JBG SMITH - 10-K annual report 2017

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the transition period from ___________ to ___________

JBG SMITH PROPERTIES

________________________________________________________________________________

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Part III incorporates by reference information from certain portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement for its 2018 annual

meeting of shareholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

The Company

JBG SMITH Properties ("JBG SMITH") is a real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns, operates, invests in and develops real estate assets concentrated in leading urban infill submarkets in and around Washington, DC. We own and operate a portfolio of high-quality office and multifamily assets, many of which are amenitized with ancillary retail. In addition, we have a third-party real estate services business that provides fee-based real estate services to the legacy funds formerly organized by The JBG Companies ("JBG Legacy Funds") and other third parties. References to "our share" refer to our ownership percentage of consolidated and unconsolidated assets in real estate ventures.

We define "square feet" or "SF" as the amount of rentable square feet of a property that can be rented to tenants, defined as (i) for office and other assets, rentable square footage defined in the current lease and for vacant space the rentable square footage defined in the previous lease for that space, (ii) for multifamily assets, management’s estimate of approximate rentable square feet, (iii) for the assets under construction and the near-term development assets, management’s estimate of approximate rentable square feet based on current design plans as of December 31, 2017, or (iv) for the future development assets, management’s estimate of developable gross square feet based on its current business plans with respect to real estate owned or controlled as of December 31, 2017. "Metro" is the public transportation network serving the Washington, DC metropolitan area operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and we consider "Metro-served" to be locations, submarkets or assets that are generally nearby and within walking distance of a Metro station, defined as being within 0.5 miles of an existing or planned Metro station.

Corporate Structure and Formation Transaction

JBG SMITH was organized by Vornado Realty Trust ("Vornado" or "former parent") as a Maryland REIT on October 27, 2016 (capitalized on November 22, 2016). JBG SMITH was formed for the purpose of receiving, via the spin-off on July 17, 2017 (the "Separation"), substantially all of the assets and liabilities of Vornado’s Washington, DC segment, which operated as Vornado / Charles E. Smith, (the "Vornado Included Assets"). On July 18, 2017, JBG SMITH acquired the management business and certain assets and liabilities (the "JBG Assets") of The JBG Companies ("JBG") (the "Combination"). The Separation and the Combination are collectively referred to as the "Formation Transaction." Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to "we," "us," and "our," refer to the Vornado Included Assets (our predecessor and accounting acquirer) for periods prior to the Separation and to JBG SMITH for periods after the Separation. Substantially all of our assets are held by, and our operations are conducted through, JBG SMITH Properties LP ("JBG SMITH LP"), our operating partnership.

Our Strategy

Our mission is to own and operate a high-quality portfolio of Metro-served, urban-infill office, multifamily and retail assets concentrated in downtown Washington, DC, our nation’s capital, and other leading urban infill submarkets with proximity to downtown Washington, DC and to grow this portfolio through value-added development and acquisitions. We have significant expertise across multiple product types and consider office, multifamily and retail to be our core asset classes. We believe we are known for our creative deal-making and capital allocation skills and for our development and value creation expertise across our core product types.

One of our approaches to value creation uses a series of complementary disciplines through a process that we call "Placemaking." Placemaking involves strategically mixing high-quality multifamily and commercial buildings with anchor, specialty and neighborhood retail in a high density, thoughtfully planned and designed public space. Through this process, we are able to create synergies, and thus value, across those varied uses and create unique, amenity-rich, walkable neighborhoods that are desirable and enhance significant tenant and investor demand. We believe that our Placemaking approach will increase occupancy and rental rates in our portfolio, particularly with respect to our concentrated and extensive land and building holdings in Crystal City. Crystal

City’s attractive attributes as an urban-infill location with close proximity to downtown Washington, DC, access to Metro and other key transportation infrastructure and strong surrounding demographics serve as a solid foundation upon which to build the mix of uses and amenities that today’s tenants demand. We believe that the application of our Placemaking approach will allow us to increase Crystal City’s attractiveness to potential tenants and create significant value for our shareholders. Our strategy in Crystal City focuses on creating a 24-hour environment with an active retail heart through the delivery of additional anchor and small store retail and the introduction of a greater mix of uses, including new multifamily and the conversion of certain out-of-service office buildings to multifamily. These elements, combined with thoughtfully planned streetscapes and public spaces, are all critical to the creation of a dynamic place that we believe will help increase occupancy and rental rates throughout the submarket over time. Importantly, the broader benefits of this repositioning should be achievable without the need to invest significant capital in repositioning all our holdings in the submarket.

Our primary business objectives are to maximize cash flow and generate strong risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders. We intend to pursue these objectives through the following strategies:

Third-Party Services Business

Our third-party asset management and real estate services platform provides fee-based real estate services to the JBG Legacy Funds and other third-parties. Although a significant portion of our real estate ventures' assets and interests in assets formerly owned by certain of the JBG Legacy Funds were contributed to us in the Combination, the JBG Legacy Funds retained certain assets that are not consistent with our long-term business strategy, which were generally categorized as (i) condominium and townhome assets, (ii) hotels, (iii) assets that were likely to be sold by the JBG Legacy Funds in the near term as of the time of the Combination, (iv) assets located outside of our core markets or that are not Metro-served, (v) noncontrolling real estate venture interests and (vi) single-tenant leased GSA assets that are encumbered with long-term, hyper-amortizing bond financing that is not consistent with our financing strategy. With respect to the JBG Legacy Funds and for most assets that we hold through real estate ventures, we will continue to provide the same asset management, property management, construction management, leasing and other services that were provided prior to the Combination by the management business that we acquired in the Combination. We do not intend to raise any future investment funds, and the JBG Legacy Funds will be managed and liquidated over time. We expect to continue to earn fees from these funds as they are wound down, as well as from any real estate venture arrangements currently in place and any new real estate venture arrangements entered into in the future. Certain individual members of our management team own direct equity co-investment and promote interests in the JBG Legacy Funds that were not contributed to us. As the JBG Legacy Funds are wound down over time, these economic interests will decrease and be eventually eliminated.

We believe that the fees we earn in connection with providing these services will enhance our overall returns, provide additional scale and efficiency in our operating, development and acquisition businesses and generate capital which we can use to absorb overhead and other administrative costs of the platform. This scale provides competitive advantages, including market knowledge, buying power and operating efficiencies across all product types. We also believe that our existing relationships arising out of our third-party asset management and real estate services business will continue to provide potential capital and new investment opportunities.

Competition

The commercial real estate markets in which we operate are highly competitive. We compete with numerous acquirers, developers, owners and operators of commercial real estate including other REITs, private real estate funds, domestic and foreign financial institutions, life insurance companies, pension trusts, partnerships and individual investors, many of which own or may seek to acquire or develop assets similar to ours in the same markets in which our assets are located. These competitors may have greater financial resources or access to capital than we do or be willing to acquire assets in transactions which are more highly leveraged or are less attractive from a financial viewpoint than we are willing to pursue. Leasing is a major component of our business and is highly competitive. The principal means of competition in leasing are lease terms (including rent charged and tenant improvement allowances), location, services provided and the nature and condition of the asset to be leased. If our competitors offer space at rental rates below current market rates, below the rental rates we currently charge our tenants, in better locations within our markets, in higher quality assets or offer better services, we may lose potential tenants and we may be pressured to reduce our rental rates below those we currently charge to retain tenants when our tenants’ leases expire.

Seasonality

Segment Data

Tax Status

We intend to elect to be taxed as a REIT under sections 856-860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). Under those sections, a REIT which distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income as dividends to its shareholders each year and which meets certain other conditions will not be taxed on that portion of its taxable income which is distributed to its shareholders. Prior to the Separation, Vornado operated as a REIT and distributed 100% of taxable income to its shareholders, accordingly, no provision for federal income taxes has been made in the accompanying financial statements for the periods prior to the Separation. We intend to adhere to these requirements and maintain our REIT status in future periods.

As a REIT, we are allowed to reduce taxable income by all or a portion of our distributions to shareholders. Future distributions will be declared and paid at the discretion of our Board of Trustees and will depend upon cash generated by operating activities, our financial condition, capital requirements, annual dividend requirements under the REIT provisions of the Code, as amended, and such other factors as our Board of Trustees deems relevant.

We also participate in the activities conducted by subsidiary entities which have elected to be treated as taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRS") under the Code. As such, we are subject to federal, state, and local taxes on the income from these activities. Income taxes attributable to our TRSs are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Under the asset and liability method, deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, which will result in taxable or deductible amounts in the future.

Significant Tenants

Environmental Matters

Under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations, an owner of real estate is liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances on such real estate. These laws often impose such liability without regard to whether the owner knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. The costs of remediation or removal of such substances may be substantial and the presence of such substances, or the failure to promptly remediate such substances, may adversely affect the owner’s ability to sell such real estate or to borrow using such real estate as collateral. In connection with the ownership and operation of our assets, we may be potentially liable for such costs. The operations of current and former tenants at our assets have involved, or may have involved, the use of hazardous materials or generated hazardous wastes. The release of such hazardous materials and wastes could result in us incurring liabilities to remediate any resulting contamination if the responsible party is unable or unwilling to do so. In addition, our assets are exposed to the risk of contamination originating from other sources. While a property owner may not be responsible for remediating contamination that has migrated onsite from an identifiable and viable offsite source, the contaminant’s presence can have adverse effects on operations and the redevelopment of our assets.

Most of our assets have been subject, at some point, to environmental assessments that are intended to evaluate the environmental condition of the subject and surrounding assets. These environmental assessments generally have included a historical review, a public records review, a visual inspection of the site and surrounding assets, visual or historical evidence of underground storage tanks, and the preparation and issuance of a written report. Soil and/or groundwater subsurface testing is conducted at our assets, when necessary, to further investigate any issues raised by the initial assessment that could reasonably be expected to pose a material concern to the property or result in us incurring material environmental liabilities as a result of redevelopment. They may not, however, have included extensive sampling or subsurface investigations. In each case where the environmental assessments have identified conditions requiring remedial actions required by law, we have initiated appropriate actions.

Each of our properties has been subjected to varying degrees of environmental assessment at various times. The environmental assessments did not reveal any material environmental contamination that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our overall business, financial condition or results of operations, or that have not been anticipated and remediated during site redevelopment as required by law. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that the identification of new areas of contamination, changes in the extent or known scope of contamination, the discovery of additional sites or changes in cleanup requirements would not result in significant cost to us.

Employees

Available Information

Copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports are available free of charge through our website (www.JBGSMITH.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Also available on our website are copies of our Audit Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee Charter, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Corporate Governance Guidelines. In the event of any changes to these charters or the code or guidelines, changed copies will also be made available on our website. Copies of these documents are also available directly from us free of charge. Our website also includes other financial information, including certain financial measures not in compliance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"), none of which is a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Copies of our filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are also available free of charge from us, upon request.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to Our Business and Operations

Our portfolio of assets is geographically concentrated in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and in particular submarkets therein, which makes us susceptible to regional and local adverse economic and other conditions such that an economic downturn affecting this area could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

All of our assets are located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. As a result, we are particularly susceptible to adverse economic or other conditions in this market (such as periods of economic slowdown or recession, business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, relocations of businesses, increases in real estate and other taxes, and the cost of complying with governmental regulations or increased regulation), as well as to natural disasters (including earthquakes, floods, storms and hurricanes), potentially adverse effects of "global warming" and other disruptions that occur in this market (such as terrorist activity or threats of terrorist activity and other events), any of which may have a greater impact on the value of our assets or on our operating results than if we owned a more geographically diverse portfolio. This market experienced an economic downturn in recent years. A similar or worse economic downturn in the future could have a material adverse effect on us. We cannot assure you that this market will grow or that underlying real estate fundamentals will be favorable to our asset classes or future development.

Moreover, the same risks that apply to the Washington, DC metropolitan area as a whole also apply to the individual submarkets where our assets are located. Any adverse economic or other conditions in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, our submarkets or any decrease in demand for office, multifamily or retail assets could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

The real estate and property development market in the Washington, DC metropolitan area is heavily dependent upon actual and anticipated federal government spending, and the professional services and other industries that support the federal government. Any actual or anticipated curtailment of federal government spending, whether due to an actual or potential change of presidential administration or control of Congress, anticipation of federal government sequestrations, furloughs or shutdowns, a slowdown of the U.S. and/or global economy or other factors, could have an adverse impact on real estate values and property development in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, on demand and willingness to enter into long-term contracts for office space by the federal government and companies dependent upon the federal government, as well as on occupancy rates and annualized rents of multifamily and retail assets by occupants or patrons whose employment is by or related to the federal government. For example, sequestration, which mainly impacted government contractors and federal government agencies, resulted in a large decrease in federal government spending, and the implementation of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure), which shifted Department of Defense real estate from leased space to owned bases, contributed to 5.2 million square feet of occupancy losses in the Washington, DC metropolitan area from 2012 through 2014, mainly in Northern Virginia. Similar curtailments in federal spending or changes in federal leasing policy could occur in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Capital markets and economic conditions can materially affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations, as well as the value of our debt and equity securities.

There are many factors that can affect the value of our equity securities and any debt securities we may issue in the future, including the state of the capital markets and the economy. Demand for office space may decline nationwide as it did in 2008 and 2009, due to an economic downturn, bankruptcies, downsizing, layoffs and cost cutting. Government action or inaction may adversely affect the state of the capital markets. The cost and availability of credit may be adversely affected by illiquid credit markets and wider credit spreads, which may adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, including our results of operations, and the liquidity

and financial condition of our tenants. Our inability or the inability of our tenants to timely refinance maturing liabilities and access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs may materially affect our financial condition and results of operations and the value of our equity securities and any debt securities we may issue in the future.

We are exposed to risks associated with real estate development and redevelopment, such as unanticipated expenses, delays and other contingencies, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Real estate development and redevelopment activities are a critical element of our business strategy, and we expect to engage in such activities with respect to certain of our properties and with properties that we may acquire in the future. To the extent that we do so, we will be subject to certain risks, including, without limitation:

Furthermore, if we develop assets in new markets or asset classes where we do not have the same level of market knowledge or experience as with our current markets and asset classes, then we may experience weaker than anticipated performance. These risks could result in substantial unanticipated delays or expenses and, under certain circumstances, could prevent the initiation or the completion of development or redevelopment activities, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may be unable to identify and complete acquisitions of properties that meet our criteria, which may impede our growth.

Our business strategy includes the acquisition of office, multifamily and retail properties and properties to be held for development. We evaluate the market for suitable acquisition candidates or investment opportunities that meet our criteria and are compatible with our growth strategies. However, we may be unable to acquire properties identified as potential acquisition opportunities on favorable terms, or at all. We may incur significant costs and divert management attention in connection with evaluating and negotiating potential acquisitions, including ones that we are subsequently unable to complete. Even if we enter into agreements for the acquisition of properties, these agreements are subject to customary conditions to closing, including the completion of due diligence investigations and other conditions that are not within our control, which may not be satisfied. In addition, we may be unable to finance the acquisition on favorable terms or at all. Furthermore, if we acquire assets in new markets or asset classes where we do not have the same level of market knowledge or experience as with our current markets and asset classes, then we may experience weaker than anticipated performance. Our inability to identify, negotiate, finance or consummate property acquisitions, or acquire properties on favorable terms, or at all, could impede our growth and have a material adverse effect on us.

Our future acquisitions may not yield the returns we expect, and we may otherwise be unable to operate acquired properties to meet our financial expectations, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Our future acquisitions and our ability to successfully operate the properties we acquire in such acquisitions may be exposed to the following significant risks:

If our future acquisitions do not yield the returns we expect, and we are otherwise unable to operate acquired properties to meet our financial expectations, it could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may not be able to control our operating expenses, or our operating expenses may remain constant or increase, even if our revenues do not increase, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Operating expenses associated with owning a property include real estate taxes, insurance, loan payments maintenance, repair and renovation costs, the cost of compliance with governmental regulation (including zoning) and the potential for liability under applicable laws. If our operating expenses increase, our results of operations may be adversely affected. Moreover, operating expenses are not necessarily reduced when circumstances such as market factors, competition or reduced occupancy cause a reduction in revenues from the property. As a result, if revenues decline, we may not be able to reduce our operating expenses associated with the property. An increase in operating expenses or the inability to reduce operating expenses commensurate with revenue reductions could have a material adverse effect on us.

Partnership or real estate venture investments could be adversely affected by our lack of sole decision-making authority, our reliance on partners’ or co-venturers’ financial condition and disputes between us and our partners or co-venturers, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may be unable to renew leases, lease vacant space or re-let space as leases expire, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

In addition, our ability to lease our multifamily assets at favorable rates, or at all, may be adversely affected by any increase in supply and/or deterioration in the multifamily market, which is dependent upon the overall level of spending in the economy; and spending is adversely affected by, among other things, job losses and unemployment levels, recession, personal debt levels, housing market conditions, stock market volatility and uncertainty about the future.

If the rental rates on new leases at our assets decrease, our existing tenants do not renew their leases or we do not re-let a significant portion of our available space and space for which leases expire, it could have a material adverse affect on us.

 

We depend on major tenants in our office portfolio, and the bankruptcy, insolvency or inability to pay rent of any of these tenants could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

 

The inability of a major tenant to pay rent, or the bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant, may adversely affect the income produced by our Operating Portfolio. If a tenant becomes bankrupt or insolvent, federal law may prohibit us from evicting such tenant based solely upon such bankruptcy or insolvency. In addition, a bankrupt or insolvent tenant may be authorized to reject and terminate its lease with us. If a lease is rejected by a tenant in bankruptcy, we may have only a general unsecured claim for damages that is limited in amount and may only be paid to the extent that funds are available and in the same percentage as is paid to all other holders of unsecured claims. Moreover, any claim against this tenant for unpaid, future rent would be subject to a statutory cap that might be substantially less than the remaining rent owed under the lease.

 

If any of our major tenants were to experience a downturn in its business, or a weakening of its financial condition resulting in its failure to make timely rental payments or causing it to default under its lease, we may experience delays in enforcing our rights as landlord and may incur substantial costs in protecting our investment. Any such event could have a material adverse effect on us.

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from five of our assets.

 

We derive most of our revenues from office assets and are subject to risks that affect the businesses of our office tenants, which are generally financial, legal and other professional firms as well as the federal government and defense contractors.

 

Some of our assets depend on anchor or major retail tenants to attract shoppers and could be adversely affected by the loss of, or a store closure by, one or more of these tenants.

 

Some of our assets are anchored by large, nationally recognized tenants. These tenants may experience a downturn in their business that may significantly weaken their financial condition. As a result, these tenants may fail to comply with their contractual obligations to us, seek concessions to continue operations or declare bankruptcy, any of which could result in the termination of these tenants’ leases. In addition, some of our tenants may cease operations at stores in our assets while continuing to pay rent. Moreover, mergers or consolidations among large retail establishments could result in the closure of existing stores or duplicate or geographically overlapping store locations, which could include stores at our assets.

 

Loss of, or a store closure by, an anchor or significant tenant could decrease customer traffic, thereby decreasing sales for our other tenants at the applicable retail property. If sales of our other tenants decrease, they may be unable to pay their minimum rents or expense recovery charges. These circumstances may significantly reduce our occupancy level or the rent we receive from our retail assets, and we may not have the right to re-lease vacated space or we may be unable to re-lease vacated space at attractive rents or at all. Moreover, if a significant tenant or anchor store defaults, we may experience delays and costs in enforcing our rights as landlord to recover amounts due to us under the terms of our agreements with those parties.

 

The occurrence of any of the situations described above, particularly if it involves an anchor or major tenant with leases in multiple locations, could have a material adverse effect on us.

Our Placemaking business model depends in significant part on a retail component, which frequently involves retail assets embedded or adjacent to our office and/or multifamily assets, making us subject to risks that affect the retail environment generally, such as competition from discount and online retailers, weakness in the economy, consumer spending and the financial condition of large retail companies, any of which could adversely affect market rents for retail space and the willingness or ability of retailers to lease space in our retail assets.

We own and operate retail real estate assets and, consequently, are subject to factors that affect the retail environment generally, as well as the market for retail space. The retail environment and the market for retail space have previously been, and could again be, adversely affected by increasing competition from online retailers and other online businesses, discount retailers and outlet malls, weakness in national, regional and local economies, consumer spending and consumer confidence, adverse financial condition of some large retailing companies, ongoing consolidation in the retail sector and an excess amount of retail space in a number of markets. Increases in online consumer spending may significantly affect our retail tenants’ ability to generate sales in their stores. This inability to generate sales may cause retailers to, among other things, close stores, decrease the size of new or existing stores, ask for concessions or go bankrupt, all of which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Additionally, our Placemaking model depends in significant part on a retail component, which frequently involves retail assets embedded in or adjacent to our office and/or multifamily assets and if our retail assets lose tenants, whether to the proliferation of e-commerce business or otherwise, it could have a material adverse effect on us.

If we fail to reinvest in and redevelop our assets so as to maintain their attractiveness to retailers and shoppers, then retailers or shoppers may perceive that shopping at other venues or online is more convenient, cost-effective or otherwise more attractive, which could negatively affect our ability to rent retail space at our assets.

 

Any of the foregoing factors could adversely affect the financial condition of our retail tenants, the willingness of retailers to lease space from us, and the success of our Placemaking business model, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

The composition of our portfolio by asset type may change over time, which could expose us to different asset class risks than if our portfolio composition remained static.

Real estate is a competitive business.

 

We compete with numerous acquirers, developers, owners and operators of commercial real estate including other REITs, private real estate funds, domestic and foreign financial institutions, life insurance companies, pension trusts, partnerships and individual investors, some of which may have greater financial resources and be willing to accept lower returns on their investments than we are. The principal means of competition in leasing are lease terms (including rent charged and tenant improvement allowances), location, services provided and the nature and condition of the asset to be leased. If our competitors offer space at rental rates below current market rates, below the rental rates we currently charge our tenants, in better locations within our markets, in higher quality assets or offer better services, we may lose potential tenants and we may be pressured to reduce our rental rates below those we currently charge to retain tenants when our tenants’ leases expire.

Our success depends upon, among other factors, trends of the global, national, regional and local economies, the financial condition and operating results of current and prospective tenants and customers, availability and cost of capital, construction and renovation costs, taxes, governmental regulations, legislation and population and employment trends.    

We depend on leasing space to tenants on economically favorable terms and collecting rent from tenants who may not be able to pay.

 

Our financial results depend significantly on leasing space in our assets to tenants on economically favorable terms. In addition, because a majority of our income is derived from renting real property, our income, funds available to pay indebtedness and funds available for distribution to shareholders will decrease if our tenants cannot pay their rent or if we are not able to maintain occupancy levels on favorable terms. If a tenant does not pay its rent, we might not be able to enforce our rights as landlord without delays and might incur substantial legal and other costs. During periods of economic adversity, there may be an increase in the number of tenants that cannot pay their rent and an increase in vacancy rates, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may find it necessary to make rent or other concessions and/or significant capital expenditures to improve our assets to retain and attract tenants, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

We may find it necessary to make rent or other concessions to tenants, accommodate requests for renovations, build-to-suit remodeling and other improvements or provide additional services to our tenants. As a result, we may have to make significant capital or other expenditures to retain tenants whose leases expire and to attract new tenants in sufficient numbers. If the necessary capital is unavailable, we may be unable to make such expenditures. This could result in non-renewals by tenants upon expiration of their leases and our vacant space remaining untenanted, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our success depends on our senior management team whose continued service is not guaranteed, and the loss of one or more of these persons could adversely affect our ability to manage our business and to implement our growth strategies, or could create a negative perception in the capital markets.

 

Our success and our ability to implement and manage anticipated future growth depend, in large part, upon the efforts of our senior management team, who have extensive market knowledge and relationships, and exercise substantial influence over our operational, financing, acquisition and disposition activity. Members of our senior management team have national or regional industry reputations that attract business and investment opportunities and assist us in negotiations with lenders, existing and potential tenants and other industry participants. The loss of services of one or more members of our senior management team, or our inability to attract and retain similarly qualified personnel, could adversely affect our business, diminish our investment opportunities and weaken our relationships with lenders, business partners, existing and prospective tenants and industry participants, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

The actual density of our future development pipeline and/or any particular future development parcel may not be consistent with our estimated potential development density.

 

We may not be able to realize potential incremental annualized rent from our office, multifamily or other lease-up opportunities.

 

Based on current market demand in our submarkets and the efforts of our dedicated in-house leasing teams, we believe we can increase our occupancy and revenue at certain office, multifamily and retail assets. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to realize potential incremental annualized rent from our office, multifamily or other lease-up opportunities. Our ability to increase our occupancy and revenue at certain office, multifamily and other assets may be adversely affected by an increase in supply and/or deterioration in the office, multifamily or other markets. In addition, if our competitors offer space at rental rates below current asking rates or below our in-place rates, we may experience difficulties attracting new tenants or retaining existing tenants and may be pressured to reduce our rental rates below those we currently charge or to offer more substantial free rent, tenant improvements, early termination rights or below-market renewal options in order to attract or retain tenants. We caution you not to place undue reliance on our belief that we can increase our occupancy and revenue at certain office, multifamily and retail assets.

Revenues from our third-party asset management and real estate services business may decline more quickly than expected, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Our third-party asset management and real estate services business provides fee-based real estate services to the JBG Legacy Funds and third parties. Our expectation is that the fund portion of this business will wind down over the next several years, but the wind down could accelerate and the business could be less profitable than anticipated. Although we expect to receive fees for the services provided to the funds as they wind down, the amount of those fees will decrease significantly as the number of assets under management is reduced. In addition to reduced revenue, if we cannot reduce our general and administrative expenses to correspond to the decreasing asset management fees, our profitability will be negatively affected. Fees from management of real estate ventures and third parties may also be negatively affected if management contracts are terminated or if we are unable to secure new sources of fee-based revenue. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may from time to time be subject to litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

We are a party to various claims and routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. Some of these claims or others to which we may be subject from time to time may result in defense costs, settlements, fines or judgments against us, some of which are not, or cannot be, covered by insurance. Payment of any such costs, settlements, fines or judgments that are not insured could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, certain litigation or the resolution of certain litigation may affect the availability or cost of some of our insurance coverage, which could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flow, expose us to increased risks that would be uninsured, and/or adversely impact our ability to attract officers and trustees.

Some of our potential losses may not be covered by insurance.

 

We maintain general liability insurance as well as all-risk property and rental value insurance coverage, with sub-limits for certain perils such as floods and earthquakes on each of our properties. However, there can be no assurance that losses incurred by us will be covered by these insurance policies. We maintain coverage for terrorism acts including terrorism involving nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological terrorism events, as defined by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, which expires in December 2020. We will continue to monitor the state of the insurance market and the scope and costs of coverage for acts of

terrorism. However, we cannot provide assurance that such coverage will be available on commercially reasonable terms in the future.

 

Our mortgage loans are generally non-recourse and contain customary covenants requiring adequate insurance coverage. Although we believe that we currently have adequate insurance coverage for purposes of these agreements, we may not be able to obtain an equivalent amount of coverage at reasonable costs in the future. If lenders insist on greater coverage than we are able to obtain, it could adversely affect the ability to finance or refinance the properties.

Compliance or failure to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act or other safety regulations and requirements could result in substantial costs.

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") generally requires that public buildings, including our assets, meet certain federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Noncompliance could result in the imposition of fines by the federal government or the award of damages to private litigants and/or legal fees to their counsel. If, under the ADA, we are required to make substantial alterations and capital expenditures in one or more of our assets, including the removal of access barriers, it could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our assets are subject to various federal, state and local regulatory requirements, such as state and local fire and life safety requirements. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we could incur fines or private damage awards. We do not know whether existing requirements will change or whether compliance with future requirements will require significant unanticipated expenditures that will affect our cash flow and results of operations.

Terrorist attacks, such as those of September 11, 2001, may adversely affect the value of our assets and our ability to generate revenue.

 

If one of our tenants were designated a "Prohibited Person" by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, we could be materially adversely effected.

 

Pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and other laws, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury ("OFAC") maintains a list of persons designated as terrorists or who are otherwise blocked or banned ("Prohibited Persons") from conducting business or engaging in transactions in the United States and thereby restricts our doing business with such persons. In addition, our leases, loans and other agreements may require us to comply with OFAC and related requirements, and any failure to do so may result in a breach of such agreements. If a tenant or other party with whom we conduct business is placed on the OFAC list or is otherwise a party with whom we are prohibited from doing business, we may be required to terminate the lease or other agreement. Any such termination could result in a loss of revenue and negative publicity and could otherwise have a material adverse effect on us.

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of system failures.

 

Despite system redundancy, the implementation of security measures and the existence of a disaster recovery plan for our internal information technology systems, our systems are vulnerable to damages from any number of sources, including computer viruses, unauthorized access, energy blackouts, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication failures. Any system failure or accident that causes interruptions in our operations could result in a material disruption to our business. We may also incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by such disruptions. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on us.

The occurrence of cyber incidents, or a deficiency in our cybersecurity, could negatively impact our business by causing a disruption to our operations, a compromise or corruption of our confidential information, regulatory enforcement and other legal proceedings and/or damage to our business relationships, all of which could negatively impact our financial results.

 

A cyber incident is considered to be any adverse event that threatens the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of our information resources. More specifically, a cyber incident is an intentional attack or an unintentional event that can include unauthorized persons gaining access to systems to disrupt operations, corrupt data, or steal confidential information. As our reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our systems, both internal and those we have outsourced. Our primary risks that could directly result from the occurrence of a cyber incident are theft of assets; operational interruption; regulatory enforcement, lawsuits and other legal proceedings; damage to our relationship with our tenants; and private data exposure. We have implemented processes, procedures and controls to help mitigate these risks, but despite these measures and our increased awareness of a risk of a cyber incident, a cyber incident could have a material adverse effect on us.

We have a limited operating history as a REIT and may not be able to successfully operate as a REIT.

 

We have a limited operating history as a REIT. We cannot assure you that the experience of our senior management team will be sufficient to successfully operate our company as a REIT. We have control systems and procedures to maintain our qualification as a REIT, and these efforts could place a significant strain on our management systems, infrastructure and other resources. Failure to maintain our qualification as a REIT would have a material adverse effect on us.

 

We have a limited history operating as an independent company, and our historical financial information is not necessarily representative of the results that we would have achieved as a separate, publicly traded company and may not be a reliable indicator of our future results.

 

The historical information included herein covering periods prior to the Formation Transaction refers to our business as operated by Vornado and JBG separately from each other. Our historical financial information included herein covering periods prior to the Formation Transaction is derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Vornado and does not include the results of the assets contributed by JBG for any period prior to completion of the Formation Transaction. Accordingly, the historical financial information included herein does not necessarily reflect the financial condition, results of operations or cash flows that we would have achieved as a separate, publicly traded company during the periods presented or those that we will achieve in the future. Factors that could cause our results to differ from those reflected in our historical financial information and which may adversely impact our ability to receive similar results in the future may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Other significant changes may occur in our cost structure, management, financing and business operations as a result of operating as an independent company. For additional information about the past financial performance of our business and the basis of presentation of the historical combined financial statements, refer to "Selected Historical Combined Financial Data," "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and the historical financial statements and accompanying notes included herein.

We are dependent on Vornado to provide certain services to us pursuant to a Transition Services Agreement, and it may be difficult to replace the services provided under such agreement.

Prior to the Formation Transaction, we relied on Vornado to provide certain financial, administrative and other support functions to operate our business, and we will continue to rely on Vornado for certain of these services on a transitional basis pursuant to the Transition Services Agreement that we entered into with Vornado. See Note 18 to our consolidated and combined financial statements included herein. In addition, it may be difficult for us to replace the services provided by Vornado under the Transition Services Agreement, and the terms of any agreements to replace such services may be less favorable to us. Any failure by Vornado in the performance of such services, or any failure on our part to successfully transition these services away from Vornado by the expiration of the Transition Services Agreement in July of 2019, could have a material adverse effect on us.

We could be required to indemnify Vornado for certain material tax obligations that could arise as addressed in the Tax Matters Agreement.

 

The Tax Matters Agreement that we entered into with Vornado provides special rules that allocate tax liabilities if the distribution of JBG SMITH shares by Vornado, together with certain related transactions, is not tax-free. Under the Tax Matters Agreement, we may be required to indemnify Vornado against any taxes and related amounts and costs resulting from (i) an acquisition of all or a portion of our equity securities or our assets, whether by merger or otherwise, (ii) other actions or failures to act by us, or (iii) any of our representations or undertakings being incorrect or violated. In addition, under the Tax Matters Agreement, we are liable for any taxes attributable to us and our subsidiaries, unless such taxes are imposed on us or any of the REITs contributed by Vornado (i) with respect to a period before the distribution as a result of any action taken by Vornado after the distribution, or (ii) with respect to any period as a result of Vornado’s failure to qualify as a REIT for the taxable year of Vornado that includes the distribution.

Unless Vornado and JBG SMITH are both REITs immediately after the distribution of JBG SMITH from Vornado and at all times during the two years thereafter, JBG SMITH could be required to recognize certain corporate-level gains for tax purposes.

 

Section 355(h) of the Code provides that tax-free treatment will not be available unless, as relevant here, Vornado and JBG SMITH are both REITs immediately after the distribution.

 

In addition, the Treasury Department and the IRS recently released temporary Treasury regulations pursuant to which, subject to certain exceptions, a REIT must recognize corporate-level gain if it acquires property from a non-REIT "C" corporation in certain so-called "conversion" transactions and engages in a Section 355 transaction within ten years of such conversion. For this purpose, a conversion transaction refers to the qualification of a non-REIT "C" corporation as a REIT or the transfer of property owned by a non-REIT "C" corporation to a REIT. JBG SMITH or its subsidiaries have acquired property pursuant to conversion transactions within ten years of the distribution. One of the exceptions to the recognition of corporate-level gain applies to a distribution described in Section 355 of the Code in which the distributing corporation and the controlled corporation are both REITs immediately after such distribution and at all times during the two years thereafter.

 

We believe that each of Vornado and JBG SMITH qualifies as a REIT and intends to operate in a manner so that each qualified immediately after the distribution and will qualify at all times during the two years after the distribution. However, if either Vornado or JBG SMITH failed to qualify as a REIT immediately after the distribution of JBG SMITH from Vornado or fails to qualify at any time during the two years after the distribution, then, for our taxable year that includes the distribution, the IRS may assert that JBG SMITH would have to recognize corporate-level gain on assets acquired in conversion transactions. The Treasury Department recently issued a notice identifying the temporary Treasury regulations as a significant tax regulation that imposes an

undue financial burden on U.S. taxpayers and/or adds undue complexity to the federal tax laws, pursuant to Executive Order 13789 (issued April 21, 2017). In its two reports to the President pursuant to Executive Order 13789, the Treasury Department has indicated that it intends to propose reforms to mitigate the burdens of the regulation.  It is unclear the exact form any such proposed reforms would take and what the impact of such reforms would be on JBG SMITH.

We may not be able to engage in potentially desirable strategic or capital-raising transactions for the 24-month period following the Formation Transaction. In addition, if we were able to engage in such transactions, we could be liable for adverse tax consequences resulting therefrom.

 

To preserve the tax-free treatment of the Formation Transaction, for the two-year period following the Formation Transaction, we are prohibited, except in specific circumstances, from: (i) entering into any transaction pursuant to which all or a portion of our shares would be acquired, whether by merger or otherwise, (ii) issuing equity securities beyond certain thresholds and except in certain circumscribed manners, (iii) repurchasing common shares, (iv) ceasing to actively conduct certain of our businesses, or (v) taking or failing to take any other action that prevents the distribution of JBG SMITH shares by Vornado and certain related transactions from being tax-free.

 

These restrictions may limit our ability to pursue strategic transactions or engage in new business or other transactions that may maximize the value of our business.

Potential indemnification liabilities to Vornado pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement (the "Separation Agreement") could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

The Separation Agreement with Vornado governs our ongoing relationship with Vornado. Among other things, the Separation Agreement provides for indemnification obligations designed to make us financially responsible for substantially all liabilities that may exist relating to our business activities, whether incurred prior to or after the Formation Transaction, as well as those obligations of Vornado that we assumed pursuant to the Separation Agreement. If we are required to indemnify Vornado under the circumstances set forth in this agreement, we may be subject to substantial liabilities.

 

There may be undisclosed liabilities of the Vornado and JBG assets contributed to us in the Formation Transaction that might expose us to potentially large, unanticipated costs.

 

Prior to entering into the Master Transaction Agreement ("MTA"), each of Vornado and JBG performed diligence with respect to the business and assets of the other. However, these diligence reviews were necessarily limited in nature and scope, and may not have adequately uncovered all of the contingent or undisclosed liabilities that we assumed in connection with the Formation Transaction, many of which may not be covered by insurance. The MTA does not provide for indemnification for these types of liabilities by either party post-closing, and, therefore, we may not have any recourse with respect to such unexpected liabilities. Any such liabilities could cause us to experience losses, which may be significant, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Certain of our trustees and executive officers may have actual or potential conflicts of interest because of their previous or continuing equity interest in, or positions at, Vornado or JBG, as applicable, including members of our senior management, who have an ownership interest in the JBG Legacy Funds and own carried interests in certain JBG legacy Funds and in certain of our real estate ventures that entitles them to receive additional compensation if the fund or real estate venture achieves certain return thresholds.

 

Some of our trustees and executive officers are persons who are or have been employees of Vornado or were employees of JBG. Because of their current or former positions with Vornado or JBG, certain of our trustees and executive officers own Vornado common shares or other Vornado equity awards or equity interests in certain JBG Legacy Funds and related entities. In addition, one of our trustees continues to serve as chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of Trustees of Vornado. Ownership of Vornado common shares or interests in the JBG Legacy Funds, or service as a trustee or managing partner, as applicable, at either company, could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest.

 

Certain of the JBG Legacy Funds own assets that were not contributed to us in the combination (the "JBG Excluded Assets"), which JBG Legacy Funds are owned in part by members of our senior management. In addition, although the asset management and property management fees associated with the JBG Excluded Assets were assigned to us upon completion of the Formation Transaction, the general partner and managing member interests in the JBG Legacy Funds held by former JBG executives (who became members of our management team) were not transferred to us and remain under the control of these individuals. As a result, our management’s time and efforts may be diverted from the management of our assets to management of the JBG Legacy Funds, which could adversely affect the execution of our business plan and our results of operations and cash flow.

 

In addition, members of our senior management have an ownership interest in the JBG Legacy Funds and own carried interests in each fund and in certain of our real estate ventures that entitles them to receive additional compensation if the fund or real estate venture achieves certain return thresholds. As a result, members of our senior management could be incentivized to spend time and effort maximizing the cash flow from the assets being retained by the JBG Legacy Funds and certain real estate ventures, particularly through sales of assets, which may accelerate payments of the carried interest but would reduce the asset management and other fees that would otherwise be payable to us with respect to the JBG Excluded Assets. These actions could adversely impact our results of operations and cash flow.

Other potential conflicts of interest with the JBG Legacy Funds include transactions with these funds and competition for tenants. We have, and in the future we may, enter into transactions with the JBG Legacy Funds, such as purchasing assets from them. Any such transaction would create a conflict of interest as a result of our management team’s interests on both sides of the transaction, because we manage the JBG Legacy Funds and because members of our management own interests in the general partner or other managing entities of the funds. We may compete for tenants with the JBG Legacy Funds and because we typically manage the assets of the JBG Legacy Funds, we may have a conflict of interest when competing for a tenant if the tenant is interested in assets owned by us and the JBG Legacy Funds. Any of the above described conflicts of interest could have a material adverse effect on us.

Vornado is not required to present investments to us that satisfy our investment guidelines before pursuing such opportunities on Vornado’s behalf.

 

Our agreements with Vornado do not require Vornado to present to us investment opportunities that satisfy our investment guidelines before Vornado pursues such opportunities. While Vornado advised us at the time of the Formation Transaction that it did not intend to make acquisitions within the Washington, DC metropolitan area after the Formation Transaction, should it choose to do so, Vornado is free to direct investment opportunities away from us, and we may be unable to compete with Vornado in pursuing such opportunities. In addition, our declaration of trust provides that a trustee who is also a trustee, officer, employee or agent of Vornado or any of Vornado’s affiliates has no duty to communicate or present any business opportunity to us.

 

We may not achieve some or all of the expected benefits, including expected synergies, of the Formation Transaction.

 

JBG SMITH is a new public company with significantly more revenues, assets and employees than management of the company was responsible for prior to the combination and many members of management, including our CEO, did not have experience running a public company prior to our formation. A primary initial focus of our management team has been integrating the operations of the Vornado and JBG assets that were contributed to us in the Formation Transaction, which, consequently, has required a significant amount of their time and attention. In addition, as part of our integration plan, we expect to realize cost reductions, or synergies, compared to the cost of managing the assets contributed to us by Vornado and JBG separately and compared to the current cost of managing our assets. We may, however, overestimate the amount of synergies or fail to realize all or any of the synergies, which could cause our costs to be higher than expected. Furthermore, if our management team is unable to effectively manage a large, public company or successfully integrate the operations of the Vornado and JBG assets, then it could have a material adverse effect on us.

In connection with the Formation Transaction, Vornado agreed to indemnify us for certain pre-distribution liabilities and liabilities related to Vornado assets. However, there can be no assurance that these indemnities will be sufficient to protect us against the full amount of such liabilities, or that Vornado’s ability to satisfy its indemnification obligation will not be impaired in the future.

 

Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, Vornado agreed to indemnify us for certain liabilities. However, third parties could seek to hold us responsible for any of the liabilities that Vornado agreed to retain, and there can be no assurance that Vornado will be able to fully satisfy its indemnification obligations. Moreover, even if we ultimately succeed in recovering from Vornado any amounts for which we are held liable, such indemnification may be insufficient to fully offset the financial impact of such liabilities and/or we may be temporarily required to bear these losses while seeking recovery from Vornado.

 

Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business and share price.

 

As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Dodd-Frank Act and are required to prepare our financial statements according to the rules and regulations required by the SEC. In addition, the Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports. Our failure to prepare and disclose this information in a timely manner or to otherwise comply with applicable law could subject us to penalties under federal securities laws, expose us to lawsuits and restrict our ability to access financing.

In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we, among other things, establish and maintain effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and disclosure purposes. Internal control over financial reporting is complex and may be revised over time to adapt to changes in our business, or changes in applicable accounting rules. We cannot assure you that our internal control over financial reporting will be effective in the future or that a material weakness will not be discovered with respect to a prior period for which we had previously believed that internal controls were effective. If we are not able to maintain or document effective internal control over financial reporting, our independent registered public accounting firm will not be able to certify as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Matters impacting our internal controls may cause us to be unable to report our financial information on a timely basis, or may cause our company to restate previously issued financial information, and thereby subject us to adverse regulatory consequences, including sanctions or investigations by the SEC, or violations of applicable stock exchange listing rules. There could also be a negative reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of investor confidence in our company and the reliability of our financial statements. Confidence in the reliability of our financial statements is also likely to suffer if we or our independent registered public accounting firm report a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on us.

Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Financing

We have a substantial amount of indebtedness, which may limit our financial and operating activities and expose us to the risk of default under our debt obligations.

 

 

Payments of principal and interest on borrowings may leave us with insufficient cash resources to operate our assets or to pay the dividends currently contemplated. Our level of debt and the limitations imposed on us by our debt agreements could have significant adverse consequences, including the following:

 

If any one of these events were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on us.

Our debt agreements include restrictive covenants, requirements to maintain financial ratios and default provisions, which could limit our flexibility and our ability to make distributions and require us to repay the indebtedness prior to its maturity.

 

We may not be able to obtain capital to make investments.

 

Because the Code requires us, as a REIT, to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income, excluding net capital gains, to our shareholders, we depend primarily on external financing to fund the growth of our business. There is a separate requirement to distribute net capital gains or pay a corporate level tax in lieu thereof. Our access to debt or equity financing depends on the willingness of third parties to lend or make equity investments and on conditions in the capital markets generally. There can be no assurance that new financing will be available or available on acceptable terms.

Our future development plans are capital intensive. To complete these plans, we anticipate financing this construction and development through asset sales, real estate ventures with third parties, recapitalizations of assets, and public or private equity offerings, or a combination thereof. Similarly, these plans require an even more significant amount of debt financing. If we are unable to obtain the required debt or equity capital, then we will not be able to execute our business plan, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

For information about our available sources of funds, see "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources" and the notes to the consolidated and combined financial statements included herein.

  

High mortgage rates and/or unavailability of mortgage debt may make it difficult for us to finance or refinance properties, which could reduce the number of properties we can acquire or retain, our net income and the amount of cash distributions we can make.

Mortgage debt obligations expose us to the possibility of foreclosure, which could result in the loss of our investment in a property or group of properties subject to mortgage debt.

Incurring mortgage and other secured debt obligations increases our risk of property losses because defaults on indebtedness secured by properties may result in foreclosure actions initiated by lenders and ultimately our loss of the property collateralizing loans for which we are in default. Any foreclosure on a mortgaged property or group of properties could adversely affect the overall value of our portfolio of properties. For tax purposes, a foreclosure on any of our properties that is subject to a nonrecourse mortgage loan would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured

Variable rate debt is subject to interest rate risk that could increase our interest expense, increase the cost to refinance and increase the cost of issuing new debt.

Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes could have a material adverse effect on us.

The REIT provisions of the Code impose certain restrictions on our ability to utilize hedges, swaps and other types of derivatives to hedge our liabilities. Subject to these restrictions, we may enter into hedging transactions to protect ourselves from the effects of interest rate fluctuations on floating rate debt. Our hedging transactions may include entering into interest rate cap agreements or interest rate swap agreements. These agreements involve risks, such as the risk that such arrangements would not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes or that a court could rule that such an agreement is not legally enforceable. In addition, interest rate hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates, which could reduce the overall returns on our investments. Failure to hedge effectively against interest rate changes could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, while such agreements would be intended to lessen the impact of rising interest rates on us, they could also expose us to the risk that the other parties to the agreements would not perform, and that the hedging arrangements may not be effective in reducing our exposure to interest rate changes. Moreover, there can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will qualify as highly effective cash flow hedges under Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or that our hedging activities will have the desired beneficial impact on our results of operations. Furthermore, should we desire to terminate a hedging agreement, there could be significant costs and cash requirements involved to fulfill our obligation under the hedging agreement. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may acquire properties or portfolios of properties through tax deferred contribution transactions, which could result in shareholder dilution and limit our ability to sell or refinance such assets.

In the future, we may acquire properties or portfolios of properties through tax deferred contribution transactions in exchange for partnership interests in our operating partnership, which may result in shareholder dilution through the issuance of common limited partnership units ("OP Units") that may be exchanged for common shares. This acquisition structure may have the effect of, among other things, reducing the amount of tax depreciation we could deduct (as compared to a transaction where we do not inherit the contributor’s tax basis but acquire tax basis equal to the value of the consideration exchanged) until the OP units issued in such transactions are redeemed for cash or converted into common shares.  While no such protection arrangements existed at December 31, 2017, in the future we may agree to protect the contributors’ ability to defer recognition of taxable gain through restrictions on our ability to dispose of, or refinance the debt on, the acquired properties for specified periods of time. Similarly, we may be required to incur or maintain debt we would otherwise not incur or maintain so that we can allocate the debt to the contributors to maintain their tax bases. These restrictions could limit our ability to sell an asset at a time, or on terms, that would be favorable absent such restrictions.

Our decision to dispose of real estate assets would change the holding period assumption in our valuation analyses, which could result in material impairment losses and adversely affect our financial results.

 

We evaluate real estate assets for impairment based on the projected cash flow of the asset over our anticipated holding period. If we change our intended holding period, due to our intention to sell or otherwise dispose of an asset, then under GAAP, we must reevaluate whether that asset is impaired. Depending on the carrying value of the property at the time we change our intention and the amount that we estimate we would receive on disposal, we may record an impairment loss that would adversely affect our financial results. This loss could be material to our results of operations in the period that it is recognized, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Real estate investments’ value and income fluctuate due to various factors.

 

The value of real estate fluctuates depending on conditions in the general economy and the real estate business. These conditions may also adversely impact our revenues and cash flows.

 

The factors that affect the value of our real estate include, among other things:

 

The rents or sales proceeds we receive and the occupancy levels at our assets may decline as a result of adverse changes in any of these factors. If rental revenues, sales proceeds and/or occupancy levels decline, we generally would expect to have less cash available to pay indebtedness and for distribution to shareholders. In addition, some of our major expenses, including mortgage payments, real estate taxes and maintenance costs generally do not decline when the related rents decline.

 

It may be difficult to buy and sell real estate quickly, which may limit our flexibility.

 

Real estate investments are relatively difficult to buy and sell quickly. Consequently, we may have limited ability to vary our portfolio promptly in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Moreover, our ability to buy, sell, or finance real estate assets may be adversely affected during periods of uncertainty or unfavorable conditions in the credit markets as we, or potential buyers of our assets, may experience difficulty in obtaining financing.

Our property taxes could increase due to property tax rate changes or reassessment, which could have a material adverse effect on us.

Even if we qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we will be required to pay certain state and local taxes on our properties. The real property taxes on our properties may increase as property tax rates change or as our properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. Therefore, the amount of property taxes we pay in the future may increase substantially from what we have paid in the past and such increases may not be covered by tenants pursuant to our lease agreements. An increase in the property taxes we pay could have a material adverse effect on us.

We may incur significant costs to comply with environmental laws, and environmental contamination may impair our ability to lease and/or sell real estate.

Our operations and assets are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations concerning the protection of the environment including air and water quality, hazardous or toxic substances and health and safety. Under some environmental laws, a current or previous owner or operator of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances released at a property. The owner or operator may also be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage or personal injuries and for investigation and clean-up costs incurred by those parties because of the contamination. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of the release of the substances or caused such release. The presence of contamination or the failure to remediate contamination may impair our ability to sell or lease real estate or to borrow using the real estate as collateral. Other laws and regulations govern indoor and outdoor air quality including those that can require the abatement or removal of asbestos-containing materials in the event of damage, demolition, renovation or remodeling, and also govern emissions of and exposure to asbestos fibers in the air. The maintenance and removal of lead paint and certain electrical equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are also regulated by federal and state laws. We are also subject to risks associated with human exposure to chemical or biological contaminants such as molds, pollens, viruses and bacteria which, above certain levels, can be alleged to be connected to allergic or other health effects and symptoms in susceptible individuals. Our predecessor companies may be subject to similar liabilities for activities of those companies in the past. We could incur fines for environmental noncompliance and be held liable for the costs of remedial action with respect to the foregoing regulated substances or related claims arising out of environmental contamination or human exposure at or from our assets.

 

Most of our assets have been subjected to varying degrees of environmental assessment at various times. To date, these environmental assessments have not revealed any environmental condition material to our business. However, identification of new compliance concerns or undiscovered areas of contamination, changes in the extent or known scope of contamination, human exposure to contamination or changes in cleanup or compliance requirements could result in significant costs to us.

 

In addition, we may become subject to costs or taxes, or increases therein, associated with natural resource or energy usage (such as a "carbon tax"). These costs or taxes could increase our operating costs and decrease the cash available to pay our obligations or distribute to equity holders.

If we default on or fail to renew at expiration the ground leases for land on which some of our assets are located or other long-term leases, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

Climate change may adversely affect our business.

Climate change, including rising sea levels, extreme weather and changes in precipitation and temperature, may result in physical damage to, a decrease in demand for and/or a decrease in rent from and value of our properties located in the areas affected by these conditions. We own a number of assets in low-lying areas close to sea level, making those assets susceptible to a rise in sea level. If sea levels were to rise, we may incur material costs to protect our low-lying assets or sustain damage, a decrease in value or total loss to those assets. Furthermore, our insurance premiums may increase as a result of the threat of climate change or the effects of climate change may not be covered by our insurance policies. In addition, changes in federal and state legislation and regulations on climate change could result in increased capital expenditures to improve the energy efficiency of our existing properties or other related aspects of our properties in order to comply with such regulations or otherwise adapt to climate change. Any of the above could have a material and adverse effect on us.

 

Tax consequences to holders of JBG SMITH LP limited partnership units upon a sale of certain of our assets may cause the interests of our senior management to differ from your own.

 

Some holders of JBG SMITH LP limited partnership units, including members of our senior management, may suffer different and more adverse tax consequences than holders of our common shares upon the sale of certain of the assets owned by our operating partnership, and therefore these holders may have different objectives regarding the appropriate pricing, timing and other material terms of any sale or refinancing of certain assets, or whether to sell such assets at all.

 

Our declaration of trust and bylaws, the partnership agreement of our operating partnership and Maryland law contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change of control transaction that might involve a premium price for our common shares or that our shareholders otherwise believe to be in their best interest.

 

Our declaration of trust contains ownership limits with respect to our shares.

 

Generally, to maintain our qualification as a REIT, no more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares of beneficial interest may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals at any time during the last half of our taxable year. The Code defines "individuals" for purposes of the requirement described in the preceding sentence to include some types of entities. Our declaration of trust authorizes our Board of Trustees to take such actions as it determines are necessary or advisable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. Our declaration of trust prohibits, among other things, the actual, beneficial or constructive ownership by any person of more than 7.5% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of any class or series. For these purposes, our declaration of trust includes a "group" as that term is used for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act in the definition of "person." Our Board of Trustees may exempt a person, prospectively or retroactively, from these ownership limits if certain conditions are satisfied.

  

This ownership limit and the other restrictions on ownership and transfer of our shares contained in our declaration of trust may:

 

 

Provisions of Maryland law could inhibit changes in control, which may discourage third parties from conducting a tender offer or seeking other change of control transactions that might involve a premium price for our common shares or that our shareholders might otherwise believe to be in their best interest.

 

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law, or "MGCL", may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of common shares with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such shares, including:

 

 

As permitted by the MGCL, we have elected in our bylaws to opt out of the business combination and control share provisions of the MGCL. However, we cannot assure you that our Board of Trustees will not opt to be subject to such provisions of the MGCL in the future, including opting to be subject to such provisions retroactively.

 

The limited partnership agreement of our operating partnership requires the approval of the limited partners with respect to certain extraordinary transactions involving JBG SMITH, which may reduce the likelihood of such transactions being consummated, even if they are in the best interests of, and have been approved by, our shareholders.

 

The limited partnership agreement of JBG SMITH LP as amended and restated in connection with the Formation Transaction, provides that we may not engage in a merger, consolidation or other combination with or into another person, a sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or a reclassification, recapitalization or a change in outstanding shares (except for changes in par value, or from par value to no par value, or as a result of a subdivision or combination of our common shares), which we refer to collectively as an extraordinary transaction, unless specified criteria are met. In particular, with respect to any extraordinary transaction, if partners will receive consideration for their limited partnership units and if we seek the approval of our shareholders for the transaction (or if we would have been required to obtain shareholder approval of any such extraordinary transaction but for the fact that a tender offer shall have been accepted with respect to a sufficient number of our common shares to permit consummation of such extraordinary transaction without shareholder approval), then the limited partnership agreement prohibits us from engaging in the extraordinary transaction unless we also obtain "partnership approval." To obtain "partnership approval," we must obtain the consent of our limited partners (including us and any limited partners majority owned, directly or indirectly, by us) representing a percentage interest in JBG SMITH LP that is equal to or greater than the percentage of our outstanding common shares required (or that would have been required in the absence of a tender offer) to approve the extraordinary transaction, provided that we and any limited partners majority owned, directly or indirectly, by us will be deemed to have provided consent for our partnership units solely in proportion to the percentage of our common shares approving the extraordinary transaction (or, if there is no shareholder vote with respect to such extraordinary transaction because a tender offer shall have been accepted with respect to a sufficient number of our common shares to permit consummation of the extraordinary transaction without shareholder approval, the percentage of our common shares with respect to which such tender offer shall have been accepted).

 

The limited partners of JBG SMITH LP may have interests in an extraordinary transaction that differ from those of common shareholders, and there can be no assurance that, if we are required to seek "partnership approval" for such a transaction, we will be able to obtain it. As a result, if a sufficient number of limited partners oppose such an extraordinary transaction, the limited partnership agreement may prohibit us from consummating it, even if it is in the best interests of, and has been approved by, our shareholders.

Until the 2020 annual meeting of shareholders, we will have a classified Board of Trustees, and that may reduce the likelihood of certain takeover transactions.

 

Our declaration of trust divides our Board of Trustees into three classes. The initial terms of the first, second and third classes will expire at the first, second and third annual meetings of shareholders, held following the Formation Transaction. At the 2018 annual shareholders meeting, shareholders will elect successors to trustees of the first class for a two-year term and, at the 2019 annual shareholders meeting, successors to trustees of the second class for a one-year term. Commencing with the 2020 annual meeting of shareholders, each trustee shall be elected annually for a term of one year and shall hold office until the next succeeding annual meeting and until a successor is duly elected and qualifies. There is no cumulative voting in the election of trustees. Until the 2020 annual meeting of the shareholders, our Board is classified, which may reduce the possibility of a tender offer or an attempt to change control, even though a tender offer or change in control might be in the best interest of our shareholders.

 

We may issue additional shares in a manner that could adversely affect the likelihood of takeover transactions.

 

Our declaration of trust authorizes the Board of Trustees, without shareholder approval, to:

 

 

The Board of Trustees could establish a class or series of common or preferred shares whose terms could delay, deter or prevent a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders, although the Board of Trustees does not now intend to establish a class or series of common or preferred shares of this kind. Our declaration of trust and bylaws contain other provisions that may delay, deter or prevent a change in control or other transaction that might involve a premium price or otherwise be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Substantially all of our assets are owned by subsidiaries. We depend on dividends and distributions from these subsidiaries. The creditors of these subsidiaries are entitled to amounts payable to them by the subsidiaries before the subsidiaries may pay any dividends or other distributions to us.

 

Substantially all of our assets are held through JBG SMITH LP which holds substantially all of its assets through wholly owned subsidiaries. JBG SMITH LP’s cash flow is dependent on cash distributions to it by its subsidiaries, and in turn, substantially all of our cash flow is dependent on cash distributions to us by JBG SMITH LP. The creditors of each of our subsidiaries are entitled to payment of that subsidiary’s obligations to them when due and payable before distributions may be made by that subsidiary to its equity holders. In addition, the operating agreements governing some of our subsidiaries which are parties to real estate joint ventures may have restrictions on distributions which could limit the ability of those subsidiaries to make distributions to JBG SMITH LP. Thus, JBG SMITH LP’s ability to make distributions to holders of its units, including us, depends on its subsidiaries’ ability first to satisfy their obligations to their creditors, and then to make distributions to JBG SMITH LP. Likewise, our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders depends on JBG SMITH LP’s ability first to satisfy its obligations, if any, to its creditors and make distributions payable to holders of preferred units (if any), and then to make distributions to us.

 

In addition, our participation in any distribution of the assets of any of our subsidiaries upon the liquidation, reorganization or insolvency of the subsidiary, occurs only after the claims of the creditors, including trade creditors, and preferred security holders, if any, of the applicable direct or indirect subsidiaries are satisfied.

Our rights and the rights of our shareholders to take action against our Trustees and officers are limited.

As permitted by Maryland law, under our declaration of trust, trustees and officers shall not be liable to us and our shareholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from:

Risks Related to Our Status as a REIT

We may fail to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT and may be required to pay income taxes at corporate rates.

 

Although we believe that we are organized and intend to operate so as to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, we may fail to remain so qualified. Qualifications are governed by highly technical and complex provisions of the Code for which there are only limited judicial or administrative interpretations and depend on various facts and circumstances that are not entirely within our control. In addition, legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions may significantly change the relevant tax laws and/or the federal income tax consequences of qualifying as a REIT. If, with respect to any taxable year, we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT and do not qualify under statutory relief provisions, we could not deduct distributions to shareholders in computing our taxable income and would have to pay federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. If we had to pay federal income tax, the amount of money available to distribute to shareholders and pay our indebtedness would be reduced for the year or years involved, and we would not be required to make distributions to shareholders in that taxable year and in future years until we were able to qualify as a REIT. In addition, we would also be

disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost, unless we were entitled to relief under the relevant statutory provisions.

REIT distribution requirements could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to execute our business plan.

 

For us to qualify to be taxed as a REIT, and assuming that certain other requirements are also satisfied, we generally must distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding any net capital gains, to our shareholders each year, so that U.S. federal corporate income tax does not apply to earnings that we distribute. To the extent that we satisfy this distribution requirement and qualify for taxation as a REIT, but distribute less than 100% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and including any net capital gains, we will be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our undistributed net taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we distribute to our shareholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under U.S. federal income tax laws. We intend to distribute 100% of our REIT taxable income to our shareholders out of assets legally available therefor.

From time to time, we may generate taxable income greater than our cash flow as a result of differences in timing between the recognition of taxable income and the actual receipt of cash or the effect of nondeductible capital expenditures, the creation of reserves, or required debt or amortization payments. Further, under amendments to the Code made by federal tax reform legislation , which was signed into law on December 22, 2017 and which we refer to as the 2017 Tax Act, income must be accrued for U.S. federal income tax purposes no later than when such income is taken into account as revenue in our financial statements, subject to certain exceptions, which could also create mismatches between REIT taxable income and the receipt of cash attributable to such income. If we do not have other funds available in these situations, we could be required to borrow funds on unfavorable terms, sell assets at disadvantageous prices, distribute amounts that would otherwise be invested in future acquisitions, capital expenditures or repayment of debt, or make taxable distributions of our shares or debt securities to make distributions sufficient to enable us to pay out enough of our taxable income to satisfy the REIT distribution requirement and avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax in a particular year. These alternatives could increase our costs or reduce our equity. Further, amounts distributed will not be available to fund investment activities. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to grow, which could adversely affect the value of our shares. Any restrictions on our ability to incur additional indebtedness or make certain distributions could preclude us from meeting the 90% distribution requirement. Decreases in funds from operations due to unfinanced expenditures for acquisitions of assets or increases in the number of shares outstanding without commensurate increases in funds from operations would each adversely affect our ability to maintain distributions to our shareholders. Consequently, there can be no assurance that we will be able to make distributions at the anticipated distribution rate or any other rate.

Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates available for some dividends, which could depress the market price of our common shares if perceived as a less attractive investment.

The maximum tax rate applicable to income from "qualified dividends" payable by non‑REIT corporations to U.S. shareholders that are individuals, trusts and estates is 20%, and a 3.8% Medicare tax may also apply. Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for this reduced rate. Commencing with taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018 and continuing through 2025, the 2017 Tax Act temporarily reduces the effective tax rate on ordinary REIT dividends (i.e., dividends other than capital gain dividends and dividends attributable to certain qualified dividend income received by us) for U.S. holders of our common shares that are individuals, estates or trusts by permitting such holders to claim a deduction in determining their taxable income equal to 20% of any such dividends they receive. Taking into account the 2017 Tax Act’s reduction in the maximum individual federal income tax rate from 39.6% to 37%, this results in a maximum effective rate of federal income tax (exclusive of the 3.8% Medicare tax) on ordinary REIT dividends of 29.6% through 2025, as compared to the 20% maximum federal income tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income received from a non-REIT corporation (although the maximum effective rate applicable to such dividends, after taking into account the 21% federal income tax applicable to non-REIT corporations, is 36.8%). Although these rules do not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, investors who are individuals, trusts and estates may perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the shares of non‑REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including the per share trading price of our common shares.

The tax imposed on REITs engaging in "prohibited transactions" may limit our ability to engage in transactions that would be treated as sales for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. Although we and our subsidiary REITs believe that we have held, and intend to continue to hold, our properties for

investment and do not intend to hold any properties that could be characterized as held for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our business unless a sale or disposition qualifies under a statutory safe harbor applicable to REITs, such characterization is a factual determination and no guarantee can be given that the IRS would agree with our characterization of our properties or that we will always be able to make use of the available safe harbor. In the case of some of our properties held through partnerships with third parties, our ability to dispose of such properties in a manner that satisfies the statutory safe harbor depends in part on the action of third parties over which we have no control or only limited influence.

If our operating partnership failed to qualify as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would cease to qualify as a REIT and suffer other adverse consequences.

We believe that our operating partnership will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a partnership, our operating partnership will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its income. Instead, each of its partners, including us, will be allocated, and may be required to pay tax with respect to, its share of our operating partnership’s income. We cannot assure you, however, that the IRS will not challenge the status of our operating partnership or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. If the IRS were successful in treating our operating partnership as an entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes we would fail to meet the gross income tests and certain of the asset tests applicable to REITs and, accordingly, we would cease to qualify as a REIT. Also, the failure of our operating partnership or any subsidiary partnership to qualify as a partnership could cause the entity to become subject to U.S. federal, state or local corporate income tax, which would reduce significantly the amount of cash available for debt service and for distribution to us.

The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge our assets and operations. Under these provisions, income that we generate from transactions intended to hedge our interest rate and certain types of foreign currency risk generally will be excluded from gross income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests applicable to REITs if the instrument hedges interest rate or foreign currency risk on liabilities used to carry or acquire real estate assets or certain other types of foreign currency risk, and such instrument is properly identified. Income from certain hedges entered into in connection with the termination of a hedging transaction described in the preceding sentence, where the property or indebtedness that was the subject of the prior hedging transaction was extinguished or disposed of, will also be excluded from gross income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests. Income from hedging transactions that do not meet these requirements will generally constitute non‑qualifying income for purposes of both the 75% and 95% gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we may have to limit our use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous or implement those hedges through a TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities, because our TRS would be subject to tax on gains, or could expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in our TRS will generally not provide any tax benefit, except to the extent they can be carried forward and used to offset future taxable income in the TRS.

Our subsidiary REITs may be subject to a corporate tax on recognized gain if some properties are sold within five years of their acquisition.

To the extent that our operating partnership contributes appreciated properties to a subsidiary REIT that were acquired in the Formation Transaction from tax partnerships in which investors that are C corporations under the Code hold interests, the subsidiary REIT will be subject to a corporate level tax on the portion of the net built‑in gain attributable to the C corporation investors’ interests that would have otherwise been taxable to such investors if such gain is recognized by the subsidiary REIT as the result of a sale of any such property within a five‑year period following the contribution of the properties to the subsidiary REIT. This corporate level tax will be borne proportionately by all of the holders of OP Units, including us. In the alternative, we may cause our operating partnership to elect to cause the recognition of such net built‑in gain at the time of the contribution of the properties to the subsidiary REIT (a so‑called deemed sale election). In this case, the taxable recognized gain would be allocated to the C corporation investors by the operating partnership (expected to be with respect to the operating partnership’s 2017 tax year), which would increase the operating partnership’s basis in the stock of the subsidiary REIT (as to the C corporation investors only) by the amount of net built‑in gain allocated to such investors. We will decide, as general partner of the operating partnership, whether or not to cause the operating partnership to make such a deemed sale election.

Our ownership of TRSs will be limited, and we will be required to pay a 100% penalty tax on certain income or deductions if our transactions with our TRSs are not conducted on arm’s length terms.

We own an interest in certain TRSs, and may establish additional TRSs in the future. A TRS is a corporation other than a REIT in which a REIT directly or indirectly holds stock, and that has made a joint election with such REIT to be treated as a TRS. If a TRS owns more than 35% percent of the total voting power or value of the outstanding securities of another corporation, such other corporation will also be treated as a TRS. Other than some activities relating to lodging and health care facilities, a TRS may

Our ability to provide certain services to our tenants may be limited by the REIT provisions of the Code, or we may have to provide such services through a TRS.

As a REIT, we generally cannot provide services to our tenants other than those that are customarily provided by landlords, and we cannot derive income from a third party that provides such services. If we forego providing such services to our tenants, we may be at a disadvantage to competitors who are not subject to the same restrictions. However, we can provide such non‑customary services to tenants or share in the revenue from such services if we do so through a TRS, though income earned through the TRS will be subject to corporate income taxes.

We face possible adverse changes in tax laws, which may result in an increase in our tax liability and adverse consequences to our shareholders.

 

At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws may be amended. We cannot predict when or if any new U.S. federal income tax law, regulation, or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation will be adopted, promulgated or become effective and any such law, regulation, or interpretation may take effect retroactively. Any such change in, or any new, U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, could have a material adverse effect on us.

In particular, the 2017 Tax Act, which generally takes effect for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2018 (subject to certain exceptions), makes many significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax laws that will profoundly impact the taxation of individuals, corporations (both regular C corporations as well as corporations that have elected to be taxed as REITs), and the taxation of taxpayers with overseas assets and operations. A number of changes that affect noncorporate taxpayers will expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress acts to extend them. These changes will impact us and our shareholders in various ways, some of which are adverse or potentially adverse compared to prior law. To date, the IRS has issued only limited guidance with respect to certain of the new provisions, and there are numerous interpretive issues that will require guidance. It is highly likely that technical corrections legislation will be needed to clarify certain aspects of the new law and give proper effect to Congressional intent. There can be no assurance, however, that technical clarifications or changes needed to prevent unintended or unforeseen tax consequences will be enacted by Congress in the near future.

 

Additionally, the rules of Section 355 of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, which apply to determine the taxability of the Formation Transaction, have been the subject of change and may continue to be the subject of change, possibly with retroactive application, which could have a negative effect on us and our shareholders. If such changes occur, we may be required to pay additional taxes on our assets or income. These increased tax costs could have a material adverse effect on us.

Other legislative proposals could be enacted in the future that could affect REITs and their shareholders. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the effect of the 2017 Tax Act and any other potential tax law changes on an investment in our common shares.

Risks Related to Our Common Shares

We cannot guarantee the timing, amount, or payment of dividends on our common shares.

 

Although we expect to pay regular cash dividends, the timing, declaration, amount and payment of future dividends to shareholders will fall within the discretion of our Board of Trustees. Our Board of Trustees’ decisions regarding the payment of dividends will depend on many factors, such as our financial condition, earnings, capital requirements, debt service obligations, limitations under our financing arrangements, industry practice, legal requirements, regulatory constraints, and other factors that it deems relevant. Our ability to pay dividends will depend on our ongoing ability to generate cash from operations and access the capital markets. We cannot guarantee that we will pay a dividend in the future.

Future offerings of debt or equity securities, which would be senior to our common shares upon liquidation, and/or preferred equity securities, which may be senior to our common shares for purposes of dividend distributions or upon liquidation, may adversely affect the per share trading price of our common shares.

In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by offering debt or equity securities (or causing our operating partnership to issue debt securities), including medium-term notes, senior or subordinated notes and classes or series of preferred shares. Upon liquidation, holders of our debt securities and preferred shares and lenders with respect to other borrowings will be entitled to receive our available assets prior to distribution to the holders of our common shares. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue in the future may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common shares and may result in dilution to owners of our common shares. Holders of our common shares are not entitled to preemptive rights or other protections against dilution. Our preferred shares, if issued, could have a preference on liquidating distributions or a preference on dividend payments that could limit our ability pay dividends to the holders of our common shares. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings.

Your percentage of ownership in our company may be diluted in the future.

 

Your percentage of ownership in us may be diluted because of equity issuances for acquisitions, capital market transactions or otherwise. We also have granted and anticipate continuing to grant compensatory equity awards to our trustees, officers, employees, advisors and consultants who provide services to us. Such awards have a dilutive effect on our earnings per share, which could adversely affect the market price of our common shares.

 

In addition, our declaration of trust authorizes us to issue, without the approval of our shareholders, one or more classes or series of preferred shares having such designation, voting powers, preferences, rights and other terms, including preferences over our common shares with respect to dividends and distributions, as our Board of Trustees generally may determine. The terms of one or more classes or series of preferred shares could dilute the voting power or reduce the value of our common shares. For example, we could grant the holders of preferred shares the right to elect some number of our trustees in all events or on the occurrence of specified events, or the right to veto specified transactions. Similarly, the repurchase or redemption rights or liquidation preferences we could assign to holders of preferred shares could affect the residual value of our common shares.

 

From time to time we may seek to make one or more material acquisitions. The announcement of such a material acquisition may result in a rapid and significant decline in the price of our common shares.

 

We are continuously looking at material transactions that we believe will maximize shareholder value. However, an announcement by us of one or more significant acquisitions could result in a quick and significant decline in the price of our common shares.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They represent our intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our future results, financial condition and business may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. You can find many of these statements by looking for words such as "approximates," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "would," "may" or other similar expressions in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In particular, information included under "Business," "Risk Factors," and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contains forward-looking statements. Many of the factors that will determine the outcome of these and our other forward-looking statements are beyond our ability to control or predict. For a discussion of factors that could materially affect the outcome of our forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or the date of any document incorporated by reference. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

There are no unresolved comments from the staff of the SEC as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES