Incentive Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]

Incentive Compensation

16.  Incentive Compensation

       Stock-Based Compensation

We account for all stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation.  As of March 31, 2016, we have 12,285,544 shares available for future grants under the Plan, if all awards granted are full value awards, as defined in the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan.  Stock based compensation for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 was $3,627,000, and $3,035,000, respectively. The three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 include $1,855,000 and $1,861,000 of expense, respectively, related to the acceleration of vesting of the stock awards in connection with certain separation agreements.

In March 2016, our Compensation Committee approved the 2016 Performance Program, a multi-year performance-based equity compensation program. The purpose of the 2016 Performance Program is to further align the interests of our stockholders with that of management by encouraging our senior officers to create stockholder value in a “pay for performance” structure. Under the 2016 Performance Program, participants may earn awards in the form of Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) units of our operating partnership based on our total return to stockholders (“TRS”) over a three-year performance measurement period beginning on March 18, 2016, and continuing through March 17, 2019, on both an absolute basis and relative basis. 25.0% of the award is earned if we outperform a predetermined absolute TRS and the remaining 75.0% is earned if we outperform a predetermined relative TRS. Specifically, participants begin to earn awards under the 2016 Performance Program if our TRS for the performance measurement period equals or exceeds 21.0% on an absolute basis and is within 250 basis points of the performance of the SNL Office REIT Index on a relative basis, and awards will be fully earned if our TRS for the performance measurement period equals or exceeds 36.0% on an absolute basis and exceeds the performance of the SNL Office REIT Index by 400 basis points on a relative basis. Participants will not earn any awards under the 2016 Performance Program if our TRS during the performance measurement period does not meet either of these minimum thresholds. The number of LTIP units that are earned if performance is above the minimum thresholds, but below the maximum thresholds, will be determined based on linear interpolation between the percentages earned at the minimum and maximum thresholds. During the performance measurement period, participants will receive per unit distributions equal to one-tenth of the per share dividends otherwise payable to our common stockholders with respect to their LTIP units. If the LTIP units are ultimately earned based on the achievement of the designated performance objectives, participants will receive cash or additional LTIP units based on the additional amount the participants would have received if per unit distributions during the performance measurement periods for the earned LTIP units had equaled per share dividends paid to our common stockholders less the amount of distributions participants actually received during the performance measurement period.

If the designated performance objectives are achieved, awards earned under the 2016 Performance Program will also be subject to vesting based on continued employment with us through March 17, 2020, with 50.0% of each award vesting following the conclusion of the performance measurement period, and the remaining 50.0% vesting on March 17, 2020.  The fair value of the awards granted under the 2016 Performance Program on the date of the grant was $10,914,000 and is being amortized into expense over the four-year vesting period using a graded vesting attribution method.