UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 22, 2018
CATCHMARK TIMBER TRUST, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland | 001-36239 | 20-3536671 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
5 Concourse Parkway, Suite 2325
Atlanta, Georgia 30328
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (855) 858-9794
Former name or former address, if changed since last report: N/A
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (See General Instruction A.2 below):
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). 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 8.01. | Other Events. |
On March 22, 2018, CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. (Catchmark) issued a press release announcing that the underwriters in CatchMarks previously-announced public offering exercised in full the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters with respect to the purchase of an additional 750,000 shares of Class A common stock at a public offering price of $12.60 per share. The over-allotment option was exercised in connection with CatchMarks previously announced underwritten public offering of 5,000,000 shares of Class A common stock. As a result of the exercise of the over-allotment option, the total gross proceeds from the offering are approximately $72,450,000 before deducting the underwriting discount and other estimated offering expenses. The press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
8.1 | Tax Opinion of Alston & Bird LLP | |
23.2 | Consent of Alston & Bird LLP (included in Exhibit 8.1) | |
99.1 | Press Release Regarding Exercise of Over-allotment Option |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
CATCHMARK TIMBER TRUST, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Brian M. Davis | |
Brian M. Davis | ||
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
Dated: March 22, 2018
Exhibit 8.1
The Atlantic Building
950 F Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004-1404
202-239-3300 | Fax: 202-239-3333
March 22, 2018
CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc.
5 Concourse Parkway, Suite 2325
Atlanta, GA 30328
Re: | Sale of Shares of Class A Common Stock |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are acting as tax counsel to CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the Company), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company on the date hereof of 750,000 shares of its Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the Shares), pursuant to the underwriting agreement, dated as of March 14, 2018 (the Underwriting Agreement), by and among the Company, CatchMark Timber Operating Partnership, L.P. and Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and RBC Capital Markets, LLC as the several Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the Underwriters). The Shares are being issued and sold pursuant to the exercise by the Underwriters of the over-allotment option granted to them in Section 2 of the Underwriting Agreement. Capitalized terms used in this letter and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
You have requested our opinions as to (i) the qualification of the Company as a real estate investment trust (REIT) under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and (ii) the accuracy of the discussion of U.S. federal income tax considerations contained under the caption Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations in Exhibit 99.1 to the Companys Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2018 (the March Current Report), which supersedes and replaces the discussion under the heading Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations in the Prospectus..
In preparing this opinion letter, we have reviewed the forms of the Companys Sixth Articles of Amendment and Restatement (as amended), the Companys Amended and Restated Bylaws, the Registration Statement, which includes the Prospectus, the March Current Report, schedules prepared by the Company regarding compliance with various REIT qualification requirements and such other documents as we have considered relevant to our analysis. We have also obtained representations as to factual matters, including ownership of the Companys capital stock, the sources of the Companys gross income, and the nature of the Companys assets, made by the Company through a certificate of an officer of the Company dated as of the date hereof (the Officers Certificate). Our opinion letter is based solely on the information and representations in such documents.
CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc.
March 22, 2018
Page 2
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed (i) the genuineness of all signatures on documents we have examined, (ii) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, (iii) the conformity to the original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, (iv) the conformity, to the extent relevant to our opinions, of final documents to all documents submitted to us as drafts, (v) the authority and capacity of the individual or individuals who executed any such documents on behalf of any person, (vi) due execution and delivery of all such documents by all the parties thereto, (vii) the compliance of each party with all material provisions of such documents, and (viii) the accuracy and completeness of all records made available to us.
Further, we have assumed, with your consent, that (i) the factual representations set forth in the Officers Certificate and the description of the Company and its subsidiaries and their activities in the Registration Statement, which includes the Prospectus, and the March Current Report are true, accurate and complete as of the date hereof, (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries will operate in a manner that will make the representations contained in the Officers Certificate and the description of the Company and its subsidiaries and their proposed activities in the Registration Statement, which includes the Prospectus, and the March Current Report true going forward, (iii) the Company will not make any amendments to its organizational documents after the date of this opinion that would affect the Companys qualification as a REIT for any taxable year and (iv) no action will be taken after the date hereof by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that would have the effect of altering the facts upon which the opinion set forth below is based.
For purposes of our opinion, we have not made an independent investigation of the facts, representations, and covenants set forth in the Officers Certificate, the Registration Statement, which includes the Prospectus, the March Current Report, or in any other document. Consequently, we have assumed, and relied on your representations, that the information presented in the Officers Certificate, the Registration Statement, which includes the Prospectus, the March Current Report and other documents accurately and completely describe all material facts relevant to our opinion. We have assumed that such representations are true without regard to any qualification as to knowledge or belief. Our opinion is conditioned on the continuing accuracy and completeness of such statements, representations and covenants. Any material change or inaccuracy in the facts referred to, set forth, or assumed herein or in the Officers Certificate may affect our conclusions set forth herein.
The opinions expressed herein are given as of the date hereof and are based upon the Code, the U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, current administrative positions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and existing judicial decisions, any of which could be changed at any time, possibly on a retroactive basis. Any such changes could adversely affect the opinions rendered herein. In addition, as noted above, our opinions are based solely on the documents that we have examined and the representations that have been made to us and cannot be relied upon if any of the facts contained in such documents or in such additional information is, or later becomes, inaccurate or if any of the representations made to us are, or later become, inaccurate. We are not aware, however, of any facts or circumstances contrary to or inconsistent with the information, assumptions, and representations we have relied on for purposes of this opinion. Our opinions are limited to the U.S. federal income tax matters specifically covered herein. We have not opined on any other tax consequences to the Company or any other person. Further, we express no opinion with respect to other federal laws or the laws of any other jurisdiction.
Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
(i) Commencing with the year ending December 31, 2009, the Company has been organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and the Companys current organization and present and proposed method of operation will enable it to continue to satisfy the requirements for such qualification.
CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc.
March 22, 2018
Page 3
(ii) The statements set forth in Exhibit 99.1 to the March Current Report under the caption Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations, to the extent they constitute matters of law, summaries of legal matters, documents or proceedings, or legal conclusions, are correct in all material respects, subject to the limitation and qualifications stated in such discussion.
The Companys status as a REIT at any time during such year and subsequent years is dependent upon, among other things, the Company meeting the requirements of Sections 856 through 860 of the Code throughout such year and for the year as a whole. Accordingly, because the Companys satisfaction of such requirements will depend upon future events, including the final determination of financial and operational results, it is not possible to assure that the Company will satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT in any particular taxable years. In addition, our opinions do not preclude the possibility that the Company may have to utilize one or more of the various savings provisions under the Code that would permit the Company to cure certain violations of the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.
An opinion of counsel merely represents counsels best judgment with respect to the probable outcome on the merits and is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or the courts. There can be no assurance that positions contrary to our opinion will not be taken by the Internal Revenue Service or that a court considering the issues would not hold contrary to our opinion.
No opinions other than those expressly contained herein may be inferred or implied. Also, we undertake no obligation to update this opinion letter, or to ascertain after the date hereof whether circumstances occurring after such date may affect the conclusions set forth herein.
This opinion letter is being furnished to you for submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission as Exhibit 8.1 to the Companys Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the closing of the issuance and sale of the Shares. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 8.1 to such report and to the reference to this firm under the caption Legal Matters in the Companys prospectus supplement dated March 14, 2018 with respect thereto. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an expert within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Alston & Bird LLP
ALSTON & BIRD LLP
Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CatchMark Announces Exercise of Overallotment Option in Public Offering
Atlanta, March 22, 2018 CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. (CatchMark) today announced that the underwriters of its previously-announced public offering exercised in full their overallotment option by purchasing an additional 750,000 shares of Class A common stock at a public offering price of $12.60 per share. With this exercise, the public offering totals 5,750,000 shares of Class A common stock, increasing the gross proceeds of the offering to $72,450,000 prior to deducting the underwriting discounts and offering expenses. The option was granted in connection with the public offering of 5,000,000 shares of Class A common stock at a public offering price of $12.60 per share, which closed March 16, 2018.
Raymond James, Citigroup, Stifel, and RBC Capital Markets served as joint book-running managers for the offering.
A copy of the final prospectus supplement for the offering, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 14, 2018, may be obtained by contacting: Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Attention: Syndicate Department, 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716, telephone: (800) 248-8863, email: prospectus@raymondjames.com; Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146); Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Attention: Syndicate Department, One South Street, 15th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, telephone: (855) 300-7136, email: SyndProspectus@stifel.com; or RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Three World Financial Center, 200 Vesey Street, 8th floor, New York, New York 10281, Attention: Equity Syndicate or by calling toll free at (877) 822-4089.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About CatchMark
CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc. (NYSE: CTT) is a self-administered and self-managed, publicly-traded REIT that strives to deliver superior risk-adjusted returns for all stakeholders through disciplined acquisitions, sustainable harvests and well-timed sales. Headquartered in Atlanta and focused exclusively on timberland ownership, CatchMark began operations in 2007 and owns interests in approximately 520,800 acres* of timberlands located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. For more information, visit www.catchmark.com.
*As of December 31, 2017
###
Contacts | ||
Investors: | Media: | |
Brian Davis | Mary Beth Ryan, Miller Ryan LLC | |
(855) 858-9794 | (203) 268-0158 | |
info@catchmark.com | marybeth@millerryanllc.com |
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