Incentive Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs Sharebased Payments [Abstract]

Incentive Compensation

17. Incentive Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation

Our Amended and Restated 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. We recognized stock-based compensation expense of $6,562,000 and $5,486,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, related to awards granted in prior periods, including the equity awards granted on January 13, 2022 (“2022 Equity Grants”) described below.

2022 Equity Grants

2022 Performance-Based Awards Program (“2022 Performance Program”)

On January 13, 2022, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) approved the 2022 Performance Program, a multi-year performance-based long-term incentive compensation program. Under the 2022 Performance Program, participants may earn awards in the form of LTIP units based on our achievement of rigorous Net Operating Income (“NOI”) goals over a three-year performance measurement period beginning on January 1, 2022 and continuing through December 31, 2024. The amount of LTIP units otherwise earned based on the achievement of the NOI goals would then be increased or decreased based on our Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) versus that of our New York City office REIT peers (comprised of Vornado Realty Trust, SL Green Realty Corp. and Empire State Realty Trust) but the modifier will not result in a total payout exceeding 100% of the units granted. Additionally, if our TSR is negative over the three-year performance measurement period, then the number of LTIP units that are earned under the 2022 Performance Program will be reduced by 30.0% of the number of such awards that otherwise would have been earned. Furthermore, awards earned under the 2022 Performance Program are subject to vesting based on continued employment with us through December 31, 2025, with 50.0% of each award vesting upon the conclusion of the performance measurement period, and the remaining 50.0% vesting on December 31, 2025. Lastly, our Named Executive Officers are required to hold earned awards for an additional year following vesting. Awards granted under the 2022 Performance Program had a fair value of $7,188,000 on the date of the grant, which is being amortized into expense over the four-year vesting period using a graded vesting attribution method.

Time-Based Unit Awards Program (LTIP Units, AOLTIP Units and Restricted Stock)

On January 13, 2022, we also granted an aggregate of 626,942 LTIP units, 2,703,499 AOLTIP units and 120,243 shares of Restricted Stock to our executive officers and employees that will vest over a period of three to four years. The fair value of LTIP units, AOLTIP units and restricted stock on the date of grant were $5,313,000, $5,831,000, and $1,119,000, respectively, and these awards are being amortized into expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period.

Completion of the 2019 Performance-Based Awards Program (“2019 Performance Program”)

On December 31, 2021, the performance measurement period for the 2019 Performance Program ended. On January 13, 2022, the Compensation Committee determined that the performance goals set forth in the 2019 Performance Program were not met. Accordingly, all of the LTIP units that were granted on January 14, 2019, were forfeited, with no awards being earned. These awards had a grant date fair value of $8,106,000 and a remaining unrecognized compensation cost of $713,000 as of March 31, 2022, which will be amortized over a weighted-average period of 0.8 years.