Incentive Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]

Incentive Compensation

17. Incentive Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

Our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan provides for grants of equity awards to our executive officers, non-employee directors and employees in order to attract and motivate talent for which we compete. In addition, equity awards are an effective management retention tool as they vest over multiple years based on continued employment. Equity awards are granted in the form of (i) restricted stock and (ii) long term incentive plan (“LTIP”) units, which represent a class of partnership interests in our Operating Partnership and are typically comprised of performance-based LTIP units, time-based LTIP units and time-based appreciation only LTIP (“AOLTIP”) units. We account for all stock-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation. In the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, we recognized stock-based compensation expense of $5,486,000 and $5,397,000, respectively, related to  awards granted in prior periods, including the 2020 equity grants (“2020 Equity Grants”) described below.

2020 Equity Grants

2020 Performance-Based Awards Program (“2020 Performance Program”)

On January 11, 2021, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) approved the 2020 Performance Program, a multi-year performance-based long-term incentive compensation program. Under the 2020 Performance Program, participants may earn awards in the form of LTIP units based on our Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) over a three-year performance measurement period beginning on January 1, 2021 and continuing through December 31, 2023. Specifically, 50.0% of the awards would be earned based on the rank of our TSR relative to the TSR of our Central Business District focused New York City office peers, comprised of Vornado Realty Trust, SL Green Realty Corp., Empire State Realty Trust and Columbia Property Trust, and the remaining 50.0% of the awards would be earned based on the percentile rank of our TSR relative to performance of the SNL U.S. Office REIT Index constituents. Furthermore, if our TSR is negative over the three-year performance measurement period, then the number of LTIP units that are earned under the 2020 Performance Program will be reduced by 30.0% of the number of such awards that otherwise would have been earned. Additionally, if the designated performance objectives are achieved, awards earned under the 2020 Performance Program are subject to vesting based on continued employment with us through December 31, 2024, with 50.0% of each award vesting upon the conclusion of the performance measurement period, and the remaining 50.0% vesting on December 31, 2024. Lastly, our Named Executive Officers are required to hold earned awards for an additional year following vesting. The fair value of the awards granted under the 2020 Performance Program on the date of the grant was $7,303,000 and is being amortized into expense over the four-year vesting period using a graded vesting attribution method.

Time-Based Unit Awards Program (“LTIP and AOLTIP Units”)

On January 11, 2021, we granted an aggregate of 579,520 LTIP units and 2,171,875 AOLTIP units to our executive officers and employees that will vest over a period of three to four years. LTIP units are similar to common units of our Operating Partnership in that they are redeemable for cash, or at our election, may be converted on a one-for-one basis into shares of our common stock. AOLTIP units are similar to stock options in that it permits the holder to realize the benefit of any increase in the per share value of our common stock above the value at the time the AOLTIP units were granted and can be converted into a number of common units of our Operating Partnership that have an aggregate value equal to such increase. The common units issued upon the conversion of AOLTIP units are redeemable for cash, or at our election, may be converted on a one-for-one basis into shares of our common stock. The fair value of LTIP units and AOLTIP units on the date of grant were $4,598,000 and $4,344,000, respectively, and these awards are being amortized into expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.

Restricted Stock

On January 11, 2021, we granted an aggregate of 166,686 shares of restricted stock to our employees that will vest over a period of four years. The fair value of the shares of restricted stock on the date of grant was $1,439,000, which is being amortized into expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.

Completion of the 2017 Performance-Based Awards Program (“2017 Performance Program”)

On January 11, 2021, the Compensation Committee determined that the performance goals set forth in the 2017 Performance Program were not satisfied during the performance measurement period, which ended on December 31, 2020. Accordingly, all of the 1,382,807 LTIP units that were granted on February 5, 2018, were forfeited, with no awards being earned. These awards had a grant date fair value of $7,009,000 and a remaining unrecognized compensation cost of $618,000 as of March 31, 2021, which will be amortized over a weighted-average period of 0.8 years.