UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
September 20, 2006
DiamondRock
Hospitality Company
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in charter)
Maryland
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001-32514
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20-1180098
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(State or Other
Jurisdiction
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(Commission File
Number)
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(IRS Employer
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of
Incorporation)
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Identification
No.)
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6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20817
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(240) 744-1150
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below
if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation
of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
o Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications
pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
ITEM
1.01 ENTRY INTO A MATERIAL DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT
On September 20, 2006, DiamondRock Hospitality Company (the Company)
entered into a Purchase Agreement (the Purchase Agreement) with Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Citigroup Global Markets
Inc. (the Underwriters) relating to the issuance and sale of 5,750,000 shares
(the Initial Shares) of the Companys common stock, par value $.01 per share
(the Common Stock). The Company has
granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional 862,500
shares of Common Stock (together with the Initial Shares, the Shares), at the
same price per share paid to the Company for the Initial Shares, to cover
over-allotments, if any. The public
offering price of the Shares is $17.10 per share. The closing of the offering, which is subject
to customary closing conditions, is expected to occur on September 26, 2006.
The Shares will be issued pursuant to the Companys shelf registration
statement (the Registration Statement) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-135386),
which was effective upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
June 28, 2006.
The Purchase Agreement is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report
on Form 8-K, and the description of the material terms of the Purchase
Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibit. For a more
detailed description of the Purchase Agreement, see the disclosure under the
caption Underwriting contained in the Companys Preliminary Prospectus Supplement
dated September 20, 2006, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, which disclosure
is hereby incorporated by reference.
ITEM
7.01. REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE
On September 20, 2006, the Company announced
through a press release that it had agreed to sell 5,750,000 shares of Common
Stock to the Underwriters. The press
release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by
reference.
ITEM
9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
(d) Exhibits
1.1
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Purchase Agreement, dated September 20, 2006, among
DiamondRock Hospitality Company, DiamondRock Hospitality Limited Partnership,
Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
and Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
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5.1
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Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP with respect to the legality of
the Shares
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8.1
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Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP with respect to tax matters
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23.1
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Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP to the filing of Exhibit 5.1
herewith (included in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1)
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23.2
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Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP to the filing of
Exhibit 8.1 herewith (included in its opinion filed as Exhibit 8.1)
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99.1
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Press Release, dated September 20, 2006
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY COMPANY
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Date: September
26, 2006
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By:
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/s/ Michael
D. Schecter
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Michael D.
Schecter
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Executive Vice
President and
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General Counsel
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No.
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Description
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1.1
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Purchase Agreement, dated September 20, 2006, among DiamondRock
Hospitality Company, DiamondRock Hospitality Limited Partnership, Merrill
Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
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5.1
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Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP with respect to the legality of
the Shares
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8.1
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Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP with respect to tax matters
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23.1
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Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP to the filing of
Exhibit 5.1 herewith (included in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1)
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23.2
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Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP to the filing of
Exhibit 8.1 herewith (included in its opinion filed as Exhibit 8.1)
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99.1
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Press Release, dated September 20, 2006
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Exhibit
1.1
DIAMONDROCK
HOSPITALITY COMPANY
(a Maryland
corporation)
6,612,500 Shares
of Common Stock
PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
Dated: September 20, 2006
DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY
COMPANY
(a Maryland
corporation)
6,612,500 Shares
of Common Stock
(Par Value $0.01
Per Share)
PURCHASE
AGREEMENT
September 20, 2006
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
as Representatives of the
several Underwriters
c/o Merrill Lynch & Co.
Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
4 World Financial Center
New York, New York 10080
Ladies and Gentlemen:
DiamondRock Hospitality Company, a Maryland
corporation (the Company) and DiamondRock Hospitality Limited
Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership (the Partnership) confirm
their respective agreements with Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (Merrill Lynch),
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (Citigroup) and each of the other
Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the Underwriters),
for whom Merrill Lynch and Citigroup are acting as representatives (in such
capacity, the Representatives), with respect to (i) the sale by the
Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly,
of 5,750,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company
(Common Stock) and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters,
acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b)
hereof to purchase all or any part of 862,500 additional shares of Common Stock
to cover overallotments, if any. The aforesaid 5,750,000 shares of Common Stock
(the Initial Securities) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all
or any part of the 862,500 shares of Common Stock subject to the option
described in Section 2(b) hereof (the Option Securities) are
hereinafter called, collectively, the Securities.
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose
to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives
deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the Commission) an automatic shelf registration statement,
as defined in Rule 405 on Form S-3 (No. 333-135386), which
registration statement included a related basic prospectus dated June 28, 2006
(the Basic Prospectus), relating to an indeterminate aggregate offering
price or number of, among other securities, the Securities. Registration Statement 333-135386, including
any amendments thereto filed prior to the Applicable Time, became effective
upon filing with the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the 1933 Act), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the 1933
Act Regulations). The Company has
prepared and filed such amendments thereto, if any, and such amended
preliminary prospectuses, if any, as may have been required to the date hereof.
Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will
prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of paragraph
(b) of Rule 424 (Rule 424(b)) of the 1933 Act Regulations.
Any information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such
registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be
part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B
of the 1933 Act (Rule 430B) is referred to as Rule 430B
Information. Each prospectus used in connection with the offering of
Securities that omitted Rule 430B Information is herein called a preliminary
prospectus. Except where the context otherwise requires, Registration
Statement 333-135386, on each date and time that such registration statement
and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes
effective (each, an Effective Date), including all documents filed as
part thereof or incorporated by reference thereto and the documents included
therein by the 1933 Act Regulations, including any information contained in a
Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant
to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement, collectively,
are herein called the Registration Statement, and the Basic
Prospectus, as supplemented by the final Prospectus Supplement, in the form
first used by the Company in
connection with confirmation of sales of the Securities, is herein
called the Prospectus. Any
reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package (defined below), the Prospectus or any amendment or
supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the
1933 Act, as of each Effective Date or the Execution Time (defined below) or
the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be (it being understood that the
several specific references in this Agreement to documents incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the
Prospectus are for clarifying purposes only and are not meant to limit the
inclusiveness of any other definition herein). For purposes of this
Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary
prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission
pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR).
All references in this Agreement to financial
statements and schedules and other information which is contained, included,
stated or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be
deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and
other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as
the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or
supplements to the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or
the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), and the
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rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated
thereunder (the 1934 Act Regulations), which is
or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
The Company owns 100% of the partnership interests of
the Partnership and DiamondRock Hospitality, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
the Company, is the sole general partner of the Partnership. The Partnership directly or indirectly owns
seventeen (17) hotels as described in the Prospectus (individually a Hotel
and collectively, the Hotels).
The Partnership has entered into an agreement (the Acquisition
Agreement) to acquire one additional hotel in Chicago, Illinois (the Chicago
Conrad) as described in the Prospectus (the Chicago Acquisition). The Partnership (or one of its subsidiaries)
leases each of the Hotels to a wholly-owned subsidiary (a Lessee),
pursuant to a separate lease (collectively, the Leases). The Partnership will lease the Chicago Conrad
to a Lessee pursuant to a lease (the Chicago Lease) substantially
similar to the Leases. All of the Hotels
are operated and managed by a manager (the Manager) pursuant to
separate management agreements (collectively, the Management Agreements),
each between a Lessee and the Manager.
The Manager will operate the Chicago Conrad pursuant to a management
agreement (the Chicago Management Agreement) between a Lessee and the
Manager. The Leases and the Management
Agreements are referred to herein, collectively, as the Hotel Agreements. The Acquisition Agreement, the Chicago Lease
and the Chicago Management Agreement are referred to herein as the Other
Transaction Agreements.
1. Representations
and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company and the Partnership. The Company and the Partnership, jointly and
severally, represent and warrant to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the
Applicable Time referred to in Section 1(a)(i) hereof, as of the Closing Time
referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any)
referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter, as
follows:
(i) Compliance
with Registration Requirements.
(A) Each of the Registration Statement and any
post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act
and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or
any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request
on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied
with.
(B) At the
respective times the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments
thereto became effective and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities
are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement and any
amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material
respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and
did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a
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material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading.
(C) Neither
the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the
Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing
Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery),
included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or
will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
(D) Each
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at
the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and
will comply when filed in all material respects with the requirements of the
1934 Act and, when read together with the other information in the General
Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, and in the Prospectus, at the
date of the Prospectus, at the First Closing Date or the Second Closing Date,
did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any
further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, when such
documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may
be, will conform to the requirements of the 1934 Act, in all material respects,
and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading.
(E) As of
the Applicable Time (as defined below), neither (x) the Issuer General Use Free
Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable
Time, the information set forth on Schedule D hereto and the Statutory
Prospectus (as defined below) as of the Applicable Time, all considered
together (collectively, the General Disclosure Package), nor (y) any
individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when
considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading.
(F) Each
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent
times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or
until any earlier date that the issuer notified or notifies the Representatives
as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any
information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and any
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preliminary or other
prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or
modified.
(G) The
representations and warranties in subsections (B) through (E) above shall not
apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(H) Each
preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the
Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto)
complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations
and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the
Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the
electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to
EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(I) At the
time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments
thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering
participant made a bona fide offer
(within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the
Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an ineligible
issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(J) As
used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
Applicable Time
means 9:00 am (Eastern time) on September 21, 2006 or such other time as agreed
by the Company and the Representatives.
Statutory Prospectus
as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Securities that is included
in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any
document incorporated by reference therein.
Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus means any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule
433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 433), relating to the Securities
that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a road
show that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i)
whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from
filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the
Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each
case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not
required to be filed, in the form retained in the Companys records pursuant to
Rule 433(g).
Issuer General Use
Free Writing Prospectus means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is
intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show (as defined
below)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule E hereto.
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Issuer Limited Use
Free Writing Prospectus means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is
not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
(ii) Offering
Materials. The Company has not
distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the last Date of Delivery
or the completion of the Underwriters distribution of the Securities, any
offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities
other than an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus, a preliminary
prospectus and the Prospectus.
(iii) No Stop Order.
No stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or any
part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been
instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated by the
Commission or by the state securities authority of any jurisdiction. No order preventing or suspending the use of
the Prospectus has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been
instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated by
the Commission or by the state securities authority of any jurisdiction.
(iv) Capitalization. The shares of Common Stock conform in all
material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; at the Closing
Time, 76,653,159 shares of Common Stock will be issued and outstanding; all of
the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company and the outstanding
shares of capital stock or equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company,
all of which are listed on Schedule F attached hereto (each,
including the Partnership, except where noted, a Subsidiary, and
collectively, Subsidiaries) have been duly and validly authorized and
issued are fully paid and nonassessable, and except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package and Prospectus, all of the outstanding shares of capital
stock, partnership interests and limited liability company membership
interests, as applicable, of the Subsidiaries, including the Partnership, are
directly or indirectly owned of record and beneficially by the Company; except
as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there are no
outstanding (i) securities or obligations of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries convertible into or exchangeable for any equity interests of the
Company or any such Subsidiary, (ii) warrants, rights or options to
subscribe for or purchase from the Company or any such Subsidiary any such
equity interests or any such convertible or exchangeable securities or
obligations or (iii) obligations of the Company or any such Subsidiary to
issue any equity interests, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or
obligation, or any such warrants, rights or options.
(v) Good Standing of
the Company. The Company has been
duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of
the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the State Department of
Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland, with all requisite corporate
power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties, and conduct its
business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified or licensed to transact
business as a foreign entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in
which the nature or conduct of its business requires such qualification
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or license and in which
the failure to be so qualified or licensed, individually or in the aggregate,
(i) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the
performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any transactions
contemplated hereby or (ii) could reasonably be expected to have a
material adverse effect on, or result in a material adverse change in, the
condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties
of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising
from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth or
contemplated in the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto) (any such
effect or change described in clause (ii) hereof is hereinafter called a Material
Adverse Effect); except for pledges of limited liability company
membership interests granted in connection with the incurrence of debt as
disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the
issued and outstanding shares of common stock, capital stock, limited liability
company membership interests or partnership interests, as applicable, of each
Subsidiary are owned by the Company directly or through its Subsidiaries, free
and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or
claim; except for restrictions in loan documents entered into in connection
with indebtedness, which loan documents were provided to the Representatives
(or their counsel) and are disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, no Subsidiary is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly,
from (A) paying dividends to the Company, (B) making any other distribution
with respect to such Subsidiarys capital stock, (C) repaying to the Company or
any other Subsidiary any amounts which may from time to time become due under
any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or such other
Subsidiary, or (D) transferring any such Subsidiarys property or assets to the
Company or to any other Subsidiary; other than the Subsidiaries, the Company
does not, and upon completion of the offering of the Securities will not, own,
directly or indirectly, any capital stock or other equity securities of any
corporation or any ownership interest in any partnership, limited liability
company, joint venture or other entity other than the Subsidiaries.
(vi) Ownership of the
Partnership; Good Standing of the Subsidiaries. The Company is the sole general partner of
the Partnership and owns, directly or indirectly, 100% of the partnership
interests (Units) in the Partnership; the Subsidiaries have been duly
incorporated, formed or organized, as the case may be, and are validly existing
as a corporation, limited liability company, general partnership or limited
partnership, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of their
respective jurisdictions of incorporation, formation or organization, as
applicable, with all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate
their respective properties and to conduct their respective business as
described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus; each Subsidiary is duly qualified or licensed to transact business
as a foreign entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the
nature or conduct of its business requires such qualification or license, and
in which the failure to be so qualified or licensed, individually or in the
aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(vii) The Partnership
Agreement. The Agreement of Limited
Partnership of the Partnership, as further amended and/or restated (the Partnership
Agreement), has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered
by or on behalf of each of the
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partners of
the Partnership and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the parties
thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may
be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar
laws affecting creditors rights generally or by general principles of equity.
(viii) Compliance with
Laws. The Company, the Subsidiaries,
the Hotels and to the knowledge of the Company, the Chicago Conrad are in
compliance in all material respects with all applicable laws, rules,
regulations, orders, decrees and judgments, including those relating to
transactions with affiliates, except where the failure to be in compliance
would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ix) Absence of
Breaches and Defaults. The Company is not in violation of its Articles of
Amendment and Restatement, as amended and/or restated (the Articles),
or its bylaws, as amended and/or restated (the Bylaws); the
Partnership is not in violation of its Certificate of Limited Partnership or
the Partnership Agreement, and no Subsidiary is in violation of its
organizational documents (including, without limitation, partnership and
limited liability company agreements); neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
is in breach of or default in, nor to the knowledge of the Company and the
Partnership has any event occurred which with notice, lapse of time, or both
would constitute a breach of or default in, the performance or observance by
the Company or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, of any obligation,
agreement, contract, franchise, covenant or condition contained in any license,
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, lease or other agreement
or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any
of them or their respective properties is bound, except for such breaches or
defaults that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Absence of
Conflicts. The execution, delivery
and performance of this Agreement, the Other Transaction Agreements and the
other agreements listed as exhibits to the Registration Statement by the
Company and the Partnership (to the extent a party thereto) and the issuance,
sale and delivery by the Company of the Securities and the consummation of the
transactions contemplated herein or in the Other Transaction Agreements, do not
and will not (A) conflict with, or result in any breach or constitute a
default (nor constitute any event which with notice, lapse of time or both
would constitute a breach or default) (i) by the Company of any provisions
of its Articles or Bylaws, by the Partnership of any provisions of its Certificate
of Limited Partnership or Partnership Agreement, by any Subsidiary (excluding
the Partnership) of any provision of its organizational documents, or
(ii) by the Company or any Subsidiary of any provision of any obligation,
agreement, contract, franchise, license, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
loan or credit agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the
Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any of them or their
respective properties may be bound or affected, or (iii) by the Company or
any Subsidiary under any U.S. federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation
or rule or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any
Subsidiary, except in the use of clauses (A)(ii) and (A)(iii) above,
for such conflicts, breaches or defaults that, individually or in the
aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect,
or (B) result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, claim or
encumbrance upon
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any property
or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary, except as disclosed in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(xi) Company
Authorization of Agreement and Offering. The Company has the full corporate
power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the
transactions contemplated herein; the Company has the corporate power to issue,
sell and deliver the Securities as provided herein; this Agreement has been
duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a legal, valid
and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in
accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting
creditors rights generally, and by general equitable principles and except as
rights to indemnity and contribution thereunder may be limited by applicable
law or policies underlying such law.
(xii) Partnership
Authorization of Agreement and Offering.
The Partnership has the full partnership power and authority to enter
into this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated herein;
this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Partnership and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Partnership enforceable
against the Partnership in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability
may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar
laws affecting creditors rights generally, and by general equitable principles
and except as rights to indemnity and contribution thereunder may be limited by
applicable law or policies underlying such law.
(xiii) Authorization
and Description of the Acquisition Agreement. The Acquisition Agreement has been duly and
validly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Company, the
Partnership and the Subsidiaries (to the extent a party thereto), and to the
knowledge of the Company and the Partnership, by each of the other parties
thereto and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the parties thereto,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws
affecting creditors rights generally or by general principles of equity; the
description of the agreement set forth under the heading Description of the
Partnership Agreement of DiamondRock Hospitality Limited Partnership
constitutes a complete and accurate summary of the material terms thereof.
(xiv) Absence of Further
Requirements. No approval,
authorization, consent or order of, or registration or filing with, any U.S.
federal, state or local governmental or regulatory commission, board, body,
authority or agency is required for the Companys or the Partnerships or any
Subsidiarys execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or the Other
Transaction Agreements or the consummation of the transactions contemplated
herein or therein, including the sale and delivery of the Securities, or any
Subsidiarys execution, delivery and performance of the Other Transaction
Agreements other than (i) such approvals as have been obtained, or will
have been obtained before the Closing Time or each Date of Delivery, as the
case may be, under the 1933 Act and the Exchange Act, (ii) such approvals
as have been obtained in connection with the approval of the listing of the
Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (iii) any necessary
9
qualification
under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the
Securities are being offered by the Underwriters, (iv) such approvals that the
absence of which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect and (v) with respect to the Other Transaction Agreements, such approvals
as have been obtained, or will have been obtained either before or after the
applicable closing date under the Acquisition Agreement.
(xv) Possession of
Licenses and Permits. Each of the
Company, the Subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Manager
with respect to the Hotels and the Chicago Conrad, has all necessary licenses,
permits, authorizations, consents and approvals, possess valid and current
certificates, has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state
or local law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary
authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, required in order to
conduct their respective businesses as described in the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus, except for such licenses, permits, authorizations,
consents and other approvals the absence of which, individually or in the
aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;
neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries, nor any Hotel nor, to the
knowledge of the Company, the Chicago Conrad or, to the knowledge of the
Company, the Manager with respect to the Hotels or the Chicago Conrad, is in
violation of, in default under, or has received any notice regarding a possible
violation, default or revocation of any such certificate, license, permit,
authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law,
regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to the Company,
any Subsidiary or any Hotel or the Chicago Conrad the effect of which, individually
or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xvi) Absence of
Proceedings. Except as disclosed in
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus,
there are no actions, suits, proceedings, inquiries or investigations pending
or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any Hotel or, to the knowledge of the
Company, the Chicago Conrad or, to the knowledge of the Company, the Manager
with respect to the Hotels or the Chicago Conrad, or which has as the subject
thereof any of the respective officers and directors of the Company or any
officers, directors, managers or partners of its Subsidiaries, or to which the
properties, assets or rights of any such entity are subject, at law or in
equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or
regulatory commission, board, body, authority, arbitral panel or agency, that
(i) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the
performance of this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or
(ii) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xvii) Financial
Statements. The consolidated
financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries, including the notes
thereto, and the financial statements of the Chicago Conrad, including the
notes thereto, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the
consolidated financial position of the respective entities to which such
financial statements relate (the Covered Entities) as of the dates
indicated and the consolidated
10
results of
operations and changes in financial position and shareholders equity and cash
flows of the Covered Entities for the periods specified; the supporting
schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement,
if any, fairly present the information required to be stated therein; such
financial statements and supporting schedules have been prepared in conformity
with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States (GAAP)
and on a consistent basis during the periods involved (except as may be
expressly stated in the related notes thereto) and in accordance with
Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission; the financial data set
forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package, the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus fairly
present the information shown therein and has been compiled on a basis
consistent with the financial statements included in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; no other
financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the
Registration Statement; the unaudited pro forma financial information
(including the related notes) included in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus complies as to form in all
material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1933 Act,
and management of the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the pro
forma adjustments are reasonable; such pro forma adjustments have been properly
applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of the information and
such information fairly presents the financial position, results of operations
and other information purported to be shown therein at the respective dates for
the respective periods specified; and no other pro forma financial information
is required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement; all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, regarding non-GAAP financial measures
(as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply
with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933
Act, to the extent applicable.
(xviii) Independent
Accountants. Each of KPMG LLP and
Ernst & Young LLP, who have audited certain financial statements of the
Covered Entities and have expressed their opinions in reports with respect to
the financial statements of the Covered Entities included or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, are, and were during the periods covered by its respective reports,
independent registered public accounting firms with respect to the Covered
Entities as required by the 1933 Act.
(xix) No Material
Adverse Change in Business.
Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in
the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package, the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, and except
as may be otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as of the date hereof and the Closing
Time and each Date of Delivery, as the case may be, there has not been
(A) any Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising in the ordinary
course of business, (B) any probable transaction or binding agreement that
is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, entered into
by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, (C) any obligation, contingent
or otherwise, directly or indirectly incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary
that could reasonably be
11
expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect or (D) any dividend or distribution of
any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital
stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company of any class of capital stock.
(xx) Registration
Rights. Except as disclosed in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the preliminary
prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no persons with registration or other
similar rights to have any equity or debt securities, including securities
which are convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities, registered
pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company
under the 1933 Act; and no person has a right of participation or first refusal
with respect to the sale of the Securities by the Company.
(xxi) Authorization of
the Securities. The issuance and
sale of the Securities to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly authorized
by the Company, and when issued and duly delivered against payment therefor as
contemplated by this Agreement, the Securities will be validly issued, fully
paid and nonassessable, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance,
security interest or other claim created by or known to the Company, and the
issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company is not subject to preemptive
or other similar rights arising by operation of law, under the organizational
documents of the Company or under any agreement to which the Company or any
Subsidiary is a party.
(xxii) Authorization of
the Units. The issuance of the Units
to the Company in exchange for contribution of proceeds from the sale of the
Securities described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has
been duly authorized by the Partnership, and when issued and duly delivered
against payment therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable,
free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other
claim created by or known to the Company or the Partnership; and the issuance
of Units by the Partnership is not subject to preemptive or other similar
rights arising by operation of law under the organizational documents of the
Partnership or under any agreement to which the Partnership is a party.
(xxiii) Transfer Taxes. Except as disclosed in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, there are no
transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under Federal law or the laws
of any state or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in
connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance or
sale by the Company of the Securities.
(xxiv) Listing on NYSE. The Securities have been registered pursuant
to Section 12(b) of the 1934 Act and at the Closing Time, the Securities
will be duly listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the New York
Stock Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(xxv) Absence of
Manipulation. The Company has not
taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed
to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or
result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the
Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
12
(xxvi) NASD. Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates
(i) is required to register as a broker or dealer in accordance with
the provisions of the 1934 Act, or (ii) directly, or indirectly through
one or more intermediaries, controls or has any other association with (within
the meaning of Article I of the By-laws of the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. (the NASD)) any member firm of the NASD.
(xxvii) Legal, Tax or
Accounting Advice. Neither the
Company nor the Partnership has relied upon the Underwriters or legal counsel
for the Underwriters for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with
the offering and sale of the Securities.
(xxviii) Form of Stock
Certificate. The form of certificate
used to evidence the Common Stock complies in all material respects with all
applicable statutory requirements, with any applicable requirements of the
Articles and Bylaws of the Company and the requirements of the New York Stock
Exchange.
(xxix) Title to Property. (A) The Company and the Subsidiaries have
good and marketable title in fee simple to, or a valid leasehold interest in,
all real property owned or leased by them that are material to the business as
described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and good title
to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all
liens, security interests, pledges, charges, encumbrances, encroachments,
restrictions, mortgages and other defects, except such as are (i) disclosed in
the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (ii) listed as an
exception to the owners or leasehold title insurance policies furnished by the
Company to the Underwriters and their counsel or (iii) could not reasonably be
expected to have a material adverse effect on the Companys interest in the
related property, the value of such property or the business conducted thereon;
(B) any real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under
lease by the Company or any Subsidiary are held under valid, existing and
enforceable leases, in each case, with such exceptions as are not material and
do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by
the Company or any Subsidiary; and (C) except with respect to the Companys
corporate headquarters at 6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20817
(the Headquarters), the Company or a Subsidiary has an owners or leasehold
title insurance policy, from a title insurance company licensed to issue such
policy, on each property described in the Registration Statement, General
Disclosure Package and Prospectus as being owned or leased, as the case may be,
by the Company or a Subsidiary, that insures the Companys or the Subsidiarys
fee simple or leasehold interest, as the case may be, in such real property,
which policies include only commercially reasonable exceptions, and with
coverages in amounts at least equal to amounts that are generally deemed in the
Companys industry to be commercially reasonable in the markets where the
Companys properties are located.
(xxx) Condition of
Property. To the knowledge of the
Company, all real property owned or leased by the Company or any Subsidiary
(other than the Companys corporate headquarters office space), whether owned
in fee simple or through a joint venture or other partnership, including the
Hotels and the Chicago Conrad (each, a Property and collectively, the Properties),
is free of any material structural defects
13
and all
building systems contained therein are in reasonable working order in all
material respects, subject to ordinary wear and tear or, in each instance, the
Company or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, has created an adequate reserve
or capital budget to effect reasonably required repairs, maintenance and
capital expenditures; to the knowledge of the Company, water, storm water,
sanitary sewer, electricity and telephone service are all available at the
property lines of such property over duly dedicated streets or perpetual
easements of record benefiting such property; except as described in the
General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Company,
there is no pending or threatened special assessment, tax reduction proceeding
or other action that could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxi) Property Leases. Except with respect to the Headquarters, each
of the properties listed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus
as a property with respect to which the Company or one of its Subsidiaries has
a leasehold interest is the subject of a lease that has been assigned to a
Subsidiary pursuant to an assignment which has been duly and validly
authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Company and the Partnership,
and to the knowledge of the Company, by each of the other parties thereto and
each such lease constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the parties
thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may
be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar
laws affecting creditors rights generally or by general principles of equity.
(xxxii) Disclosure of
Legal Matters. The descriptions in
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus
of the legal or governmental proceedings, contracts, leases and other legal
documents therein described present fairly in all material respects the
information required to be disclosed, and there are no legal or governmental
proceedings, contracts, leases, or other documents of a character required to
be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or
the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which
are not described or filed as required; all agreements between the Company or
any of the Subsidiaries and third parties expressly referenced in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are
or will be legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company or one or more
of the Subsidiaries, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms,
except to the extent enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors rights
generally and by general equitable principles and except with respect to this
Agreement to the extent that the indemnification provisions hereof may be
limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in
respect thereof; and to the best of the Companys knowledge, no party thereto
is in, or with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both will be in,
breach or default under any of such agreements that could have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xxxiii) Possession of
Intellectual Property. The Company
and each Subsidiary, and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Manager with
respect to the Hotels and the Chicago Conrad, owns or possesses adequate and
sufficient licenses or other rights to use all patents, trademarks, service
marks, trade names, copyrights, domain names, software and design licenses,
approvals, trade secrets, manufacturing processes, other intangible
14
property
rights and know-how (collectively Intellectual Property Rights)
necessary to entitle the Company and each Subsidiary to conduct its business as
described in the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus; neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary has received notice of infringement of or conflict with (and
the Company knows of no such infringement of or conflict with) asserted rights
of others with respect to any Intellectual Property Rights which could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company
nor any Subsidiary is a party to or bound by any options, licenses or
agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person
or entity that are required to be set forth in the General Disclosure Package
and Prospectus and are not described as required.
(xxxiv) Accounting and
Disclosure Controls. The Company,
each of the Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Manager with
respect to the Hotels and the Chicago Conrad maintain a system of internal
accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that
(i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or
specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain
accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (iv) the
recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences; (v) management is made aware of all material transactions
concerning the Company or its properties; and (vi) the Company qualifies
as a REIT under the requirements of the Code.
The Company, each of the Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the
Company, the Manager with respect to the Hotels employ disclosure controls and
procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be
disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act
is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods
specified in the Commissions rules and forms, and is accumulated and
communicated to the Companys management, including its principal executive
officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely
decisions regarding disclosure.
(xxxv) Payment of Taxes. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has
filed on a timely basis (including in accordance with any applicable
extensions) all necessary U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income and
franchise tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof or have
properly requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure
so to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect),
and have paid all taxes shown as due thereon, and if due and payable, any
related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against the Company or
any of the Subsidiaries; no tax deficiency has been asserted against any such
entity, nor does the Company or any of the Subsidiaries know of any tax
deficiency which is likely to be asserted against any such entity which, if
determined adversely to any such entity, could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect; all such tax liabilities are adequately provided for
on the respective books of such entities.
(xxxvi) Insurance. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries
maintains insurance (issued by insurers of recognized financial responsibility)
of the types and with policies
15
in such amounts
and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are in the reasonable
opinion of management prudent for their respective businesses; all policies of
insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and
directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its Subsidiaries are in
compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material
respects; and there are no claims by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is
denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; the
Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiary will not be able (i) to
renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or
(ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be
necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost
that could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
and except for insurance coverage for the Courtyard Manhattan/Midtown East
which was denied by one carrier prior to its conversion to a Marriott
Courtyard, neither of the Company nor any Subsidiary has been denied any
insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
(xxxvii) Environmental Laws. The Company has obtained Phase I
Environmental Audits with respect to the Properties as described in the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as otherwise disclosed in the
General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) none of the Company,
the Partnership, any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company,
any other owners of the Properties, has used, handled, stored, treated,
transported, manufactured, spilled, leaked, released or discharged, dumped,
transferred or otherwise disposed of or dealt with, Hazardous Materials (as
defined below) on, in, under or affecting any Property, except for the use, handling, storage, and
transportation of Hazardous Materials (a) necessary for the operation of the
Hotels and consistent with (1) the practice of comparable hotels in the
industry and (2) the intended or recommended use, handling, storage and
transportation of such Hazardous Materials, and (b) in compliance with
applicable Environmental Statutes (as defined below); (ii) the
Company, the Partnership and the other Subsidiaries do not intend to use any
Property or any subsequently acquired properties for the purpose of using,
handling, storing, treating, transporting, manufacturing, spilling, leaking,
discharging, dumping, transferring or otherwise disposing of or dealing with
Hazardous Materials, except for the
use, handling, storage, and transportation of Hazardous Materials (a) necessary
for the operation of the Hotels and consistent with (1) the practice of
comparable hotels in the industry and (2) the intended or recommended use,
handling, storage and transportation of such Hazardous Materials, and (b) in
compliance with applicable Environmental Statutes; (iii) none of
the Company, the Partnership, nor any of the other Subsidiaries has received
any notice of, or has any knowledge of, any occurrence or circumstance which,
with notice or passage of time or both, would give rise to a claim under or
pursuant to any federal, state or local environmental statute or regulation or
under common law, pertaining to Hazardous Materials on or originating from any
Property or any assets described in the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus or any other real property owned or occupied by any such party or
arising out of the conduct of any such party or of an agent of any such party,
including without limitation a claim under or pursuant to any Environmental
Statute; (iv) no Property is included or proposed for inclusion on the
National Priorities
16
List issued
pursuant to CERCLA (as defined below) by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (the EPA) or, to the knowledge of the Company,
proposed for inclusion on any similar list or inventory issued pursuant to any
other Environmental Statute or issued by any other Governmental Authority (as
defined below).
As used herein, Hazardous Material shall
include, without limitation, any flammable explosive, radioactive material,
hazardous substance, hazardous material, hazardous waste, toxic substance,
asbestos or related material, as defined by any federal, state or local
environmental law, ordinance, rule or regulation including without limitation,
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Sections 9601-9675 (CERCLA), the
Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, as amended, 49 U.S.C.
Sections 1801-1819, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (Solid
Waste Disposal Act), as amended, 42 U.S.C. Sections 6901-6992k, the
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C.
Sections 11001-11050, the Toxic Substances Control Act, as amended, 15
U.S.C. Sections 2601-2692, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
Rodenticide Act, as amended, 7 U.S.C. Sections 136-136y, the Clean Air
Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Sections 7401-7671q, the Clean Water Act
(Federal Water Pollution Control Act), as amended, 33 U.S.C.
Sections 1251-1387, the Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C.
Sections 300f-300j-26, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, as
amended, 29 U.S.C. Sections 651-678, as any of the above statutes may be
amended from time to time, and in the regulations promulgated pursuant to each
of the foregoing (individually, an Environmental Statute) or by any
federal, state or local governmental authority having or claiming jurisdiction
over the properties and assets described in the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus (a Governmental Authority).
(xxxviii) Environmental
Liabilities. To the knowledge of the
Company, there are no costs or liabilities associated with the Properties
pursuant to any Environmental Statute (including, without limitation, any
capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties
or compliance with any Environmental Statute or any permit, license or
approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential
liabilities to third parties) which could reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxix) Independent
Appraisals and Environmental Reports.
To the knowledge of the Company, none of the entities that prepared
appraisals of the Properties, nor the entities that prepared Phase I or other
environmental assessments with respect to any Property, was employed for such
purpose on a contingent basis or has any substantial interest in the Company or
any of the Subsidiaries, and none of their directors, officers or employees is
connected with the Company or any of the Subsidiaries as a promoter, selling
agent, officer, director or employee.
(xl) Anti-Discrimination
Laws. None of the Company, the
Partnership or any Subsidiary or, to the knowledge of the Company, the Manager,
with respect to the Hotels and the Chicago Conrad, is in violation of or has
received notice of any violation with respect to any U.S. federal or state law
relating to discrimination in the hiring, termination, promotion, terms or
conditions of employment or pay of employees, nor any
17
applicable
U.S. federal or state wages and hours law, the violation of any of which could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xli) ERISA. Any employee benefit plan (as defined under
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the
regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, ERISA))
established or maintained by the Company, the Subsidiaries or their ERISA
Affiliates (as defined below) or to which the Company, the Subsidiaries or
their ERISA Affiliates contribute or are required to contribute are in
compliance in all material respects with ERISA; ERISA Affiliate means
any trade or business, whether or not incorporated, which with the Company or a
Subsidiary is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b), (c), (m)
or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder (the Code); no such employee
benefit plan is subject to Section 412 of the Code, Section 302 of
ERISA or Title IV of ERISA; all contributions required to have been made
under each such employee benefit plan have been made on a timely basis; there
has been no prohibited transaction (as defined in Section 4975 of the
Code or Section 406 or 407 of ERISA) for which the Company, the
Subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates have any material liability; and each
such employee benefit plan that is intended to be qualified under
Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and to the knowledge of the
Company, nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which could
reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification, in each case,
except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus.
(xlii) Anti-Bribery
Laws. Neither the Company nor any of
the Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company any officer, director,
manager or director purporting to act on behalf of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries has at any time (i) made any contributions to any candidate
for political office, or failed to disclose fully any such contributions, in
violation of law, (ii) made any payment to any U.S. federal, state, local
or foreign governmental officer or official, or other person charged with
similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or allowed
by applicable law and the Companys Code of Business Conduct provided to the
Underwriters, or (iii) engaged in any transactions, maintained any bank
account or used any corporate funds except for transactions, bank accounts and
funds which have been and are reflected in the normally maintained books and
records of the Company and the Subsidiaries.
(xliii) Loans to Certain
Related Parties. Except as otherwise
disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, there are no outstanding loans or advances or material guarantees
of indebtedness by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to or for the benefit
of any of the officers, directors, managers or trustees of the Company or any
of the Subsidiaries or any of the members of the families of any of them.
(xliv) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part
of the Company or any of the Companys directors or officers, in their
capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules
18
and
regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder (the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302
and 906 related to certifications.
(xlv) Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act. Neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director,
officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result
in a violation by such Persons of the FCPA, including, without limitation,
making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce
corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization
of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or
authorization of the giving of anything of value to any foreign official (as
such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official
thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the
FCPA and the Company, its Subsidiaries, and to the knowledge of the Company,
its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and
have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and
which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance
therewith. FCPA means Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations
thereunder.
(xlvi) Money Laundering
Laws. The operations of the Company
and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance
with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the
Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money
laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder
and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued,
administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Money
Laundering Laws) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court
or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is
pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(xlvii) Office of Foreign
Assets Control. Neither the Company
nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director,
officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of
Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC); and the
Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or
lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary,
joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing
the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions
administered by OFAC.
(xlviii) Affiliations with
Underwriters. Except as disclosed in
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus,
the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship
with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not
intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder to
repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.
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(xlix) Compliance with
Securities Laws. All securities
issued by the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or any entity established by the
Company or any Subsidiary, have been issued and sold in compliance with
(i) all applicable federal and state securities laws, (ii) the laws
of the applicable jurisdiction of incorporation or formation of the issuing
entity, and (iii) to the extent applicable to the issuing entity, the
requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.
The Company is in compliance in all material respects with the current
listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange.
(l) Rights and
Actions Affecting Properties. To the
knowledge of the Company, each of the Properties complies with all applicable
zoning laws, ordinances, regulations and deed restrictions or other covenants
in all material respects or, if and to the extent there is a failure to comply,
such failure does not materially impair the value of any of the Properties and
will not result in a forfeiture or reversion of title; to the knowledge of the
Company, there is no pending or threatened condemnation, zoning change, or
other similar proceeding or action that will in any material respect affect the
size of use of, improvements on, construction on or access to any of the
Properties, except such zoning changes, proceedings or actions that,
individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect; all
liens, charges, encumbrances, claims, or restrictions on or affecting the
properties and assets (including the Properties) of the Partnership or any of
the Subsidiaries that are required to be described in the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus (or the preliminary prospectus) are disclosed
therein; to the knowledge of the Company, no lessee, licensee, concessionaire
or vendor of any portion of any of the Properties is in default under any of
the leases or licenses governing such properties and there is no event which,
but for the passage of time or the giving of notice or both could constitute a
default under any of such leases or licenses, except such defaults that could
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; except as disclosed
in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, no person has an option or right of first refusal to purchase all
or any part of any Hotel or, to the knowledge of the Company, the Chicago
Conrad or any interest therein.
(li) Convertible
Property Interests. The mortgages
and deeds of trust encumbering the Hotels and the Chicago Conrad are not
convertible into equity interests in the property, nor will the Company or the
Partnership hold a participating interest therein and such mortgages and deeds
of trust are not cross-defaulted or cross-collateralized to any property
not to be owned directly or indirectly by the Company or the Partnership.
(lii) Securities
Convertible into Common Stock. In
connection with the offering of the Securities, the Company has not offered and
will not offer its Common Stock or any other securities convertible into or
exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock in a manner in violation of the
1933 Act.
(liii) Finders Fees. The Company has not incurred any liability
for any finders fees or similar payments in connection with the transactions
herein contemplated.
20
(liv) Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists
between or among the Company or any of the Subsidiaries on the one hand, and
the directors, officers, trustees, managers, shareholders, partners, customers
or suppliers of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries on the other hand, which
is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and which is not so described.
(lv) Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of the
Subsidiaries is, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the
Securities and the use of the proceeds as described under the caption Use of
Proceeds in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be an investment
company or an entity controlled by an investment company, as such terms
are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment
Company Act).
(lvi) Absence of Labor Disputes. There are no existing or, to the knowledge of
the Company, threatened labor disputes with the employees of the Company or any
of the Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, the Manager with
respect to the Hotels which could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(lvii) Statistical and Market Related Data. The industry, statistical and market related
data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources available that the Company
believes are reliable and, to the knowledge of the Company, such data are
accurate.
(lviii) Federal Tax Status. The Company elected to be taxed as a real
estate investment trust (a REIT) under the Code commencing with its taxable
year ended December 31, 2005; commencing with the Companys taxable year ended
December 31, 2005, the Company has been organized and operated in conformity
with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code,
and its current and proposed ownership and operations will allow the Company to
continue to satisfy the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT
under the Code for its taxable year ending December 31, 2006 and in the future;
as long as the Partnership has only one member for federal income tax purposes,
it will be disregarded as an entity separate from the Company and if and when
the Partnership has two or more members for federal income tax purposes, the
Partnership will be treated as a partnership within the meaning of Sections
7701(a)(2) and 761(a) of the Code and will not be treated as a publicly traded
partnership taxable as a corporation under Section 7704 of the Code; the
Company intends to continue to qualify as a REIT under the Code for all
subsequent years; and the Company does not know of any event that would
reasonably be expected to cause the Company to fail to qualify as a real estate
investment trust under the Code for the taxable year ending December 31, 2006
or at any time thereafter.
(lix) Tax Disclosures. The factual description of, and the
assumptions and representations regarding, the Companys organization and
current and proposed method of operation set forth in the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus under the headings Federal Income Tax
Considerations and Supplement to Federal Income Tax
21
Considerations
accurately and completely summarize the matters referred to therein in all
material respects.
(lx) Absence of Business Interruption. Neither the Company, any of its Subsidiaries,
nor any Hotel or the Chicago Conrad has sustained, since December 31,
2005, any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood,
hurricane, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or
from any labor dispute or arbitrators or court or governmental action, order
or decree that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect,
otherwise than as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus.
(lxi) Chicago Acquisition. The Chicago Lease will be, in all material
respects, in the form of the Leases, and the Chicago Management Agreement will
be in the same form as provided to the Representatives prior to the date
hereof.
(b) Officers Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the
Company, the Partnership, or any Subsidiary delivered to the Representatives or
to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to or in connection with this
Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company and the
Partnership to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
2. Sale and Delivery to
Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and
warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not
jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth
in Schedule B, the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule
A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of
Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase
pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such
adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate
any sales or purchases of fractional securities.
(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the
representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and
conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the
Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional
862,500 shares of Common Stock, at the price per share set forth in Schedule
B, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions
declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable
on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will
expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in
part from time to time only for the purpose of covering overallotments which
may be made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial
Securities upon notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the
number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then
exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such
Option Securities. Any such time and
date of delivery (a Date of Delivery) shall be determined by the
Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the
exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as
hereinafter defined. If the option is
exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the
Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will
22
purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then
being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule
A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of
Initial Securities, subject in each case to such adjustments as the Representatives
in their discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of
fractional shares.
(c) Denominations; Registration; Payment. The Securities to be purchased by each
Underwriter hereunder shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the
Representatives, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and
registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least
forty-eight hours prior notice to the Company, including, at the option of the
Representatives, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (DTC)
for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such
Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal
(same-day) funds to the account specified to the Representatives by the Company
upon at least forty-eight hours prior notice.
The Company will cause the certificates representing the Initial
Securities to be made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four
hours prior to the Closing Time (as defined below) with respect thereto at the
office of Hunton & Williams LLP, Riverfront Plaza, East Tower, 951 East
Byrd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or at the office of DTC or its
designated custodian, as the case may be.
The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be at
9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after
6:30 P.M. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof
(unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or
such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be
agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of
payment and delivery being herein called Closing Time).
In addition, in the event that any or all of the
Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase
price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be
made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be
agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as
specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company.
Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer
of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against
delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters
of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has
authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt
for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the
Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Any Representative, individually and not as
representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make
payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option
Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not
been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case
may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its
obligations hereunder.
3. Covenants of the Company and the Partnership. The Company and the Partnership, jointly and
severally, covenant with each Underwriter as follows:
23
(a) Compliance
with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will
comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will promptly notify the
Representatives, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective
amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any
supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed,
(ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any
request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or
any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by
reference therein or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by
the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary
prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for
offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of
any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to
Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if
the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933
Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect the filings required
under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule
424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it
deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus
transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the
Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such
prospectus. The Company will make every
reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop
order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible
moment. The Company will pay any
required registration fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 456(b)(1) under
the 1933 Act within the time period required by such rule (without regard to
the proviso therein relating to the four business days extension to the payment
deadline) and in any event prior to the Closing Time.
(b) Filing of Amendments and 1934 Act Documents. The Company will give the Representatives
notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration
Statement or any amendment, supplement or revision to either the prospectus
included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to
the Prospectus or any Incorporated Document, and will furnish the
Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time
prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or
use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the
Underwriters shall reasonably object.
The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made
pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations at least 24 hours prior to the
Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representatives notice of its
intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time
and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents at least
24 hours prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or
use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the
Underwriters shall reasonably object unless the Companys legal counsel has
advised the Company that filing such documents is required pursuant to the 1934
Act or 1934 Act Regulations.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to
the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed
copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference
therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and
will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of
the
24
Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and
each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the
electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to
EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each
Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus (if
any) as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents
to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter,
without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be
delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as
amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or
supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the
electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to
EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and
the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of
the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required
by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any
event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is
necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company,
to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in
order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time
it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of
such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or
supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933
Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file
with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as
may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the
Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such
amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development
as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would
conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating
to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances,
prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly
notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own
expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such
conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in
cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and
sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other
jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate; provided,
however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general
consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a
dealer in securities in
25
any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself
to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not
otherwise so subject.
(g) Rule 158.
The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the 1934 Act) as are necessary in order to make
generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings
statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits
contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds
received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the
Prospectus under Use of Proceeds.
(i) Listing.
The Company will effect the listing of the Securities on the New York
Stock Exchange, subject to notice of issuance, and use commercially reasonable
efforts to comply at all times with the listing requirements of the New York
Stock Exchange or another national securities exchange, as amended from time to
time, and use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain such listing on
the New York Stock Exchange or another national securities exchange.
(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of thirty (30) days from the
date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent
of the Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell,
contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option
or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or
otherwise transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock or any securities
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any
registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing
(provided that the Company may file one or more post-effective amendments to
registration statement no. 333-123809 solely for the purpose of updating such
registration statement as may be legally required or otherwise legally
obligated) or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any
transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the
economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or
transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery
of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise; provided,
however, that (A) the Company may offer and issue its Common Stock under
the Companys 2004 Stock Option and Equity Incentive Plan and (B) the Company
may offer and issue Common Stock or Units in the Partnership as consideration
for the Companys or the Partnerships acquisition of real property and (C) may
file a registration statement on Form S-8 solely with respect to the Companys
2004 Stock Option and Equity Incentive Plan, but only if, in the case of both
(A) and (B) above, the holders of such shares or Units agree in writing not to
sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such shares or Units during
such 30-day period without the prior written consent of the Representatives
(which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of the Representatives).
(k) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the
Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all
documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act
within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations
of the Commission thereunder.
26
(l) Price Manipulation.
The Company will not, and will use its best efforts to cause its
officers, directors, partners and affiliates, as applicable, not to,
(i) take, directly or indirectly prior to termination of the underwriting
syndicate contemplated by this Agreement, any action designed to stabilize or
manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which may cause or
result in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or
result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of
the Company, to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities,
(ii) sell, bid for, purchase or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting
purchases of the Securities or (iii) pay or agree to pay to any person any
compensation for soliciting any order to purchase any other securities of the
Company.
(m) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that,
unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each
Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of
the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any
offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing
prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a free
writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the
Commission. Any such free writing
prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter
referred to as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company and represents that it has
treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as
an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, and has complied
and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where
required, legending and record keeping.
(n) Compliance with Laws.
The Company will comply in all material respects with all applicable
securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, including, without
limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and use its commercially reasonable
efforts to cause the Companys directors and officers, in their capacities as
such, to comply in all material respects with such laws, rules and regulations,
including, without limitation, the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
in each case, upon and at all times after the applicable compliance date (if
any).
(o) Undertakings. The
Company will comply with all of the provisions of any undertakings in the
Registration Statement.
(p) REIT Qualification.
The Company shall not take any action to revoke or otherwise terminate
the Companys REIT election pursuant to Section 856(g) of the Code, except as
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors of the Company to be in the best
interests of stockholders.
(q) Investment Company.
The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by
the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under
the Investment Company Act.
27
4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses.
The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the
performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including
financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters
of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as
may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery
of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the
certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or
other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale,
issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees
and disbursements of the Companys counsel, accountants and other advisors,
(v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in
accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing
fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters
in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky
Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the
Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the
foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (vii) the preparation,
printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and
any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or
registrar for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company
relating to investor presentations on any road show (if any) undertaken in connection with the
marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated
with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any
consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and
lodging expenses of the officers of the Company, and 50% of the cost of
aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show; provided, however, that
(A) the Representatives shall pay their direct costs and expenses associated
with the road show and (B) the Underwriters shall pay 50% of the costs of
chartered aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the
road show, and (x) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and
disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the NASD) of the
terms of the sale of the Securities and (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in
connection with the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange .
(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the
Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Sections 9(a)(i),
9(a)(ii) or 11 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of
their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
5. Conditions of Underwriters Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters
hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of
the Company and the Partnership contained in Section 1 hereof or in
certificates of any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary delivered pursuant
to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants
and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
28
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become
effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings
therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part
of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the
reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing the Rule 430B
Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within
the time frame required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or a
post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and
declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B. No amendment or supplement to the
Registration Statement or Prospectus shall have been filed to which the Underwriters
shall have reasonably objected.
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall
have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, from each of:
(i) Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the
Company and the Subsidiaries, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for
the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for
each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A-1
hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably
request;
(ii) Michael D. Schecter, Esq., counsel
for the Company and the Subsidiaries, in form and substance satisfactory to
counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such
letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit
A-2 hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may
reasonably request; and
(iii) Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the
Company and the Subsidiaries, as to tax matters, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or
reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the
effect set forth in Exhibit A-3 hereto and to such further effect as
counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request
(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall
have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Hunton &
Williams LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced
copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives. In
giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the
laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York and the
federal law of the United States and the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the
Representatives. Such counsel may also
state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied,
to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company
and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(d) Officers Certificate. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall
have received a certificate of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer or
President and Chief Operating Officer and the Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company and the
29
Partnership, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that the signers
of such certificates have carefully examined the Prospectus and General
Disclosure Package and (i) there has been no (A) Material Adverse Effect, (B)
transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries considered as
one enterprise, (C) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to
the Company and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, incurred by the
Company or the Subsidiaries, (D) any change in the capitalization of the
Company or any Subsidiary that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries
considered as one enterprise, or (E) any dividend or distribution of any kind
declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or the capital
stock, limited liability company membership interests or partnership interest
of any Subsidiary, except in case of each of clauses (A) through (E) above, as
set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement
thereto), (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a)
hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly
made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all
agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or
satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to their
knowledge, contemplated by the Commission.
(e) Accountants Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this
Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from each of KPMG LLP and
Ernst & Young LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies
of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and
information of the type ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters
to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial
information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Such letters shall address the audited
financial statements, unaudited interim financial statements (including a
statement that such unaudited financial statements have been reviewed in
accordance with the standards established under Statement on Auditing Standards
No. 100), pro forma financial statements and shall provide customary negative
assurances.
(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall
have received from each of KPMG LLP and Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated
as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the
letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section. The affirmation of statements made in such
letters shall be as of a date not more than two (2) Business Days prior to
Closing Time.
(g) Approval of Listing. At Closing Time, the Securities shall have
been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to
official notice of issuance.
(h) No Objection. The NASD has confirmed that it has not raised
any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the
underwriting terms and arrangements.
(i) Lock-up Agreements. On or about the date of this Agreement, but
in no event later than the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have
received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto
signed by the persons listed on Schedule C hereto, other than Daniel J.
Altobello, who shall deliver such agreement as soon as reasonably practicable
after the Closing Time.
30
(j) No Material Adverse Effects. At Closing Time, there shall
not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, any
Material Adverse Effect.
(k) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise
their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any
portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the
Company and Partnership contained herein and the statements in any certificates
furnished by the Company, the Partnership and any Subsidiary hereunder shall be
true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of
Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:
(i) Officers Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery,
of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial
or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate
delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true
and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii) Opinions of Counsels for Company. The favorable opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP,
counsel for the Company and the Subsidiaries, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery,
relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and
otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b)(i)
hereof. The favorable opinion of Michael D. Schecter, Esq., counsel for the
Company and the Subsidiaries, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for
the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option
Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same
effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b)(ii) hereof. The favorable opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP,
counsel for the Company and the Subsidiaries, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating
to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise
to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b)(iii) hereof.
(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The favorable opinion of Hunton &
Williams LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery,
relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and
otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c)
hereof.
(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from each of KPMG LLP and Ernst
& Young LLP in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and
dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as
the letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof. The
affirmation of statements made in such letters shall be as of a date not more
than two (2) Business Days prior to the date thereof.
(l) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery
counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and
opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the
issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to
evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or
31
warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein
contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the
issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be
satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the
Underwriters.
6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. (1) The Company and the Partnership, jointly
and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its
affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an
Affiliate), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls
any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability,
claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B
Information or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto),
or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability,
claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the
aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or
proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of
any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any
such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section
6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the
Company;
(iii) against any and all expense
whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen
by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or
defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any
governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever
based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue
statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under
(i) or (ii) above;
provided,
however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss,
liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration
Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or
any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
32
(b) Indemnification of Company and its Directors and
Officers. Each Underwriter
severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors,
each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if
any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this
Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions,
or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement
(or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information or any
preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus
(or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity
with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through
the Representatives expressly for use therein as such appears in the Prospectus
in the [fifth,
eleventh, twelfth and twenty-second] paragraphs under the heading Underwriting.
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as
promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action
commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but
failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying
party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially
prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any
liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity
agreement. In the case of parties
indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties
shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties
indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties
shall be selected by the Company. An
indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any
such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying
party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be
counsel to the indemnified party. In no
event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more
than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own
counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or
separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of
the same general allegations or circumstances.
No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the
indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any
judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by
any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim
whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought
under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified
parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement,
compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified
party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation,
proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission
of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified
party.
(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall
have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for
fees and expenses of counsel (accompanied by documentation or detailed
description of such fees and expenses), such indemnifying party agrees that it
shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section
6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered
into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the
aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of
the terms of such settlement at least 45 days prior to such settlement being
entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have
33
reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior
to the date of such settlement.
7. Contribution.
If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any
reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in
respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to
therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount
of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such
indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Partnership on
the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the
Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by
clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i)
above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Partnership on the one
hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the
statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims,
damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company and the
Partnership on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in
connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall
be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds
from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before
deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discount
received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the
Prospectus bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities as set
forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
The relative fault of the Company and the Partnership
on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by
reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the
Underwriters and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information
and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Partnership and the Underwriters agree that it would not
be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were
determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one
entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section
7. The aggregate amount of losses,
liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and
referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating,
preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or
proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any
claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no
Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount
by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and
distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any
damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of
any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
34
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any,
who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriters Affiliates and selling agents
shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each
director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act
shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters respective obligations to
contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number
of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule
A hereto and not joint.
The provisions of this Section shall not affect any
agreement among the Company with respect to contribution.
8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements
contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and
in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on
behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person
controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person
controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination; General. The obligations of the several Underwriters
hereunder shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the
Representatives, at any time prior to the Closing Time or any Delivery Date,
(i) if any of the conditions specified in Section 5 shall not have
been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, or
(ii) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, any Material Adverse Effect, or material change in management of the
Company or any Subsidiary, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
business, or (iii) if there has occurred any outbreak or escalation of
national or international hostilities, other national or international calamity
or crisis (including without limitation any terrorist or similar attack), any
change in the United States or international financial markets, or any
substantial change in United States or international economic, political,
financial or other conditions, the effect of which on the financial markets of
the United States is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the
Representatives, impracticable to market the Shares in the manner and on the
terms described in the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto) or
enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iv) if trading in
any securities of the Company has been suspended by the Commission or by the
New York Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange
or in the Nasdaq Stock Market has been suspended (including an automatic halt
in trading pursuant to market-decline triggers, other than those in which
solely program trading is temporarily halted), or limitations on prices for
trading (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) have
been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities have been required, by
such exchange or the NASD or by order of the Commission or
35
any other governmental authority, or (v) a general banking
moratorium shall have been declared by any federal, New York or Maryland
authorities or (vi) any federal or state statute, regulation, rule or
order of any court or other governmental authority has been enacted, published,
decreed or otherwise promulgated which, in the reasonable opinion of the
Representatives, materially adversely affects or will materially adversely
affect the business or operations of the Company, or (vii) any action has
been taken by any federal, state or local government or agency in respect of
its monetary or fiscal affairs which, in the reasonable opinion of the
Representatives, has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the
United States, or (viii) the Company shall have sustained a loss by
strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character
as in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially
with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of
whether or not such loss shall have been insured.
(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any
other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that
Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force
and effect.
(c) Notice of Termination.
If the Representatives elect to terminate this Agreement as provided in
this Article 9, the Company and the Underwriters shall be notified promptly by
electronic communication to the Company Chief Executive Officer or by
facsimile.
10. Default by One or More of the
Underwriters. If one or more of the
Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the
Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the
Defaulted Securities), the Representatives shall have the right,
within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the
non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all,
but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be
agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the
Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour
period, then:
(i) if the number of Defaulted Securities
does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date,
each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and
not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their
respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting
obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(ii) if the number of Defaulted Securities
exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this
Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the
Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company
to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery
shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve
any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
36
11. In the event of any such default
which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a
Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a
termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company
to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i)
Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing
Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not
exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements. As used herein, the term Underwriter
includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
12. Default by the Company. (a) If the
Company shall fail at Closing Time or at the Date of Delivery to sell the
number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this
Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any
nondefaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of
Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section
shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
13. Tax Disclosure. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, immediately upon commencement of discussions with respect to the
transactions contemplated hereby, the Company (and each employee,
representative or other agent of the Company) may disclose to any and all
persons, without limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all materials of any kind
(including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to the Company
relating to such tax treatment and tax structure. For purposes of the foregoing, the term tax
treatment is the purported or claimed federal income tax treatment of the
transactions contemplated hereby, and the term tax structure includes any
fact that may be relevant to understanding the purported or claimed federal
income tax treatment of the transactions contemplated hereby.
14. Notices. All notices and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if
mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed
to the Representatives at Merrill Lynch & Co., 4 World Financial Center,
New York, New York 10080, attention of Jeffrey Horowitz and to Citigroup Global
Markets Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013, attention of
Chris Djoganopoulos; notices to the Company and the Partnership shall be
directed to the offices of the Company at 6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800,
Bethesda, Maryland 20817, Attention: Michael D. Schecter (facsimile 301-380-6727),
with a copy to Goodwin Procter LLP, Exchange Place, Boston, Massachusetts,
02109, Attention: Suzanne D. Lecaroz, (facsimile no. 617523-1231).
15. No Advisory or Fiduciary
Relationship. The Company
acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities
pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering
price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arms-length
commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several
Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering
contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each
Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent
or fiduciary of the Company, or its respective stockholders, creditors,
employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an
37
advisory or fiduciary
responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering
contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether
such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other
matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to
the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in
this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be
engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ
from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any
legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering
contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own respective legal,
accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
38
16. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their
respective successors. Nothing expressed
or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any
person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and
their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and
directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal
representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in
respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and
provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said
controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal
representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or
corporation. No purchaser of Securities
from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such
purchase.
17. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND
CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
18. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS
AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER
TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number
of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such
counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
20. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for
convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
21. Definitions.
The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement,
shall have the meanings indicated.
Business Day shall mean any day other than a
Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or
trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.
Execution Time shall mean the date and time that
this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.
For purposes of Section 1(a) and for the avoidance of
doubt, the phrase to the Knowledge of the Company, to the extent such phrase
is used to qualify the representations and warranties of the Company that
relate to the Manager, refers to the knowledge of the Company or its employees
or agents (not including the Manager) gained in the ordinary course of the
Companys business and through the Companys correspondence and communications
made in the ordinary course of business.
39
U.S. or United States
shall mean the United States of America (including the states thereof and the
District of Columbia), its territories, its possessions and other areas subject
to its jurisdiction.
40
If the foregoing is in accordance with your
understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a
counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts,
will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in
accordance with its terms.
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Very truly yours,
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DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY COMPANY
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By:
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/s/ Mark W. Brugger
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Name:
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Mark W. Brugger
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Title:
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Executive Vice President, Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer
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DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY L.P.
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By:
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DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY COMPANY,
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its general partner
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By:
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/s/ Mark W. Brugger
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Name: Mark W. Brugger
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Title: Executive Vice President,
Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer
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Accepted and agreed to as of
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the date first above written:
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MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
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MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
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INCORPORATED
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By:
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/s/ Alexander Virtue
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Title: Vice President, Investment Banking
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CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
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By:
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/s/ Christopher S. Shea
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Title: Vice President
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For itself and as Representatives of the other
Underwriters named on Schedule A hereto.
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41
SCHEDULE A
Name of Underwriter
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Number of
Initial Securities
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce,
Fenner & Smith
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Incorporated
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2,875,000
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Citigroup Global
Markets Inc.
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2,875,000
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Total
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5,750,000
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Sch A-1
SCHEDULE B
DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY COMPANY
6,612,500 Shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $0.01 Per Share)
1. The
price per share for the Securities paid by the Underwriters, determined as
provided in said Section 2, shall be $16.90.
Sch B-1
SCHEDULE C
List
of persons and entities subject to lock-up
William W. McCarten
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John
L. Williams
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Daniel
J. Altobello
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W.
Robert Grafton
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Gilbert
T. Ray
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Maureen
L. McAvey
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Mark
W. Brugger
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Michael
D. Schecter
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Sean
M. Mahoney
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Sch C-1
SCHEDULE D
Information Conveyed at the
Applicable Time
Price per share:
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$17.10
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Offering Size:
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5,750,000 or 6,612,500 shares if the Underwriters
exercise their over-allotment option in full
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Underwriting Discount:
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The public offering price for the Securities will be
$17.10 per share, with an underwriting discount of $0.20 per share
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Closing Date:
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September 26, 2006
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Sch D-1
SCHEDULE E
Issuer General Use Free Writing
Prospectuses
None.
Sch E-1
SCHEDULE F
Subsidiaries of the Company
Jurisdiction
in Which Company Qualified as a Foreign Corporation: N/A
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Subsidiary
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Jurisdiction
of Organization
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Jurisdiction in
Which
Qualified
as a Foreign
Corporation
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1.
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Bloodstone TRS, Inc.
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Delaware
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N/A
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2.
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DiamondRock Alpharetta Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Georgia
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3.
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DiamondRock Alpharetta Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Georgia
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4.
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DiamondRock Bethesda General, LLC
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Delaware
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Maryland
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5.
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DiamondRock Bethesda Limited, LLC
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Delaware
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Maryland
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6.
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DiamondRock Bethesda Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Maryland
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7.
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DiamondRock Buckhead Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Georgia
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8.
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DiamondRock Buckhead Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Georgia
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9.
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DiamondRock Cayman Islands, Inc.
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Cayman Islands, BWI
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N/A
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10.
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DiamondRock Chicago Conrad Owner, LLC
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Delware
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Illinois
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11.
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DiamondRock Chicago Conrad Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Illinois
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12.
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DiamondRock Chicago Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Illinois
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13.
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DiamondRock Chicago Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Illinois
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14.
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DiamondRock East 40th Street NYC Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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New York
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15.
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DiamondRock East 40th Street NYC Owner Holdings, LLC
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Delaware
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New York
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16.
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DiamondRock East 40th Street NYC Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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New York
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17.
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DiamondRock Frenchmans Holdings, LLC
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Delaware
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N/A
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18.
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DiamondRock Frenchmans Owner, Inc.
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USVI
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N/A
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19.
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DiamondRock Griffin Gate Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Kentucky
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20.
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DiamondRock Griffin Gate Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Kentucky
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21.
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DiamondRock Hospitality, LLC
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Delaware
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N/A
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22.
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DiamondRock Hospitality Limited Partnership
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Delaware
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N/A
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23.
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DiamondRock LAX Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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California
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24.
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DiamondRock LAX Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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California
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25.
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DiamondRock Manhattan/Midtown East Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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New York
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26.
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DiamondRock Manhattan/Midtown East Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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New York
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27.
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DiamondRock Manhattan/Midtown East Tenant Holdings,
LLC
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Delaware
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New York
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28.
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DiamondRock Oak Brook Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Illinois
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29.
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DiamondRock Oak Brook Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Illinois
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30.
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DiamondRock Orlando Airport Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Florida
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31.
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DiamondRock Orlando Airport Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Florida
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32.
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DiamondRock Salt Lake Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Utah
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33.
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DiamondRock Salt Lake Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Utah
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34.
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DiamondRock Sonoma Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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California
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35.
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DiamondRock Sonoma Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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California
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B-1
36.
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DiamondRock Torrance Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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California
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37.
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DiamondRock Torrance Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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California
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38.
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DiamondRock Vail Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Colorado
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39.
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DiamondRock Vail Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Colorado
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40.
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DRH Worthington Owner General, LLC
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Delaware
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Texas
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41.
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DRH Worthington Owner Limited, LLC
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Delaware
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Texas
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42.
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DRH Worthington Owner Limited Partnership
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Delaware
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*Texas
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*dba DRH Worthington Owner I Limited Partnership in
Texas only
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43.
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DRH Worthington Tenant General, LLC
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44.
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DRH Worthington Tenant Limited, LLC
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Delaware
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Texas
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45.
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DRH Worthington Tenant Limited Partnership
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Delaware
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**Texas
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**dba DRH Worthington Tenant I Limited Partnership in
Texas only
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46.
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Noble-DiamondRock Perimeter Center Owner, LLC
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Delaware
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Georgia
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47.
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Noble-DiamondRock Perimeter Center Tenant, LLC
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Delaware
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Georiga
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48.
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Rock Spring Park Hotel Limited Partnership
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Maryland
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N/A
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B-2
Exhibit
5.1
September 25, 2006
DiamondRock Hospitality Company
6903
Rockledge Drive, Suite 800
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
Re: Legality of Securities to
be Registered Under Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is
furnished in our capacity as counsel to DiamondRock Hospitality Company, a Maryland corporation (the Company),
in connection with the Companys registration statement on Form S-3 (File No.
333-135386) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission)
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), on June
28, 2006 (the Registration Statement). Pursuant to the Registration Statement,
the Company proposes to issue and sell 6,612,500 shares (the Shares) of
its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, in accordance with the terms set
forth in the prospectus supplement dated September 21, 2006 (the Prospectus
Supplement) to the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement.
We have reviewed
such documents and made
such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions
expressed below. We have relied, without independent
verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of
fact material to the opinions set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.
The opinion
expressed below is limited to the Maryland General Corporation Law (which
includes applicable provisions of the Maryland Constitution and reported
judicial decisions interpreting the Maryland General Corporation Law and the Maryland Constitution).
Based on the
foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and,
upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the
terms of the Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.
We hereby consent
to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement
and to the references to our firm under the caption Legal Matters in the
Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in
the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the
Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
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Sincerely,
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/s/ GOODWIN
PROCTER LLP
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Goodwin Procter LLP
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Exhibit
8.1
As of September
25, 2006
DiamondRock Hospitality Company
6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20817
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for DiamondRock Hospitality
Company, a Maryland corporation (the Company), in connection with a
registration (the Registration) of 6,612,500 shares (Shares) of common
stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share, as described in the
registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-135386) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, on June 28, 2006, as amended by the prospectus supplement filed on
September 20, 2006 (the Registration Statement). This opinion letter addresses the Companys
qualification as a real estate investment trust (a REIT) under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), the classification of DiamondRock
Hospitality Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership (the Operating
Partnership) as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and the
accuracy of certain matters discussed in the Registration Statement under the
heading Federal Income Tax Considerations and Supplement to Federal Income
Tax Considerations.
In rendering the following opinions, we have reviewed
and relied upon the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company dated as of June 25, 2004, the Limited
Partnership Agreement of the Operating Partnership, dated as of June 4, 2004
and as in effect as of the date hereof, and such other records, certificates,
and documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of
rendering the opinions set forth herein.
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed (i) the genuineness
of all signatures on documents we have examined, (ii) the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, (iii) the conformity to the original
documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, (iv) the conformity, to
the extent relevant to our opinions, of final documents to all documents
submitted to us as drafts, (v) the authority and capacity of the individual or
individuals who executed any such documents on behalf of any person, and (vi)
the accuracy and completeness of all records made available to us.
We also have reviewed and relied upon the
representations, as to factual matters, and covenants of the Company and the
Operating Partnership contained in a letter that the Company provided to us in
connection with the preparation of this opinion letter (the REIT Certificate),
and that we have discussed with the Companys representative, regarding the
organization and operations of the Company and the Operating Partnership and
other matters affecting the Companys ability to qualify as a REIT. For purposes of this opinion letter, we
assume that each such representation and covenant has been, is and will be
true, correct and complete, that the Company, the Operating Partnership and any
subsidiaries have been, are and will be owned and operated in accordance with
the REIT Certificate and that all representations that speak to the best of the
belief and/or knowledge of any person(s) or party(ies), or are subject to
similar qualification, have been, are and will continue to be true, correct and
complete as if made without such qualification.
To the extent such representations and covenants speak to the intended
ownership or operations of the Company or the Operating Partnership, we assume
that each of the Company and the Operating Partnership will in fact be owned
and operated in accordance with such stated intent.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the
limitations set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:
(i) commencing
with the Companys taxable year ended December 31, 2005, the Company has been
organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification
and taxation as a REIT under the Code and its current and proposed ownership
and operations will allow the Company to continue to satisfy the requirements
for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for subsequent taxable
years;
2
(ii) as
long as the Operating Partnership has only one member for federal income tax
purposes, it will be disregarded as an entity separate from the Company and if
and when the Operating Partnership has two or more members for federal income
tax purposes, the Operating Partnership will be treated as a partnership within
the meaning of Code Sections 7701(a)(2) and 761(a) and will not be treated as a
publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation under the rules of Code
Section 7704; and
(iii) the
statements set forth under the heading Certain Federal Income Tax
Considerations and Supplement to Federal Income Tax Considerations in the
Registration Statement, insofar as such statements constitute matters of law,
summaries of legal matters, legal documents, contracts or legal proceedings, or
legal conclusions, are correct in all material respects and do not omit to
state a matter of law necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
* * * * *
We express no opinion other than the opinions
expressly set forth herein. Our opinions
are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service. The Internal Revenue Service may disagree
with and challenge our conclusions, and a court could sustain such a
challenge. Our opinions are based upon
the Code, the Income Tax Regulations and Procedure and Administration
Regulations promulgated thereunder and existing administrative and judicial
interpretations thereof, all as in effect as of the date of this opinion
letter. Changes in applicable law could
cause the federal income tax treatment of the Company to differ materially and
adversely from the treatment described above and render the tax discussion in
the Registration Statement incorrect or incomplete.
We are rendering this opinion letter to you in
connection with the Registration and sale of Shares and this opinion letter may
not be relied upon by any other person or for any other purpose without our
prior written consent. This opinion
letter speaks only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to
update this opinion letter or to notify any person of any changes in facts,
circumstances or applicable law (including without limitation any discovery of
any facts that are inconsistent with the REIT Certificate).
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Very truly yours,
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/s/ GOODWIN
PROCTER LLP
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Goodwin Procter LLP
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3
Exhibit
99.1
Press
Release
DiamondRock
Announces the Sale of 5.75 Million Shares of Common Equity
BETHESDA,
Md., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ DiamondRock Hospitality Company
(DiamondRock) (NYSE: DRH) today announced that it has agreed to sell 5.75 million
shares of common stock to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.
DiamondRock
intends to use the net proceeds of approximately $100 million to fund the
previously announced acquisition of the Conrad Chicago Hotel and to fund
certain capital expenditures at the Companys hotels as well as other general
corporate purposes, including potential acquisitions of other hotels.
Citigroup
Global Markets Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
acted as joint book running managers for the offering.
The
offering is being made pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the prospectus
filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission as part of
DiamondRocks shelf registration statement.
This
communication shall not constitute an offer to sell nor shall there be any sale
of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or
qualifications under the securities laws of any such state or other
jurisdiction. A copy of the final prospectus supplement and prospectus relating
to these securities may be obtained, when available, from Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (Prospectus Fulfillment) by phone to
(212) 449-1000 or by mail to 4 World Financial Center, New York, NY 10080.
This
press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal
securities laws and regulations. These forward looking statements are
identified by their use of terms and phrases such as believe, expect,
intend, project, and other similar terms and phrases, including references
to assumptions and forecasts of future results. Forward-looking statements are
not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ
materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements
are made. These risks include, but are not limited to: national and local economic
and business conditions, including the potential for additional terrorist
attacks, that will affect occupancy rates at our hotels and the demand for
hotel products and services; operating risks associated with the hotel
business; risks associated with the level of our indebtedness; relationships
with property managers; our ability to compete effectively in areas such as
access, location, quality of accommodations and room rate structures; changes
in travel patterns, taxes and government regulations which influence or
determine wages, prices, construction procedures and costs. Although the
Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward- looking statements
are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the
expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All
information in this press release is as of the date of this release, and the
Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward- looking statement to
conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Companys
expectations.
DiamondRock
Hospitality Company is a self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) that
is an owner and acquirer of premium hotel properties. After the acquisition of
the Conrad Chicago, which is expected to be completed later this year,
DiamondRock will own 18 hotels with 7,989 rooms. The Company has a strategic
acquisition sourcing relationship with Marriott International. For further
information, please visit the DiamondRocks website at http://www.drhc.com.
SOURCE
DiamondRock Hospitality Company
CONTACT:
Mark W. Brugger of DiamondRock Hospitality Company, +1-240-744-1150