Document

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark one)



☒	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



For the fiscal year ended	December 31, 2019



☐	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



For the transition period from		to

Commission file number 1-14023 (Corporate Office Properties Trust)

Commission file number 333-189188 (Corporate Office Properties, L.P.)

Corporate Office Properties Trust

Corporate Office Properties, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Corporate Office Properties Trust	Maryland	23-2947217
	(State or other jurisdiction of	(IRS Employer
	incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)
Corporate Office Properties, L.P.	Delaware	23-2930022
	(State or other jurisdiction of	(IRS Employer
	incorporation or organization)	Identification No.)



6711 Columbia Gateway Drive	,	Suite 300	,	Columbia	,	MD	21046
(Address of principal executive offices)							(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (443) 285-5400

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value	OFC	New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Corporate Office Properties Trust ☒ Yes ☐ No

Corporate Office Properties, L.P. ☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

Corporate Office Properties Trust ☐ Yes ☒ No

Corporate Office Properties, L.P. ☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Corporate Office Properties Trust ☒ Yes ☐ No

Corporate Office Properties, L.P. ☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Corporate Office Properties Trust ☒ Yes ☐ No

Corporate Office Properties, L.P. ☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Corporate Office Properties Trust

Large accelerated filer

☒

Accelerated filer

☐

Non-accelerated filer

☐

Smaller reporting company

☐

Emerging growth company

☐

Corporate Office Properties, L.P.

Large accelerated filer

☐

Accelerated filer

☐

Non-accelerated filer

☒

Smaller reporting company

☐

Emerging growth company

☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Corporate Office Properties Trust ☐

Corporate Office Properties, L.P. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Corporate Office Properties Trust ☐ Yes ☒ No

Corporate Office Properties, L.P. ☐ Yes ☒ No

The aggregate market value of the voting and nonvoting shares of common stock held by non-affiliates of Corporate Office Properties Trust was approximately $2.6 billion, as calculated using the closing price of such shares on the New York Stock Exchange as of June 28, 2019 and the number of outstanding shares as of June 30, 2019. For purposes of calculating this amount only, affiliates are defined as Trustees, executive owners and beneficial owners of more than 10% of Corporate Office Properties Trust’s outstanding common shares, $0.01 par value. At January 28, 2020, 112,082,315 of Corporate Office Properties Trust’s common shares were outstanding.

The aggregate market value of the voting and nonvoting common units of limited partnership interest held by non-affiliates of Corporate Office Properties, L.P. was approximately $27.7 million, as calculated using the closing price of the common shares of Corporate Office Properties Trust (into which common units not held by Corporate Office Properties Trust are exchangeable) on the New York Stock Exchange as of June 28, 2019 and the number of outstanding units as of June 30, 2019.

Portions of the proxy statement of Corporate Office Properties Trust for its 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be filed within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Form 10-K are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 of Corporate Office Properties Trust (“COPT”) and subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) and Corporate Office Properties, L.P. (“COPLP”) and subsidiaries (collectively, the “Operating Partnership”). Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, “we,” “our,” and “us” refer collectively to COPT, COPLP and their subsidiaries.

COPT is a real estate investment trust, or REIT, and the sole general partner of COPLP. As of December 31, 2019, COPT owned 98.7% of the outstanding common units in COPLP; the remaining common units and all of the outstanding COPLP preferred units were owned by third parties. As the sole general partner of COPLP, COPT controls COPLP and can cause it to enter into major transactions including acquisitions, dispositions and refinancings and cause changes in its line of business, capital structure and distribution policies.

There are a few differences between the Company and the Operating Partnership which are reflected in this Form 10-K. We believe it is important to understand the differences between the Company and the Operating Partnership in the context of how the two operate as an interrelated, consolidated company. COPT is a REIT whose only material asset is its ownership of partnership interests of COPLP. As a result, COPT does not conduct business itself, other than acting as the sole general partner of COPLP, issuing public equity and guaranteeing certain debt of COPLP. COPT itself is not directly obligated under any indebtedness but guarantees some of the debt of COPLP. COPLP owns substantially all of the assets of COPT either directly or through its subsidiaries, conducts almost all of the operations of the business and is structured as a limited partnership with no publicly traded equity. Except for net proceeds from public equity issuances by COPT, which are contributed to COPLP in exchange for partnership units, COPLP generates the capital required by COPT’s business.

Noncontrolling interests, shareholders’ equity and partners’ capital are the main areas of difference between the consolidated financial statements of COPT and those of COPLP. The common limited partnership interests in COPLP not owned by COPT are accounted for as partners’ capital in COPLP’s consolidated financial statements and as noncontrolling interests in COPT’s consolidated financial statements. The only other significant differences between the consolidated financial statements of COPT and those of COPLP are assets in connection with a non-qualified elective deferred compensation plan and the corresponding liability to the plan’s participants that are held directly by COPT.

We believe combining the annual reports on Form 10-K of the Company and the Operating Partnership into this single report results in the following benefits:


•	combined reports better reflect how management, investors and the analyst community view the business as a single operating unit;


•	combined reports enhance investors’ understanding of the Company and the Operating Partnership by enabling them to view the business as a whole and in the same manner as management;


•	combined reports are more efficient for the Company and the Operating Partnership and result in savings in time, effort and expense; and


•	combined reports are more efficient for investors by reducing duplicative disclosure and providing a single document for their review.

To help investors understand the differences between the Company and the Operating Partnership, this report presents the following separate sections for each of the Company and the Operating Partnership:


•	consolidated financial statements;


•	the following notes to the consolidated financial statements:


•	Note 3, Fair Value Measurements of COPT and subsidiaries and COPLP and subsidiaries;


•	Note 9, Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, Net of COPT and subsidiaries and COPLP and subsidiaries;


•	Note 13, Equity of COPT and subsidiaries;


•	Note 14, Equity of COPLP and subsidiaries;


•	Note 18, Earnings per Share of COPT and subsidiaries and Earnings per Unit of COPLP and subsidiaries; and


•	Note 20, Quarterly Data of COPT and subsidiaries and COPLP and subsidiaries.


•	“Item 7: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources of COPT”; and


•	“Item 7: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources of COPLP.”

This report also includes separate sections under Part II, Item 9A. Controls and Procedures and separate Exhibit 31 and Exhibit 32 certifications for each of COPT and COPLP to establish that the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of each entity have made the requisite certifications and that COPT and COPLP are compliant with Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and 18 U.S.C. §1350.

Table of Contents

Form 10-K



		PAGE
PART I

ITEM 1.	BUSINESS	6
ITEM 1A.	RISK FACTORS	9
ITEM 1B.	UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS	17
ITEM 2.	PROPERTIES	18
ITEM 3.	LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	22
ITEM 4.	MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES	22

PART II

ITEM 5.	MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS’ COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES	22
ITEM 6.	SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA	23
ITEM 7.	MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS	28
ITEM 7A.	QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK	45
ITEM 8.	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA	45
ITEM 9.	CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE	45
ITEM 9A.	CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES	45
ITEM 9B.	OTHER INFORMATION	46

PART III

ITEM 10.	DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	47
ITEM 11.	EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION	47
ITEM 12.	SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS	47
ITEM 13.	CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE	47
ITEM 14.	PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES	47

PART IV

ITEM 15.	EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES	47
ITEM 16.	FORM 10-K SUMMARY	50

	SIGNATURES	51

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Form 10-K contains “forward-looking” statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the financial condition and operations of our business. Additionally, documents we subsequently file with the SEC and incorporated by reference will contain forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “plan” or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which we cannot predict with accuracy and some of which we might not even anticipate. Although we believe that the expectations, estimates and projections reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions at the time made, we can give no assurance that these expectations, estimates and projections will be achieved. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. We caution readers that forward-looking statements reflect our opinion only as of the date on which they were made. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements:


•	general economic and business conditions, which will, among other things, affect office property and data center demand and rents, tenant creditworthiness, interest rates, financing availability and property values;


•	adverse changes in the real estate markets, including, among other things, increased competition with other companies;


•	governmental actions and initiatives, including risks associated with the impact of a prolonged government shutdown or budgetary reductions or impasses, such as a reduction in rental revenues, non-renewal of leases and/or reduced or delayed demand for additional space by our strategic customers;


•	our ability to borrow on favorable terms;


•	risks of real estate acquisition and development activities, including, among other things, risks that development projects may not be completed on schedule, that tenants may not take occupancy or pay rent or that development or operating costs may be greater than anticipated;


•	risks of investing through joint venture structures, including risks that our joint venture partners may not fulfill their financial obligations as investors or may take actions that are inconsistent with our objectives;


•	changes in our plans for properties or views of market economic conditions or failure to obtain development rights, either of which could result in recognition of significant impairment losses;


•	our ability to satisfy and operate effectively under Federal income tax rules relating to real estate investment trusts and partnerships;


•	possible adverse changes in tax laws;


•	the dilutive effects of issuing additional common shares;


•	our ability to achieve projected results;


•	security breaches relating to cyber attacks, cyber intrusions or other factors; and


•	environmental requirements.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update or supplement forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information on these and other factors that could affect us and the statements contained herein, you should refer to the section below entitled “Item 1A. Risk Factors.”

PART I

Item 1. Business

OUR COMPANY

General. Corporate Office Properties Trust (“COPT”) and subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) is a fully-integrated and self-managed real estate investment trust (“REIT”). Corporate Office Properties, L.P. (“COPLP”) and subsidiaries (collectively, the “Operating Partnership”) is the entity through which COPT, the sole general partner of COPLP, conducts almost all of its operations and owns almost all of its assets. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, “we”, “us” and “our” as used herein refer to each of the Company and the Operating Partnership. We own, manage, lease, develop and selectively acquire office and data center properties. The majority of our portfolio is in locations that support the United States Government (“USG”) and its contractors, most of whom are engaged in national security, defense and information technology (“IT”) related activities servicing what we believe are growing, durable, priority missions (“Defense/IT Locations”). We also own a portfolio of office properties located in select urban/urban-like submarkets in the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region with durable Class-A office fundamentals and characteristics (“Regional Office”). As of December 31, 2019, our properties included the following:


•	170 properties totaling 19.2 million square feet comprised of 15.4 million square feet in 148 office properties and 3.7 million square feet in 22 single-tenant data center shell properties (“data center shells”). We owned 15 of these data center shells through unconsolidated real estate joint ventures;


•	a wholesale data center with a critical load of 19.25 megawatts;


•	14 properties under development or redevelopment (ten office properties and four data center shells) that we estimate will total approximately 2.5 million square feet upon completion, including one partially-operational property; and


•	approximately 900 acres of land controlled for future development that we believe could be developed into approximately 11.3 million square feet and 43 acres of other land.

COPLP owns real estate directly and through subsidiary partnerships and limited liability companies (“LLCs”). In addition to owning real estate, COPLP also owns subsidiaries that provide real estate services such as property management, development and construction services primarily for our properties but also for third parties. Some of these services are performed by a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”).

Equity interests in COPLP are in the form of common and preferred units. As of December 31, 2019, COPT owned 98.7% of the outstanding COPLP common units (“common units”); the remaining common units and all of the outstanding COPLP preferred units (“preferred units”) were owned by third parties. Common units not owned by COPT carry certain redemption rights. The number of common units owned by COPT is equivalent to the number of outstanding common shares of beneficial interest (“common shares”) of COPT, and the entitlement of common units to quarterly distributions and payments in liquidation is substantially the same as that of COPT common shareholders. In the case of any series of preferred units held by COPT, there would be a series of preferred shares of beneficial interest (“preferred shares”) in COPT that is equivalent in number and carries substantially the same terms as such series of COPLP preferred units.

COPT’s common shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the ticker symbol “OFC”.

Because COPLP is managed by COPT, and COPT conducts substantially all of its operations through COPLP, we refer to COPT’s executive officers as COPLP’s executive officers; similarly, although COPLP does not have a board of trustees, we refer to COPT’s Board of Trustees as COPLP’s Board of Trustees.

We believe that COPT is organized and has operated in a manner that satisfies the requirements for taxation as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and we intend to continue to operate COPT in such a manner. If COPT continues to qualify for taxation as a REIT, it generally will not be subject to Federal income tax on its taxable income (other than that of its TRS entities) that is distributed to its shareholders. A REIT is subject to a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that it distribute at least 90% of its annual taxable income to its shareholders.

Our executive offices are located at 6711 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 300, Columbia, Maryland 21046 and our telephone number is (443) 285-5400.

Our Internet address is www.copt.com. We make available on our Internet website free of charge our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably possible after we file such material with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In addition, we have made available on our Internet website under the heading “Corporate Governance” the charters for our Board of Trustees’

Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance, Compensation and Investment Committees, as well as our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Code of Ethics for Financial Officers. We intend to make available on our website any future amendments or waivers to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Code of Ethics for Financial Officers within four business days after any such amendments or waivers. The information on our Internet site is not part of this report.

The SEC maintains an Internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. This Internet website can be accessed at www.sec.gov.

Business and Growth Strategies

Our primary goal is to create value and deliver attractive and competitive total returns to our shareholders. This section sets forth key components of our business and growth strategies that we have in place to support this goal.

Defense/IT Locations Strategy: We specialize in serving the unique requirements of tenants in our Defense/IT Locations properties. These properties are primarily occupied by USG and contractor tenants engaged in what we believe are high priority security, defense and IT missions. These tenants’ missions pertain more to knowledge-based activities (i.e., cyber security, research and development and other highly technical defense and security areas) than to force structure (i.e., troops) and weapon system mass production. Our office and data center shell portfolio is significantly concentrated in Defense/IT Locations, which as of December 31, 2019 accounted for 161 of the portfolio’s 170 properties, representing 87.9% of its annualized rental revenue, and we control developable land to accommodate future growth in this portfolio. These properties generally have higher tenant renewal rates than is typical in commercial office space due in large part to: their proximity to defense installations or other key demand drivers; the ability of many of these properties to meet Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (“ATFP”) requirements; and significant investments often made by tenants for unique needs such as Secure Compartmented Information Facility (“SCIF”), critical power supply and operational redundancy.

In recent years, data center shells have been a significant growth driver for our Defense/IT Locations. Data center shells are properties leased to tenants to be operated as data centers in which we provide tenants with only the core building and basic power, while the tenants fund the costs for the critical power, fiber connectivity and data center infrastructure. From 2013 through 2019, we placed into service 22 data center shells totaling 3.7 million square feet, and we had an additional four under development totaling 950,000 square feet as of December 31, 2019. We enter into long-term leases for these properties prior to commencing development, with triple-net structures and multiple extension options and rent escalators to provide future growth. Additionally, our tenants’ funding of the costs to fully power and equip these properties significantly enhances the value of these properties and creates high barriers to exit for such tenants.

We believe that our properties and team collectively complement our Defense/IT Locations strategy due to our:


•	properties’ proximity to defense installations and other knowledge-based government demand drivers. Such proximity is generally preferred and often required for our tenants to execute their missions. Specifically, our:

•

office properties are proximate to such mission-critical facilities as Fort George G. Meade (which houses over 100 Department of Defense organizations and agencies, including ones engaged in signals intelligence, such as U.S. Cyber Command and Defense Information Systems Agency) and Redstone Arsenal (one of the largest defense installations in the United States, housing priority missions, such as Army procurement, missile defense, space exploration, and research and development, testing and engineering of advanced weapons systems); and


•	data center shells are primarily in the Northern Virginia area, proximate to the MAE-East Corridor, which is a major Network Access Point in the United States for interconnecting traffic between Internet service providers;


•	well-established relationships with the USG and its contractors;


•	extensive experience in developing:


•	high quality, highly-efficient office properties;


•	secured, specialized space, with the ability to satisfy the USG’s unique needs (including SCIF and ATFP requirements); and


•	data center shells to customer specifications within very condensed timeframes to accommodate time-sensitive tenant demand; and


•	depth of knowledge, specialized skills and credentialed personnel in operating highly-specialized properties with unique security-oriented requirements.

Regional Office Strategy: While Defense/IT Locations are our primary focus, we also own a portfolio of office properties located in select urban/urban-like submarkets in the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region due to our strong market knowledge in that region. We believe that these submarkets possess the following favorable characteristics: (1) mixed-use,

lifestyle oriented locations with a robust high-end residential and retail base; (2) proximity to public transportation and major transportation routes; (3) an educated workforce; (4) a diverse and growing employment base; and (5) constraints in supply of office space. As of December 31, 2019, we owned seven Regional Office properties, representing 11.5% of our office and data center shell portfolio’s annualized rental revenue; these properties were comprised of: three high-rise Baltimore City properties proximate to the city’s waterfront; and four Northern Virginia properties proximate to existing or future Washington Metropolitan Area Metrorail stations and major interstates.

Asset Management Strategy: We aggressively manage our portfolio to maximize the value and operating performance of each property through: (1) proactive property management and leasing; (2) maximizing tenant retention in order to minimize space downtime and additional capital associated with space rollover; (3) increasing rental rates where market conditions permit; (4) leasing vacant space; (5) achievement of operating efficiencies by increasing economies of scale and, where possible, aggregating vendor contracts to achieve volume pricing discounts; and (6) redevelopment when we believe property conditions and market demand warrant. We also continuously evaluate our portfolio and consider dispositions when properties no longer meet our strategic objectives, or when capital markets and the circumstances pertaining to such holdings otherwise warrant, in order to maximize our return on invested capital or support our property development and capital strategy.

We aim to sustainably develop and operate our portfolio to create healthier work environments and reduce consumption of resources by: (1) developing new buildings designed to use resources with a high level of efficiency and low impact on human health and the environment during their life cycles through our participation in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) program; (2) investing in energy systems and other equipment that reduce energy consumption and operating costs; (3) adopting select LEED for Building Operations and Maintenance (“LEED O+M: Existing Buildings”) prerequisites for much of our portfolio, including guidelines pertaining to cleaning and recycling practices and energy reduction; and (4) participating in the annual GRESB (or Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) survey, which is widely recognized for measuring the environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) performance of real estate companies and funds. We earned an overall score of “Green Star” on the GRESB survey in each of the last five years, representing the highest quadrant of achievement on the survey.

Property Development and Acquisition Strategy: We grow our operating portfolio primarily through property development opportunities in support of our Defense/IT Locations strategy, and we have significant land holdings that we believe can further support that growth while serving as a barrier against competitive supply. We pursue development activities as market conditions and leasing opportunities support favorable risk-adjusted returns on investment, and therefore typically prefer properties to be significantly leased prior to commencing development. To a lesser extent, we may also pursue growth through acquisitions, seeking to execute such transactions at attractive yields and below replacement cost.

Capital Strategy: Our capital strategy is aimed at maintaining access to capital in the face of differing market conditions in the most cost-effective manner by:


•	maintaining an investment grade rating to enable us to use debt comprised of unsecured, primarily fixed-rate debt (including the effect of interest rate swaps) from public markets and banks;


•	using secured nonrecourse debt from institutional lenders and banks;

•

managing our debt by monitoring, among other things: (1) the relationship of certain measures of earnings to our debt level and to certain capital costs; (2) the timing of debt maturities to ensure that maturities in any one year do not exceed levels that we believe we can refinance; (3) our exposure to changes in interest rates; and (4) our total and secured debt levels relative to our overall capital structure;


•	raising equity through issuances of common shares in COPT and common units in COPLP, joint venture structures for certain investments and, to a lesser extent, issuances of preferred shares in COPT and preferred units in COPLP;


•	monitoring capacity available under revolving credit facilities and equity offering programs to provide liquidity to fund investment activities;


•	paying dividends at a level that is at least sufficient for us to maintain our REIT status;


•	recycling proceeds from sales of interests in properties to fund our investment activities and/or reduce overall debt; and


•	continuously evaluating the ability of our capital resources to accommodate our plans for growth.

Industry Segments

As of December 31, 2019, our operations included the following reportable segments: Defense/IT Locations; Regional Office; Wholesale Data Center; and Other. Our Defense/IT Locations segment included the following sub-segments:


•	Fort George G. Meade and the Baltimore/Washington Corridor (referred to herein as “Fort Meade/BW Corridor”);


•	Northern Virginia Defense/IT Locations;


•	Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas;


•	locations serving the U.S. Navy (referred to herein as “Navy Support Locations”). Properties in this sub-segment as of December 31, 2019 were proximate to the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC, the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in Virginia;


•	Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama; and


•	data center shells in Northern Virginia (including 15 owned through unconsolidated real estate joint ventures).

As of December 31, 2019, Defense/IT Locations comprised 161 of our office and data center shell portfolio’s properties, representing 88.8% of its square feet in operations, while Regional Office comprised seven of the portfolio’s properties, or 10.3% of its square feet in operations. Our Wholesale Data Center segment is comprised of one property in Manassas, Virginia.

For information relating to our segments, refer to Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements, which is included in a separate section at the end of this Annual Report on Form 10-K beginning on page F-1.

Employees

As of December 31, 2019, we had 394 employees, none of whom were parties to collective bargaining agreements. We believe that our relations with our employees are good.

Competition

The commercial real estate market is highly competitive. Numerous commercial landlords compete with us for tenants. Some of the properties competing with ours may be newer or in more desirable locations, or the competing properties’ owners may be willing to accept lower rents. We also compete with our own tenants, many of whom have the right to sublease their space. The competitive environment for leasing is affected considerably by a number of factors including, among other things, changes in economic conditions and supply of and demand for space. These factors may make it difficult for us to lease existing vacant space and space associated with future lease expirations at rental rates that are sufficient to produce acceptable operating cash flows.

We occasionally compete for the acquisition of land and commercial properties with many entities, including other publicly-traded commercial REITs. Competitors for such acquisitions may have substantially greater financial resources than ours. In addition, our competitors may be willing to accept lower returns on their investments or may be willing to incur higher leverage.

We also compete with many entities, including other publicly-traded commercial office REITs, for capital. This competition could adversely affect our ability to raise capital we may need to fulfill our capital strategy.

In addition, we compete with many entities for talent. If there is an increase in the costs for us to retain employees or if we otherwise fail to attract and retain such employees, our business and operating results could be adversely effected.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Set forth below are risks and uncertainties relating to our business and the ownership of our securities. These risks and uncertainties may lead to outcomes that could adversely affect our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make expected distributions to our equityholders. You should carefully consider each of these risks and uncertainties and all of the information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Exhibits, including our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2019, which are included in a separate section at the end of this report beginning on page F-1.

Our performance and value are subject to risks associated with our properties and with the real estate industry. Real estate investments are subject to various risks and fluctuations in value and demand, many of which are beyond our control. Our performance and the value of our real estate assets may decline due to conditions in the general economy and the real estate business which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, cash flows and ability to make expected distributions to our shareholders. These conditions include, but are not limited to:


•	downturns in national, regional and local economic environments, including increases in the unemployment rate and inflation or deflation;


•	competition from other properties;


•	trends in office real estate that may adversely affect future demand, including telecommuting and flexible workplaces;


•	deteriorating local real estate market conditions, such as oversupply, reduction in demand and decreasing rental rates;


•	declining real estate valuations;


•	adverse developments concerning our tenants, which could affect our ability to collect rents and execute lease renewals;


•	government actions and initiatives, including risks associated with the impact of prolonged government shutdowns and budgetary reductions or impasses, such as a reduction of rental revenues, non-renewal of leases and/or reduced or delayed demand for additional space by our strategic customers;


•	increasing operating costs, including insurance, utilities, real estate taxes and other expenses, some of which we may not be able to pass through to tenants;


•	increasing development costs for materials and labor;


•	increasing vacancies and the need to periodically repair, renovate and re-lease space;


•	increasing interest rates and unavailability of financing on acceptable terms or at all;


•	unavailability of financing for potential purchasers of our properties;


•	adverse changes in taxation or zoning laws;


•	potential inability to secure adequate insurance;


•	adverse consequences resulting from civil disturbances, natural disasters, terrorist acts or acts of war; and


•	potential liability under environmental or other laws or regulations.

We may be affected by adverse economic conditions. Our business may be affected by adverse economic conditions in the United States economy or real estate industry as a whole or by the local economic conditions in the markets in which our properties are located, including the impact of high unemployment and constrained credit. Adverse economic conditions could increase the likelihood of tenants encountering financial difficulties, including bankruptcy, insolvency or general downturn of business, and as a result could increase the likelihood of tenants defaulting on their lease obligations to us. Such conditions could also decrease our likelihood of successfully renewing tenants at favorable terms or leasing vacant space in existing properties or newly-developed properties. In addition, such conditions could increase the level of risk that we may not be able to obtain new financing for development activities, refinancing of existing debt, acquisitions or other capital requirements at reasonable terms, if at all.

We may suffer adverse consequences as a result of our reliance on rental revenues for our income. We earn revenue from renting our properties. Our operating costs do not necessarily fluctuate in relation to changes in our rental revenue. This means that certain of our costs will not necessarily decline and may increase even if our revenues decline.

For new tenants or upon expiration of existing leases, we generally must make improvements and pay other leasing costs for which we may not receive increased rents. We also make building-related capital improvements for which tenants may not reimburse us.

If our properties do not generate revenue sufficient to meet our operating expenses and capital costs, we may need to borrow additional amounts to cover these costs. In such circumstances, we would likely have lower profits or possibly incur losses. We may also find in such circumstances that we are unable to borrow to cover such costs, in which case our operations could be adversely affected.

In addition, the competitive environment for leasing is affected considerably by a number of factors including, among other things, changes due to economic factors such as supply and demand. These factors may make it difficult for us to lease existing vacant space and space associated with future lease expirations at rental rates that are sufficient to meet our short-term capital needs.

We rely on the ability of our tenants to pay rent and would be harmed by their inability to do so. Our performance depends on the ability of our tenants to fulfill their lease obligations by paying their rental payments in a timely manner. As a result, we would be harmed if one or more of our major tenants, or a number of our smaller tenants, were to experience financial difficulties, including bankruptcy, insolvency, prolonged government shutdown or general downturn of business.

We may be adversely affected by developments concerning our major tenants or the USG and its contractors, including prolonged shutdowns of the government and actual, or potential, reductions in government spending targeting knowledge-based activities. As of December 31, 2019, our 10 largest tenants accounted for 62.1% of our total annualized rental revenue, the four largest of these tenants accounted for 50.6%, and the USG, our largest tenant, accounted for 34.6%. We calculate annualized rental revenue by multiplying by 12 the sum of monthly contractual base rents and estimated monthly expense reimbursements under active leases in our portfolio as of December 31, 2019; with regard to properties owned through unconsolidated real estate joint ventures, we include the portion of annualized rental revenue allocable to our ownership interest. For additional information regarding our tenant concentrations, refer to the section entitled “Concentration of Operations” within the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Most of our leases with the USG provide for a series of one-year terms. The USG may terminate its leases if, among other reasons, the United States Congress fails to provide funding. We would be harmed if any of our four largest tenants fail to make rental payments to us over an extended period of time, including as a result of a prolonged government shutdown, or if the USG elects to terminate some or all of its leases and the space cannot be re-leased on satisfactory terms.

Data center shells have been a significant growth driver for us in recent years, enabling us to develop and place into service fully-occupied, single-tenant properties, with long-term leases and rent escalators for future growth. These properties have garnered the interest of outside investors, enabling us to raise capital by selling ownership interests through joint venture structures in recent years at favorable profit margins, and to apply the proceeds towards other development opportunities. Our data center shell activity in recent years is concentrated with one customer. If that customer no longer chooses to allocate development opportunities to us, we may have limited opportunities to continue to use data center shells as a growth driver and possible source of future capital.

As of December 31, 2019, 87.9% of our office and data center shell properties’ total annualized rental revenue was from Defense/IT Locations, and we expect to maintain a similarly high revenue concentration of properties in these locations. A reduction in government spending targeting the activities of the government and its contractors (such as knowledge-based defense and security activities) in these locations could adversely affect our tenants’ ability to fulfill lease obligations, renew leases or enter into new leases and limit our future growth from properties in these locations. Moreover, uncertainty regarding the potential for future reduction in government spending targeting such activities could also decrease or delay leasing activity from tenants engaged in these activities.

We may suffer economic harm in the event of a decline in the real estate market or general economic conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly in the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region, or in particular business parks. Most of our properties are located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, particularly in the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region. Our properties are also often concentrated in business parks in which we own most of the properties. Consequently, our portfolio of properties is not broadly distributed geographically. As a result, we would be harmed by a decline in the real estate market or general economic conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region, the Greater Washington, DC/Baltimore region or the business parks in which our properties are located.

We would suffer economic harm if we were unable to renew our leases on favorable terms. When leases expire, our tenants may not renew or may renew on terms less favorable to us than the terms of their original leases. If a tenant vacates a property, we can expect to experience a vacancy for some period of time, as well as incur higher leasing costs than we would likely incur if a tenant renews. As a result, we may be harmed if we experience a high volume of tenant departures at the end of their lease terms.

We may be adversely affected by trends in the office real estate industry. Some businesses increasingly permit employee telecommuting, flexible work schedules, open workplaces and teleconferencing. There is also an increasing trend of businesses utilizing shared office and co-working spaces. These practices enable businesses to reduce their space requirements. These trends could over time erode the overall demand for office space and, in turn, place downward pressure on occupancy, rental rates and property valuations.

We may encounter a significant decline in the value of our real estate. The value of our real estate could be adversely affected by general economic and market conditions connected to a specific property, a market or submarket, a broader economic region or the office real estate industry. Examples of such conditions include a broader economic recession, declining demand and decreases in market rental rates and/or market values of real estate assets. If our real estate assets significantly decline in value, it could result in our recognition of impairment losses. Moreover, a decline in the value of our real estate could adversely affect the amount of borrowings available to us under future credit facilities and other loans.

We may not be able to compete successfully with other entities that operate in our industry. The commercial real estate market is highly competitive. Numerous commercial properties compete with our properties for tenants; some of the properties competing with ours may be newer or in more desirable locations, or the competing properties’ owners may be willing to accept lower rates than are acceptable to us. In addition, we compete for the acquisition of land and commercial properties with many entities, including other publicly traded commercial office REITs; competitors for such acquisitions may have substantially greater financial resources than ours, or may be willing to accept lower returns on their investments or incur higher leverage.

Real estate investments are illiquid, and we may not be able to dispose of properties on a timely basis when we determine it is appropriate to do so. Real estate investments can be difficult to sell and convert to cash quickly, especially if market conditions, including real estate lending conditions, are not favorable. Such illiquidity could limit our ability to fund capital needs or quickly change our portfolio of properties in response to changes in economic or other conditions. Moreover, under certain circumstances, the Internal Revenue Code imposes penalties on a REIT that sells property held for less than two years and limits the number of properties it can sell in a given year.

We are dependent on external sources of capital for growth. Because COPT is a REIT, it must distribute at least 90% of its annual taxable income to its shareholders. Due to this requirement, we are not able to significantly fund our investment activities using retained cash flow from operations. Therefore, our ability to fund these activities may be dependent on our ability to access debt or equity capital. Such capital could be in the form of new debt, common shares, preferred shares, common and preferred units in COPLP, joint venture funding or sales of interests in properties. These capital sources may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Moreover, additional debt financing may substantially increase our leverage and subject us to covenants that restrict management’s flexibility in directing our operations. Our inability to obtain capital when needed could have a material adverse effect on our ability to expand our business and fund other cash requirements.

We often use our Revolving Credit Facility to initially finance much of our investing activities and certain financing activities. Our lenders under this and other facilities could, for financial hardship or other reasons, fail to honor their commitments to fund our requests for borrowings under these facilities. If lenders default under these facilities by not being able or willing to fund a borrowing request, it would adversely affect our ability to access borrowing capacity under these facilities.

We may be unable to execute our plans to develop additional properties. Although the majority of our investments are in operating properties, we also develop and redevelop properties, including some that are not fully pre-leased. When we develop and redevelop properties, we assume the risk of actual costs exceeding our budgets, conditions occurring that delay or preclude project completion and projected leasing not occurring. In addition, we may find that we are unable to successfully execute plans to obtain financing to fund property development activities.

We may suffer adverse effects from acquisitions of commercial real estate properties. We may pursue acquisitions of existing commercial real estate properties as part of our property development and acquisition strategy. Acquisitions of commercial properties entail risks, such as the risk that we may not be in a position, or have the opportunity in the future, to make suitable property acquisitions on advantageous terms and/or that such acquisitions fail to perform as expected.

We may pursue selective acquisitions of properties in regions where we have not previously owned properties. These acquisitions may entail risks in addition to those we face in other acquisitions where we are familiar with the regions, such as the risk that we do not sufficiently anticipate conditions or trends in a new market and therefore are not able to operate the acquired property profitably.

In addition, we may acquire properties that are subject to liabilities in situations where we have no recourse, or only limited recourse, against the prior owners or other third parties with respect to unknown liabilities. As a result, if a liability were asserted against us based upon ownership of those properties, we might have to pay substantial sums to settle or contest it. Examples of unknown liabilities with respect to acquired properties include, but are not limited to:


•	liabilities for remediation of disclosed or undisclosed environmental contamination;


•	claims by tenants, vendors or other persons dealing with the former owners of the properties;


•	liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business; and


•	claims for indemnification by general partners, directors, officers and others indemnified by the former owners of the properties.

Our wholesale data center may become obsolete. Wholesale data centers are much more expensive investments on a per square foot basis than office properties due to the level of infrastructure required to operate the centers. At the same time,

technology, industry standards and service requirements for wholesale data centers are rapidly evolving and, as a result, the risk of investments we make in our wholesale data center becoming obsolete is higher than other commercial real estate properties. Our wholesale data center may become obsolete due to the development of new systems to deliver power to, or eliminate heat from, the servers housed in the properties, or due to other technological advances. In addition, we may not be able to efficiently upgrade or change power and cooling systems to meet new demands or industry standards without incurring significant costs that we may not be able to pass on to our tenants.

Data center space in certain of our properties may be difficult to reposition for alternative uses. Certain of our properties contain data center space, which is highly specialized space containing extensive electrical and mechanical systems that are uniquely designed to run and maintain banks of computer servers. Data centers are subject to obsolescence risks. In the event that we needed to reposition data center space for another use, the renovations required to do so could be difficult and costly, and we may, as a result, deem such renovations to be impractical.

Our tenants and contractual counterparties could be designated “Prohibited Persons” by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) maintains a list of persons designated as terrorists or who are otherwise blocked or banned (“Prohibited Persons”). OFAC regulations and other laws prohibit us from conducting business or engaging in transactions with Prohibited Persons. If a tenant or other party with whom we conduct business is placed on the OFAC list or is otherwise a party with whom we are prohibited from doing business, we may be required to terminate the lease or other agreement.

We may suffer adverse effects as a result of the indebtedness that we carry and the terms and covenants that relate to this debt. Payments of principal and interest on our debt may leave us with insufficient cash to operate our properties or pay distributions to COPT’s shareholders required to maintain COPT’s qualification as a REIT. We are also subject to the risks that:


•	we may not be able to refinance our existing indebtedness, or may refinance on terms that are less favorable to us than the terms of our existing indebtedness;


•	in the event of our default under the terms of our Revolving Credit Facility, COPLP could be restricted from making cash distributions to COPT, which could result in reduced distributions to our equityholders or the need for us to incur additional debt to fund these distributions; and


•	if we are unable to pay our debt service on time or are unable to comply with restrictive financial covenants for certain of our debt, our lenders could foreclose on our properties securing such debt and, in some cases, other properties and assets that we own.

Some of our unsecured debt is cross-defaulted, which means that failure to pay interest or principal on the debt above a threshold value will create a default on certain of our other debt.

If interest rates were to rise, our debt service payments on debt with variable interest rates would increase.

As of December 31, 2019, we had $1.8 billion in debt, the future maturities of which are set forth in Note 10 to our consolidated financial statements. Our operations likely will not generate enough cash flow to repay all of this debt without additional borrowings, equity issuances and/or property sales. If we cannot refinance, extend the repayment date of, or otherwise raise funds required to repay, our debt by its maturity date, we would default on such debt.

Our organizational documents do not limit the amount of indebtedness that we may incur. Therefore, we may incur additional indebtedness and become more highly leveraged, which could harm our financial position.

We may suffer adverse effects from changes in the method of determining LIBOR or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative interest rate. Our variable-rate debt and interest rate swaps use as a reference rate the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), as calculated for the U.S. dollar (“USD-LIBOR”). The Chief Executive of the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced the FCA’s intention to cease sustaining LIBOR after 2021. He has also indicated that market participants should expect LIBOR to be subsequently discontinued and should proceed with preparations for transitioning to an alternative reference rate. The Federal Reserve Board convened the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”) to identify a set of alternative reference rates for possible use as market benchmarks. Based on the ARRC’s recommendation, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York began publishing the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) and two other alternative rates beginning in April 2018. Since then, certain derivative products and debt securities tied to SOFR have been introduced, and various industry groups are developing plans to transition to SOFR as the new market benchmark. While we have been closely monitoring developments in the LIBOR transition, we are not able to predict whether LIBOR will actually cease to be available after 2021 or whether SOFR will become the market benchmark in

its place. Any changes announced or adopted by the FCA or other governing bodies in the method used for determining LIBOR rates may result in a sudden or prolonged increase or decrease in reported LIBOR rates. If that were to occur, the level of interest payments we incur may change. In addition, although our variable rate debt and interest rate swaps will likely provide for alternative methods of calculating the interest rate if LIBOR is not reported, uncertainty as to the extent and manner of future changes may result in interest rates and/or payments that are higher or lower than if the LIBOR rate were to remain available in its current form.

A downgrade in our credit ratings would materially adversely affect our business and financial condition. COPLP’s Senior Notes are currently rated investment grade by the three major rating agencies. These credit ratings are subject to ongoing evaluation by the credit rating agencies and can change. Any downgrades of our ratings or a negative outlook by the credit rating agencies would have a materially adverse impact on our cost and availability of capital and also could have a materially adverse effect on the market price of COPT’s common shares. In addition, since the variable interest rate spread and facility fees on certain of our debt, including our Revolving Credit Facility and a term loan facility, is determined based on our credit ratings, a downgrade in our credit ratings would increase the payments required on such debt.

We have certain distribution requirements that reduce cash available for other business purposes. Since COPT is a REIT, it must distribute at least 90% of its annual taxable income, which limits the amount of cash that can be retained for other business purposes, including amounts to fund development activities and acquisitions. Also, due to the difference in time between when we receive revenue or pay expenses and when we report such items for distribution purposes, it is possible that we may need to borrow funds for COPT to meet the 90% distribution requirement.

We may be unable to continue to make distributions to our equityholders at expected levels. We expect to make regular quarterly cash distributions to our equityholders. However, our ability to make such distributions depends on a number of factors, some of which are beyond our control. Some of our loan agreements contain provisions that could, in the event of default, restrict future distributions unless we meet certain financial tests or such payments or distributions are required to maintain COPT’s qualification as a REIT. Our ability to make distributions at expected levels is also dependent, in part, on other matters, including, but not limited to:


•	continued property occupancy and timely receipt of rent from our tenants;


•	the amount of future capital expenditures and expenses relating to our properties;


•	our leasing activity and future rental rates;


•	the strength of the commercial real estate market;


•	our ability to compete;


•	governmental actions and initiatives, including risks associated with the impact of a prolonged government shutdown or budgetary reductions or impasses;


•	our costs of compliance with environmental and other laws;


•	our corporate overhead levels;


•	our amount of uninsured losses; and


•	our decision to reinvest in operations rather than distribute available cash.

In addition, we can make distributions to the holders of our common shares/units only after we make preferential distributions to holders of preferred shares/units.

Our ability to pay distributions may be limited, and we cannot provide assurance that we will be able to pay distributions regularly. Our ability to pay distributions will depend on a number of things discussed elsewhere herein, including our ability to operate profitably and generate cash flow from our operations. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to pay distributions on a regular quarterly basis in the future. Additionally, the terms of some of COPLP’s debt may limit its ability to make some types of payments and other distributions to COPT in the event of certain default situations. This in turn may limit our ability to make some types of payments, including payment of distributions on common or preferred shares/units, unless we meet certain financial tests or such payments or distributions are required to maintain COPT’s qualification as a REIT. As a result, if we are unable to meet the applicable financial tests, we may not be able to pay distributions in one or more periods. Furthermore, any new common or preferred shares/units that may be issued in the future for raising capital, financing acquisitions, share-based compensation arrangements or otherwise will increase the cash required to continue to pay cash distributions at current levels.

Our ability to pay distributions is further limited by the requirements of Maryland law. As a Maryland REIT, COPT may not under applicable Maryland law make a distribution if either of the following conditions exists after giving effect to the distribution: (1) the REIT would not be able to pay its debts as the debts become due in the usual course of business; or (2) the REIT’s total assets would be less than the sum of its total liabilities plus the amount that would be needed, if the REIT were

dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy upon dissolution the rights of equityholders whose preferential rights are superior to those receiving the distribution. Therefore, we may not be able to make expected distributions to our equityholders if either of the above described conditions exists for COPT after giving effect to the distribution.

We may issue additional common or preferred shares/units that dilute our equityholders’ interests. We may issue additional common and preferred shares/units without shareholder approval. Similarly, COPT may cause COPLP to issue its common or preferred units for contributions of cash or property without approval by the limited partners of COPLP or COPT’s shareholders. Our existing equityholders’ interests could be diluted if such additional issuances were to occur.

We may suffer economic harm as a result of the actions of our partners in real estate joint ventures and other investments. We may invest in certain entities in which we are not the exclusive investor or principal decision maker. Investments in such entities may, under certain circumstances, involve risks not present when a third party is not involved, including the possibility that the other parties to these investments might become bankrupt or fail to fund their share of required capital contributions. Our partners in these entities may have economic, tax or other business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals, and may be in a position to take actions contrary to our policies or objectives. Such investments may also lead to impasses on major decisions, such as whether or not to sell a property, because neither we nor the other parties to these investments may have full control over the entity. In addition, we may in certain circumstances be liable for the actions of the other parties to these investments.

Our business could be adversely affected by security breaches through cyber attacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise. We face risks associated with security breaches and other significant disruptions of our information technology networks and related systems, which are essential to our business operations. Such breaches and disruptions may occur through cyber attacks or cyber intrusions over the Internet, malware, computer viruses, attachments to e-mails, persons inside our organization or persons with access to systems inside our organization. Because of our concentration on serving the USG and its contractors with a general focus on national security and information technology, we may be more likely to be targeted by cyber attacks, including by governments, organizations or persons hostile to our government. We have preventative, detective and responsive measures in place to maintain the security and integrity of our networks and related systems that have to date enabled us to avoid breaches and disruptions that were individually, or in the aggregate, material. We also have insurance coverage in place in the event of significant future losses from breaches and disruptions. However, despite our activities to maintain the security and integrity of our networks and related systems, there can be no absolute assurance that these activities will be effective in mitigating these risks. A security breach involving our networks and related systems could disrupt our operations in numerous ways, including compromising the confidential information of our tenants, customers, vendors and employees, which could damage our relationships with such parties, and disrupting the proper functioning of our networks and systems on which much of our operations depend.

We may be subject to possible environmental liabilities. We are subject to various Federal, state and local environmental laws, including air and water quality, hazardous or toxic substances and health and safety. These laws can impose liability on current and prior property owners or operators for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances released on a property, even if the property owner was not responsible for, or even aware of, the release of the hazardous substances. Costs resulting from environmental liability could be substantial. The presence of hazardous substances on our properties may also adversely affect occupancy and our ability to sell or borrow against those properties. In addition to the costs of government claims under environmental laws, private plaintiffs may bring claims for personal injury or other reasons. Additionally, various laws impose liability for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous substances at the disposal or treatment facility. Anyone who arranges for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at such a facility is potentially liable under such laws.

Although most of our properties have been subject to varying degrees of environmental assessment, many of these assessments are limited in scope and may not include or identify all potential environmental liabilities or risks associated with the property. Identification of new compliance concerns or undiscovered areas of contamination, changes in the extent or known scope of contamination, discovery of additional sites, human exposure to the contamination or changes in cleanup or compliance requirements could result in significant costs to us.

We may be adversely affected by natural disasters and the effects of climate change. Natural disasters, including earthquakes and severe storms could adversely impact our properties. The potential consequences of climate change could also adversely impact our properties, particularly our ones located in Baltimore City near the waterfront, and, over time, could adversely affect demand for space and our ability to operate the properties effectively and result in additional operating costs.

Terrorist attacks may adversely affect the value of our properties, our financial position and cash flows. We have significant investments in properties located in large metropolitan areas or near military installations. Future terrorist attacks

could directly or indirectly damage our properties or cause losses that materially exceed our insurance coverage. After such an attack, tenants in these areas may choose to relocate their businesses to areas of the United States that may be perceived to be less likely targets of future terrorist activity, and fewer customers may choose to patronize businesses in these areas. This in turn would trigger a decrease in the demand for space in these areas, which could increase vacancies in our properties and force us to lease space on less favorable terms.

We may be subject to other possible liabilities that would adversely affect our financial position and cash flows. Our properties may be subject to other risks related to current or future laws, including laws relating to zoning, development, fire and life safety requirements and other matters. These laws may require significant property modifications in the future and could result in the levy of fines against us. In addition, although we believe that we adequately insure our properties, we are subject to the risk that our insurance may not cover all of the costs to restore a property that is damaged by a fire or other catastrophic events, including acts of war or, as mentioned above, terrorism.

We may be subject to increased costs of insurance and limitations on coverage. Our portfolio of properties is insured for losses under our property, casualty and umbrella insurance policies. These policies include coverage for acts of terrorism. Future changes in the insurance industry’s risk assessment approach and pricing structure may increase the cost of insuring our properties and decrease the scope of insurance coverage. Most of our loan agreements contain customary covenants requiring us to maintain insurance. Although we believe that we have adequate insurance coverage for purposes of these agreements, we may not be able to obtain an equivalent amount of coverage at reasonable costs, or at all, in the future. In addition, if lenders insist on greater coverage than we are able to obtain, it could adversely affect our ability to finance and/or refinance our properties and execute our growth strategies.

Our business could be adversely affected by a negative audit by the USG. Agencies of the USG, including the Defense Contract Audit Agency and various agency Inspectors General, routinely audit and investigate government contractors. These agencies review a contractor’s performance under its contracts, cost structure and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards. The USG also reviews the adequacy of, and a contractor’s compliance with, its internal control systems and policies. Any costs found to be misclassified may be subject to repayment. If an audit or investigation uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil or criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, fines, and suspension or prohibition from doing business with the USG. In addition, we could suffer serious reputational harm if allegations of impropriety were made against us.

COPT’s ownership limits are important factors. COPT’s Declaration of Trust limits ownership of its common shares by any single shareholder to 9.8% of the number of the outstanding common shares or 9.8% of the value of the outstanding common shares, whichever is more restrictive. COPT’s Declaration of Trust also limits ownership by any single shareholder of our common and preferred shares in the aggregate to 9.8% of the aggregate value of the outstanding common and preferred shares. We call these restrictions the “Ownership Limit.” COPT’s Declaration of Trust allows our Board of Trustees to exempt shareholders from the Ownership Limit. The Ownership Limit and the restrictions on ownership of our common shares may delay or prevent a transaction or a change of control that might involve a premium price for our common shares/units or otherwise be in the best interest of our equityholders.

COPT’s Declaration of Trust includes other provisions that may prevent or delay a change of control. Subject to the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange, our Board of Trustees has the authority, without shareholder approval, to issue additional securities on terms that could delay or prevent a change in control. In addition, our Board of Trustees has the authority to reclassify any of our unissued common shares into preferred shares. Our Board of Trustees may issue preferred shares with such preferences, rights, powers and restrictions as our Board of Trustees may determine, which could also delay or prevent a change in control.

The Maryland business statutes impose potential restrictions that may discourage a change of control of our company. Various Maryland laws may have the effect of discouraging offers to acquire us, even if the acquisition would be advantageous to equityholders. Resolutions adopted by our Board of Trustees and/or provisions of our bylaws exempt us from such laws, but our Board of Trustees can alter its resolutions or change our bylaws at any time to make these provisions applicable to us.

COPT’s failure to qualify as a REIT would have adverse tax consequences, which would substantially reduce funds available to make distributions to our equityholders. We believe that COPT has qualified for taxation as a REIT for Federal income tax purposes since 1992. We plan for COPT to continue to meet the requirements for taxation as a REIT. Many of these requirements, however, are highly technical and complex. The determination that we are a REIT requires an analysis of various factual matters and circumstances that may not be totally within our control. For example, to qualify as a REIT, at least 95% of COPT’s gross income must come from certain sources that are specified in the REIT tax laws. COPT is also required

to distribute to shareholders at least 90% of its annual taxable income. The fact that COPT holds most of its assets through COPLP and its subsidiaries further complicates the application of the REIT requirements. Even a technical or inadvertent mistake could jeopardize COPT’s REIT status. Furthermore, Congress and the Internal Revenue Service might make changes to the tax laws and regulations and the courts might issue new rulings that make it more difficult or impossible for COPT to remain qualified as a REIT.

If COPT fails to qualify as a REIT, it would be subject to Federal income tax at regular corporate rates. Also, unless the Internal Revenue Service granted us relief under certain statutory provisions, COPT would remain disqualified as a REIT for four years following the year it first fails to qualify. If COPT fails to qualify as a REIT, it would have to pay significant income taxes and would therefore have less money available for investments or for distributions to our equityholders. In addition, if COPT fails to qualify as a REIT, it will no longer be required to pay distributions to shareholders. As a result of all these factors, COPT’s failure to qualify as a REIT could impair our ability to expand our business and raise capital and would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our shares/units.

We may be adversely impacted by changes in tax laws. At any time, U.S. federal tax laws or the administrative interpretations of those laws may be changed. We cannot predict whether, when or to what extent new U.S. federal tax laws, regulations, interpretations or rulings will be issued. In addition, while REITs generally receive certain tax advantages compared to entities taxed as C corporations, it is possible that future legislation could result in REITs having fewer tax advantages, and therefore become a less attractive investment alternative. As a result, changes in U.S. federal tax laws could negatively impact our operating results, financial condition and business operations, and adversely impact our equityholders.

Occasionally, changes in state and local tax laws or regulations are enacted that may result in an increase in our tax liability. Shortfalls in tax revenues for states and municipalities may lead to an increase in the frequency and size of such changes. If such changes occur, we may be required to pay additional taxes on our assets, revenue or income.

A number of factors could cause our security prices to decline. As is the case with any publicly-traded securities, certain factors outside of our control could influence the value of our equity security issuances. These conditions include, but are not limited to:


•	market perception of REITs in general and office REITs in particular;


•	market perception regarding our major tenants and sector concentrations;


•	the level of institutional investor interest in COPT;


•	general economic and business conditions;


•	prevailing interest rates;


•	our financial performance;


•	our underlying asset value;


•	market perception of our financial condition, performance, dividends and growth potential; and


•	adverse changes in tax laws.

We may experience significant losses and harm to our financial condition if financial institutions holding our cash and cash equivalents file for bankruptcy protection. We believe that we maintain our cash and cash equivalents with high quality financial institutions. We have not experienced any losses to date on our deposited cash. However, we may incur significant losses and harm to our financial condition in the future if we were holding large sums of cash in any of these financial institutions at a time when they filed for bankruptcy protection.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None

Item 2. Properties

The following table provides certain information about our operating property segments as of December 31, 2019 (dollars and square feet in thousands, except per square foot amounts):



Segment	Number of Properties	Rentable Square Feet or Megawatts (“MW”)	Occupancy (1)		Annualized Rental Revenue (2)		Annualized Rental Revenue per Occupied Square Foot (2)(3)
Office and Data Center Shell Portfolio
Defense/IT Locations:
Fort Meade/BW Corridor:
National Business Park (Annapolis Junction, MD)	31	3,823	90.1	%	$	137,267	$	39.86
Howard County, MD	35	2,849	94.1	%	76,710		28.61
Other	22	1,624	95.0	%	44,152		28.45
Fort Meade/BW Corridor Subtotal / Average	88	8,296	92.4	%	258,129		33.63
Northern Virginia Defense/IT	13	1,993	82.4	%	54,671		33.31
Lackland Air Force Base	7	953	100.0	%	52,960		53.15
Navy Support Locations	21	1,242	92.5	%	32,610		28.37
Redstone Arsenal	10	806	99.3	%	17,404		21.59
Data Center Shells:
Consolidated Properties	7	1,309	100.0	%	19,290		14.73
Unconsolidated Joint Venture Properties (4)	15	2,435	100.0	%	7,718		12.27
Defense/IT Locations Subtotal / Average	161	17,034	93.7	%	442,782		31.10
Regional Office	7	1,982	88.1	%	57,997		33.23
Other Properties	2	157	73.0	%	2,807		24.46
Total Office and Data Center Shell Portfolio	170	19,173	92.9	%	503,586		$	31.28
Wholesale Data Center	1	19.25 MW	76.9	%	21,752		N/A
Total Operating Properties					$	525,338
Total Consolidated Operating Properties					$	517,620

(1) This percentage is based upon all rentable square feet or megawatts under lease terms that were in effect as of December 31, 2019.

(2)

Annualized rental revenue is the monthly contractual base rent as of December 31, 2019 (ignoring free rent then in effect) multiplied by 12, plus the estimated annualized expense reimbursements under existing leases. With regard to properties owned through unconsolidated real estate joint ventures, we include the portion of annualized rental revenue allocable to our ownership interest. We consider annualized rental revenue to be a useful measure for analyzing revenue sources because, since it is point-in-time based, it does not contain increases and decreases in revenue associated with periods in which lease terms were not in effect; historical revenue under generally accepted accounting principles does contain such fluctuations. We find the measure particularly useful for leasing, tenant and segment analysis.

(3)

Annualized rental revenue per occupied square foot is a property’s annualized rental revenue divided by that property’s occupied square feet as of December 31, 2019. Our computation of annualized rental revenue excludes the effect of lease incentives. The annualized rent per occupied square foot, including the effect of lease incentives, was $30.95 for our total office and data center shell portfolio, $33.30 for the Fort Meade/BW Corridor (our largest Defense/IT Location sub-segment) and $32.50 for our Regional Office portfolio.


(4)	Represents properties owned through unconsolidated real estate joint ventures. The amounts reported above reflect 100% of the properties’ square footage but only reflect the portion of Annualized Rental Revenue that was allocable to our ownership interest.

The following table provides certain information about office and data center shell properties that were under development, or had redevelopment underway, or otherwise approved, as of December 31, 2019 (dollars and square feet in thousands):



Property and Location	Estimated Rentable Square Feet Upon Completion	Percentage Leased		Calendar Quarter Anticipated to be Operational	Costs Incurred to Date (1)		Estimated Costs to Complete (1)
Under Development
Fort Meade/BW Corridor:
4600 River Road College Park, Maryland	102	25	%	3Q 21	$	8,928	$	21,581

Redstone Arsenal:
7500 Advanced Gateway Huntsville, Alabama	135	100	%	2Q 20	7,195		11,923
7600 Advanced Gateway Huntsville, Alabama	126	100	%	2Q 20	2,543		11,696
100 Secured Gateway Huntsville, Alabama	250	16	%	2Q 21	25,763		32,837
8600 Advanced Gateway Huntsville, Alabama	105	100	%	4Q 20	4,931		22,749
8000 Rideout Road Huntsville, Alabama	100	0	%	4Q 21	2,564		22,636
6000 Redstone Gateway Huntsville, Alabama	40	66	%	4Q 21	788		8,738
Subtotal / Average	756	57	%		43,784		110,579

Data Center Shells:
P2 A Northern Virginia	230	100	%	1Q 20	46,610		7,660
Oak Grove A Northern Virginia	216	100	%	2Q 20	29,420		18,875
P2 B Northern Virginia	274	100	%	3Q 20	32,115		32,521
P2 C Northern Virginia	230	100	%	1Q 21	18,727		32,393
Subtotal / Average	950	100	%		126,872		91,449

NoVA Defense/IT:
NOVA Office C Chantilly, Virginia	348	100	%	2Q 22	20,870		85,349

Regional Office:
2100 L Street Washington, DC	190	53	%	2Q 21	126,112		47,888

Total Under Development	2,346	79	%		$	326,566	$	356,846

Under Redevelopment
Fort Meade/BW Corridor:
6950 Columbia Gateway Columbia, Maryland (2)	106	80	%	2Q 20	$	23,276	$	2,279


(1)	Includes land, development, leasing costs and allocated portion of structured parking and other shared infrastructure, if applicable.


(2)	This property had occupied square feet in service as of December 31, 2019. Therefore, the property and its occupied square feet are included in our operating property statistics, including the information set forth on the previous page.

The following table provides certain information about land that we owned or controlled as of December 31, 2019, including properties under ground lease to us (square feet in thousands):



Segment	Acres	Estimated Developable Square Feet
Defense/IT Locations:
Fort Meade/BW Corridor:
National Business Park (Annapolis Junction, MD)	196	2,106
Howard County, MD	19	290
Other	126	1,338
Total Fort Meade/BW Corridor	341	3,734
Northern Virginia Defense/IT Locations	52	1,618
Lackland Air Force Base	49	785
Navy Support Locations	44	109
Redstone Arsenal (1)	366	3,227
Data Center Shells	53	934
Total Defense/IT Locations	905	10,407
Regional Office	10	900
Total land owned/controlled for future development	915	11,307
Other land owned/controlled	43	638
Total Land Owned/Controlled	958	11,945


(1)	This land is owned by the USG and is controlled under a long-term master lease agreement to a consolidated joint venture. As this land is developed in the future, the joint venture will execute site-specific leases under the master lease agreement. Rental payments will commence under the site-specific leases as cash rents under tenant leases commence at the respective properties.

Lease Expirations

The following table provides a summary schedule of lease expirations for leases in place at our operating properties as of December 31, 2019 based on the non-cancelable term of tenant leases determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (dollars and square feet in thousands, except per square foot amounts):

Year of Lease Expiration