Stock-Based Compensation [Text Block]

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The Company has several types of stock-based compensation - stock options, restricted stock, long-term incentive awards and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) - which are described, as well as the accounting treatment, in Note 6 of “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The expense related to certain stock-based compensation awards is fixed. The expense related to other awards fluctuates from period to period dependent, in part, on the Company's stock price. For the quarters ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company recorded net stock-based compensation expense of $1.4 million and $1.2 million, respectively.

In the first quarter of 2012, the Company made restricted stock grants of 255,328 shares to key employees, which vest ratably over a three-year period. In addition, the Company awarded two types of performance-based RSUs to key employees based on the following performance metrics: (1) Total Stockholder Return of the Company, as defined, as compared to the companies in the SNL US REIT Office index (“TSR SNL RSUs”), and (2) the ratio of cumulative funds from operations per share to targeted cumulative funds from operations per share (“FFO RSUs”). The performance period for both awards is January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014, and the targeted units awarded of TSR SNL RSUs and FFO RSUs is 159,640 and 100,571, respectively. The ultimate payout of these awards can range from 0% to 200% of the targeted number of units depending on the achievement of the performance metrics described above. Both of these types of RSUs cliff vest on February 15, 2015 and are dependent upon the attainment of required service and performance criteria. The number of RSUs vesting will be determined at that date, and the payout per unit will be equal to the average closing price on each trading day during the 30-day period ending on December 31, 2014. The TSR SNL RSUs are expensed using a quarterly Monte Carlo valuation over the vesting period. The FFO RSUs are expensed over the vesting period using the fair market value of the Company's stock at the reporting date multiplied by the anticipated number of units to be paid based on the current estimate of what the ratio is expected to be upon vesting.

Also in the first quarter of 2012, the Company made a special grant of restricted stock of 208,333 shares to its chief executive officer, which vests ratably over a three-year period. Additionally, the Company issued performance-based RSUs to the chief executive officer. The targeted number of units awarded is 281,532. The payout of these awards can range from 0% to 150% depending on the Total Stockholder Return of the Company, as defined on an absolute basis, and compared to the total stockholder return for the companies in the SNL US REIT Office Index. The performance period of the awards is from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016 with interim performance measurement dates at each of the third, fourth and fifth anniversaries. To the extent that the Company has attained the defined performance goals at the end each of these periods, one-third of the units may be credited after each of the third and fourth anniversaries, with the balance credited at the end of the fifth anniversary, and to be awarded subject to continuous employment on the fifth anniversary. The RSU award is expensed using a quarterly Monte Carlo valuation over the vesting period. The number of RSUs vesting will be determined at the fifth anniversary date of the grant, and the cash payout per unit will be equal to the average closing price on each trading day during the 30-day period ending with such date.