UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d)
of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 20, 2015
DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, INC.
DIGITAL REALTY TRUST, L.P.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Maryland Maryland |
001-32336 000-54023 |
26-0081711 20-2402955 | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
| Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 3200 San Francisco, California |
94111 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(415) 738-6500
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| ¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 8.01. Other Events
On April 20, 2015, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) and Digital Realty Trust, L.P. (the “Operating Partnership”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a shelf registration statement (File Nos. 333-203535 and 333-203535-01), which became immediately effective upon filing. On April 21, 2015, the Company filed with the SEC a prospectus supplement, dated April 21, 2015, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the offer and sale of shares of Common Stock from time to time to or through Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as the Company’s sales agents (the “Agents”), pursuant to separate Equity Distribution Agreements dated June 29, 2011, as amended, each among the Company, the Operating Partnership and each of the Agents. An opinion of Venable LLP with respect to the validity of shares of the Common Stock that may be offered and sold pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is filed herewith as Exhibit 5.1.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit Number |
Description | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Venable LLP. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Venable LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
2
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: April 21, 2015
| Digital Realty Trust, Inc. | ||
| By: | /s/ Joshua A. Mills | |
| Joshua A. Mills | ||
| Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | ||
| Digital Realty Trust, L.P. | ||
| By: | Digital Realty Trust, Inc. | |
| Its general partner | ||
| By: | /s/ Joshua A. Mills | |
| Joshua A. Mills | ||
| Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | ||
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit Number |
Description | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Venable LLP. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Venable LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
Exhibit 5.1
[LETTERHEAD OF VENABLE LLP]
April 21, 2015
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 3200
San Francisco, California 94111
| Re: | Registration Statement on Form S-3 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have served as Maryland counsel to Digital Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law arising out of the registration of up to $400,000,000 in shares (the “Shares”) of Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company, covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement, and all amendments thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company and Digital Realty Trust, L.P., a Maryland limited partnership (the “Partnership”), with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). The Shares are to be issued pursuant to the Prospectus Supplement and the Distribution Agreements (each as defined herein) in one or more transactions deemed to be “at the market” offerings (each, an “Offering” and, collectively, the “Offerings”) under Rule 415 of the 1933 Act.
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 Prospectus, dated April 20, 2015, as supplemented by a Prospectus Supplement, dated April 21, 2015 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated under the 1933 Act;
3. The charter of the Company (the “Charter”), certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);
4. The Fifth Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
April 21, 2015
Page 2
5. A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of a recent date;
6. Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) relating to, among other matters, (a) the authorization of the sale, issuance and registration of the Shares and the execution and delivery of the Distribution Agreements, (b) the delegation to a Pricing Committee of the Board (the “Pricing Committee”) of all of the powers that may lawfully be delegated to a committee of the Board in connection with the Offerings and (c) the delegation to certain officers of the Company (the “Authorized Officers”) of the power to determine, subject to certain parameters, the number of Shares and the offering price of each Share to be sold in each Offering (the “Resolutions”), certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
7. The Equity Distribution Agreements, dated June 29, 2011 (the “Distribution Agreements”), among the Company, the Partnership and each of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated;
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 any other 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.
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
April 21, 2015
Page 3
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. The Shares will not be issued in violation of any restriction or limitation contained in Article VI of the Charter.
6. Upon the issuance of any of the 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.
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 existing under and by virtue of 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 and to the extent issued against payment therefor in accordance with the Registration Statement, the Prospectus Supplement, the Distribution Agreements, the Resolutions and any other resolutions relating to the Shares adopted by the Board, the Pricing Committee or the Authorized Officers, 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 compliance with any 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 judicial decisions 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.
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
April 21, 2015
Page 4
This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K relating to the Offerings (the “Current Report”), which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Current Report and the said incorporation by reference 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