Stock-Based Compensation

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]

The Company has several types of stock-based compensation — stock options, restricted stock, and restricted stock units (“RSUs”).

The Company's compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2020 relates to restricted stock and RSUs awarded in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. Restricted stock and the 2020 RSUs are equity-classified awards for which the compensation expense per share is fixed. The 2018 and 2019 RSUs are liability-classified awards for which the expense fluctuates from period to period dependent, in part, on both the Company's stock price and on the Company's stock performance relative to its peers. For the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, stock-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures, was recorded as follows (in thousands):



	2020			2019
Equity-classified awards	$	1,284		$	607
Liability-classified awards	(1,020		)	4,921
Total stock-based compensation expense, net of forfeitures	$	264		$	5,528

On April 23, 2019, the Company's stockholders approved the Cousins Properties Incorporated 2019 Omnibus Incentive Stock Plan (the "2019 Plan"). The Company also maintains the Cousins Properties Incorporated 2009 Incentive Stock Plan (the "2009 Plan") and the Cousins Properties Incorporated 2005 Restricted Stock Unit Plan (the “RSU Plan”), although no further issuances are permitted under the 2009 plan or RSU Plan.

Under the 2019 Plan, during the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company made restricted stock grants of 71,421 shares to key employees, which vest ratably over a three-year period. Also under the 2019 Plan, during the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company awarded two types of RSUs to key employees based on the following metrics: (1) Total Stockholder Return of the Company, as defined in the 2019 Plan, as compared to the companies in the SNL US REIT Office index (“Market-based RSUs”), and (2) the ratio of cumulative funds from operations (“FFO”) per share to targeted cumulative FFO per share (“Performance-based RSUs”), as defined in the 2019 Plan. The measurement period for both awards is January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022, and the targeted units awarded of Market-based RSUs and Performance-based RSUs was 71,038 and 30,447, respectively. The ultimate settlement of these awards can range from 0% to 200% of the targeted number of units depending on the achievement of the market and performance metrics described above. These RSU awards cliff vest on December 31, 2022 and are to be settled in the Company’s common stock with settlement dependent on attainment of required service, market, and performance criteria. The number of RSUs vesting will be determined by the Compensation Committee. The Company expenses an estimate of the fair value of the Market-based RSUs, calculated using a Monte Carlo valuation at grant date, ratably over the vesting period, adjusting for forfeitures when they occur. The Performance-based RSUs are expensed over the vesting period based on the Company’s share price on the grant date. The expense is recognized ratably over the vesting period and adjusted each quarter based on the number of shares expected to vest and for forfeitures when they occur. Dividend equivalents on the Market-based RSUs and the Performance-based RSUs will also be settled in shares of the Company’s common stock based upon the number of units vested.

The company’s stock compensation for stock options, restricted stock, and RSUs granted in 2018 and 2019 is described in note 15 of the notes to consolidated financial statements in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.