Stock-based Compensation

Vornado’s 2010 Omnibus Share Plan (the "Plan") provides the Compensation Committee of our Board of Trustees (the "Committee") the ability to grant incentive and non-qualified Vornado stock options, restricted stock, restricted Operating Partnership units, out-performance plan awards and appreciation-only long-term incentive plan units ("AO LTIP Units") to certain of our employees and officers. We account for all equity-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718. Equity-based compensation expense was $13,669,000 and $13,559,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

AO LTIP Units

On January 12, 2018, the Committee approved the issuance of AO LTIP Units pursuant to the Plan to certain of our officers and employees. In connection with the approval of AO LTIP Units, Vornado, in its capacity as sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, amended the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”) in order to establish the terms of the new class of partnership interests known as AO LTIP Units.

AO LTIP Units are a class of partnership interests in the Operating Partnership that are intended to qualify as “profits interests” for federal income tax purposes and generally only allow the recipient to realize value to the extent the fair market value of a Vornado common share exceeds the threshold level set at the time the AO LTIP Units are granted, subject to any vesting conditions applicable to the award. The threshold level is intended to be equal to 100% of the then fair market value of a Vornado common share on the date of grant. The value of vested AO LTIP Units is realized through conversion of the AO LTIP Units into Class A Operating Partnership units. The number of Class A Units into which vested AO LTIP Units may be converted is determined based on the quotient of (i) the excess of the conversion value on the conversion date over the threshold value designated at the time the AO LTIP Unit was granted, divided by (ii) the conversion value on the conversion date. The “conversion value” is the value of a Vornado common share on the conversion date multiplied by the Conversion Factor as defined in the Partnership Agreement, which is currently one. AO LTIP Units vest ratably over four years and have a term of ten years from the grant date. The fair value of the AO LTIP Units on the date of grant was $3,484,000, of which $622,000 was immediately expensed due to the acceleration of vesting for employees who are retirement eligible (have reached age 65 or age 60 with at least 20 years of service). The remaining $2,862,000 is being amortized into expense over a four-year period from the date of grant using a graded vesting attribution model.

Each holder will generally receive special income allocations in respect of an AO LTIP Unit equal to 10% (or such other percentage specified in the applicable award agreement) of the income allocated in respect of a Class A Unit. Upon conversion of AO LTIP Units to Class A Units, holders will be entitled to receive in respect of each such AO LTIP Unit, on a per unit basis, a special distribution equal to 10% (or such other percentage specified in the applicable award agreement) of the distributions received by a holder of an equivalent number of Class A Units during the period from the grant date of the AO LTIP Units through the date of conversion.


17.	Stock-based Compensation - continued

2018 Outperformance Plan (“2018 OPP”)

On March 15, 2018, the Committee approved the 2018 OPP, a multi-year, $35,000,000 performance-based equity compensation plan of which $27,354,000 was granted to senior executives. The fair value of the 2018 OPP granted was $10,283,000, of which $8,040,000 was immediately expensed due to the acceleration of vesting for employees who are retirement eligible (have reached age 65 or age 60 with at least 20 years of service). The remaining $2,243,000 is being amortized into expense over a five-year period from the date of grant using a graded vesting attribution model.

Under the 2018 OPP, participants have the opportunity to earn compensation payable in the form of equity awards if Vornado outperforms a predetermined total shareholder return (“TSR”) and/or outperforms the market with respect to relative total TSR during the three-year performance period (the “Performance Period”) from March 15, 2018 to March 15, 2021 (the “Measurement Date”). Specifically, awards under the 2018 OPP may potentially be earned if Vornado (i) achieves a TSR above a benchmark weighted index (the “Index”) comprised 70% of the SNL US Office REIT Index and 30% of the SNL US Retail Index over the Performance Period (the “Relative Component”), and/or (ii) achieves a TSR greater than 21% over the Performance Period (the “Absolute Component”). The value of awards under the Relative Component and Absolute Component will be calculated separately and will each be subject to an aggregate $35,000,000 maximum award cap for all participants. The two components will be added together to determine the aggregate award size, which shall also be subject to the aggregate $35,000,000 maximum award cap for all participants. In the event awards are earned under the Absolute Component, but Vornado underperforms the Index by more than 200 basis points per annum over the Performance Period (600 basis points over the three years), the amount earned under the Absolute Component will be reduced (and potentially fully negated) based on the degree by which the Index exceeds Vornado’s TSR. In the event awards are earned under the Relative Component, but Vornado fails to achieve a TSR of at least 3% per annum, awards earned under the Relative Component will be reduced on a ratable sliding scale based on Vornado’s absolute TSR performance, with awards earned under the Relative Component being reduced by a maximum of 50% in the event Vornado’s TSR during the Measurement Period is 0% or negative. If the designated performance objectives are achieved, awards under the 2018 OPP will vest ratably on the Measurement Date and the first and second anniversary of the Measurement Date. In addition, all of Vornado’s Named Executive Officers (as defined in Vornado’s Proxy Statement filed on Schedule 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 6, 2018) are required to hold any earned and vested awards for one year following each such vesting date. Dividends on awards granted under the 2018 OPP accrue during the Performance Period and are paid to participants if awards are ultimately earned based on the achievement of the designated performance objectives.