Check the appropriate box below
if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or
Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2). Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth
company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange
Act. ☒
Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
On June 29, 2017, Parkway, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the Company), Parkway Properties LP, a Delaware limited partnership
(the Partnership), Real Estate Houston US Trust (Parent), a Delaware statutory trust and wholly-owned subsidiary of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, a Canadian Crown corporation (CPPIB), Real Estate Houston
US LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger Sub), and Real Estate Houston US LP, a Delaware limited partnership and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (Merger
Partnership), entered into a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger (the Merger Agreement). The Merger Agreement provides that, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary and other closing conditions, Merger Sub
will merge with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of CPPIB (the Company Merger), and immediately following the Company Merger, Merger Partnership will merge with and into the
Partnership, with the Partnership as the surviving entity (the Partnership Merger and, together with the Company Merger, the Mergers). The board of directors of the Company (the Company Board) has unanimously
approved the Merger Agreement, the Mergers and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the Transaction).
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in the Merger Agreement, upon consummation of the Mergers,
(i) each share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company automatically will be converted into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to $19.05 (which, together with the $4.00 per share special dividend described below,
is referred to as the Per Share Merger Consideration), and (ii) each unit of limited partnership interest in the Partnership held by outside limited partners will be converted into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to the
Per Share Merger Consideration, except that each outside limited partner may elect, in lieu of the Per Share Merger Consideration, to have such holders units of limited partnership interest exchanged into an equal number of preferred limited
partnership interests in the surviving partnership of the Partnership Merger. In addition, at the effective time of the Company Merger, (i) except as separately agreed between a holder of an outstanding option to purchase the Companys
common stock under the Companys 2016 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the Stock Plan) and Parent, each outstanding option under the Stock Plan, whether vested or unvested, will automatically be cancelled in exchange for the right of
the holder to receive cash equal to the excess of the Per Share Merger Consideration (including the per share special dividend (described below)) over the exercise price for such option, (ii) each outstanding time-based restricted stock unit
under the Stock Plan (an RSU) automatically will vest in full and be cancelled in exchange for the right of the holder to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration plus the accumulated dividend pursuant to dividend equivalent rights for
each RSU, and (iii) except as separately agreed between a holder of an outstanding performance-based restricted stock unit under the Stock Plan (a PSU) and Parent, any vesting conditions applicable to each PSU will accelerate based
on the greater of (A) deemed achievement of target performance with respect to such PSU or (B) actual performance (where the applicable performance goals are pro-rated through the effective time of the Company Merger), and each PSU will be
cancelled in exchange for the right of the holder to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration and the accumulated dividend pursuant to dividend equivalent rights for such PSU.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the Company has agreed that, before closing of the Mergers, it will declare and pay a $4.00 per share cash
dividend on the Companys common stock (or such higher amount as may be necessary to distribute the Companys undistributed real estate investment trust (REIT) taxable income and net capital gain earned or accrued for the
portion of the taxable year that includes the closing date ending at the effective time of the Company Merger). This special dividend must be paid no less than two days before the effective time of the Company Merger, but not before the first
business day after October 7, 2017. Other than the special dividend and the previously announced second quarter dividend, which was paid on June 30, 2017, the Company agreed that it will not pay any dividend or other distribution on shares of
its common stock prior to the closing of the Mergers, except to the extent that dividends and other distributions are necessary for the Company to maintain its status as a REIT and avoid the deemed liability for income or excise tax under Sections
857 or 4981 of the Internal Revenue Code and that any such dividend would reduce the Per Share Merger Consideration on a dollar for dollar basis.
The Transaction is subject to approval by a majority of the shares of the Companys outstanding common stock and limited voting stock,
voting together as a single class. Each partys obligation to consummate the Transaction is further subject to certain other conditions provided for in the Merger Agreement, including the accuracy of the other partys representations and
warranties, subject to customary qualifications, the other partys material compliance with its covenants and agreements, and, with respect to Parents, Merger Subs and Merger
Partnerships obligations, the completion by the Company of a pre-closing restructuring transaction immediately prior to closing (consisting of the issuance of a share of preferred stock to
a third-party designated by Parent) and the receipt by Parent of a tax opinion and related officers certificate relating to the REIT status of the Company and undertaking by the Company of a pre-closing restructuring immediately prior to the
closing. The Transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2017, but not earlier than October 12, 2017 (the earliest day on which the Transaction could close following payment of the special dividend).
The closing of the Transaction is not subject to a financing condition, and the parties to the Merger Agreement have the right to specific
performance to enforce the terms thereof, including the obligation of Parent to consummate the Transaction in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement.
The Merger Agreement contains certain customary representations, warranties and covenants, including, among others, covenants with respect to
the conduct of the Companys business prior to closing, subject to certain consent rights by Parent, covenants prohibiting the Company from soliciting, providing information to or entering into discussions concerning proposals relating to an
alternative acquisition transaction (for 20% or more of the equity or assets of the Company), subject to certain limited exceptions.
The
Merger Agreement contains certain termination rights for the parties. Parent and the Company each have the right to terminate the Merger Agreement if the Transaction does not close prior to December 31, 2017, or prior to March 29, 2018 if
the Company has not held its stockholders meeting by December 31, 2017 (the Outside Date), or if the requisite stockholder vote is not obtained at the stockholders meeting called for that purpose. In addition, under specified
circumstances, the Company is entitled to terminate the Merger Agreement to accept a superior proposal (for 50% or more of the equity or assets of the Company), which proposal the Company Board determines in its good faith judgment, if consummated,
would be more favorable to the stockholders of the Company from a financial point of view, and if accepted, is reasonably likely to be consummated in accordance with its terms, provided that the Company pays Parent a termination fee equal to $26.4
million. The Company may also be required to pay such $26.4 million termination fee under certain other circumstances specified in the Merger Agreement. If the Merger Agreement is terminated as a result of the failure of the Transaction to close by
the Outside Date due to the Companys failure to hold the required stockholder meeting in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Company will be required to reimburse Parent up to a maximum of $10.0 million for expenses
incurred by Parent in connection with the Merger Agreement (although if the termination fee later becomes payable, amounts reimbursed to Parent by the Company will be credited against the termination fee payable).
An affiliate of CPPIB is a joint venture partner of certain of the Companys Subsidiaries in a joint venture with respect to the
Companys Greenway Plaza and Phoenix Tower Properties.
The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement does not purport to be
complete, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1 and is incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the Merger Agreement has been included to provide
stockholders with information regarding its terms and is not intended to provide any factual information about the parties thereto. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Merger Agreement have been made solely for the
purposes of the Merger Agreement and as of specific dates; were solely for the benefit of parties to the Merger Agreement; and are not intended as statements of fact to be relied upon by the Companys stockholders, but rather as a way of
allocating the risk between the parties to the Merger Agreement in the event the statements therein prove to be inaccurate; have been modified or qualified by certain confidential disclosures that were made between the parties in connection with the
negotiation of the Merger Agreement, which disclosures are not reflected in the Merger Agreement attached hereto; may no longer be true as of a given date; and may apply standards of materiality in a way that is different from what may be viewed as
material by stockholders. Accordingly, stockholders should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants or any descriptions thereof as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of the parties. Moreover, information
concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may change after the date of the Merger Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the Companys public disclosures. The Company acknowledges
that, notwithstanding the inclusion of the foregoing cautionary statements, it is responsible for considering whether additional specific disclosures of material information regarding material contractual provisions are required to make the
statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K not misleading.
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain
Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units
The information regarding the treatment of PSUs under Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated into this
Item 5.02 by reference.
Letter Agreements; Amendments to Employment Agreements
On June 29, 2017, each of James R. Heistand, the Companys President and Chief Executive Officer; M. Jayson Lipsey, the
Companys Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Jason A. Bates, the Companys Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer; and Scott E. Francis, the Companys Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer, and Chief Accounting Officer (each, an executive) entered into a letter agreement with CPPIB and the Company, which upon effectiveness will serve as an amendment (each, an Amendment) to the executives existing
Employment Agreement, dated December 12, 2016 (each, an Employment Agreement). The Amendments are effective upon the closing of the Mergers in accordance with the Merger Agreement and are conditioned upon the occurrence of the
closing and each executives continued employment with the Company through the closing.
Pursuant to the Amendments, the term of each
executives employment will continue from the effective date of the Employment Agreement to the first anniversary of the closing. Each executive will continue to be eligible for an annual bonus at the same percentage of base salary set forth in
his Employment Agreement, but the bonus will be payable upon the earlier of the expiration of the term of the Employment Agreement or a termination of the executives employment by the Company without cause or by the executive for
good reason (as such terms are defined in the Employment Agreement). In the latter case such bonus will be pro-rated through the date of termination.
With respect to equity awards, the Amendments provide that each executive will not be eligible to receive any annual or other equity grants
during the term and that all of an executives outstanding equity-based compensation awards will, to the extent unvested, vest in full (with performance-based awards vesting based on actual performance) and will be cashed out at the closing in
accordance with the Merger Agreement. In addition, each executive agrees to reinvest, directly or indirectly, immediately following the closing, 100% of the after-tax proceeds received from his equity awards that are cashed out at closing (the
Re-Investment Amount) on a pari passu basis in the same equity securities received by CPPIB and its affiliates and other equity co-investors (if any) in the acquisition vehicle (the Acquisition Vehicle) in consideration of
their equity contributions in connection with the Mergers. If the Re-Investment Amount, together with the aggregate amounts reinvested by the other executives in respect of 100% of the after-tax proceeds they receive from their outstanding equity
awards as of the closing, is less than the amount needed to purchase 1% of the equity securities of the Acquisition Vehicle as of the Closing (the Shortfall), each executive will invest an additional cash amount, directly or indirectly,
in the Acquisition Vehicle equal to his pro-rata portion of the Shortfall, determined in accordance with the Amendment. Each executive can redeem all of his equity securities in the Acquisition Vehicle at the original cost paid for such equity
securities, and the Company may call all of the executives equity securities in the Acquisition Vehicle at the original cost paid by each executive, in each case on the expiration of the term of the Employment Agreement or the termination of
the executives employment by the Company for any reason prior to the end of the term.
The Amendments also modify the payment that
is paid to each executive upon a CIC Termination (as defined in the Employment Agreement), so that upon closing under the Merger Agreement, each executive is eligible to receive a payment equal to the sum of (i) 2.0 (or in the case of
Mr. Heistand, 2.9) times the sum of his (x) current base salary and (y) current target bonus, plus (ii) a pro-rated target bonus for 2017 equal to his target bonus pro-rated from January 1, 2017 through the date of the
closing, provided that the executive remains employed by the Company through the date immediately preceding the date of the closing under the Merger Agreement. Upon any subsequent termination of employment during the term of the Employment
Agreement, the executive will not be eligible or entitled to receive any additional termination or severance payments or benefits under the Employment Agreements except as mutually agreed to by the parties. Pursuant to the Amendments, each executive
has waived the right to terminate employment for good reason as a result of the Mergers or the Amendment.
The foregoing
summary of the Amendments does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Amendments attached hereto as Exhibits 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4, which are incorporated by reference into this Item 5.02.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Parent and Merger Sub entered into a voting agreement (the Voting
Agreement) with TPG VI Pantera Holdings, L.P. (TPG) and TPG VI Management, LLC (collectively with TPG, the TPG Parties), which collectively beneficially own approximately 9.8% of the Companys outstanding shares.
The Voting Agreement generally requires, subject to certain exceptions, the TPG Parties to vote all of the shares of Parkway common stock beneficially owned by them and capable of being voted in favor of adoption of the Merger Agreement and the
other matters related to the Merger, and against actions or agreements that would reasonably be expected to result in a failure of a closing condition set forth in the Merger Agreement to be fulfilled, alternative acquisitions and any action that
would reasonably be expected to materially delay, materially postpone or materially adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as
those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and as such are based upon the Companys current beliefs as to the outcome and timing of future events. There can
be no assurance that actual future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by the Company. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements presented in this press release are based on managements beliefs
and assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. When used, the words anticipate, assume, believe, estimate, expect, forecast, guidance,
intend, may, might, plan, potential, should, will, result or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond the Companys control) and are
subject to change based upon various factors, including but not limited to the following risks and uncertainties: the ability of the Company to obtain required stockholder approval required to consummate the proposed merger; the satisfaction or
waiver of other conditions in the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company and others related to the merger agreement; the risk that the merger, or the other transactions contemplated by the
merger agreement may not be completed in the time frame expected by the parties or at all; the ability of the Company to implement its operating strategy; changes in economic cycles; and competition within the office properties real estate industry;
and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Companys Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
Should one
or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, the Companys business, financial condition, liquidity, cash flows and results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking
statement. While forward-looking statements reflect the Companys good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise
over time, and it is not possible for us to predict the occurrence of those matters or the manner in which they may affect us. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement
to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes.
Additional Information
and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed merger transaction, the Company expects to file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the SEC) a proxy statement, which proxy statement will be mailed or otherwise disseminated to the Companys stockholders when it becomes available. The Company also plans to file other relevant documents with the SEC
regarding the proposed transactions.
INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
You may obtain a free
copy of the proxy statement (if and when it becomes available) and other relevant documents filed by the Company with the SEC at the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by the Company will be available free of charge on
its website at www.pky.com or by directing a request by mail to Parkway, Inc., One Orlando Centre, 800 North Magnolia Avenue, Suite 1625, Orlando, Florida 32803, Attention: Investor Relations.
The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the
solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed merger transaction. You can find information about the Companys directors and executive officers in the Companys definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 5, 2017 in
connection with its 2017 annual meeting of stockholders. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants will be included in the proxy statement and other relevant documents filed with the SEC if and when they become
available. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the Company using the sources indicated above.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and
Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
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Exhibit No.
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Description
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2.1
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Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 29, 2017, among Parkway, Inc., Parkway Properties LP, Real Estate Houston US Trust, Real Estate Houston US LLC and Real Estate Houston US LP.*
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10.1
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Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2017, by and among Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Parkway, Inc. and James R. Heistand
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10.2
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Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2017, by and among Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Parkway, Inc. and M. Jayson Lipsey
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10.3
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Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2017, by and among Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Parkway, Inc. and Scott E. Francis
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10.4
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Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2017, by and among Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Parkway, Inc. and Jason A. Bates
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*
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Parkway, Inc. has omitted certain schedules and exhibits pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K and shall furnish supplementally to the SEC copies of any of the omitted schedules and exhibits upon request by
the SEC.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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Date: July 3, 2017
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PARKWAY, INC.
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BY:
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/s/ A. Noni Holmes-Kidd
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A. Noni Holmes-Kidd
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Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit No.
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Description
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2.1
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Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 29, 2017, among Parkway, Inc., Parkway Properties LP, Real Estate Houston US Trust, Real Estate Houston US LLC and Real Estate Houston US LP.*
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10.1
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Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2017, by and among Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Parkway, Inc. and James R. Heistand
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10.2
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Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2017, by and among Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Parkway, Inc. and M. Jayson Lipsey
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10.3
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Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2017, by and among Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Parkway, Inc. and Scott E. Francis
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*
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Parkway, Inc. has omitted certain schedules and exhibits pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K and shall furnish supplementally to the SEC copies of any of the omitted schedules and exhibits upon request by
the SEC.
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