UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 1, 2016

 

 

MEDICAL PROPERTIES TRUST, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

 

Commission File Number 001-32559

 

Maryland		20-0191742
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization )		(I. R. S. Employer Identification No.)
1000 Urban Center Drive, Suite 501 Birmingham, AL		35242
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

(205) 969-3755

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

¨	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

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Item 8.01. Other Events.

On March 1, 2016, Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) filed a new prospectus supplement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) with respect to the Company’s existing $250,000,000 at-the-market equity offering program (the “ATM Program”). The new prospectus supplement was filed as a result of the Company’s filing with the SEC on December 31, 2015 of a new shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-208813), which replaced the Company’s previously filed shelf registration statement on Form S-3.

On March 1, 2016, the Company entered into amendments to its Equity Distribution Agreements, dated as of January 10, 2014, with each of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., Jefferies LLC, JMP Securities LLC, and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, as sales agents, which provide, among other matters, that any offers and sales of shares of the Company’s common stock under the existing ATM Program shall be made pursuant to the new prospectus supplement. Prior to March 1, 2016, the Company has sold shares of its common stock under the ATM Program with an aggregate price of $22.9 million, leaving $227.1 million available under the new prospectus supplement.

In connection with the Company’s filing with the SEC of the new prospectus supplement with respect to the existing ATM Program, the Company is filing certain exhibits as part of this Current Report on Form 8-K. See “Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.”

This Current Report shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.		Description
5.1		Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP regarding the legality of shares offered
8.1		Opinion of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. with respect to certain tax matters
23.1		Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.2		Consent of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. (included in Exhibit 8.1)

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SIGNATURE

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

 

Date: March 1, 2016

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.		Description
5.1		Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP regarding the legality of shares offered
8.1		Opinion of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. with respect to certain tax matters
23.1		Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.2		Consent of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. (included in Exhibit 8.1)

Exhibit 5.1

[Goodwin Procter LLP Letterhead]

March 1, 2016

Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

1000 Urban Center Drive, Suite 501

Birmingham, AL 35242

Re: Securities Registered under Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to you in connection with your filing of a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-208813) (as amended or supplemented, the “Registration Statement”) filed on December 31, 2015 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), relating to the registration of the offering by Medical Properties Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) of any combination of securities of the types specified therein. The Registration Statement became effective upon filing on December 31, 2015. Reference is made to our opinion letter dated December 31, 2015 and included as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. We are delivering this supplemental opinion letter in connection with the prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) filed on March 1, 2016 by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. The Prospectus Supplement relates to the offering by the Company of up to $227,074,875 in shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”) covered by the Registration Statement. The Shares are being offered and sold by the sales agents named in, and pursuant to, distribution agreements among the Company and such sales agents (as amended, the “Distribution Agreements”).

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 opinions set forth below, on certificates of officers of the Company.

For purposes of the opinion set forth below, we have assumed that the Shares are issued for a price per share equal to or greater than the minimum price authorized by the Company’s board of directors (the “Minimum Price”) and, in the future, the Company does not issue shares of Common Stock or reduce the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is authorized to issue under its articles of incorporation such that the number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock under the Company’s articles of incorporation is less than the number of unissued Shares that may be issued for the Minimum Price.

The opinion set forth below is limited to the Maryland General Corporation Law (which includes reported judicial decisions interpreting the Maryland General Corporation Law).

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Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

March 1, 2016

Page 2

 

Based on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the Distribution Agreements and in exchange for a price per share equal to or greater than the minimum price authorized by the Company’s board of directors, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K relating to the Shares (the “Current Report”), which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Current Report and its incorporation by reference and the reference to our firm in that report. 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.

Very truly yours,

/s/ GOODWIN PROCTER LLP

GOODWIN PROCTER LLP

Exhibit 8.1

 

March 1, 2016

Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

1000 Urban Center Drive, Suite 501

Birmingham, Alabama 35242

 

Re:	Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

Qualification as a Real Estate Investment Trust

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Medical Properties Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) in connection with the preparation of the prospectus supplement dated March 1, 2016 (the “Prospectus Supplement”) to the registration statement and prospectus (the “Prospectus”) dated December 31, 2015 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) as amended and supplemented through the date hereof (collectively the “Registration Statement”). You have requested our opinion regarding certain United States federal income tax matters.

The Company, through MPT Operating Partnership, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, (the “Operating Partnership”) and its subsidiary limited liability companies and partnerships, owns interests in healthcare facilities. The Operating Partnership also owns MPT Development Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation, MPT Covington TRS Inc., a Delaware corporation and MPT Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation. Each of MPT Development Services, Inc., MPT Covington TRS, Inc. and MPT Finance Corporation have made joint elections with the Company for each to be a taxable REIT subsidiary for federal income tax purposes under Section 856(l) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

In giving the opinions rendered below, we have examined the following documents:

 

1.

The Company’s Articles of Incorporation filed on August 27, 2003 with the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland, as amended and restated by Second Articles of Amendment and Restatement filed on March 29, 2004 and as corrected by the Certificate of Correction to the Second Articles of Amendment and Restatement filed on January 3, 2005, as further amended by Articles of Amendment to the Second Articles of Amendment and Restatement filed October 20, 2005, Articles of Amendment filed January 9, 2009, Articles of Amendment filed January 30, 2012, Articles of Amendment filed June 23, 2015 and Articles of Amendment filed August 4, 2015;

 

ALABAMA • FLORIDA • GEORGIA • LOUISIANA • MISSISSIPPI • TENNESSEE • TEXAS • WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

March 1, 2016

Page 2

2.

The Company’s Second Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended;

 

3.

The Registration Statement;

 

4.

The Prospectus;

 

5.

The Prospectus Supplement;

 

6.

The First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership dated February 29, 2004 and all amendments thereto and the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership dated July 31, 2007 and all amendments thereto (the “Operating Partnership Agreement”); and

 

7.

Such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate.

In connection with the opinions rendered below, we have assumed, with your consent, that:

 

1.

each of the documents referred to above has been duly authorized, executed, and delivered; is authentic, if an original, or is accurate, if a copy; and has not been amended;

 

2.

except for the Company, for which no assumption is made, each partner of the Operating Partnership (a “Partner”) that is a corporation or other entity has a valid legal existence; and

 

3.

each Partner has full power, authority, and legal right to enter into and to perform the terms of the Operating Partnership Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby.

In connection with the opinions rendered below, we also have relied upon the correctness of the factual representations and covenants contained in that certain certificate dated March 1, 2016 executed by R. Steven Hamner as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company (the “Officer’s Certificate”). To the extent such representations and covenants speak to the intended ownership or operations of the Company, we assume that the Company will in fact be owned and operated in accordance with such stated intent.

Based on the documents and assumptions set forth above and the factual representations set forth in the Officer’s Certificate, we are of the opinion that:

 

(a)

The Company is and has been qualified to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) pursuant to Sections 856 through 860 of the Code commencing with its initial taxable year ended December 31, 2004, and the Company’s current and proposed method of operations as described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement and as represented to us by the Company satisfies currently, and will enable the Company to continue to satisfy in the future, the requirements for such qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust under the Code; and

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Medical Properties Trust, Inc.

March 1, 2016

Page 3

(b)

The descriptions of the law and the legal conclusions contained in the Registration Statement under the caption “United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” as amended and supplemented are correct in all material respects, and the discussion thereunder fairly summarizes the federal income tax considerations that are likely to be material to a holder of the common stock of the Company.

We will not review on a continuing basis the Company’s compliance with the documents or assumptions set forth above, or the representations set forth in the Officer’s Certificate. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of the Company’s operations for any given taxable year will satisfy the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.

The foregoing opinions are based on current provisions of the Code and the Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Regulations”), published administrative interpretations thereof, and published court decisions. The Internal Revenue Service has not issued Regulations or administrative interpretations with respect to various provisions of the Code relating to REIT qualification. No assurance can be given that the law will not change in a way that will prevent the Company from qualifying as a REIT.

The foregoing opinions are limited to the United States federal income tax matters addressed herein, and no other opinions are rendered with respect to other federal tax matters or to any issues arising under the tax laws of any other country, or any state or locality. We undertake no obligation to update the opinions expressed herein after the date of this letter. This opinion letter is solely for the information and use of the addressee and the purchasers of the common stock of the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement (except as provided in the next paragraph), and it speaks only as of the date hereof. Except as provided in the next paragraph, this opinion letter may not be distributed, relied upon for any purpose by any other person, quoted in whole or in part or otherwise reproduced in any document, or filed with any governmental agency without our prior express written consent.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 8.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K dated March 1, 2016. We also consent to the references to Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. under the captions “United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” and “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus Supplement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of the persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder by the SEC.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz P.C.