Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure

Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies

16.     COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company and the operating partnerships, from time to time, are parties to litigation arising out of the normal course of business.  The Company is currently involved in the following legal proceedings, and does not believe the ultimate outcome of any of these proceedings will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or operating results.

Guarantees

Under its articles of incorporation and bylaws, the Company has agreed to indemnify its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences arising as a result of the officer or director’s serving in such capacity. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited. The Company believes the estimated fair value of these indemnification agreements is minimal and has recorded no liabilities for these agreements as of December 31, 2011.

The Company also enters into indemnification provisions under its agreements with other companies in its ordinary course of business, typically with lenders, joint venture partners, contractors, and tenants. Under these provisions the Company typically agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified party for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party as a result of certain kinds of activities or inactions of the Company.  These indemnification provisions generally survive termination of the underlying agreement. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is unlimited. The Company has not incurred material costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, the Company believes the estimated fair value of these agreements is minimal. Accordingly, the Company has recorded no liabilities for these agreements as of December 31, 2011.

Seismic Activity

The Company’s properties are located in an active seismic area of Silicon Valley. Insurance policies currently maintained by the Company do not cover seismic activity, although they do cover losses from fires after an earthquake.

Environmental Issues

The environmental investigations that have been conducted on the Company’s properties have not revealed any environmental liability that it believes would have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, results of operations and assets. To the extent any environmental report or investigation reveals environmental issues, the tenant is responsible for the cost of any remediation under the terms and conditions of the Company’s lease agreement and the law. Nonetheless, it is possible that there are material environmental liabilities of which the Company is unaware. The Company cannot assure you that future laws, ordinances, or regulations will not impose any material environmental liability, or that the current environmental condition of the properties has not been, or will not be, affected by tenants and occupants of the properties, by the condition of properties in the vicinity of the properties, or by third parties unrelated to the Company.