8-K

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): January 16, 2004

NATIONWIDE HEALTH PROPERTIES, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Maryland	1-9028	95-3997619
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1150, Newport Beach, California 92660-6429

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (949) 718-4400

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

ITEM  5. OTHER EVENTS

Public Offering of Common Stock

On January 16, 2004, we entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with UBS Securities LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Banc of America Securities LLC, A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. and Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated, as representatives of the several underwriters set forth on Schedule A thereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), in connection with the issuance and sale of 6,500,000 shares (“Firm Common Shares”) of our common stock, par value $0.10 per share (“Common Stock”), to the Underwriters. In addition, the Company granted to the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 975,000 shares (“Over-Allotment Shares,” together with the Firm Common Shares, the “Shares”) of Common Stock.

We estimate that the net proceeds to us from this offering, after expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $121,529,500, or approximately $139,753,925 if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full. We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering to repay amounts outstanding under our revolving bank line of credit and the remainder for general corporate purposes, including investments in health care-related properties.

Risk Factors

Our filing on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2002, included a description of risks relating to investment in our company. We have updated these risks in our prospectus supplement dated January 16, 2004, to our prospectus dated October 16, 2003, in connection with the offering. For convenience, the updated risks are set forth below.

RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below before making an investment decision in our company. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones facing us and there may be additional matters that we are unaware of or that we currently consider immaterial. All of these could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and, thus, the value of an investment in our company.

RISKS RELATING TO OUR OPERATORS

Our financial position could be weakened and our ability to make distributions could be limited if any of our major operators were unable to meet their obligations to us or failed to renew or extend their relationship with us as their lease terms expire, or if we were unable to lease or re-lease our facilities or make mortgage loans on economically favorable terms. These adverse developments could arise due to a number of factors, including those listed below.

The bankruptcy, insolvency or financial deterioration of our operators could significantly delay our ability to collect unpaid rents or require us to find new operators for rejected facilities.

We are exposed to the risk that our operators may not be able to meet their obligations, which may result in their bankruptcy or insolvency. Although our leases and loans provide us the right to terminate an investment, evict an operator, demand immediate repayment and other remedies, the bankruptcy laws afford certain rights to a party that has filed for bankruptcy or reorganization. An operator in bankruptcy may be able to restrict our ability to collect unpaid rent and interest during the bankruptcy proceeding.

• Leases. If one of our lessees seeks bankruptcy protection, the lessee can either assume or reject the lease. Generally, the operator is required to make rent payments to us during its bankruptcy until it rejects the lease. If the lessee assumes the lease, the court cannot change the rental amount or any other lease provision that could financially impact us. However, if the lessee rejects the lease, the facility would be returned to us. In that event, if we were able to re-lease the facility to a new operator only on unfavorable terms or after a significant delay, we could lose some or all of the associated revenue from that facility for an extended period of time.

• Mortgage Loans. If an operator defaults under one of our mortgage loans, we may have to foreclose on the mortgage or protect our interest by acquiring title to a property and thereafter making substantial improvements or repairs in order to maximize the facility’s investment potential. Operators may contest enforcement of foreclosure or other remedies, seek bankruptcy protection against an enforcement and/or bring claims for lender liability in response to actions to enforce mortgage obligations. If an operator seeks bankruptcy protection, the automatic stay of the federal bankruptcy law would preclude us from enforcing foreclosure or other remedies against the operator unless relief is obtained from the court. High “loan to value” ratios or declines in the value of the facility may prevent us from realizing an amount equal to our mortgage loan upon foreclosure.

The receipt of liquidation proceeds or the replacement of an operator that has defaulted on its lease or loan could be delayed by the approval process of any federal, state or local agency necessary for the replacement of the operator licensed to manage the facility. In some instances, we may take possession of a property that exposes us to successor liabilities. These events, if they were to occur, could reduce our revenue and operating cash flow.

In addition, some of our leases provided for free rent at the beginning of the lease. These deferred amounts are repaid over the remainder of the lease term. Although the payment of cash rent is deferred, rental income is recorded on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease, such that the income recorded during the early years of the lease is higher than the actual cash rent received during that period, creating an asset on our balance sheet called deferred rent receivable. To the extent any of the operators under these leases, for the reasons discussed above, become unable to pay the deferred rents, we may be required to write down the rents receivable from those operators, which would reduce our net income.

Operators that fail to comply with governmental reimbursement programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, licensing and certification requirements, fraud and abuse regulations or new legislative developments may be unable to meet their obligations to us.

Our operators are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations that are subject to frequent and substantial changes (sometimes applied retroactively) resulting from legislation, adoption of rules and regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations of existing law. The ultimate timing or effect of these changes cannot be predicted. These changes may have a dramatic effect on our operators’ costs of doing business and the amount of reimbursement by both government and other third-party payors. The failure of any of our operators to comply with these laws, requirements and regulations could adversely affect their ability to meet their obligations to us. In particular:

• Medicare and Medicaid. A significant portion of our skilled nursing facility operators’ revenue is derived from governmentally-funded reimbursement programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and failure to maintain certification and accreditation in these programs would result in a loss of funding from them. Moreover, federal and state governments have adopted and continue to consider various reform proposals to control health care costs. In recent years, there have been fundamental changes in the Medicare program that have resulted in reduced levels of payment for a substantial portion of health care services. In many instances, revenues from Medicaid programs are already insufficient to cover the actual costs incurred in providing care to those patients. In addition, reimbursement from private payors has in many cases effectively been reduced to levels approaching those of government payors. Governmental concern regarding health care costs and their budgetary impact may result in significant reductions in payment to health care facilities, and future reimbursement rates for either governmental or private payors may not be sufficient to cover cost increases in providing services to patients. Loss of certification or accreditation, or any changes in reimbursement policies that reduce reimbursement to levels that are insufficient to cover the cost of providing patient care, could cause the revenues of our operators to decline, potentially jeopardizing their ability to meet their obligations to us. In that event, our revenues from those facilities could be reduced, which could in turn cause the value of our affected properties to decline.

• Licensing and Certification. Our operators and facilities are subject to regulatory and licensing requirements of federal, state and local authorities and are periodically audited by them to confirm compliance. Failure to obtain licensure or loss of licensure would prevent a facility from operating. Our skilled nursing facilities require governmental approval, in the form of a certificate of need that generally varies by state and is subject to change, prior to the addition or construction of new beds, the addition of services or certain capital expenditures. Some of our facilities may not be able to satisfy current and future certificate of need requirements and may for this reason be unable to continue operating in the future. In such event, our revenues from those facilities could be reduced or eliminated for an extended period of time. State licensing and Medicare and Medicaid laws also require operators of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to comply with extensive standards governing operations. Federal and state agencies administering those laws regularly inspect such facilities and investigate complaints. Our tenants and their

managers receive notices of potential sanctions and remedies from time to time, and such sanctions have been imposed from time to time on facilities operated by them. If they are unable to cure deficiencies which have been identified or which are identified in the future, such sanctions may be imposed and if imposed may adversely affect our tenants’ ability to pay rent to us.

• Fraud and Abuse Regulations. There are various extremely complex and largely uninterpreted federal and state laws governing a wide array of referrals, relationships and arrangements and prohibiting fraud by healthcare providers, including criminal provisions that prohibit filing false claims or making false statements to receive payment or certification under Medicare and Medicaid, or failing to refund overpayments or improper payments. Governments are devoting increasing attention and resources to anti-fraud initiatives against health care providers. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 expand the penalties for health care fraud, including broader provisions for the exclusion of providers from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Further, under Operation Restore Trust, a major anti-fraud demonstration project, the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Human Services, in cooperation with other federal and state agencies, has focused on the activities of skilled nursing facilities in certain states in which we have properties. The violation of any of these regulations by an operator may result in the imposition of fines or other penalties that could jeopardize that operator’s ability to make lease or mortgage payments to us or to continue operating its facility.

• Legislative Developments. Each year, legislative proposals are introduced or proposed in Congress and in some state legislatures that would effect major changes in the healthcare system, either nationally or at the state level. Among the proposals under consideration are cost controls on state Medicaid reimbursements, a “Patient Bill of Rights” to increase the liability of insurance companies as well as the ability of patients to sue in the event of a wrongful denial of claim, a Medicare prescription drug benefit, hospital cost-containment initiatives by public and private payors, uniform electronic data transmission standards for healthcare claims and payment transactions, and higher standards to protect the security and privacy of health-related information. We cannot predict whether any proposals will be adopted or, if adopted, what effect, if any, these proposals would have on operators and, thus, our business.

Our operators are faced with increased litigation and rising insurance costs that not only affect their ability to obtain and maintain adequate liability and other insurance, but also may affect their ability to pay their lease or mortgage payments and fulfill their insurance, indemnification and other obligations to us.

In some states, advocacy groups have been created to monitor the quality of care at skilled nursing facilities, and these groups have brought litigation against operators. Also, in several instances, private litigation by skilled nursing facility patients has succeeded in winning very large damage awards for alleged abuses. To a lesser extent, this litigation also has spilled over and affected assisted living facilities. The effect of this litigation and potential litigation has been to materially increase the costs of monitoring and reporting quality of care compliance incurred by our tenants. In addition, the cost of liability and medical malpractice insurance has

increased and may continue to increase so long as the present litigation environment continues. This has affected the ability of some of our operators to obtain and maintain adequate liability and other insurance and, thus, manage their related risk exposures as well as they have in the past. In addition to being unable to fulfill their insurance, indemnification and other obligations to us under their leases and mortgages and thereby potentially exposing us to those risks, this could cause our tenants to be unable to pay their lease or mortgage payments potentially decreasing our revenues and increasing our collection and litigation costs. Moreover, to the extent we are required to foreclose on the affected facilities, our revenues from those facilities could be reduced or eliminated for an extended period of time.

In addition, we may in some circumstances be named as a defendant in litigation involving the actions of our operators. Although we have no involvement in the activities of our operators and our standard leases generally require our operators to carry insurance to cover us in certain cases, a significant judgment against us in such litigation could exceed our and our operators’ insurance coverage, which would require us to make payments to cover the judgment.

Overbuilding and increased competition has resulted in lower revenues for some of our operators and may affect the ability of our tenants to meet their payment obligations to us.

The healthcare industry is highly competitive and we expect that it may become more competitive in the future. Our operators are competing with numerous other companies providing similar health care services or alternatives such as home health agencies, life care at home, community-based service programs, retirement communities and convalescent centers. In addition, overbuilding in the assisted and independent living market has caused a slow-down in the fill-rate of newly constructed buildings and a reduction in the monthly rate many newly built and previously existing facilities were able to obtain for their services. This has resulted in lower revenues for the operators of certain of our facilities. It may also have contributed to the financial difficulties of some of our operators. While we believe that overbuilt markets should reach stabilization in the next couple of years due to minimal new development, we cannot be certain the operators of all of our facilities will be able to achieve occupancy and rate levels that will enable them to meet all of their obligations to us. Our operators may encounter increased competition in the future that could limit their ability to attract residents or expand their businesses and therefore affect their ability to pay their lease or mortgage payments.

RISKS UNIQUE TO US AND OUR OPERATIONS

In addition to the operator related risks discussed above, there are a number of risks directly associated with us and our operations.

We are subject to particular risks associated with real estate ownership, which could result in unanticipated losses or expenses.

Our business is subject to many risks that are associated with the ownership of real estate. For example, if our operators do not renew their leases, we may be unable to re-lease the facilities at favorable rental rates. Other risks that are associated with real estate acquisition and ownership include, among other things, the following:

• property and casualty losses, some of which may be uninsured;

• the inability to purchase or sell our assets rapidly to respond to changing economic conditions, due to the illiquid nature of real estate and the real estate market;

• costs relating to maintenance and repair of our facilities and the need to make expenditures due to change in governmental regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act; and

• environmental hazards created by prior owners or occupants, existing tenants, mortgagors or other persons for which we may be liable.

We rely on external sources of capital to fund future capital needs, and if our access to such capital continues to be difficult, we may not be able to meet maturing commitments or make future investments necessary to grow our business.

In order to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code, we are required, among other things, to distribute each year to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income. Because of this distribution requirement, we will not be able to fund, from cash retained from operations, all future capital needs, including capital needs to satisfy or refinance maturing commitments and to make investments. As a result, we rely on external sources of capital. If we are unable to obtain needed capital at all or only on unfavorable terms from these sources, we might not be able to make the investments needed to grow our business, or to meet our obligations and commitments as they mature, which could negatively affect the ratings of our debt and even, in extreme circumstances, affect our ability to continue operations. Our access to capital depends upon a number of factors over which we have little or no control, including general market conditions and the market’s perception of our growth potential and our current and potential future earnings and cash distributions and the market price of the shares of our capital stock. Generally speaking, difficult capital market conditions in our industry during the past several years have limited our access to capital. As a result, while we have in the past been able to meet our maturing commitments, the level of our new investments has decreased in recent years except in 2002. We may have difficult market conditions, which could limit our access to capital. This could limit our ability to make future investments or possibly affect our ability to meet our maturing commitments.

Our potential capital sources include:

• Equity Financing. As with other publicly-traded companies, the availability of equity capital will depend, in part, on the market price of our common stock which, in turn, will depend upon various market conditions that may change from time to time. Among the market conditions and other factors that may affect the market price of our common stock are:

• the extent of investor interest;

• the general reputation of REITs and the attractiveness of their equity securities in comparison to other equity securities, including securities issued by other real estate-based companies;

• our financial performance and that of our operators;

• the contents of analyst reports about us and the REIT industry;

• general stock and bond market conditions, including changes in interest rates on fixed income securities, which may lead prospective purchasers of our common stock to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions;

• our failure to maintain or increase our dividend, which is dependent, to a large part, on growth of funds from operations which in turn depends upon increased revenues from additional investments and rental increases; and

• other factors such as governmental regulatory action and changes in REIT tax laws.

The market value of the equity securities of a REIT is generally based upon the market’s perception of the REIT’s growth potential and its current and potential future earnings and cash distributions. Our failure to meet the market’s expectation with regard to future earnings and cash distributions likely would adversely affect the market price of our common stock and reduce the value of your investment.

• Debt Financing/Leverage. Financing for our maturing commitments and future investments may be provided by borrowings under our bank line of credit, private or public offerings of debt, the assumption of secured indebtedness, mortgage financing on a portion of our owned portfolio or through joint ventures. We are subject to risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risks that our cash flow will be insufficient to service our debt or make distributions to our stockholders, that we will be unable to refinance existing indebtedness and that the terms of refinancing may not be as favorable as the terms of existing indebtedness or may include restrictive covenants that limit our flexibility in operating our business. For example, approximately $67.8 million in aggregate principal amount of our medium-term notes are scheduled to mature in 2004, of which $23.8 million were repaid on January 12, 2004, and the holders of approximately $55 million in aggregate principal amount of our medium-term notes may require us to repurchase their notes in 2004. If we are unable to refinance or extend principal payments due at maturity or pay them with proceeds from other capital transactions, our cash flow may not be sufficient in all years to pay distributions to our stockholders and to repay all maturing debt. Furthermore, if prevailing interest rates, changes in our debt ratings or other factors at the time of refinancing result in higher interest rates upon refinancing, the interest expense relating to that refinanced indebtedness would increase, which could reduce our profitability and the amount of dividends we are able to pay. Moreover, additional debt financing increases the amount of our leverage. The degree of leverage could have important consequences to stockholders, including affecting our investment grade ratings, our ability to obtain additional financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions,

development or other general corporate purposes and making us more vulnerable to a downturn in business or the economy generally.

Three of the operators of our facilities each account for more than 10% of our revenues. If these operators experience financial difficulties, or otherwise fail to make payments to us, our revenues will significantly decline.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, as adjusted for facilities acquired and disposed of during that period, Alterra Healthcare Corporation accounted for 12% of our revenues, American Retirement Corporation, or ARC, accounted for 12% of our revenues and Atria Senior Living Group accounted for 11% of our revenues. We cannot assure you that Alterra, ARC and Atria will continue to satisfy their obligations to us. For example, Alterra filed for protection under the United States bankruptcy laws in January 2003. Although Alterra recently emerged from bankruptcy following significant restructuring activities, we cannot assure you of Alterra’s financial health following this restructuring. The failure or inability of Alterra, ARC or Atria to pay their obligations to us could materially reduce our revenues and net income, which could in turn reduce the amount of dividends we pay and cause our stock price to decline.

If we fail to maintain our REIT status, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates.

We intend to operate in a manner to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. While we believe that we have been organized and have operated in a manner which would allow us to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code, it is possible that is not the case or that our future operations could cause us to fail to qualify. Qualification as a REIT requires us to satisfy numerous requirements established under highly technical and complex Internal Revenue Code provisions. For example, in order to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of our gross income in any year must be derived from qualifying sources, and we must pay dividends to stockholders aggregating at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income. While we are not aware of anything significant that is pending, legislation, new regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly change the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT or the federal income tax consequences of qualification as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. Unless we are entitled to relief under statutory provisions, we would be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we lost qualification. If we lose our REIT status, our net earnings available for distribution to stockholders or investments would be significantly reduced for each of the years involved. In addition, we would no longer be required to make distributions to stockholders.

A downgrade of our credit rating could impair our ability to obtain additional debt financing on favorable terms, if at all, and significantly reduce the trading price of our common stock.

We currently have a credit rating of Baa3 from Moody’s Investor Services and BBB- from Standard & Poor’s and Fitch on our senior unsecured notes. If any of these rating agencies downgrade our credit rating, or place our rating under watch or review for possible downgrade,

this could make it more difficult or expensive for us to obtain additional debt financing, and the trading price of our common stock will likely decline. Factors that may affect our credit rating include, among other things, our success in raising sufficient equity capital, our capital structure and level of indebtedness and pending or future changes in the regulatory framework applicable to our operators and our industry. We cannot assure you that these credit agencies will not downgrade our credit rating in the future.

Unforeseen costs associated with the acquisition of new properties could reduce our profitability.

Our business strategy contemplates future acquisitions that may not prove to be successful. For example, we might encounter unanticipated difficulties and expenditures relating to any acquired properties, including contingent liabilities, and newly acquired properties might require significant management attention that would otherwise be devoted to our ongoing business. If we agree to provide funding to enable healthcare operators to build, expand or renovate facilities on our properties and the project is not completed, we could be forced to become involved in the development to ensure completion or we could lose the property. These costs may negatively affect our results of operations.

We may recognize losses on the sale of certain facilities.

From time to time, we classify certain facilities, including unoccupied buildings and land parcels, as assets held for sale. For example, as of September 30, 2003, approximately $5.2 million in book value of our facilities was classified as held for sale. To the extent we are unable to sell these properties for book value, we may be required to take an impairment charge or loss on the sale, either of which would reduce our net income.

Our success depends in part on our ability to retain key personnel.

We depend on the efforts of our executive officers, particularly Mr. R. Bruce Andrews, Mr. Douglas M. Pasquale, Mr. Mark L. Desmond and Mr. Donald D. Bradley. Mr. Andrews intends to retire later this year. The loss of the services of these persons or the limitation of their availability could have an adverse impact on our operations. Although we have entered into employment and security agreements with these executive officers, these agreements may not assure their continued service.

As owners of real estate, we are subject to environmental laws that expose us to the possibility of having to pay damages to the government and costs of remediation if there is contamination on our property.

Under various laws, owners of real estate may be required to investigate and clean up hazardous substances present at a property, and may be held liable for property damage or personal injuries that result from environmental contamination. These laws also expose us to the possibility that we become liable to reimburse the government for damages and costs it incurs in connection with the contamination, regardless of whether we were aware of, or responsible for, the environmental contamination. We review environmental surveys of the facilities we own prior to their purchase. Based upon those surveys we do not believe that any of our properties are subject to material environmental contamination. However, environmental liabilities may be

present in our properties and we may incur costs to remediate contamination that could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

If the holders of our notes exercise their rights to require us to repurchase their notes, we may have to make substantial payments, incur additional debt or issue equity securities to finance the repurchase.

Some of our medium-term notes grant the holders the right to require us, on specified dates, to repurchase their notes at a price equal to the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest. For example, the holders of approximately $55 million in principal amount of our 6.9% medium-term notes may require us to repurchase their notes in 2004. If the holders of these notes elect to require us to repurchase their notes, we may be required to make significant payments, which would adversely affect our liquidity. Alternatively, we could finance the repurchase through the issuance of additional debt securities, which may have terms that are not as favorable as the notes we are repurchasing, or equity securities, which will dilute the interests of our existing stockholders.

Our level of indebtedness may adversely affect our financial results.

As of September 30, 2003, we had total consolidated indebtedness of approximately $735.7 million and total assets of approximately $1.4 billion, and we may incur additional indebtedness in the future. The risks associated with a high degree of financial leverage include:

• increasing our sensitivity to general economic and industry conditions;

• limiting our ability to obtain additional financing on favorable terms;

• requiring a substantial portion of our cash flow to make interest and principal payments due on our indebtedness;

• a possible downgrade of our credit rating; and

• limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and industry.

Our charter and bylaws contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change in control or other transactions that could provide the holders of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price for our common stock.

In order to protect us against the risk of losing our REIT status for federal income tax purposes, our charter prohibits the ownership by any single person of more than 9.9% of the issued and outstanding shares of our voting stock. We have the right to redeem shares acquired or held in excess of the ownership limit. In addition, any acquisition of our common stock or preferred stock that would result in our disqualification as a REIT is null and void. The ownership limit may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our company and could adversely affect our stockholders’ ability to realize a premium over the market price for the shares of our common stock. Our board of directors has increased the

ownership limit to 20% with respect to one of our stockholders. Based on SEC filings, that stockholder beneficially owned 3,900,700 of our shares, or approximately 6.63% of our common stock, as of May 2, 2003.

Our charter authorizes us to issue additional shares of common stock and one or more series of preferred stock and to establish the preferences, rights and other terms of any series of preferred stock that we issue. Although our board of directors has no intention to do so at the present time, it could establish a series of preferred stock that could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve the payment of a premium over the market price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.

In addition, the following provisions of our charter may delay, defer or prevent a transaction that may be in the best interests of our stockholders:

• in certain circumstances, a proposed consolidation, merger, share exchange or transfer must be approved by two-thirds of the votes of our preferred stockholders entitled to be cast on the matter;

• business combinations must be approved by 90% of the outstanding shares unless the transaction receives a unanimous vote or consent of our board of directors or is a combination solely with a wholly owned subsidiary; and

• the classification of our board of directors into three groups, with each group of directors being elected for successive three-year terms, may delay any attempt to replace our board.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

1.1 Underwriting Agreement, dated January 16, 2004, by and among the Company and the Underwriters.

5.1 Opinion of Venable LLP re: Legality of the Shares.

23.1 Consent of Venable LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	NATIONWIDE HEALTH PROPERTIES, INC.
Date: January 16, 2004	By:	/s/    Mark L. Desmond
		Name:	Mark L. Desmond
		Title:	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

Nationwide Health Properties, Inc.

6,500,000 Shares

Common Stock

($0.10 par value per Share)

Underwriting Agreement

January 16, 2004

Underwriting Agreement

January 16, 2004

UBS Securities LLC

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

Banc of America Securities LLC

A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.

Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated

as Managing Underwriters

c/o UBS Securities LLC

299 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10171-0026

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Nationwide Health Properties, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the underwriters named in Schedule A annexed hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives, an aggregate of 6,500,000 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of common stock, $0.10 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. In addition, solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, the Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters the option to purchase from the Company up to an additional 975,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”). The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively sometimes referred to as the “Shares.” The Shares are described in the Prospectus which is referred to below. As used herein, the term “Representatives” means UBS Securities LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-105806) under the Act (the “registration statement”). Amendments to such registration statement, if necessary or appropriate, have been similarly prepared and filed with the Commission in accordance with the Act. Such registration statement, as so amended, has been declared by the Commission to be effective under the Act. The Company has filed with the Commission a Pre-Pricing Prospectus (as defined and referred to below) pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, describing the Shares and the offering thereof, in such form as has been heretofore provided to, discussed with, and approved by, the Underwriters. The Company will next file with the Commission, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, a final prospectus supplement to the Basic Prospectus (as defined and referred to below), describing the Shares and the offering thereof, in such form as has been heretofore provided to, discussed with, and approved, by the Underwriters.

The term “Registration Statement,” as used in this Agreement, means the registration statement, as amended at the time it was declared by the Commission to be effective under the Act and as supplemented or amended prior to the execution of this Agreement, including (i) all financial schedules and exhibits thereto; (ii) all documents incorporated by reference, or deemed to be incorporated by reference, therein; and (iii) any abbreviated

registration statement that is prepared and filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 462(b) under the Act. The term “Basic Prospectus,” as used in this Agreement, means the basic prospectus dated as of October 16, 2003 and to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) for use in connection with the offer and/or sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement. The term “Pre-Pricing Prospectus,” as used in this Agreement, means any form of preliminary prospectus used in connection with the marketing of the Shares, including the preliminary prospectus supplement dated as of January 13, 2004 and filed with the Commission on January 13, 2004 pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, and any basic prospectus (whether or not in preliminary form) used with any such preliminary prospectus supplement in connection with the marketing of the Shares, in each case as any of the foregoing may be amended or supplemented by the Company. The term “Prospectus Supplement,” as used in this Agreement, means any final prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares, in the form filed with, or transmitted for filing to, the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act. The term “Prospectus,” as used in this Agreement, means the Basic Prospectus together with the Prospectus Supplement; provided, however, that, if such Basic Prospectus is amended or supplemented on or prior to the date on which the Prospectus Supplement was first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, the term “Prospectus” shall refer to the Prospectus Supplement together with the Basic Prospectus as so amended or supplemented. Any reference herein to the registration statement, the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the documents incorporated by reference, or deemed to be incorporated by reference, therein (the “Incorporated Documents”) and (ii) the copy of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and the Incorporated Documents filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system. Any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) after the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, or the date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. As used herein, “business day” shall mean a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.

The Company and the Underwriters agree as follows:

1. Sale and Purchase. Upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the respective Underwriters and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A attached hereto, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof, in each case at a purchase price of $18.743 per Share. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters intend (i) to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Firm Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in your judgment is advisable and (ii) initially to offer the Firm Shares upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus. You may from time to time increase or decrease the public offering price after the initial public offering to such extent as you may determine.

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In addition, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters the option to purchase, and upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company, ratably in accordance with the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by each of them, all or a portion of the Additional Shares as may be necessary to cover over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares, at the same purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters to the Company for the Firm Shares. This option may be exercised by the Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters at any time, but only one time, on or before the thirtieth day following the date hereof, by written notice to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Additional Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Additional Shares are to be delivered (any such date and time being herein referred to as an “additional time of purchase”); provided, however, that no additional time of purchase shall be earlier than the time of purchase (as defined below) nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the tenth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. The number of Additional Shares to be sold to each Underwriter shall be the number which bears the same proportion to the aggregate number of Additional Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule A hereto bears to the total number of Firm Shares (subject, in each case, to such adjustment as you may determine to eliminate fractional shares), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof.

2. Payment and Delivery. Payment of the purchase price for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Company by Federal Funds wire transfer against delivery of the certificates for the Firm Shares to you through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on January 22, 2004 (unless another time shall be agreed to by you and the Company or unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 hereof). The time at which such payment and delivery are to be made is hereinafter sometimes called “the time of purchase.” Electronic transfer of the Firm Shares shall be made to you at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.

Payment of the purchase price for the Additional Shares shall be made at the additional time of purchase in the same manner and at the same office as the payment for the Firm Shares. Electronic transfer of the Additional Shares shall be made to you at the additional time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.

Deliveries of the documents described in Section 6 hereof with respect to the purchase of the Shares shall be made at the offices of O’Melveny & Myers LLP at 610 Newport Center Drive, 17th floor, Newport Beach, California 92660, New York City time, on the date of the closing of the purchase of the Firm Shares or the Additional Shares, as the case may be.

3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

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(a) the Registration Statement has heretofore been declared effective under the Act; no stop order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of the Basic Prospectus, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, are contemplated by the Commission; the Company is eligible to use Form S-3 under the Act with respect to the Registration Statement, and the conditions to the use of Form S-3 with respect to the Registration Statement in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby have been satisfied; the Registration Statement as of the date of this Agreement meets, and the offering and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby complies with, the requirements of Rule 415 under the Act. The Registration Statement complied when it became effective, complies and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and the time when the Prospectus Supplement, or any amendment or supplement thereto, is filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act, will comply, and each Basic Prospectus, each Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus conformed as of their respective dates, conform and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and the time when the Prospectus Supplement, or any amendment or supplement thereto, is filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act, will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Act (including Rule 415 under the Act); the Registration Statement did not at the time of effectiveness, does not and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and the time when the Prospectus Supplement, or any amendment or supplement thereto, is filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Basic Prospectus, each Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Prospectus did not as of their respective dates, do not and, at the time of purchase, any additional time of purchase and any time at which the Prospectus is delivered in connection with any sale of Shares, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no warranty or representation with respect to any statement contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information concerning an Underwriter and furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; each Incorporated Document, at the time such document was filed with the Commission, at the times the Basic Prospectus, each Pre-Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and Prospectus were filed with the Commission and at the time the Registration Statement became effective, complied in all material respects, with the requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) or offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the then most recent Pre-Pricing Prospectus or the then most recent Prospectus Supplement, in each case accompanied by the then most

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recent Basic Prospectus;

(b) as of the date of this Agreement, the Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the section of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus entitled “Capitalization” and, as of the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, the Company shall have an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the section of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus entitled “Capitalization” (subject, in each case, to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options and warrants disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, the grant of options under existing stock option plans described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plans described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus); all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, including the Common Stock, of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance, in all material respects, with all federal and state securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive right or similar right; no further approval or authority of the stockholders or the Board of Directors of the Company are required for the issuance and sale of the Shares;

(c) the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland, with the corporate power and authority to acquire, own, lease and operate its properties, and to lease the same to others, and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue and sell the Shares as contemplated herein; and the Company is in compliance in all respects with the laws, orders, rules, regulations and directives issued or administered by such jurisdictions, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below);

(d) the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction (and attached hereto as Exhibit F is an accurate and complete list of each such jurisdiction) where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, either (i) have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries (as defined in Section 3(e)) taken as a whole or (ii) prevent consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the occurrence of such effect or such prevention described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”);

(e) the Company has no “significant subsidiary,” as that term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Act, other than as listed in Exhibit I attached hereto (collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”); excluding the Significant Subsidiaries, no group consisting of one or more of the Company’s “subsidiaries,” as defined in Rule 405 of Regulation C under the Act (the “Subsidiaries”), considered in the

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aggregate as a single subsidiary, constitutes a “significant subsidiary” under the income test specified in Rule 1-02(w)(3) of Regulation S-X under the Act, substituting “20 percent” for “10 percent” in such Rule 1-02(w)(3); the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of, or other ownership interests in, each of the Subsidiaries; other than the capital stock of, and other ownership interests in, the Subsidiaries, and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation or have any equity interest in any firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity; except as set forth in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, no changes in the articles of incorporation and the bylaws, or other organizational documents, of the Company and each Significant Subsidiary will be made on or after the date hereof or on or before the time of purchase or, if later, any additional time of purchase; attached hereto as Exhibit H is an accurate list of the total number of outstanding shares of the capital stock of, or other ownership interests in, each Significant Subsidiary; each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership, as the case may be, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with corporate, company or partnership power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership and is in good standing in each jurisdiction (and attached hereto as Exhibit G is an accurate and complete list of each such jurisdiction for each Significant Subsidiary) where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; each Subsidiary is in compliance in all respects with the laws, orders, rules, regulations and directives issued or administered by such jurisdictions, except where the failure to be in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of, or other equity interests in, each of the Subsidiaries (i) have been duly authorized and validly issued, (ii) are, in the case of the Subsidiaries that are corporations, fully paid and non-assessable and (iii) are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding;

(f) the Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of preemptive rights and similar rights;

(g) the capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and the certificates for the Shares are in due and proper form and the holders of the Shares will not be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such holders;

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(h) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

(i) neither the Company nor any of the Significant Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (i) its respective charter or bylaws, or other organizational documents, or any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or (ii) any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, or (iii) any federal, state or, to the Company’s knowledge, local regulation or rule, or the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange, or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), for breaches, violations, defaults and events that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will neither (A) conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which with notice, lapse of time or both would result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) the charter or bylaws, or other organizational documents, of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected, or any federal, state or, to the Company’s knowledge, local law, regulation or rule, or the rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange, or any decree, judgment or order applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries; nor (B) result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge, claim or encumbrance upon any of the properties (real and personal (including, without limitation, mortgage loans and unsecured loans)) described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being owned by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries (the “Properties” and, such of the Properties that are real property, the “Real Properties”), except, in the case of clause (B), for liens, charges, claims and encumbrances that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(j) no approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state or, to the Company’s knowledge, local governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or of or with the New York Stock Exchange, or approval of the stockholders of the Company, is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions

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contemplated hereby other than registration of the Shares under the Act, which has been effected, any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions (including foreign jurisdictions) in which the Shares are being offered by the Underwriters or under the rules and regulations of the NASD and the approval of the Shares for listing on the New York Stock Exchange;

(k) no person has the right to act as an underwriter or as a financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise; no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to register under the Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company;

(l) each of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to acquire and own, lease or sublease, lease to others and conduct its respective business as described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except where the failure to have or obtain such licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and to make such filings would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, or has received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(m) there are no contracts or documents which are required to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or any incorporated Documents which have not been so filed as required;

(n) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, is or would be a party, or of which any of the respective properties or assets of the Company and the Subsidiaries, or any Property, is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding which should not have a reasonable possibility of resulting in a judgment, decree or order having, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect;

(o) Ernst & Young LLP, whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants as required by the Act;

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(p) the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the Subsidiaries for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the Act and Exchange Act and in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; any pro forma financial statements or data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply with the requirements of Regulation S-X of the Act, including, without limitation, Article 11 thereof, and the assumptions used in the preparation of such pro forma financial statements and data are reasonable, the pro forma adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the circumstances referred to therein and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements and data; the other financial and statistical data set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are accurately presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company; the Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply, in all material respects, with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable;

(q) subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has not been (i) any material adverse change in the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) any transaction, other than in the ordinary course, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iii) any obligation, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, which is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (iv) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiaries or (v) except for regular quarterly dividends on the Common Stock or the Company’s outstanding preferred stock, any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company;

(r) the Company has obtained for the benefit of the Underwriters the agreement (a “Lock-Up Agreement”), in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto, of each of its officers;

(s) neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is and, after giving

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effect to the offering and sale of the Shares, neither of them will be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

(t) the Company and the Subsidiaries have good title to the Properties, and, in the case of Real Property, free and clear of all liens, claims, mortgages, deeds of trust, restrictions, security interests and other encumbrances or defects (“Property Encumbrances”), except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and except for (x) the leasehold interests of lessees in the Real Property of the Company and the Subsidiaries held under lease (the “Leases”) and (y) any other Property Encumbrances that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on such Property; and all Property Encumbrances on or affecting the Properties which are required to be disclosed in the Prospectus or Registration Statement are disclosed therein as required;

(u) each of the Leases pertaining to the Real Properties has been duly authorized by the Company or a Subsidiary, as applicable, and is a valid, subsisting and enforceable agreement of the Company or such Subsidiary, as applicable, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or general equitable principles;

(v) to the Company’s knowledge, the Company and its properties, are in compliance with, and hold all permits, authorizations and approvals required under, Environmental Laws (as defined below), except to the extent that failure to so comply or to hold such permits, authorizations or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (as used herein, “Environmental Law” means any federal, state, local or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, injunction, permit, license, authorization or other binding requirement, or common law, relating to health, safety or the protection, cleanup or restoration of the environment or natural resources, including those relating to the distribution, processing, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation, other handling or release or threatened release of Hazardous Materials, and “Hazardous Materials” means any material (including, without limitation, pollutants, contaminants, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes) that is regulated by or may give rise to liability under any Environmental Law);

(w) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the last audited financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus any material loss or interference with its respective business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance;

(x) the Company, and each of the Significant Subsidiaries, maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific

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authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded book value for assets is compared with the fair market value of such assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences;

(y) the Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and the rules and regulations of the Commission and the New York Stock Exchange promulgated thereunder;

(z) except pursuant to this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Prospectus;

(aa) at all times since December 31, 1985, the Company has met, currently meets, and as of the time of purchase or additional time of purchase, as the case may be, will meet, the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”); the Company intends to continue to meet such requirements unless the Company’s board of directors in good faith determines by resolution that it is in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders not to meet such requirements; and

(bb) neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries nor any of their respective directors or officers has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

In addition, the certificate set forth in Exhibit E hereto, when signed by officers of the Company and delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters, shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company or Subsidiary, as the case may be, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

4. Certain Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees:

(a) to furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such states or other jurisdictions as you may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as you may request for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent to the service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares); and to promptly advise you of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the

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qualification of the Shares for offer or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose;

(b) at the Company’s expense, to make available to the Underwriters in New York City, as soon as practicable after this Agreement becomes effective, and thereafter from time to time to furnish to the Underwriters, as many copies of the Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements thereto after the effective date of the Registration Statement) as the Underwriters may request for the purposes contemplated by the Act; provided, however, that, without relieving the Company of the obligation to so make available and furnish such copies, the Company shall not be required to pay the costs and expenses thereof after the expiration of nine months after the date of this Agreement;

(c) in case any Underwriter is required to deliver, in connection with the sale of the Shares, a prospectus after the nine-month period referred to in Section 10(a)(3) of the Act, or after the time a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is required pursuant to Rule 415(a)(3) under the Act or Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K under the Act, the Company will prepare, at its expense, promptly upon request such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act or Rule 415(a)(3) under the Act or Item 512(a) of Regulation S-K under the Act, as the case may be; provided, however, that, without relieving the Company of the obligation to so prepare such amendment or amendments, the Company shall not be required to pay the costs and expenses thereof after the expiration of nine months after the date of this Agreement;

(d) if, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary for the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto to be declared effective before the Shares maybe sold, the Company will use its reasonable commercial efforts to cause the Registration Statement or such post-effective amendment to become effective as soon as possible, and the Company will advise you promptly and, if requested by you, will confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment thereto has become effective, and (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is used, when the Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act (which the Company agrees to file in a timely manner in accordance with such Rules);

(e) to advise you promptly, confirming such advice in writing, of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, to use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible; provided, however, that, without relieving the Company of the obligation to so advise, confirm and use its reasonable best efforts, the Company shall not be required to pay the costs and expenses thereof after the

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expiration of nine months after the date of this Agreement; to advise you promptly of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including by filing any documents that would be incorporated therein by reference, and to provide you and Underwriters’ counsel copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing and to file no such amendment or supplement to which you shall reasonably object in writing;

(f) to file promptly all reports and any preliminary or definitive proxy or information statement required to be filed by the Company with the Commission in order to comply with the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; and to provide you with a copy of such reports and statements and other documents to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during such period, and to promptly notify you of such filing;

(g) to advise the Underwriters promptly of the happening of any event within the time during which a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Act which could require the making of any change in the Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus would not include an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, and, during such time, subject to Section 4(e) hereof, to prepare and furnish, at the Company’s expense, to the Underwriters promptly such amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may be necessary to reflect any such change; provided, however, that, without relieving the Company of the obligation to so prepare and furnish such amendments or supplements, the Company shall not be required to pay the costs and expenses thereof after the expiration of nine months after the date of this Agreement;

(h) to make generally available to its security holders, and to deliver to you, an earnings statement of the Company (which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and which may be unaudited) covering a period of twelve months beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act) as soon as is reasonably practicable after the termination of such twelve-month period but in any case not later than, March 1, 2005;

(i) to furnish to you five copies of the Registration Statement, as initially filed with the Commission, and of all amendments thereto (including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and sufficient copies of the foregoing (other than exhibits) for distribution of a copy to each of the other Underwriters;

(j) to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth under the caption “Use of proceeds” in the Prospectus;

(k) to pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, each Pre-Pricing Prospectus, each Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus and, except as otherwise

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provided in this Section 4, any amendments or supplements thereto, and the printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the registration, issue, sale and delivery of the Shares including any stock or transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iii) the producing, word processing and/or printing of this Agreement, any Agreement Among Underwriters, any dealer agreements, any Powers of Attorney and any closing documents (including compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and (except closing documents) to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (iv) the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state or foreign laws and the determination of their eligibility for investment under state or foreign law as aforesaid (including the legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) and the printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys or legal investment surveys to the Underwriters and to dealers, (v) any listing of the Shares on any securities exchange or qualification of the Shares for quotation on the NASDAQ and any registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (vi) any filing for review of the public offering of the Shares by the NASD, including the legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters relating to NASD matters, (vii) the fees and disbursements of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to presentations or meetings undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering and sale of the Shares to prospective investors and the Underwriters’ sales forces, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel, lodging and other expenses incurred by the officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, and (ix) the performance of the Company’s other obligations hereunder;

(l) not to sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or file or cause to be declared effective a registration statement under the Act relating to the offer and sale of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or warrants or other rights to purchase Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock for a period of 90 days after the date hereof (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of the Representatives, except for (i) the registration of the Shares and the sales to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) issuances of Common Stock upon the exercise of options or warrants disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (iii) the issuance of employee stock options not exercisable during the Lock-Up Period pursuant to stock option plans described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and (iv) the issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan as described in the Registration Statement and Prospectus;

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(m) to use its best efforts to continue to qualify as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, unless the Company’s board of directors in good faith determines by resolution that it is in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders not to so qualify; and

(n) to use its best efforts to cause the Common Stock to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and to maintain such listing.

5. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If the Shares are not delivered for any reason other than the termination of this Agreement pursuant to the fifth paragraph of Section 8 hereof or the default by one or more of the Underwriters in its or their respective obligations hereunder, the Company shall, in addition to paying the amounts described in Section 4(k) hereof, reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to so reimburse the Underwriters if the Shares are not delivered due to (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ; (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iii) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving the United States or a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (iv) any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere.

6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company on the date hereof, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

(a) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

(b) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Venable LLP, Maryland counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in the form set forth in Exhibit C hereto.

(c) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if

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applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Cordray & Tomlin, P.C., Maryland counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in the form set forth in Exhibit D hereto.

(d) You shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP letters dated, respectively, the date of this Agreement, the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, and addressed to the Underwriters (with executed copies for each of the Underwriters) in the forms approved by the Representatives.

(e) You shall have received at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the favorable opinion of Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(f) No Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including documents deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, shall have been filed to which you object in writing.

(g) The Registration Statement shall have become effective, and the Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act at or before 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the second full business day after the date of this Agreement, and any registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act required in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares shall have been filed and become effective no later than 10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement.

(h) Prior to the time of purchase, and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, (i) no stop order with respect to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Act or proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act; (ii) the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and (iii) the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements thereto shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

(i) Between the time of execution of this Agreement and the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, (A) no material adverse change in the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole shall occur or become known and (B) no transaction which is material and adverse to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole has been entered into by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries.

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(j) The Company will, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, deliver to you a certificate of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, in the form attached as Exhibit E hereto.

(k) You shall have received each of the signed Lock-Up Agreements referred to in Section 3(r) hereof, and each such Lock-Up Agreement shall be in full force and effect at the time of purchase and the additional time of purchase, as the case may be.

(l) The Company shall have furnished to you such other documents and certificates as to the accuracy and completeness of any statement in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, as you may reasonably request.

(m) The Shares shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance at or prior to the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be.

7. Effective Date of Agreement; Termination. This Agreement shall become effective when the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement.

The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives or any group of Underwriters (which may include any of the Representatives) which has agreed to purchase in the aggregate at least 50% of the Firm Shares, if (x) since the time of execution of this Agreement or the earlier respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, there has been any material adverse change in the business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, which would, in the judgment of the Representatives or in the judgment of such group of Underwriters, make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (y) since the time of execution of this Agreement, there shall have occurred: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving the United States or a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the judgment of the Representatives or in the judgment of such group of Underwriters makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or (z) since the time of execution of this Agreement, there shall have

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occurred any downgrading, or any notice or announcement shall have been given or made of (i) any intended or potential downgrading or (ii) any watch, review or possible change that does not indicate an affirmation or improvement in the rating accorded any securities of or guaranteed by the Company or any Subsidiary by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act.

If the Representatives, or any group of Underwriters, elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 7, the Company and each other Underwriter shall be notified promptly in writing.

If the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares, as contemplated by this Agreement, is not carried out by the Underwriters for any reason permitted under this Agreement, or if such sale is not carried out because the Company shall be unable to comply with any of the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall not be under any obligation or liability under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Sections 4(k), 5 and 9 hereof), and the Underwriters shall be under no obligation or liability to the Company under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof) or to one another hereunder.

8. Increase in Underwriters’ Commitments. Subject to Sections 6 and 7 hereof, if any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to take up and pay for the Firm Shares to be purchased by it hereunder (otherwise than for a failure of a condition set forth in Section 6 hereof or a reason sufficient to justify the termination of this Agreement under the provisions of Section 7 hereof) and if the number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters so defaulting shall have agreed but failed to take up and pay for does not exceed 10% of the total number of Firm Shares, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall take up and pay for (in addition to the aggregate number of Firm Shares they are obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof) the number of Firm Shares agreed to be purchased by all such defaulting Underwriters, as hereinafter provided. Such Shares shall be taken up and paid for by such non-defaulting Underwriters in such amount or amounts as you may designate with the consent of each Underwriter so designated or, in the event no such designation is made, such Shares shall be taken up and paid for by all non-defaulting Underwriters pro rata in proportion to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of such non-defaulting Underwriters in Schedule A.

Without relieving any defaulting Underwriter from its obligations hereunder, the Company agrees with the non-defaulting Underwriters that it will not sell any Firm Shares hereunder unless all of the Firm Shares are purchased by the Underwriters (or by substituted Underwriters selected by you with the approval of the Company or selected by the Company with your approval).

If a new Underwriter or Underwriters are substituted by the Underwriters or by the Company for a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters in accordance with the foregoing provision, the Company or you shall have the right to postpone the time of purchase for a period not exceeding five business days in order that any necessary changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and other documents may be effected.

The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall refer to and include any

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Underwriter substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if such substituted Underwriter had originally been named in Schedule A hereto.

If the aggregate number of Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase exceeds 10% of the total number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, and if neither the non-defaulting Underwriters nor the Company shall make arrangements within the five business day period stated above for the purchase of all the Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, this Agreement shall terminate without further act or deed and without any liability on the part of the Company to any non-defaulting Underwriter and without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter to the Company. Nothing in this paragraph, and no action taken hereunder, shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

9. Indemnity and Contribution.

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, directors and officers, and any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, any such Underwriter or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 9 being deemed to include the Basic Prospectus, any Pre-Pricing Prospectus, any Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as any of the foregoing may be amended or supplemented by the Company), or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated in either such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make the statements made therein not misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement made by the Company in Section 3 hereof or the failure by the Company to perform when and as required any agreement or covenant contained herein.

If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is brought against an Underwriter or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, such Underwriter or such person shall

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promptly notify the Company in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and the Company shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have to any Underwriter or any such person or otherwise, unless the Company was unaware of the Proceeding to which such notice would relate and the Company was materially prejudiced by such omission. Such Underwriter or such person shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or of such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the Company in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or the Company shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to have charge of the defense of such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have been advised by counsel that representation of such indemnified party or parties and the Company by the same counsel would be inappropriate under applicable standards of professional conduct (whether or not such representation by the same counsel has been proposed) due to actual or potential differing interests between them (in which case the Company shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that the Company shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but, if settled with the written consent of the Company, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any Underwriter and any such person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this paragraph, then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 90 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless

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the Company, its directors and officers, and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or in a Prospectus, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated in such Registration Statement or such Prospectus or necessary to make such information not misleading.

If any Proceeding is brought against the Company or any such person in respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter pursuant to the foregoing paragraph, the Company or such person shall promptly notify such Underwriter in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and such Underwriter shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify such Underwriter shall not relieve such Underwriter from any liability which such Underwriter may have to the Company or any such person or otherwise, unless such Underwriter was unaware of the Proceeding to which such notice would relate and such Underwriter was materially prejudiced by such omission. The Company or such person shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Company or such person unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by such Underwriter in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or such Underwriter shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to defend such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have been advised by counsel that representation of such indemnified party or parties and such Underwriter by the same counsel would be inappropriate under applicable standards of professional conduct (whether or not such representation by the same counsel has been proposed) due to actual or potential differing interests between them (in which case such Underwriter shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties, but such Underwriter may employ counsel and participate in the defense thereof but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such Underwriter and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that such Underwriter shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). No Underwriter shall be liable for any settlement of any such Proceeding effected without the written consent of such Underwriter but, if settled with the written

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consent of such Underwriter, such Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and any such person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this paragraph, then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 90 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding.

(c) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 9 or insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, damages, expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any Proceeding.

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(d) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in subsection (c) above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by such Underwriter and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damage which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments and not joint.

(e) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 9 and the covenants, warranties and representations of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its partners, directors or officers or any person (including each partner, officer or director of such person) who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, its directors or officers or any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Shares. The Company and each Underwriter agree promptly to notify each other of the commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Company, against any of the Company’s officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.

10. Information Furnished by the Underwriters. The statements set forth in the second bullet point of the third paragraph and in the fourth, fifth, seventh, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus, only insofar as such statements relate to the right of the Underwriters to reject orders in whole or in part or to electronic delivery of prospectuses or to sales made outside the United States or to the amount of selling concession and reallowance or to over-allotment and stabilization activities that may be undertaken by the Underwriters, constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters as such information is referred to in Sections 3 and 9 hereof.

11. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements shall be in writing or by telegram or facsimile and, if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to UBS Securities LLC, 299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171-0026, Attention: Syndicate Department and, if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1150, Newport Beach, California 92660-6429 Attention: R. Bruce Andrews, President and Chief Executive Officer.

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12. Governing Law; Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement (“Claim”), directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. The section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.

13. Submission to Jurisdiction. All Claims may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have non-exclusive jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company consents to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against any Underwriter or any indemnified party. Each Underwriter and the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) waive all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.

14. Parties at Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof the controlling persons, partners, directors and officers referred to in such Section, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors and administrators. No other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as such purchaser, from any of the Underwriters) shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.

15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed by the parties in one or more counterparts which together shall constitute one and the same agreement among the parties.

16. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Company’s and any of the Underwriters’ respective businesses and/or assets.

17. Miscellaneous. UBS, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, is not a bank and is separate from any affiliated bank, including any U.S. branch or agency of UBS AG. Because UBS is a separately incorporated entity, it is solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and commitments, including obligations with respect to sales and purchases of securities. Securities sold, offered or recommended by UBS are not deposits, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not guaranteed by a branch or agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or responsibility of a branch or agency.

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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company and the several Underwriters, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and the Underwriters, severally.

Very truly yours, NATIONWIDE HEALTH PROPERTIES, INC.
By:	/s/    Mark L. Desmond
	Name:	Mark L. Desmond
	Title:	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Accepted and agreed to as of the date

first above written, on behalf of

themselves and the other several

Underwriters named in Schedule A

UBS SECURITIES LLC

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

A.G. EDWARDS & SONS, INC.

LEGG MASON WOOD WALKER, INCORPORATED

By:

UBS SECURITIES LLC
By:	/s/    David Gately
	Name:	David Gately
	Title:	Managing Director

By:	/s/    Keith Lockwood
	Name:	Keith Lockwood
	Title:	Associate Director

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
By:	/s/    Arnold Evans
	Name:	Arnold Evans
	Title:	Vice President

List of Omitted Schedules and Exhibits

The following schedules and exhibits to the Underwriting Agreement have been omitted and shall be furnished supplementally to the Commission upon request.

SCHEDULE A	-	UNDERWRITERS
EXHIBIT A	-	LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT B	-	OPINION OF O’MELVENY & MYERS LLP
EXHIBIT C	-	OPINION OF VENABLE LLP
EXHIBIT D	-	OPINION OF CORDRAY & TOMLIN, P.C.
EXHIBIT E	-	OFFICERS’ CERTIFICATE
EXHIBIT F	-	JURISIDCTIONS OF FOREIGN QUALIFICATION FOR THE COMPANY
EXHIBIT G	-	JURISIDCTIONS OF FOREIGN QUALIFICATION FOR SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES
EXHIBIT H	-	SHARES OUTSTANDING OF SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES
EXHIBIT I	-	SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES

I-1

EX-5.1

EXHIBIT 5.1

[Letterhead of Venable LLP]

January 16, 2004

Nationwide Health Properties, Inc.

610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1150

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Re: Nationwide Health Properties, Inc. Common Stock

         (Form S-3, Registration Statement, File No. 333-105806)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

At your request, we have acted as special Maryland counsel to Nationwide Health Properties, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with its issuance and sale of up to 7,475,000 shares of common stock, $0.10 par value per share (the “Shares”), of the Company, including up to 975,000 shares which may be issued to cover over-allotments. The Shares are being offered in an underwritten public offering pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-105806) as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration Statement”).

We have examined the Company’s Charter and Bylaws. We have also examined the Registration Statement. We have examined and relied on a certificate of the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation to the effect that the Company is duly incorporated and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland, in good standing, and duly authorized to transact business in the State of Maryland, and such other documents and records of corporate proceedings as we have deemed necessary to our opinion expressed herein.

We have also assumed for purposes of this opinion that the Shares will not be issued or transferred in violation of any provision or limitation contained in the Company’s Charter. We have further assumed, without independent investigation, the genuineness of signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, and the conformity of copies to the originals. Except as otherwise indicated herein, we have not undertaken any independent investigation of factual matters.

Nationwide Health Properties, Inc.

January 16, 2004

Page 2

Based on the foregoing and subject to the qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:

The Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and upon payment for and delivery of the Shares as anticipated in the Registration Statement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

This letter expresses our opinion with respect to the Maryland General Corporation Law governing the matters set forth above. It does not extend to securities or “Blue Sky” laws of Maryland or to federal securities laws or to other laws.

This opinion is furnished by us as special Maryland counsel for the Company and may be relied on only by the Company and by the firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP in connection with its opinion to the Company in connection with the Registration Statement and the issuance and sale of the Shares. It may not be used or relied on for any other purpose or by any other person, nor may copies be delivered to any other person, without in each instance our prior written consent. This opinion is expressly limited to the matters set forth above and we render no opinion, whether by implication or otherwise, as to any other matters.

This opinion is given as of the date hereof, and we assume no obligation to update or supplement this opinion to reflect any facts or circumstances that arise or change after the date of this opinion and come to our attention, or any future changes in laws.

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, event date January 16, 2004, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, and to the reference to our firm under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus contained in the Registration Statement. We do not thereby admit that we are “experts” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Very truly yours,

/s/    Venable LLP