth in the first paragraph of this section, for federal income tax purposes the operating partnership will be treated as a partnership and none of the property-owning entities (other than a Taxable REIT Subsidiary or an entity that is a REIT) will be treated as an association taxable as a corporation. If, however, the operating partnership or any of such other entities were treated as an association taxable as a corporation, we would fail to qualify as a REIT for a number of reasons.

 

The partnership agreement requires that the operating partnership be operated in a manner that will enable us to satisfy the requirements for classification as a REIT. In this regard, we will control the operation of the operating partnership through its rights as the sole general partner of the operating partnership.

 

Tax Allocations with Respect to the Properties

 

When property is contributed to a partnership in exchange for an interest in the partnership, the partnership generally takes a carryover basis in that property for tax purposes. Therefore, the partnership’s basis is equal to the adjusted basis of the contributing partner in the property, rather than a basis equal to the fair market value of the property at the time of contribution. Pursuant to Section 704(c) of the Code, income, gain, loss and deductions attributable to such contributed property must be allocated in a manner such that the contributing partner is charged with, or benefits from, respectively, the unrealized gain or unrealized loss associated with the property at the time of the contribution. The amount of unrealized gain or unrealized loss is generally equal to the difference between the fair market value of the contributed property at the time of contribution and the adjusted tax basis of such property at the time of contribution, which we refer to as a “Book-Tax Difference.” Such allocations are solely for federal income tax purposes and do not affect the book capital accounts or other economic or legal arrangements among the partners. The operating partnership was funded by way of contributions of appreciated property to the operating partnership in the transactions leading to its formation. Consequently, the partnership agreement requires these

 

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allocations to be made in a manner consistent with Section 704(c) of the Code and the Treasury regulations thereunder, which we refer to as the “Section 704(c) Regulations.”

 

The Section 704 (c) Regulations require partnerships to use a “reasonable method” for allocation of items affected by Section 704(c) of the Code and they outline three methods which may be considered reasonable for these purposes. The operating partnership generally uses the “traditional method” of Section 704(c) allocations, which is the least favorable method from our perspective because of technical limitations. Under the traditional method, depreciation with respect to a contributed property for which there is a Book-Tax Difference first will be allocated to us and other partners that did not have an interest in the property until they have been allocated an amount of depreciation equal to what they would have been allocated if the operating partnership had purchased such property for its fair market value at the time of contribution. In addition, if this property is sold, gain equal to the Book-Tax Difference at the time of sale will be specially allocated to the contributor of the property. These allocations tend to eliminate the Book-Tax Differences with respect to the contributed properties over the depreciable lives of the contributed property. However, they may not always entirely eliminate the Book-Tax Difference on an annual basis or with respect to a specific taxable transaction such as a sale. This could cause us (a) to be allocated lower depreciation deductions for tax purposes than would be allocated to us if all properties were to have a tax basis equal to their fair market value at the time of contribution and (b) to be allocated lower amounts of taxable loss in the event of a sale of such contributed interests in the properties at a book loss, than the economic or book loss allocated to us as a result of such sale, with a corresponding benefit to the other partners in the operating partnership. These allocations might adversely affect our ability to comply with REIT distribution requirements, although we do not anticipate that this will occur. These allocations may also affect our earnings and profits for purposes of determining the portion of distributions taxable as dividend income. The application of these rules over time may result in a higher portion of distributions being taxed as dividends than would have occurred had we purchased our interests in the properties at their agreed values.

 

Interests in the properties purchased by the operating partnership for cash simultaneously with or subsequent to our admission to the operating partnership initially will have a tax basis equal to their fair market value. Thus, Section 704(c) of the Code will not apply to such interests.

 

Tax Shelter Reporting

 

If a stockholder recognizes a loss with respect to the shares of (i) $2 million or more in a single taxable year or $4 million or more in a combination of taxable years, for a holder that is an individual, S corporation, trust, or a partnership with at least one noncorporate partner, or (ii) $10 million or more in a single taxable year or $20 million or more in a combination of taxable years, for a holder that is either a corporation or a partnership with only corporate partners, the stockholder may be required to file a disclosure statement with the Internal Revenue Service on Form 8886. Direct stockholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempt from this reporting requirement, but stockholders of a REIT currently are not excepted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Stockholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

 

Federal Estate Taxes

 

In general, if an individual who is not a citizen or resident (as defined in the Code) of the United States owns (or is treated as owning) our stock at the date of death, such stock will be included in the individual’s estate for United States federal estate tax purposes, unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise.  The United States federal estate tax does not apply to the estates of decedents dying in 2010.  Under current law, the federal estate tax, however, will apply to estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2010 and thereafter with a top marginal rate of 55% (or 60% for taxable estates between $10,000,000 and $17,184,000).

 

State and Local Tax

 

SL Green and our stockholders may be subject to state and local tax in states and localities in which it does business or owns property. Our tax treatment and the tax treatment of the stockholders in such jurisdictions may differ from the federal income tax treatment described above.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

This prospectus relates to the offer and sale from time to time of registered shares by the holders thereof.  We are registering the resale of registered shares for sale to provide the holders thereof with freely tradable securities, but the registration of such shares does not necessarily mean that any of such shares will be issued by us or offered or sold by the selling stockholders.

 

The selling stockholders may, from time to time, offer the registered shares in one or more transactions (which may involve crosses or block transactions) on the NYSE or otherwise, in secondary distributions pursuant to and in accordance with the rules of the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, through the writing of options on the registered shares (whether such options are listed on an options exchange or otherwise), or a combination of such methods of sale, at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.  In addition, any registered shares that qualify for sale under Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under that rule rather than pursuant to this prospectus.

 

The selling stockholders may effect such transactions by selling registered shares to or through broker-dealers or through other agents, and such broker-dealers or agents may receive compensation in the form of commissions from the selling stockholders and/or the purchasers of registered shares for whom they may act as agent.  The selling stockholders and any agents or broker-dealers that participate in the distribution of registered shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by them and any profit on the sale of registered shares may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act.

 

In the event of a “distribution” of the registered shares, selling stockholders, any selling broker-dealer or agent and any “affiliated purchasers” may be subject to Regulation M under the Exchange Act, which would prohibit, with certain exceptions, each such person from bidding for or purchasing any security which is the subject of such distribution until his participation in that distribution is completed.  In addition, Regulation M under Exchange Act prohibits certain “stabilizing bids” or “stabilizing purchases” for the purpose of pegging, fixing or stabilizing the price of common stock in connection with this offering.

 

At a time a particular offer of registered shares is made, a prospectus supplement, if required, will be distributed that will set forth the name or names of any dealers or agents and any commissions and other terms constituting compensation from the selling stockholders and any other required information.  The registered shares may be sold from time to time at varying prices determined at the time of sale or at negotiated prices.

 

In order to comply with the securities laws of certain states, if applicable, the registered shares, may be sold only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers or, if required, an exemption from issuer-dealer registration is perfected.

 

Pursuant to the registration rights agreement for the benefit of the selling stockholders, we have agreed to pay all expenses of effecting the registration of the registered shares offered hereby (in each case, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, fees and disbursements of accountants representing the holder and certain transfer taxes, if any) and have agreed to indemnify each holder of such registered shares and its officers and directors and any person who controls any holder against certain losses, claims, damages and expenses arising under the securities laws.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

 

Certain legal matters will be passed upon for us by Venable LLP, Baltimore, Maryland and the legal matters described under “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” will be passed upon by Greenberg Traurig, LLP, New York, New York.  Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, LLP also represents us in certain matters. If counsel for any underwriter, dealer or agent passes on legal matters in connection with an offering made by this prospectus, we will name that counsel in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering.

 

EXPERTS

 

The consolidated financial statements of SL Green Realty Corp. (including schedule appearing therein), the consolidated financial statements of Rock-Green, Inc. and the consolidated financial statements of 1515 Broadway Realty Corp., each appearing in SL Green Realty Corp.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2009, and the effectiveness of SL Green Realty Corp.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2009, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference.  Such consolidated financial statements have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

The consolidated financial statements of Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. appearing in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December, 2009 (including the schedule appearing therein), have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon, include therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements have been incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We and Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and each file periodic reports and other information with the SEC. Copies of these reports, proxy statements and other information may be inspected without charge at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of such materials can be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the SEC upon payment of prescribed fees. Please call the SEC at 800-SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference room.

 

We are “incorporating by reference” specified documents that have been filed by SL Green and ROP with the SEC, which means:

 

·                  incorporated documents are considered part of this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus;

 

·                  we are disclosing important information to you by referring you to those documents; and

 

·                  information that we or ROP file in the future with the SEC will automatically update and supersede earlier information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

 

We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any documents that SL Green and ROP file with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus supplement and before the completion of this offering (other than current reports furnished under item 2.02 or item 7.01 of Form 8-K):

 

·                  SL Green Realty Corp. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009;

 

·                  SL Green Realty Corp. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010;

 

·                  SL Green Realty Corp. Current Reports on Form 8-K, dated January 14, 2010, January 20, 2010, March 11, 2010, March 16, 2010, April 2, 2010 and May 18, 2010;

 

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·                  SL Green Realty Corp. Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, dated April 29, 2010;

 

·                  SL Green Realty Corp. Revised Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, dated April 30, 2010;

 

·                  Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009;

 

·                  Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2010; and

 

·                  Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. Current Reports on Form 8-K, dated March 11, 2010 and March 16, 2010.

 

You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

 

SL Green Realty Corp.

420 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10170

Attention: Investor Relations

Telephone: (212) 594-2700

 

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this document.

 

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PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14.  Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

 

The following table sets forth the estimated expenses in connection with the issuance and distribution of the securities registered hereby, which will be borne by the registrant.  All amounts shown are estimates, except for the SEC registration fee:

 

SEC registration fee

 

$

3,786.05

 

Legal fees and expenses

 

30,000

 

Accounting fees and expenses

 

10,000

 

Miscellaneous

 

15,000

 

Total

 

$

58,786.05

 

 

Item 15.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

The Maryland General Corporation Law, or MGCL, permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action.  Our charter contains such a provision which eliminates such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

 

Our charter authorizes us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to obligate ourselves to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any present or former director or officer or (ii) any individual who, while a director or an officer of our company and at the request of us, serves or has served another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee of the corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.  The bylaws of our company 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 (i) any present or former director or officer who is made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (ii) any individual who, while a director of our company and at the request of us, serves or has served another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee of the corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.  The articles of incorporation 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.

 

The MGCL requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity.  The MGCL permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (i) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (ii) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (iii) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had 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 of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless ordered by a court and then only for expenses.  In addition, the MGCL requires us, as a condition to advancing expenses, to obtain (i) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct

 

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necessary for indemnification by us as authorized by the bylaws and (ii) a written statement by him or her 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 each of our executive officers and directors.  The indemnification agreements require, among other matters, that we indemnify our executive officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by law and advance to the executive officers and directors all related expenses, subject to reimbursement if it is subsequently determined that indemnification is not permitted.  Under these agreements, we must also indemnify and advance all expenses incurred by executive officers and directors seeking to enforce their rights under the indemnification agreements and may cover executive officers and directors under our directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.  Although indemnification agreements offer substantially the same scope of coverage afforded by the bylaws, they provide greater assurance to directors and executive officers that indemnification will be available, because, as contracts, they cannot be modified unilaterally in the future by the board of directors or to eliminate the rights they provide.

 

Item 16.  Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number

 

Description

4.1

 

Specimen Common Stock Certificate incorporated by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-29329), declared effective by the Commission on August 14, 1997.

 

 

 

4.2

 

Specimen Stock Certificate for the 7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock incorporated by reference to SL Green Realty Corp.’s Current Report on Form 8-K on December 10, 2003.

 

 

 

4.3

 

Specimen Stock Certificate for the 7.875% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock incorporated by reference to SL Green Realty Corp.’s Current Report on Form 8-K on July 14, 2004.

 

 

 

4.4

 

Articles Supplementary Establishing the Rights and Preferences of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Increasing the Authorized Amount of such Stock, incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on September 16, 2009.

 

 

 

4.5

 

Articles Supplementary Electing that SL Green Realty Corp. be Subject to Maryland General Corporations Law Section 3-804(c), incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on September 16, 2009.

 

 

 

4.6

 

Articles Supplementary Establishing the Rights and Preferences of the 7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock and Increasing the Authorized Amount of such Stock, incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on January 20, 2010.

 

 

 

4.7

 

Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, filed with the Commission on February 16, 2010.

 

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Exhibit
Number

 

Description

4.8

 

Indenture dated March 26, 2007, by and among the Company, the Operating Partnership and The Bank of New York, as trustee, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K dated March 21, 2007, filed with the Commission on March 27, 2007.

 

 

 

4.9

 

Registration Rights Agreement dated March 26, 2007, by and among the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Initial Purchaser, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K dated March 21, 2007, filed with the Commission on March 27, 2007.

 

 

 

4.10

 

Form of 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027 of the Operating Partnership, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K dated March 21, 2007, filed with the Commission on March 27, 2007.

 

 

 

4.11

 

Indenture, dated as of March 16, 2010, among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., as Issuer, SL Green Realty Corp. and SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P., as Co-Obligors, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, ,as Trustee, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 16, 2010.

 

 

 

4.12

 

Form of 7.75% Senior Note due 2020 of Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., SL Green and SLGOP, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 16, 2010.

 

 

 

4.13

 

Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of March 16, 2010, among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., and SL Green Realty Corp. and SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P., as Co-Obligors, and Banc of America Securities LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 16, 2010.

 

 

 

4.14

 

Indenture, dated as of March 26, 1999, among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., as Issuer, Reckson Associates Realty Corp., as Guarantor, and The Bank of New York, as Trustee, incorporated by reference to Reckson’s Form 8-K dated March 23, 1999, filed with the Commission on March 26, 1999.

 

 

 

4.15

 

First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 25, 2007, by and among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., Reckson Associates Realty Corp., The Bank of New York and SL Green Realty Corp., incorporated by reference to SL Green Realty Corp.’s Form 8-K dated January 24, 2007, filed with the Commission on January 30, 2007.

 

 

 

4.16

 

Form of 4.00% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2025 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.17

 

Officers’ Certificate related to 4.00% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2025 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.18

 

Form of 5.15% Senior Notes due 2011 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.19

 

Form of 5.875% Senior Notes due 2014 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.20

 

Form of 6.00% Senior Notes due 2016 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

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Exhibit
Number

 

Description

4.21

 

Junior Subordinated Indenture between SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as trustee dated June 30, 2005, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, filed with the Commission on August 9, 2005.

 

 

 

5.1*

 

Opinion of Venable LLP, counsel to the registrant, as to the legality of the securities being registered.

 

 

 

8.1*

 

Opinion of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, counsel to the registrant, as to certain tax matters.

 

 

 

23.1*

 

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

 

 

23.2*

 

Consent of Venable LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

 

 

 

23.3*

 

Consent of Greenberg Traurig, LLP (included in Exhibit 8.1).

 

 

 

24.1*

 

Power of Attorney (included on the signature pages hereto).

 


*                      Filed herewith.

 

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Item 17.  Undertakings.

 

(a)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i)  To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

 

(ii)  To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

 

(iii)  To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

Provided, however, That:  paragraphs (a)(l)(i), (a)(l)(ii) and (a)(l)(iii) of this section do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3 or Form F-3 and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post- effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to any purchaser:

 

(i) If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B:

 

(A) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

 

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus.  As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.  Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser

 

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with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

 

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

(i)  Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

(ii)  Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

(iii)  The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about an undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

(iv)  Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the registrant to the purchaser.

 

(b)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

(d)   The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

 

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SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on June 17, 2010.

 

 

 

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Gregory F. Hughes

 

 

Name:

Gregory F. Hughes

 

 

Title:

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that we, the undersigned officers and directors of SL Green Realty Corp., hereby severally constitute Marc Holliday, Gregory F. Hughes and Andrew S. Levine, and each of them singly, our due and lawful attorneys with full power to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below, the registration statement filed herewith and any and all amendments to said registration statement, and generally to do all similar things in our names and in our capacities as officers and directors to enable SL Green Realty Corp. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of them, to said registration statement and any and all amendments thereto.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

 

Title

 

Date

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Marc Holliday

 

Chief Executive Officer and Director

 

June 17, 2010

Marc Holliday

 

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Gregory F. Hughes

 

Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial

 

< /td>

June 17, 2010

Gregory F. Hughes

 

Officer (Principal Financial Officer and

 

 

 

 

Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Stephen L. Green

 

Chairman of the Board of Directors

 

June 17, 2010

Stephen L. Green

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ John H. Alschuler, Jr.

 

Director

 

June 17, 2010

John H. Alschuler, Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Edwin Thomas Burton, III

 

Director

 

June 17, 2010

Edwin Thomas Burton, III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ John S. Levy

 

Director

 

June 17, 2010

John S. Levy

 

 

 

 

 



Table of Contents

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number

 

Description

4.1

 

Specimen Common Stock Certificate incorporated by reference to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-29329), declared effective by the Commission on August 14, 1997.

 

 

 

4.2

 

Specimen Stock Certificate for the 7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock incorporated by reference to SL Green Realty Corp.’s Current Report on Form 8-K on December 10, 2003.

 

 

 

4.3

 

Specimen Stock Certificate for the 7.875% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock incorporated by reference to SL Green Realty Corp.’s Current Report on Form 8-K on July 14, 2004.

 

 

 

4.4

 

Articles Supplementary Establishing th e Rights and Preferences of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock and Increasing the Authorized Amount of such Stock, incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on September 16, 2009.

 

 

 

4.5

 

Articles Supplementary Electing that SL Green Realty Corp. be Subject to Maryland General Corporations Law Section 3-804(c), incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on September 16, 2009.

 

 

 

4.6

 

Articles Supplementary Establishing the Rights and Preferences of the 7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock and Increasing the Authorized Amount of such Stock, incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on January 20, 2010.

 

 

 

4.7

 

Articles Supplementary Establishing and Fixing the Rights and Preferences of the Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, incorporated by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, filed with the Commission on February 16, 2010.

 

 

 

4.8

 

Indenture dated March 26, 2007, by and among the Company, the Operating Partnership and The Bank of New York, as trustee, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K dated March 21, 2007, filed with the Commission on March 27, 2007.

 

 

 

4.9

 

Registration Rights Agreement dated March 26, 2007, by and among the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Initial Purchaser, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K dated March 21, 2007, filed with the Commission on March 27, 2007.

 

 

 

4.10

 

Form of 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027 of the Operating Partnership, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K dated March 21, 2007, filed with the Commission on March 27, 2007.

 

 

 

4.11

 

Indenture, dated as of March 16, 2010, among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., as Issuer, SL Green Realty Corp. and SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P., as Co-Obligors, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, ,as Trustee, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K, filed with the

 



Table of Contents

 

Exhibit
Number

 

Description

 

 

Commission on March 16, 2010.

 

 

 

4.12

 

Form of 7.75% Senior Note due 2020 of Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., SL Green and SLGOP, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 16, 2010.

 

 

 

4.13

 

Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of March 16, 2010, among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., and SL Green Realty Corp. and SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P., as Co-Obligors, and Banc of America Securities LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on March 16, 2010.

 

 

 

4.14

 

Indenture, dated as of March 26, 1999, among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., as Issuer, Reckson Associates Realty Corp., as Guarantor, and The Bank of New York, as Trustee, incorporated by reference to Reckson’s Form 8-K dated March 23, 1999, filed with the Commission on March 26, 1999.

 

 

 

4.15

 

First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of January 25, 2007, by and among Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P., Reckson Associates Realty Corp., The Bank of New York and SL Green Realty Corp., incorporated by reference to SL Green Realty Corp.’s Form 8-K dated January 24, 2007, filed with the Commi ssion on January 30, 2007.

 

 

 

4.16

 

Form of 4.00% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2025 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.17

 

Officers’ Certificate related to 4.00% Exchangeable Senior Debentures due 2025 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.18

 

Form of 5.15% Senior Notes due 2011 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.19

 

Form of 5.875% Senior Notes due 2014 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.20

 

Form of 6.00% Senior N otes due 2016 of ROP, incorporated by reference to ROP’s Form 8-K, filed with the Commission on June 27, 2005.

 

 

 

4.21

 

Junior Subordinated Indenture between SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as trustee dated June 30, 2005, incorporated by reference to SL Green’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, filed with the Commission on August 9, 2005.

 

 

 

5.1*

 

Opinion of Venable LLP, counsel to the registrant, as to the legality of the securities being registered.

 

 

 

8.1*

 

Opinion of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, counsel to the registrant, as to certain tax matters.

 

 

 

23.1*

 

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP.

 

 

 

23.2*

 

Consent of Venable LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).< /p>

 



Table of Contents

 

Exhibit
Number

 

Description

23.3*

 

Consent of Greenberg Traurig, LLP (included in Exhibit 8.1).

 

 

 

24.1*

 

Power of Attorney (included on the signature pages hereto).

 


*                      Filed herewith.

 


Exhibit 5.1

 

[LETTERHEAD OF VENABLE LLP]

 

June 17, 2010

 

SL Green Realty Corp.

420 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10170

 

Re:          Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have served as Maryland counsel to SL Green Realty Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law relating to the registration of up to 898,177 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”), which may be issued in exchange for the 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027 (the “Notes”) issued by SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“SLG OP”).  The shares are covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement on Form S-3, and any amendments thereto (collectively, the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).

 

In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (collectively, the “Documents”):

 

1.             The Registration Statement and the related form of prospectus (the “Prospectus”) included therein in the form in which it was transmitted to the Commission under the 1933 Act;

 

2.             The charter of the Company (the “Charter”), certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);

 

3.             The Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, as amended by Amendment #1 and Amendment #2 (the “Bylaws”), certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

 

4.             A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company;

 



 

5.             Resolutions (the “Resolutions”) adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company relating to, among other matters, the registration and issuance of the Shares, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

 

6.             A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and

 

7.             Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.

 

In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:

 

1.             Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.

 

2.             Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.

 

3.             Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.

 

4.             All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic.  The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered.  All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents.  All signatures on all Documents are genuine.  All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete.  All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete.  There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parti es or otherwise.

 

5.             Upon the issuance of the Shares, the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under the Charter.

 

2



 

6.             The Notes for which the Shares may be exchanged have been duly authorized and issued by SLG OP and will be duly exchanged for the Shares in accordance with the terms of the Notes and the indenture executed in connection with the Notes.

 

7.             None of the Shares will be issued, sold or transferred in violation of the restrictions on ownership and transfer contained in the Charter.

 

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:

 

1.             The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.

 

2.             The issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized and, when and to the extent issued in exchange for the Notes in accordance with the Resolutions and the Prospectus, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other law.  We express no opinion as to the applicability or effect of federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers.  To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter.  The opinion expressed herein is subject to the effect of any judicial decision which may permit the introduction of parol evidence to modify the terms or the interpretation of agreements.

 

The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated.  We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.

 

This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an

 

3



 

exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of the name of our firm therein.  In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Venable LLP

 

4


 

Exhibit 8.1

 

 

June 17, 2010

 

SL Green Realty Corp.
420 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10170

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

You have requested our opinion concerning certain federal income tax matters with respect to SL Green Realty Corp. (the “Company”) in connection with the Form S-3 registration statement of the Company to be filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on or about June 17, 2010 (the “Registration Statement”).

 

The opinions expressed below are based, in part, upon (i) various assumptions and factual representations set forth in the Registration Statement (including the prospectus relating thereto), in registration statements on Forms S-11 and S-3 previously filed by the Company with the SEC and in a letter delivered to us by the Company today (the “Representation Letter”), (ii) the opinion of Clifford Chance US LLP, dated June 17, 2010 (the “Clifford Chance Opinion”), regarding the qualification of Gramercy Capital Corp. as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) for federal income tax purposes, (iii) the opinion of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, dated March 16, 2010 (the “Pillsbury Opinion”), regarding the qualification of Rock-Green, Inc. as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, and (iv) our review of such other documents as we have considered necessary or appropriate as a basis for rendering this opinion.  We have not made any independent investigation of the facts set forth in any of these documents.  We are not, however, aware of any material facts or circumstances contrary to or inconsistent with the representations we have relied upon as described herein or other assumptions set forth herein.  We have assumed that (i) all representations made in the Representation Letter to the best of the knowledge of any person are true, correct and complete as if made without such qualification and (ii) no action will be taken by the Company that is inconsistent with the Company’s status as a REIT for any period prior or subsequent to the date hereof.  We have also assumed that the assumptions and conditions underlying, respectively, the Clifford Chance Opinion and the Pillsbury Opinion are true and correct.  The opinions expressed below are also based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (including temporary and proposed regulations) and existing administrative and judicial interpretations thereof (including private letter rulings issued by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), which are not binding on the IRS except with respect to a taxpayer receiving such a ruling), all as they exist at the date of this letter.  All of the foregoing statutes, regulations and interpretations are subject to change, in some circumstances with retroactive effect.  Any changes to the foregoing authorities might result in modifications of our opinions contained herein.

 

GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP  ·  ATTORNEYS AT LAW  ·  WWW.GTLAW.COM

MetLife Building, 200 Park Avenue  ·  New York, New York 10166  ·  Tel 212.801.9200  ·  Fax 212.801.6400

 



 

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that, commencing with the Company’s taxable year ended December 31, 2001, the Company was organized and has been operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code and the proposed method of operation of the Company will enable the Company to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code.

 

We express no opinion with respect to the transactions described herein or in the Registration Statement other than those opinions expressly set forth herein.  Furthermore, the Company’s qualification as a REIT will depend upon the Company’s meeting, in its actual operations, the applicable asset composition, source of income, shareholder diversification, distribution and other requirements of the Code and Treasury Regulations necessary for a corporation to qualify as a REIT.  We will not review these operations and no assurance can be given that the actual operations of the Company and its affiliates will meet these requirements or the representations made to us with respect thereto for any taxable year.

 

This opinion letter is furnished to you for your use in connection with the Registration Statement.  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 8.1 to the Registration Statement and to the use of our name in connection with the material discussed therein under the caption “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” including its use under the caption “Legal Matters” with respect to such material.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Greenberg Traurig, LLP

 


 

Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Experts” in the Registration Statement (Form S-3) and related Prospectus of SL Green Realty Corp. for the registration of up to 898,177 shares of its common stock in exchange for the 3.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due 2027 issued by SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P. and to the incorporation by reference therein of our reports dated February 16, 2010 with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of SL Green Realty Corp. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of SL Green Realty Corp., the consolidated financial statements of Rock-Green, Inc., and the consolidated financial statements of 1515 Broadway Realty Corp., each included in SL Green Realty Corp.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2009, and dated February 16, 2010 with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P. included in Reckson Operating Partnership, L.P.’s Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2009 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

New York, New York
June 17, 2010