As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 26, 2019

File No. 333-        

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Under

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

MEDICAL PROPERTIES TRUST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1000 URBAN CENTER DRIVE, SUITE 501

BIRMINGHAM, AL 35242

(Address of registrant’s principal executive offices including zip code)

MEDICAL PROPERTIES TRUST, INC. 2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

(Full title of the plan)

Edward K. Aldag, Jr.

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

1000 Urban Center Drive, Suite 501

Birmingham, Alabama 35242

(205) 969-3755

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Yoel Kranz, Esq.

Goodwin Procter LLP

The New York Times Building

620 Eighth Avenue

New York, New York 10018

(212) 813-8800

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

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 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

PART I

As permitted by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), this Registration Statement omits the information specified in Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I will be delivered to the participants in the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan as required by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. Such documents are not being filed with the Commission as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 promulgated under the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement pursuant to Item 3 of Part II hereof, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following documents filed with the Commission by us are incorporated as of their respective dates in this Registration Statement by reference:

All reports and other documents subsequently filed by us pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (except for information furnished to the Commission that is not deemed to be “filed” for purposes of the Exchange Act) prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this registration statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof from their respective dates of filing (such documents, and the documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as “Incorporated Documents”).

Any statement contained in an Incorporated Document shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this registration statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed Incorporated Document modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this registration statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities

Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

We maintain a directors and officers liability insurance policy. Our charter limits the personal liability of our directors and officers for monetary damages to the fullest extent permitted under current Maryland law, and our charter and bylaws provide that a director or officer shall be indemnified to the fullest extent required or permitted by Maryland law from and against any claim or liability to which such director or officer may become subject by reason of his or her status as a director or officer of our company. Maryland law allows directors and officers to be indemnified against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements, and expenses actually incurred in a proceeding unless the following can be established:

Our stockholders have no personal liability for indemnification payments or other obligations under any indemnification agreements or arrangements. However, indemnification could reduce the legal remedies available to us and our stockholders against the indemnified individuals.

This provision for indemnification of our directors and officers does not limit a stockholder’s ability to obtain injunctive relief or other equitable remedies for a violation of a director’s or an officer’s duties to us or to our stockholders, although these equitable remedies may not be effective in some circumstances.

In addition to any indemnification to which our directors and officers are entitled pursuant to our charter and bylaws and the Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter and bylaws provide that we may indemnify other employees and agents to the fullest extent permitted under Maryland law, whether they are serving us or, at our request, any other entity.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers, which we refer to in this context as indemnitees. The indemnification agreements provide that we will, to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law, indemnify and defend each indemnitee against all losses and expenses incurred as a result of his current or past service as our director or officer, or incurred by reason of the fact that, while he/she was our director or officer, he/she was serving at our request as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of a corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, other enterprise or employee benefit plan. We have agreed to pay expenses incurred by an indemnitee before the final disposition of a claim provided that he/she provides us with a written affirmation that he/she has met the standard of conduct required for indemnification and a written undertaking to repay the amount we pay or reimburse if it is ultimately determined that he/she has not met the standard of conduct required for indemnification. We are to pay expenses within 20 days of receiving the indemnitee’s written request for such an advance. Indemnitees are entitled to select counsel to defend against indemnifiable claims.

The general effect to investors of any arrangement under which any person who controls us or any of our directors, officers or agents is insured or indemnified against liability is a potential reduction in distributions to our stockholders resulting from our payment of premiums associated with liability insurance.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits

Item 9. Undertakings

(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such information in this registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-closing effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof;

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefits plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Birmingham, State of Alabama, on August 26, 2019.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Each of the directors and/or officers of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. whose signature appears below hereby appoints Edward K. Aldag, Jr. and R. Steven Hamner and each of them as his attorney-in-fact to sign in his name and behalf, in any and all capacities stated below and to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments to this registration statement, making such changes in the registration statement as appropriate, file a 462(b) registration statement and generally to do all such things in their behalf in their capacities as officers to enable Medical Properties Trust, Inc. to comply with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Exhibit 5.1

August 26, 2019                    

Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

1000 Urban Center Drive, Suite 501

Birmingham, Alabama 35242

Re: Securities Being Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on or about the date hereof relating to an aggregate of 12,900,000 shares (the “Shares”) of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), of Medical Properties Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), that may be issued pursuant to the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

We have reviewed such documents and made such examination of law as we have deemed appropriate to give the opinions set forth below. We have relied, without independent verification, on certificates of public officials and, as to matters of fact material to the opinion set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

The opinion set forth below is limited to the Maryland General Corporation Law.

For purposes of the opinion set forth below, we have assumed that no event occurs that causes the number of authorized shares of Common Stock available for issuance by the Company to be less than the number of then unissued Shares.

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, upon issuance and delivery against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We hereby consent to the inclusion of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. In giving our consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. of our report dated March 1, 2019 relating to the financial statements, financial statement schedules, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Medical Properties Trust, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Birmingham, Alabama

August 26, 2019

Exhibit 23.2

Consent of Independent Auditors

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to Medical Properties Trust, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan of our report dated June 28, 2019, (except for Recently Issued or Adopted Accounting Pronouncements included in Note 2, as to which the date is August 5, 2019) with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Steward Health Care System LLC, which report appears in the Annual Report of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (Form 10-K/A) for the year ended December 31, 2018.

/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP

Dallas, Texas

August 26, 2019