As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2009

Registration No. 333-157753

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 To

Form S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

DiamondRock Hospitality Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800

Bethesda, Maryland 20817

(240) 744-1150

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

 

Michael D. Schecter

Executive Vice President, General Counsel
and Corporate Secretary

DiamondRock Hospitality Company

6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800

Bethesda, Maryland 20817

(240) 744-1150

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

 

 

Copies to:

 

Suzanne D. Lecaroz, Esq.

Goodwin Procter LLP

Exchange Place

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

Tel: (617) 570-1000

Fax: (617) 523-1231

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:  From time to time after the effective date of this registration statement, as determined by the registrant.

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-157753) is being filed solely for the purpose of filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission a replacement Exhibit 8.1 to the Registration Statement. Amendment No. 1 does not modify any provision of the prospectus that forms a part of the Registration Statement, and accordingly, such prospectus has not been included herein.

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

 

The following table itemizes the expenses incurred by us in connection with the issuance and registration of the securities being registered hereunder. All amounts shown are estimates.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

The MGCL requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his service in that capacity. The MGCL permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under the MGCL, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, the MGCL permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his good faith belief that he has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or on his behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

 

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors that will obligate us to indemnify them to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Insofar as the agreements permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

 

The Exhibit Index filed herewith and appearing immediately before the exhibits hereto is incorporated by reference.

 

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

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

 

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

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

 

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

 

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this

registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

With respect to any offering in which securities are to be offered to existing security holders pursuant to warrants or rights and any securities not taken by security holders are to be reoffered to the public, the registrant hereby undertakes to supplement the prospectus, after the expiration of the subscription period, to set forth the results of the subscription offer, the transactions by the underwriters during the subscription period, the amount of unsubscribed securities to be purchased by the underwriters, and the terms of any subsequent reoffering thereof. If any public offering by the underwriters is to be made on terms differing from those set forth on the cover page of the prospectus, a post-effective amendment will be filed to set forth the terms of such offering.

 

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

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Bethesda, State of Maryland, on this 9^th day of March, 2009.

 

DIAMONDROCK HOSPITALITY COMPANY

 

Name:     Michael D. Schecter

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

 

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

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

 

 

** Filed previously.

Exhibit 8.1

As of March 6, 2009

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 the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (as so amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”). Pursuant to the Registration Statement, the Company proposes to issue and sell up to $200,000,000 of its equity securities (collectively, the “Equity Securities”) consisting of (i) shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share; (ii) shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share; (iii) depositary shares for a fractional interest of a share of a particular series of preferred stock; and (iii) warrants exercisable for preferred stock or common stock. This opinion letter addresses the Company’s 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”), for federal income tax purposes, and the accuracy of certain matters discussed in the Registration Statement under the heading “Federal Income Tax Considerations Related to our REIT Election.”

     In rendering the following opinions, we have reviewed and relied upon the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of Articles of Incorporation dated as of June 25, 2004 and Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company dated as of April 20, 2005, each as amended from time to time and as in effect as of the date of this opinion letter, 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, (vi) due execution and delivery of all such documents by all the parties thereto, (vii) the compliance of each party with all material provisions of such documents, and (viii) the accuracy and completeness of all records made available to us.

DiamondRock Hospitality Company
As of March 6, 2009
Page 2

     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 Company’s representative, regarding the organization and operations of the Company and the Operating Partnership and other matters affecting the Company’s 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 Company’s 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;

     (ii) as long as the Operating Partnership has only one partner 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 partners 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 “Federal Income Tax Considerations Related to our REIT Election” 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.

* * * * *

DiamondRock Hospitality Company
As of March 6, 2009
Page 3

     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 or the Operating Partnership to differ materially and adversely from the treatment described above and render the tax discussion in the Registration Statement incorrect or incomplete.

     We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby 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 of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.

     We are rendering this opinion letter to you in connection with the issuance and sale of the Equity Securities 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).

		Very truly yours,
		/s/ Goodwin Procter llp
		Goodwin Procter llp