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SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(AMENDMENT NO.___)
Filed by the Registrant
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
PS BUSINESS PARKS, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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PS BUSINESS PARKS, INC.
701 Western Avenue
Glendale, California 91201-2349
NOTICE OF 2010 ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
Please take notice that the 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of PS Business Parks, Inc., a
California corporation, will be held at the time and place and for the purposes indicated below.
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Time and Date:
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1:00 p.m., local time, on Monday, May 3, 2010. |
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Place:
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The Hilton Glendale Hotel, 100 West Glenoaks Boulevard, Glendale, California. |
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Items of Business:
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1. To elect nine directors from the nominees named in the attached proxy
statement to serve until the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until
their successors are elected and qualified; |
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2. To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent
registered public accounting firm for PS Business Parks, Inc. for the fiscal
year ending December 31, 2010; and |
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3. To consider and act upon such other matters as may properly come
before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. |
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Adjournments and
Postponements:
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Any action on the items of business described above may be considered at the
annual meeting at the time and on the date specified above or at any time
and date to which the annual meeting may be properly adjourned or postponed. |
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Record Date:
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You are entitled to vote at the meeting if you were a shareholder of record
of PS Business Parks common stock at the close of business on March 10,
2010. |
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Annual Report:
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Our 2009 Annual Report, which includes a copy of our Annual Report on Form
10-K, accompanies this Notice and Proxy Statement. |
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Internet
Availability of
Materials:
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This Notice of 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the accompanying
Proxy Statement, a sample proxy card and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 may be viewed, printed and
downloaded at www.psbusinessparks.com/2010proxy.html on our website. |
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Voting:
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Your vote is very important. To ensure your representation at the meeting,
please mark your vote on the enclosed proxy/voting instruction card, then
date, sign and mail the proxy/voting instruction card in the postage-paid
return envelope included with these materials as soon as possible. If
provided on your proxy/instruction card, you may also vote on the Internet
or by telephone. You may revoke a proxy at any time prior to its exercise
at the meeting by following the instructions in the accompanying proxy
statement on page 2. |
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Edward A. Stokx, Secretary
Glendale, California
April 5, 2010
This notice of annual meeting and proxy statement are first being distributed and made available to
shareholders on or about April 5, 2010.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PS BUSINESS PARKS, INC.
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
May 3, 2010
GENERAL INFORMATION
We are providing these proxy materials in connection with the solicitation by the Board of
Directors of PS Business Parks, Inc. of proxies to be voted at our 2010 Annual Meeting, and at any
adjournment or postponement of the meeting. The proxies will be used at our Annual Meeting to be
held on May 3, 2010 beginning at 1:00 p.m., local time, at the Hilton Glendale Hotel, 100 West
Glenoaks Boulevard, Glendale, California.
This proxy statement contains important information regarding our annual meeting.
Specifically, it identifies the proposals on which you are being asked to vote, provides
information that you may find useful in determining how to vote, and describes voting procedures.
This notice of annual meeting and proxy statement is first being distributed and made available to
shareholders on or about April 5, 2010 to holders of our common stock on March 10, 2010, the record
date for our annual meeting. A copy of our Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2009, which includes a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, accompanies this proxy
statement.
We use several abbreviations in this proxy statement. We refer to PS Business Parks, Inc. as
PS Business Parks, we, us, our or the company, unless the context indicates otherwise.
We refer to our Board of Directors as the Board.
Purposes of the Meeting:
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To elect nine directors from the nominees named in this proxy statement to the
Board of PS Business Parks; |
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To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as PS Business Parks independent
registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010; and |
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To consider any other appropriate matters properly brought before the meeting or
any adjournment or postponement of the meeting. |
Recommendations of the Board of Directors:
The Board recommends that you vote:
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FOR the election of the nominees for director identified in Proposal 1; and |
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FOR ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the companys
independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year 2010 as discussed in
Proposal 2. |
VOTING
Who May Attend the Meeting and Vote
Only shareholders of record of PS Business Parks common stock at the close of business on the
record date of March 10, 2010 will be entitled to vote at the meeting, or at any adjournment or postponement
of the meeting. On the record date, PS Business Parks had approximately 24,425,509 shares of
common stock issued and outstanding, each of which is entitled to one vote.
If your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker, trustee or other nominee and you plan
to attend our annual meeting, you will need to bring proof of ownership, such as a recent bank or
brokerage account statement, and you will not be able to vote at the meeting. Even if you plan to
attend the annual meeting, we recommend that you also vote by proxy as described below so that your
vote will be counted if you later decide not to attend the meeting.
A complete list of our shareholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting will be available
for inspection at our executive offices during regular business hours for a period of not less than
ten days before the annual meeting.
Voting Your Proxy
Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, we urge you to
vote your proxy promptly.
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If you are a shareholder of record (that is, you hold shares of PS Business Parks common stock
in your own name), you may vote your shares by proxy by completing, signing, dating and returning
the enclosed proxy card in the postage-paid envelope provided.
If your shares of PS Business Parks common stock are held by a broker, bank, trustee or other
nominee in street name, you will receive voting instructions from the record holder(including
instructions, if any, on how to vote by telephone or through the Internet) that you must follow in
order to have your shares voted at the meeting.
If you hold your shares as a participant in the PS 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan (401(k) Plan),
your proxy will serve as a voting instruction for the trustee of the plan with respect to the
amount of shares of common stock credited to your account as of the record date. If you provide
voting instructions via your proxy/instruction card with respect to your shares held in the plan,
the trustee will vote those shares of common stock in the manner specified. The trustee will vote
any shares for which it does not receive instructions in the same proportion as the shares for
which voting instructions have been received, unless the director is required by law to exercise
its discretion in voting such shares. To allow sufficient time for the trustee to vote your
shares, the trustee must receive your voting instructions by the 11:59 p.m. Central time on April
28, 2010.
All shares entitled to vote and represented by properly completed proxies received prior to
our annual meeting and not revoked, will be voted at our annual meeting as instructed on the
proxies. If you grant a proxy but do not indicate how your shares should be voted on a matter, the
shares represented by your properly completed proxy will be voted For the election of the Boards
nominees for director, For the ratification of Ernst & Young as our independent registered public
accounting firm for 2010 and in the discretion of the proxy holders on any other matter that may
properly come before the meeting. The persons designated as proxies reserve full discretion to cast
votes for other persons if any of the nominees for director become unavailable to serve and to
cumulate votes selectively among the nominees as to which authority to vote has not been withheld.
Changing Your Vote
You may change your vote before the vote at the annual meeting, in accordance with the
following procedures. Any change to your voting instructions for the 401(k) Plan must be provided
by 9:00 a.m. Central Time, on April 29, 2010. If you are the shareholder of record, you may change
your vote by granting a new proxy bearing a later date (which automatically revokes the earlier
proxy) by providing a written notice of revocation to the Corporate Secretary at PS Business Parks,
Inc., 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201-2349, prior to your shares being voted, or by
attending the annual meeting and voting in person. Attendance at the meeting will not cause your
previously granted proxy to be revoked unless you specifically make that request. For shares you
hold beneficially in the name of a bank, broker, trustee or other nominee, you may change your vote
by submitting new voting instructions to your bank, broker, trustee or nominee by 11:00 p.m.
Pacific Time on April 30, 2010, or, if you have obtained a legal proxy from your bank, broker,
trustee or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares, by attending the meeting and
voting in person.
Quorum
The presence at the meeting in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of the
outstanding shares of our common stock is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business. Abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present and entitled to vote for
purposes of determining whether a quorum exists.
A broker non-vote occurs when a nominee holding shares for a beneficial owner does not vote on
a particular proposal because the nominee does not have discretionary voting power with respect to
that item and has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner. If the shareholders
present or represented by proxy at the meeting constitute holders of less than a majority of the
shares entitled to vote, our meeting may be adjourned to a subsequent date for the purpose of
obtaining a quorum.
Voting Rights and Required Vote
Election of Directors: With respect to the election of directors, each holder of common stock
on the record date is entitled to cast as many votes as there are directors to be elected
multiplied by the number of shares registered in the holders name on the record date. The holder
may cumulate its votes for directors by casting all of its votes for one candidate or by
distributing its votes among as many candidates as the holder chooses. However, no shareholder
shall be entitled to cumulate votes unless the candidates name has been placed in nomination prior
to the voting and the shareholder, or any other shareholder, has given notice at the annual meeting
prior to the voting of the intention to cumulate the shareholders votes.
The nine candidates who receive the most votes cast at the meeting will be elected directors
of PS Business Parks. Common shares not voted (whether by abstention or otherwise) will not affect
the vote. A proxy will confer discretionary
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authority to cumulate votes selectively among the nominees as to which authority to vote has
not been withheld. Cumulative voting applies only to the election of directors.
Ratification of Independent Auditors: This proposal requires the affirmative vote of at least
a majority of the votes cast by the holders of common stock at the meeting. Any shares not voted
(whether by abstention or otherwise) will not affect the vote.
Proxy Solicitation Costs
We will pay the cost of soliciting proxies. In addition to solicitation by mail, certain
directors, officers and regular employees of the Company and its affiliates may solicit the return
of proxies by telephone, e-mail, personal interview or otherwise. We may also reimburse brokerage
firms and other persons representing the beneficial owners of our stock for their reasonable
expenses in forwarding proxy solicitation materials to such beneficial owners. The Altman Group of
Lyndhurst, New Jersey, may be retained to assist us in the solicitation of proxies, for which it
would receive fees estimated at $2,500 together with expenses.
Important Notice Regarding Availability of Proxy Materials for the Shareholder Meeting to be Held
on May 3, 2010
The accompanying Notice of 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, this Proxy Statement, the
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 and a sample proxy card may
be viewed, printed or downloaded from www.psbusinessparks.com/2010proxy.html.
PS Business Parks Transfer Agent
Please contact PS Business Parks transfer agent, at the phone number or address listed below,
with questions concerning share certificates, dividend checks, transfer of ownership or other
matters pertaining to your share account:
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company
59 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
(800) 937-5449
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND BOARD MATTERS
Board Membership and Leadership
As of the date of this proxy statement, our Board has nine directors. As discussed below, six
of our directors are independent in accordance with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and
the companys Corporate Governance Guidelines. We have separate individuals serving as Chairman of
the Board and as Chief Executive Officer.
Ronald L. Havner, Jr., has served as Chairman of the Board since March 1998. He was Chief
Executive Officer of PS Business Parks from March 1998 until August of 2003 when he resigned to
become Chief Executive Officer of Public Storage, a self-storage real estate investment trust
(REIT). Public Storage is our largest shareholder and owns approximately 28.3% of our
outstanding common stock. Mr. Havners role as Chairman furthers his ongoing involvement with the
business and his in-depth knowledge of PS Business Parks operations and the real estate industry
benefits the Board. Mr. Russell serves as Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the
day-to-day management and profitable growth of PS Business Parks.
PS Business Parks does not have a policy against one individual holding the position of
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Rather, the Board evaluates the desirability of having a
combined or separate Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from time-to-time and adopts a structure
based on what it believes is in the best interests of PS Business Parks and its shareholders.
Currently, the Board believes that having a separate Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is
advisable to provide for Board leadership by a non-executive director.
In addition, the Board has established a position of independent presiding director, to
provide for an independent leadership role on the Board. The independent director presides at
meetings of all non-management directors in executive session without the presence of management.
These meetings are held on a regular basis, generally following each regularly scheduled Board
meeting and at the request of any non-management director. In addition, the independent directors
meet separately at least once annually. These sessions are designed to encourage open board
discussion of any matter of interest without the Chief Executive Officer or any other members of
management present. The sessions are chaired by the independent director. The position of
independent presiding director of these sessions generally rotates annually among the
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chairs of the standing committees of the Board. Arthur M. Friedman, the Chairman of the Audit
Committee, served in this role during 2009 and for 2010, the designated director is James H. Kropp,
Chairman of the Compensation Committee.
Board Responsibilities and Oversight of Risk Management
In connection with its oversight of risk to our business, the Board regularly considers
management presentations on the companys operations and strategies and considers related risks to
our business. As part of the Boards consideration, the Board and management actively engage in
discussions of potential and perceived risks to the business. The Board routinely meets with the
chief executive officer, the chief operating officer, the chief financial officer and other company
officers as appropriate in the Boards consideration of matters submitted for board approval and
risks associated with such matters.
In addition, the Board is assisted in its oversight responsibilities by the standing Board
committees, which have assigned areas of oversight responsibility for various matters as described
in the Committee charters and as provided in New York Stock Exchange rules. For example, the Audit
Committee assists the Boards oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, the
qualifications and independence of our independent registered public accounting firm and the
performance of our internal audit function and independent registered public accounting firm.
Pursuant to its charter, the Audit Committee also considers our policies with respect to risk
assessment and risk management. The Audit Committee also reviews various potential areas of
financial risk in detail on a regular basis. The Compensation Committee oversees the compensation
of our chief executive officer and other executive officers and evaluates the appropriate
compensation incentives to motivate senior management to grow long-term shareholder returns without
undue risk taking.
The Board and the Board committees hear reports from the members of management responsible for
the matters considered to enable the Board and each committee to understand and discuss risk
identification and risk management. The chairman of each of the Boards standing committees reports
on the discussion to the full Board at the next Board meeting. All directors have access to members
of management in the event a director wishes to follow up on items discussed outside the Board
meeting.
With respect to consideration of risks related to compensation, management also reviewed
potential risks related to compensation policies and practices applicable to all employees and
concluded that they are not reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our company.
Management first considered that the company has fewer than 100 employees with incentive
compensation and development and approval of the compensation plans and payouts is centralized with
the Chief Executive Officer. Management also considered that financial targets for bonus
arrangements typically involve several different metrics, which discourages employees from focusing
on a particular financial metric to the detriment of others or of the business as a whole. In
addition, the incentive plans have various controls built into the plans to help ensure that
employees are motivated to achieve the desired short and long-term company goals. Final approval of
incentive compensation for employees other than executive officers is made by our Chief Executive
Officer who has a comprehensive understanding of the inter-relationship of all incentive programs
for nonexecutives. Our Chief Executive Officer has the discretion to reduce recommended awards for
any reason, including if he determines that the performance was not in the companys long-term
interests.
Management further considered the fact that PS Business Parks does not provide earnings
guidance, which we believe discourages management from taking risks to achieve quarterly or annual
earnings targets. The company historically has maintained a very conservative financial profile and
is funded primarily with perpetual preferred and common shares and retained earnings rather than
debt so management is able to focus on the business operations. All property acquisitions and
developments are approved by the Board after discussion with management, which facilitates board
oversight of managements plans to grow the business. All equity awards to employees vest over an
extended period of several years which helps to align our employees focus on long-term results. As
a result, we believe there is little motivation or opportunity for employees to take undue risks to
achieve an incentive compensation award and management concluded that employees who are eligible
for incentive compensation are properly incentivized to achieve short and long-term company goals
without creating undue risks for the company. Following completion of its review, members of our
senior management team discussed the results of managements compensation risk assessment with the
Compensation Committee.
Board Meetings
The Board meets at regularly scheduled intervals and may hold additional special meetings as
necessary or desirable in furtherance of its oversight responsibilities. As described above, the
non-management directors generally meet in executive session without the presence of management in
connection with each regularly scheduled board meeting. During 2009, the Board held five meetings.
During 2009, each director elected to the Board at the 2009 Annual Meeting attended at least 75% of
the meetings held by the Board of Directors and, if a member of a committee of the Board of
Directors, 75% of the meetings held by both the Board of Directors and all committees of the Board
of Directors on which the director served.
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Directors are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of shareholders. All continuing
directors nominated for election to the Board at the 2010 annual meeting attended the 2009 annual
meeting.
Board Orientation and Education
Each new director participates in an orientation program and receives material and briefings
concerning our business, industry, management and corporate governance policies and practices.
Continuing education is provided for all directors through board materials and presentations,
discussions with management and the opportunity to attend external board education programs.
Committees of the Board of Directors
Our Board has three standing committees: (1) the Audit Committee, (2) the Compensation
Committee and (3) the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. During 2009, the Audit Committee
held four meetings, the Compensation Committee held three meetings, and the Nominating/Corporate
Governance Committee held three meetings. Each of the standing committees operates pursuant to a
written charter. The charters for the Audit, Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committees can be viewed at our website at www.psbusinessparks.com/corpGov.html and will be
provided in print to any shareholder who requests a copy by writing to the companys Secretary at
PS Business Parks, Inc., 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201. The Board has determined that all
members of the Audit, Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees are independent
directors under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, all members of our Audit
Committee are independent directors under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) for audit committees.
Our three standing committees are described below, and the committee members are identified in
the following table:
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Nominating/Corporate |
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Audit Committee |
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Compensation Committee |
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Governance Committee |
R. Wesley Burns
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X (Chairman) |
Arthur M. Friedman
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X (Chairman)
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X |
James H. Kropp
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X (Chairman)
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Michael V. McGee
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Jennifer H. Dunbar
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X
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Number of meetings in 2009:
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4
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3
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3 |
Audit Committee
The primary functions of the Audit Committee are to assist the Board in fulfilling its
responsibilities for oversight of (1) the integrity of the our financial statements, (2) compliance
with legal and regulatory requirements, (3) the qualifications, independence and performance of the
independent registered public accounting firm and (4) the scope and results of internal audits, the
companys internal controls over financial reporting and the performance of the companys internal
audit function. Among other things, the Audit Committee appoints, evaluates and determines the
compensation of the independent registered public accounting firm; reviews and approves the scope
of the annual audit, the audit fee and the financial statements; approves all other services and
fees preformed by the independent registered public accounting firm; prepares the Audit Committee
report for inclusion in the annual proxy statement; and annually reviews its charter and
performance.
The Audit Committee is comprised of three independent directors: Arthur M. Friedman
(Chairman), Jennifer H. Dunbar and Michael V. McGee. The Board has determined that each member of
the Audit Committee meets the financial literacy and independence standards of the New York Stock
Exchange rules. The Board has also determined that each member of the Audit Committee qualifies as
an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of the rules of the SEC and the New York
Stock Exchange.
Compensation Committee
The primary functions of the Compensation Committee as set forth in its charter are to (1)
determine, either as a committee or together with other independent directors, the compensation of
the companys Chief Executive Officer, (2) determine the compensation of other executive officers,
(3) administer the companys equity and executive officer incentive compensation plans, (4) review
and discuss with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis (CD&A) to be included in the
proxy statement and incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K and to recommend
to the Board inclusion of the CD&A in the Form 10-K and proxy statement, (5) provide a description
of the processes and procedures for the consideration and determination of executive compensation
for inclusion in the companys annual proxy
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statement, (6) produce the Compensation Committee Report for inclusion in the annual proxy
statement and (7) evaluate its performance annually.
Pursuant to its charter, the Compensation Committee has the authority to delegate its
responsibilities to individual members of the committee or to a subcommittee of the committee. To
date, the Compensation Committee has not delegated any of its responsibilities.
As required by the charter, during 2009, the Compensation Committee made all final
compensation decisions for our named executive officers, including the named executive officers set
forth in the Summary Compensation Table below. The Compensation Committee has the sole authority
to retain outside compensation consultants for advice, but historically and for 2009, has not done
so, relying instead on surveys of publicly available information for information about senior
executive compensation at similar companies. For a discussion of the Committees use of survey
information in 2009, as well as the role of Mr. Russell, our Chief Executive Officer, in
determining or recommending the amount of compensation paid to our named executive officers in
2009, see the CD&A below.
The Compensation Committee is comprised of three directors: James H. Kropp (Chairman),
Jennifer H. Dunbar and Michael V. McGee.
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee
The primary functions of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee are (1) to identify,
evaluate and make recommendations to the Board for director nominees for each annual shareholder
meeting and to fill any vacancy on the Board, (2) to develop a set of corporate governance
principles applicable to the company and to review and assess the adequacy of those guidelines on
an ongoing basis and recommend any changes to the Board, and (3) to oversee the annual Board
assessment of Board performance. The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee will consider
properly submitted shareholder nominations for candidates for the Board. See Consideration of
Candidates for Director below. Other duties and responsibilities include periodically reviewing
the structure, size, composition and operation of the Board and each Board committee, recommending
assignments of directors to Board committees, conducting a preliminary review of director
independence, overseeing director orientation and annually evaluating its charter and performance.
The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee is comprised of three directors, R. Wesley Burns
(Chairman), Arthur M. Friedman and James H. Kropp.
Director Independence
The Board evaluates the independence of each director annually based on information supplied
by directors and the company, and on the recommendations of the Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee. In making its determinations, the Board considers the standards for independence set
forth in the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange rules. A director qualifies as independent
unless the Board determines that the director has a material relationship with PS Business Parks,
based on all relevant facts and circumstances, subject to the provisions of Section 303A.02(b) of
the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual. Material relationships may include commercial,
industrial, consulting, legal, accounting, charitable, family and other business, professional and
personal relationships and the Board also considers the directors relationships with Public
Storage, the largest shareholder of PS Business Parks. Section 303A.02(b) provides that a director
is not independent if:
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The director is, or has been within the last three years, an employee of PS
Business Parks, or an immediate family member is, or has been within the last three
years, an executive officer, of PS Business Parks. |
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The director is, or has been within the last three years, an employee of PS
Business Parks, and during any 12-month period within the last three years, received
more than $120,000 in direct compensation from PS Business Parks, other than director
and committee fees. |
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(1) The director is a current partner or employee of a firm that is PS Business
Parks external auditor (currently Ernst & Young LLP); (2) the director has an
immediate family member who is a current partner of such firm; (3) the director has an
immediate family member who is a current employee of such firm and personally works on
PS Business Parks audit; or (4) the director or an immediate family member was within
the last three years a partner or employee of such firm and personally worked on PS
Business Parks audit within that time. |
6
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The director or an immediate family member is, or has been within the last three
years, employed as an executive officer of another company where any of PS Business
Parks present executive officers at the same time serves or served on that companys
compensation committee. |
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The director is a current employee, or an immediate family member is a current
executive officer, of a company that has made payments to, or received payments from,
PS Business Parks for property or services in an amount which, in any of the last
three fiscal years, exceeds the greater of $1 million or 2% of such other companys
consolidated gross revenues. |
The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee annually reviews directors responses to a
questionnaire asking about their relationships with the company (and those of immediate family
members) and other potential conflicts of interest, as well as material provided by management
related to transactions, relationships or arrangements between the company and directors and their
immediate families. Based on its review in February 2010, the Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee recommended to the Board and the Board determined that (1) each member of the Board,
other than Ronald L. Havner, Jr., Joseph D. Russell, Jr., and Harvey Lenkin and (2) each member of
the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee
has no material relationship with the company and does not have any of the relationships deemed
inconsistent with a directors independence under Section 303A.02(b) of the New York Stock Exchange
requirements. Mr. Russell was determined not to be independent because of his status as Chief
Executive Officer and President of PS Business Parks, and Messrs. Havner and Lenkin were deemed not
independent because Mr. Havner is a current trustee and Chief Executive Officer and President of
Public Storage and Mr. Lenkin is a current trustee and former executive officer of Public Storage.
Relationships between Public Storage and PS Business Parks are described on page 29.
Compensation of Directors
The Compensation Committee of the Board is responsible for periodically reviewing the
companys non-employee director compensation and making recommendations to the Board, which makes
the final determination as to director compensation. During 2009, each non-employee director was
entitled to receive the following compensation:
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An annual retainer of $25,000 paid quarterly; |
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A Board meeting fee of $1,000 for each meeting attended in person and $500 for each
telephonic meeting; |
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A Board Committee fee of $1,000 for each meeting attended in person and $500 for each
telephonic meeting; |
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The Chairman of the Audit Committee also receives an additional annual fee of
$10,000, and the Chairman of each of the Compensation and Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committees receive an additional annual fee of $5,000; and |
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Pursuant to the terms of the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, a stock option
grant after each annual meeting to acquire 2,000 shares of common stock of the company,
which vests in five equal annual installments beginning one year from the date of grant,
subject to continued service on the Board. |
In addition, under the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, each new non-employee director
is, upon the date of his or her initial election by the Board or the shareholders to serve as a
non-employee director, automatically granted an option to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock
that vests in five equal annual installments beginning one year from the date of grant, subject to
continued service.
Retirement Stock Grants. Each non-employee director of the company receives, upon retirement
as a director of the company, 1,000 shares of fully-vested common stock for each full year of
service as a non-employee director of the company, up to a maximum of 5,000 shares. At
December 31, 2009, Messrs. Friedman, Havner, Kropp and Lenkin were each entitled to receive 5,000
fully-vested shares of common stock upon retirement; Mr. Burns was entitled to receive 4,000
shares; and Mr. McGee was entitled to receive 3,000 shares. As of December 31, 2009, the value of
each award of 5,000 shares was $250,250; the value of 4,000 shares was $200,200; and the value of
3,000 shares was $150,150, each based on the closing price of $50.05 of our common stock on
December 31, 2009.
7
The following table presents the compensation provided by the company to its non-employee
directors (which do not include Joseph D. Russell, Jr.) for fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.
Director Compensation Table
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Fees Earned or |
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Stock |
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Option |
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Name (a) |
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Paid in Cash |
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Awards (d) |
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Awards (e) |
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Total |
Ronald L. Havner, Jr. (b) |
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$ |
9,700 |
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$ |
9,700 |
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R. Wesley Burns |
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$ |
35,000 |
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$ |
9,700 |
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$ |
44,700 |
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Jennifer H. Dunbar (c) |
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$ |
26,250 |
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$ |
175,800 |
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$ |
39,800 |
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$ |
241,850 |
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Arthur M. Friedman |
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$ |
44,500 |
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$ |
9,700 |
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$ |
54,200 |
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James H. Kropp |
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$ |
38,500 |
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$ |
9,700 |
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$ |
48,200 |
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Harvey Lenkin |
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$ |
29,500 |
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$ |
9,700 |
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$ |
39,200 |
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Michael V. McGee |
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$ |
34,500 |
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$ |
9,700 |
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$ |
44,200 |
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Joseph D. Russell, Jr. (b) |
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(a) |
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As noted below, Sara Grootwassink Lewis was appointed to the Board in February 2010, and,
as a result, did not receive any compensation as director for 2009 and does not appear in the
table above. |
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(b) |
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Ronald L. Havner, Jr., Chairman, and Joseph D. Russell, Jr. are also directors; however, each
received no cash compensation for service as a director during 2009. Mr. Russells
compensation as Chief Executive Officer and President is set forth below beginning on page 18. |
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(c) |
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Ms. Dunbar became a director on February 23, 2009. Her cash fees are pro-rated for her
period of service. Her stock award reflects the 5,000 share director retirement stock grant on
her first date of service as discussed above, which vests over five years. None of these
shares were vested as of December 31, 2009. |
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(d) |
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Reflects the fair value on the date of grant of awards during 2009 calculated in accordance
with FASB ASC Topic 718. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are included in
Note 10 to the companys audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2009, including in the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26,
2010. |
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(e) |
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Reflects the fair value on the date of grant of awards during 2009 calculated in accordance
with FASB ASC Topic 718. As of December 31, 2009, each director as of such date had the
following number of options outstanding:
R. Wesley Burns: 18,000 of which 10,400 are vested; Jennifer H. Dunbar: 12,000 of which zero
are vested;
Arthur M. Friedman: 16,000 of which 10,000 were vested; Ronald L. Havner, Jr.: 139,036 of which
129,436 were vested; James H. Kropp: 17,000 of which 11,000 were vested; Harvey Lenkin: 13,000
of which 7,400 were vested; Michael V. McGee: 16,000 of which 7,200 were vested; and Joseph D.
Russell, Jr.: 121,216 of which 111,216 were vested. In addition, following the 2009 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders, each non-employee director (other than Mr. Russell) received a
stock option grant for 2,000 shares, none of which are vested, with a grant date fair value of
$9,700. In connection with her election to the Board, Ms. Dunbar also received a stock option
grant on February 23, 2009 for 10,000 common shares, none of which are vested, with a grant date
fair value of $30,100. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are included in
Note 10 to the companys audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended on December 31,
2009, included in the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 26,
2010. |
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
The Compensation Committee is comprised of James H. Kropp (Chairman), Jennifer H. Dunbar and
Michael V. McGee, none of whom has ever been an employee of the company. No member of the
Compensation Committee had any relationship with the company requiring disclosure under Item 404 of
SEC Regulation S-K. No executive officer of PS Business Parks served on the compensation committee
or board of directors of any other entity which has an executive officer who also served on the
Compensation Committee or Board of PS Business Parks at any time during 2009.
Messrs. Havner, Lenkin and Russell are present or former officers of the company and are
members of the Board.
8
Consideration of Candidates for Director
Shareholder recommendations. The policy of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee to
consider properly submitted shareholder recommendations for candidates for membership on the Board
is described below under Identifying and Evaluating Nominees for Directors. Under this policy,
shareholder recommendations may only be submitted by a shareholder entitled to submit shareholder
proposals under the SEC rules. Any shareholder recommendations proposed for consideration by the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee should include the nominees name and qualifications for
Board membership, including the information required under Regulation 14A under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and should be addressed to: Edward A. Stokx,
Secretary, PS Business Parks, Inc., 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, California 91201-2349.
Recommendations should be submitted in the time frame described in this proxy statement under
Deadlines for Receipt of Shareholder Proposals for Consideration at 2011 Annual Meeting on page
30.
Director Qualifications. Members of the Board should have high professional and personal
ethics and values. They should have broad experience at the policy-making level in business or
other relevant experience. They should be committed to enhancing shareholder value and should have
sufficient time to carry out their duties and to provide insight and practical wisdom based on
experience. Their service on other boards of public companies should be limited to a number that
permits them, given their individual circumstances, to perform responsibly all director duties.
Each director must represent the interests of all shareholders. In general, the Board seeks to add
directors who meet the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange rules. In addition,
director candidates must submit a completed director questionnaire concerning matters related to
independence determination, the determination of whether a candidate qualifies as an audit
committee financial expert and other proxy disclosure matters and must satisfactorily complete a
background investigation by a third-party firm.
Directors are expected, within three years of election, to own at least $100,000 of common
stock of the company, determined using the acquisition price.
The Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee of the Board is responsible under the companys
Corporate Governance Guidelines for reviewing with the Board the skills and characteristics
required of Board members in the context of the current make-up of the Board. This assessment
includes directors qualifications as independent, as well as consideration of skills, knowledge,
perspective, broad business judgment and leadership, relevant specific industry or regulatory
affairs knowledge, business creativity and vision and experience, all in the context of an
assessment of the perceived needs of the Board at that time.
The Board has delegated to the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee responsibility for
recommending to the Board new directors for election. Although the Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee does not have and does not believe there is a need for a formal policy concerning
diversity, it seeks to ensure that a diversity of experience and viewpoints are represented on the
Board and is also guided by the principles set forth in the Committee charter that each director
should:
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Be an individual of the highest character and integrity; |
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Have substantial experience which is of particular relevance to PS Business Parks; |
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Have an understanding of the business environment and industry in which PS Business
Parks operates; |
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Have sufficient time available to devote to board affairs; |
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Represent the best interests of all stakeholders; |
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Have his or her skill set complement the skill set of the other PS Business Parks
directors; and |
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Be able to read and understand financial statements. |
There are no other policies or guidelines that limit the selection of director candidates by the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and the Committee and the Board have and exercise broad
discretion to select director candidates who will best serve the Board and PS Business Parks in the
current and anticipated business environment.
Identifying and Evaluating Nominees for Directors. The Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee utilizes a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating nominees for director. The
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee regularly assesses the appropriate size of the Board, and
whether any vacancies on the Board are expected due to retirement
9
or otherwise. In the event that vacancies are anticipated, or otherwise arise, the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee considers various potential candidates for director.
Candidates may come to the attention of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee through
current Board members, professional search firms, shareholders or other persons. These candidates
are evaluated at meetings of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and may be considered at
any point during the year. During late 2009 and early 2010, the Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee and the full Board considered Sara Grootwassink Lewis for membership on the Board. Ms.
Lewis was recommended for consideration by our Chairman. After interviews by the members of the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and other directors, the Board considered the
recommendation of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, the ongoing composition of the
Board and the due diligence review. Following the Boards review, Ms. Lewis was elected to the
Board at the February 2010 Board meeting.
As described above, the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee considers properly submitted
shareholder nominations of candidates for the Board in the same manner as other candidates.
Following verification of the shareholder status of persons proposing candidates, recommendations
will be aggregated and considered by the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee prior to the
issuance of the proxy statement for the annual meeting. If any materials are provided by a
shareholder in connection with the recommendation of a director candidate, such materials are
forwarded to the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating/Corporate Governance
Committee may also review materials provided by professional search firms or other parties in
connection with a nominee who is not proposed by a shareholder. In evaluating such nominations, the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee seeks to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and
capability on the Board.
Communications with the Board of Directors
The company provides a process by which shareholders and interested parties may communicate
with the Board of Directors. Any shareholder communication to the Board should be addressed to:
Board of Directors, c/o Edward A. Stokx, Secretary, PS Business Parks, Inc., 701 Western Avenue,
Glendale, California 91201-2349. Communications that are intended for a specified individual
director or group of directors should be addressed to the director(s) c/o Secretary at the above
address and all such communications received will be forwarded to the designated director(s).
Corporate Governance Guidelines
The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines to set forth its guidelines for overall
governance practices. The Guidelines are available on the companys website,
www.psbusinessparks.com or, upon written request, a paper copy is available from the companys
Investor Services Department, 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, California 91201-2349.
Business Conduct Standards and Code of Ethics
The Board of Directors has adopted a code of Business Conduct Standards, applicable to
directors, officers, and employees, and a Directors Code of Ethics. The Board has also adopted a
Code of Ethics for its senior financial officers. The Code of Ethics for senior financial officers
covers those persons serving as the companys principal executive officer and principal financial
officer and principal accounting officer, currently Joseph D. Russell, Jr. and Edward A. Stokx,
respectively. The PS Business Parks Business Conduct Standards, the Directors Code of Ethics and
the Code of Ethics for senior financial officers are available on the companys website,
www.psbusinessparks.com or, upon written request, a paper copy is available from the companys
Investor Services Department, 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, California 91201. Any amendments or
waivers to the code of ethics for directors or executive officers will be disclosed on the
companys website or other appropriate means in accordance with applicable SEC and New York Stock
Exchange requirements.
PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Nominees for Director
In accordance with our bylaws, our Board of Directors currently consists of nine directors who
are elected at each annual meeting for terms expiring at the next annual meeting of shareholders or
until their successors have been duly elected and qualified, or their earlier death, removal or
resignation. Eight of the nine directors elected at the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are
standing for re-election at the 2010 Annual Meeting. Alan K. Pribble, a member of the Board since
1998 and one of our original Board members, passed away during 2009. Sara Grootwassink Lewis joined
the Board on February 19, 2010 and is standing for re-election for a term expiring at the
2011 annual meeting of shareholders.
Each of the individuals nominated for election at the Annual Meeting has been approved by the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and by a majority of the independent directors of PS
Business Parks. We believe that each nominee for election as a director will be able to serve if
elected. If any nominee is not able to serve,
10
proxies may be voted in favor of the remainder of those nominated and may be voted for
substitute nominees, if designated by the Board.
Set forth below is information concerning each of the nominees for director:
Ronald L. Havner, Jr., age 52, has served as Vice-Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and a
member of the board of Public Storage, an affiliate of PS Business Parks, since November 2002 and
as President since July 1, 2005. He has been Chairman of PS Business Parks since March 1998 and
was Chief Executive Officer of PS Business Parks from March 1998 until August 2003. He is also a
member of the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee of the National Association of Real
Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (NAREIT) and a member of NYU REIT Center Board of Advisors. He is
also a director of Business Machine Security, Inc. and General Finance Corporation. During the
last five years, Mr. Havner also served on the boards of Union BanCal Corporation and its
subsidiary, Union Bank of California, and as a director of The Mobile Storage Group and PacVan,
Inc.
Mr. Havner has been the Chairman of the PS Business Parks Board since 1998 and was Chief
Executive Officer of PS Business Parks from 1998 until August 2003. His qualifications for election
to the PS Business Parks Board include his extensive leadership experience and company and industry
knowledge. He is also the Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and a trustee of Public Storage,
our largest shareholder.
Joseph D. Russell, Jr., age 50, has been Chief Executive Officer and a director of PS Business
Parks since August 2003 and President of PS Business Parks since September 2002. Before joining PS
Business Parks, Mr. Russell had been employed by Spieker Properties, an owner and operator of
office and industrial properties in northern California, and its predecessor for more than ten
years, becoming an officer of Spieker Properties when it became a publicly held REIT in 1993. When
Spieker Properties merged with Equity Office Properties Trust in 2001, Mr. Russell was President of
Spieker Properties Silicon Valley Region. Mr. Russell has also been a member of the Board and past
President of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office
Properties. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real
Estate Investment Trusts, Inc. (NAREIT).
Mr. Russell has been the Chief Executive Officer of PS Business Parks since 2003 and President
beginning in 2002. His qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include his
leadership experience and company and industry knowledge, including his more than 20 years
involvement with publicly held REITs and extensive experience with office and industrial real
estate. As the only Board member who is also an active member of the PS Business Parks management
team, Mr. Russell provides managements perspective in Board discussions about the operations and
strategic direction of the company.
R. Wesley Burns, age 50, became a Director of PS Business Parks, Inc. in May 2005, and
currently serves as Chairman of the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. He is also a Trustee
of the Schwab Strategic Trust, a series of registered exchange traded funds (ETFs), and serves on
the Trusts Nominating and Audit Committees. In December 2008, Mr. Burns retired from PIMCO, an
investment advisory firm, where he was a Managing Director responsible for the firms Investment
Operations group. Mr. Burns also served as President and Trustee of the PIMCO Funds and the PIMCO
Variable Insurance Trust, registered open-end investment companies, and was a member of their
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committees. Mr. Burns was also Chairman of the PIMCO Strategic
Global Government Fund and President and member of the Board of Directors of the PIMCO Commercial
Mortgage Securities Trust, both registered as closed-end investment companies.
Mr. Burns qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include his financial
and investment expertise as well as his knowledge of capital markets and experience on other public
company boards. He also brings his experience as a member of several other public company
nominating/corporate governance committees to our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee, which
he chairs.
Arthur M. Friedman, age 74, is Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and became a director of PS Business Parks in March 1998.
Since 2009, Mr. Friedman has been a Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of TNP Strategic
Retail Trust, Inc. Mr. Friedman, a certified public accountant, has been an independent business
and tax consultant since September 1995. He was a partner of Arthur Andersen from 1968 until August
1995. During his 38-year career in public accounting, he specialized in tax consultation. He was a
member of the Andersen Board of Partners from August 1980 until July 1984 and from August 1985
until March 1988.
Mr. Friedmans qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include his
financial and business expertise and many years experience on the PS Business Parks Board. Mr.
Friedman is an audit committee financial expert
11
based on his 27 years of experience with a national accounting firm and serves as the Chairman
of the Audit Committee of the PS Business Parks Board.
Jennifer Holden Dunbar, age 47, is a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees and
became a director of PS Business Parks on February 23, 2009. Since March 2005, Ms. Dunbar has
served a Principal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Dunbar Partners, LLC, an investment and
advisory services firm. From 1994 to 1998, Ms. Dunbar was a partner with Leonard Green and
Partners, L.P., a private equity firm, which she joined in 1989. Ms. Dunbar began her career as a
financial analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions Department of Morgan Stanley in 1985. During
2007 and 2008, Ms. Dunbar was a member of the Board of Directors of 99 Cents Only Stores, where she
served on the Audit and Nominating & Governance Committees and chaired the Compensation Committee.
Since 2004, Ms. Dunbar has also been a member of the board of directors of Big 5 Sporting Goods
Corporation, where she serves on the Audit and Compensation Committees and chairs the Nominating
Committee.
Ms. Dunbars qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include her financial
expertise, knowledge of investment banking and her experience in investments and mergers and
acquisitions. She also has been a member of several public company boards and board committees. Ms.
Dunbar is also an audit committee financial expert and member of the PS Business Parks Audit
Committee.
James H. Kropp, age 61, is Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a member of the
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and became a director of PS Business Parks in March 1998.
Mr. Kropp is the Chief Investment Officer at i3 Funds LLC beginning in 2009 and has served as
interim CFO of TaxEase LLC during 2009 and to date. He was Senior Vice President-Investments of
Gazit Group USA, Inc., a real estate investor, from 2006 to 2008. He served as a managing director
of Christopher Weil & Company, Inc., a securities broker-dealer and registered investment adviser,
from April 1995 to 2004 and was portfolio manager for Realty Enterprise Funds from 1998 until 2006.
He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and a Trustee as well as
Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of its governance and independent trustee committees
of The CNL Funds, a registered investment company, from May 2007 to present. He was a Director of
Trustreet Properties Inc. and its predecessor, US Restaurant Properties Inc. from 2002 through
February 2007 and served as Chairman of its Audit Committee and Compensation Committee and as a
member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance committees during his tenure. Mr. Kropp was also
previously a member of the board of directors of Madison Park Real Estate Investment Trust.
Mr. Kropps qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include his knowledge
of investment banking and capital markets, specializing in real estate securities, and his
extensive experience with real estate businesses, including another REIT. He has also served on
other public company boards and board committees, including as Chairman of the Compensation
Committee of Trustreet Properties and brings his expertise to the PS Business Parks Compensation
Committee, which he chairs.
Harvey Lenkin, age 73, has been a director of PS Business Parks since March 1998 and was
President of PS Business Parks from its inception in 1990 until March 1998. Mr. Lenkin was
employed by Public Storage and its predecessor for 27 years. He served as President of Public
Storage until his retirement in 2005 and has been a director of Public Storage since November 1991.
Currently, Mr. Lenkin is a member of the Board of Directors and serves on the Audit Committee and
Governance Committee of Paladin Realty Income Properties I, Inc., a REIT. In addition, Mr. Lenkin
is a member of the board of directors of Huntington Hospital, Pasadena, California, where he also
serves as Vice Chairman of the Board, Chair of the Building Committee and is a member of the Audit
Committee. Mr. Lenkin is also a trustee of Huntington Trust. He was a former member of the
Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of NAREIT and a member of the Board of Directors of
the Ronald McDonald House Charity of Southern California in 2009.
Mr. Lenkins qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include his previous
service as the companys president and 20 years of experience with PS Business Parks and its
predecessors and service as a current director and former president of Public Storage, the
companys largest shareholder. He brings extensive knowledge of the company and commercial real
estate as well as his current experience as an active member of public and charitable boards,
including service on the board of an unrelated REIT, Paladin Realty Income Properties I.
Sara Grootwassink Lewis, age 42, became a director of PS Business Parks in February 2010. She
is currently a private investor and served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
of Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, which owns and operates a diversified group of
properties in the Washington, D.C. area, from May 2002 through February 2009. She has been a
member of the Board of Directors of CapitalSource Inc. since 2004 and is a member of the Audit
Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Lewis is also a Chartered
Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant.
12
Ms. Lewis qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include her previous
executive and financial experience at another publicly traded REIT and her background as a
Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant. She brings her extensive financial
and real estate industry knowledge to the Board as well as her public company board experience as a
member of the CapitalSource Inc. Board.
Michael V. McGee, age 54, is a member of the Audit and Compensation Committees and became a
director of PS Business Parks in August 2006. Mr. McGee has been President and Chief Executive
Officer of Pardee Homes since 2000. Pardee Homes is the largest wholly-owned subsidiary of
Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Company. Mr. McGee is also a member
of the Board of Directors of HomeAid America. Mr. McGee has a J.D. degree from Southwestern
University.
Mr. McGees qualifications for election to the PS Business Parks Board include his leadership
and financial experience as President and Chief Executive Officer of Pardee Homes for the last ten
years. He also brings his extensive knowledge of the real estate industry and markets and legal
training to the Board. Mr. McGee is an audit committee financial expert and a member of the PS
Business Parks Audit Committee.
Vote Required and Board Recommendation.
The nine nominees receiving the greatest number of
votes duly cast for their election as directors will be elected. Abstentions and broker non-votes
will not affect the outcome of this proposal.
Your Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the election of each nominee named
above.
PROPOSAL 2
RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has appointed Ernst & Young LLP as the companys
independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010.
The companys bylaws do not require that shareholders ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young
LLP as the companys independent registered public accounting firm. The company is asking its
shareholders to ratify this appointment because it believes that shareholder ratification of the
appointment is a matter of good corporate governance. If shareholders do not ratify the
appointment of Ernst & Young LLP, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether or not to retain
Ernst & Young LLP as the companys independent registered public accounting firm, but may
nevertheless determine to do so. Even if the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP is ratified by the
shareholders, the Audit Committee may change the appointment at any time during the year if it
determines that a change would be in the best interest of PS Business Parks and its shareholders.
Representatives from Ernst & Young LLP, which has acted as the independent registered public
accounting firm for the company since the companys organization in 1990, will be in attendance at
the 2010 annual meeting and will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so
and to respond to any proper questions.
Fees Billed to the Company by Ernst & Young LLP for 2009 and 2008
The following table shows the fees billed or expected to be billed to the company by Ernst &
Young for audit and other services provided for fiscal 2009 and 2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009 |
|
|
2008 |
|
Audit fees (1) |
|
$ |
397,000 |
|
|
$ |
371,000 |
|
Audit-related fees (2) |
|
|
17,000 |
|
|
|
18,000 |
|
Tax fees (3) |
|
|
143,000 |
|
|
|
147,000 |
|
All other fees |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
$ |
557,000 |
|
|
$ |
536,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Audit fees represent fees for professional services provided in connection with the audit
of the companys annual financial statements and internal control over financial reporting,
review of the quarterly financial statements included in the companys quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q and services in connection with the companys registration statements and securities
offerings. |
13
|
|
|
(2) |
|
Audit-related fees represent professional fees provided in connection with the audit of the
companys 401(k) Plan and property acquisition audits. |
|
(3) |
|
During 2009 and 2008, all of the tax services consisted of tax compliance and consulting
services. |
Policy to Approve Ernst & Young Services. The Audit Committee has adopted a pre-approval
policy relating to services performed by the companys independent registered public accounting
firm. Under this policy, the Audit Committee of the company pre-approved all services performed by
Ernst & Young LLP during 2009, including those listed above in the previous table. The Chairman of
the Audit Committee has the authority to grant required approvals between meetings of the Audit
Committee, provided that any exercise of this authority is presented at the next committee meeting.
Required Vote and Board Recommendation.
Ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP
requires approval by a majority of the votes cast at the meeting. For these purposes, an
abstention or broker non-vote will not be treated as a vote cast.
Your Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the proposal to ratify the appointment
of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.
Audit Committee Report
The Audit Committee consists of three directors, each of whom has been determined by the Board
to meet the New York Stock Exchange standards for independence and the Securities and Exchange
Commissions requirements for audit committee member independence. The Audit Committee operates
under a written charter adopted by the Board of Directors. The Audit Committees charter may be
found on the companys website at psbusinessparks.com/corpGov.html.
The Audit Committees responsibilities include appointing the companys independent registered
public accounting firm, pre-approving audit and non-audit services provided by the firm, and
assisting the Board in providing oversight to the companys financial reporting process. In
fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Audit Committee meets with the companys independent
registered public accounting firm, internal auditors and management to review accounting, auditing,
internal controls and financial reporting matters.
It is not the Audit Committees responsibility to plan or conduct audits or to determine
that the companys financial statements and disclosures are complete, accurate, and in accordance
with generally accepted U.S. accounting principles and applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Management is responsible for the companys internal controls and the financial reporting process.
The independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an independent
audit of the companys consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and for issuing a report thereon. The
Audit Committees responsibility is to monitor and oversee these processes and necessarily relies
on the work and assurances of the companys management and of the companys independent registered
public accounting firm.
In this context, the Audit Committee has met with management and with Ernst & Young LLP, the
companys independent registered accounting firm, and has reviewed and discussed with them the
audited consolidated financial statements. Management represented to the Audit Committee that the
companys consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. generally
accepted accounting principles. The Audit Committee discussed with the independent registered
public accounting firm matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61
(Communication with Audit Committees), as modified or supplemented.
The companys independent registered public accounting firm also provided to the Audit
Committee the written disclosures and the letter required by the applicable rules of the Public
Company Accounting Oversight, and the Audit Committee discussed with the independent registered
public accounting firm that firms independence. In addition, the Audit Committee has considered
whether the independent registered accounting firms provision of non-audit services to the company
is compatible with the firms independence.
During 2009, management documented, tested and evaluated the companys system of internal
control over financial reporting in response to the requirements set forth in Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and SEC regulations adopted thereunder. The Audit Committee met with
representatives of management, the internal auditors, legal counsel and the independent registered
public accounting firm on a regular basis throughout the year to discuss the progress of the
process. At the conclusion of this process, the Audit Committee received from management its
assessment and report on the effectiveness of the companys internal controls over financial
reporting. In addition, the Audit Committee received
14
from Ernst & Young LLP its attestation report on the companys internal control over financial
reporting. The Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the results of managements assessment and
Ernst & Youngs attestation.
Based on the foregoing and the Audit Committees discussions with management and the
independent registered public accounting firm, and review of the representations of management and
the attestation report of the independent registered public accounting firm, the Audit Committee
recommended to the Board of Directors, and the Board has approved, that the audited consolidated
financial statements be included in the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2009 for filing with the SEC.
THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
Arthur M. Friedman, Chairman
Jennifer H. Dunbar
Michael V. McGee
SECTION 16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires the companys directors and
executive officers, and persons who own more than 10% of any registered class of the companys
equity securities to file with the SEC initial reports (on Form 3) of ownership of the companys
equity securities and to file subsequent reports (on Form 4 or Form 5) when there are changes in
such ownership. The due dates of such reports are established by statute and the rules of the SEC.
Based on a review of the reports submitted to the company and of filings on the SECs EDGAR
website, the company believes that all directors and officers made timely reports.
STOCK OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
The following table sets forth information as of the dates indicated with respect to persons
known to the company to be the beneficial owners of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the
companys common stock:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned |
Name and Address |
|
Number of Shares |
|
Percent of Class (1) |
Public Storage |
|
|
5,801,606 |
|
|
|
23.8 |
% |
701 Western Avenue
Glendale, California 91201-2349 (2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cohen & Steers, Inc. |
|
|
3,049,069 |
|
|
|
12.15 |
% |
280 Park Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10017 (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Vanguard Group, Inc. |
|
|
1,891,864 |
|
|
|
7.87 |
% |
PO Box 2600
V26
Valley Forge, PA 194582-2600 (4) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BlackRock, Inc. |
|
|
1,706,719 |
|
|
|
7.00 |
% |
40 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022 (5) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The percent of class is calculated using the ownership numbers as of the dates indicated
below divided by shares outstanding on March 14, 2010. |
|
(2) |
|
Holdings reported are as of March 10, 2010. The reporting persons listed above have filed a
joint Schedule 13D, amended as of August 28, 2009. Public Storage has sole voting and
dispositive power with respect to all such shares. The 5,801,606 shares of common stock in
the above table does not include 7,305,355 units of limited partnership interest in
PS Business Parks, L.P. (Units) held by Public Storage and affiliated partnerships which
(pursuant to the terms of the agreement of limited partnership of PS Business Parks, L.P.) are
redeemable by the holder for cash or, at the companys election, for shares of the companys
common stock on a one-for-one basis. Upon conversion of the |
15
|
|
|
|
|
Units to common stock, Public Storage and its affiliated partnerships would own approximately
41.3% of the common stock (based upon the common stock outstanding at March 10, 2010 and
assuming such conversion). |
|
(3) |
|
Holdings reported as of December 31, 2009 as set forth in Schedule 13G filed on February 12,
2010 by Cohen & Steers, Inc. and certain affiliates to report beneficial ownership and sole
dispositive power with respect to 3,049,069 shares and sole voting power with respect to
2,367,215 shares. |
|
(4) |
|
Holdings reported as of December 31, 2009 as set forth in Schedule 13G filed on February 1,
2010 by The Vanguard Group, Inc., as investment adviser of its clients to report beneficial
ownership and sole dispositive power with respect to 1,891,864 shares and sole voting power
with respect to 28,074 shares and shared dispositive power with respect to 28,074 shares. |
|
(5) |
|
Holdings reported as of December 31, 2009 as set forth in Schedule 13G filed on January 20,
2010 by BlackRock, Inc. and certain affiliates to report beneficial ownership and sole voting
and dispositive power with respect to 1,706,719 shares. |
16
Security Ownership of Management
The following table sets forth information as of March 10, 2010 concerning the beneficial
ownership of common stock of each director of the company, the companys Chief Executive Officer,
the Chief Financial Officer and the other two most highly compensated persons who were executive
officers of the company on December 31, 2009 and all directors and executive officers as a group:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares of Common Stock: |
|
|
Beneficially Owned (excluding options) (1) |
|
|
Shares Subject to Options (2) |
Name |
|
Number of Shares |
|
Percent of Class |
Ronald L. Havner, Jr. |
|
|
73,548 |
(1)(3) |
|
|
.3 |
% |
|
|
|
132,236 |
(2) |
|
|
.5 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
205,784 |
|
|
|
.8 |
% |
|
Joseph D. Russell, Jr. |
|
|
26,123 |
(1) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
111,216 |
(2) |
|
|
.4 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
137,339 |
|
|
|
.5 |
% |
|
R. Wesley Burns |
|
|
2,000 |
(1) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
12,000 |
(2) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,000 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Jennifer H. Dunbar |
|
|
285 |
(1)(6) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
2,400 |
(2) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,685 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Arthur M. Friedman |
|
|
12,500 |
(1)(5) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
12,000 |
(2) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24,500 |
|
|
|
.1 |
% |
|
Harvey Lenkin |
|
|
1,916 |
(1)(4) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
9,000 |
(2) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,916 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Sara Grootwassink Lewis |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
|
|
James H. Kropp |
|
|
9,825 |
(1) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
13,000 |
(2) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22,825 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
Michael V. McGee |
|
|
2,500 |
(1) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
8,400 |
(2) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10,900 |
|
|
|
* |
|
|
John W. Petersen |
|
|
11,028 |
(1) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
50,000 |
(2) |
|
|
.2 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
61,028 |
|
|
|
.3 |
% |
|
Edward A. Stokx |
|
|
8,375 |
(1) |
|
|
* |
|
|
|
|
35,000 |
(2) |
|
|
.1 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
43,375 |
|
|
|
.2 |
% |
17
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares of Common Stock: |
|
|
Beneficially Owned (excluding options) (1) |
|
|
Shares Subject to Options (2) |
Name |
|
Number of Shares |
|
Percent of Class |
Maria R. Hawthorne |
|
|
20,561 |
(1) |
|
|
.1 |
% |
|
|
|
23,000 |
(2) |
|
|
.1 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
43,561 |
|
|
|
.2 |
% |
|
All Directors and
Executive Officers as
a Group (13 persons) |
|
|
168,661 |
(1)(3)(4)(5)(6) |
|
|
.7 |
% |
|
|
|
408,252 |
(2) |
|
|
1.7 |
% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
576,913 |
|
|
|
2.4 |
% |
|
|
|
* |
|
Less than 0.1% |
|
(1) |
|
Represents shares of common stock beneficially owned as of March 10, 2010. Except as
otherwise indicated and subject to applicable community property and similar statutes, the
persons listed as beneficial owners of the shares have sole voting and investment power with
respect to such shares. Includes shares credited to the accounts of the executive officers of
the company that are held in the 401(k) Plan. Does not include restricted stock units
described in the Grants of Plan-Based Awards table unless such units would vest within 60 days
of the date of this table. |
|
(2) |
|
Represents options exercisable within 60 days of March 10, 2010 to purchase shares of common
stock. |
|
(3) |
|
Includes 68,548 shares held by Mr. Havner and his spouse as trustees of the Havner Family
Trust. Includes 500 shares held by a custodian of an IRA for Mr. Havners spouse as to which
she has investment power. Includes 4,000 shares owned by the Havner Family Foundation of
which Mr. Havner and his wife are co-trustees but with respect to which Mr. and Mrs. Havner
disclaim any beneficial interest. Does not include shares owned by Public Storage as to which
Mr. Havner disclaims beneficial ownership. Mr. Havner is the Vice-Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Public Storage. See Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial
Owners and Management on page 15 for Public Storage ownership. |
|
(4) |
|
Includes 1,800 shares held by Mr. Lenkin and his spouse as trustees of the Lenkin Family
Trust. Does not include shares owned by Public Storage as to which Mr. Lenkin disclaims
beneficial ownership. Mr. Lenkin is a trustee of Public Storage. See Security Ownership of
Certain Beneficial Owners on page 15 for Public Storage ownership. |
|
(5) |
|
Includes 12,000 shares held by Mr. Friedman and his spouse as trustees of the Friedman Family
Trust. |
|
(6) |
|
Shares held by Ms. Dunbar and her spouse as trustees of the Lilac II Trust. |
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
2009 Executive Compensation Highlight.
2009 was a challenging year for commercial property owners. In March 2009, the Compensation
Committee met and considered the appropriate targets to incentivize senior management for 2009
performance in light of difficult market conditions and determined the threshold for payment of
senior executive bonuses would be company achievement of targeted levels of funds available for
distribution (FAD) adjusted for certain items, as described below. Based on the level of adjusted
FAD achieved, potential bonus payments could range from 50% to 150% of the target level.
In March 2010, the Compensation Committee determined that the company had met the 2009 FAD
target required to establish a pool for potential bonuses at the 100% level. The Compensation
Committee then considered each named executive officers individual bonus targets in determining
the appropriate bonus payment for 2009 performance.
18
The Compensation Committees decisions with respect to 2009 compensation are discussed in
detail below. To summarize the Committees decisions:
|
|
|
all named executive officer base salaries for 2009 were frozen at 2008 levels; |
|
|
|
|
bonuses paid to the named executive officers for 2009 performance ranged from 74% to 84%
of the potential bonus pool, reflecting the challenging business environment during the
year; and |
|
|
|
|
no equity awards were granted to any executive officers during 2009. |
2010 Compensation Outlook
The operating environment for commercial real estate in 2010 continues to be challenging,
although we believe we are well positioned to meet the challenges. Given these expectations, the
Compensation Committee met in March 2010 and made the following decisions for 2010 executive
officer compensation:
|
|
|
executive officer base salaries for 2010 continue to be frozen at 2008 levels; |
|
|
|
|
2010 bonus target amounts are set at the same level as 2009 and 2008; |
|
|
|
|
the threshold for determining the potential bonus pool is again based on achievement of
targeted levels of 2010 FAD; and |
|
|
|
|
in March 2010, the Compensation Committee granted stock options to each of the named
executive officers that vest over five years. |
Additional details concerning Compensation Committee activities with respect to 2009 compensation
and 2010 compensation targets, as well as information about our executive officer compensation
policies and practices, are provided below.
Executive Compensation Philosophy. Our compensation goals are to hire, retain and motivate
our senior management to create long-term shareholder value. We pay our named executive officers a
mix of cash compensation and long-term equity compensation that we consider appropriate in view of
individual and corporate performance, competitive levels, and our objective of aligning individual
and shareholder interests to maximize the value of our shareholders investments in our securities.
In general, our compensation program for named executive officers consists of (1) payment of a
base salary, (2) potentially, short-term incentives in the form of cash bonuses and (3) long-term
incentives in the form of equity awards, which may be restricted stock units or stock options,
which vest upon continued service or the achievement of defined performance goals. Annual and
long-term incentive compensation for named executive officers is designed to reward achievement of
company-wide performance goals by tying awards primarily to financial objectives such as FAD,
growth in Net Asset Value (NAV), same-store net operating income (NOI), and the achievement of
targeted levels of property-level returns after transactional capitalized expenditures, as well as
other corporate objectives, as discussed in more detail below.
Because each component of our compensation program is designed to accomplish or reward
different objectives, historically and in 2009, the Compensation Committee determined the award of
each component separately. Historically and in 2009, the Compensation Committee did not retain or
rely on information provided by any third-party compensation consultant in setting compensation
levels and awards for our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee reviews information
concerning compensation of executive officers at the Compensation Survey Companies named on page
24. However, information regarding the Compensation Survey Companies is only one factor considered
by the Compensation Committee in determining the compensation paid to the named executive officers.
The Compensation Committee also considers corporate, business unit and individual performance
generally, and, particularly with respect to Mr. Russells compensation, input from other Board
members, including the Chairman of the Board. With respect to the compensation of the executive
officers who report to Mr. Russell, the Compensation Committee also considers the recommendations
of Mr. Russell.
The Compensation Committee made all final compensation decisions for named executive officers
in 2009. For more information on the Compensation Committee and its responsibilities, see
Corporate Governance and Board MattersCompensation Committee on page 5.
19
Elements of Compensation
Base Salaries. Base salaries provide a base level of monthly income for our named executive
officers. We believe that providing a fixed level of guaranteed cash compensation is important to
allow us to attract and retain executives. We establish base salaries for named executive officers
at a level so that a significant portion of the total cash compensation such executives can earn is
performance-based through annual incentive compensation.
Base salaries are set based on factors that include whether levels are competitive with the
salaries for individuals with comparable experience and responsibilities at the Compensation Survey
Companies, competitive conditions in the local market, an individuals performance and
responsibilities and the business judgment of the members of the Compensation Committee. The
factors considered also include input from other Board members, including the Chairman of the
Board, particularly with respect to Mr. Russells salary, and the recommendations of Mr. Russell
for the other named executive officers. In general, the Compensation Committee reviews base
salaries bi-annually for the named executive officers.
Bonuses. Our annual incentive cash bonus program provides an opportunity to reward named
executive officers for the companys performance during the fiscal year, and their individual
contributions to that performance and are generally based on achievement of a threshold corporate
performance goal for payment of any bonus and individually established targets that determine the
bonus paid to each named executive officer. These objectives may vary depending on the individual
officer and his or her responsibilities, but generally relate to financial factors, primarily FAD,
growth in same-store NOI, and the maintenance of targeted levels of property-level returns after
transactional capitalized expenditures, and achievement of other operational and financial goals.
Target annual incentive bonus amounts are set for each named executive officer based on job
responsibilities and typically range up to 100% of base salary for the chief executive officer and
chief operating officer and lesser amounts for the other named executive officers. In addition,
the corporate performance objective, which sets the size of the bonus pool, is typically set at
targeted levels so potential incentive bonus awards could range from zero to 150% of the targeted
amount for each named executive officer. The Compensation Committee has the discretion to reduce
the amount of any actual award based on those factors that the Compensation Committee considers
appropriate. The Committee typically exercises this discretion to ensure that management makes
decisions based on what is in the companys best interest.
Equity-Based Compensation. Equity awards of restricted stock units or stock options are
long-term incentives designed to reward long-term growth in the price of and, in the case of
restricted stock units, dividends paid on PS Business Parks common stock and shareholder value.
Both help retain executives because they achieve their maximum value only if the executive
continues to be employed by PS Business Parks for a period of years and their value is enhanced if
the price of our common stock increases over the common stock price on the date of grant.
The Compensation Committee has the discretion to award executive officers restricted stock
units, stock options or a mix of both. The Compensation Committee does not set awards based on a
fixed weighting between stock options and restricted stock units. However, during 2005 through
2008, the Compensation Committee focused equity compensation for the named executive officers on
awards of restricted stock units for each year and the four-year period for 2005 through 2008 under
a senior management long-term equity incentive equity program. In March of 2009, senior management
received restricted stock awards under that program that had been granted previously for the 2008
annual and four-year 2005-2008 performance periods. No additional grants will be made under the
program, which terminated at the end of 2008. No grants of restricted stock or stock options were
made to the named executive officers in 2009.
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock
Restricted stock units and restricted stock increase in value as the value of the companys
common stock and/or dividends increase, and generally vest over time provided that the executive
officer remains in the employ of the company. Accordingly, awards of restricted stock units or
restricted stock serve the Committees objective of retaining company executive officers and other
employees and motivating them to advance the interests of the company and its shareholders. They
may also offer value during difficult market conditions because they retain some value even in
declining markets, which may enhance their retention value at a time when we may most need
executive talent. No grants of restricted stock or restricted stock units were made to the named
executive officers in 2009.
20
Stock Options
Stock options have value solely to the extent that the price of our common shares increases
over the grant price during the term of the option. Stock options are granted with an exercise
price of not less than 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant so
that the executive officer may not profit from the option unless the stock price increases. From
2006 to 2008, none of the companys named executive officers received grants of stock options
because the Compensation Committee determined that the only equity awards would be of restricted
stock and restricted stock units under the 2005-2008 long-term equity incentive program. In
addition, following termination of the 2005-2008 program, no awards or restricted stock nor stock
option awards were made to any named executive officer during 2009.
In March 2010, the Compensation Committee determined that grants of stock options would be the
optimal incentive to retain, motivate and reward named executive officers during the anticipated
challenging environment for commercial real estate in 2010. As a result, the Compensation Committee
granted stock options to the named executive officers in the following amounts: Joseph D. Russell,
65,000 shares; John Petersen, 45,000 shares; Edward A. Stokx, 35,000 shares; and Maria R.
Hawthorne, 40,000 shares. The stock options vest in equal annual installments over five years and
have a ten-year term.
Equity Grant Practices
Equity grants, including grants of restricted stock or units or stock options, to all
executive officers, including named executive officers, must be approved by the Compensation
Committee. These grants occur only at meetings of the Compensation Committee (including telephonic
meetings) and such grants are made effective as of the date of the meeting or a future date if
appropriate (such as in the case of a new hire). In general, the Compensation Committee evaluates
equity awards for executive officers in February or March of each year and evaluates the awards in
light of performance during the preceding year. Equity awards are not timed in coordination with
the release of material non-public information. The exercise price of all options granted is equal
to the closing market price of our common stock on the date of grant.
Equity awards, including grants of stock options, to employees who are not executive officers,
may also be made by the Equity Awards Committee of the Board, which consists of two directors
appointed by the Board, currently and during 2009, Messrs. Havner and Russell. These grants are
made pursuant to the terms of the 2003 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and the authorization of the
Board. The Equity Awards Committee acts after consideration of managements recommendations.
Equity grants to non-executive officers may be made at various times during the year, but are not
timed in coordination with the release of material non-public information. Awards to non-executive
officers typically vest over a six- year period with vesting beginning one year following the date
of grant and then in five equal annual installments.
2009 Base Salaries. The Compensation Committee typically reviews base salaries for increases
bi-annually. In March 2009, the Compensation Committee considered base salaries, the anticipated
business challenges for 2010, and the recommendations of Mr. Russell and determined to freeze base
salaries for the named executive officers for 2010 at the same salary level paid in 2008 and 2009.
Annual Bonuses for 2009 Performance. In March 2009, the Compensation Committee established the
2009 annual bonus performance targets for each of the named executive officers. After consideration
of market conditions, the companys strategic goals and input from Mr. Russell and other Board
members, including the Chairman of the Board, the Compensation Committee determined that 2009
bonuses would again be based on the achievement of targeted levels of FAD for the corporate
component. The Compensation Committee selected FAD as the key financial metric because of its
importance to both the PS Business Parks senior executive team and to investors. If the corporate
2009 FAD targets were met, individual bonuses for named executive officers would then be awarded
based on achievement of divisional performance with respect to occupancy, NOI, leasing and
enterprise value metrics, and achievement of individual leadership and performance metrics related
to each named executive officers specific job function.
FAD is computed by adjusting consolidated Funds From Operations (FFO) for recurring capital
improvements, which the company defines as those costs incurred to maintain the assets value,
tenant improvements, lease commissions, straight-line rent, stock compensation expense, impairment
charges, amortization of lease incentives and tenant improvement reimbursements, in-place lease
adjustment and the impact of EITF Topic D-42. FFO is computed as net income, before depreciation,
amortization, minority interest in income, gains or losses on asset dispositions and nonrecurring
items. For purposes of calculating the FAD bonus target amounts, 2009 FAD was also
adjusted by (1) reductions in preferred distributions due to the repurchase of preferred
securities; (2) interest income that would otherwise be earned on cash used to buy preferred stock;
(3) variance between budget and actual capital maintenance costs; and (4) rental income from
selected tenants.
21
The 2009 threshold level of adjusted FAD established by the Compensation Committee for
potential awards of 100% of the targeted bonus amount for an individual was adjusted FAD exceeding
$91,637,000 but not more than $94,684000 (the target for 150% of the targeted bonus amount). In
March 2010, the Compensation Committee determined that 2009 FAD was $91,932,029, which set each
named executive officers potential bonus at 100% of target.
Since the FAD target was achieved and the maximum potential bonus payable to each named
executive officer established, the Compensation Committee considered the amount of the actual
incentive bonus payment for each named executive officer based on the individuals performance
during the year. The Chief Executive Officers performance was reviewed based on the Compensation
Committees assessment of his achievement of the qualitative and quantitative goals, including an
adjustment based on the percentage of total bonus achieved by divisional management. The Chief
Executive Officer does not participate in the deliberations of the Compensation Committee with
respect to setting his compensation. With respect to the other named executive officers, the
Compensation Committee considered materials prepared by the Chief Executive Officer describing the
achievements of each other named executive officer with respect to the bonus performance
objectives, including his recommendations with respect to qualitative and subjective factors.
The 2009 performance objectives for the named executive officers consisted of a variety of
individually-specific quantitative and qualitative goals related to the operations and functions
each supervises. The bonus objectives provided for adjusting a portion of the bonus paid to all the
named executive officers by the percentage of total bonus achieved by divisional or functional
individuals supervised by the named executive officer, and the bonus objectives for all named
executive officers included leadership and other qualitative goals. The bonuses paid to divisional
personnel (which do not include the named executive officers) are based on factors that include
achieved occupancy levels, NOI, leasing and lease portfolio values for particular locations and
regional operations for which the divisional employee is responsible. None of the goals for the
named executive officers is based directly on company performance metrics, and the payment of a
bonus does not depend on the achievement of any particular goal.
Divisional management bonus targets and results. As noted above, a portion of the bonus of
some of the individual NEOs reflects the bonus percentage paid to the management of the companys
five operating divisions. Bonuses for the divisional managers are determined by the Chief Executive
Officer in his sole discretion, after consideration of the recommendations of Mr. Petersen and Ms.
Hawthorne. Mr. Russell also reviews his decisions with the Compensation Committee. Each of the
companys five operating divisions has separate targets that vary based on the geography, local
markets and portfolio. The 2009 annual bonus targets for divisional managers were (1) 29% based on
achieving portfolio occupancy rates ranging from 85.9% to 94.47%; (2) 20% based on achieving
budgeted divisional NOI ranging from $23.0 million to $68.4 million; (3) 20% based on achievement
of a targeted level of economic value in portfolio leases (EVA) ranging from 9.03% to
9.85% among the divisions; (4) 20% based on achieving leasing production targets ranging from
$850,000 to $1.1 million; and (5) 11% based on the Chief Executive Officers subjective evaluation
of job performance. Actual performance at the five divisions for (1) occupancy ranged from 95.3% to
100.8% of the target; (2) 0 to 60% for divisional NOI achievements; (3) 85.4% to 96.1% of the EVA
goal; and (4) 88% to 94% of the job performance potential. The weighted average of combined
divisional performance bonus payout for 2009 was 64%.
Named executive officer individual targets and results. At the beginning of 2009, the
Compensation Committee approved the individual bonus criteria and target payout amounts. In early
2010, the amount of each named executive officers bonus paid was determined by multiplying the
portion of each named executive officers target bonus that was attributable to each performance
criterion by the extent to which the committee deemed that factor was achieved, expressed as a
percentage. The committee did not otherwise exercise discretion to increase or reduce amounts paid
for 2009 performance. The criteria and results for each named executive officer in 2009 are
described below.
Joseph D. Russell, Jr. Mr. Russells 2009 bonus potential was $425,000. His bonus
for 2009 was calculated based on achievement of the following goals: (1) 50% based on the weighted
average divisional bonus payout, which was 64% for 2009, resulting in a payout amount of $136,000;
(2) 10% based on the performance of the bonus achievement of the Finance Department senior
management which was 94% for 2009, resulting in a payout amount of $34,550; (3) 10% based on
achievement of an NAV goal that 2009 NAV per share is at least flat compared with 2008, which was
100% achieved for 2009, resulting in a payout amount of $42,500; and (4) 30% based on the
Compensation Committees subjective assessment of his leadership and value creation during 2009,
which the Compensation Committee determined was 100% achieved for 2009, resulting in a payout
amount of $127,500. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Russells total 2009 bonus payment was $340,550
(80% of target.)
John W. Petersen. Mr. Petersens 2009 bonus potential was $300,000. His bonus for
2009 was calculated based on achievement of the following goals: (1) 70% based on the weighted
average divisional bonus payout, which was 64% for
22
2009, resulting in a payout amount of $134,400, and (2) 30% based on a subjective evaluation
of Mr. Petersons leadership achievements, which the Committee determined was 96% achieved,
resulting in a payout of $88,650. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Petersens total 2009 bonus was
$223,050 (74% of target).
Edward A. Stokx. Mr. Stokx 2009 bonus potential was $200,000. His bonus for 2009 was
calculated based on achievement of the following goals: (1) 40% based on the weighted average
divisional bonus payout, which was 64% for 2009, resulting in a payout amount of $51,200; (2) 30%
based on achievement of cost cutting objectives related to G&A, staffing, insurance costs, tax
planning and costs of capital, which the Compensation Committee determined was 100% achieved for a
payout of $60,000; (3) 20% based on a subjective evaluation of Mr. Stokx activities to manage
business risks related to customer payments, which the Committee determined was 95% achieved for a
payout of $38,000; and (4) 10% based on a subjective evaluation of Mr. Stokx leadership and value
creation during 2009, which the Committee determined was 95% achieved, resulting in a payout of
$19,000. Based on the foregoing, Mr. Stokx total 2009 bonus was $168,200 (84% of target).
Maria R. Hawthorne. Ms. Hawthornes 2009 bonus potential was $175,000. Her bonus for 2009 was
calculated based on achievement of the following goals: (1) 70% based on the average percentage of
target bonus paid to the divisional management for the Washington metro and Southeast divisions,
which was 69% for 2009, resulting in a payout of $84,438; and (2) 30% based on a subjective
evaluation of her leadership measurements and job performance, which the Committee determined was
96% achieved, resulting in a payout of $50,425. Based on the foregoing, Ms. Hawthornes total 2009
bonus was $134,863 (77% of target).
2010 Executive Officer Annual Cash Bonus Performance Targets. In March 2010, the Compensation
Committee established the 2010 annual bonus performance targets for each of the named executive
officers. After consideration of market conditions, the companys strategic goals and input from
Mr. Russell and other Board members, the Compensation Committee determined that, as was the case
for 2009, 2010 bonuses would again be based on the achievement of targeted levels of FAD for the
corporate component, as adjusted for selected lease payments and recurring capital maintenance
costs. The Compensation Committee established three designated FAD levels for payment of 50%, 100%
or 150% of the bonus target amount depending on the level of FAD achieved. The Compensation
Committee selected FAD as the key financial metric because of its importance to both the PS
Business Parks senior executive team and to investors.
If the corporate FAD targets are met for 2010, individual bonuses for all named executive
officers will be awarded based on the bonus percentage paid to the companys divisional management
and achievement of individual leadership and performance metrics primarily related to job function.
The Compensation Committee considers achievement of the bonus targets to be challenging, but
achievable.
As noted above, the divisional management bonuses are a component of all the named executive
officer bonuses. For 2010, the divisional management bonuses will be based on achievement of
targeted levels for each of the five divisions separately determined for: (1) cash flow, (2)
occupancy, (3) a targeted level of economic value in portfolio leases, (4) divisional net operating
income, (5) leasing volume and (6) transaction costs per square foot. The Committee also determined
bonus target amounts for achievement of the FAD level required for payment of a 100% bonus for
2010 performance for Mr. Russell of $425,000, for Mr. Petersen of $300,000, for Mr. Stokx of
$200,000, and for Ms. Hawthorne of $175,000. As noted previously, FAD levels for payment of 50% and
150% of the bonus target amount were also established as part of the 2010 performance bonus
program, which would adjust the target bonus amount paid by 50% or 150%, respectively, if those
levels were achieved.
PS Business Parks Executive Officer Stock Retention Requirements. Named executive officers
are required to retain 20% of the shares of common stock of PS Business Parks previously acquired
under the 2005-2008 equity performance award program for the duration of their employment by PS
Business Parks.
Role of Executive Officers. In general, Mr. Russell attends all meetings of the Compensation
Committee at which (1) compensation of the other named executive officers or other employees is
discussed and/or (2) company-wide compensation matters, such as the consideration of new equity
plans, are discussed. Mr. Russell does not vote on items before the Compensation Committee. As
discussed in more detail below, the Compensation Committee solicits Mr. Russells view on the
performance of the executive officers reporting to him, including each of the other named executive
officers. In general, the Compensation Committee sets the compensation for the other named
executive officers after consideration of the recommendations prepared by Mr. Russell with respect
to appropriate amounts to reward and incentivize each named executive officer. In addition, the
Compensation Committee solicits the views of the Chairman of the Board and other Board members,
particularly with respect to compensation for Mr. Russell. The Compensation Committee met three
times during 2009. Mr. Russell attended one of the meetings. Mr. Russell did not participate in the
deliberations of the Compensation Committee with respect to setting his compensation.
23
Compensation Survey Companies. Each component of compensation for the named executive
officerssalary, annual cash bonus and equity compensationis based generally on the Compensation
Committees (and Mr. Russells for each of the other named executive officers) subjective
assessment of each individuals role and responsibilities and corporate and individual achievements
and consideration of market compensation rates. Market compensation rates are considered by the
Compensation Committee in determining compensation levels. However, we do not benchmark or
specifically target certain levels of compensation. For the named executive officers, the
Compensation Committee primarily determines market compensation rates by reviewing public
disclosures of compensation paid to senior executive officers at other office and industrial
companies with a total market capitalization that the Compensation Committee deems comparable (the
Compensation Survey Companies). In 2009, the Compensation Survey Companies were:
|
|
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Alexandria Real Estate Equities,Inc. |
|
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|
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AMB Property Corp. |
|
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BioMed Realty Trust |
|
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Boston Properties Inc. |
|
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Brandywine Realty Trust |
|
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Corporate Office Properties Trust |
|
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DCT Industrial Trust Inc. |
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Douglas Emmett, Inc. |
|
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Duke Realty Corp. |
|
|
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EastGroup Properties, Inc. |
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First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. |
|
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Franklin Street Properties Corp. |
|
|
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Highwoods Properties, Inc. |
|
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Kilroy Realty Corporation |
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Liberty Property Trust |
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Maguire Properties, Inc. |
|
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Mission West Properties, Inc. |
|
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ProLogis |
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SL Green Realty Corp. |
As discussed above, the information regarding the Compensation Survey Companies is only one
factor considered by the Compensation Committee in determining the compensation paid to the named
executive officers. The Compensation Committee also considers corporate, business unit and
individual performance, and the views of other Board members, including the Chairman, as well as
the recommendations of Mr. Russell with respect to compensation of the other named executive
officers.
Tax and Accounting ConsiderationsCode Section 162(m). Section 162(m) of the Code imposes a
$1,000,000 limit on the annual deduction that may be claimed for compensation paid to each of the
chief executive officer and three other highest paid employees of a publicly-held corporation
(other than the chief financial officer). Certain performance-based compensation awarded under a
plan approved by shareholders is excluded from that limitation, as is certain compensation paid by
a partnership, such as PS Business Parks, L.P. (the Operating Partnership). Most of our
employees and all of our named executive officers are employed by the Operating Partnership. As a
result, we do not believe the provisions of Section 162(m) apply to compensation for our named
executive officers, who are employees of the Operating Partnership. However, our Performance-Based
Plan approved by shareholders in 2006 (the 2006 Plan) is designed to permit the Compensation
Committee to make awards that qualify for deduction as performance-based compensation consistent
with the requirements of Section 162(m).
REPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the foregoing Compensation Discussion
and Analysis with management. Based on this review and discussions, the Compensation Committee
recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in
the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K and proxy statement on Schedule 14A.
THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
James H. Kropp (Chairman)
Jennifer H. Dunbar
Michael V. McGee
24
Compensation of Executive Officers
The following table sets forth certain information concerning the compensation for 2009 paid
to the companys principal executive officer, principal financial officer and the two other most
highly compensated persons who were executive officers of the company on December 31, 2009 (the
named executive officers). These four officers constitute all the companys executive officers.
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
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Non-Equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Incentive |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock |
|
Option |
|
Plan |
|
All Other |
|
|
Name and |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awards |
|
Awards |
|
Compensa- |
|
Compensa- |
|
|
Principal Position |
|
Year |
|
Salary |
|
($) (1) |
|
($) (1) |
|
tion ($) (2) |
|
tion (3) |
|
Total ($) |
Joseph D.
Russell, Jr., |
|
|
2009 |
|
|
$ |
425,790 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
340,550 |
|
|
$ |
42,800 |
|
|
$ |
809,140 |
|
President and |
|
|
2008 |
|
|
$ |
425,710 |
|
|
$ |
235,575 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
347,300 |
|
|
$ |
49,460 |
|
|
$ |
1,058,045 |
|
Chief Executive
Officer |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
425,778 |
|
|
$ |
641,250 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
382,500 |
|
|
$ |
42,285 |
|
|
$ |
1,491,813 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John W. Petersen, |
|
|
2009 |
|
|
$ |
300,790 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
223,050 |
|
|
$ |
24,804 |
|
|
$ |
548,644 |
|
Executive Vice |
|
|
2008 |
|
|
$ |
300,700 |
|
|
$ |
117,788 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
274,170 |
|
|
$ |
26,602 |
|
|
$ |
719,260 |
|
President and Chief
Operating Officer |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
282,028 |
|
|
$ |
320,625 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
291,618 |
|
|
$ |
22,373 |
|
|
$ |
916,644 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edward A. Stokx, |
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|
2009 |
|
|
$ |
225,790 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
168,200 |
|
|
$ |
21,931 |
|
|
$ |
415,921 |
|
Executive Vice |
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|
2008 |
|
|
$ |
225,610 |
|
|
$ |
91,613 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
184,200 |
|
|
$ |
23,157 |
|
|
$ |
524,580 |
|
President and Chief
Financial Officer |
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2007 |
|
|
$ |
219,528 |
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|
$ |
249,375 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
139,650 |
|
|
$ |
19,705 |
|
|
$ |
628,258 |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
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|
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|
|
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|
Maria R. Hawthorne, |
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|
2009 |
|
|
$ |
225,737 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
134,868 |
|
|
$ |
21,618 |
|
|
$ |
382,223 |
|
Senior Vice President, |
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|
2008 |
|
|
$ |
218,329 |
|
|
$ |
78,525 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
165,690 |
|
|
$ |
24,389 |
|
|
$ |
486,933 |
|
East Coast |
|
|
2007 |
|
|
$ |
191,506 |
|
|
$ |
213,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
155,803 |
|
|
$ |
22,535 |
|
|
$ |
583,594 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
The amounts for stock awards and option awards reflect the grant date fair value in
accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts for
2009 are included in Note 10 to the companys audited financial statements for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2009, included in the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
SEC on February 26, 2010. |
|
(2) |
|
Includes payments pursuant to the companys annual incentive award program. |
|
(3) |
|
All Other Compensation for 2009 consists of (1) company contributions to the 401(k) Profit
Sharing Plan (4% of the annual cash compensation up to a maximum of $9,800 in 2009) and (2)
dividend equivalent payments on unvested restricted stock units: |
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Company |
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Contributions |
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|
|
|
|
|
To 401(k) Profit |
|
Dividends Paid On |
|
|
Name |
|
Sharing Plan |
|
Stock Awards |
|
Total |
Joseph D. Russell, Jr. |
|
$ |
9,800 |
|
|
$ |
33,000 |
|
|
$ |
42,800 |
|
John W. Petersen |
|
$ |
9,800 |
|
|
$ |
15,004 |
|
|
$ |
24,804 |
|
Edward A. Stokx |
|
$ |
9,800 |
|
|
$ |
12,131 |
|
|
$ |
21,931 |
|
Maria R. Hawthorne |
|
$ |
9,800 |
|
|
$ |
11,818 |
|
|
$ |
21,618 |
|
25
The following table sets forth certain information relating to grants of plan-based
awards to the named executive officers during 2009.
GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS
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Estimated Possible Payouts Under |
|
Estimated Possible Payouts Under |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards (1) |
|
Equity Incentive Plan Awards |
|
Grant Date Fair |
|
|
Grant |
|
Threshold |
|
Target |
|
Maximum |
|
Threshold |
|
Target |
|
Maximum |
|
Value of Stock and |
Name |
|
Date |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
($) |
|
(#) |
|
(#) |
|
(#) |
|
Option Awards ($) |
Joseph R. Russell, Jr. |
|
|
3-17-09 |
|
|
|
212,500 |
|
|
|
425,000 |
|
|
|
637,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John W. Petersen |
|
|
3-17-09 |
|
|
|
150,000 |
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
|
450,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edward A. Stokx |
|
|
3-17-09 |
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
|
|
200,000 |
|
|
|
300,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maria R. Hawthorne |
|
|
3-17-09 |
|
|
|
87,500 |
|
|
|
175,000 |
|
|
|
262,500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
These amounts relate to possible payouts under the annual bonus plan. Actual payouts for
2009 are shown in the Summary Compensation Table. |
26
The following table sets forth certain information concerning outstanding equity awards held
by the named executive officers at December 31, 2009.
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards |
|
Stock Awards |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Market |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of |
|
Value of |
|
|
Number of |
|
Securities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shares or |
|
Shares or |
|
|
Securities |
|
Underlying |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Units of |
|
Units of |
|
|
Underlying |
|
Unexercised |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stock that |
|
Stock That |
|
|
Unexercised |
|
Options (#) |
|
Option |
|
Option |
|
Have Not |
|
Have Not |
|
|
Options (#) |
|
Unexercisable |
|
Exercise |
|
Expiration |
|
Vested (#) |
|
Vested ($) |
Name |
|
Exercisable |
|
(1) |
|
Price ($) |
|
Date |
|
(2) |
|
(3) |
Joseph D. Russell, Jr. |
|
|
71,216 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
$ |
34.34 |
|
|
|
9-9-2012 |
|
|
|
16,500 |
|
|
|
825,825 |
|
|
|
|
40,000 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
$ |
43.75 |
|
|
|
8-5-2015 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John W. Petersen |
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
$ |
45.51 |
|
|
|
12-1-2014 |
|
|
|
7,550 |
|
|
|
377,878 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Edward A. Stokx |
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
$ |
40.30 |
|
|
|
12-15-2013 |
|
|
|
6,451 |
|
|
|
322,873 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maria R. Hawthorne |
|
|
23,000 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
$ |
31.66 |
|
|
|
1-10-2013 |
|
|
|
6,180 |
|
|
|
309,309 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Mr. Russells unvested stock options vest in full on August 5, 2010. |
|
(2) |
|
Vesting dates for each outstanding unvested restricted stock unit award are as follows: |
|
|
|
|
|
Name |
|
Grant Date |
|
Vesting Date(s) |
Joseph D. Russell, Jr. |
|
7-1-04
3-21-06
3-20-07
3-17-08
|
|
7-1-10
3-21-10
3-20-10; 3-20-11
3-17-10; 3-17-11; 3-17-12 |
|
|
|
|
|
John W. Petersen |
|
12-1-04
3-21-06
3-20-07
3-17-08
|
|
12-1-10
3-21-10
3-20-10; 3-20-11
3-17-10; 3-17-11; 3-17-12 |
|
|
|
|
|
Edward A. Stokx |
|
3-28-05
3-21-06
3-20-07
3-17-08
|
|
3-28-10; 3-28-11
3-21-10
3-20-10; 3-20-11
3-17-10; 3-17-11; 3-17-12 |
|
|
|
|
|
Maria R. Hawthorne |
|
3-15-04
3-28-05
3-21-06
3-20-07
3-17-08
|
|
3-15-10
3-28-10; 3-28-11
3-21-10
3-20-10; 3-20-11
3-17-10; 3-17-11; 3-17-12 |
|
|
|
(3) |
|
Assumes a price of $50.05 per share, the closing price for common stock on the New York Stock
Exchange on December 31, 2009. |
27
OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED
The following table provides information about options exercised by
and restricted stock unit awards vested for the named executive
officers during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option Awards |
|
Stock Awards |
|
|
Number of Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
Number of Shares Acquired |
|
Value Realized on |
Name |
|
Acquired on Exercise (#) |
|
Value Realized on Exercise ($) |
|
on Vesting (#) |
|
Vesting ($) (1) |
Joseph D. Russell, Jr. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
37,500 |
|
|
|
1,362,195 |
|
John W. Petersen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18,050 |
|
|
|
645,291 |
|
Edward A. Stokx |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14,017 |
|
|
|
493,486 |
|
Maria R. Hawthorne |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13,040 |
|
|
|
458,750 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Value realized calculated based on the number of shares vesting multiplied by the
closing market price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the vesting date. |
PENSION/NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS
We do not maintain a pension plan or deferred compensation plan for any of our employees, including
the named executive officers.
POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE OF CONTROL
Payments Upon Termination
We do not have a formal severance or retirement program for payments on termination of employment
through voluntary or involuntary termination, other than as specifically set forth in the companys
Performance-Based Compensation Plan, 2003 Plan, 401(k) Plan, or as required by law. These include:
|
|
|
vested stock options following a voluntary termination of employment must be exercised
within 30 days following the individuals last date of employment; |
|
|
|
|
amounts contributed under our 401(k) Plan; and |
|
|
|
|
accrued and unused vacation pay paid in a lump sum. |
Payments Upon Death or Disability
In the event of the death or permanent and total disability of a named executive officer while
employed by the company, the executive officer will receive 401(k) contributions noted above and
accrued unused vacation pay, in addition to the following:
|
|
|
All unvested outstanding stock options held by the officer accelerate and vest as of the
date of death and may be exercised during the one-year period following the date of death,
but prior to termination of the option; |
|
|
|
|
All outstanding unvested stock options and restricted stock units held by the officer
continue to vest and are exercisable during the one-year period following the date of such
permanent and total disability, but prior to termination of the option; and |
|
|
|
|
The officer will receive payments under the companys life insurance program or
disability plan, as applicable, similar to all other employees of the company. |
28
Payments Upon a Change of Control
The companys 2003 Plan provides that upon the occurrence of a change of control of the company:
|
|
|
all outstanding unvested restricted stock units and restricted stock grants will vest
immediately; and |
|
|
|
|
all outstanding unvested stock options vest 15 days before consummation of such a change
of control and are exercisable during such 15-day period, with such exercise conditioned
upon and effective immediately before consummation of the change of control. |
A change of control is defined in the 2003 Plan to include:
|
|
|
the dissolution or liquidation of the company or a merger in which the company does not
survive, |
|
|
|
|
the sale of substantially all the companys assets, or |
|
|
|
|
any transaction which results in any person or entity, other than B. Wayne Hughes and
members of his family and their affiliates, owning 50% or more of the combined voting power
of all classes of our stock. |
The foregoing provisions do not apply to the extent (1) provision is made in writing in connection
with the change of control for continuation of the 2003 Plan or substitution of new options,
restricted stock and restricted stock units or (2) a majority of the Board determines that the
change of control will not trigger application of the foregoing provisions.
The following table shows the estimated value of the acceleration of equity awards pursuant to
the termination events described above assuming the change of control event occurred as of December
31, 2009 and assuming a closing market price of our common stock on such date of $50.05.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Value of vesting of all outstanding |
|
Value of vesting of all outstanding |
Name |
|
options (1) |
|
restricted stock units (2) |
Joseph D. Russell, Jr. |
|
$ |
1,433,803 |
|
|
$ |
825,825 |
|
John W. Petersen |
|
$ |
227,000 |
|
|
$ |
377,878 |
|
Edward A. Stokx |
|
$ |
341,250 |
|
|
$ |
322,873 |
|
Maria R. Hawthorne |
|
$ |
422,970 |
|
|
$ |
309,309 |
|
|
|
|
(1) |
|
Represents the difference between the exercise price of options held by the executive
and the closing price of the PS Business Parks common stock on the New York Stock Exchange
on December 31, 2009. |
|
(2) |
|
Represents the number of restricted stock units multiplied by the closing price of the
companys common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on December 31, 2009. |
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Related Party Transaction Approval Policies and Procedures. With respect to transactions
involving our directors, our Director Code of Ethics provides for review by the Board of related
party transactions that might present a possible conflict of interest. The Nominating/Corporate
Governance Committee of the Board reviews related party transactions involving Board members
pursuant to the Directors Code of Ethics. Directors are requested to submit information in advance
to the Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee. The Committee considers the matters submitted to
it and makes a recommendation to the Board with respect to any action to be taken. The director
with an actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest does not participate in the
decision-making process related to the transaction.
Our executive officers are subject to our company-wide Business Conduct Standards (BCS).
Under the BCS, executive officers are required to discuss and seek pre-approval of the Chief
Executive Officer of any potential conflicts of interest. In addition, the Audit Committee reviews,
on an ongoing basis, related party transactions involving our executive officers and directors or
Public Storage that may require Board pre-approval under applicable law or may be required to be
disclosed in our financial statements.
Relationship with Public Storage. The properties in which the company has an equity interest
are generally owned by PS Business Parks, L.P. (the Operating Partnership). As of March 10,
2010, the company owned approximately 77% of the Operating Partnerships common partnership units.
The remaining common partnership units were owned by Public Storage. The 7,305,355 units of
limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership held by Public Storage and affiliated
29
partnerships are redeemable (pursuant to the terms of the agreement of limited partnership of
PS Business Parks, L.P.) by the holder for cash or, at the companys election, for shares of the
companys common stock on a one-for-one basis. Upon conversion of the units to common stock of the
company, Public Storage and its affiliated partnerships would own 41.3% of the common stock (based
upon the common stock outstanding at March 10, 2010 and assuming such conversion).
Management Agreement with Affiliates. The Operating Partnership operates industrial, retail
and office facilities for Public Storage and partnerships and joint ventures of which Public
Storage is a general partner or joint venturer (Affiliated Entities) pursuant to a management
agreement under which Public Storage and the Affiliated Entities pay to the Operating Partnership a
fee of 5% of the gross revenues of the facilities operated for Public Storage and the Affiliated
Entities. During 2009, Public Storage and the Affiliated Entities paid fees of $698,000 to the
Operating Partnership pursuant to that management agreement. As to facilities directly owned by
Public Storage, the management agreement has a seven-year term with the term being automatically
extended for one year on each anniversary date (thereby maintaining a seven-year term) unless
either party (Public Storage or the Operating Partnership) notifies the other that the management
agreement is not being extended, in which case it expires, as to such facilities, on the first
anniversary of its then scheduled expiration date. As to facilities owned by the Affiliated
Entities, the management agreement may be terminated as to such facilities upon 60 days notice by
Public Storage (on behalf of the Affiliated Entity) and upon seven years notice by the Operating
Partnership.
In December 2006, Public Storage began providing property management services for the mini
storage component of two assets owned by the company. These mini storage facilities, located in
Palm Beach County, Florida, operate under the Public Storage name. Under the property management
contracts, Public Storage is compensated based on a percentage of the gross revenues of the
facilities managed. Under the supervision of the company, Public Storage coordinates rental
policies, rent collections, marketing activities, the purchase of equipment and supplies,
maintenance activities and the selection and engagement of vendors, suppliers and independent
contractors. In addition, Public Storage assists and advises the Company in establishing policies
for the hire, discharge and supervision of employees for the operation of these facilities,
including on-site managers, assistant managers and associate managers. Both the company and Public
Storage can cancel the property management contract upon 60 days notice. Management fee expense
under the contract was approximately $50,000 for the year ended December 31, 2009.
Public Storage also owns and licenses the PS Business Parks name and logo to the company under
a royalty-free license that may be terminated upon six-months notice to the company.
Cost Sharing Arrangements with Affiliates. Under a cost sharing and administration services
agreement, PS Business Parks shares the cost of certain administrative services with Public Storage
and its affiliates. During 2009, we paid costs totaling $372,000.
Board Members. Ronald L. Havner, Jr., Chairman of the Board, is also Vice-Chairman, Chief
Executive Officer and President and a trustee of Public Storage, and Harvey Lenkin, a director of
PS Business Parks is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Public Storage.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
On February 26, 2010, we filed an Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2009 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, together with applicable financial
statements. A copy of the Annual Report on Form 10-K with certain exhibits is included in the 2009
Annual Report mailed to shareholders together with this proxy statement. The Annual Report on Form
10-K may also be found on our website, www.psbusinessparks.com. The company will furnish without
charge upon written request of any shareholder another copy of the 2009 Form 10-K, including
financial statements and any schedules. Upon written request and payment of a copying charge of 20
cents per page, the company will also furnish to any shareholder a copy of the exhibits to the
Annual Report. Requests should be addressed to: Edward A. Stokx, Secretary, PS Business Parks,
Inc., 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, California 91201-2349.
DEADLINES FOR RECEIPT OF SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR
CONSIDERATION AT 2011 ANNUAL MEETING
Any proposal that a shareholder wishes to submit for inclusion in the companys Proxy
Statement for the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (2011 Proxy Statement) pursuant to Rule
14a-8 promulgated under the Exchange Act must be received by the company no later than December 6,
2010. In addition, notice of any proposal that a shareholder wishes to propose for consideration
at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, but does not seek to include in the companys 2011
Proxy Statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8, must be delivered to the company no later than February 19,
2011
30
if the proposing shareholder wishes for the company to describe the nature of the proposal in
its 2011 Proxy Statement as a condition to exercising its discretionary authority to vote proxies
on the proposal. Any shareholder proposals or notices submitted to the company in connection with
the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders should be addressed to:
Edward A. Stokx, Secretary, PS Business Parks, Inc., 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, California
91201-2349.
OTHER MATTERS
The management of the company does not currently intend to bring any other matter before the
meeting and knows of no other matters that are likely to come before the meeting. If any other
matters properly come before the meeting, the persons named in the accompanying proxy will vote the
shares represented by the proxy in accordance with their best judgment on such matters.
You are urged to vote the accompanying proxy and sign, date and return it in the enclosed
postage-paid envelope at your earliest convenience, whether or not you currently plan to attend the
meeting in person.
By Order of the Board of Directors,
Edward A. Stokx, Secretary
Glendale, California
April 5, 2010
31
DIRECTIONS TO THE PS BUSINESS PARKS 2010 ANNUAL MEETING
The PS Business Parks 2010 Annual Meeting is at the Hilton Glendale Hotel, 100 West Glenoaks
Boulevard, Glendale, California 91202. The Hilton Glendale Hotel is off the 134 freeway and can be
reached as follows:
From points north and south via Interstate 5 (I-5):
From the I-5 freeway: exit on the 134 freeway east to the Brand Blvd/Central Avenue exit. Turn
left on Central Avenue and proceed to Glenoaks Boulevard. Turn right on Glenoaks Boulevard. The
Hilton Glendale Hotel will be on the right-hand side.
From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX):
From LAX: take the 405 freeway north to the 101 freeway south to the 134 freeway east. Exit at
Brand Blvd/Central Avenue and turn left on Central Avenue. Proceed to Glenoaks Boulevard and turn
right. The Hilton Glendale Hotel will be on the right-hand side.
Note: Meeting attendees who park in the Hilton Glendale Hotel garage will receive validated
parking at the annual meeting registration desk to permit them to park in the garage free of charge
during the meeting.
32
PROXY/INSTRUCTION CARD
PS BUSINESS PARKS, INC.
701 Western Avenue
Glendale, California 91201-2349
NOTICE OF INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIAL:
The Notice of meeting, proxy statement and proxy card are available at
www.psbusinessparks.com/2010/proxy.html.
This Proxy/Instruction Card is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of Directors
The undersigned, a record holder of Common Stock of PS Business Parks, Inc. and/or a
participant in the PS 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan (the 401(k) Plan), hereby (i) appoints Ronald L.
Havner, Jr. and Joseph D. Russell, Jr., or either of them, with power of substitution, as Proxies,
to appear and vote, as designated on the reverse side, all the shares of Common Stock held of
record by the undersigned on March 10, 2010, at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 3, 2010, (the Annual
Meeting), and any adjournments thereof, and/or (ii) authorizes and directs the trustee of the
401(k) Plan (the Trustee) to vote or execute proxies to vote, as instructed on the reverse side,
all the shares of Common Stock credited to the undersigneds account under the 401(k) Plan on March
10, 2010, at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments thereof. In their discretion, the Proxies
and/or the Trustee are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the
meeting.
THE PROXIES AND/OR THE TRUSTEE WILL VOTE ALL SHARES OF COMMON STOCK TO WHICH THIS
PROXY/INSTRUCTION CARD RELATES, IN THE MANNER DIRECTED BY THE UNDERSIGNED. IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN
WITH RESPECT TO COMMON STOCK HELD OF RECORD BY THE UNDERSIGNED, THE PROXIES WILL VOTE SUCH COMMON
STOCK FOR THE ELECTION OF ALL NOMINEES LISTED ON THE REVERSE AND IN FAVOR OF PROPOSAL 2. THIS PROXY
CONFERS DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY TO CUMULATE VOTES FOR ANY AND ALL OF THE NOMINEES FOR ELECTION FOR
WHICH AUTHORITY TO VOTE HAS NOT BEEN WITHHELD. IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN WITH RESPECT TO COMMON
STOCK CREDITED TO THE UNDERSIGNEDS ACCOUNT UNDER THE 401(k) PLAN, THE TRUSTEE WILL VOTE SUCH
COMMON STOCK IN THE SAME PROPORTION AS SHARES FOR WHICH VOTING INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED,
UNLESS REQUIRED BY LAW TO EXERCISE DISCRETION IN VOTING SUCH SHARES.
The undersigned, as named fiduciary for voting purposes, hereby directs Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
as Trustee for the 401(k) Plan to vote all Common Shares allocated to my account as of March 10,
2010. I understand that I am to mail this confidential voting instruction card to American Stock
Transfer & Trust Co. (AST), acting as tabulation agent and that my instructions must be received
by AST no later than 11:59 p.m., Central Time, on April 28, 2010. If my instructions are not
received by that date, or if the voting instructions are invalid because this form is not properly
signed and dated, the shares in my account will be voted in accordance with the terms of the 401(k)
Plan document.
(continued and to be signed on reverse side)
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS AND FOR PROPOSAL 2.
PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR
BLACK INK AS SHOWN HERE. ý
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1. |
|
|
|
Election of Directors |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
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|
|
FOR |
|
|
|
WITHHELD |
|
NOMINEES: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ALL
|
|
|
|
AUTHORITY FOR
|
|
°
|
|
Ronald L. Havner, Jr |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
o
|
|
NOMINEES
|
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ALL NOMINEES
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Joseph D. Russell, Jr. |
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R. Wesley Burns |
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FOR ALL EXCEPT (see instructions below) |
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Jennifer H. Dunbar |
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Arthur M. Friedman |
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James H. Kropp |
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Harvey Lenkin |
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Sara Grootwassink Lewis |
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Michael V. McGee |
INSTRUCTIONS: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark FOR ALL EXCEPT
and fill in the circle next to each nominee you wish to withhold, as
shown here:
2. Ratification of appointment of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accountants, to
audit the accounts of PS Business Parks, Inc. for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2010.
o FOR o AGAINST o ABSTAIN
3. Other matters: In their discretion, the Proxies and/or the Trustee are authorized to vote upon
such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement
thereof.
To change the address on your account, please check the box at right and indicate your new address
in the address space above. Please note that changes to the registered name(s) on the account may
not be submitted via this method. o
The undersigned acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Proxy
Statement dated April 5, 2010.
PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE TO AMERICAN STOCK
TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, 59 MAIDEN LANE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10038.
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Signature of Shareholder
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Signature of Shareholder
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Note: This proxy must be signed exactly as the name appears hereon. When shares are held jointly,
each holder should sign. When signing as executor, administrator, attorney, trustee or guardian,
please give full title as such. If the signer is a corporation, please sign full corporate name by
duly authorized officer, giving full title as such. If signer is a partnership, please sign in
partnership name by authorized person.