SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

                  Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
            the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.    )

Filed by the Registrant / /
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    Check the appropriate box:
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    /X/  Definitive Proxy Statement
    / /  Definitive Additional Materials
    / /  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.14a-12

                           iSTAR FINANCIAL INC.
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                (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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      Filed by the Registrant /X/

      Filed by a Party other than the Registrant / /

      Check the appropriate box:
      / /        Preliminary Proxy Statement
      / /        CONFIDENTIAL, FOR USE OF THE COMMISSION ONLY (AS PERMITTED
                 BY RULE 14a-6(e)(2))
      /X/        Definitive Proxy Statement
      / /        Definitive Additional Materials
      / /        Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section240.14a-12

                                        iSTAR FINANCIAL INC.
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                 (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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           (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
                                    Registrant)
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ISTAR FINANCIAL INC. 1114 Avenue of the Americas 27th Floor New York, New York 10036 April 16, 20018, 2002 Dear Shareholder: You areWe cordially invitedinvite you to attend theour 2002 annual meeting of shareholders of iStar Financial Inc., a Maryland corporation, to be heldshareholders. We will hold the meeting at The Sheraton New Yorkthe Sofitel Hotel, & Towers, 811 Seventh Avenue,45 West 44th Street, New York, New York 10019 on May 17, 200129, 2002 at 9:008:30 a.m. local time. At the annual meeting, we will ask the holders of iStar Financial'sour common stock and the holders of iStar Financial'sour Series B, C and D preferred stock will be asked to: (1) elect eight directors to the Board of Directors; and (2) consider and vote onupon a proposal to approve and adopt the iStar Financial High Performance Unit Program; and (3) consider and vote upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as iStar Financial'sour independent public accountants for the year ending December 31, 2001. Details2002. The attached Proxy Statement contains details of the proposals to be voted on at the annual meeting and other important matters are contained inmatters. We encourage you to read the attached Proxy Statement which you are encouraged to read carefully. YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS CONCLUDED THAT THE ELECTION OF THE EIGHT NOMINEES AS DIRECTORS, THE APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE iSTAR FINANCIAL HIGH PERFORMANCE UNIT PROGRAM AND THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP AS iSTAR FINANCIAL'SOUR INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS ARE IN iSTAR FINANCIAL'S BEST INTERESTS AND THE BEST INTERESTS OF BOTH iSTAR FINANCIAL AND ITSOUR SHAREHOLDERS. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THESE PROPOSALS. AllWe cordially invite all shareholders are cordially invited to attend the annual meeting in person. Any shareholder attending the annual meeting may vote in person even if he or she previously returned a proxy. Sincerely, [LOGO] Jay Sugarman Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and President ISTAR FINANCIAL INC. NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of shareholders of iStar Financial Inc., a Maryland corporation, ("iStar Financial" or the "Company"), will be held at The Sheraton New Yorkthe Sofitel Hotel, & Towers, 811 Seventh Avenue,45 West 44th Street, New York, New York 10019 on May 17, 200129, 2002 at 9:008:30 a.m. local time, for the following purposes as further described in the accompanying proxy statement: 1. To elect to the Board of Directors eight members to hold office until the annual meeting of shareholders held in 2003.2004. The nominees to the Board of Directors are the following: Jay Sugarman, Spencer B. Haber, H. Cabot Lodge III, Willis Andersen,Jeffrey G. Dishner, Andrew L. Farkas, Madison F. Grose, Robert W. Holman, Jr., William M. Matthes, John G. McDonald, Stephen B. OresmanRobin Josephs, Merrick R. Kleeman, Matthew J. Lustig and Barry S. Sternlicht.George R. Puskar. 2. To consider and vote upon a proposal to approve and adopt the iStar Financial High Performance Unit Program. 3. To consider and vote upon a proposal to ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company'sour independent accountants for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2001. 3.2002. 4. To transact such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any postponement or adjournment of the meeting. The Board of Directors has fixed April 3, 20012002 as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the annual meeting or any postponement or adjournment of the meeting. Holders of record of the Company'sour common stock or itsand our 9.375% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, 9.20% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, orand 8.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock at the close of business on that day will be entitled to vote at the annual meeting. By Order of the Board of Directors [LOGO] Geoffrey Dugan Assistant Secretary of the Company New York, New York April 16, 20018, 2002 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXPECT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, TO ENSURE YOUR REPRESENTATION AT THE ANNUAL MEETING, PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD AS PROMPTLY AS POSSIBLE IN THE POSTAGE-PREPAID ENVELOPE ENCLOSED FOR THAT PURPOSE. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ISTAR FINANCIAL INC. 1114 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS 27TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036 PROXY STATEMENT ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD MAY 17, 2001 This29, 2002 We are sending this proxy statement is being sent to holders of iStar Financial'sour common stock and holders of iStar Financial'sour Series B, C and D preferred stock on or about April 16, 20018, 2002 in connection with the solicitation by the Company'sour Board of Directors of proxies to be voted at the Company's 2001our 2002 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held at The Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, 811 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York, 10019 on May 17, 2001 at 9:00 a.m. local time, or at any postponement or adjournment of the meeting. This proxy statement is accompanied by a copy of the Company'sour Annual Report to Shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2000. GENERAL INFORMATION2001. ABOUT THE MEETING WHO IS ENTITLED TO VOTE AT THE MEETING? Only holders of record of the Company'sour common stock par value $0.001 per share, and holders of record of iStar Financial'sour Series B, C and D preferred stock each with a par value of $0.001 per share, at the close of business on April 3, 20012002 are entitled to receive notice of and to vote at the annual meeting or at any postponement or adjournment thereof.of the meeting. On the record date, there were 85,925,32688,054,622 issued and outstanding shares of common stock, 2,000,000 issued and outstanding shares of Series B preferred stock, 1,300,000 issued and outstanding shares of Series C preferred stock and 4,000,000 issued and outstanding shares of Series D preferred stock. WHAT CONSTITUTES A QUORUM? The presence, either in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of the outstanding common stock and Series B, C and D preferred stock, considered as a single class, on the record date is necessary to constitute a quorum at the annual meeting. Shares of common stock or preferred stock represented by a proxy in the accompanying form, if the proxy is properly executed and is received by the Company prior to voting at the annual meeting, will be voted in the manner specified on the proxy. If no specification is made, the common stock or preferred stock will be voted FOR the proposals and as recommended by the Board of Directors with regard to all other matters in its discretion. Any shareholder of the Company who casts a vote by proxy may revoke it at any time before it is voted by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Company expressly revoking the proxy, by signing and forwarding to the Company a proxy dated later, or by attending the annual meeting and personally voting the common stock or preferred stock owned of record by the shareholder. In voting upon any matter which may come before the annual meeting, eachWHAT ARE THE VOTING RIGHTS OF SHAREHOLDERS AND WHAT VOTE IS NEEDED TO APPROVE EACH PROPOSAL? Each shareholder is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock registered in the shareholder's name on the record date, and 0.25 votes for each share of Series B, C or D preferred stock registered in the shareholder's name on the record date. A plurality vote of the outstanding common stock, Series B preferred stock, Series C preferred stock and Series D preferred stock, all voting as one class, is required for the election of directors. A majority vote of the outstandingvotes cast at the meeting by holders of our common stock, Series B preferred stock, Series C preferred stock and Series D preferred stock, all voting as one class, is required for approval and ratification of each other matter. HOW IS MY VOTE COUNTED? If you properly execute a proxy in the accompanying form, and if we receive it prior to voting at the annual meeting, the shares of common stock or preferred stock that the proxy represents will be voted in the manner specified on the proxy. If no specification is made, the common stock or preferred stock will be voted FOR the proposals and as recommended by the Board of Directors with regard to all other matters in its discretion. Votes cast by proxy or in person at the annual meeting will be tabulated by the election inspectors appointed for the meeting, who will determine whether or not a quorum is present. The election inspectors will treat abstentions as shares that are present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum but as unvoted for purposes of determining the approval of any matter submitted to the shareholders for a vote. If a broker indicates on the proxy that it does not have discretionary authority as to certain shares to vote on a particular matter, those shares will not be considered as present and entitled to vote with respect to that matter. The CompanyCAN I CHANGE MY VOTE AFTER I SUBMIT MY PROXY CARD? If you cast a vote by proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is voted by giving written notice to our Secretary expressly revoking the proxy, by signing and forwarding to us a proxy dated later, or by attending the annual meeting and personally voting the common stock or preferred stock owned of record by you. WHO PAYS THE COSTS OF SOLICITING PROXIES? We will pay the cost of soliciting proxies from itsour shareholders. In addition to solicitation by mail, certain of our directors, officers and regular employees of the Company may solicit the return of proxies by telephone, facsimile, personal interview or otherwise without being paid additional remuneration. The Companycompensation. We will also reimburse brokerage firms and other persons representing the beneficial owners of common stockour shares for their reasonable expenses in forwarding proxy solicitation material to suchthe beneficial owners in accordance with the proxy solicitation rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York Stock Exchange, on which the common stock is traded under the symbol "SFI."Exchange. PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS Pursuant to the Company's Amended and Restated Charter, theOur Board of Directors consists of two classes, the Class I Directors and the Class II Directors. OneWe elect one class of directors is elected at each annual meeting of shareholders for a term of two years. Eight Class III Directors are to be elected at this annual meeting to hold office until the 20032004 annual meeting. The nominees are Jay Sugarman, Spencer B. Haber, H. Cabot Lodge III, Willis Andersen,Jeffrey G. Dishner, Andrew L. Farkas, Madison F. Grose, Robert W. Holman, Jr., William M. Matthes, John G. McDonald, Stephen B. OresmanRobin Josephs, Merrick R. Kleeman, Matthew J. Lustig and Barry S. Sternlicht.George R. Puskar. All of the nominees for director are presently directorsdirectors. Mr. Lustig was appointed to the Board in February 2002 at the request of the holders of our Series A preferred stock, who are affiliates of Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, and who have been nominated for re-election.the right to designate one member of our Board. Mr. Lustig was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the previous director designated by Lazard, who resigned from our Board in connection with his resignation from Lazard. If a nominee becomes unavailable to serve as a director for any reason, the common stock and preferred stock represented by any proxy will be voted for the person, if any, who may be designated by the Board of Directors to replace that nominee. At this time, the Board of Directors has no reason to believe that any nominee will be unavailable to serve as a director if elected. 2 The following table sets forth the name, age and the position(s) with the Companyus (if any) currently held by each person nominated as a director:
NAME AGE TITLE - ---------------------------------------------- -------- ---------------------------------------- Jay Sugarman(1)........................... 39 Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Spencer B. Haber(1)....................... 32 Executive Vice President-- Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Director H. Cabot Lodge III........................ 45 Executive Vice President-- Investments and Director Willis Andersen, Jr.(2)................... 69 Director William M. Matthes(3)..................... 41 Director John G. McDonald(3)....................... 63 Director Stephen B. Oresman(4)..................... 68 Director Barry S. Sternlicht(1).................... 40 Director
- -------------------------- (1) Member of Investment Committee. (2) Member of Audit Committee. (3) Member of Compensation Committee. (4) Member of Nominating and Governance Committee. JAY SUGARMAN is Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of iStar Financial. Mr. Sugarman has served as a director of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since 1996 and Chief Executive Officer since 1997. Under Mr. Sugarman's leadership, iStar Financial has become a leading 2 provider of structured financial solutions to high-end private and corporate owners of real estate in the United States. Previously, Mr. Sugarman was president of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P., a private investment partnership specializing in structured real estate finance. Prior to forming Starwood Mezzanine, Mr. Sugarman managed diversified investment funds on behalf of the Burden family, a branch of the Vanderbilts, and the Ziff family. While in that position, he was jointly responsible for the formation of Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. and the formation of HBK Investments, one of the nation's largest convertible arbitrage trading operations. He received his undergraduate degree SUMMA CUM LAUDE from Princeton University, where he was nominated for valedictorian and received the Paul Volcker Award in Economics, and his M.B.A. with high distinction from Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar and recipient of the school's academic prizes for both finance and marketing. Mr. Sugarman is a director of WCI Communities, Inc., a residential developer in Florida. SPENCER B. HABER is Executive Vice President-- Finance, Chief Financial Officer and a director of iStar Financial. Mr. Haber has served as a director of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since June 1999 and Chief Financial Officer since 1998. Mr. Haber maintains primary responsibility for all of iStar Financial's capital-raising initiatives, merger and acquisition activities and external communications. Mr. Haber also sits on iStar Financial's Investment Committee and oversees all finance, hedging, treasury and accounting functions. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Mr. Haber was a senior vice president in Lehman Brothers' global real estate group and was responsible for that firm's real estate mergers and acquisitions business. In addition to his M&A role, Mr. Haber maintained primary client coverage responsibilities in raising equity and debt capital for a wide range of public and private companies, participating in more than $10 billion of transactions. Before Lehman Brothers, Mr. Haber was a member of Salomon Brothers' real estate investment banking unit. At Salomon Brothers, Mr. Haber participated in that firm's principal and advisory real estate activities. Prior to Salomon Brothers, Mr. Haber worked for MIG Capital Management, a joint venture of MIG Companies, a domestic real estate pension fund advisor, and Charterhouse Inc., a British merchant bank. Mr. Haber holds a B.S. degree in economics SUMMA CUM LAUDE and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, where he graduated a Palmer Scholar. He is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and the Urban Land Institute. Mr. Haber also sits on the board of directors of Capital Thinking Inc., an application services provider to the financial services industry. H. CABOT LODGE III has served as a director of iStar Financial since July 2000 and as Executive Vice President-- Investments since March 2000. Mr. Lodge maintains primary responsibility for jointly overseeing iStar Financial's corporate tenant lease investment activity. Prior to joining iStar Financial, Mr. Lodge was a founder and principal of ACRE Partners LLC, a privately held firm focused on providing public and private corporations with highly structured, value-added financing for their corporate property assets. iStar Financial acquired ACRE Partners in March 2000. Mr. Lodge served as chairman of Superconducting Core Technologies, Inc., a wireless communications company from 1995 to 1997 and prior to that was managing director and co-head of investments for W.P. Carey & Co., Inc. from 1983 to 1995. Mr. Lodge is a director of Meristar Hospitality Corporation, High Voltage Engineering Corporation and TelAmerica Media, Inc. Mr. Lodge graduated with honors from Harvard College and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. WILLIS ANDERSEN, JR. has served as a director of iStar Financial since November 1999. Previously, Mr. Andersen served as a director of TriNet Corporate Realty Trust ("TriNet"), which was acquired by iStar Financial, since June 1993. He is a real estate and REIT industry consultant with over 35 years of experience as an advisor, financial consultant and principal in the real estate industry. Mr. Andersen currently specializes in advisory work for publicly-traded real estate companies. Mr. Andersen's real estate career has involved work with Allied Properties Inc. of San Francisco; Bankoh Advisory Corp. of Honolulu; RAMPAC and ICM Property Investors, Inc., which were formerly NYSE-listed REITs; and Bedford Properties, Inc., a commercial property investment and development firm. He is an active member 3 of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, and is a former governor and past president (1980-81) of this organization. He received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. WILLIAM M. MATTHES has served as a director of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since March 1998. Since April 1996, Mr. Matthes has been with Behrman Capital, a New York and San Francisco based private equity investment fund with in excess of $640 million of equity capital under management, as a partner since 1996 and managing partner since 1999. From July 1994 to April 1996, Mr. Matthes was employed as senior vice president and chief operating officer of Holsted Marketing, Inc., a credit card based direct marketing company. Mr. Matthes was a general partner of Brentwood Associates, a private equity investment firm from 1986 to July 1994, and previously was employed as an analyst at Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. Mr. Matthes is a director of The Management Network Group, Condor Systems, Inc., Kinetics Holdings, Inc., Groundswell, Inc., Holsted Marketing, Inc., Holsted, Inc. and several other private companies. Mr. Matthes received an A.B. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. JOHN G. MCDONALD has served as a director of iStar Financial since November 1999. Previously, Professor McDonald served as a director of TriNet since June 1993. He is the IBJ Professor of Finance in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, where he has taught since 1968. Professor McDonald has taught M.B.A. courses and executive programs in subject areas including investment management, private equity, venture capital and corporate finance. He currently serves on the board of directors of Scholastic Corporation, Varian, Inc., Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc., and eight investment companies managed by Capital Research & Management Company. STEPHEN B. ORESMAN has served as a director of iStar Financial since November 1999. Previously, Mr. Oresman served as a director of TriNet since June 1993. He has been the owner and president of Saltash, Ltd., a management consulting firm, since 1991. He was a partner and vice president of The Canaan Group consulting firm from 1988 to 1991. Mr. Oresman's early career included ten years in the manufacturing sector, first with Bausch & Lomb, Inc. in Rochester, New York, and later with Interlake Steel Corp. in Chicago. Subsequently, Mr. Oresman joined Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc., where he spent 19 years, including ten years as managing officer of the firm's eastern region and five years as chairman of Booz Allen & Hamilton International, guiding the firm's activities outside of the U.S. Mr. Oresman later joined the advertising agency BBDO International, as president of the firm's independent marketing companies. Mr. Oresman is a member of the board of directors of Cleveland Cliffs, Inc. and of Technology Solutions Company. Mr. Oresman is a graduate and trustee emeritus of Amherst College and is a graduate of Harvard Business School. BARRY S. STERNLICHT has served as a director of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since March 1994. Mr. Sternlicht is chairman of the Company's Investment Committee. Mr. Sternlicht was chief executive officer of iStar Financial's predecessor from September 1996 to November 1997, and was chairman of the board from September 1996 to April 2000. Mr. Sternlicht was also chairman of the Audit and Compensation Committees of iStar Financial's predecessor from March 1994 until December 1995. He is general manager of Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. and has been the president and chief executive officer of Starwood Capital Group and its predecessor entities since he founded the company in 1991. In addition, Mr. Sternlicht is currently the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and is a director of HealthMarket.com, the Greenwich YMCA and the Harvard Club in New York City. Mr. Sternlicht is on the board of governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the National Multi Housing Council. Mr. Sternlicht is a member of the Young Presidents Organization and is on the board of directors of the Council for Christian and Jewish Understanding, WPBS/Channel 13, the Council for Corporate Philanthropy, the Center for Italy-U.S. Relations, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International and Junior Achievement for Fairfield County, Connecticut. 4 RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the eight named nominees to be elected as directors of the Company. PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS The Board of Directors has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2001, subject to ratification by the shareholders. The Company expects a representative of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to attend the annual meeting to make a statement, if he or she desires, and to respond to appropriate questions. RECOMMENDATION REGARDING RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR ratification of this appointment. OTHER INFORMATION SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS FOR 2002 ANNUAL MEETING Shareholder proposals intended to be presented at the 2002 annual meeting must be sent in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Company at its principal office, addressed to the Secretary of the Company, and must be received by the Company no later than January 1, 2002, for inclusion in the 2002 proxy materials. DIRECTORS OF ISTAR FINANCIAL WHOSE TERMS EXPIRE IN 2002 The following table sets forth the name, age and the position(s) with the Company (if any) currently held by each continuing Class I Director whose term expires at the 2002 annual meeting of shareholders of the Company:
NAME AGE TITLE - -------------------------------------------- -------- --------------------------- Jeffrey G. Dishner(1)....................... 36............................... 37 Director Andrew L. Farkas.................................... 41 Director Madison F. Grose(2)......................... 47................................. 48 Director Robert W. Holman, Jr........................ 57Jr.(2)............................ 58 Director Robin Josephs(3)(4)......................... 41................................. 42 Director Merrick R. Kleeman.......................... 37Kleeman.................................. 38 Director Matthew J. Lustig(3)(4)............................. 41 Director George R. Puskar(1)......................... 57 Director Michael G. Medzigian(3)(4).................. 41................................. 58 Director
- -------------------------- (1) Member of Investment Committee. (2) Member of Nominating and Governance Committee. (3) Member of Audit Committee. (4) Member of Compensation Committee. JEFFREY G. DISHNER has served as a directorone of iStar Financialour (and its predecessor)our predecessor's) directors since March 1998. Mr. Dishner has been a managing director or senior vice president of Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. since September 1994. From 1993 through September 1994, Mr. Dishner was employed by the commercial mortgage finance group of J.P. Morgan & Co., and by JMB Realty Corporation from 1987 through 1991. 5 Mr. Dishner received a B.S. degree from the Wharton School and a M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. ANDREW L. FARKAS has served as one of our directors since May 2001. Mr. Farkas is chairman and chief executive officer of Insignia Financial Group, Inc., a leading international real estate services company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "IFS." Mr. Farkas founded the New York City-based company in December 1990. Previously, Mr. Farkas founded Metropolitan Asset Group, Ltd., a private real estate investment banking and merchant banking firm. Metropolitan Asset Group specialized in securitized real estate transactions including syndication, corporate LBOs and workouts. In 1999, New York Magazine named Mr. Farkas one of the most influential New Yorkers for the Millennium. Mr. Farkas graduated from Harvard University in 1982 with a B.A. degree in econometrics. MADISON F. GROSE has served as a directorone of iStar Financialour directors since November 1999. Mr. Grose is a senior managing director and co-general counsel for Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. Mr. Grose has had general oversight responsibilities for Starwood Capital Group's legal-related issues since 1992. Mr. Grose led the legal negotiations resulting in Starwood Capital Group's contribution of its multifamily portfolio to Equity Residential Properties Trust and had principal responsibilities for structuring the firm's investment in Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and in iStar Financial.our Company. Mr. Grose has beenserved as a trustee or director of Starwood Hotels & Resorts sincefrom December 1994 until May 2001, and previously served as a trustee of iStar Financial'sour predecessor. Mr. Grose received a B.A. degree from Stanford University and a J.D. degree from UCLA School of Law. ROBERT W. HOLMAN, JR. has served as a directorone of iStar Financialour directors since November 1999. Mr. Holman is the co-founder of TriNet Corporate Realty Trust, Inc. (a company that we acquired in 1999), and served as its chief executive officer, and co-chairman from its formation until May 1996, when he becameand chairman of the board. Mr. Holman was reappointed chief executive officer of TriNet in September 1998. He is the co-founder of TriNet's predecessor, Holman/Shidler Corporate Capital, Inc., and for ten years was its chief executive officer and chairman. Additionally, Mr. Holman has served as a senior executive, director or board advisor for numerous companies in the United States, Great Britain and Mexico in the finance, real estate, internet commerce, construction, building materials and travel industries. An economics graduateCurrently, he is a director of Amerivest Properties, Inc., Texas Keystone Algeria, Ltd., Springhill LLC, Abacus L.P. and National Warehouse Investment Corp. He holds a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, Mr. Holman received hisan M.A. degree with 3 honors in economics and planning from Lancaster University in England, where he was a British Council Fellow, and did his post-graduate work at Harvard University where he was awarded a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University.Fellowship. ROBIN JOSEPHS has served as a directorone of iStar Financialour (and its predecessor)our predecessor's) directors since March 1998. Ms. Josephs is chairperson of our Compensation Committee. Ms. Josephs is the managing director of Ropasada, LLC, a private equity fund. Ms. Josephs was employed by Goldman Sachs from 1986 to 1996 in various capacities. Prior to working at Goldman, Ms. Josephs served as an analyst for Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc. in New York from 1982 to 1984. Ms. Josephs received a B.S. degree in economics from the Wharton School and a M.B.A. from Columbia University. MERRICK R. KLEEMAN has served as a directorone of iStar Financialour (and its predecessor)our predecessor's) directors since March 1998. Mr. Kleeman is a senior managing director of Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. Prior to joining Starwood Capital Group in August 1992, Mr. Kleeman was employed by the investment banking division of Merrill Lynch & Co. and by Coastal Management and Consultant, Inc., a real estate investment company. Mr. KleemanHe received a B.A. degree in biology from Dartmouth College and a M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. Mr. Kleeman is a director of Troon Golf, a leading manager of upscale golf properties, and is a member of the board of trustees of Hopkins School. MATTHEW J. LUSTIG has served as one of our directors since February 2002. Mr. Lustig is a managing principal of Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors L.L.C. ("LFREI") and a managing director of Lazard Freres & Co. LLC, responsible for its real estate investment, banking and strategic advisory services. Prior to joining Lazard Freres in 1989, Mr. Lustig worked for Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. and Chase Manhattan Bank. Mr. Lustig received a B.S.F.S. degree from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. GEORGE R. PUSKAR has served as a directorone of iStar Financialour directors since November 1999. Previously, Mr. Puskar served as a director of TriNet since January 1998. From June 1997 until June 2000, Mr. Puskar served as chairman of the board of Lend Lease Real Estate Investments (formerly known as ERE Yarmouth), the U.S. real estate unit of Lend Lease Corporation, an international financial services and real estate company based in Sydney, Australia. From 1988 until June 1997, Mr. Puskar was chairman and chief executive officer of Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Inc., where he was responsible for directing the business operations of a full service commercial real estate investment management company with approximately $30 billion in assets under management. Prior to its acquisition by Lend Lease Corporation in June 1997, Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Inc. operated as a subsidiary of The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. Mr. Puskar is a member of the Counselors of Real Estate. Mr. Puskar has served as a member of the board of directors of Carr Real Estate Investment Trust, a NYSE-listed REIT, from 1993 to 1997, and on an advisory board at Georgia State University. Mr. Puskar has also served on the boards of the Urban Land Institute, the International Council of Shopping Centers, the National Council of Real Estate Fiduciaries and the National Realty Committee, and as chairman of a campaign to endow a real estate chair at Clark Atlanta University/Morehouse College. Currently, he is active as the vice chairman of World Team Sports, an organization 6 that specializes in unique athletic events with teams built around disabled athletes. Mr. Puskar received a B.A. degree from Duquesne University. MICHAEL G. MEDZIGIAN becameRECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE ELECTION OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the eight named nominees to be elected as our directors. 4 PROPOSAL 2: APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE HIGH PERFORMANCE UNIT PROGRAM Equity-linked compensation is a key component of our overall compensation program. To date, we have used stock options and restricted stock awards issued under our Long-Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP"). However, the remaining number of shares available under the LTIP is extremely limited. We believe that options do not optimally align the interests of employees with the long-term interests of shareholders because they can increase in value during periods of relative underperformance. In addition, options do not adequately reflect the substantial dividend-paying nature of our shares. In order to better align shareholder and employee interests and to ensure that we can continue to attract and retain qualified personnel, we are proposing that you approve a new equity-linked compensation program described below, which we are calling the iStar Financial High Performance Unit Program. The program is a performance-based compensation plan that only has material value to the participants if we create superior returns for our shareholders. To implement this program, we will create a new class of equity known as "High Performance Common Stock." A total of 25,000 shares of High Performance Common Stock will be authorized for issuance under the program. Initially, approximately 35 employees will be offered the opportunity to purchase the High Performance Common Stock through a limited liability company (the "LLC"). The purchase price will be approved by the Board based upon, among other things, an independent valuation completed by a major securities firm, as reviewed by our outside auditors. The employees will purchase an interest in the LLC and the LLC will use the funds to purchase the High Performance Common Stock from the Company. Provided that the Company exceeds certain performance levels, the High Performance Common Stock will pay quarterly cash distributions in the nature of common stock dividends. If performance does not exceed those levels, then the employees' investment will be worth virtually nothing. There will initially be three plans within the program. Each plan will have 5,000 shares of High Performance Common Stock associated with it. One plan (the "2002 Plan") will have a valuation date of December 31, 2002; the second plan (the "2003 Plan") will have a valuation date of December 31, 2003; and the third plan (the "2004 Plan") will have a valuation date of December 31, 2004. The valuation date for each plan will be accelerated if there is a change of control of the Company. The significance of a valuation date is described below. We expect in the future to create two more plans under the program, one with a valuation date in 2005, and one with a valuation date in 2006. The initial purchase price for plan units in these two plans will be approved by the Board based upon, among other things, a valuation of our common stock at the time that those plans are commenced. In addition, the Board will approve the particular terms for those plans, including the threshold performance levels and the percentage of excess returns payable to the plan participants. Each of those plans will have 5,000 shares of high performance common stock associated with it. An investment in High Performance Common Stock through the LLC will have the following characteristics: - INITIAL PURCHASE PRICE. As of April 3, 2002, the fair market values of the 5,000 shares of High Performance Common Stock underlying each of the plans were approximately $3.0 million for the 2002 Plan, $1.9 million for the 2003 Plan, $1.4 million for the 2004 Plan, and $6.3 million for the three plans in the aggregate. A range of assumptions were used to derive the plan values. The midpoint figures for the primary assumptions are a volatility rate of 15.00%, a dividend growth rate of 3.00%, a discount rate of 20.00%, a liquidity discount of 35.00%, a non-voting discount of 5.00%, and a forfeiture discount of 15.00%. Assuming our shareholders approve the program at the annual meeting, the fair market value of the plans will be updated as necessary to reflect changes in the fair market value that may have occurred since April 3, 2002. We expect to establish the final purchase 5 prices for plan units at such time as our Compensation Committee approves the final allocation of units among plan participants. We expect that this will occur after the annual meeting, but prior to June 30, 2002. The valuation date for each plan will remain December 31, 2002, 2003 or 2004, as applicable. Depending upon our total rate of return since April 3, 2002 relative to the threshold performance levels discussed below, participants in the plans may therefore be required to pay a higher or lower purchase price for plan units than the figures shown above. Employees who are offered the opportunity to invest in High Performance Common Stock will pay a purchase price equal to the final fair market valuations approved by the Board based upon, among other things, an updated independent valuation as reviewed by our outside auditors. Participants in the 2002 Plan must pay the full purchase price for 2002 Plan units in cash upon the commencement of the program. Participants in the 2003 and 2004 Plans will subscribe for units in those plans at the commencement of the program and will be obligated to deliver the purchase price for 2003 Plan units and 2004 Plan units to the Company by January 1, 2003 and January 1, 2004, respectively. We will not loan money to employees to enable them to pay the purchase price. The employees will be personally at risk for the entire purchase price. - VALUE. Prior to the valuation date for each plan, the High Performance Common Stock will have little intrinsic value. Each share of High Performance Common Stock will carry 0.25 votes and pay dividends equal to 0.01 times the dividend paid on a share of our common stock, if and when dividends are declared on our common stock. No employee will be permitted to exchange his or her interest in the LLC for shares of the High Performance Common Stock prior to the applicable valuation date. - THRESHOLD PERFORMANCE LEVELS. The High Performance Common Stock will continue to have only the nominal value described above unless, on the applicable valuation date, the one-year, two-year or three-year total rate of return (dividends paid plus share price appreciation), depending upon the particular plan, on a share of our common stock exceeds THE GREATER OF: (1) 10.00%, 20.00% or 30.00%, in the case of the 2002 Plan, the 2003 Plan and the 2004 Plan, respectively, and (2) a weighted industry index total rate of return consisting of equal weightings of the Russell 1000 Financial Index and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index for the one-year, two-year or three-year time period, as applicable, leading up to the particular plan valuation date. In determining share price appreciation for purposes of calculating the total rate of return of our common stock and of the benchmark indices, we will compare the value of our common stock or the indices, as applicable, on the first trading date of the relevant measurement period to the average closing values of our common stock or the indices, as applicable, for the last 20 trading days of the measurement period. - EXCESS RETURN. If the total rate of return on our common stock exceeds the threshold performance levels for a particular plan, then distributions will be paid on the shares of High Performance Common Stock related to that plan in the same amounts and at the same times as distributions are paid on a number of shares of our common stock equal to the following: 7.50% of our excess total rate of return (over the higher of the two threshold performance levels) multiplied by the weighted average market value of our common equity capitalization during the measurement period, all as divided by the average closing price of a share of our common stock for the 20 trading days immediately preceding the applicable valuation date. These distributions will be passed through to the employees who hold interests in the LLC. - DILUTION. Regardless of how much our total rate of return exceeds the threshold performance levels, the dilutive impact to our shareholders resulting from distributions on High Performance Common Stock in each plan will be limited to 1.00% of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding, on a fully diluted basis, on the valuation date for each plan. - RIGHT TO EXCHANGE. No employee will have the right to hold directly the High Performance Common Stock prior to the applicable valuation date. Until that time, all High Performance Common Stock 6 will be held in the LLC. From and after the applicable valuation date, an employee will have the right to exchange his or her interests in the LLC for his or her pro rata portion of the High Performance Common Stock. - CONVERSION; NO PUBLIC MARKET. Even following a valuation date upon which the threshold performance levels are achieved, the High Performance Common Stock can never be converted into our common stock, and no organized market is expected to develop in the High Performance Common Stock. The shares will not be listed or traded on any exchange. Employees may transfer High Performance Common Stock to third parties, including family members, subject to applicable securities laws, so long as we play no role in the transfer; provided, however, that no employee may transfer more than 50.00% of his or her High Performance Common Stock from the 2002 Plan prior to January 1, 2005. - TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. If an employee leaves or is terminated for cause before the valuation date for a plan, the Company will have the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase the employee's entire interest in the plans at cost (by causing the LLC to repurchase the employee's interest in the LLC at cost, with the Company then repurchasing the equivalent number of shares of High Performance Common Stock from the LLC). If an employee is terminated for cause after the valuation date for the 2002 Plan, the Company (through the LLC as described in the preceding sentence) will have the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase 50.00% of the interests earned by the employee in that plan at cost. Subject to the next sentence, if an employee is terminated without cause, the Company will have the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase the employee's LLC interests that will reach a valuation date within 12 months at fair market value and any other LLC interests held by the employee at cost. Each employee will be subject to customary non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality covenants until January 1, 2005, and the Company will have the right, but not the obligation, to repurchase at cost 50.00% of the interests earned by an employee in the 2002 Plan if the employee breaches such covenants. - CHANGE OF CONTROL. Upon a change of control of the Company that results in an exchange by our common shareholders of their shares for cash or shares in the acquiring company, shares of High Performance Common Stock will be exchanged for the same consideration as will be received in the transaction by holders of our common stock. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE HIGH PERFORMANCE UNIT PROGRAM WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL EFFECT OF THE PROGRAM ON FUTURE EARNINGS PER SHARE? If the total return on our common stock exceeds BOTH of the threshold performance levels set for a plan, then the holders of interests in High Performance Common Stock would be entitled to a percentage of future distributions made by us. This would have a dilutive effect on the future earnings per share of our common stock, and on our equity ownership after the applicable valuation date if one assumes that the High Performance Common Stock program did not have an offsetting incentive effect that resulted in increased earnings. However, the maximum dilutive effect for each plan is limited to 1.00% of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding, on a fully diluted basis, on the relevant valuation date. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM? The program will initially be offered to approximately 35 key senior employees; it is the Company's intention to further expand participation in future plans. Neither our Chief Executive Officer nor our President will be eligible to participate. We do not plan to allocate all of the plan units in the first instance; we will retain some plan units for future employees. We initially plan to issue up to 15,000 plan units in the aggregate. The size of individual plan unit holdings will range from approximately 38 to 1,738 units. 7 WHY DID THE BOARD APPROVE THE RUSSELL 1000 FINANCIAL INDEX AND THE MORGAN STANLEY REIT INDEX? The Board has approved an equal weighting of the Russell 1000 Financial Index and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index because it believes that these indices and their relative weighting most accurately capture the nature of our business as a financial services company focused on the real estate industry. These two indices are the financial services and real estate indices most widely reported and accepted among institutional investors. The Board of Directors may approve a different index if it determines that these indices are no longer an appropriate basis of comparison for the Company's total rate of return, or if either index ceases to be reported. HOW WILL THE TOTAL RATE OF RETURN BE MEASURED? When we determine the "total rate of return" for any security and for any period, we will measure the sum of the cumulative amount of dividends paid in respect of the security for the period (assuming reinvestment of all cash dividends), plus the appreciation in share price over the period, and divide that total by the security price at the beginning of the measurement period. WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE PROGRAM TO THE COMPANY AND OUR SHAREHOLDERS? Advantages to Shareholders: - The proposed program aligns the interest of management with those of shareholders by directly tying compensation to superior outperformance for our shareholders on both a relative and absolute basis. - The cost of the plan units to the Company is nominal unless total returns to shareholders exceed the threshold performance levels. - The sale of plan units to participants gives them a long-term financial stake in the Company with both upside AND downside potential, and the units will be illiquid (no trading market; not convertible into common stock) if they are earned. - The program includes strong disincentives for employees to leave the Company, in the form of a potential forfeiture to the Company of plan units at cost, as well as the Company's right to repurchase 50.00% of units earned, if any, in the 2002 Plan, should the participant be terminated for cause or voluntarily resign and thereafter compete with the Company or solicit its employees. Disadvantages to Shareholders: - If the program is successful, there is a potential for dilution of earnings. To address this issue, dilution will be capped at 1.00% (of total shares outstanding) for each plan. - Although we do not believe that the sale of the new High Performance Common Stock will have an anti-takeover effect, the High Performance Common Stock could increase the potential cost of acquiring control of the Company and thereby discourage an attempt to take control of the Company. However, the Board is not aware of any attempt to take control of the Company and the Board has not approved the sale of the new High Performance Common Stock with the intention of discouraging any such attempt. - Existing tax and accounting authority does not specifically address the proposed program; therefore, it is possible that the characterization of the program for tax and accounting purposes could be different in the future. 8 * * * * * The tables below illustrate the value of each of the three plans on the relevant valuation date under different circumstances. Each table demonstrates the value of the High Performance Common Stock at given prices for our common stock and the total return calculated at that price compared to the threshold performance levels. For purposes of this illustration, the "value" of each plan is calculated by multiplying: (1) 7.50% of the amount by which the total rate of return on our common stock exceeds the greater of (a) 10.00%, 20.00% or 30.00%, depending upon the particular plan, and (b) the return on our designated indices (50.00% of each of the Russell 1000 Financial Index and Morgan Stanley REIT Index), by (2) the weighted average market value of our common equity capitalization over the relevant measurement period. Except as otherwise indicated, it is assumed, for purposes of the illustration shown below that: (1) the valuation date is December 31, 2002 for the 2002 Plan, December 31, 2003 for the 2003 Plan and December 31, 2004 for the 2004 Plan, and (2) the Russell 1000 Financial Index and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index have annual total rates of return of 13.50% (for the 2002 Plan), 28.85% (for the 2003 Plan) and 46.29% (for the 2004 Plan). The tables below are for illustrative purposes only and there can be no assurance that actual outcomes will be within the ranges used. Some of the factors that could affect the results set forth in the table are the total return of our common stock relative to the total return of the Russell 1000 Financial Index and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index, and the market value of our average outstanding common equity during the relevant measurement period. These factors may be affected by general economic conditions, capital market conditions, interest rates, real estate market conditions and our dividend policy. 2002 PLAN 5,000 Units High Performance Common Stock $3,000,000 Cash Proceeds to Company from Initial Investment(1)
ISTAR AVERAGE TOTAL OUTPERFORMANCE FINANCIAL BENCHMARK MARKET SHAREHOLDER SHAREHOLDER STOCK TOTAL MINIMUM INDICES OUTPERFORMANCE CAPITALIZATION(4) RETURNS VALUE ADDED(5) PRICE RETURN(2) RETURN TOTAL RETURN RETURN(3) (THOUSANDS) (THOUSANDS) (THOUSANDS) - --------------------- --------- --------- ------------ -------------- ----------------- ----------- -------------- 24.00..$...... 6.29% 10.00% 13.50% 0.00% $2,126,544 $ 139,111 $ 0 24.50........ 8.30% 10.00% 13.50% 0.00% 2,170,847 183,414 0 25.00........ 10.30% 10.00% 13.50% 0.00% 2,215,150 227,717 0 25.50........ 12.30% 10.00% 13.50% 0.00% 2,259,453 272,020 0 26.00........ 14.31% 10.00% 13.50% 0.81% 2,303,756 316,323 18,629 26.50........ 16.31% 10.00% 13.50% 2.81% 2,348,059 360,626 66,042 27.00........ 18.32% 10.00% 13.50% 4.82% 2,392,362 404,929 115,231 27.50........ 20.32% 10.00% 13.50% 6.82% 2,436,665 449,232 166,196 NOMINAL VALUE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE STOCK UNITS(6) PRICE (THOUSANDS) - --------------------- ------------- 24.00..$...... $ 1 24.50........ 1 25.00........ 1 25.50........ 1 26.00........ 1,397 26.50........ 4,953 27.00........ 8,642 27.50........ 12,465
- ------------------------------ (1) If "Outperformance Shareholder Value Added" is $0, the "Cash Proceeds to Company from Initial Investment" is calculated by subtracting the "Nominal Value of High Performance Units" from $3,000,000, which is the purchase price of 5,000 units in the 2002 Plan. (2) iStar Financial Total Return is calculated as follows: ((Stock Price + 2002 Annual Dividend) - $24.95) / $24.95 where 2002 Annual Dividend equals $2.52. (3) Outperformance Return is the amount, if any, by which the total return of the iStar Financial common stock over the measurement period exceeds the Minimum Return or the Benchmark Indices Total Return, which consists of equal weightings of the Russell 1000 Financial Index and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index during the measurement period. (4) Assumes the market value of outstanding common equity (iStar Financial common stock) at December 31, 2002 throughout the measurement period. (5) "Outperformance Shareholder Value Added" is calculated by multiplying the Outperformance Return by the average market capitalization. 9 (6) The "Value of High Performance Units" is calculated by multiplying the Outperformance Shareholder Value Added by 7.50%. If Outperformance Shareholder Return is $0, the Value of High Performance Units is calculated by multiplying the stock price by stock price by 50 plan units. The initial investment of HPUs will continue to be treated as contributed equity on the balance sheet of the Company. 2003 PLAN 5,000 Units High Performance Common Stock $1,900,000 Cash Proceeds to Company from Initial Investment(1)
ISTAR TOTAL OUTPERFORMANCE FINANCIAL BENCHMARK AVERAGE MARKET SHAREHOLDER SHAREHOLDER STOCK TOTAL MINIMUM INDICES OUTPERFORMANCE CAPITALIZATION(4) RETURNS VALUE ADDED(5) PRICE RETURN(2) RETURN TOTAL RETURN RETURN(3) (THOUSANDS) (THOUSANDS) (THOUSANDS) - --------------------- --------- --------- ------------ -------------- ----------------- ----------- -------------- 24.00..$...... 16.71% 20.00% 28.85% 0.00% $2,126,544 $ 369,487 $ 0 25.00........ 20.72% 20.00% 28.85% 0.00% 2,215,150 458,093 0 26.00........ 24.73% 20.00% 28.85% 0.00% 2,303,756 546,699 0 27.00........ 28.74% 20.00% 28.85% 0.00% 2,392,362 635,305 0 28.00........ 32.75% 20.00% 28.85% 3.90% 2,480,968 723,911 89,858 29.00........ 36.75% 20.00% 28.85% 7.91% 2,569,574 812,517 185,696 30.00........ 40.76% 20.00% 28.85% 11.92% 2,658,180 901,123 285,086 31.00........ 44.77% 20.00% 28.85% 15.92% 2,746,786 989,729 388,028 NOMINAL VALUE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE STOCK UNITS(6) PRICE (THOUSANDS) - --------------------- ------------- 24.00..$...... $ 1 25.00........ 1 26.00........ 1 27.00........ 1 28.00........ 6,739 29.00........ 13,927 30.00........ 21,381 31.00........ 27,468(7)
- ------------------------------ (1) If "Outperformance Shareholder Value Added" is $0, the "Cash Proceeds to Company from Initial Investment" is calculated by subtracting the "Nominal Value of High Performance Units" from $1,900,000, which is the purchase price of 5,000 units in the 2003 Plan. (2) iStar Financial Total Return is calculated as follows: ((Stock Price + 2002 and 2003 Annual Dividends) - $24.95) / $24.95 where 2003 Annual Dividend equals $2.60. (3) Outperformance Return is the amount, if any, by which the total return of the iStar Financial common stock over the measurement period exceeds the Minimum Return or the Benchmark Indices Total Return, which consists of equal weightings of the Russell 1000 Financial Index and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index during the measurement period. (4) Assumes the market value of outstanding common equity (iStar Financial common stock) at December 31, 2003 throughout the measurement period. (5) "Outperformance Shareholder Value Added" is calculated by multiplying the Outperformance Return by the average market capitalization. (6) The "Value of High Performance Units" is calculated by multiplying the Outperformance Shareholder Value Added by 7.50%. If Outperformance Shareholder Return is $0, the Value of High Performance Units is calculated by multiplying the stock price by stock price by 50 plan units. The initial investment of HPUs will continue to be treated as contributed equity on the balance sheet of the Company. (7) The maximum dilution for the High Performance Units is 1.00% of the Company's total weighted average outstanding shares of common stock on a diluted basis. 10 2004 PLAN 5,000 Units High Performance Common Stock $1,360,000 Cash Proceeds to Company from Initial Investment(1)
ISTAR TOTAL OUTPERFORMANCE FINANCIAL BENCHMARK AVERAGE MARKET SHAREHOLDER SHAREHOLDER STOCK TOTAL MINIMUM INDICES OUTPERFORMANCE CAPITALIZATION(4) RETURNS VALUE ADDED(5) PRICE RETURN(2) RETURN TOTAL RETURN RETURN(3) (THOUSANDS) (THOUSANDS) (THOUSANDS) - --------------------- --------- --------- ------------ -------------- ----------------- ----------- -------------- 24.00..$...... 27.54% 30.00% 46.29% 0.00% $2,126,544 $ 608,723 $ 0 25.50........ 33.55% 30.00% 46.29% 0.00% 2,259,453 741,632 0 27.00........ 39.56% 30.00% 46.29% 0.00% 2,392,362 874,541 0 28.50........ 45.57% 30.00% 46.29% 0.00% 2,525,271 1,007,450 0 30.00........ 51.58% 30.00% 46.29% 5.29% 2,658,180 1,140,359 128,191 31.50........ 57.60% 30.00% 46.29% 11.31% 2,791,089 1,273,268 278,805 33.00........ 63.61% 30.00% 46.29% 17.32% 2,923,998 1,406,177 434,745 34.50........ 69.62% 30.00% 46.29% 23.33% 3,056,907 1,539,086 596,013 NOMINAL VALUE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE STOCK UNITS(6) PRICE (THOUSANDS) - --------------------- ------------- 24.00..$...... $ 1 25.50........ 1 27.00........ 1 28.50........ 1 30.00........ 9,614 31.50........ 20,910 33.00........ 29,240(7) 34.50........ 30,569(7)
- ------------------------------ (1) If "Outperformance Shareholder Value Added" is $0, the "Cash Proceeds to Company from Initial Investment" is calculated by subtracting the "Nominal Value of High Performance Units" from $1,360,000, which is the purchase price of 5,000 units in the 2004 Plan. (2) iStar Financial Total Return is calculated as follows: ((Stock Price + 2002, 2003 and 2004 Annual Dividends) - $24.95) / $24.95 where 2004 Annual Dividend equals $2.70. (3) Outperformance Return is the amount, if any, by which the total return of the iStar Financial common stock over the measurement period exceeds the Minimum Return or the Benchmark Indices Total Return, which consists of equal weightings of the Russell 1000 Financial Index and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index during the measurement period. (4) Assumes the market value of outstanding common equity (iStar Financial common stock) at December 31, 2004 throughout the measurement period. (5) "Outperformance Shareholder Value Added" is calculated by multiplying the Outperformance Return by the average market capitalization. (6) The "Value of High Performance Units" is calculated by multiplying the Outperformance Shareholder Value Added by 7.50%. If Outperformance Shareholder Return is $0, the Value of High Performance Units is calculated by multiplying the stock price by stock price by 50 plan units. The initial investment of HPUs will continue to be treated as contributed equity on the balance sheet of the Company. (7) The maximum dilution for the High Performance Units is 1.00% of the Company's total weighted average outstanding shares of common stock on a diluted basis. RECOMMENDATION REGARDING APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE ISTAR FINANCIAL INC. HIGH PERFORMANCE UNIT PROGRAM The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR approval and adoption of the program. SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. has delivered to us a proxy approving the proposal to adopt the High Performance Unit Program. The proxy will become irrevocable if certain conditions are met. PROPOSAL 3: RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS The Board of Directors has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2002, subject to ratification by our shareholders. We expect a representative of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to attend the annual meeting to make a statement, if he or she desires, and to respond to appropriate questions. RECOMMENDATION REGARDING RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP The Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR ratification of this appointment. 11 OTHER INFORMATION WHO ARE THE OTHER DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY? The following table sets forth the name, age and the position(s) with iStar Financial (if any) currently held by each continuing Class II Director whose term expires at our 2003 annual meeting of shareholders:
NAME AGE TITLE - ------------------------------------------ -------- ------------------------------------------ Jay Sugarman(1)........................... 40 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Spencer B. Haber(1)....................... 33 President, Chief Financial Officer and Director H. Cabot Lodge III........................ 46 Executive Vice President--Investments and Director Willis Andersen, Jr.(2)................... 70 Director William M. Matthes........................ 42 Director John G. McDonald(3)(4).................... 64 Director Stephen B. Oresman(3)..................... 69 Director Barry S. Sternlicht(1).................... 41 Director
- -------------------------- (1) Member of Investment Committee. (2) Member of Audit Committee. (3) Member of Compensation Committee. (4) Member of Nominating and Governance Committee. JAY SUGARMAN is our Chairman of the Board and our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Sugarman has served as Chief Executive Officer since 1997 and as one of our (and our predecessor's) directors since 1996. As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Sugarman has built iStar Financial's total market capitalization from under $30 million to over $5 billion. Previously, Mr. Sugarman was president and co-general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P., a private investment partnership specializing in structured real estate finance. Prior to forming Starwood Mezzanine, Mr. Sugarman managed diversified investment funds on behalf of the Burden family, a branch of the Vanderbilt family, and the Ziff family. While in that position, he was jointly responsible for the formation of Starwood Capital and the formation of HBK Investments, one of the nation's largest convertible arbitrage trading operations. He received his undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Princeton University, where he was nominated for valedictorian and received the Paul Volcker Award in Economics, and his M.B.A. with highest distinction from Harvard Business School, graduating as a Baker Scholar and recipient of the school's academic prizes for both finance and marketing. Mr. Sugarman is a director of iStarWCI Communities, Inc. SPENCER B. HABER is our President and Chief Financial Officer and one of our directors. Mr. Haber has served as one of our (and our predecessor's) directors since 1999, Chief Financial Officer since 1998 and President since June 2001. Mr. Haber maintains primary responsibility for all of our capital-raising initiatives, merger and acquisition activities and external communications. Mr. Haber also sits on our internal and Board Investment Committees and oversees all finance, hedging, treasury and accounting functions. Prior to joining us, Mr. Haber was a senior vice president in FebruaryLehman Brothers' global real estate group and was responsible for that firm's real estate mergers and acquisitions business. In addition to his M&A role, Mr. Haber maintained primary client coverage responsibilities in raising equity and debt capital for a wide range of public and private companies, participating in more than $10 billion of transactions. Before Lehman Brothers, Mr. Haber was a member of Salomon Brothers' real estate investment banking unit. At Salomon Brothers, Mr. Haber participated in that firm's principal and advisory real estate activities. Prior to Salomon Brothers, Mr. Haber worked for MIG Capital Management, a joint venture of MIG Companies, a domestic real estate pension fund advisor, and Charterhouse Inc., a British merchant bank. Mr. Haber holds a B.S. degree in economics summa cum laude and an M.B.A. from the Wharton 12 School, where he graduated a Palmer Scholar. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute and sits on the board of directors of Capital Thinking Inc., an enterprise software provider to the financial services industry. H. CABOT LODGE III has served as one of our directors since July 2000 and as Executive Vice President-Investments since March 2000, and maintains primary responsibility for jointly overseeing our corporate tenant lease investment activity. Prior to joining us, Mr. Lodge was a founder and principal of ACRE Partners LLC, a privately held firm focused on providing public and private corporations with highly structured, value-added financing for their corporate real estate facilities. Mr. Lodge served as chairman of Superconducting Core Technologies, Inc., a wireless communications company from 1995 to 1997, and prior to that was managing director and co-head of investments for W.P. Carey & Co., Inc. from 1983 to 1995. Mr. Lodge is a director of Meristar Hospitality Corporation, High Voltage Engineering Corporation and TelAmerica Media, Inc. Mr. Lodge graduated with honors from Harvard College and received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. WILLIS ANDERSEN, JR. has served as one of our directors since November 1999. Previously, Mr. Andersen served as a director of TriNet Corporate Realty Trust, Inc. since June 1993. Mr. Andersen is chairman of our Audit Committee. He is a real estate and REIT industry consultant with over 35 years of experience as an advisor, financial consultant and principal in the real estate industry. Mr. Andersen currently specializes in advisory work for publicly-traded real estate companies. Mr. Andersen's real estate career has involved work with Allied Properties Inc. of San Francisco; Bankoh Advisory Corp. of Honolulu; RAMPAC and ICM Property Investors, Inc., which were formerly NYSE-listed REITs and Bedford Properties, Inc., a commercial property investment and development firm. He is an active member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, and is a former governor and past president (1980-81) of this organization. He received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley. WILLIAM M. MATTHES has served as one of our (and our predecessor's) directors since March 1998. Since April 1996, Mr. Matthes has been with Behrman Capital, a New York and San Francisco based private equity investment fund with in excess of $640 million of equity capital under management, as a partner since 1996 and managing partner since 1999. From July 1994 to April 1996, Mr. Matthes was employed as senior vice president and chief operating officer of Holsted Marketing, Inc., a credit card-based direct marketing company. Mr. Matthes was a general partner of Brentwood Associates, a private equity investment firm from 1986 to July 1994, and previously was employed as an analyst at Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. Mr. Matthes is a director of The Management Network Group, Condor Systems, Inc., Kinetics Holdings, Inc., Groundswell, Inc., Holsted Marketing, Inc., Holsted, Inc. and several other private companies. Mr. Matthes received an A.B. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. JOHN G. MCDONALD has served as one of our directors since November 1999. Previously, Professor McDonald served as a director of TriNet since June 1993. Professor McDonald is chairman of our Nominating and Governance Committee. He is the IBJ Professor of Finance in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, where he has taught since 1968. Professor McDonald has taught M.B.A. courses and executive programs in subject areas including investment management, private equity, venture capital and corporate finance. He currently serves as a director of Scholastic Corporation, Varian, Inc., Plum Creek Timber Co., Inc., Capstone Turbine Corp. and eight investment companies managed by Capital Research & Management Company. STEPHEN B. ORESMAN has served as one of our directors since November 1999. Previously, Mr. Oresman served as a director of TriNet since June 1993. He has been the owner and president of Saltash, Ltd., a management consulting firm, since 1991. He was a partner and vice president of The Canaan Group consulting firm from 1988 to 1991. Mr. Oresman's early career included ten years in the manufacturing sector, first with Bausch & Lomb, Inc. in Rochester, New York, and later with Interlake Steel Corp. in Chicago. Subsequently, Mr. Oresman joined Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc., where he spent 19 years, 13 including ten years as managing officer of the firm's eastern region and five years as chairman of Booz Allen & Hamilton International, guiding the firm's activities outside of the U.S. Mr. Oresman later joined the advertising agency BBDO International, as president of the firm's independent marketing companies. Mr. Oresman is a member of the board of directors of Cleveland Cliffs, Inc. and of Technology Solutions Company. Mr. Oresman is a graduate and trustee emeritus of Amherst College and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School. BARRY S. STERNLICHT has served as one of our (and our predecessor's) directors since March 1994. Mr. Sternlicht is chairman of our Investment Committee. Mr. Sternlicht was chief executive officer of our predecessor from September 1996 to November 1997, and was chairman of the board from September 1996 to April 2000. Mr. MedzigianSternlicht was also chairman of the Audit and Compensation Committees of our predecessor from March 1994 until December 1995. He is founder and general manager of Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. and co-founder of its predecessor entities in 1991, and has been the president and chief executive officer of Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors L.L.C. ("LFREI")Starwood Capital Group since its formation. In addition, Mr. Sternlicht is currently the chief executive officer and a managing director of Lazard Freres & Co. LLC ("Lazard Freres"). LFREI is the general partner of four private real estate funds, sponsored by Lazard Freres, which have invested nearly $3 billion of equity capital since 1994. Lazard Freres is a private investment bank with offices in 15 countries that is active in banking, asset management, capital markets and alternative investments. Mr. Medzigian was previously a founding partner of Olympus Real Estate Corporation, which during his tenure invested over $3 billion in a broad range of real estate assets, securities and operating companies. He was previously president of Cohen Realty Services, a Chicago-based real estate investment services firm, and he also founded and was national directorchairman of the Hospitality Consulting Practice at Deloitteboard of directors of Starwood Hotels & Touche. Mr. Medzigian is a graduate of Cornell UniversityResorts Worldwide, Inc. and is a director of American Apartment Communities III,HealthMarket Inc., Atria Inc., Kapson Senior Quarters Corp., DP Operating Partnership, L.P., The American Seniors Housing Associationthe Greenwich YMCA and The Rubenstein Company, L.P. Hethe Harvard Club in New York City. Mr. Sternlicht is a member of the Cornell Real Estateboard of directors of the Council the Cornell Hotel Society, the National Multi Housing Council, the New York Hospitality Council, Inc., the Pension Real Estate Association, the Urban Land Institutefor Christian and Jewish Understanding, is a member of the Young President's Organization.Presidents Organization, is on the board of directors of the Business Committee for the Arts, the Council for Italian-American Relations, the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Junior Achievement for Fairfield County, Connecticut, and is a member of the board of trustees of Thirteen/WNET. INFORMATION REGARDING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES Director RelationshipsHOW OFTEN DID THE BOARD MEET DURING 2001? During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, the Board of Directors held 20 meetings. All directors attended at least 75% of all Board meetings and applicable committee meetings. WHAT COMMITTEES HAS THE BOARD ESTABLISHED? The Board of Directors has standing Audit, Compensation, Investment and Nominating and Governance Committees. The Audit Committee The Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things, considering the appointment of our independent auditors, reviewing with the auditors the plan and scope of the audit and audit fees, monitoring the adequacy of reporting and internal controls and meeting periodically with management and our independent auditors. The Audit Committee is composed of Willis Andersen, Jr. (Chairman), Robin Josephs and Matthew J. Lustig, each of whom is independent as defined by the Audit Committee Charter and the New York Stock Exchange listing standards. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board of Directors in 2000. The Audit Committee met ten times during 2001. The Compensation Committee The Compensation Committee is composed of Robin Josephs (Chairperson), Matthew J. Lustig, John G. McDonald and Stephen B. Oresman, none of whom is an officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The functions of the Compensation Committee are described under the Report of Compensation Committee contained elsewhere in this proxy statement. The Compensation Committee met 22 times during 2001. 14 The Nominating and Governance Committee The Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for recommending to the Board of Directors individuals to serve as our directors and officers. The Nominating and Governance Committee may also consider nominees for election as directors made by shareholders and delivered to our Secretary. Additionally, the Nominating and Governance Committee is responsible for considering and recommending to the Board of Directors other actions relating to corporate governance matters. John G. McDonald (Chairman), Robert W. Holman, Jr. and Madison F. Grose currently serve on the Nominating and Governance Committee. During 2001, there were five meetings of the Nominating and Governance Committee. The Investment Committee The Board of Directors has delegated to the Investment Committee the authority to authorize investment transactions by us of between $30 million and $50 million. Jeffrey G. Dishner, Spencer B. Haber, George R. Puskar, Barry S. Sternlicht (Chairman) and Jay Sugarman currently serve on the Investment Committee. During 2001, there were five meetings of the Investment Committee. ARE THERE ANY ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WHICH MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD SERVE AS DIRECTORS? Except as described in this paragraph and as described below under "Employment Agreements," no other arrangement or understanding exists between any director and any other person or persons pursuant to which any director was or is to be selected as a director or nominee. Mr. Lustig has been designated as a Board member by the holders of our Series A preferred stock. The holders of our Series A preferred stock have the right to designate one person as a nominee to our Board for so long as affiliates of Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors L.L.C. own at least 50% of the outstanding Series A preferred stock. SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. has agreed to vote all of its common stock in favor of the Lazard designee's election to the Board. We have agreed to use our best efforts to include the Lazard designee on the Audit and Compensation Committees of our Board. Mr. Lustig has agreed to resign from our Board if requested by Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors L.L.C. When we acquired American Corporate Real Estate, LLC, we agreed to use our best efforts to nominate H. Cabot Lodge III to our Board of Directors. Each of Messrs. Dishner, Grose and Kleeman has agreed in writing to resign as a director at the request ofif requested by Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. or persons who control that entity. ARE THERE ANY OTHER RELATIONSHIPS AMONG MEMBERS OF OUR BOARD? Messrs. Dishner, Grose and Kleeman are employed by Starwood Capital Group, LLC, an entity controlled by Barry S. Sternlicht, a directorone of the Company. Mr. Medzigian has agreedour directors. Messrs. Dishner, Grose, Kleeman, Sugarman and Sternlicht own interests in writing to resign as a director at the requestSOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C., which owns 38.7% of Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors L.L.C. None of the directors, including the nominees, has any family relationship between them nor with any other director or executive officer of the Company. Report of the Audit Committee The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors is composed of four independent directors and operates under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board of Directors in 2000. A copy of the Audit Committee Charter is attached to this proxy statement as "Appendix A." Each of the members of the Audit Committee is independent as defined by the Audit Committee Charter and the New York Stock Exchange listing standards. The Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things, considering the appointment of the independent auditors for the Company, reviewing with the auditors the plan and scope of the audit and audit fees, monitoring the adequacy of reporting and internal controls and meeting periodically with management and independent auditors. In connection with the Company's financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the Company's audited financial statements with management and the Company's independent auditors. We have discussed with the independent public accountants the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, COMMUNICATION WITH AUDIT COMMITTEEs, as amended. We have received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from the independent public accountants required by Independence Standard No. 1, INDEPENDENCE DISCUSSIONS WITH AUDIT COMMITTEEs, as amended, and have discussed with the independent public accountants their independence. 7 Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee did not become aware of any material misstatements or omissions in the financial statements referred to above and we recommended to the Board of Directors that the financial statements be included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000. SUBMITTED BY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE: Robin Josephs (Chairperson) Willis Andersen, Jr. Michael G. Medzigian Kneeland C. Youngblood On April 11, 2001, Mr. Youngblood resigned from the Audit Committee, concurrent with his resignation as a director of the Company (see "Resignation of Directors," below). Ms. Josephs and Messrs. Andersen and Medzigian currently serve on the Audit Committee, with Ms. Josephs serving as Chairperson. During 2000, there were seven meetings of the Audit Committee. Report of the Compensation Committee GENERAL. The Board of Directors of the Company has delegated to the Compensation Committee responsibility for overseeing certain aspects of the Company's executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee is composed exclusively of directors who are not employees of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates. The four directors whose names appear at the end of this report comprise the Compensation Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Committee are: - To review management's recommendations and advise management and the Board of Directors on broad compensation policies such as salary ranges, long-term incentive plans and equity-based compensation programs. - To recommend to the Board of Directors base salaries, cash incentive bonuses, equity-based incentive awards and other compensation for the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and other executive officers of the Company. - To approve base salaries, cash incentive bonuses, equity-based incentive awards and other compensation for other officers and employees of the Company. - To administer the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan (the "Plan") in accordance with the provisions of the Plan. - To perform such other duties and responsibilities pertaining to compensation matters as may be assigned to the Committee by the Board of Directors or the Chairman of the Board of Directors. OBJECTIVES OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION. The Company's executive compensation program is designed to attract, retain and motivate key executives who will contribute to the Company's growth and profitability. The Company's compensation program has three principal elements: base salary, incentive bonuses and equity-based awards under the Plan. The Company's compensation program seeks to use these elements to provide competitive rewards to its officers and employees for achieving Company and individual performance goals. Additionally, in administering the compensation program, the Compensation Committee generally seeks to create a commonality of interest between the executives and the shareholders by linking the executive's total compensation to the performance of the Company. BASE SALARY. The Compensation Committee's policy is to set salaries at levels the Compensation Committee believes will attract, retain and motivate highly competent individuals. In establishing base salary levels for the Company's key executives, consideration is given to the executive's position and 8 responsibility, experience, length of service with the Company, and overall performance, as well as the compensation practices of other companies in the markets where the Company competes for executive talent. INCENTIVE BONUSES. Annual cash bonus awards may be paid to officers and other eligible employees based on assessment of the Company's performance and individual employees' contributions to that performance, as well as the compensation practices of other competitive companies. Incentive bonuses are intended to reward employees for their performance during the past fiscal year and motivate their performance in future years. EQUITY-BASED AWARDS. Several types of stock awards are available to be granted under the Plan, including stock options and restricted stock awards. Stock options granted under the Plan are designed to provide long term performance incentives and rewards tied to the price of the Company's common stock and, generally, will vest over a period of three years. Because the value of stock options is directly tied to appreciation in the Company's stock price, the Compensation Committee views stock options as a means of aligning the interests of management and shareholders. Restricted share awards have also been made under the Plan. Equity-based awards are granted in accordance with the expected long-term contributions of the individual officer or other employee. The Plan limits the total number of shares reserved and available to be granted as options and other equity-based awards to no more than 9% of the Company's total outstanding shares ofour common stock on a fully diluted basis. On the Record Date, the total number of unexercised options and other equity-based awards outstanding was equivalent to 6,117,867 shares of common stock, which represents 7.1% of the Company's total outstanding shares of common stock on such date. COMPENSATION COMMITTEE PROCEDURES. Generally, the Compensation Committee will meet at the beginning of each year to consider senior management's recommendations for base salary adjustments, incentive bonuses and equity awards for officers and other eligible employees. The Compensation Committee also meets periodically during the year to evaluate the performance of the Company and management relative to objectives and to perform its other functions. The Compensation Committee reports to the entire Board of Directors with respect to executive compensation matters and makes recommendations for approval by the full Board of Directors. COMPENSATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Compensation Committee reviews the overall compensation of the Chief Executive Officer, including base salary, incentive bonus and equity-based awards, on an annual basis. In evaluating the Chief Executive Officer's compensation, the Compensation Committee considers several relevant factors, including: (1) the Company's general overall performance, including quantitative measures of enhanced shareholder value and subjective factors; (2) the Company's specific performance relative to investments, asset management, finance and overall management and strategic matters; (3) the Chief Executive Officer's individual contributions to the performance of the Company; and (4) the compensation practices of comparable companies in the markets where the Company competes for executive talent. Based on its evaluation, the Compensation Committee makes appropriate recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the Chief Executive Officer's compensation. SUBMITTED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE: William M. Matthes (Chairperson) Robin Josephs John G. McDonald Michael G. Medzigian 9 The above report will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates the same by reference. Ms. Josephs and Messrs. Matthes, McDonald and Medzigian currently serve on the Compensation Committee, with Mr. Matthes serving as Chairman. During 2000, there were ten meetings of the Compensation Committee. The Nominating and Governance Committee The Nominating and Governance Committee (the "Nominating Committee") is responsible for recommending to the Board of Directors individuals to serve as directors and officers of the Company. The Nominating Committee may also consider nominees for election as directors made by shareholders and delivered to the Secretary of the Company. The Nominating Committee is also responsible for considering and recommending to the Board of Directors other actions relating to corporate governance matters. On April 11, 2001, Mr. Youngblood resigned from the Nominating Committee, concurrent with his resignation as a director of the Company (see "Resignation of Directors," below). Messrs. Grose and Oresman currently serve on the Nominating Committee. The Company shall appoint a new Chairperson as soon as practicable. During 2000, there were three meetings of the Nominating Committee. The Investment Committee The Board of Directors has delegated to the Investment Committee the authority to authorize transactions by the Company of between $30 million and $50 million. Messrs. Sugarman, Dishner, Haber, Puskar and Sternlicht currently serve on the Investment Committee, with Mr. Sternlicht serving as Chairperson. During 2000, there were two meetings of the Investment Committee. Attendance of Board of Directors During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, the Board of Directors held 13 meetings. All directors attended at least 75% of all Board meetings and applicable committee meetings. Resignation of Directors During 2000, the Nominating Committee conducted a study regarding the optimal size of iStar Financial's Board of Directors considering, among other things, the scope, size and type of iStar Financial's business, including its market capitalization. As a result of the study, the Nominating Committee recommended that the size of the Board of Directors be reduced from 17 directors to between nine and 12 directors over time. Consequently, Kneeland C. Youngblood and Jonathan D. Eilian resigned from the Board of Directors on April 11, 2001. The Board of Directors intends to continue to function at this reduced size and to evaluate further reductions in the future. 10 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND OTHER OFFICERS WHO ARE OUR KEY OFFICERS? Information for Jay Sugarman and Spencer B. Haber, theour executive officers, of the Company, and H. Cabot Lodge III, an officerone of the Company,our officers, is contained above under the heading "Election of Directors."OTHER INFORMATION--Directors Whose Terms Expire in 2003." Information with regard to certainsome of our other key employees of the Companyofficers is set forth below. All officers of the Companyour officers serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and are customarily appointed as officers at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors held following each annual meeting of shareholders. NINA B. MATIS has served as General Counsel of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since 1996 and Executive Vice President since November 1999. Ms. Matis is responsible for legal, tax, structuring and regulatory aspects of iStar Financial's operations and investment and financing transactions. Ms. Matis is a partner in the law firm of Katten Muchin Zavis and serves as a member of the firm's executive committee, board of directors and national compensation committee, and has represented iStar Financial and its principal shareholders for more than five years. In addition, from 1984 through 1987, Ms. Matis was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law where she taught real estate transactions. Ms. Matis is a director for Burnham Pacific, Inc. and a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, the Chicago Finance Exchange, the Urban Land Institute, REFF, the Chicago Real Estate Executive Women, The Chicago Network and The Economic Club of Chicago, and she is listed in both The Best Lawyers of America and Sterling's Who's Who. Ms. Matis received a B.A. degree, with honors, from Smith College and a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law.15 TIMOTHY J. O'CONNOR has served as our (and our predecessor's) Chief Operating Officer of iStar Financial (and its predecessor) since March 1998 and Executive Vice President since March 2000. Mr. O'Connor is responsible for developing and managing iStar Financial's assetour risk management and due diligence operations, participating in the evaluation and approval of new investments and coordinating iStar Financial'sour information systems. Previously, Mr. O'Connor was a vice president of Morgan Stanley & Co. responsible for the performance of more than $2 billion of assets acquired by the Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. O'Connor was a vice president of Greystone Realty Corporation involved in the firm's acquisition and asset management operations. Previously, Mr. O'Connor was employed by Exxon Co. USA in its real estate and engineering group. Mr. O'Connor is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Institute of Real Estate Management and the Buildings Owners and Managers Association, and is a former vice president of the New York City/Fairfield County chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Parks. Mr. O'Connor received a B.S. degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and aan M.B.A. from the Wharton School. NINA B. MATIS has served as our (and our predecessor's) General Counsel since 1996 and Executive Vice President since November 1999. Ms. Matis is responsible for legal, tax, structuring and regulatory aspects of our operations and investment and financing transactions. From 1984 through 1987, Ms. Matis was an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law where she taught real estate transactions. Ms. Matis is a director for Burnham Pacific, Inc. and a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, Ely Chapter of Lambda Alpha International, the Chicago Finance Exchange, the Urban Land Institute, REFF, the Chicago Real Estate Executive Women, The Chicago Network and The Economic Club of Chicago, and she is listed in both The Best Lawyers of America and Sterling's Who's Who. Ms. Matis received a B.A. degree, with honors, from Smith College and a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law. 16 REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE In connection with our financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed our audited financial statements with management and our independent auditors. We have discussed with the independent public accountants the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, COMMUNICATION WITH AUDIT COMMITTEES, as amended. We have received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from the independent public accountants required by Independence Standard No. 1, INDEPENDENCE DISCUSSIONS WITH AUDIT COMMITTEES, as amended, and have discussed with the independent public accountants their independence. Based on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee did not become aware of any material misstatements or omissions in the financial statements referred to above and we recommended to the Board of Directors that the financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001. SUBMITTED BY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE: Willis Andersen, Jr. (Chairman) Robin Josephs Matthew J. Lustig The above report will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate the same by reference. 17 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PAIDREPORT OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE The Board of Directors has delegated to the Compensation Committee responsibility for overseeing certain aspects of the Company's executive compensation program. The Compensation Committee is composed exclusively of independent directors. The four directors whose names appear at the end of this report comprise the Compensation Committee. The principal responsibilities of the Committee are: - To review management's recommendations and advise management and the Board of Directors on broad compensation policies such as salary ranges, long-term incentive plans and equity-based compensation programs. - To recommend to the Board of Directors base salaries, cash incentive bonuses, equity-based incentive awards and other compensation for the Chief Executive Officer and the President of the Company. - To approve base salaries, cash incentive bonuses, equity-based incentive awards and other compensation for other officers and employees of the Company with base salaries in excess of $100,000 per year. - To administer the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP"). - To perform such other duties and responsibilities pertaining to compensation matters as may be assigned to the Committee by the Board of Directors or the Chairman of the Board of Directors. WHAT PROCEDURES DOES THE COMMITTEE FOLLOW? The Compensation Committee typically meets at the beginning of each year to consider senior management's recommendations for base salary adjustments, incentive bonuses and equity awards for officers and other eligible employees. We also meet periodically during the year to evaluate the performance of the Company and management relative to objectives and to perform our other functions. During 2001, we met frequently to review and consider new employment agreements for our Chief Executive Officer and our President and to consider the iStar Financial High Performance Unit Program. WHAT IS OUR GENERAL COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY? The Company's compensation structure is intended to achieve the following objectives: - To align shareholder interests and employee rewards. - To secure the long-term commitment of employees. - To attract and keep talented employees by providing competitive compensation. In accordance with these objectives, a significant part of executive compensation is "at risk," meaning that it is subject to the overall performance of the Company and the total return generated for the Company's shareholders. We believe that this approach best enables us to achieve our objectives and satisfy the interests of our shareholders. One primary performance measure that we use is the total rate of return to our shareholders, which we define as dividends paid (assuming reinvestment) plus appreciation in the price of our common stock. Since becoming a public company in March 1998, the Company has substantially outperformed several key indices that we consider relevant benchmarks. The following chart shows the total rate of return for the Company from March 18, 1998 through December 31, 2001 as compared to these indices. For purpose of this chart, we have assumed that our initial common stock price was $15.00 per share. This was the per share value that our predecessor private business received in March 18, 1998 when it contributed its 18 approximately $1.1 billion of assets to the Company in exchange for 99% of the outstanding common stock. TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURNS MARCH 18, 1998 TO DECEMBER 31, 2001 EDGAR REPRESENTATION OF DATA POINTS USED IN PRINTED GRAPHIC
TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURNS (Assumes All Dividends Reinvested) SFI 123.4 S&P 500 10.9 Russell 1000 Financial Index 8.3 Morgan Stanley REIT Index 18.2
HOW DO WE COMPENSATE OUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ANDOFFICER? Jay Sugarman, our Chief Executive Officer, is compensated pursuant to an employment agreement entered into in March 2001, a copy of which has been publicly filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The agreement extends through March 30, 2004 and will be automatically renewed for successive one year terms unless the Company or Mr. Sugarman terminates the agreement. Under the agreement, Mr. Sugarman receives an annual base salary of $1.0 million. He may also receive a bonus, which is targeted to be an amount equal to Mr. Sugarman's base salary, if the Company achieves certain performance targets set by the Compensation Committee in consultation with Mr. Sugarman. The bonus award may be increased or reduced from the target depending upon the degree to which the performance goals are exceeded or are not met. The bonus amount may not exceed 200% of base salary. Mr. Sugarman's bonus was $800,000 for 2001. The bonus is reduced by the amount of any dividends paid to Mr. Sugarman in respect of phantom units (described below) awarded to Mr. Sugarman that have vested. Mr. Sugarman received $643,125 in such dividends in 2001. We also included long-term incentive compensation in Mr. Sugarman's agreement. The Company awarded Mr. Sugarman 2.0 million unvested phantom units, each of which notionally represents one share of the Company's common stock. We used phantom units because we did not have a sufficient number of shares available under the LTIP for options or restricted stock. The phantom units will vest on a contingent basis if the average closing price of the Company's common stock achieves certain levels (ranging from $25.00 to $37.00 per share) for 60 trading days. During 2001, 350,000 of the phantom units contingently vested. Units that have contingently vested do not become fully vested, meaning they are no longer subject to forfeiture, until March 2004, unless certain termination or change of control events occur. The units will be forfeited if the price of our common stock drops below a set floor. Mr. Sugarman is entitled to receive dividend equivalents on phantom units that have become contingently or fully vested. If contingently vested phantom units become fully vested units, the Company must deliver to Mr. Sugarman either a number of shares of common stock equal to the number of fully vested units or an amount of cash equal to the fair market value of that number of shares of common stock. Absent an earlier change of control or 19 termination of employment, we do not expect to have to deliver shares of stock or cash to satisfy this obligation until March 2004. The Company also awarded Mr. Sugarman 750,000 stock options in 2001 which vest in equal installments of 250,000 shares in January 2002, 2003 and 2004, and have an exercise price of $19.6875 per share. In determining Mr. Sugarman's compensation under the employment agreement, the Committee retained the services of an independent firm of compensation experts to assist the Committee in compiling and evaluating compensation information for other chief executive officers in the commercial finance and real estate industries. In determining Mr. Sugarman's salary and bonus for 2001, the Committee set both qualitative and quantitative performance goals for Mr. Sugarman in the following areas: - Financial Performance--The Committee believes that long-term, consistent growth in the Company's adjusted earnings per share and return on equity are key performance measures. - Balance Sheet Considerations--The Committee believes that while the financial performance measurements described above are key, there should be a balance between meeting those measurements and maintaining a strong balance sheet. The Committee evaluates the amount, type and cost of leverage maintained by the Company throughout the year. In addition, the Committee considers the progress made toward achieving an investment-grade senior unsecured corporate credit rating. - Investment Origination Activity--The Committee evaluates the amount of new investments and the quality, diversity and risk parameters of the new investments. In this regard, the Committee reviews changes to the internal risk ratings of the portfolio. - Organizational Effectiveness and Relationship Management--In this category, the Committee reviews relations with employees, the Board of Directors and shareholders. The Committee also set a goal of developing an incentive compensation plan for senior management. The Committee concluded that Mr. Sugarman should receive a bonus of $800,000, which is reduced by the $643,125 of dividends paid to Mr. Sugarman in respect of his contingently vested phantom units. The Committee concluded that the Company's management team performed exceedingly well under unusually difficult market conditions in 2001, and that Mr. Sugarman's leadership was central to that performance. For example, the Committee noted that the Company's adjusted earnings grew by 7.9% and its return on common book equity grew to 18.1% in 2001, while the Company's balance sheet was strengthened. The Committee also observed that the Company originated approximately $1.2 billion in new investments in 2001, the overall risk ratings for the asset base were appropriate and the Company continued to experience no credit losses. Finally, the Committee evaluated the Company's relations with employees, the Board of Directors and shareholders. The Committee noted that Mr. Sugarman was instrumental in developing the High Performance Unit compensation program for senior management. HOW DO WE COMPENSATE OUR EXECUTIVES, OTHER OFFICERSTHAN THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER? Our policy is to set salaries at levels we believe will attract, retain and motivate highly-competent individuals. In establishing base salary levels for the Company's key executives, we consider the executive's position and responsibility, experience, length of service with the Company, and overall performance, as well as the compensation practices of other companies in the markets where the Company competes for executive talent. We also award bonuses to executive officers based upon: (1) overall Company performance; (2) business segment or departmental performance; (3) individual performance; and (4) other factors we determine to be appropriate. Bonuses may be paid in the form of cash or, at the mutual election of the Company and the executive, restricted stock which generally is fully vested but subject to a restriction on transfer for one year from the date of the award. Bonuses for 2001 were paid in cash due to the extremely limited number of shares available for awards under the LTIP. As of December 31, 2001, there were approximately 250,000 shares available for awards under the LTIP. This limited availability under the LTIP 20 is one of the reasons that we developed the High Performance Unit Program that is being recommended for approval in this proxy statement. During 2001, the Company granted 595,109 shares of restricted stock and 1.6 million stock options to its employees, including the shares of restricted stock and stock options granted to our Chief Executive Officer and to our President, as discussed below. The exercise price of each stock option awarded in 2001 is equal to the market price of the Company's common stock as of the date of the grant. All options vest in equal installments over three years from the date of grant. The LTIP limits the total number of shares reserved and available to be granted as options and other equity-based awards to no more than 9.00% of the Company's total outstanding shares of common stock, on a fully diluted basis. In April 2001, we entered into a three-year employment agreement with Spencer B. Haber, our President and Chief Financial Officer, a copy of which has been publicly filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under this agreement, Mr. Haber's compensation consists of an award of 500,000 restricted shares of common stock which will vest if the Company meets designated performance levels. Specifically, the vesting of the shares is a function of the total return realized by the Company's common shareholders, as measured by cumulative dividends declared and paid on our common stock from and after January 1, 2001 and the market price of our common stock. A portion of the shares, up to 150,000, will become contingently vested if there is a positive total shareholder return of up to 29.99% as of a measurement date contemplated by the agreement. Portions of the remaining shares will contingently vest if the total return is between 30.00% and 60.00%. Contingently vested shares will become fully vested shares, meaning that they are no longer subject to forfeiture, if Mr. Haber remains employed through April 2004. Contingently vested shares will become fully vested before April 2004 if there is a change of control event or if Mr. Haber's employment terminates under certain circumstances. In addition, the entire 500,000 share grant will automatically become fully vested on September 30, 2002 if the maximum shareholder total return of 60.00% is achieved for 60 consecutive calendar days on or prior to September 30, 2002. For a complete description of the circumstances under which restricted shares will vest, please read the section entitled "Employment Agreements" contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. None of the shares will vest (regardless of the total rate of return to shareholders) if Mr. Haber voluntarily terminates his employment without good reason before September 30, 2002. Mr. Haber will receive dividends on the entire share grant during the term of the agreement if and when we declare and pay dividends on our common stock generally, whether or not such shares have vested at the time the dividends are paid. Mr. Haber received $918,750 in such dividends during 2001. Employee compensation also includes various benefits, such as health insurance plans and profit sharing and retirement plans in which substantially all of the Company's employees participate. At the present time, the only plans in effect are health, life and disability insurance plans and a 401(k) plan. HOW DO WE COMPENSATE NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS? In order to align the interests of our shareholders and our directors, the Company grants annually to each of its directors who is neither an employee of the Company or Starwood Capital Group L.L.C. an option to buy 10,000 shares of the Company's common stock at an exercise price equal to the market price on the date of the grant, which is usually the date of our annual shareholders meeting, or a number of shares that is equivalent in value to 10,000 options. We believe that the Company's compensation structure for directors is consistent with the compensation structure for non-employee directors of comparable companies. SUBMITTED BY THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE: Robin Josephs (Chairperson) Matthew J. Lustig John G. McDonald Stephen B. Oresman 21 The above report will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate the same by reference. 22 EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION SUMMARY TABLE The following table sets forth the compensation awarded, earned by, or paid to Messrs.Jay Sugarman, our Chief Executive Officer, and Haber and iStar Financial's threeour four other most highly compensatedhighly-compensated officers during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2001, December 31, 2000 and December 31, 1999, and December 31, 1998, respectively. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998, and for the period from January 1, 1999 to November 4, 1999, no officernone of iStar 11 Financialour officers received any compensation directly from the Company.us. All compensation paid to iStar Financial'sour officers in respect of their services rendered to the Companyus during these periodsthat period was paid by iStar Financial'sour former external advisor.
ANNUAL COMPENSATION LONG-TERM COMPENSATION --------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- SECURITIES RESTRICTED SECURITIES STOCK UNDERLYING ALL OTHER OTHER ANNUAL STOCK OPTIONS/ COMPENSATION NAME AND PRINCIPAL POSITION YEAR SALARY ($) BONUS ($) AWARDS COMPENSATION AWARDS($)(1) OPTIONS (#)(2) COMPENSATIONSARS(2) ($) - -------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ---------- --------- ------------- ------------ ---------- -------------- ----------------------------- Jay Sugarman.......................Sugarman................. 2001 $1,009,058 $156,875 $643,125(3) $ 0 750,000 $0 Chairman and 2000 $225,000 $750,000225,000 750,000 0 0 500,000 $0 Chairman,0 Chief Executive Officer 1999 $225,000 $0225,000 0 0 0 509,510 0 Spencer B. Haber............. 2001 $ 427,646 $ 0 $918,750(4) $11,535,000(5) 0 $0 President and President 1998 $178,125 $02000 225,000 500,000 0 0 $0 Spencer B. Haber................... 2000 $225,000 $500,000100,000 0 Chief Financial Officer 1999 225,000 0 0 247,500 152,853 0 Timothy J. O'Connor.......... 2001 $ 220,500 $375,000 $ 0 $ 0 100,000 $0 Executive Vice 1999 $225,000 $0 9,023 152,853 $0 President-- FinancePresident 2000 210,000 0 0 385,000 50,000 0 and Chief 1998 $122,019 $225,000Operating Officer 1999 200,000 0 254,755 $500,000 (3) Financial Officer Timothy J. O'Connor(4)............. 2000 $210,000 $0 12,405 50,0000 330,000 59,443 0 Jeffrey R. Digel............. 2001 $ 210,000 $375,000 $ 0 $ 0 100,000 $0 Executive Vice President and2000 200,000 0 0 357,500 50,000 0 1999 $200,000 $0 12,111 59,443 $0 Chief Operating Officer 1998 $151,667 $150,000100,000 0 42,460 $00 275,000 16,984 0 Roger M. Cozzi(4).................. 2000 $150,000 $0 9,905 50,000Cozzi............... 2001 $ 200,000 $375,000 $ 0 $ 0 100,000 $0 Senior Vice President 2000 150,000 0 0 330,000 50,000 0 1999 $100,000 $0 7,982100,000 0 0 220,000 59,443 $0 1998 $ 79,167 $300,000 0 42,460 $0 Jeffrey R. Digel(4)................ 2000 $200,000 $0 11,505 50,000 $0 Executive Vice President 1999 $100,000 $0 10,049 16,984 $0 1998 $100,000 $25,000 0 84,918 $0
- -------------------------- (1) Pursuant to the Company'sour annual incentive bonus program for 1999 and 2000, an employee mayhad the opportunity to elect to receive 110% of his or her annual bonus in the form of restricted shares of the Company'sour common stock, rather than cash, based on the fair market value of the common stock on the date of the bonus award. The shares are fully vested, which means that the recipient has voting rights and the rights to receive dividends in respect of the shares, but the shares are subject to a restriction on transfer for one year from the date of the award. The amounts shown represent the numbervalue of shares issued to the named officers, afterbefore taxes and other applicable withholdings.withholdings, multiplied by 110% of the market value of our common stock on the date of the award. At December 31, 2001, the named executive officers held an aggregate of 572,980 shares of restricted stock with an aggregate value of $14.3 million, based on the market value of our common stock on December 31, 2001. (2) The number of securities underlying options granted prior to November 3, 1999 has been adjusted to give effect to the one1.0 million share common stock dividend paid by the Companyus to each of itsour shareholders on that date. (3) Represents a one-time signing bonusthe aggregate amount of notional dividends paid to Mr. Sugarman in respect of 350,000 phantom units which contingently vested in 2001. (4) Represents the executive officer. (4) Not consideredaggregate amount of dividends paid to Mr. Haber, in lieu of salary and bonus, in respect of 500,000 restricted shares awarded to Mr. Haber in 2001. For financial statement purposes, such dividends were accounted for in a manner consistent with the Company's normal common stock dividends as a reduction to retained earnings. (5) These restricted shares were awarded to Mr. Haber pursuant to an executive officer.employment agreement dated as of April 1, 2001. The vesting of these shares is a function of the total rate of return realized by our shareholders. As of the date of this proxy statement, none of these shares is vested. See the Report of Compensation providedCommittee contained in this proxy statement for informational purposes only.a detailed discussion of the vesting provisions of these shares. 22 AGGREGATE OPTION EXERCISES IN 20002001 AND FISCAL YEAR-END OPTION VALUES The following table presents information for the named officers relating to stock option exercises during 20002001 and the value of unexercised stock options at the end of the year.
VALUE OF NUMBER OF SECURITIES VALUE OF UNEXERCISED IN- UNDERLYING UNEXERCISED THE-MONEY SHARES UNEXERCISED OPTIONS AT OPTIONS AT FISCAL ACQUIRED VALUE ATYEAR FISCAL YEAR-END YEAR-ENDYEAR END ($) SHARES ACQUIRED ON REALIZEDEND (#) EXERCISABLE/ EXERCISABLE/ NAME EXERCISE (#) VALUE REALIZED ($)(1) UNEXERCISABLE UNEXERCISABLE(2) - ------------------------------------ ------------ ---------- -------------------- --------------------- ------------------ --------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ Jay Sugarman........................ 0 $0Sugarman......... 338,066 $3,216,135 0/1,009,510 0/1,421,444 $0/$3,937,24110,095,540 Spencer B. Haber.................... 254,755 $1,472,484Haber..... 186,186 $1,374,833 0/252,85366,667 $ 0/$1,040,447 538,336 Timothy J. O'Connor................. 28,306 $166,695O'Connor.. 90,264 $ 989,773 0/123,063133,333 $ 0/$503,565 795,414 Jeffrey R. Digel..... 61,957 $ 704,479 0/133,333 $ 0/$ 795,414 Roger M. Cozzi...................... 28,306 $166,695Cozzi....... 89,730 $1,016,213 0/123,063133,333 $ 0/$503,565 Jeffrey R. Digel.................... 56,612 $327,217 0/95,290 0/$365,603 795,414
- -------------------------- (1) Based on market value of underlying securities at exercise, minus the option exercise price. (2) Based on market value of underlying securities on December 29, 2000,31, 2001, minus the option exercise price. 12 STOCK OPTIONOPTION/SAR GRANTS IN 20002001 The following table sets forth information for the named officers relating to stock option and SAR grants during 2000 under the Company's 1996 Long Term Incentive Plan.2001.
PERCENT% OF TOTAL NUMBER OF TOTAL OPTIONS SECURITIES GRANTED TO UNDERLYING OPTIONS/ EMPLOYEES IN EXERCISE MARKET PRICE OPTIONS IN FISCALMARKET PRICE ON GRANT EXPIRATION GRANT DATE NAME SARS GRANTED(1) FISCAL YEAR (PER SHARE) GRANT DATE EXPIRATION DATE VALUE(2) - --------------------------- ---------- ------------- --------------- ------------------- ------------ ------------------------ --------------- --------------- ---------- Jay Sugarman............... 500,000 28.2% $16.875 $16.875Sugarman......... 750,000(3) 46.37% $19.6875 $ 24.90 1/3/2010 $232,2212/2011 $1,987,996 Spencer B. Haber........... 100,000 5.6% $16.875 $16.875 1/3/2010 $46,444Haber..... N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Timothy J. O'Connor........ 50,000 2.8% $16.875 $16.875O'Connor.. 100,000 6.18% $19.6875 $19.6875 1/3/2010 $23,2222/2011 $ 75,970 Jeffrey R. Digel..... 100,000 6.18% $19.6875 $19.6875 1/2/2011 $ 75,970 Roger M. Cozzi............. 50,000 2.8% $16.875 $16.875Cozzi....... 100,000 6.18% $19.6875 $19.6875 1/3/2010 $23,222 Jeffrey R. Digel........... 50,000 2.8% $16.875 $16.875 1/3/2010 $23,2222/2011 $ 75,970
- -------------------------------------------------------- (1) AllExcept as described in footnote 3, all options were granted effective January 3, 20002, 2001 and vest in equal annual installments over three years. In the eventIf the employee's employment is terminated without cause, or onif there is a change of control of the Company,event, the options will become immediately vested. Each option has a ten yearten-year term and will expire earlier in the eventif the employee's employment terminates (in such event, the expiration date depends upon the reason for the termination). (2) Values have been calculated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model assumingas of the grant dates. For Mr. Sugarman, the values assume a 26.8%20.30% volatility rate, a 5.3%4.72% U.S. Treasury rate and a 13.5%9.69% dividend yield, and for Messrs. O'Connor, Digel and Cozzi, a 20.83% volatility rate, a 4.96% U.S. Treasury rate and a 12.00% dividend yield. (3) These options were granted effective March 2, 2001 based on an exercise price of $19.6875, the closing price for the Company's common stock on January 2, 2001 and the exercise price underlying the annual options awards granted to the Company's other employees in January 2001. LONG-TERM INCENTIVE AWARDS IN 2001 The following table sets forth information for our Chief Executive Officer relating to a grant of phantom units in 2001:
NUMBER OF PHANTOM UNITS PERFORMANCE PERIOD UNTIL NAME (#) VESTING - ---- ----------------------- ------------------------ Jay Sugarman.............................. 2,000,000 March 31, 2004
Mr. Sugarman was awarded the phantom units pursuant to an employment agreement dated as of March 31, 2001. Each phantom unit notionally represents one share of the Company's common stock. 23 These phantom units will vest in installments of 350,000 units, 650,000 units, 600,000 units and 400,000 units on a contingent basis if the 60-day average closing price of the Company's common stock achieves thresholds of $25.00, $30.00, $34.00 and $37.00 per share, respectively. During 2001, 350,000 of the phantom units contingently vested. Units that have contingently vested generally will not become fully vested until the end of the three-year term of the employment agreement under which they were issued except upon certain termination or change of control events. Further, if the average stock price drops below specified levels for the 60 days before the units fully vest, they will be forfeited. Mr. Sugarman is entitled to receive a payment equal to the amount of dividends declared and paid by the Company on a number of shares of common stock equal to the number of phantom units that have become contingently or fully vested. Such dividends shall be deemed an offset to any annual bonus awarded to Mr. Sugarman by the Compensation Committee. When and if contingently vested phantom units become fully vested units, the Company must deliver to Mr. Sugarman either a number of shares of common stock equal to the number of fully vested units or an amount of cash equal to the fair market value of that number of shares of common stock. See the Report of Compensation Committee contained elsewhere in this proxy statement for a further discussion of the vesting provisions of these units. COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION The Compensation Committee oversees, reviews and approves the compensation of theour directors and officers of the Company.officers. The Compensation Committee also administers the Company'sour incentive plans. Ms. Josephs and Messrs. Matthes,Lustig, McDonald and MedzigianOresman currently serve on the Compensation Committee, with Mr. MatthesMs. Josephs serving as Chairperson. SECTION 16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Company'sour directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company'sour equity securities, to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock and other of our equity securities of the Company.securities. Directors, officers and greater than 10% shareholders are required to furnish the Companyus with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. To the Company'sour knowledge, based solely on a review of the copies of such reports furnished to the Company,us, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000,2001, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to itsour directors, officers and greater than 10% beneficial owners were complied with.with, with the exception of a report filed on January 7, 2002 on behalf of Mr. Sugarman reporting the acquisition of 338,066 shares pursuant to the exercise of stock options on November 16, 2001, which was required to be filed by December 10, 2001. Mr. Sugarman paid the exercise price for such shares out of personal funds and has not sold any of the shares underlying the options as of the date of this proxy statement. DIRECTORS' COMPENSATION The directors who are our officers or employees, or officers or employees of iStar Financial or Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C., do not receive any compensation from iStar Financial.us. Each other director currently receives a fee of $20,000 per year, which is paid quarterly. Those other directors also receivein quarterly installments, as well as an additional fee of $2,000 for each meeting of the iStar Financialour Board of Directors which he or she attends in person, $1,000 for each meeting of the iStar Financialour Board of Directors which he or she attends telephonically, and $1,000 ($1,500 for chairperson) for each committee meeting which he or she attends, either personally or telephonically. Directors are also reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings or incurred as a result of other work performed for iStar Financial.us. Each director who is not one of our officers or employees or an officer or employee of iStar Financial or Starwood Capital Group is also granted annually an option to buy 10,000 13 shares of the Company'sour common stock at an exercise price equal to the market price on the date of the grant. Thosegrant, or a number of shares that is equivalent in value to 10,000 options. Such options and shares are immediately exercisable.exercisable or saleable. 24 In consideration of her considerable efforts on behalf of the Compensation Committee in 2001 with regard to the negotiation, analysis and documentation of the employment agreements entered into by us with our Chief Executive Officer and our President, the members of the Compensation Committee (other than Ms. Josephs) recommended, and the non-employee members of our Board of Directors approved, the payment of a special fee of $200,000 to Ms. Josephs in September 2001. iStar Financial and each of itsour directors and executive officers have entered into indemnification agreements. The indemnification agreements provide that iStar Financialwe will indemnify the directors and the executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by iStar Financial'sour Amended and Restated Charter and Maryland law against certain liabilities (including settlements) and expenses actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with any threatened or pending legal action, proceeding or investigation to which any of them is, or is threatened to be, made a party by reason of their status as aour director, officer or agent, of iStar Financial, or by reason of their serving as a director, officer or agent of another company at the request of iStar Financial. iStar Financialour request. We will not indemnify the directors and executive officers if it is established that: (1) the act or omission was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;dishonesty, (2) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit;benefit, or (3) in the case of a criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe the act or omission was unlawful. In addition, iStar Financialwe will not indemnify the directors and executive officers for a proceeding brought by a director or officer against the Company,us, except to enforce indemnification. If an amendment to the Amended and Restated Charter or Maryland law with respect to removal of limitations on indemnification is approved, the indemnification agreements will be amended accordingly. iStar Financial isWe are not required to indemnify any director or executive officer for liabilities: (1) for which he or she has already been unconditionally reimbursed from other sources;sources, or (2) resulting from an accounting of profits under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In addition, iStar Financial haswe have obtained director and officer insurance for itsour directors and executive officers. EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS As discussed in the Report of our Compensation Committee, in March 2001, we entered into a three-year employment agreement with Jay Sugarman, our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. In addition to the compensation provisions described in the Report of Compensation Committee, the agreement also provides that if Mr. Sugarman resigns without good reason before the later of the term of the agreement or one year after a change of control, 50.00% (or 75.00% if we elect to extend the non-competition provisions of the agreement for an additional year) of Mr. Sugarman's contingently vested units will become fully vested. Mr. Sugarman will forfeit all units not fully vested if he is terminated with cause. If Mr. Sugarman is terminated without cause, resigns for good reason, or is terminated or resigns due to death or disability (together, an "involuntary termination"), before the later of the term of the agreement or one year after a change of control that occurs on or before March 30, 2004, all of Mr. Sugarman's contingently vested units will become fully vested and, to the extent Mr. Sugarman is terminated without cause or resigns for good reason, any units that contingently vest within 30 days of the termination date will also become fully vested. If events leading to a change of control commence on or before March 30, 2004 and within 90 days of an involuntary termination, and a related change of control actually occurs within 270 days of such commencement, then all units that have contingently vested as of the date of the change of control will become fully vested. If Mr. Sugarman remains employed by us through the first anniversary of a change of control that occurs during the initial term of the agreement, all of his contingently vested units will become fully vested. Notwithstanding the other provisions of the agreement, if a change of control occurs prior to March 30, 2004, then 250,000 units of any units that contingently vest due to the change of control will be forfeited if Mr. Sugarman does not remain employed by us through the earliest of the first anniversary of the change of control, the occurrence of a subsequent change of control or the involuntary termination of his employment. 25 If Mr. Sugarman's employment is terminated without cause or if he resigns within 90 days after the first anniversary of a change of control, we will pay him a lump sum of $2.0 million. If Mr. Sugarman resigns for good reason, we will pay him a lump sum of $5.0 million. If Mr. Sugarman remains employed by us through the first anniversary of a change of control that occurs on or before March 30, 2004, or if an involuntary termination occurs in connection with, or within the year following, a change of control, Mr. Sugarman will be entitled to a retention payment if less than 17.50% of his units have contingently vested on or before the change of control date. The amount of the retention payment will equal: (1) if no units have vested, the product of the excess of the change of control price over $19.69, multiplied by 2.0 million, or (2) if 17.50% of the units have vested, 50.00% of the amount described in clause (1). We have agreed to pay Mr. Sugarman amounts necessary to cover the excise tax obligations, if any, resulting from a change of control. In addition, during the term of Mr. Sugarman's agreement, we have agreed to nominate him to serve as our Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Sugarman has agreed that, during the term of his employment and for 12 months (or 24 months under certain circumstances) thereafter, he will not engage in a business that directly and materially competes with us, and he will not solicit any of our borrowers, lenders or employees. Messrs. Dishner, Grose, Kleeman and Sternlicht abstained from voting on the resolution to approve Mr. Sugarman's employment agreement. We are also party to an employment agreement with our President, Spencer B. Haber. In addition to the compensation provisions of the agreement described in the Report of Compensation Committee, the agreement also provides that if Mr. Haber is a party to a letter agreement which sets forth the terms of his services to iStar Financial. The letter agreement provides that Mr. Haber's employment is at will and may be terminated by Mr. Haber or iStar Financialresigns with good reason at any time, with or without cause. Mr. Haber is entitledthe 500,000 shares of restricted stock awarded to an annual salary of at least $225,000 and a discretionary annual bonus equal to at least 100% of his annual base salary. Mr. Haber is also entitled to participate in benefit programs athim under the same level as other employees at his level. The agreement provides that ifwill become fully vested. If Mr. Haber is terminated without cause before October 1, 2002, then either 250,000 of his shares will vest or, if greater, an amount based upon the total shareholder return as of the date of termination. If Mr. Haber is terminated without cause after October 1, 2002, Mr. Haber will retain any shares that have vested at the time of termination, or, if greater, a fixed number of shares up to 500,000 depending upon when the termination occurs. If Mr. Haber resigns without good reason or is terminated for cause before October 1, 2002, he will receive severanceforfeit the entire share award. Mr. Haber will forfeit all unvested shares and 50.00% of all vested shares, if any, if he is terminated for cause after October 1, 2002. If Mr. Haber voluntarily resigns without good reason after September 30, 2002, then some or all of his restricted shares will become fully vested on such date, depending upon the level of total shareholder returns that have been achieved at that date. In this event, the Company would incur a one-time net earnings charge (which would affect our net income and adjusted earnings per share) equal to the then market value of the shares that became fully vested. If we achieve a total shareholder return of 60.00% for any 60 consecutive calendar days before October 1, 2002, Mr. Haber's entire 500,000 share award will automatically become fully vested. If a change of control occurs, Mr. Haber's shares will vest in whole or in part depending upon the amountvaluation of our common stock implied by the change of control transaction. Mr. Haber will forfeit the entire share grant if he resigns without good reason during the six months following a change of control. If Mr. Haber is terminated without cause and within 90 days thereafter we agree to complete, or actually do complete, a change of control transaction, then, upon consummation of the transaction, the share grant he received for having been terminated without cause will be increased, if necessary, to reflect what he would have received under the agreement had he been employed on the change of control date. We have agreed to pay Mr. Haber amounts necessary to cover the excise tax obligations, if any, resulting from a change of control. In addition, during the term of Mr. Haber's agreement, we have agreed to nominate him to serve as one timesof our directors. Mr. Haber has agreed that, during the term of his base salaryemployment and bonus. All optionsfor 12 months thereafter, unless he is terminated without cause, he will not engage 26 directly or indirectly in a business that competes directly and materially with us and he will not act as a principal in one of our core businesses, nor will he solicit any of our employees. SOFI IV Management, L.L.C. and Starwood Capital Group I, L.P., each a beneficial owner of our common stock, and Jay Sugarman entered into an agreement with us whereby they agreed to reimburse us, through the delivery of cash or shares, for the value of any shares granted to Mr. Haber will be exercisable for one year after termination ofpursuant to his employment unless he is terminated for cause.agreement in excess of 350,000 shares, less the value of any tax benefits realized by the Company or its shareholders on account of compensation expense deductions. EFFECTS ON EARNINGS PER SHARE AND NET INCOME OF FULL VESTING UNDER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS The Compensation Committee, on behalffollowing are hypothetical illustrations of the Company, is currently ineffects on our net income and adjusted earnings per share of the processfull vesting of negotiatingphantom units and restricted shares under the employment agreements with Messrs. Sugarmanour Chief Executive Officer and Haber which, if finalized,our President. These hypothetical illustrations are expectednecessarily based upon assumptions about our stock price, dividend rate and diluted weighted average number of outstanding shares. The actual effects on our net income and adjusted earnings per share will be based upon the actual results with respect to have termseach of these variables. During the year ended December 31, 2001, 350,000 phantom units awarded to our Chief Executive Officer became contingently vested. Absent an earlier change of control or termination of employment, these 350,000 units will not become fully vested until March 31, 2004. Assuming that the market price of our common stock on March 31, 2004 is $24.95 (which was the market price of our common stock on December 31, 2001), the Company would incur a one-time charge to both net income and adjusted earnings at least three years. 14that time equal to $8.7 million (the fair market value of the 350,000 units at $24.95 per share). Assuming that there are 90.0 million diluted weighted average shares of common stock outstanding on March 31, 2004, the effect of the one-time charge on our adjusted earnings per share would be $0.0970 per share. The earliest that restricted shares awarded to our President can become fully vested is pursuant to a voluntary resignation after September 30, 2002 or a 60.00% total shareholder return before October 1, 2002, each as described above, absent an earlier change of control or termination of employment. Using October 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002 as hypothetical vesting dates, and assuming that: (1) the price of our common stock on those dates is $24.95 (which was the market price of our common stock on December 31, 2001), and (2) a common stock dividend payment rate of $0.63 per quarter, then between 366,851 shares and 427,782 shares would become fully vested on October 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002, respectively. We would incur a one-time charge to both net income and adjusted earnings of $9.2 million (for vesting on October 1, 2002) or $10.7 million (for vesting on December 31, 2002), in each case representing the fair market value of the shares on the date they become fully vested. Assuming that there are 90.0 million diluted weighted average shares of common stock outstanding on both October 1, 2002 and December 31, 2002, the effect on our adjusted earnings per share would be $0.1017 per share and $0.1186 per share, respectively. 27 PERFORMANCE GRAPH The following graph compares the total cumulative shareholder returnreturns on the Company'sour common stock from December 31, 19951996 to December 31, 20002001 to that of: (1) Standard & Poor's 500 Index (the "S&P 500"); and (2) the Russell 1000 Financial Services Index (the "Russell Index"), a capitalization-weighted index of 1,000 companies that provide financial services.services; and (2) the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (the "S&P 500"). EDGAR REPRESENTATION OF DATA POINTS USED IN PRINTED GRAPHIC
DEC-95 DEC-96 DEC-97 DEC-98 DEC-99 DEC-00 -------- -------- --------- --------- -------- --------RUSSELL 1000 FIN. SERV. S&P 500 INDEX SFI RUSSELL 1000 FINANCIAL SERVICES..................... 100.00% 129.54% 191.50% 208.71% 215.43% 271.95% S&P 500 INDEX.................. 100.00% 122.96% 163.98% 210.85% 255.22% 231.98% THE COMPANY.................... 100.00% 350.00% 1225.00% 2045.03% 613.99% 808.07%Dec-96 100.00 100.00 100.00 Dec-97 147.80 133.40 350.00 Dec-98 161.10 171.50 582.10 Dec-99 166.30 207.50 175.40 Dec-00 210.00 188.60 231.20 Dec-01 180.50 166.20 322.50
- ------------------------ * On June 12, 1998, the Frank Russell Company announced that the Companywe would be included in the Russell 1000 and Russell 3000 equity indices. From the time of the Company'sour inclusion in the Russell indices through the time of the announcement that the Companywe had agreed to acquire TriNet thein June 1999, our reported stockshare price of the Company was highly volatile, and trading volume relatively low due to the very limited number of shares available for trading at that time. Specifically, the Company believeswe believe that index funds that were required to mirror the Russell indices' performance purchased a large portion of the limited number of shares of the Company'sour common stock available in the public float. Those purchases, combined with the limited availability of the shares at that time, resulted in a dramatic increase in the "market" price for the common stock shortly after the June 12, 1998 announcement. 28 ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES Fees paid to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the Company'sour independent auditors, during the last fiscal year were as follows: Audit Fees: $415,900Aggregate fees for professional services rendered by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in theconnection with its audit of the Company's annualconsolidated financial statements and the separate financial reporting for the Company's leasing subsidiary as of and for the year ended December 31, 2001, and its limited reviews of the unaudited consolidated interim financial statements for 2000each of these entities, were approximately $590,000. Financial Information Systems Design and Implementation Fees: During the year ended December 31, 2001, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP rendered no professional services to the Company, its subsidiaries or joint ventures in connection with the design and implementation of financial information systems. All Other Fees: In addition to the fees described above, aggregate fees of approximately $596,000 were billed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP during the year ended December 31, 2001, primarily for the following professional services: Audit-related services (1).................................. $193,000 Income tax compliance and related tax services.............. $362,000 Other services (2).......................................... $ 41,000
- -------------------------- (1) Audit-related fees include fees for issuance of consents and comfort letters for filings initiated by the Company (e.g., a shelf registration and related debt offering), mortgage servicing compliance reports, audits of wholly-owned consolidated secured financing subsidiaries, and the reviewsCompany's pro rata portion of fees for audits of unconsolidated joint ventures. (2) Primarily relates to audit-related fees for the financial statements included inissuance of consents and comfort letters and assistance with the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Other Fees: $565,300registration statement for other professional services.(1)the resale of securities paid for by certain selling shareholders. The Audit Committee has determined that the provision of non-audit services by the Company'sour independent auditors is compatible with maintaining the accounting firm's independence. - ------------------------ (1) Other Fees includes tax return preparation services, transaction services in connection with the STARS financing transaction, due diligence services in connection with specific investments and services in connection with various Company registration statements and other SEC filings. 1529 SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT The following table sets forth certain information available to the Companyus as of April 16, 20013, 2002 with respect to any common stock owned by theour directors and executive officers, of the Company, and any individual or group of shareholders known to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent5.00% of the issued and outstanding common stock. This table reflects options that are exercisable within 60 days of the date of this proxy statement. There are no other of our directors, nominees for director or executive officers of the Company who beneficially own common stock.
COMMON STOCK PERCENTAGE% OF BENEFICIALLYBASIC COMMON STOCK NAME AND ADDRESS OF BENEFICIAL OWNER(1) BENEFICIALLY OWNED STOCK OUTSTANDING - ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------- ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------ ----------------- Starwood Opportunity Fund II, L.P.(2)(29)................... 272,759Jay Sugarman(2)............................................ 1,519,935(3) 1.73% Spencer B. Haber(2)........................................ 639,297(4) * B Holdings, L.L.C.(2)....................................... 545,518Willis Andersen, Jr.(5).................................... 63,699(6) * Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P.(2)....................... 10,962,886 12.8% Starwood Mezzanine Holdings, L.P.(2)(3)..................... 10,962,886 12.8% Starwood Capital Group I, L.P.(2)(4)........................ 11,235,645 13.1% BSS Capital Partners, L.P.(2)Jeffrey G. Dishner(7)...................................... 257,613(8) * Andrew L. Farkas(2)........................................ 10,000(9) * Madison F. Grose(7)........................................ 276,211(10) * Robert W. Holman, Jr.(5)............................ 11,235,645 13.1% Sternlicht Holdings II, Inc.(2)(6).......................... 11,235,645 13.1%................................... 562,481(11) * Robin Josephs(12).......................................... 15,398(13) * Merrick R. Kleeman(7)...................................... 442,354(8) * H. Cabot Lodge III(2)...................................... 203,991(14) * William M. Matthes(15)..................................... 25,095(16) * John G. McDonald(5)........................................ 71,400(17) * Stephen B. Oresman(2)...................................... 55,995(18) * George R. Puskar(5)........................................ 46,650(19) * SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C.(2)............................. 41,854,934 48.7% Starwood Opportunity Fund IV, L.P.(2)(7).................... 41,854,934 48.7% SOFI IV Management, L.L.C.(2)(8)............................ 41,854,934 48.7% Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C.(2)(9)(10).................... 42,135,693 48.7% and affiliates(7)............. 34,388,338(20) 39.05% Barry S. Sternlicht(7)..................................... 35,773,225(21) 40.63% Lazard Freres Real Estate Fund II L.P.(32).................. 3,031,519 (34) 3.5%(22)................. 3,031,519(23) 3.44% Lazard Freres Real Estate Offshore Fund II L.P.(33)......... 1,916,999 (34) 2.2%(24)........ 1,916,999(23) 2.18% LF Offshore Investment L.P.(33)............................. 1,164,647 (34) 1.4% Barry S. Sternlicht(11)..................................... 54,908,225 (12)(13) 63.9% Jay Sugarman(14)............................................ 948,102 (15) 1.1% Spencer B. Haber(14)........................................ 609,644 (16) * Willis Andersen, Jr.(23).................................... 61,796 (27) * Jeffrey G. Dishner(2)(24)............................ 1,164,647(23) 1.32% Matthew J. Lustig(5)....................................... 261,130 (21) * Madison F. Grose(2)......................................... 191,986 (22) * Robert W. Holman, Jr.(23)................................... 533,856 (24) * Robin Josephs(17)........................................... 15,400 (18) * Merrick R. Kleeman(2)....................................... 356,984 (21) * H. Cabot Lodge III(30)...................................... 127,391 (31) * William M. Matthes(19)...................................... 15,095 (20) * John G. McDonald(23)........................................ 66,400 (28) * Michael G. Medzigian(14).................................... 3,031,519 (26) 3.5% Stephen B. Oresman(23)...................................... 52,895 (28) * George R. Puskar(23)........................................ 36,650 (25) *3,031,519(25) 3.44% All executive officers, directors and nominees for director as a group (15(16 persons)**................................. 61,217,073 71.2%................................ 42,995,028 48.83%
- -------------------------------------------------- * Less than 1.0%1.00%. ** Includes 53,371,33834,388,338 shares held by Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P., B Holdings, L.L.C. and SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C., in the aggregate, as to which beneficial ownership is disclaimed. If these shares were excluded, the percentage of common stock outstanding owned by all executive officers, directors and nominees for director as a group would have been 9.5%9.77%. 1.(1) Except as otherwise indicated and subject to applicable community property laws and similar statutes, the person listed as the beneficial owner of shares has sole voting power and dispositive power with respect to the shares. 2. 591 West Putnam, Greenwich, CT 06830. 16 3. Starwood Mezzanine Holdings, L.P. is a general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P., and as such shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P. Starwood Mezzanine Holdings, L.P. disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its applicable pecuniary interest therein. 4. Starwood Capital Group I, L.P. is: (1) a general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P.; and (2) the general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Holdings, L.P., which is the other general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P., and as such shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by Starwood Mezzanine. Starwood Capital Group I, L.P. is the general partner of Starwood Opportunity Fund II, L.P., which is a member of B Holdings, L.L.C., and as such shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by B Holdings, L.L.C. Starwood Capital Group I, L.P. disclaims beneficial ownership of all such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. 5. BSS Capital Partners, L.P. is the general partner of Starwood Capital Group I, L.P., which is: (1) a general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P.; (2) the general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Holdings, L.P., which is the other general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P.; and (3) a general partner of Starwood Opportunity Fund II, L.P., which is a member of B Holdings, L.L.C., and as such, BSS Capital Partners, L.P. shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P. and B Holdings, L.L.C. BSS Capital Partners, L.P. disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. 6. Sternlicht Holdings II, Inc. is the general partner of BSS Capital Partners, L.P., which is the general partner of Starwood Capital Group I, L.P., which is: (1) a general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P.; (2) the general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Holdings, L.P., which is the other general partner of Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P.; and (3) a general partner of Starwood Opportunity Fund II, L.P., which is a member of B Holdings, L.L.C., and as such,as such Sternlicht Holdings II, Inc. shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by Starwood Mezzanine Holdings, L.P. Sternlicht Holdings II, Inc. disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. 7. Starwood Opportunity Fund IV, L.P. is the sole member and manager of SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. and as such shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by SOFI-IV, SMT Holdings, L.L.C. Starwood Opportunity Fund IV, L.P. disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. 8. SOFI IV Management, L.L.C. is the general partner of Starwood Opportunity Fund IV, L.P., which is the sole member and manager of SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C., and as such shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. SOFI IV Management, L.L.C. disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. 9. Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. is the general manager of SOFI IV Management, L.L.C., which is the general partner of Starwood Opportunity Fund IV, L.P., which is the sole member and general manager of SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C.; as such Starwood Capital Group shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. Starwood Capital Group disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest herein. 10. Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. is a member of B Holdings, L.L.C., and as such, shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by B Holdings, L.L.C. Starwood Capital Group, disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. 11. 591 West Putnam, Greenwich, CT 06830. 12. Mr. Sternlicht directly owns 1,536,887 shares of common stock. Based upon the Securities and Exchange Commission's definition of "beneficial ownership," Mr. Sternlicht is deemed to be the beneficial owner of 53,371,338 additional shares of common stock. These additional shares include 10,969,886 shares directly owned by Starwood Mezzanine Investors, L.P., a private investment fund whose investors include pension funds and other accredited investors, 545,518 shares directly owned by B Holdings, L.L.C. and 41,854,934 shares directly held by SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C., a private investment fund whose investors include pension funds and other accredited investors. Beneficial ownership of these additional shares is attributed to Mr. Sternlicht by virtue of his interests in Sternlicht Holdings II, Inc., of which Mr. Sternlicht is a 100% owner, and Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C., of which Mr. Sternlicht is the general manager. Mr. Sternlicht shares voting and dispositive power of all of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by Sternlicht Holdings II, Inc. and Starwood Capital Group. Mr. Sternlicht disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. 13. Mr. Sternlicht is the general manager of Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C., which is a member of B Holdings, L.L.C., and as such, shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by B Holdings, 17 L.L.C. Sternlicht disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. 14. iStar Financial Inc., 1114 Avenue of the Americas, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10036. 15.(3) Includes 167,900416,667 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Sugarman within 60 days. 16.(4) Includes 186,18633,334 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Haber within 60 days. 17.(5) iStar Financial Inc., One Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111. (6) Includes 54,500 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Andersen within 60 days. (7) 591 West Putnam, Greenwich, CT 06830. (8) Includes 84,528 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable be each of Messrs. Dishner and Kleeman within 60 days. (9) All of these options are exercisable by Mr. Farkas within 60 days. 30 (10) Includes 84,595 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Grose within 60 days and 165 shares of common stock owned by Mr. Grose's spouse. (11) Includes 304,050 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Holman within 60 days. (12) 1420 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60610. 18.(13) Includes 15,095 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options and 303 shares of common stock owned by Ms. Josephs' spouse. 19. 4 Embarcadero Center, Suite 3640, San Francisco, CA 94111. 20.(14) Includes 15,095 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options. 21. Includes 308113,334 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Lodge within 60 days. 22.(15) Four Embarcadero Center, Suite 3640, San Francisco, CA 94111. (16) Includes 20525,095 shares of common stock issuable to Mr. Matthes upon the exercise of outstanding options. (17) Includes 61,400 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. McDonald within 60 days. 23. iStar Financial Inc., One Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111. 24.(18) Includes 275,42554,500 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Oresman within 60 days. 25.(19) Includes 23,80033,800 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable by Mr. Puskar within 60 days. 26. Mr. Medzigian(20) SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. is Presidenta private investment fund whose investors include pension funds and Chief Executive Officer of Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors L.L.C. ("LFREI") and a Managing Director of Lazard Freres & Co. L.L.C. ("LFC"). LFC is the managing member of LFREI. LFREIother accredited investors. Starwood Opportunity Fund IV, L.P. is the sole member and manager of SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. SOFI IV Management, L.L.C. is the general partner of Lazard Freres Real Estate Fund II L.P. ("Onshore"). Onshore beneficially owns 3,031,519 shares of the Company that may be acquired upon exercise of warrants. Mr. Medzigian disclaims any and all beneficial ownership of the shares except to the extent of his indirect pecuniary interest as an officer and director of LFREI and LFC. 27. Includes 44,500 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days. 28. Includes 51,400 shares of common stock subject to options that are exercisable within 60 days. 29. Starwood Opportunity Fund II,IV, L.P. Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. is a memberthe general manager of B Holdings,SOFI IV Management, L.L.C., and as such, Each of these entities shares voting and dispositive power of the shares of common stock owned by BSOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. Each of Starwood Opportunity Fund II,IV, L.P., SOFI-IV Management, L.L.C. and Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. 30. iStar Financial Inc., 1114 Avenue of the Americas, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10036. 31. Includes 50,000in them. (21) Mr. Sternlicht owns 1,376,887 shares of common stock subjecteither directly or through a family foundation. Based upon the Securities and Exchange Commission's definition of "beneficial ownership," Mr. Sternlicht is deemed to options that are exercisable within 60 days. 32.be the beneficial owner of 34,396,338 additional shares of common stock, including 34,388,338 shares directly held by SOFI-IV SMT Holdings, L.L.C. and 8,000 shares held by Starwood Capital Group L.L.C. Beneficial ownership of these additional shares is attributed to Mr. Sternlicht by virtue of his interests in Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C., of which Mr. Sternlicht is the general manager. Mr. Sternlicht has sole voting and dispositive power of all of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. Mr. Sternlicht disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest in them. (22) 30 Rockefeller Center, New York, New York 10020. 33. c/o Maples & Calder, Attorneys-at-Law, Ugland House, P.O. Box 309, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. 34.(23) The common stock deemed to be beneficially owned by these holders reflects the shares of the Companycommon stock that may be acquired by them upon exercise of warrants. The following information has been provided in a Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. LFREI,Lazard Freres Real Estate Investors L.L.C. ("LFREI"), as the sole general partner of Onshore,Lazard Freres Real Estate Fund II L.P. ("Onshore"), and LFC,Lazard Freres & Co. L.L.C. ("LFC"), as the managing member of LFREI, may be deemed to beneficially own the warrants and the shares of common stock that Onshore may acquire upon exercise of its warrants. LFC disclaims beneficial ownership of the warrants and such shares of common stock. LFREI is also the investment adviser to Lazard Freres Real Estate Offshore Fund II L.P. ("Offshore I") and LF Offshore Investment, L.P. ("Offshore II"), but has no right to bind them or otherwise direct their actions. LFREI disclaims beneficial ownership of the warrants and shares of common stock that Offshore I or Offshore II may acquire upon exercise of their respective warrants. LF Real Estate Investors Company ("LFREIC"), as the sole general partner of Offshore I and Offshore II, may be deemed to beneficially own the warrants and the shares of common stock that Offshore I and Offshore II may acquire upon exercise of their respective warrants. 18 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS In July 2000,(24) c/o Maples & Calder, Attorneys-at-Law, Ugland House, P.O. Box 309, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. (25) Mr. Lustig is a managing principal of LFREI and a Managing Director of LFC. LFC is the Company entered into a stock option financing arrangement with Bankmanaging member of America, N. A. wherebyLFREI. LFREI is the Company guaranteed certain loans made by the bank to eight employees for the purposesole general partner of enabling the employees to exercise vested stock options. Neither Mr. Sugarman nor Mr. Haber were eligible for this program. Under this arrangement, the bank made loans to the employees in the aggregate principal amountOnshore. Onshore beneficially owns 3,031,519 of approximately $2,000,000. The loans are repayable in full at the end of a two-year term and bear interest at a fluctuating market rate equal to LIBOR plus 2.5%. The loans are fully recourse to the individual employees. These employees used the loan proceeds to exercise options to purchase an aggregate of 134,585our shares of the Company's common stock. Each employee has executed an agreement to reimburse the Company for any amounts the Companythat may be required to pay under the guaranteed loanacquired upon exercise of warrants. Mr. Lustig disclaims any and as security for the reimbursement obligation, has pledged to the Company all beneficial ownership of the shares purchased withexcept to the proceedsextent of the loan. The Company maintains possessionhis indirect pecuniary interest as an officer and director of the pledged shares. The pledged shares have an aggregate current market value, as of April 3, 2001, of approximately $3,126,000. The Company is under no obligation to guarantee any additional loans to these employees or to extend this financing arrangement to other employees.LFREI and LFC. 31 OTHER MATTERS TheWHEN ARE SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS DUE FOR THE 2003 ANNUAL MEETING? Shareholder proposals intended to be presented at the 2003 annual meeting must be sent in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to us at our principal office, addressed to our Secretary, and must be received by us no later than January 1, 2003, for inclusion in the 2003 proxy materials. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MATTERS COMING BEFORE THE 2002 ANNUAL MEETING? Our management of the Company does not intend to bring any other matters before the annual meeting and knows of no other matters that are likely to come before the meeting. In the event any other matters properly come before the annual meeting, the persons named in the accompanying proxy will vote the shares represented by such proxy in accordance with their best judgment on such matters. The Company urges you to submit your vote on the accompanying proxy card by completing, signing, dating and returning it in the accompanying postage-paid return envelope at your earliest convenience, whether or not you presently plan to attend the meeting in person. By Order of the Board of Directors [LOGO] Geoffrey Dugan Assistant Secretary of the Company New York, New York April 16, 2001 19 APPENDIX A AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER I. MEMBERSHIP: The Audit Committee (the "Committee") of iStar Financial Inc. (the "Company") shall be comprised of three or more members of the Board of Directors (the "Board"). Members of the Committee are appointed by the Board for one year terms. A chairman shall be designated by the Board. Each Committee member shall have the following qualifications: A. A Committee member shall have no relationship to the Company that may interfere with the exercise of his or her independence from management and the Company. Notwithstanding the above sentence, one member of the Committee may not be independent of the Company if the Board determines that membership on the Committee by such individual is required by the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, and the Board discloses in the next annual proxy statement subsequent to such determination the nature of the relationship and the reason for that determination. B. A Committee member shall be financially literate, as determined by the Board in its business judgment, or must become financially literate within a reasonable period of time after his or her appointment to the Committee. C. At least one member of the Committee shall have related financial management expertise, as determined by the Company's Board of Directors in its business judgment. D. A Committee member shall not be currently employed by the Company or have been employed by the Company in the three years prior to appointment of the Company or any of its affiliates. E. A Committee member shall not be, or have been in the past three years, a partner, controlling shareholder or executive officer of an organization that has a business relationship with the Company, and the Committee member shall not have, or have had in the past 3 years, a direct business relationship with the Company, in either case, unless such business relationship is deemed not to interfere with the independent judgement of such member, as determined by the Company's Board in its business judgment. F. A Committee member shall not be an executive of another company where any of the Company's executives serve on that company's compensation committee. G. A Committee member shall not be the spouse, parent, child, sibling, mother in-law, father in-law, brother in-law or sister in-law, or share a house with a person who is or was within three years an executive officer of the Company. II. FUNCTIONS: The Committee shall have the following responsibilities: A. Recommend and report to the Board on the appointment, nomination, evaluation and, where appropriate, removal of the independent auditor. B. To ensure that the independent auditor submits to the Committee, on a periodic basis, a formal written statement delineating all relationships between the independent auditor and the Company. C. To actively engage in a dialogue with the independent auditor with respect to any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity and independence of the independent auditor and to recommend that the Board take appropriate action in response to the independent auditors' report to satisfy itself of the independent auditors' independence. A-1 D. To ensure that the Company's interim financial statements are reviewed by the independent auditor prior to filing such financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. E. To submit to the Company, for inclusion in the Company's annual proxy statement, a Committee report that must include the following information: 1. That the Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements with the Company. 2. That the Committee has discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by SAS 61. 3. That the Committee has received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors required by ISB Standard No. 1, and has discussed with the auditors the auditor's independence. 4. Whether, based on the Committee's discussions with management and the auditors, it became aware of material misstatements or omissions in the financial statements. 5. Whether, based on its discussions with management and the independent auditors, it recommended to the Board that the financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the last fiscal year for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 6. The printed names of each of the Committee members. F. Review the intended scope of the annual audit and the audit methods and principles being applied by the independent auditors and the fees charged by the independent auditors. G. Review and discuss the results of the audit with both the independent auditors and managers. H. Review the Company's significant accounting principles, policies and practices. I. Review the Company's reporting policies and practices. J. Review the adequacy of management information systems, internal accounting and financial controls. K. Review the annual financial statements before their submission to the Board for approval. L. Review with both management and the independent auditor procedures and their execution established to: 1. Prevent and uncover unlawful political contribution, bribes, unexplained and unaccounted for payments to intermediaries (foreign or American). 2. Ascertain whether there are any unaccounted for off-book transactions. 3. Identify payments in violation of applicable laws and standards of business which are intended to influence employees of potential customers to purchase their products (commercial bribes, kickbacks, etc.) M. Approve the performance of professional services provided by the independent auditors, including audit and non-audit services, before such services are rendered, and consider the possible effect on the performance of such services on the independence of the auditors. N. Review annually internal and external audits of employee benefit plans of the Company (including subsidiaries). O. Review annually with the independent auditor its audit of the Company pension plans, if any, to determine that there are proper procedures to insure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. A-2 P. Review annually adequacy of the Company's insurance. Q. Review annually adequacy of protection of technology, including: - physical security - patent and trademark program - proprietary information R. Review annually policies, and compliance with policies, relating to legal matters, conflict of interest, etc. S. Review quarterly with the Chief Financial Officer and the independent auditor the Company's hedging activities and policies and the Company's loan/loss reserves. T. Approve any and all hedging instruments with notional amounts of $50 million or more and approve the loss reserve. III. MINUTES: Minutes will be kept of each meeting of the Committee and will be provided to each member of the Board. Any action of the Committee shall be subject to revision, modification, rescission, or alteration by the Board, provided that no rights of third parties shall be affected by any such revision, modification, rescission, or alteration. IV. AMENDMENTS: This Audit Committee Charter may be amended in whole or in part with the vote or consent of a majority of the Board. A-38, 2002 32 PROXY THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OROF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF iSTAR FINANCIAL INC. 1114 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, 27TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036 PROXY FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 17, 2001.29, 2002. TO VOTE AT THE ANNUAL MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF iSTAR FINANCIAL INC., SIGN AND DATE THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS CARD WITHOUT CHECKING ANY BOX. The undersigned holder of shares of common stock, 9.375% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, 9.20% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock and/or 8.00% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock of iStar Financial Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), hereby appoints Jay SugarmanSugerman and Spencer B. Haber, or either of them, with full power of substitution in each, to attend and to cast all votes which the undersigned shareholder is entitled to cast at the annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 17, 2001,29, 2002, at 9:00 a.m.8:30 a.m, local time, at The Sheraton New YorkSofitel Hotel, & Towers, 811 Seventh Avenue,45 West 44th Street, New York, New York, 1001910036 and at any adjournments or postponements thereof, and otherwise to represent the undersigned at the meeting with all powers possessed by the undersigned if personally present at the meeting, upon the following matters. The undersigned shareholder hereby revokes any proxy or proxies heretofore given with respect to such meeting. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined have the meanings given in the proxy statement to which this proxy relates. [X] PLEASE MARK YOUR VOTES AS IN THIS EXAMPLE. FOR WITHHELD --- -------- 1. The election of eight members of the [ ] [ ] Board of Directors. Nominees: Jay Sugarman, Spencer B. Haber, H. Cabot Lodge III, Willis Andersen, Jr., William M. Matthes, John G. McDonald, Stephen B. Oresman and Barry S. Sternlicht. For, except vote withheld from the following nominee(s): --------------------------------------------- FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN --- ------- ------- 2. Ratification of the appointment of [ ] [ ] [ ] PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's independent accountants for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001. In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote and otherwise represent the undersigned on any other matter that may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.----------------- SEE REVERSE SIDE ----------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOLD AND DETACH HERE [iSTAR FINANCIAL LOGO] This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner as directed herein by the undersigned shareholder. IF THIS PROXY IS EXECUTED BUT NO INSTRUCTION IS GIVEN, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED "FOR" PROPOSALS 1 AND 2 AND IN THE DISCRETION OF THE PROXY HOLDER ON ANY OTHER MATTER THAT MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT OR POSTPONEMENT THEREOF. The undersigned shareholder may revoke this proxy at any time before the votes are cast by delivering to the Secretary of the Company either a written revocation of the proxy or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or by appearing at the annual meeting and voting in person. The undersigned shareholder hereby acknowledges receipt of the notice of annual meeting of shareholders and proxy statement. PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS CARD PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. If you receive more than one proxy card, please sign and return ALL cards in the enclosed envelope. Please date and sign exactly as the name appears hereon. Joint owners should each sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such. ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- Signature (s) Date /X/ Please mark votes as in this example. TO WITHHOLD AUTHORITY FOR ANY NOMINEE, STRIKE A LINE THROUGH SUCH NOMINEE'S NAME. If a nominee becomes unavailable for election or unable to serve as a Director, the vote will be cast for a person that will be designated by the Board of Directors of the Company. 1. The election of eight FOR WITHHELD members of the / / / / Nominees: Board of Directors. Jeffrey G. Dishner, Andrew L. Farkas, Madison F. Grose, Robert W. Holman, Jr., Robin Josephs, Merrick R. Kleeman, Matthew A. Lustig and George R. Puskar. For, except vote withheld from the following nominee(s): _______________________________________________________ FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN 2. Approval and adoption of the iStar Financial / / / / / / Inc. High Performance Unit Program. 3. Ratification of the appointment of / / / / / / PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's independent accountants for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2002. In their discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote and otherwise represent the undersigned on any other matter that may properly come before the annual meeting, or any adjournments or postponements thereof. This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner as described herein by the undersigned shareholder. IF THIS PROXY IS EXECUTED BUT NO INSTRUCTION IS GIVEN, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR PROPOSALS 1, 2 AND 3 AND IN THE DISCRETION OF THE PROXY HOLDER ON ANY OTHER MATTER THAT MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT OR POSTPONEMENT THEREOF. The undersigned shareholder may revoke this proxy at any time before it is voted by delivering to the Secretary of the Company either a written revocation of the proxy or a duly executed proxy bearing a later date, or by appearing at the annual meeting and voting in person. The undersigned shareholder hereby acknowledges receipt fo the notice of annual meeting of shareholders and proxy statement. PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS CARD PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. If you receive more than one proxy card, please sign and return ALL cards in the enclosed envelope. Please sign exactly as name appears hereon. Joint owners should each sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such. ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ SIGNATURE(S) DATE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOLD AND DETACH HERE