S-8

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 21, 2018

Registration No. 333-                

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Maryland	94-6181186
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

345 Park Avenue, 42nd Floor

New York, New York 10154

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)

BLACKSTONE MORTGAGE TRUST, INC.

2018 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

(Full title of the plan)

Stephen D. Plavin

Chief Executive Officer

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.

345 Park Avenue, 42nd Floor

New York, New York 10154

(Name and address of agent for service)

Tel: (212) 655-0220

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies of all communications to:

Andrew R. Keller

Edgar J. Lewandowski

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Tel: (212) 455-2000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	☒	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	Smaller reporting company	☐
		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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Title of securities to be registered	Amount to be registered(1)	Proposed maximum offering price per share(2)	Proposed maximum aggregate offering price	Amount of registration fee
Class A Common Stock par value $0.01 per share	5,000,000 shares	$32.57	$162,850,000	$20,274.83

(1) Covers shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (the “Registrant”) to be issued under the Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. 2018 Stock Incentive Plan. In addition to the shares set forth in the table, pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the number of shares registered includes an indeterminate number of additional shares of Common Stock which may be offered and issued to prevent dilution in the event of a stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction.

(2) In accordance with Rule 457(h)(1) of the Securities Act, the price of the securities has been estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) of the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, and the price listed is the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant’s Common Stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on June 18, 2018 (a date within five business days prior to the date of filing this registration statement).

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The information specified in Items 1 and 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act, and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to the participants in the Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. 2018 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) covered by this Registration Statement, as required by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. Such documents are not required to be, and are not, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as a prospectus or prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission (each with Commission File No. 001-14788) are hereby incorporated in this Registration Statement by reference:

a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as filed with the Commission on February 13, 2018 (including information specifically incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Commission on April 20, 2018);

b) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, as filed with the Commission on April 24, 2018;

c) The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the Commission on March 8, 2018, March 27, 2018 and June 21, 2018;

d) The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Form 8-A/A, as filed with the Commission on May 6, 2013 and May 29, 2013 pursuant to section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including all other amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating such description; and

All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of filing of such documents; except for any portions of the Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 thereof and any corresponding exhibits thereto not filed with the Commission.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (ii) active and deliberate dishonesty which is established by a final judgment and which is material to the cause of action. The Registrant’s charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

The Registrant’s charter authorizes the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to obligate the Registrant to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while a director or officer of the Registrant and at the request of the Registrant, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The Registrant’s bylaws obligate the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while a director or officer of the Registrant and at the request of the Registrant, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, trustee, member, manager or partner and who is made or threatened to be made a party to, or witness in, the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The charter and bylaws also permit the Registrant to indemnify and advance expenses to any individual who served a predecessor of the Registrant in any of the capacities described above and any employee or agent of the Registrant or a predecessor of the Registrant.

Maryland law requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Registrant’s charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (i) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (ii) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (iii) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of (i) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (ii) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements (the “Indemnification Agreements”) with each of the Registrant’s directors and officers (each, an “Indemnitee”). The Indemnification Agreements provide that the Registrant will, subject to certain limitations and exceptions, indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted under Maryland law, and advance expenses to, each Indemnitee, in connection with (among other things) the Indemnitee’s capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant. This obligation includes, subject to certain terms and conditions, indemnification for any expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, penalties and settlement amounts actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding. In certain instances, the Registrant may be required to advance such expenses, in which case the Indemnitee will be obligated to reimburse the Registrant for the amounts advanced if it is later determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification for such expenses. The indemnification provided under the Indemnification Agreements is not exclusive of any other indemnity rights.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit Number	Exhibit Description
4.1.a	Articles of Amendment and Restatement (filed as Exhibit 3.1.a to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 1-14788) filed on April 2, 2003 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.1.b	Certificate of Notice (filed as Exhibit  3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 1-14788) filed on February  27, 2007 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.1.c	Articles of Amendment (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File  No. 1-14788) filed on December 21, 2012 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.1.d	Articles of Amendment (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 1-14788) filed on May 7, 2013 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.1.e	Articles of Amendment (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 1-14788) filed on April 13, 2015 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.1.f	Fourth Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 1-14788) filed on October 28, 2014 and incorporated herein by reference)
4.2	Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. 2018 Stock Incentive Plan (filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 1-14788) filed on June 21, 2018 and incorporated herein by reference)
5.1	Opinion of Venable LLP as to the legality of the securities being issued *
23.1	Consent of Venable LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) *
23.2	Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP *
24.1	Power of Attorney (included on the signature page to this Registration Statement) *

* Filed herewith

Item 9. Undertakings.

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on June 21, 2018.

BLACKSTONE MORTGAGE TRUST, INC.
By:	/s/ Stephen D. Plavin
	Name:	Stephen D. Plavin
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Stephen D. Plavin, Anthony F. Marone, Jr., Douglas N. Armer and Leon Volchyok, and each of them singly (with full power to each of them to act alone), his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution in each of them for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement, including post-effective amendments, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement and Power of Attorney have been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title(s)	Date
/s/ Michael B. Nash	Executive Chairman	June 21, 2018
Michael B. Nash	of the Board of Directors
/s/ Stephen D. Plavin	Chief Executive Officer and Director	June 21, 2018
Stephen D. Plavin	(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Anthony F. Marone, Jr.	Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial	June 21, 2018
Anthony F. Marone, Jr.	and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Leonard W. Cotton	Director	June 21, 2018
Leonard W. Cotton
/s/ Thomas E. Dobrowski	Director	June 21, 2018
Thomas E. Dobrowski
/s/ Martin L. Edelman	Director	June 21, 2018
Martin L. Edelman
/s/ Henry N. Nassau	Director	June 21, 2018
Henry N. Nassau
/s/ Jonathan L. Pollack	Director	June 21, 2018
Jonathan L. Pollack
/s/ Lynne B. Sagalyn	Director	June 21, 2018
Lynne B. Sagalyn

EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

June 21, 2018

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.

345 Park Avenue, 42nd Floor

New York, New York 10154

Re:    Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have served as Maryland counsel to Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law relating to the registration by the Company of up to 5,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of class A common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company that the Company may issue pursuant to the Company’s 2018 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement, and all amendments thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on or about the date hereof.

In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Documents”):

1. The Registration Statement;

2. The charter of the Company (the “Charter”), certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);

3. The Fourth Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

4. A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of a recent date;

5. The Plan, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

6. Resolutions (the “Resolutions”) adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, relating to the issuance of the Shares and the approval of the Plan, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.

June 21, 2018

Page 2

7. The Final Report of the Inspector of Election for the 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company held on June 20, 2018, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

8. A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and

9. Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.

In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:

1. Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.

2. Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.

3. Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.

4. All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.

5. None of the Shares will be issued in violation of any restriction or limitation contained in the Charter or the Plan. Upon any issuance of Shares, the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under the Charter or the Plan.

Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.

June 21, 2018

Page 3

6. Each option, award, right or other security exercisable or exchangeable for a Share pursuant to the Plan (each, an “Award”) will be duly authorized and validly granted in accordance with the Plan, and each Award will be exercised or exchanged in accordance with the terms of the Plan and such Award, including any option or award agreement entered into in connection therewith.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:

1. The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing under the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.

2. The issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Resolutions and the Plan, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to the applicability or effect of federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter. The opinion expressed herein is subject to the effect of any judicial decision which may permit the introduction of parol evidence to modify the terms or the interpretation of agreements.

The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.

This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Venable LLP

EX-23.2

Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated February 13, 2018, relating to the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (the “Company”), and the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2017.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP    

New York, New York

June 21, 2018