Stock Based Compensation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stock Based Compensation [Abstract]

Stock Based Compensation

Stock Based Compensation

Deferred Stock Awards

Piedmont has granted deferred stock awards in the form of restricted stock to its employees. The awards are determined by the Compensation Committee of the board of directors of Piedmont on an annual basis and typically vest over a three-year period beginning on the grant date. In addition, Piedmont has adopted a multi-year performance share program for certain of its employees beginning in 2010. Restricted shares are earned based on the relative performance of Piedmont's total stockholder return as compared with a predetermined peer group's total stockholder return over a three-year period. Typically, shares are not awarded until the end of the third year in the performance period and vest immediately upon award; however, the inaugural performance share program, which covers the fiscal 2010-2013 performance period, contains three interim performance periods whereby shares may be awarded.

A rollforward of Piedmont's deferred stock award activity for the year endedDecember 31, 2011 is as follows:

	Unvested Deferred Stock Awards as of January 1, 2011		Deferred Stock Awards Granted During Fiscal Year 2011		Deferred Stock Awards Vested During Fiscal Year 2011			Deferred Stock Awards Forfeited During Fiscal Year 2011			Unvested Deferred Stock Awards as of December 31, 2011
Shares	526,030		230,592		(241,612		)	(3,807		)	511,203
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value	$	20.20	$	19.40	$	20.80		$	19.38		$	19.56

A detail of Piedmont’s outstanding employee deferred stock awards as of December 31, 2011 is as follows:

Date of grant	Type of Award	Net  Shares Granted (1)		Grant Date Fair Value		Vesting Schedule	Unvested Shares as of December 31, 2011
May 6, 2009	Annual Deferred Stock Award	135,564		$	22.20	Of the shares granted, 25% vested on the date of grant, and 25% vested or will vest on May 6, 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively.	44,184
May 11, 2010	Fiscal Year 2010-2012 Performance Share Program	27,502	(2)	$	28.44	Shares vest immediately upon award.	135,130	(3)
May 24, 2010	Annual Deferred Stock Award	180,340		$	18.71	Of the shares granted, 25% vested on the date of grant, and 25% vested or will vest on May 24, 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively.	106,965
May 24, 2010	One-Time, Special Deferred Stock Award in Recognition of Piedmont's Initial Public Offering	46,440		$	18.71	Of the shares granted, 33.33% vested or will vest on May 24, 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively.	34,912
April 5, 2011	Annual Deferred Stock Award	142,468		$	19.40	Of the shares granted, 25% vested on the date of grant, and 25% will vest on April 5, 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively.	114,780
April 5, 2011	Fiscal Year 2011-2013 Performance Share Program	—		$	18.27	Shares vest immediately upon award.	75,232	(3)
Total							511,203

⁽¹⁾  Amounts reflect the total grant, net of shares surrendered upon vesting to satisfy required minimum tax withholding obligations through December 31, 2011.

⁽²⁾  Represents shares granted at the end of the first interim performance period ended December 31, 2010.

⁽³⁾  Estimated based on Piedmont's cumulative total stockholder return for the respective performance period relative to a predetermined peer group's cumulative total stockholder return for the respective performance period through December 31, 2011. Such estimates are subject to change in future periods based on both Piedmont's and its peers' stock performance and dividends paid.

During the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, Piedmont recognized approximately $6.5 million, $5.1 million and $3.6 million of compensation expense and directors' fees related to stock awards, respectively, of which $5.3 million, $3.7 million and $2.3 million, respectively, related to the non-vested shares. During the year ended December 31, 2011, 170,659 shares were issued to employees, directors and officers. As of December 31, 2011, approximately $4.0 million of unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested, share-based compensation remained, which Piedmont will record in its statements of income over a weighted-average vesting period of approximately one year.