Current Report Filing (8-k)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 18, 2016

NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Maryland	001-11290	56-1431377
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
450 South Orange Avenue Suite 900 Orlando, Florida		32801
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (407) 265-7348

Not applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01.

Other Events.

On March 18, 2016, National Retail Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into separate equity distribution agreements (collectively, the “Agreements”) with each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Piper Jaffray & Co., Raymond James & Associates, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (collectively, the “Managers”). Under the terms of the Agreements, the Company may issue and sell, from time to time, up to 12,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, through the Managers, acting as agent and/or principal.

Sales of the Shares, if any, will be made by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions at market prices, in block transactions, or as otherwise agreed with the Managers. The Company will pay each Manager a commission that will not to exceed 2.0% of the gross sales price per Share of the Shares sold through such Manager as agent under the applicable Agreement. Under the terms of the Agreements, the Company may also sell Shares to any of the Managers as principal for its own account at a price agreed upon at the time of sale. If the Company sells Shares to a Manager as principal, the Company will enter into a separate terms agreement with the applicable Manager.

The Managers are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of the Shares, but will use reasonable efforts, as agents and subject to the terms of the Agreements, to sell the Shares, as instructed by the Company.

The form of the Agreements is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the material terms of the Agreements is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibit.

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)

Exhibits.

The exhibits listed in the following index relate to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-202237) of the Company and are filed herewith for incorporation by reference into such Registration Statement.


1.1		Form of Equity Distribution Agreement, dated March 18, 2016, between the Company and each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Piper Jaffray & Co., Raymond James & Associates, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated.

5.1		Opinion of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP regarding the legality of the securities being issued by the Company.

8.1		Opinion of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP regarding certain material tax issues relating to the Company.

23.1		Consent of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP to the filing of Exhibit 5.1 herewith (included in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).

23.2		Consent of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP to the filing of Exhibit 8.1 herewith (included in its opinion filed as Exhibit 8.1).

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES, INC.

By:		/s/ Kevin B. Habicht
Name:		Kevin B. Habicht
Title:		Executive Vice President,
		Chief Financial Officer,
		Assistant Secretary and Treasurer

Dated: March 18, 2016

Exhibit 1.1

Execution Version

NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES, INC.

12,000,000 Shares

Common Stock

($0.01 par value)

Equity Distribution Agreement

March 18, 2016

[ ]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES, INC., a corporation organized under the laws of Maryland (the “Company”), confirms its agreement (this “Agreement”) with [ ] (the “Manager”) as follows:

1. Description of Shares. The Company proposes to issue and sell through or to the Manager, as sales agent and/or principal, up to 12,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value (“Common Stock”), from time to time during the term of this Agreement and on the terms set forth in Section 3 of this Agreement. For purposes of selling the Shares through the Manager, the Company hereby appoints the Manager as an agent of the Company for the purpose of soliciting purchases of the Shares from the Company pursuant to this Agreement and the Manager agrees to use its reasonable efforts to solicit purchases of the Shares on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein. The Company agrees that whenever it determines to sell the Shares directly to the Manager as principal, it will enter into a separate agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) in substantially the form of Annex I hereto, relating to such sale in accordance with Section 3 of this Agreement. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 18 hereof.

The Company has also entered into separate equity distribution agreements with respect to the Shares (each an “Alternative Equity Distribution Agreement” and collectively, the “Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements”), dated as of even date herewith, with each of [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ], [ ] and [ ] (each an “Alternative Manager” and collectively, the “Alternative Managers”).

2. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Manager at the Execution Time and on each such time the following representations and warranties are repeated or deemed to be made pursuant to this Agreement, as set forth below.

(a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act and has prepared and filed with the Commission an automatic shelf registration statement (File Number 333-202237), as defined in Rule 405 on Form S-3, including a related Base Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Shares. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time or prior to any such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made, became effective upon filing. The Company shall file promptly after the Execution Time with the Commission the Prospectus Supplement relating to the Shares in accordance with Rule 424(b). As filed, the Prospectus shall contain in all material respects all information required by the Act, and, except to the extent the Manager shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to the Manager prior to the Execution Time or prior to any such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made. The Registration Statement, at the Execution Time, each such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x). The initial Effective Date of the Registration Statement was not earlier than the date three years before the Execution Time. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.

(b) To the extent that the Registration Statement is not available for the sales of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement or the Company is not a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer or otherwise is unable to make the representations set forth in Section 2(e) at any time when such representations are required, the Company shall file a new registration statement with respect to any additional shares of Common Stock necessary to complete such sales of the Shares and shall cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable. After the effectiveness of any such registration statement, all references to “Registration Statement” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include such new registration statement, including all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, and all references to “Base Prospectus” included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the final form of prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference,

included in any such registration statement at the time such registration statement became effective. For the avoidance of confusion, all references to “Registration Statement” included in this Agreement relating to the offer and sale of any Shares or such other relevant action that occurred prior to the effective time of such new registration statement shall be deemed to refer to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-202237), including a Base Prospectus, relating to certain securities, including the Shares, including all documents incorporated by reference therein.

(c) On each Effective Date, at the Execution Time, at each Applicable Time, at each Settlement Date and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective rules thereunder and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Execution Time, at each Applicable Time, on each Settlement Date and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) in connection with any offer or sale of Shares, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (i) the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Manager or any Alternative Manager specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or (ii) that part of the Registration Statement (including any new registration statement filed pursuant to Section 2(b) hereof) which constitutes the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 of the trustee under the Trust Indenture Act.

(d) At the Execution Time, at each Applicable Time and at each Settlement Date, the Disclosure Package does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager or any Alternative Manager specifically for use therein.

(e) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this

clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption in Rule 163, and (iv) at the Execution Time and on each such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (iv)), the Company was or is (as the case may be) a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. The Company agrees to pay the fees required by the Commission relating to the Shares within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r).

(f) (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Shares and (ii) as of the Execution Time and on each such time this representation is repeated or deemed to be made (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated therein by reference and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager or any Alternative Manager specifically for use therein.

(h) The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Shares.

(i) The Common Stock is an “actively-traded security” exempted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.

(j) Except as provided otherwise herein, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(k) The Shares have been duly and validly authorized and conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement, will be fully paid and non-assessable free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim, and the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company is not subject to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law, under the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Company (the charter, by-laws and other organizational documents of the Company shall hereinafter be referred to as the

“Company Organizational Documents”) or under any agreement to which the Company or any one of its subsidiaries is a party; no person has a right of participation or first refusal with respect to the sale of the Shares by the Company. The form of certificate for the Shares will be in valid and sufficient form in compliance with Maryland law and the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) requirements.

(l) All of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and are free of any preemptive or similar rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (or any amendment or supplement thereto), there are no outstanding (i) securities or obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries convertible into or exchangeable for any equity interests of the Company or any such subsidiary, (ii) warrants, rights or options to subscribe for or purchase from the Company or any such subsidiary any such equity interests or any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations or (iii) obligations of the Company or any such subsidiary to issue any equity interests, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligation, or any such warrants, rights or options. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (or any amendment or supplement thereto), there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities, including securities which are convertible into or exchangeable for equity securities, registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company under the Act.

(m) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or trust, as applicable, duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its formation, with full corporate, limited liability company, partnership or trust power, as applicable, and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package, and each is duly registered and qualified to conduct its business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such registration or qualification, except where the failure so to register or qualify does not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), prospects, earnings, business, properties, net worth or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (“Material Adverse Effect”).

(n) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries does any business in Cuba.

(o) As of the Execution Time, the Company has no subsidiaries or joint ventures other than as set forth on Schedule II hereto, and does not control, directly or indirectly, any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, association or other business association. The issued shares of capital stock of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned legally and beneficially by the Company free and clear of any security interests, liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

(p) There are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or to which the Company or any properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, that (A) are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus but are not described as required; (B) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby; or (C) could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (exclusive of any supplement thereto). There are no statutes, regulations, capital expenditures, off-balance sheet transactions, contingencies or agreements, contracts, indentures, leases or other instruments or documents of a character that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Disclosure Package or to be filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or any Incorporated Document that are not described, filed or incorporated as required by the Act or the Exchange Act. The statements in the Base Prospectus under the heading “Material Federal Income Tax Considerations” fairly summarize the matters therein described.

(q) The Company is not in violation of the Company Organizational Documents. None of the Company’s subsidiaries is in violation of its certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership, declaration of trust or articles of incorporation, as applicable, or its operating agreement, partnership agreement or by-laws, as applicable, or any other similar organizational document of any of the Company’s subsidiaries (collectively, the “Subsidiaries’ Organizational Documents”). Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is: (A) in violation of (i) any law, ordinance, administrative or governmental rule or regulation applicable to the Company or its subsidiaries, which violation would have a Material Adverse Effect, or (ii) any decree of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or its subsidiaries; or (B) in default in any material respect in the performance of any obligation, agreement, condition or covenant (financial or otherwise) contained in any bond, debenture, note or any other evidence of indebtedness or in any material agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties may be bound, and no such default is foreseeable.

(r) (A) As of the date of this Agreement, the Company owns, either directly or through investment interests, 2,258 properties (the “Properties”). To the best of the Company’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any municipal, state or federal law, rule or regulation concerning any of their Properties, which violation would have a Material Adverse Effect; (B) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, each of the Properties complies with all applicable zoning laws, ordinances and regulations in all material respects and, if and to the extent there is a failure to comply, such failure does not materially impair the value of any of such Properties and will not result in a forfeiture or reversion of title thereof; (C) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received from any Governmental Authority any written notice of any condemnation of, or zoning change affecting any of, the Properties, and the Company does not know of any such condemnation or zoning change which is threatened

and which if consummated would have a Material Adverse Effect; (D) the leases under which the Company leases the Properties as lessor (the “Leases”) are in full force and effect and have been entered into in the ordinary course of business of the Company; (E) the Company and each of its subsidiaries has complied with its respective obligations under the Leases in all material respects and the Company does not know of any default by any other party to the Leases which, alone or together with other such defaults, would have a Material Adverse Effect; and (F) all liens, charges, encumbrances, claims or restrictions on or affecting the Properties and assets of the Company and its subsidiaries that are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package are disclosed therein.

(s) Neither the issuance and sale of the Shares, the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company, nor the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby (including the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares), nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof: (A) requires any consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, agency or official (except such as may be required for the registration of the Shares under the Act, the listing of the Shares on the NYSE and compliance with the securities or blue sky laws of various jurisdictions), or conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach or violation of, or a default under, the Company Organizational Documents or the Subsidiaries’ Organizational Documents; or (B) conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of, or a default under, any agreement, indenture, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries may be bound, or violates or will violate any statute, law, regulation or filing or judgment, injunction, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries may be bound, or to which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject.

(t) To the Company’s knowledge, Ernst & Young LLP, who has audited and certified certain financial statements and schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (or any amendment or supplement thereto), is and was, during the periods covered by the financial statements on which the Company reported, an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company as required by the Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder and by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(u) The financial statements, together with related schedules and notes, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (and any amendment or supplement thereto), present fairly in all material respects the financial position, results of operations and changes in financial position of

the Company and its subsidiaries on the basis stated in the Registration Statement and the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at the respective dates or for the respective periods to which they apply. Such statements and related schedules and notes have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein. The other financial and statistical information and data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (and any amendment or supplement thereto) are accurately presented and prepared on a basis consistent with such financial statements and the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries. The pro forma financial statements and other pro forma financial information included, or incorporated by reference in, the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package include assumptions that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions and events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma adjustments reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the historical financial statement amounts in the pro forma financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package. The pro forma financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of Regulation S-X under the Act and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements. The Company has filed with the Commission all financial statements, together with related schedules and notes, required to be filed pursuant to Regulation S-X under the Act. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(v) The Company has the corporate power to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as provided herein; the execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement have been duly and validly authorized by the Company, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes the valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity and to the extent that rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws.

(w) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (or any amendment or supplement thereto), subsequent to the respective dates as of which such information is given in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (or any amendment or supplement thereto), neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liability or obligation (financial or other), direct or contingent, or entered into any transaction (including any off-balance sheet activities or transactions), not in the ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, and there has not been any change in the capital stock, or material increase in the short-term debt or long-term debt (including any off-balance sheet

activities or transactions), of either the Company or its subsidiaries, or any material adverse change, or any development involving or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or other), business, prospects, net worth or results of operations of either the Company or its subsidiaries.

(x) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all property (real and personal) described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package as being owned by each of them (including the Properties), free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances that would materially and adversely affect the value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or presently contemplated to be made thereof by them as described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package, except such as are described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package, or in any document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and each property described in the Disclosure Package as being held under lease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries is held by it under a valid, subsisting and enforceable lease.

(y) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (x) the Settlement Date (as defined in Section 3(a)(vii)) and (y) completion of the distribution of the Shares, will not distribute, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement or the Disclosure Package. The Company has not, directly or indirectly: (i) taken, or will take, any action designed to cause or to result in, or that has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares; or (ii) since the filing of the Registration Statement (A) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares (other than the Manager pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Alternative Managers pursuant to the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements) or (B) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company (other than the Manager pursuant to this Agreement or any of the Alternative Managers pursuant to the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements).

(z) The Company and each of its subsidiaries possess all certificates, permits, licenses, franchises and authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (the “Permits”) as are necessary to own their respective properties and to conduct their respective businesses in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package, where such failure to possess could have a Material Adverse Effect, subject to such qualifications as may be set forth in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package. The Company and each of its subsidiaries has fulfilled and performed all of their respective obligations with respect to such Permits, except for any failure to so fulfill or perform as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or which would result in any other material impairment of the rights of the holder of any such Permit, subject in each case to such qualification as may be set forth in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure

Package, and except for any such event as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package, exclusive of any supplement thereto, neither the revocation or modification of any Permit singly or in the aggregate, nor the announcement of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding with respect to any Permit, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(aa) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have established and maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its chief executive officer and chief financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure; and the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting sufficient to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and which includes policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company and each of its subsidiaries, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and that receipts and expenditures of the Company and each of its subsidiaries are being made only in accordance with the authorization of management, and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisitions, use or dispositions of assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. The Company’s disclosure controls and procedures have been evaluated for effectiveness as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s most recently filed periodic report on Form 10-Q or 10-K, as the case may be, and were effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Based on the most recent evaluation of its internal control over financial reporting, the Company was not aware of (i) any material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recently completed fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(bb) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including, without limitation, Section 402 related to loans to insiders and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(cc) To the Company’s knowledge, neither the Company and its subsidiaries nor any employee or agent of the Company and its subsidiaries has made any payment of funds of the Company or its subsidiaries or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation, which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Disclosure Package.

(dd) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA; and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(ee) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(ff) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

(gg) No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries or any of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, exists, is threatened or imminent that could result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, no labor problem or dispute with the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ tenants exists, is threatened or imminent that could result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(hh) The Company has filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed, which returns are complete and correct, or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package) and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(ii) No holder of any security of the Company has any right to require registration of the Shares or any other security of the Company because of the filing of the Registration Statement or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, which right has not been waived in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The holders of outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are not entitled to preemptive or other rights to subscribe for the Shares.

(jj) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess all patents, trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service mark registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and rights described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package as being owned by them or necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses. The Company is not aware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to the foregoing.

(kk) The Company is not now, and after sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder and the application of the Net Proceeds (as defined in Section 3(a)(v)) from such sale as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(ll) Except as described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package or would not, singly or in the aggregate, be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any binding federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law, including any binding judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials, mold or any hazardous materials as defined by or regulated under any Environmental Laws, as defined below (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and

approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, and (C) there are no pending administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings, including any action, suit or proceeding by any private party, relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and none are threatened in writing, and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws. Except as otherwise set forth in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package, and except as would not individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, there have been no and are no (i) aboveground or underground storage tanks; (ii) polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”) or PCB-containing equipment; (iii) asbestos or asbestos containing materials; (iv) lead based paints; (v) mold or other airborne contaminants; or (vi) dry-cleaning facilities in, on, under, or about any Property owned, directly or indirectly by the Company or its subsidiaries.

(mm) In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities are not expected to, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package.

(nn) The Company is organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification as a real estate investment trust under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code and the rules and regulations thereunder. As of the close of every taxable year during the Company’s existence, the Company has had no earnings and profits accumulated in a non-REIT year within the meaning of Section 857(a)(2)(B) of the Code. The Company’s past and proposed method of operation have enabled it, and will enable it, to meet the requirements for taxation as a REIT under the Code.

(oo) Each of the Company’s corporate subsidiaries is in compliance with all requirements applicable to a REIT or a “qualified REIT subsidiary” within the meaning of Section 856(i) of the Code and all applicable regulations under the Code, and the Company is not aware of any fact that would negatively impact such qualifications. Each of the Company’s non-corporate subsidiaries qualifies as a partnership or a disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes.

(pp) The Company and each of its subsidiaries is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as

are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged and the value of their properties. All policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects and there are no claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for, and the Company does not have any reason to believe that the Company and each of its subsidiaries will not be able to renew its respective existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue their respective businesses at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(qq) The Company and its subsidiaries have title insurance on each of the Properties owned in fee simple in amounts at least equal to the cost of acquisition of such property; with respect to an uninsured loss on any of the Properties, the title insurance shortfall would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(rr) No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring and of such subsidiary’s assets or property to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package.

(ss) There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under Federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance by the Company or sale by the Company of the Shares.

(tt) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has fulfilled its obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder with respect to each “plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and such regulations and published interpretations) in which employees of the Company and its subsidiaries are eligible to participate. Each such plan is in compliance in all material respects with the presently applicable provisions of ERISA and such regulations and published interpretations. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any unpaid liability to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (other than for the payment of premiums in the ordinary course) or to any such plan under Title IV of ERISA.

(uu) To the knowledge of the Company, no stock options awards granted by the Company have been retroactively granted, or the exercise or purchase price of any stock option award determined retroactively.

(vv) The Company’s authorized capitalization is as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; the authorized capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued in compliance with all Federal and state securities laws, and are fully paid and non-assessable.

(ww) Application has been made to list the Shares on the NYSE.

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Manager or counsel for the Manager in connection with this Agreement or any Terms Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to the Manager.

3. Sale and Delivery of Shares.

(a) Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell Shares from time to time through the Manager, acting as sales agent, and the Manager agrees to use its reasonable efforts to sell, as sales agent for the Company, the Shares on the following terms.

(i) The Shares are to be sold on a daily basis or otherwise as shall be agreed to by the Company and the Manager on any day that (A) is a trading day for the NYSE (other than a day on which the NYSE is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time), (B) the Company has instructed the Manager by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail) to make such sales and (C) the Company has satisfied its obligations under Section 6 of this Agreement. The Company will designate the maximum amount of the Shares to be sold by the Manager daily as agreed to by the Manager (in any event not in excess of (i) the amount available for issuance under the Prospectus and the currently effective Registration Statement less (ii) any amounts already issued and sold pursuant to this Agreement and the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements) and the minimum price per Share at which such Shares may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Manager shall use its reasonable efforts to sell on a particular day all of the Shares designated for the sale by the Company on such day. The gross sales price of the Shares sold under this Section 3(a) shall be the market price for shares of the Company’s Common Stock sold by the Manager under this Section 3(a) on the NYSE at the time of sale of such Shares (but in no event shall such gross sales price be less than the minimum price per Share designated by the Company at which such Shares may be sold).

(ii) The Company acknowledges and agrees that (A) there can be no assurance that the Manager will be successful in selling the Shares, (B) the Manager will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Manager to use its reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required under

this Agreement, and (C) the Manager shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise specifically agreed by the Manager and the Company.

(iii) The Company shall not authorize the issuance and sale of, and the Manager shall not be obligated to use its reasonable efforts to sell, any Share at a price lower than the minimum price therefor designated from time to time by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Manager in writing. The Company or the Manager may, upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by electronic mail), suspend the offering of the Shares for any reason and at any time; provided, however, that such suspension or termination shall not affect or impair the parties’ respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice.

(iv) The Manager hereby covenants and agrees not to make any sales of the Shares on behalf of the Company, pursuant to this Section 3(a), other than (A) by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions between members of the NYSE that qualify for delivery of a Prospectus to the NYSE in accordance with Rule 153 (such transactions are hereinafter referred to as “Continuous Offerings”) and (B) such other sales of the Shares on behalf of the Company in its capacity as agent of the Company as shall be agreed by the Company and the Manager pursuant to a Terms Agreement.

(v) The compensation to the Manager for sales of the Shares with respect to which the Manager acts as sales agent under this Agreement shall be at a mutually agreed rate, not to exceed 2.0% of the gross sales price of the Shares sold pursuant to this Section 3(a) and payable as described in the succeeding subsection (vi) below. The foregoing rate of compensation shall not apply when the Manager acts as principal, in which case the Company may sell Shares to the Manager as principal at a price agreed upon at the relevant Applicable Time pursuant to a Terms Agreement. The remaining proceeds, after further deduction for any transaction fees imposed on the Manager by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales, shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such Shares (the “Net Proceeds”).

(vi) The Manager shall provide written confirmation (which may be by facsimile or electronic mail) to the Company promptly following the close of trading on the NYSE each day in which the Shares are sold under this Section 3(a) setting forth the number of the Shares sold on such day, the aggregate gross sales proceeds and the Net Proceeds to the Company, and the compensation payable by the Company to the Manager with respect to such sales. Such compensation shall be set forth and invoiced in periodic statements from the Manager to the Company, with payment to be made by the Company promptly after its receipt thereof.

(vii) Settlement for sales of the Shares pursuant to this Section 3(a) will occur on the third Business Day following the date on which such sales are made (each such day, a “Settlement Date”). On each Settlement Date, the Shares sold through the Manager for settlement on such date shall be issued and delivered by the Company to the Manager against payment of the Net Proceeds for the sale of such Shares. Settlement for all such Shares shall be effected by free delivery of the Shares to the Manager’s account at The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) in return for payments in same day funds delivered to the account designated by the Company. If the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) shall default on its obligation to deliver the Shares on any Settlement Date, the Company shall (A) indemnify and hold the Manager harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (B) pay the Manager any commission to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default. If the Manager breaches this Agreement by failing to deliver the Net Proceeds to the Company on any Settlement Date for the Shares delivered by the Company, the Manager will pay the Company interest based on the effective overnight federal funds rate on such unpaid amount less any compensation due to the Manager.

(viii) At each Applicable Time, Settlement Date, Representation Date (as defined in Section 4(k)) and Filing Date (as defined in Section 4(x)), the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement as if such representation and warranty were made as of such date, modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended as of such date. Any obligation of the Manager to use its reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Company shall be subject to the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 6 of this Agreement.

(b) If the Company wishes to issue and sell the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements but other than as set forth in Section 3(a) of this Agreement (each, a “Placement”), it will notify the Manager of the proposed terms of such Placement. If the Manager, acting as principal, wishes to accept such proposed terms (which it may decline to do for any reason in its sole discretion) or, following discussions with the Company wishes to accept amended terms, the Manager and the Company will enter into a Terms Agreement setting forth the terms of such Placement. The terms set forth in a Terms Agreement will not be binding on the Company or the Manager unless and until the Company and the Manager have each executed such Terms Agreement accepting all of the terms of such Terms Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement will control.

(c) Each sale of the Shares to the Manager shall be made in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and, if applicable, a Terms Agreement, which will provide for the sale of such Shares to, and the purchase thereof by, the Manager. A Terms

Agreement may also specify certain provisions relating to the reoffering of such Shares by the Manager. The commitment of the Manager to purchase the Shares pursuant to any Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties of the Company herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. Each Terms Agreement shall specify the number of the Shares to be purchased by the Manager pursuant thereto, the price to be paid to the Company for such Shares, any provisions relating to rights of, and default by, underwriters acting together with the Manager in the reoffering of the Shares, and the time and date (each such time and date being referred to herein as a “Time of Delivery”) and place of delivery of and payment for such Shares. Such Terms Agreement shall also specify any requirements for opinions of counsel, accountants’ letters and officers’ certificates pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement and any other information or documents required by the Manager.

(d) Under no circumstances shall the number and aggregate amount of the Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement, the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements and any Terms Agreement exceed (i) the aggregate amount set forth in Section 1, (ii) the number of shares of the Common Stock available for issuance under the currently effective Registration Statement or (iii) the number and aggregate amount of the Shares authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Board, or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Manager in writing.

(e) Except pursuant to a reoffer of Shares as described in Section 3(c) hereof, the Company agrees that any offer to sell Shares, any solicitation of an offer to buy Shares, or any sales of Shares shall only be effected by or through only one of the Manager or an Alternative Manager on any single given day, but in no event by more than one, and the Company shall in no event request that the Manager and any of the Alternative Managers sell Shares on the same day; provided, however, that (a) the foregoing limitation shall not apply to (i) the exercise of any option, warrant, right or any conversion privilege set forth in the instrument governing such security or (ii) sales solely to employees or security holders of the Company or its subsidiaries, or to a trustee or other person acquiring such securities for the accounts of such persons, and (b) such limitation shall not apply on any day during which no sales are made pursuant to this Agreement or the Alternative Sales Agreement.

(f) If either party has reason to believe that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Exchange Act are not satisfied with respect to the Shares, it shall promptly notify the other party and sales of the Shares under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall not offer, sell or deliver, or request the offer or sale of, any Shares and, by notice to the Manager given by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email), shall cancel any instructions for the offer or sale of any Shares, and the Manager shall not be obligated to offer or sell any Shares, (i) during any period in which the Company is, or could be deemed to be, in possession of material non-public information or (ii) except as

provided in Section 3(h) below, at any time from and including the date (each, an “Announcement Date”) on which the Company shall issue a press release containing, or shall otherwise publicly announce, its earnings, revenues or other results of operations (each, an “Earnings Announcement”) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the time that the Company files (a “Filing Time”) a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an Annual Report on Form 10-K that includes consolidated financial statements as of and for the same period or periods, as the case may be, covered by such Earnings Announcement.

(h) If the Company wishes to offer, sell or deliver Shares at any time during the period from and including an Announcement Date through and including the time that is 24 hours after the corresponding Filing Time, the Company shall (i) prepare and deliver to the Manager (with a copy to counsel to the Manager) a Current Report on Form 8-K which shall include substantially the same financial and related information as was set forth in the relevant Earnings Announcement (other than any earnings projections, similar forward-looking data and officers’ quotations) (each, an “Earnings 8-K”), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager, and obtain the consent of the Manager to the filing thereof (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), (ii) provide the Manager with the officers’ certificate, accountants’ letter and opinions and letters of counsel called for by Sections 4(k), (l), (m) and (n) hereof; respectively, (iii) afford the Manager the opportunity to conduct a due diligence review in accordance with Section 4(o) hereof and (iv) file such Earnings 8-K with the Commission, then the provisions of clause (iii) of Section 3(g) shall not be applicable for the period from and after the time at which the foregoing conditions shall have been satisfied (or, if later, the time that is 24 hours after the time that the relevant Earnings Announcement was first publicly released) through and including the time that is 24 hours after the Filing Time of the relevant Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K, as the case may be. For purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that (A) the delivery of any officers’ certificate, accountants’ letter and opinions and letters of counsel pursuant to this Section 3(h) shall not relieve the Company from any of its obligations under this Agreement with respect to any Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K, as the case may be, including, without limitation, the obligation to deliver officers’ certificates, accountants’ letters and legal opinions and letters as provided in Section 4 hereof and (B) this Section 3(h) shall in no way affect or limit the operation of the provisions of clauses (i) and (ii) of Section 3(g), which shall have independent application.

4. Agreements. The Company agrees with the Manager that:

(a) During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172) to be delivered under the Act, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement (including the Prospectus Supplement or any Interim Prospectus Supplement) to the Base Prospectus or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement unless the Company has furnished to the Manager a copy for its review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Manager reasonably objects. The Company shall properly complete the Prospectus, in a form approved by the Manager, and shall file such Prospectus, as amended at the

Execution Time, with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) promptly following the Execution Time and will cause any supplement to the Prospectus to be properly completed, in a form approved by the Manager, and will file such supplement with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed thereby and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Manager of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Manager (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), (ii) when, during any period when the delivery of a prospectus (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 or any similar rule) is required under the Act in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement or for any supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.

(b) If, at any time on or after an Applicable Time but prior to the related Settlement Date or Time of Delivery, any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Manager so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Manager in such quantities as the Manager may reasonably request.

(c) During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172) to be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, including in connection with use or delivery of the Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Manager of any such event, (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the

second sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 4, an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Prospectus to the Manager in such quantities as the Manager may reasonably request.

(d) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Manager an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.

(e) The Company will furnish to the Manager and counsel for the Manager, without charge, conformed electronic copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by the Manager or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), as many copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Manager may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.

(f) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Shares for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Manager may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Shares, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

(g) The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Manager, and the Manager agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a Free Writing Prospectus required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule I hereto. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Manager or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (ii) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

(h) The Company will not (1) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of, (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition of (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company) directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement (other than a registration statement on Form S-8) with the Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any other shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, shares of Common Stock or (2) publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction without (i) giving the Manager at least three Business Days’ prior written notice, or such shorter period mutually agreed upon between the Company and the Manager, specifying the nature of the proposed transaction and the date of such proposed transaction and (ii) the Manager suspending acting under this Agreement for such period of time requested by the Company or as deemed appropriate by the Manager in light of the proposed transaction; provided, however, that the foregoing restriction shall not apply to issuances or sales (i) pursuant to this Agreement, the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements or any Terms Agreement, (ii) pursuant to any executive or employee compensation plan, employee stock option plan, stock ownership plan or any similar plan or arrangement or dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan, or any similar plan or arrangement of the Company in effect at the Execution Time or established subsequent to the date hereof and disclosed in a report filed pursuant to the Exchange Act, (iii) upon the conversion or exchange of securities or the exercise of warrants or options outstanding at the Execution Time or issued subsequent to the date hereof and disclosed in a report filed pursuant to the Exchange Act, (iv) in connection with an acquisition, merger or sale or purchase of assets or (v) for no consideration of no more than 100 shares of Common Stock to one or more persons unaffiliated with the Company as door or drawing prizes in connection with the Company’s marketing efforts.

(i) The Company will not (i) take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or (ii) sell, bid for, purchase or pay any person (other than as contemplated by this Agreement or any Terms Agreement) any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Shares.

(j) The Company will, at any time during the term of this Agreement, as supplemented from time to time, advise the Manager immediately after it shall have received notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect any opinion, certificate, letter and other document provided to the Manager pursuant to Section 6 herein.

(k) Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder), and each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than

(A) an Interim Prospectus Supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) pursuant to Section 4(x) of this Agreement, (B) a prospectus supplement relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Shares, (C) the filing with the Commission of any Current Report on Form 8-K that contains financial information that is not incorporated by reference into the Prospectus or (D) except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iv) of this Section 4(k), the filing with the Commission of any document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus), (ii) there is filed with the Commission any Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Current Report on Form 8-K that contains financial information that is filed, and any amendments thereto, which are incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, (iii) the Shares are delivered to the Manager as principal at the Time of Delivery pursuant to a Terms Agreement, or (iv) otherwise as the Manager may reasonably request and upon reasonable advance notice to the Company (such commencement or recommencement date and each such date referred to in (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, a “Representation Date”), the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Manager forthwith a certificate dated and delivered on a date that is no later than three Business Days following the applicable Representation Date (except in the case of the commencement or recommencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement, in which case such certificate shall be dated and delivered on the date of such commencement or recommencement), as the case may be, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Manager to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 6(d) of this Agreement which were last furnished to the Manager are true and correct at the time of such commencement or recommencement, amendment, supplement, filing, or delivery, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 6(d), modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such certificate. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 4(k) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no instruction to the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 has been delivered by the Company or is pending, which waiver shall continue until the date the Company instructs the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 (such date shall be considered a Representation Date).

(l) At each Representation Date, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Manager and to counsel to the Manager a written opinion of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, counsel to the Company (“Company Counsel”), or other counsel satisfactory to the Manager, dated and delivered on a date that is no later than three Business Days following the applicable Representation Date (except in the case of the commencement or recommencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement, in which case such opinion shall be dated and delivered on the date of such commencement or recommencement), as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the opinions referred to in Section 6(b) of this Agreement, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion. The requirement to provide an opinion under this Section 4(l) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no instruction to the

Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 has been delivered by the Company or is pending, which waiver shall continue until the date the Company instructs the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 (such date shall be considered a Representation Date).

(m) At each Representation Date, Hunton & Williams LLP, counsel to the Manager, shall deliver a written opinion, dated and delivered on a date that is no later than three Business Days following the applicable Representation Date (except in the case of the commencement or recommencement of the offering of Shares under this Agreement, in which case such opinion shall be dated and delivered on the date of such commencement or recommencement), as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the opinions referred to in Section 6(c) of this Agreement but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to the time of delivery of such opinion. The requirement to provide an opinion under this Section 4(m) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no instruction to the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 has been delivered by the Company or is pending, which waiver shall continue until the date the Company instructs the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 (such date shall be considered a Representation Date).

(n) Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder), and each time that (i) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented to include additional amended financial information, (ii) the Shares are delivered to the Manager as principal at a Time of Delivery pursuant to a Terms Agreement, (iii) the Company files a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an Annual Report on Form 10-K, or (iv) at the Manager’s reasonable request and upon reasonable advance notice to the Company, there is filed with the Commission any document which contains financial information (other than an Annual Report on Form 10-K or a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q) incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, the Company shall cause Ernst & Young LLP (the “Accountants”), or other independent accountants satisfactory to the Manager forthwith, to furnish the Manager a letter, dated and delivered on (1) the date of commencement or recommencement, or (2) for each event set forth in clauses (i) through (iv) above, a date that is no later than three Business Days following such event, in form satisfactory to the Manager, of the same tenor as the letter referred to in Section 6(e) of this Agreement but modified to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter. The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 4(n) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no instruction to the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 has been delivered by the Company or is pending, which waiver shall continue until the date the Company instructs the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 (such date shall be considered a Representation Date).

(o) Upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement (and upon the recommencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement following the termination of a suspension of sales hereunder), and on or around each Representation Date, the Company will conduct a due diligence session, in form and

substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager, which shall include representatives of the management and the Accountants of the Company. The Company shall cooperate timely with any reasonable due diligence request from or review conducted by the Manager or its agents from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, providing information and available documents and access to appropriate corporate officers and the Company’s agents during regular business hours and at the Company’s principal offices, and timely furnishing or causing to be furnished such certificates, letters and opinions from the Company, its officers and its agents, as the Manager may reasonably request. The requirement to conduct a diligence session or cooperate with other due diligence requests or reviews shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no instruction to the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 has been delivered by the Company or is pending, which waiver shall continue until the date the Company instructs the Manager to sell Shares pursuant to Section 3 (such date shall be considered a Representation Date).

(p) The Company consents to the Manager trading in the Common Stock for the Manager’s own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of the Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement or pursuant to a Terms Agreement.

(q) The Company will disclose in its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as applicable, the number of Shares sold through the Manager and the Alternative Managers under this Agreement and the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement and the Alternative Distribution Agreements during the relevant quarter.

(r) If to the knowledge of the Company, the conditions set forth in Section 6(a), 6(f) or 6(h) shall not be true and correct on the applicable Settlement Date, the Company will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares from the Company as the result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Manager the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.

(s) Each acceptance by the Company of an offer to purchase the Shares hereunder, and each execution and delivery by the Company of a Terms Agreement, shall be deemed to be an affirmation to the Manager that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such acceptance or of such Terms Agreement as though made at and as of such date, and an undertaking that such representations and warranties will be true and correct as of the Settlement Date for the Shares relating to such acceptance or as of the Time of Delivery relating to such sale, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such date (except that such representations and warranties shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented relating to such Shares).

(t) The Company shall ensure that there are at all times sufficient shares of Common Stock to provide for the issuance, free of any preemptive rights, out of its authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock or shares of Common Stock held in

treasury, of the maximum aggregate number of Shares authorized for issuance by the Board pursuant to the terms of this Agreement. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Shares to be listed for trading on the NYSE and to maintain such listing.

(u) During any period when the delivery of a prospectus relating to the Shares is required (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172) to be delivered under the Act, the Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

(v) The Company shall cooperate with Manager and use its reasonable efforts to permit the Shares to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of DTC.

(w) The Company will apply the Net Proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth in the Prospectus.

(x) The Company agrees that on such dates as the Securities Act shall require, the Company will (i) file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (each and every filing under Rule 424(b), a “Filing Date”), which prospectus supplement will set forth, within the relevant period, the number of Shares sold through the Agent pursuant to Section 3(a) of this Agreement in Continuous Offerings, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation paid by the Company with respect to such sales of the Shares pursuant to Section 3(a) of this Agreement, or disclose such information in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, and (ii) deliver such number of copies of each such prospectus supplement to the NYSE as are required by such exchange.

5. Payment of Expenses.

(a) The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, including without limitation: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Shares, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Shares; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Shares; (v) listing of the Shares on the NYSE; (vi) any

registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Manager relating to such registration and qualification); (vii) any filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Manager relating to such filings); (viii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

(b) If an aggregate number of Shares having at least an aggregate offering price of $10,000,000 have not been offered and sold under this Agreement together with any Alternative Equity Distribution Agreement by the one-year anniversary of this Agreement (or such earlier date on which the Company terminates this Agreement) (the “Determination Date”), the Company shall reimburse the Manager and the Alternative Managers for all of their reasonable documented out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel for the Manager and Alternative Managers, incurred by them in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement and the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements (collectively, “Expenses”); provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to reimburse the Manager or any Alternative Manager pursuant to this Section 5(b) for their Expenses in excess of $150,000. The Expenses shall be due and payable by the Company to the Manager and each Alternative Manager within five (5) Business Days of the Determination Date.

6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Manager. The obligations of the Manager under this Agreement and any Terms Agreement shall be subject to (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, each Representation Date, and as of each Applicable Time, Settlement Date and Time of Delivery, (ii) to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and (iii) the following additional conditions:

(a) The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, required by Rule 424 to be filed with the Commission have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) with respect to any sale of Shares; each Interim Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed in the manner required by Rule 424(b) within the time period required by Section 3(a)(ix) of this Agreement; any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.

(b) The Company shall have requested and caused the Company Counsel, to furnish to the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(l) of this Agreement, its written opinions, substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibit 6(b)(i) and Exhibit 6(b)(ii), dated as of such date and addressed to the Manager.

(c) The Manager shall have received from Hunton & Williams LLP, counsel for the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(m) of this Agreement, such opinions, dated as of such date and addressed to the Manager, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Shares, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Manager may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(d) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(k) of this Agreement, a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, or such other executive officers of the Company reasonably acceptable to the Manager, dated as of such date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto and this Agreement and that:

(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of such date with the same effect as if made on such date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such date;

(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and

(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package.

(e) The Company shall have requested and caused the Accountants to have furnished to the Manager, on every date specified in Section 4(n) hereof and to the extent requested by the Manager in connection with any offering of the Shares, letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to the Manager), dated as of such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Manager, confirming that they are independent accountants within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder and that they have performed a review of any unaudited interim financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the

Prospectus in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, and stating in effect that:

(i) in their opinion the audited financial statements and financial statement schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and reported on by them comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission;

(ii) on the basis of a reading of the latest unaudited financial statements made available by the Company and its subsidiaries; their limited review, in accordance with standards established under Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, of the unaudited interim financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; carrying out certain specified procedures (but not an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) which would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments set forth in such letter; a reading of the minutes of the meetings of the stockholders, directors and the audit committee of the Company and the subsidiaries; and inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its subsidiaries as to transactions and events subsequent to the date of the most recent audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that:

(1) any unaudited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus do not comply as to form with applicable accounting requirements of the Act and with the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission with respect to financial statements included or incorporated by reference in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; and said unaudited financial statements are not in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus;

(2) with respect to the period subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements (other than any capsule information), audited or unaudited, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there were any changes, at a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of the letter, in the capital stock and consolidated debt of the Company or decreases in the stockholders’ equity of the Company as compared with the amounts shown on the consolidated balance sheet dated as of the most recent financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or for the period from such date to such specified date there were any decreases, as compared with the appropriate comparative period in consolidated revenues or in total or per share amounts of consolidated earnings of the

Company before extraordinary items or of consolidate earnings except in all instances for changes or decreases set forth in such letter, in which case the letter shall be accompanied by an explanation by the Company as to the significance thereof unless said explanation is not deemed necessary by the Manager;

(3) the information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus in response to Regulation S-K, Item 301 (Selected Financial Data) and Item 503(d) (Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges) is not in conformity with the applicable disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K; and

(4) To the extent capsule financial information is included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the unaudited capsule information does not agree with the amounts set forth in the unaudited financial statements for the same periods or were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with that of the corresponding amounts in the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and

(iii) they have performed certain other specified procedures as a result of which they determined that certain information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature (which is limited to accounting, financial or statistical information derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries) set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and in Exhibit 12 to the Registration Statement agrees with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries, excluding any questions of legal interpretation.

References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (e) include any supplement thereto at the date of the letter.

(f) Since the respective dates as of which information is disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package, except as otherwise stated therein, there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Manager, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Disclosure Package (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(g) The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Act and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).

(h) Between the Execution Time and the time of any sale of Shares through the Manager, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

(i) FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements under this Agreement.

(j) The Shares shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the NYSE, and satisfactory evidence of such actions shall have been provided to the Manager.

(k) Prior to each Settlement Date and Time of Delivery, as applicable, the Company shall have furnished to the Manager such further information, certificates and documents as the Manager may reasonably request.

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Manager and counsel for the Manager, this Agreement and all obligations of the Manager hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, any Settlement Date or Time of Delivery, as applicable, by the Manager. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Hunton & Williams LLP, counsel for the Manager, at Bank of America Plaza, Suite 4100, 600 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-2216, Attn: Christopher C. Green, on each such date as provided in this Agreement.

7. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Manager, the directors, officers, employees, affiliates and agents of the Manager and each person who controls the Manager within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the

registration statement for the registration of the Shares as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Interim Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability (or actions in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Manager specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company may otherwise have.

(b) The Manager agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Manager, but only with reference to written information relating to the Manager furnished to the Company by the Manager specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Manager may otherwise have.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the

indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (x) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (y) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Manager agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and the Manager may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Manager on the other from the offering of the Shares; provided, however, that in no case shall the Manager be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission, as the case may be, applicable to the Shares purchased by the Manager hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Manager severally shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Manager on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Manager shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as determined by this Agreement or any applicable Terms Agreement. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company on the one hand or the Manager on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Manager agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each person who controls

the Manager within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of the Manager shall have the same rights to contribution as the Manager, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d).

8. Termination.

(a) The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that (i) if Shares have been sold through the Manager for the Company, then Section 4(s) shall remain in full force and effect, (ii) with respect to any pending sale, through the Manager for the Company, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Manager, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding the termination and (iii) the provisions of Sections 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(b) The Manager shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate the provisions of this Agreement relating to the solicitation of offers to purchase the Shares in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(c) This Agreement shall automatically terminate on (i) the date on which all of the Shares have been sold pursuant to this Agreement and the Alternative Equity Distribution Agreements on a combined basis or (ii) three years from the date of this agreement, except that the provisions of Sections 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.

(d) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 8(a), (b) or (c) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Sections 2, 5, 7 and 9 shall remain in full force and effect.

(e) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Manager or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date or Time of Delivery for any sale of the Shares, such sale shall settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(a)(vii) of this Agreement.

(f) In the case of any purchase of Shares by the Manager pursuant to a Terms Agreement, the obligations of the Manager pursuant to such Terms Agreement shall be subject to termination, in the absolute discretion of the Manager, by notice given to the Company prior to

the Time of Delivery relating to such Shares, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment (i) trading in the Company’s Common Stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or the NYSE or trading in securities generally on the NYSE shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Manager, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

9. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Manager set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by the Manager or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

10. Notices. Except with respect to notices for Placements or purchases pursuant to a Terms Agreement (each as set forth in Sections 3(a)(1) and 3(b) hereof), all communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Manager, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to [ ], Attention: [ ], fax no. [ ] or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to (407) 650-1044 and confirmed to it at 450 South Orange Avenue, Suite 900, Orlando, Florida 32801, attention: Kevin B. Habicht, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

11. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of Shares from the Manager or any Alternative Manager shall be deemed to be a successor by reason of such purchase.

12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Manager and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Manager is acting solely as sales agent and/or principal in connection with the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities and not as a fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Manager in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether the Manager has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Manager has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

13. Integration. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement supersede all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Manager with respect to the subject matter hereof.

14. Applicable Law. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.

15. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, any Terms Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

16. Counterparts. This Agreement and any Terms Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

17. Headings. The section headings used in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

18. Definitions. The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement and any Terms Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.

“Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

“Applicable Time” shall mean, with respect to any Shares, the time of sale of such Shares pursuant to this Agreement or any relevant Terms Agreement.

“Base Prospectus” shall mean the base prospectus referred to in Section 2(a) above contained in the Registration Statement at the Execution Time.

“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.

“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Base Prospectus, (ii) the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) the most recently filed Interim Prospectus Supplement (if any), (iv) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule I hereto, (v) the public offering price of Shares sold at the relevant Applicable Time, and (vi) any other Free Writing Prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.

“Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto became or becomes effective under the Securities Act.

“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

“Execution Time” shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.

“Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.

“Interim Prospectus Supplement” shall mean the prospectus supplement relating to the Shares prepared and filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) from time to time as provided by Section 4(x) of this Agreement.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.

“Prospectus” shall mean the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement and the most recently filed Interim Prospectus Supplement (if any).

“Prospectus Supplement” shall mean the most recent prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that was filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).

“Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statement referred to in Sections 2(a) and 2(b) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B, as amended on each Effective Date and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended.

“Rule 153”, “Rule 158”, “Rule 163”, “Rule 164”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 415”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430B”, “Rule 433” “Rule 456” and “Rule 457” refer to such rules under the Act.

“Well-Known Seasoned Issuer” shall mean a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405.

[Signature Pages Follow]

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the Manager.


Very truly yours,

NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES, INC.

By:
Name:
Title:

[Signature Page to the Equity Distribution Agreement]

The foregoing Agreement is

hereby confirmed and accepted

as of the date first written above.

[ ]


By:
Name:
Title:

[Signature Page to the Equity Distribution Agreement]

SCHEDULE I

Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package

None.

SCHEDULE II

Subsidiaries and Joint Ventures

Subsidiaries and Consolidated Joint Ventures


CCMH I, LLC		NNN - NatGro LLC
CCMH II, LLC		NNN - NT Spartanburg LLC
CCMH III, LLC		NNN BJ’s Orlando FL, LLC
CCMH IV, LLC		NNN Brokerage Services, Inc.
CCMH V, LLC		NNN CA Auto Svc LLC
CCMH VI, LLC		NNN Equity Ventures Harrison Crossing, Inc.
CNL Commercial Mortgage Funding, Inc.		NNN GP Corp.
CNLRS Equity Ventures BEP, Inc.		NNN Harrison Crossing, L.P.
Gator Pearson, LLC		NNN PBY LLC
National Retail Properties Trust		NNN Retail FF Mabank LLC
National Retail Properties, LP		NNN TRS, Inc.
Net Lease Funding, Inc.		NNN TRU Gastonia LLC
Net Lease Realty I, Inc.		Orange Avenue Mortgage Investments, Inc.

Significant Subsidiaries

National Retail Properties, LP

ANNEX I

NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES, INC.

Common Stock

TERMS AGREEMENT

, 20

[ ]

Dear Sirs:

National Retail Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Equity Distribution Agreement, dated March 18, 2016 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”), between the Company and [ ] to issue and sell to [ ], the securities specified in the Schedule I hereto (the “Purchased Shares”)

Each of the provisions of the Equity Distribution Agreement not specifically related to the solicitation by [ ], as agent of the Company, of offers to purchase securities is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Terms Agreement and the Time of Delivery, except that each representation and warranty in Section 2 of the Equity Distribution Agreement which makes reference to the Prospectus (as therein defined) shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the Equity Distribution Agreement in relation to the Prospectus, and also a representation and warranty as of the date of this Terms Agreement and the Time of Delivery in relation to the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to relate to the Purchased Shares.

An amendment to the Registration Statement (as defined in the Equity Distribution Agreement), or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Purchased Shares, in the form heretofore delivered to the Manager is now proposed to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Equity Distribution Agreement which are incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to [ ] and the latter agrees to purchase from the Company the number of shares of the Purchased Shares at the time and place and at the purchase price set forth in the Schedule I hereto.

I-1

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon this Terms Agreement, including those provisions of the Equity Distribution Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between the Manager and the Company.


NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES, INC.

By:
Name:
Title:


ACCEPTED as of the date first written above.

[ ]

By:
Name:
Title:

I-2

Schedule I to the Terms Agreement

Title of Purchased Shares:

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Number of Shares of Purchased Shares:

[Price to Public:]

Purchase Price by [ ]:

Method of and Specified Funds for Payment of Purchase Price:

By wire transfer to a bank account specified by the Company in same day funds.

Method of Delivery:

Free delivery of the Shares to the Manager’s account at The Depository Trust Company in return for payment of the purchase price.

Time of Delivery:

Closing Location:

Documents to be Delivered:

The following documents referred to in the Equity Distribution Agreement shall be delivered as a condition to the closing at the Time of Delivery:

(1)

The opinion referred to in Section 4(l).

(2)

The opinion referred to in Section 4(m).

(3)

The accountants’ letter referred to in Section 4(n).

(4)

The officers’ certificate referred to in Section 4(k).

(5)

Such other documents as the Manager shall reasonably request.

Exhibit 5.1

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

1200 Seventeenth Street, NW | Washington, DC 20036-3006 | tel 202.663.8000 | fax 202.663.8007

March 18, 2016

National Retail Properties, Inc.

450 South Orange Avenue

Suite 900

Orlando, FL 32801

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are acting as counsel for National Retail Properties, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale of up to 12,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company, all of which are authorized but heretofore unissued shares to be offered and sold by the Company, pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333- 202237) (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and related prospectus, dated February 23, 2015, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated March 18, 2016 relating to the offer and sale of the Shares (as so supplemented, the “Prospectus”).

We have reviewed and are familiar with such documents, corporate proceedings and other matters as we have considered relevant or necessary as a basis for the opinions in this letter. Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and sold by the Company in the manner described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

The opinions set forth in this letter are limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Maryland, as in effect on the date hereof.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the Commission on the date hereof and the incorporation thereof in the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/ PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP

Exhibit 8.1

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

1200 Seventeenth Street, NW | Washington, DC 20036-3006 | tel 202.663.8000 | fax 202.663.8007

March 18, 2016

National Retail Properties, Inc.

450 South Orange Avenue

Suite 900

Orlando, FL 32801

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In connection with the filing on March 18, 2016 by National Retail Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) of a registration statement on Form S-3, including the prospectus, prospectus supplement, and all documents incorporated and deemed to be incorporated by reference therein (collectively, the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, you have asked us to render an opinion with respect to the qualification of the Company as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

We have served as special counsel for the Company in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and from time to time in the past have represented the Company on specific matters as requested by the Company. Specifically for the purpose of this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the following: copies of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation and any amendments thereto; the Registration Statement; copies of executed leases covering real property owned by the Company; the Form 10-K filed on February 12, 2016; and the Company’s Form S-11 Registration Statement as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 1984.

We have not served as general counsel to the Company and have not been involved in decisions regarding the day-to-day operation of the Company and its properties. We have, however, discussed the mode of operation of the Company with its officers with a view to learning information relevant to the opinions expressed herein and have received and relied upon a certificate from the Company with respect to certain matters.

We have discussed with management of the Company arrangements relating to the management of its properties, the relationships of the Company with tenants of such properties, and certain terms of leases of such properties to tenants, with a view to assuring that (i) at the close of each quarter of the taxable years covered by this opinion, it met the asset composition requirements set forth in section 856(c)(4), (ii)

National Retail Properties, Inc.

March 18, 2016

Page 2

with respect to years covered by this opinion, it satisfied the 95% and 75% gross income tests set forth in sections 856(c)(2) and (3), respectively, and (iii) with respect to tax years prior to 1998, it satisfied the 30% gross income test. We have further reviewed with management of the Company the requirements that the beneficial ownership of a REIT be held by 100 or more persons for at least 335/365ths of each taxable year and that a REIT must satisfy the diversity of ownership requirements of section 856(h) as such requirements existed in the years covered by this opinion, and we have been advised by management that at all times during the years covered by this opinion (and specifically on each record date for the payment of dividends during 1984 through the date hereof) the Company has maintained the records required by section 1.857-8 of the Treasury Regulations, that no later than January 30 of each year it sent the demand letters required by section 1.857-8(d) of the Treasury Regulations, and that the actual ownership of the Company shares was such that, to the best knowledge of its management (based upon responses to the aforesaid demands, any filing of a Schedule 13D or 13G under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any other sources of information), the Company satisfied the applicable requirements of section 856(h). Further, we have examined various property leases and lease supplements relating to the properties that the Company owns, and although leases relating to certain properties that the Company owns have not been made available to us, the Company has represented with respect to such leases that they do conform in all material respects to a form of lease agreement provided to us. On the basis of discussions with management of the Company, we are not aware that the Company’s election to be a REIT has been terminated or challenged by the Internal Revenue Service or any other party, or that the Company has revoked its election to be a REIT for any such prior year so as to make the Company ineligible to qualify as a REIT for the years covered by this opinion.

In rendering the opinions set forth herein, we are assuming that copies of documents examined by us are true copies of originals thereof and that the information concerning the Company set forth in the Company’s federal income tax returns, and in the Registration Statement, as well as the information provided to us by the Company’s management are true and correct. We have no reason to believe that such assumptions are not warranted.

Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that (i) the Company was a “real estate investment trust” as defined by section 856(a) for its taxable years ended December 31, 1984 through December 31, 2015, (ii) its current and proposed method of operation and ownership will enable it to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT for its taxable year ending December 31, 2016 and for all future taxable years, and (iii) the statements in (x) the prospectus set forth under the

National Retail Properties, Inc.

March 18, 2016

Page 3

caption “Material Federal Income Tax Considerations,” and (y) Exhibit 99.1 to the Form 8-K filed on February 16, 2016 under the caption “Additional Material Federal Income Tax Considerations,” insofar as they purport to describe or summarize certain provisions of the agreements, statutes or regulations referred to therein, are accurate descriptions or summaries in all material respects, and the discussion thereunder expresses the opinion of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP insofar as it relates to matters of United States federal income tax law and legal conclusions with regard to those matters. With respect to the 2016 year and all future years, however, we note that the Company’s status as a real estate investment trust at any time is dependent upon, among other things, its meeting the requirements of section 856 throughout the year and for the year as a whole.

This opinion is based upon the existing provisions of the Code (or predecessor provisions, as applicable), rules and regulations (including proposed regulations) promulgated thereunder, and reported administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. This opinion is limited to the specific matters covered hereby and should not be interpreted to imply that the undersigned has offered its opinion on any other matter.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not consider that we are “experts,” within the meaning of the term used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to any part of the Registration Statement, including this opinion as an exhibit or otherwise, or within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act.

/s/ PILLSBURY WINTHROP SHAW PITTMAN LLP

NNN REIT (NYSE:NNN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024

NNN REIT (NYSE:NNN)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024

Market Data

News

Trading Tools

Markets

Discover

Hot Features

Follow Feed

Options Flow

Monitor

NNN NNN REIT Inc

Latest NNN Messages

Loading Messages....

National Retail Properties, Inc. News

Loading Messages....

Your Recent History

Company

Business

Popular

Get The App

Trending Now

Toplists

Market Data

News

Trading Tools

Markets

Discover

Hot Features

Follow Feed

Options Flow

Monitor

NNN NNN REIT Inc

Latest NNN Messages

Loading Messages....

National Retail Properties, Inc. News

Loading Messages....

Your Recent History

Company

Business

Popular

Get The App