dea-8k_20210225.htm
false 0001622194 DC 0001622194 2021-02-25 2021-02-25

 

 

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):

February 25, 2021

 

Easterly Government Properties, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

Maryland

001-36834

47-2047728

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

 

2101 L Street NW, Suite 650, Washington, D.C.

 

20037

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (202) 595-9500

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

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 Instructions 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))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading

Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock

DEA

New York Stock Exchange

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 8.01. Other Events.

On February 25, 2021, Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which became immediately effective upon filing and which replaced the Company’s previous shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-223736) filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018.

In connection with the filing of the new registration statement, the Company also filed with the SEC a new prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”), dated February 25, 2021, with respect to the Company’s existing “at the market” equity offering program (the “ATM Program”), pursuant to which the Company may offer and sale shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), having an aggregate offering price of up to $300,000,000 from time to time pursuant to separate equity distribution agreements (collectively, the “equity distribution agreements”), dated December 20, 2019, among the Company, its operating partnership, Easterly Government Properties LP, and each of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., BTIG, LLC, Capital One Securities, Inc., Jefferies LLC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. (f/k/a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.) and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (and certain of their respective affiliates). The Company refers to these entities, when acting in their capacity as sales agents for it or as principals, individually, as a “Sales Agent” and, collectively, as the “Sales Agents,” and when acting in their capacity as agents for Forward Purchasers (as defined below), individually, as a “Forward Seller” and, collectively, as the “Forward Sellers.”

The equity distribution agreements contemplate that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of Common Stock by the Company through or to the Sales Agents, acting as its sales agents or as principals, as applicable, the Company may also enter into one or more forward transactions (each, a “forward sale transaction” and, collectively, the “forward sale transactions”) under separate master forward confirmations (collectively, the “master forward confirmations”) and related supplemental confirmations, with each of Citibank, N.A., Bank of Montreal, Jefferies LLC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Truist Bank and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association.  The Company refers to these entities, when acting in their capacity as purchasers under any forward sale transactions, individually, as a “Forward Purchaser” and, collectively, as the “Forward Purchasers.”  If the Company enters into a forward sale transaction with any Forward Purchaser, it expects that such Forward Purchaser or one of its affiliates will attempt to borrow from third parties and sell, through its related Forward Seller, the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock underlying such forward sale transaction in order to hedge such Forward Purchaser’s exposure under such forward sale transaction.

Shares of Common Stock having an aggregate offering price of $167,568,679 have been offered and sold under the ATM Program as of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including shares of Common Stock having an aggregate offering price of $99,472,256 that have been sold in connection with forward sale transactions that have not yet settled. Accordingly, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement, shares of Common Stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $132,431,321 remain available for offer and sale under the ATM Program.  

The foregoing description of the equity distribution agreements and the master forward confirmations and related supplemental confirmations does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the exhibits filed with (or incorporated by reference into) this Current Report on Form 8-K.

In connection with the filing of the Prospectus Supplement, the Company is filing the opinion of its counsel, Goodwin Procter LLP, as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits: 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

1.1

Form of Equity Distribution Agreement (previously filed as Exhibit 1.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K on December 23, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference)

1.2

Form of Master Forward Confirmation (previously filed as Exhibit 1.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K on December 23, 2019 and incorporated herein by reference)

5.1

Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP

23.1

Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (contained in its opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference)

101.SCH

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

101.CAL

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL with applicable taxonomy extension information contained in Exhibits 101.)

 


 

 

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.

 

EASTERLY GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES, INC.

 

 

By:

 

/s/ William C. Trimble, III

Name:

 

William C. Trimble, III

Title:

 

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

Date: February 25, 2021

 

 

dea-ex51_6.htm

Exhibit 5.1

 

[Goodwin Procter LLP Letterhead]

 

February 25, 2021

Easterly Government Properties, Inc.

2101 L Street NW, Suite 650

Washington, D.C. 20037

 

 

Re:Securities Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-3

 

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3  (as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”) filed on February 25, 2021 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration of the offering by Easterly Government Properties, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), of any combination of securities of the types specified therein.  The Registration Statement became effective upon filing with the Commission on February 25, 2021.  Reference is made to our opinion letter dated February 25, 2021 and included as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement.  We are delivering this supplemental opinion letter in connection with the prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) filed on February 25, 2021 by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.  The Prospectus Supplement relates to the offering by the Company of up to $132,431,321 in shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), covered by the Registration Statement. The Shares are being offered and sold pursuant to (i) equity distribution agreements by and among the Company, Easterly Government Properties LP, a Delaware limited partnership, and each of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., BTIG, LLC, Capital One Securities, Inc., Jefferies LLC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. (f/k/a SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.) and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, each as a sales agent and/or principal, each of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., Jefferies LLC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, each as a forward seller, and each of Citibank N.A., Bank of Montreal, Jefferies LLC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, Truist Bank and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, each as a forward purchaser (the “Equity Distribution Agreements”) and (ii) master forward confirmations by and between the Company and each of Citibank N.A., Bank of Montreal, Jefferies LLC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Royal Bank of Canada and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (the “Master Forward Confirmations”).

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinion set forth below.  We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinion set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

 

 


Easterly Government Properties, Inc.

February 25, 2021

Page 2

 

 

For purposes of the opinion set forth below, we have assumed that the Shares are issued for a price per share equal to or greater than the minimum price authorized by the Company’s board of directors prior to the date hereof (the “Minimum Price”) and that no event occurs that causes the number of authorized shares of Common Stock available for issuance by the Company to be less than the number of then unissued Shares that may be issued for the Minimum Price.

The opinion set forth below is limited to the Maryland General Corporation Law.

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the Equity Distribution Agreements and the Master Forward Confirmations (and related supplemental confirmations), as applicable, and in exchange for a price per share equal to or greater than the Minimum Price (or, in the case of the Master Forward Confirmations (and related supplemental confirmations), in net share settlement thereof), will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 25, 2021 (the “Current Report”), which is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to references to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,

 

/s/ Goodwin Procter LLP

 

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP