Share-based Compensation

We have stock-based employee and director compensation plans. Our employees are compensated through the Operating Partnership. Under each plan, whenever the Company issues common or preferred stock, the Operating Partnership issues an equivalent number of units of limited partnership interest of a corresponding class to the Company.

Fourth Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan

The Fourth Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or the 2005 Plan, was approved by the Company's board of directors in April 2016 and its stockholders in June 2016 at the Company's annual meeting of stockholders. The 2005 Plan authorizes the issuance of stock options, stock appreciation rights, unrestricted and restricted stock, phantom shares, dividend equivalent rights, cash-based awards and other equity-based awards. Subject to adjustments upon certain corporate transactions or events, awards with respect to up to a maximum of 27,030,000 fungible units may be granted under the 2005 Plan. Currently, different types of awards count against the limit on the number of fungible units differently, with (1) full-value awards (i.e., those that deliver the full value of the award upon vesting, such as restricted stock) counting as 3.74 Fungible Units per share subject to such awards, (2) stock options, stock appreciation rights and other awards that do not deliver full value and expire five years from the date of grant counting as 0.73 fungible units per share subject to such awards, and (3) all other awards (e.g., ten-year stock options) counting as 1.0 fungible units per share subject to such awards. Awards granted under the 2005 Plan prior to the approval of the fourth amendment and restatement in June 2016 continue to count against the fungible unit limit based on the ratios that were in effect at the time such awards were granted, which may be different than the current ratios. As a result, depending on the types of awards issued, the 2005 Plan may result in the issuance of more or less than 27,030,000 shares. If a stock option or other award granted under the 2005 Plan expires or terminates, the common stock subject to any portion of the award that expires or terminates without having been exercised or paid, as the case may be, will again become available for the issuance of additional awards. Shares of our common stock distributed under the 2005 Plan may be treasury shares or authorized but unissued shares. Currently, unless the 2005 Plan has been previously terminated by the Company's board of directors, new awards may be granted under the 2005 Plan until June 2, 2026, which is the tenth anniversary of the date that the 2005 Plan was most recently approved by the Company's stockholders. As of December 31, 2017, 8.3 million fungible units were available for issuance under the 2005 Plan after reserving for shares underlying outstanding restricted stock units, phantom stock units granted pursuant to our Non-Employee Directors' Deferral Program and LTIP Units.

Options are granted under the plan with an exercise price at the fair market value of the Company's common stock on the date of grant and, subject to employment, generally expire five or ten years from the date of grant, are not transferable other than on death, and generally vest in one to five years commencing one year from the date of grant. We have also granted Class O LTIP Units, which are a class of LTIP Units in the Operating Partnership structured to provide economics similar to those of stock options. Class O LTIP Units, once vested, may be converted, at the election of the holder, into a number of common units of the Operating Partnership per Class O LTIP Unit determined by the increase in value of a share of the Company’s common stock at the time of conversion over a participation threshold, which equals the fair market value of a share of the Company’s common stock at the time of grant. Class O LTIP Units are entitled to distributions, subject to vesting, equal per unit to 10% of the per unit distributions paid with respect to the common units of the Operating Partnership.

The fair value of each stock option or LTIP Unit granted is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on historical information with the following weighted average assumptions for grants during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015.



	2017		2016		2015
Dividend yield	2.51	%	2.37	%	1.97	%
Expected life	4.4 years		3.7 years		3.6 years
Risk-free interest rate	1.73	%	1.57	%	1.43	%
Expected stock price volatility	28.10	%	26.76	%	32.34	%

A summary of the status of the Company's stock options as of December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 and changes during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 are as follows:



	2017					2016					2015
	Options Outstanding			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Options Outstanding			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Options Outstanding			Weighted Average Exercise Price
Balance at beginning of year	$	1,737,213		$	98.44	$	1,595,007		$	95.52	$	1,462,726		$	87.98
Granted	174,000			105.66		445,100			105.86		389,836			112.54
Exercised	(292,193		)	81.07		(192,875		)	76.90		(217,438		)	74.69
Lapsed or canceled	(70,301		)	121.68		(110,019		)	123.86		(40,117		)	98.61
Balance at end of year	$	1,548,719		$	101.48	$	1,737,213		$	98.44	$	1,595,007		$	95.52
Options exercisable at end of year	800,902			$	94.33	748,617			$	87.72	589,055			$	89.85
Weighted average fair value of options granted during the year	$	3,816,652				$	8,363,036				$	9,522,613

All options were granted with strike prices ranging from $20.67 to $137.18. The remaining weighted average contractual life of the options outstanding was 3.6 years and the remaining average contractual life of the options exercisable was 3.1 years.

During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, we recognized compensation expense for these options of $7.8 million, $8.9 million, and $8.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, there was $8.6 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.5 years.

Stock-based Compensation

Effective January 1, 1999, the Company implemented a deferred compensation plan, or the Deferred Plan, where shares issued under the Deferred Plan were granted to certain employees, including our executives and vesting will occur annually upon the completion of a service period or our meeting established financial performance criteria. Annual vesting occurs at rates ranging from 15% to 35% once performance criteria are reached.

A summary of the Company's restricted stock as of December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 and charges during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 are as follows:



	2017		2016			2015
Balance at beginning of year	3,202,031		3,137,881			3,000,979
Granted	96,185		98,800			143,053
Canceled	—		(34,650		)	(6,151		)
Balance at end of year	3,298,216		3,202,031			3,137,881
Vested during the year	95,736		83,822			87,081
Compensation expense recorded	$	9,809,749	$	7,153,966		$	7,540,747
Weighted average fair value of restricted stock granted during the year	$	9,905,986	$	10,650,077		$	16,061,201

The fair value of restricted stock that vested during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015 was $9.4 million, $7.6 million and $7.4 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2017, there was $21.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.2 years.

For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, $7.2 million, $6.0 million, and $6.5 million, respectively, was capitalized to assets associated with compensation expense related to our long-term compensation plans, restricted stock and stock options.

We granted LTIP Units, which include bonus, time-based and performance based awards, with a fair value of $20.5 million and $34.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The grant date fair value of the LTIP Unit awards was calculated in accordance with ASC 718. A third party consultant determined the fair value of the LTIP Units to have a discount from our common stock price. The discount was calculated by considering the inherent uncertainty that the LTIP Units will reach parity with other common partnership units and the illiquidity due to transfer restrictions. As of December 31, 2017, there was $4.6 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to the time-based and performance based LTIP Unit awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.5 years.

During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, we recorded compensation expense related to bonus, time-based and performance based LTIP Unit awards of $26.1 million, $26.5 million, and $30.2 million, respectively.

2011 Outperformance Plan

In August 2011, the compensation committee of the Company's board of directors approved the general terms of the SL Green Realty Corp. 2011 Outperformance Plan, or the 2011 Outperformance Plan. Participants in the 2011 Outperformance Plan could earn, in the aggregate, up to $85.0 million of LTIP Units in the Operating Partnership based on our total return to stockholders for the three-year period beginning September 1, 2011. Under the 2011 Outperformance Plan, participants were entitled to share in a "performance pool" comprised of LTIP Units with a value equal to 10% of the amount by which our total return to stockholders during the three-year period exceeded a cumulative total return to stockholders of 25%, subject to the maximum of $85.0 million of LTIP Units; provided that if maximum performance was achieved, one-third of each award could be earned at any time after the beginning of the second year and an additional one-third of each award could be earned at any time after the beginning of the third year. LTIP Units earned under the 2011 Outperformance Plan were subject to vesting requirements, with 50% of any awards earned vesting on August 31, 2014 and the remaining 50% vesting on August 31, 2015, based on continued employment with us through such dates. Participants were not entitled to distributions with respect to LTIP Units granted under the 2011 Outperformance Plan unless and until they were earned. For LTIP Units that were earned, each participant was also entitled to the distributions that would have been paid had the number of earned LTIP Units been issued at the beginning of the performance period, with such distributions being paid in the form of additional LTIP Units. Thereafter, distributions are paid currently with respect to all earned LTIP Units, whether vested or unvested. In June 2014, the compensation committee determined that maximum performance had been achieved during the third year of the performance period and, accordingly, 560,908 LTIP Units, representing two-thirds of each award, were earned, subject to vesting, under the 2011 Outperformance Plan. In September 2014, the compensation committee determined that maximum performance had been achieved for the full three-year performance period and, accordingly, 280,454 LTIP units, representing the final third of each award, were earned, subject to vesting, under the 2011 Outperformance Plan.

The cost of the 2011 Outperformance Plan ($26.7 million, subject to forfeitures) was amortized into earnings through the final vesting period. We recorded no compensation expense during the year ended December 31, 2017, no compensation expense during the year ended December 31, 2016, and compensation expense of $4.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2015, related to the 2011 Outperformance Plan.

2014 Outperformance Plan

In August 2014, the compensation committee of the Company's board of directors approved the general terms of the SL Green Realty Corp. 2014 Outperformance Plan, or the 2014 Outperformance Plan. Participants in the 2014 Outperformance Plan could earn, in the aggregate, up to 610,000 LTIP Units in our Operating Partnership based on our total return to stockholders for the three-year period beginning September 1, 2014. Under the 2014 Outperformance Plan, two-thirds of the LTIP Units were subject to performance based vesting based on the Company’s absolute total return to stockholders and one-third of the LTIP Units were subject to performance based vesting based on relative total return to stockholders compared to the constituents of the MSCI REIT Index. LTIP Units earned under the 2014 Outperformance Plan were to be subject to continued vesting requirements, with 50% of any awards earned vesting on August 31, 2017 and the remaining 50% vesting on August 31, 2018, subject to continued employment with us through such dates. Participants were not entitled to distributions with respect to LTIP Units granted under the 2014 Outperformance Plan unless and until they are earned. If LTIP Units were earned, each participant would have been entitled to the distributions that would have been paid had the number of earned LTIP Units been issued at the beginning of the performance period, with such distributions being paid in the form of cash or additional LTIP Units. Thereafter, distributions were to be paid currently with respect to all earned LTIP Units, whether vested or unvested.

Based on our performance, none of the LTIP Units granted under the 2014 Outperformance Plan were earned pursuant to the terms of the 2014 Outperformance Plan, and all units issued were forfeited in 2017.

The cost of the 2014 Outperformance Plan ($27.9 million subject to forfeitures), based on the portion of the 2014 Outperformance Plan granted prior to termination, was amortized into earnings through December 31, 2017. We recorded compensation expense of $13.6 million, $8.4 million, and $5.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively, related to the 2014 Outperformance Plan.

Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors

Under our Non-Employee Director's Deferral Program, which commenced July 2004, the Company's non-employee directors may elect to defer up to 100% of their annual retainer fee, chairman fees, meeting fees and annual stock grant. Unless otherwise elected by a participant, fees deferred under the program shall be credited in the form of phantom stock units. The program provides that a director's phantom stock units generally will be settled in an equal number of shares of common stock upon the earlier of (i) the January 1 coincident with or the next following such director's termination of service from the Board of Directors or (ii) a change in control by us, as defined by the program. Phantom stock units are credited to each non-employee director quarterly using the closing price of our common stock on the first business day of the respective quarter. Each participating non-employee director is also credited with dividend equivalents or phantom stock units based on the dividend rate for each quarter, which are either paid in cash currently or credited to the director’s account as additional phantom stock units.

During the year ended December 31, 2017, 12,727 phantom stock units were earned and 9,509 shares of common stock were issued to our board of directors. We recorded compensation expense of $2.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2017 related to the Deferred Compensation Plan. As of December 31, 2017, there were 99,853 phantom stock units outstanding pursuant to our Non-Employee Director's Deferral Program.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

In 2007, the Company's board of directors adopted the 2008 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or ESPP, to encourage our employees to increase their efforts to make our business more successful by providing equity-based incentives to eligible employees. The ESPP is intended to qualify as an "employee stock purchase plan" under Section 423 of the Code, and has been adopted by the board to enable our eligible employees to purchase the Company's shares of common stock through payroll deductions. The ESPP became effective on January 1, 2008 with a maximum of 500,000 shares of the common stock available for issuance, subject to adjustment upon a merger, reorganization, stock split or other similar corporate change. The Company filed a registration statement on Form S-8 with the SEC with respect to the ESPP. The common stock is offered for purchase through a series of successive offering periods. Each offering period will be three months in duration and will begin on the first day of each calendar quarter, with the first offering period having commenced on January 1, 2008. The ESPP provides for eligible employees to purchase the common stock at a purchase price equal to 85% of the lesser of (1) the market value of the common stock on the first day of the offering period or (2) the market value of the common stock on the last day of the offering period. The ESPP was approved by our stockholders at our 2008 annual meeting of stockholders. As of December 31, 2017, 104,597 shares of our common stock had been issued under the ESPP.