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TABLE OF CONTENTS1

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.    )

Filed by the Registrantý


Filed by a Party other than the Registranto


Check the appropriate box:


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Preliminary Proxy Statement


o



Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))


ý



Definitive Proxy Statement


o



Definitive Additional Materials


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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
§240.14a-12

 

THE MACERICH COMPANY


(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)



(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.


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LOGO

Table of Contents

LOGO


The Macerich Company

April 15, 201629, 2021

Dear Stockholder:Fellow Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on Thursday,Friday, May 26, 201628, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. local time at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90401.

The accompanying Notice and Proxy Statement contain details concerning the matters to be considered during our Annual Meeting.

At our Annual Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on the following matters:

(1)

election of the ten directors named in the accompanying Proxy Statement;

(2)

approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers as described in the accompanying Proxy Statement;

(3)

approval of an amendment to our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock;

(4)

approval of the amendment and restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan;

(5)

ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm; and

(6)

the transaction of such other business as may properly come before our Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof.

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote your shares:

We are pleased to again take advantageFOR” the approval of the Securitiesamendment and Exchange Commission rules that allow us to furnish Proxy materials to our stockholders over the Internet. This e-proxy process expedites our stockholders' receipt of Proxy materials, lowers our costs and reduces the environmental impactrestatement of our Annual Meeting. Employee Stock Purchase Plan; and

FOR” the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.

On or about April 15, 2016,29, 2021, we mailed to most of our stockholders a Noticecopies of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials containing instructions on how to access our Proxy Statement and 20152020 Annual Report to Stockholders and authorize their proxies online. All other stockholders will receive these materials by mail. If you only received a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials by mail, the Notice contains instructions on how you can obtain a paper copy of the Proxy Statement and Annual Report.Stockholders.

We look forward to seeing you at our Annual Meeting and thank you for your continued support.

We are actively monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our stockholders may have and the protocols that federal, state, and local governments may impose. Given that we do not know when the restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 will be relaxed, this year we must reserve the right to notify you in the future that our Annual Meeting will instead be held solely by remote communication (a virtual meeting).

Your vote is important.important. Whether or not you plan to attend our Annual Meeting, we urge you to submit your Proxy to ensure your shares are represented and voted at our Annual Meeting. If you attend our Annual Meeting, you may continue to have your shares voted as instructed on your Proxy or you may withdraw your Proxy at the meeting and vote your shares in person.person by following the instructions for doing so in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

 
GRAPHIC

LOGO

 Arthur M. CoppolaThomas E. O’Hern
 Chief Executive Officer

LOGO

Steven R. Hash
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer


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THE MACERICH COMPANY

401 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD

SUITE 700

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA 90401


NOTICE OF THE 2021 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON MAY 26, 201628, 2021


NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 20162021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting"“Annual Meeting”) of The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), will be held on Thursday,Friday, May 26, 201628, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. local time at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90401, to consider and vote on the following matters:upon:

(1)

the election of ten directors, each to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies;

(2)

the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers as described in the accompanying Proxy Statement;

(3)

the approval of an amendment to our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock;

(4)

the approval of the amendment and restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan;

(5)

the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021; and

(6)

the transaction of such other business as may properly come before our Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof.

Action may be taken on the foregoing matters at our Annual Meeting on the date specified above, or on any date or dates to which our Annual Meeting may be postponed or adjourned. Only stockholders of record of our common stock at the close of business on March 21, 201622, 2021 will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, our Annual Meeting.

We are actively monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, and we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our stockholders may have and the protocols that federal, state and local governments may impose. As part of our precautions regarding COVID-19, we are planning for the possibility that we may hold a virtual annual meeting, in which participation would be solely by means of remote communication. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold our Annual Meeting in person, or at the current noted location, we will announce alternative arrangements, including how to participate, in a press release available at www.macerich.com as promptly as practicable before our Annual Meeting and at any postponement or adjournment thereof.file such information as additional proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Please monitor our website www.macerich.com for updated information. If you are planning to attend our Annual Meeting, please check the website ten days prior to the meeting date.

Your vote is important.important. Whether or not you plan to attend our Annual Meeting, we urge you to submit your Proxy to ensure your shares are represented and voted at our Annual Meeting. If you attend our Annual Meeting, you may continue to have your shares voted as instructed on your Proxy or you may revokewithdraw your Proxy at our Annual Meetingthe meeting and vote your shares in person.person by following the instructions for doing so in our Proxy Statement.

Record stockholders may authorize their Proxies:

By Toll-Free Telephone: If you received a printed set of Proxy materialsMaterials by mail, you may call the toll-free number shown on your Proxy and follow the recorded instructions.

By Mail: If you received a printed set of Proxy materialsMaterials by mail, you may mark, sign, date and promptly return the enclosed Proxy in the postage-paid envelope.

Beneficial stockholders: If your shares of common stock are held by a bank, broker or other nominee, please follow the instructions you receive from your bank, broker or other nominee on how to instruct howauthorize voting of your shares of common stock are to be voted at our Annual Meeting.

By Order of the Board of Directors

LOGO

Ann C. Menard

Secretary

Santa Monica, California

April 29, 2021


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Proxy Statement Summary

By Order of the Board of Directors




GRAPHIC
   Thomas J. Leansei

About Our Annual Meeting

   Secretary1

Santa Monica, California
April 15, 2016



Table of Contents


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Proxy Statement Summary

i

About Our Annual Meeting

1

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

  65

Information Regarding our Director Nominees

  76

Corporate Governance

The Board of Directors and its Committees

  1512

Compensation of Non-Employee Directors

  2223

Executive Officers

  2426

Equity Ownership of Directors, Named Executive Officers and Principal Stockholders

Compensation Committee Report

  27

Executive Officer Biographical Information

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

  2829

Compensation Committee Report

Executive Compensation

  4530

Compensation Discussion And Analysis

30

Executive Summary

31

Executive Compensation

50

Summary Compensation Table—Fiscal Years 2013-20152018-2020

  4550

Grants of Plan-Based Awards—Fiscal 20152020

  5054

Discussion of Summary Compensation and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table

  5054

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2015—Fiscal 20152020

  5356

Option Exercises and Stock Vested—Fiscal 20152020

  5457

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation—Fiscal 20152020

  5557

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change ofin Control

  5658

CEO Compensation Pay Ratio

62

Equity Compensation Plan Information

62

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

  6163

Audit Committee Matters

Certain Transactions

  6163

Principal Stockholders

62

Audit Committee Matters

64

Report of the Audit Committee

  64

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

  6564

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policy

  65

Proposal 2:Non-Binding Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Company’s Named Executive Officers

66

Proposal 3: Amendment to our Charter to Increase the Number of Authorized Shares of Common Stock

67

Proposal 4: Amendment and Restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan

68

Summary of Our ESPP

68

Federal Income Tax Consequences of Our ESPP

70

Securities Underlying Awards

70

Specific Benefits

71

Dilution Analysis

71

Vote Required and Recommendation

71

Proposal 5: Ratification of the Appointment of KPMG LLP as our Company'sCompany’s Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

  6772

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

  6772

Additional Matters

Proposal 3: Advisory Vote to Approve the Compensation of our Company's Named Executive Officers

  6873

Proposal 4: ApprovalSolicitation of our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive PlanProxies

  7073

Additional Matters

81

Solicitation of Proxies

81

Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominees

  8173

Householding of Proxy Materials

  8173

Delinquent Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting ComplianceReports

  8274

Other Matters

  8274

Forward-Looking Information

Appendix I—Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures

  I-174

Appendix II—Peer REITsA: Amendment to our Charter

  II-1A-1

Appendix III—AmendedB: Amendment and Restated 2003 Equity IncentiveRestatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan

  III-1B-i


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Proxy Statement Summary
PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in our Proxy Statement. This summary does not contain all of the information that you should consider, and you should read the entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting.voting or authorizing a proxy to vote your shares. Page references are supplied to help you find further information in our Proxy Statement.

Our Annual Meeting

LOGO

TIME AND DATE:

10:00 a.m. local time on

Friday, May 28, 2021

LOGO

PLACE:

The Fairmont Miramar Hotel 101 Wilshire Boulevard

Santa Monica, California

LOGO

RECORD DATE:

Close of business on

March 22, 2021

Voting

Each share of our common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), entitles the holder thereof to one vote for each director nominee and one vote on each of the other proposals to be voted upon at our Annual Meeting.

You may vote or authorize a proxy to vote by any of the following methods:

Our Annual Meeting

Time and Date:10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 26, 2016

Place:


The Fairmont Miramar Hotel
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, California

Record Date:


Close of business on March 21, 2016

Voting:


Each share of our common stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote on each matter to be voted upon at our Annual Meeting.



You can vote by any of the following methods:

LOGO

  

Internet: Go to the website address shown on your Proxy or the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the day before ourthe Annual Meeting.

   

LOGO

Telephone:

Telephone: Call the toll-free number shown on your Proxy and follow the recorded instructions. The deadline for submitting your Proxy by telephone is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the day before ourthe Annual Meeting.

   

LOGO

Mail:

Mail: Mark, sign, date and return your Proxy in the postage-paid envelope promptly so that it is received prior to ourthe Annual Meeting.

   

LOGO

In Person: If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote in person by attending the Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in street name, you will need to obtain a "legal proxy"“legal proxy” from your broker, bank or other nominee and present it at ourthe Annual Meeting prior to voting in person.

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About Our Annual Meeting (page 1)

We provide answers to many questions about our Annual Meeting, including how to vote your shares, in our Q&A section beginning on page 1 of our Proxy Statement.

Proposals and Board Recommendations

Proposal
Board
Recommendation

Page
Reference

Proposal 1—1

Election of Ten Directors

For all nominees

  5  

  Proposal 2

Advisory Vote to Approve our Named Executive Officer Compensation

For

  For all nominees

66  

  Proposal 3

 6

Amendment to our Charter to Increase the Number of Authorized Shares of Common Stock

For

67  

Proposal 2—4

Amendment and Restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan

For

68  

  Proposal 5

Ratification of the Appointment of KPMG LLP as our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 20162021

 

For

  

6772  

Proposal 3—Advisory Vote to Approve our Named Executive Officer Compensation

For

68

Proposal 4—Approval of our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive Plan as adopted by our Board of Directors on January 28, 2016

For

70

Transaction of any other business that properly comes before our Annual Meeting and any postponement or adjournment thereof

2021 PROXY STATEMENT    i


PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

Our Business Highlights (page 29)31)

In 2015, our Company continued the sector-leading progress we have made in recent years, demonstrating our ability to consistently seize opportunities and further strengthen our Company and our growth prospects. Our executive officers, led by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Arthur Coppola, were instrumental in this effort. The following are some of our Company's most notable achievements during 2015:

Operational Achievements:

Leasing Achievements:

Development Achievements:

ii


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    Santa Monica Place: new ArcLight Cinema and Cheesecake Factory opened in November 2015.

    Green Acres Mall: 335,000 square foot power center is underway, 85% pre-leased, with completion expected in Fall 2016.

    Fashion Outlets of San Francisco and Fashion Outlets of Philadelphia projects: the launch of these projects was announced.

Strategic Achievements:

    Entered into joint ventures with GIC, a foreign sovereign wealth fund ("GIC") (40% interest in five assets), and Heitman Capital Management LLC ("Heitman") (49% interest in three assets), generating $2.3 billion in cash proceeds, including $1.1 billion of excess financing proceeds.

    Returned a total of $4.00 per share to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 12, 2015 in the form of two special dividends paid in December 2015 and January 2016, respectively.

    Successfully launched a $1.2 billion stock repurchase program.

Sustainability Achievements:

    Received key sustainability awards:

    Retail "Leader in the Light" Environmental Award for the second straight year from the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.

    Award of Excellence for "Best Building Mixed-Use-Project" from the Northern Virginia Chapter of the NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, for Tysons Corner Center.

    #1 ranking in the U.S. Retail Sector for sustainability performance for real estate portfolios around the world, according to scores published by Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).

    Numerous LEED® Gold certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council.

iii


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    OPERATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

    • Rent collections, which had dipped to approximately 35% in April and May, improved as the year progressed with collection rates of approximately 89% in the third quarter and approximately 94% in the fourth quarter

    • Average rent per square foot was $61.87 at December 31, 2020, representing a 1.3% increase over 2019

    • Instituted extensive COVID-19 related protocols, including, among others, upgrading ventilation systems to hospital-grade air filtration, enhanced cleaning and sanitization protocols, compliance with mask-wearing mandates, social distance, customer queueing and path of travel protocols

    • Secured the stringent, highly regarded Bureau Veritas SafeGuard Hygiene Excellence and Safety Certification during 2020 and in early 2021

    LEASING ACHIEVEMENTS:

    • Of our approximately 200 national tenants, we have received payment from and/or agreed to repayment terms for approximately 96% of those tenants, based on gross rent

    • Negotiated thousands of COVID-19 workout lease amendments, including over 2,200 amendments during the fourth quarter alone

    • Opened 173 new stores totaling over 875,000 square feet

    • Maintained a strong leasing pipeline for 2021 new store openings totaling approximately 900,000 square feet

    • Secured commitments for 70% of leased square footage expiring in 2021, and are negotiating letters of intent for the remaining 30%

    • Executed leases totaling approximately 900,000 square feet during the fourth quarter, only 8% less than pre-COVID-19 levels during the fourth quarter of 2019

    • Secured 1,200 temporary in-line lease agreements occupying nearly 1.9 million square feet by year end, with over 800 temporary tenants during the holiday season, matching the 2019 temporary occupancy levels

    COMMUNITY

    OUTREACH

    ACHIEVEMENTS:

    During 2020, our Company engaged in many community initiatives, including:

    • Made our real estate available for and hosted many essential functions, such as drive-through COVID-19 testing and vaccination facilities, food drives and first responder parking, and for community activities, such as drive through graduation ceremonies, church services and drive-in concerts and movies

    • Donated over 1.4 million meals to support local food banks

    • Continued to support charities in the communities in which we do business, including providing needed supplies for first responders

    • Participated in marketing campaigns with the use of billboards and other media at our regional shopping centers and our community/power shopping centers (the “Centers”) for stay-at-home campaigns, healthy hygiene protocols and blood drives

    • Donated iPads to hospitals for use by patients requiring connection to family and friends

    • Donated over 500 laptops to schools in New York, California and Arizona to support disadvantaged students with online learning

    ENVIRONMENTAL/
    SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVEMENTS:

    • #1 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (“GRESB”) ranking within Retail/Americas for the sixth consecutive year

    • Top Ranking on CDP Climate ‘A’ List for the fifth year

    • One of five REITs designated as sector leaders on Barron’s list of America’s Most Sustainable Companies announced in 2020

    • Retail “Leader in the Light” Environmental Award for years 2016-2019 from Nareit

    • Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership List of Top 30 On-Site Generation Companies

    Director Nominees (page 6)ii    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


    PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

     
      
      
      
     Independent (Yes/No)
      
      
     
      
     Director
    Since

      
     Committee
    Memberships

     Other Public
    Company Boards

    Name
     Age
     Occupation
     Yes
     No
     

    John H. Alschuler

     68 2015 Chairman of HR&A Advisors, Inc. Yes   Nominating and Corporate Governance SL Green Realty Corporation and Xenia Hotels and Resorts, Inc.

    Arthur M. Coppola

     64 1994 Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of our Company   No Executive (Chair) None

    Edward C. Coppola

     61 1994 President of our Company   No None None

    Steven R. Hash

     51 2015 President and Chief Operating Officer of Renaissance Macro Research, LLC Yes   Audit; Compensation Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

    Fred S. Hubbell

     64 1994 Director, Voya Financial, Inc. Retired Executive Board Member, ING Group Yes   Executive; Nominating and Corporate Governance Voya Financial, Inc.

    Diana M. Laing

     61 2003 Chief Financial Officer, American Homes 4 Rent Yes   Audit (Chair) None

    Mason G. Ross

     72 2009 Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Northwestern Mutual Life Yes   Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair) None

    Steven L. Soboroff

     67 2014 Managing Partner, Soboroff Partners and Vice President of Los Angeles Police Commission Yes   Audit; Compensation; Nominating and Corporate Governance None

    Andrea M. Stephen

     51 2013 Retired Executive Vice President, Investments, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited Yes   Compensation (Chair); Executive First Capital Realty Inc. and Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust

    John M. Sullivan

     55 2014 President and Chief Executive Officer, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited   No None Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliarios, S.A. and Dream Global REIT

    EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT/ CULTURE
    ACHIEVEMENTS:

    • Retention of key talent during this very challenging year

    • No layoffs or furloughs

    • Development of diversity, equity and inclusion programming, referred to internally as the DREAM initiative

    • Provided guidance and resources to employees to assist with the challenges and disruptions created by COVID-19, including:

    •   information on childcare and eldercare resources,

    •   mental health and wellness programs

    •   individualized assistance through Macerich’s robust Employee Assistance Program

    •   technology upgrades to assist in remote work

    •   providing laptops to employees to assist families and children with remote learning

    • Regular employee engagement programming such as:

    •   video meetings with various operational teams with guest executive speakers

    •   regular newsletters to our employee population

    •   lunch and learn programs

    •   events recognizing specific employee contributions

    • Most successful Whole Life Challenge in Company history, with 65% participation1

    Director Nominees (page 6)

    Name

     Age Director
    Since
     Occupation Independent Committee
    Memberships
     Other Public
    Company Boards

    Peggy Alford

     49 2018 

    Executive Vice President, Global Sales, PayPal

      Audit (Chair) Facebook, Inc.

    John H. Alschuler

     73 2015 

    Chairman of HR&A Advisors, Inc.

      Audit; Nominating and Corporate Governance SL Green Realty Corporation and Xenia Hotels and Resorts, Inc.

    Eric K. Brandt

     58 2018 

    Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Broadcom Corporation

      Compensation NortonLifeLock Inc.; Dentsply Sirona Inc. and Lam Research Corporation

    Edward C. Coppola

     66 1994 

    President of our Company

       None None

    Steven R. Hash

     56 2015 

    Retired, Co-Founder Renaissance Macro Research, LLC

      Executive (Chair); ex officio on other standing committees Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and Nuveen Global Cities REIT, Inc.

    Daniel J. Hirsch

     47 2018 

    Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Cascade Acquisition Corporation

      Compensation; Nominating and Corporate Governance Broadmark Realty Capital Inc.

    Diana M. Laing

     66 2003 

    Retired Interim Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.

      Nominating and Corporate Governance Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; Spirit Realty Capital, Inc. and CareTrust

    Thomas E. O’Hern

     65 2018 

    Chief Executive Officer of our Company

       Executive Douglas Emmett, Inc.

    Steven L. Soboroff

     72 2014 

    Managing Partner, Soboroff Partners; and Vice President, Los Angeles Police Commission

      Audit; Compensation; Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair) None

    Andrea M. Stephen

     56 2013 

    Retired Executive Vice President, Investments, The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited

      Compensation (Chair); Executive First Capital Real Estate Investment Trust and Slate Grocery Real Estate Investment Trust

    1

    The Whole Life Challenge is a six-week health and wellness challenge that we sponsor for employees.

    2021 PROXY STATEMENT    iii


    PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

    Say-on-Pay Vote (page 66)

    We retain an open line of communication with our investors on our compensation programs as well as our governance practices. At our 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders approved our say-on-paynon-binding, advisory vote by over 95% of the votes cast.

    Please review our Compensation Discussion and Analysis beginning on page 30 and the accompanying executive compensation tables beginning on page 50 for additional details about our executive compensation program, including information about our named executive officers’ 2020 compensation.

    Charter Amendment to Increase the Number of Authorized Shares of Common Stock (page 67)

    We are asking our stockholders to approve an amendment to our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock. Our Board of Directors has determined that it is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders to amend our charter in order to have available on a timely basis additional authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock in an amount adequate to provide for our future needs.

    Amendment and Restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (page 68)

    We are asking our stockholders to approve the amendment and restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”), which was originally approved by our stockholders on May 28, 2003. We believe that our ESPP has helped and will continue to help our Company to retain and motivate our employees and to further align their interests with those of our stockholders.

    Ratification of our Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (page 67)72)

    We are asking our stockholders to ratifyconsider and vote upon the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.

    Say-on-Pay Vote and Stockholder Outreach Efforts (page 31)

    As a result of significant decline in the support for our say-on-pay vote in 2015 relative to 2014, our Compensation Committee conducted an extensive stockholder outreach campaign through which our Compensation Committee Chair and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer met in-person with stockholders representing over 56% of our outstanding shares of common stock to gather feedback on our executive compensation program and areas for potential improvement. Based on what we learned, we confirmed the

    iv


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    appropriateness of certain changes we already started to implement, and made additional changes to our executive compensation program, as summarized below:2021.

    GRAPHIC

    Please review ourCompensation Discussion and Analysis beginning on page 28 and the accompanying executive compensation tables beginning on page 45 for additional details about our executive compensation program, including information about our named executive officers' 2015 compensation.

    Approval of our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive Plan (page 70)

    We are asking our stockholders to approve our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive Plan which was adopted, subject to stockholder approval, by our Board of Directors on January 28, 2016 and is attached hereto as Appendix III (the "Amended 2003 Incentive Plan"). These amendments:

      Increase the aggregate share limit by an additional 6,000,000 shares.

      Eliminate the "fungible" share counting provision, which provided that full-value awards would count against the authorized share limit on a 2.62-to-1 basis.

      Extend the term of the plan until May 26, 2026.

      Provide for "double trigger" Change in Control vesting acceleration.

      Subject all awards granted under the Amended 2003 Incentive Plan to our Company's Clawback Policy.

    For a description of these amendments and a summary of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, please see page 70 of our Proxy Statement.

    v


    Table of Contents

    Executive Compensation Program Highlights (page 33)30)

    Our executive compensation program is designed to align our executive compensation with long-term stockholder interests as described in ourCompensation Discussion and Analysis beginning on page 28.30.

    LOGO

    EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

    WHAT WE DO

    ü

    Pay for Performance.Performance. Executive compensation is heavily weighted toward "at risk"“at risk” performance-based compensation. For our Chief Executive Officer, over 85% of his target compensation is contingent on our Company’s operating and stock performance. For our other named executive officers, 80% of their respective average target compensation depends on our Company’s operating and stock performance.

    ü

    Performance-Based Equity.Compensation. For both our Chief Executive Officer and President, 75% of ourtheir long-term incentive equity awards are in the form of performance-based LTIP Unit awards, which are subject to vesting based on our relative total stockholder return (“TSR”) compared to allU.S.-based publicly-traded equity real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) that are categorized as “mall” or "REITs". Starting with the 2016“shopping center” REITs. For our other named executive officers, 50% of their long-term incentive equity awards relativeare in the form of performance-based LTIP Unit awards. Relative total stockholder return performance is measured over a three-year period.

    ü

    "Double-Trigger"“Double-Trigger” Equity Vesting.Vesting Effective with the 2016 equity grants, our. Our equity awards are subject to double-trigger vesting acceleration in connection with a change in control.

    iv    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


    PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

    ü

    Robust Stock Ownership Guidelines.Guidelines. Our Chief Executive Officer is required to own common stockCommon Stock or any class of our equity securities or units of The Macerich Partnership, L.P. (our “Operating Partnership”) with a value equal to 6x his base salary and our other named executive officers are required to own common stockCommon Stock or any class of our equity securities or units of our Operating Partnership with a value equal to 3x their respective base salaries.

    ü

    Holding Period.Period. Until the minimum required stock ownership level is achieved, our named executive officers must retain 50% of the net-after-tax profit shares from vesting of equity compensation awards.

    ü

    Clawback Policy.Policy. We maintain a clawback policy to recapture certain cash and equity incentive payments to executive officers that were based on inaccurate financial results that are subsequently restated.restated, if the amount of the executive officer’s incentive compensation would have been lower had the financial results been properly reported.

    ü

    Independent Compensation Consultant.Consultant. The Compensation Committee engages an independent compensation consulting firm that provides us with no other services.

    Annual Say-on-Pay. We annually submit our executive compensation program for our named executive officers to say-on-pay advisory votes for stockholder consideration.

    LOGO

    WHAT WE DON'TDON’T DO

    Î
    c

    No Excessive Risk Taking.Taking. Our compensation program is designed todoes not incentivizeencourage excessive risk taking by participants.

    cÎ

    No Excise Tax Gross Up Provisions.Gross-Up In December 2015, the only two remaining management continuity Provisions. None of our agreements that providedprovides for excise tax gross-ups expired.gross-ups.

    cÎ

    No Employment Agreements.Repricing. We do not entrench management through the usepermit repricing of employment agreements; we had no employment agreements and one remaining management continuity agreement for one named executive officer as of January 1, 2016.

    cNo Repricing. We do not reprice underwater options or stock appreciation rights ("SARs"(“SARs”) or permit exchange of underwater options or SARs for other awards or cash, without prior stockholder approval.

    cÎAnti-Hedging.

    Anti-Hedging. We do not allow hedging, monetization transactions, short sales or the purchase and sale of publicly traded options in our securities by any director, officer or employee.

    cÎAnti-Pledging.

    Anti-Pledging. We do not allow our directors or executive officers to pledge our securities unless they can otherwise meet our stock ownership requirements. None of our directors or officers currently pledgepledges our securities.

    vi


    Table of Contents

    Corporate Governance Highlights (page 15)12)

    Our Board of Directors is committed to strong corporate governance. Our governance framework is designed to promote the long-term interests of our stockholders and strengthen Board and management accountability.

    LOGO

    CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

    WHAT WE DO

    MUTA Opt Out. In 2019 we opted out of the provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the Maryland General Corporation Law (often referred to as the Maryland Unsolicited Takeovers Act (or “MUTA”)) and are prohibited from opting back into any of the MUTA provisions, including the provision allowing the Board to self-classify, without stockholder approval.

    ü

    No Poison Pill.Pill On May 7, 2015, our Company terminated its. No Stockholder Rights Agreement, dated March 17, 2015. Accordingly, we have no "poison pill"Plan in effect.

    ü

    Annual Election of Directors.Directors. Our Board consists of a single class of directors who stand for election each year.

    ü

    Majority Voting Standard for Directors with Director Resignation Policy.Policy. Our Bylaws include a majority votevoting standard for the election of directors. Any incumbent director who fails to receive the required vote for re-election shall must offer to resign from our Board of Directors.

    ü

    Independent Board.Board. Currently seveneight of our ten directors are independent and all members serving on our committeesAudit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees are independent.

    ü

    Proxy Access. Our Bylaws include market-standard proxy access nominating provisions.

    Right to Amend our Bylaws. Our Bylaws permit stockholder-proposed bylaw amendments.

    Executive Sessions of the Board.our Board. An executive session of independent directors is held following each regularly-scheduled Board meeting.

    2021 PROXY STATEMENT    v


    PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

    ü

    Independent Chairman. As of our 2018 annual meeting, our Lead Director. Our LeadIndependent Director (as defined below) ensurestransitioned to the role of Independent Chairman, and continues to ensure strong and independent leadership and oversight of our Board of Directors by, among other things, presiding at all meetings of our Board and calling and presiding at executive sessions in connection with every Board meeting.of the non-management directors.

    ü

    Board Evaluations.Evaluations. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees annual evaluations of our Board and its committees, including separate committee self-evaluations. In addition, the Independent Chairman met individually with each director in 2020 to discuss key Board topics.

    ü

    Regular Succession Planning.Planning. A high priority is placed on regular and thoughtful succession planning for our senior management.

    ü

    No Over-boarding. Our written governance policy limits director membership on other public company boards subject to the discretion of our Board.

    Risk Oversight by Full Board and Committees.Committees. A principal function of our Board is to oversee risk assessment and risk management related to our business. Oversight for specific areas of risk exposure is delegated to our Board committees.

    ü

    Code of Ethics.Ethics. A robust code of ethics is in place for our directors, officers and employees and a supplementary code of ethics is in place specifically for our Chief Executive Officer and senior financial officers.

    ü

    Sustainability.Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) Oversight We strive to conduct our business in a socially responsible manner that balances consideration of environmental. Our Nominating and social issues with creating long-term valueCorporate Governance Committee has primary oversight responsibility for our ESG programs, together with a cross-functional management committee to coordinate and communicate on our ESG initiatives.

    Stockholder-requested Meetings. Our Bylaws permit stockholders to request the calling of special meetings of stockholders.

    Stockholder Engagement. Our Company and Board are committed to regularly engaging with our stockholders.

    üNo Over-boarding.stockholders on our Company’s governance practices, compensation programs, performance, strategic direction and other key matters. Our written governance policy limits director membershipBoard and management continue to actively engage with our stockholders on other public company boards.an ongoing basis.

    vii


    Board Refreshment and Diversity. We have a commitment to Board refreshment and diversity—60% of our current directors have been elected to our Board since mid-2015. Additionally, when selecting nominees, our Board focuses on increasing various aspects of our Board’s diversity. Women represent 30% of our director nominees for election at our Annual Meeting and the average age of our director nominees is 60.8 years, with significant age diversification.

    vi    2021 PROXY STATEMENT

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    THE MACERICH COMPANY

    401 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD

    SUITE 700

    SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA 90401


    PROXY STATEMENT

    FOR 20162021 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

    TO BE HELD ON MAY 26, 201628, 2021


    We are sending you this Proxy Statement in connection with the solicitation of Proxies by our Board of Directors for exercise at our 20162021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and at any postponement or adjournment thereof. We are first providing this Proxy Statement and the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and Proxy to our stockholders on or about April 15, 2016.29, 2021. Our 20152020 Annual Report to Stockholders (“2020 Annual Report”), including financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015,2020, is being provided to stockholders concurrently with this Proxy Statement. Our 2020 Annual Report, however, is not part of the proxy solicitation material. We sometimes refer to The Macerich Company as our "Company," "Macerich," "we"“Company,” “Macerich,” “we” or "us"“us” and to our 20162021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, including any postponement or adjournment thereof, as our "Annual“Annual Meeting."

    Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting to be Held on May 26, 2016. This 28, 2021. The Notice of the 2021 Annual Meeting, this Proxy Statement and our 20152020 Annual Report are available atwww.proxyvote.com.


    ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

    Why did I receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials instead of paper copies of the Proxy materials?

    This year, we are again using the Securities and Exchange Commission or "SEC" notice and access rule that allows us to furnish our Proxy materials over the Internet to our stockholders instead of mailing paper copies of those materials to each stockholder. This allows us to provide our stockholders with the information they need, while lowering the costs of delivery and reducing the environmental impact of our Annual Meeting. Beginning on or about April 15, 2016, we mailed to most of our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials or "Notice" containing instructions on how to access our Proxy materials over the Internet and authorize your Proxy online. This Notice is not a Proxy and cannot be used to vote your shares. If you received only a Notice this year, you will not receive paper copies of the Proxy materials unless you request the materials by following the instructions on the Notice or on the website referred to on the Notice. We mailed to some of our stockholders, including stockholders who have previously requested paper copies of the Proxy materials and some of our stockholders who are participants in our benefit plans, paper copies of the Proxy materials instead of a Notice.

    If you own shares of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share, referred to as "Common Stock," in more than one account—for example, in a joint account with your spouse and in your individual brokerage account—you may have received more than one Notice or more than one set of paper Proxy materials. To vote all of your shares by Proxy, please follow each of the separate Proxy voting instructions that you received for your shares of Common Stock held in each of your different accounts.

    When and where is our Annual Meeting?

    Our Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday,Friday, May 26, 201628, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. local time at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90401.


    We are actively monitoring the coronavirus Table(COVID-19) situation, and we are sensitive to the public health and travel concerns our stockholders may have and the protocols that federal, state and local governments may impose. As part of Contentsour precautions regarding COVID-19, we are planning for the possibility that we may hold a virtual annual meeting, in which participation would be solely by means of remote communication. In the event it is not possible or advisable to hold our Annual Meeting in person, or at the current noted location, we will announce alternative arrangements, including how to participate, in a press release available at www.macerich.com as promptly as practicable before our Annual Meeting and file such information as additional proxy materials with the SEC. Please monitor our website www.macerich.com for updated information. If you are planning to attend our Annual Meeting, please check the website ten days prior to the meeting date.

    What isare the purposepurposes of our Annual Meeting?

    At our Annual Meeting, our stockholders will consider and vote on the following matters:

      (1)
      the election of ten directors, each to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies;

      (2)
      the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2016;

      (3)
      the approval, on an advisory basis, of our named executive officer compensation as described in this Proxy Statement; and

      (4)
      the approval of our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive Plan as adopted by our Board of Directors on January 28, 2016.

    (1)

    the election of ten directors, each to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualifies;

    (2)

    the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers as described in this Proxy Statement;

    (3)

    the approval of an amendment to our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock;

    (4)

    the approval of the amendment and restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan; and

    (5)

    the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

    2021 PROXY STATEMENT    1


    ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

    In addition, our stockholders will transact any other business that properly comes before our Annual Meeting orand any postponement or adjournment thereof. Management will also respond to appropriate questions from our stockholders.

    Who is entitled to vote?

    Only holders of record of our Common Stock at the close of business on the record date, March 21, 2016,22, 2021, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, our Annual Meeting. Holders of Common Stock are entitled to cast one vote for each share held by themdirector nominee and one vote on each matterof the other proposals to be voted upon.upon at our Annual Meeting. Our Common Stock is our only class of securities entitled to vote at our Annual Meeting. Under applicable law and our charter, a stockholder isstockholders are not entitled to cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors.

    Who is entitled to attend our Annual Meeting?

    All of our stockholders of record as of the close of business on the record date, or their duly appointed Proxy holders, may attend our Annual Meeting. If you are not a stockholder of record but hold shares through a broker, bank or other nominee and wish to attend the meeting, you should provide proof of beneficial ownership as of the record date, such as an account statement reflecting your stock ownership as of the record date, a copy of the voting instruction cardform provided by your broker, bank or other nominee, or other similar evidence of ownership. If you do not have proof of ownership, you may not be admitted to our Annual Meeting. Each stockholder and Proxy holder may be asked to present a valid government-issued photo identification, such as a driver'sdriver’s license or passport, before being admitted. Cameras, recording devices and other electronic devices will not be permitted, and attendees may be subject to security inspections and other security precautions.

    What constitutes a quorum?

    The presence, in person or by Proxy, of holdersstockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at our Annual Meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at our Annual Meeting. As of the record date, 149,329,392179,491,992 shares of Common Stock were outstanding and entitled to vote.be voted by the holders thereof. Abstentions and broker non-votes will count toward the presence of a quorum. A "broker non-vote"“broker non-vote” occurs when there are both routine and non-routine matters on the proxy card and the broker marks a broker holding shares for a beneficial owner returns a properly executed Proxy butvote on the routine matter (either as instructed by the client or, if not instructed, in the broker’s discretion) and does not cast a vote with respect to a particular proposalon the non-routine matters because under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) the broker does not have discretionaryhas no voting power with respect to that matter and has not received voting instructions fromauthority without the beneficial owner.client’s instruction.

    How do I vote?

    Voting in Person at our Annual Meeting.Meeting.    If you are a stockholder of record as of the close of business on the record date and attend our Annual Meeting, you may vote in person. If your shares of Common Stock are held in street name and you wish to vote in person at our Annual Meeting, you will need to obtain and present prior to


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    voting at our Annual Meeting a "legal proxy"“legal proxy” from the broker, bank or other nominee through which your shares of Common Stock are held of record. Obtaining a legal proxy usually takes several days.

    Voting by Proxy for Shares Registered Directly in the Name of the Stockholder.Stockholder.    If you hold your shares of Common Stock in your own name as a holder of record with our transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, N.A., you may instruct the Proxy holders how to vote your shares of Common Stock in one of the following ways:

      Authorize your Proxy by Internet.    You may authorize your Proxy over the Internet. The website for Internet authorization is provided on your Proxy in the printed set of Proxy materials that you received. Internet authorization is available 24 hours per day until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the day before our Annual Meeting. In order to authorize your Proxy, you will need to have the control number that appears on the Proxy you received.

      Authorize your Proxy by Telephone.    If you received a printed set of the Proxy materials, you may authorize your Proxy by telephone by calling the toll-free number listed on your Proxy. Telephone authorization is available 24 hours per day until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the day before our Annual Meeting. When you call, please have your Proxy in hand, and you will receive a series of voice instructions which will allow you to instruct your Proxy how to vote your shares of Common Stock. To authorize your Proxy by telephone, you will also need your control number referred to above.

      Authorize your Proxy by Internet.2    You may authorize your Proxy over the Internet. The website for Internet authorization is provided in the Notice or on your Proxy if you received a printed set of Proxy materials. Internet authorization is available 24 hours per day until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the day before our Annual Meeting. In order to authorize your Proxy, you will need to have the control number that appears on the Notice or Proxy you received.2021 PROXY STATEMENT

      Authorize your Proxy by Telephone.  If you received a printed set of the Proxy materials, you may authorize your Proxy by telephone by calling the toll-free number listed on your Proxy. Telephone authorization is available 24 hours per day until 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, the day before our Annual Meeting. When you call, please have your Proxy in hand, and you will receive a series of voice instructions which will allow you to instruct your Proxy how to vote your shares of Common Stock. To authorize your Proxy by telephone, you will also need your control number referred to above.

      Submit your Proxy by Mail.  If you received a printed set of the Proxy materials, you may submit your Proxy by mail by marking, signing and dating the Proxy enclosed with the Proxy materials you received and returning it promptly to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. in the postage-paid envelope provided.


    ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

    Submit your Proxy by Mail.    If you received a printed set of the Proxy materials, you may submit your Proxy by mail by marking, signing and dating the Proxy enclosed with the Proxy materials you received and returning it promptly to Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. in the postage-paid envelope provided.

    Voting by Proxy for Shares Held in Street Name.Name.    If your shares of Common Stock are held in street name, you will receive instructions from your broker, bank or other nominee that you must follow in order to instruct howauthorize voting of your shares of Common Stock are to be voted at our Annual Meeting.

    What if I sign and return a Proxy by mail or authorize my Proxy by telephone or the Internet but do not specify how I wish to vote my shares?

    If you sign and return a Proxy or authorize your Proxy by telephone or the Internet but do not specify how your shares will be voted on one or more matters listed in the Notice of our Annual Meeting, the shares will be voted with respect to such matters as follows:

    The holders of the Proxy will also have authority to vote in their discretion on any other matter that may be properly brought before our Annual Meeting and any postponement or that may be incidental to the conduct of the meeting.adjournment thereof.

    What does it mean if I receive more than one Proxy?

    If you own shares of our Common Stock in more than one account—for example, in a joint account with your spouse and in your individual brokerage account—you may have received more than one Notice or set of Proxy materials. To ensure that all of your shares are voted, please follow each of the separate Proxy voting instructions that you received for your shares of Common Stock held in each of your different accounts.


    Table of Contents

    Will other matters be voted on at our Annual Meeting?

    It is not anticipated that any matter, other than those set forth in this Proxy Statement, will be presented at our Annual Meeting. If other matters are properly presented, Proxies will be voted by the Proxy holders in their discretion. Stockholder votes will be tabulated by the person appointed to act as inspector of election for our Annual Meeting.

    May I change my vote or revoke my Proxy after I return my Proxy?

    If you are a stockholder of record as of the record date, you may change your vote or revoke your Proxy before it has been voted at our Annual Meeting by:

      filing a written revocation with the Secretary of The Macerich Company, at 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700, Santa Monica, California 90401;

    authorizing a new Proxy by Internet, telephone or mail after the time and date of the previously authorized Proxy in the manner provided above under "How“How do I vote?"; or

    appearing in person and voting by ballot at our Annual Meeting.

    Any stockholder of record as of the record date attending our Annual Meeting may vote in person whether or not a Proxy has been previously given, but the presence (without further action) of a stockholder at our Annual Meeting will not constitute revocation of a previously givensubmitted Proxy.

    2021 PROXY STATEMENT    3


    ABOUT OUR ANNUAL MEETING

    For shares of Common Stock you hold in street name, you may change your vote by submitting new voting instructions to your broker, bank or other nominee or, if you have obtained a legal proxy from your broker, bank or other nominee giving you the right to vote your shares at our Annual Meeting, by appearing in person and voting at our Annual Meeting.

    What are our Board of Directors'Directors’ recommendations?

    Unless you give other instructions on your Proxy, the persons named as Proxy holders on the Proxy will vote a properly givensubmitted Proxy in accordance with the recommendations of our Board of Directors. Our Board'sBoard’s recommendations, together with the description of each matter, are set forth in this Proxy Statement. In summary, ourOur Board recommends that you vote your shares:

    With respect to any other matter that properly comes before our Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof, the Proxy holders will vote on such matter in their discretion.

    What vote is required to approve each matter?

    Assuming the presence of a quorum, the affirmative vote of a majority of all of the votes cast on the matter at our Annual Meeting in person or by Proxy is required by our charter and/or Bylaws for the election of each director nominee, for the approval, on a non-binding, advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers and for the ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm and approval of the compensation of our named executive officers.firm. For purposes of these proposals, abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, arewill not be counted as votes cast and therefore will not be counted in determininghave no effect on the outcome of any of these proposals.


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    The proposal to approve the compensation of our named executive officer compensationofficers is advisory only and is not binding on our Company or our Board. Our Board values the opinion of our stockholders and our Board, or an appropriate committee of our Board, will consider the outcome of the vote on this proposal in considering what action, if any, should be taken in response to the advisory vote by stockholders.

    Assuming the presence of a quorum, the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter at our Annual Meeting in person or by Proxy is required to approve the amendment to our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock. Abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will have the same effect as votes against the proposal to amend our charter, although they will be considered present for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum.

    The affirmative vote of a majority of all of the votes cast on the matter at our Annual Meeting in person or by Proxy is required to approve the amendment and restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan. In addition, the rules of the NYSE require that votes for the approvalproposal must be at least a majority of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. Under the New York Stock Exchange rules or "NYSE Rules" for purposesall of the vote to approve our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, an abstention constitutesvotes cast on the proposal (including votes for and against and abstentions). Accordingly, abstentions will be included in determining the number of votes cast on the proposal, thus having the effect of a vote cast but a broker non-vote does not. Accordingly, a broker non-vote willagainst the proposal. Broker non-votes, if any, are not be counted in determining the outcomenumber of votes cast and will therefore have no effect on the vote on this matter, while an abstention will have the same effect as a vote against this matter.outcome.

    The proposal to ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is considered a routine item under the NYSE Rules.rules of the NYSE. Accordingly, if you hold your shares are held in street name and you do not submit voting instructions to your broker, your broker may exercise its discretion to vote your shares on this proposal. If your broker exercises this discretion, your shares will be counted as present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum at our Annual Meeting and will be voted in the manner directed by your broker on the proposal to ratify KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm, but your shares will constitute broker non-votes on each of the other proposals at our Annual Meeting.Meeting, because they are non-routine proposals on which brokers are not permitted to vote without direction from the beneficial owner.


    Table of Contents4    2021 PROXY STATEMENT



    PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    IntroductionIntroduction: How Our Board Composition is Aligned with our Strategy

    We have a long-term business strategy that focuses on leasing and management, redevelopment and development of regional malls and shopping centers that fit specified criteria. We believe that our business requires specialized skills across a broad array of disciplines for effective and profitable operations. Our Board of Directors consists of a highly experienced group of business leaders who share our values, oversee and support our strategy and reflect our culture. Many of our directors have served as executive officers or on boards and board committees of major companies and have an extensive understanding of the principles of corporate governance. Our nominees have experience in the following fields that are relevant to our Company, business, industry and strategies:

    retail;

    commercial real estate;

    finance, capital markets and investments;

    business operations;

    transactions;

    risk oversight and management; and

    digital and e-commerce.

    Under our Bylaws, our Board of Directors determines the number of our directors, provided that the number shall never be less than the minimum required by the Maryland General Corporation Law, which is one, nor more than twelve. Our Board of Directors currently consists of ten directors. The present term of our ten director nominees will expire at our Annual Meeting. Our director nominees, if elected at our Annual Meeting, will hold officeserve until our annual meeting of stockholders in 20172022 and until their respective successors are duly elected and qualify.

    Our Board of Directors, based on the recommendations of theits Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, has nominated the following individuals to serve as directors of our Company:

    John H. Alschuler   Peggy Alford

      

    Diana M. Laing   Daniel J. Hirsch

    Arthur M. Coppola   John H. Alschuler

      

    Mason G. Ross   Diana M. Laing

    Edward C. Coppola   Eric K. Brandt

      

    Steven L. Soboroff   Thomas E. O’Hern

    Steven R. Hash   Edward C. Coppola

      

    Andrea M. Stephen   Steven L. Soboroff

    Fred S. Hubbell   Steven R. Hash

      

    John   Andrea M. SullivanStephen

    Each of our director nominees was previously elected to serve on our Board by our stockholders. Each of our director nominees is currently serving as a director and has consented to be nominated and to serve if elected. However, if any nominee becomes unable or unwilling for good cause to serve as a director if elected, the Proxy holders may vote for another person nominated by our Board of Directors.Directors, or the Board may reduce the size of the Board and number of nominees.

    Our Board of Directors will consider a nominee for election to our Board recommended by a stockholder of record if the stockholder submits a written notice regarding such recommendation to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee c/o our Secretary in the manner described under the heading "The“Our Board of Directors and its Committees—Director Selection Process."

    Our charter and Bylaws provide that our directors are required to be elected by the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes cast on the matter in person or by Proxy at our Annual Meeting at which a quorum is present. Our Guidelines on Corporate Governance further provide that any incumbent director who fails to receive the required vote for re-election shall must offer to resign from theour Board. TheIn that case, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will make a recommendation to theour Board on whether to accept or reject the resignation. Theoffer to resign. Our Board will then act on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee'sCommittee’s recommendation and publicly disclose its decision within 90 days after the date of the certification of the election results. If the resignationoffer to resign is not accepted, the director will continue to serve until the next annual meeting and until the director'sdirector’s successor is elected and qualifies. If the resignationoffer to resign is accepted, then theour Board, in its sole discretion, may fill any resulting vacancy or may decrease the size of theour Board pursuant to our charter and Bylaws. The director whose offer to resign is under consideration will not participate in the Board'sNominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s or our Board’s decision regarding whether to accept or reject such director's resignation.director’s offer to resign.

    2021 PROXY STATEMENT    5


    PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR"“FOR” THE ELECTION OF EACH OF OUR DIRECTOR NOMINEES. PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED "FOR"“FOR” EACH OF OUR DIRECTOR NOMINEES UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.


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    Information Regarding Director Nominees
    INFORMATION REGARDING DIRECTOR NOMINEES

    Director Stock Ownership

    Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Board believe that considering diversity is consistent with the goal of creating a Board that best serves the needs of our Company and the interests of our stockholders. Our Board seeks a mix of backgrounds and experience among its members and does not follow any ratio or formula to determine the appropriate mix. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee uses its judgment to identify nominees whose viewpoints, backgrounds, experience and other demographics, taken as a whole, contribute to the high standards of service on our Board. The following table sets forth certain stock ownership information with respect to our director nominees based on information furnished by each director. The following information is as of the record date, March 21, 2016.

    Name
     Amount and Nature of
    Beneficial Ownership
    of Common Stock
    and OP Units(1)
     Percent of
    Common
    Stock(2)
     Amount and Nature of
    Beneficial Ownership
    of OP Units(1)(3)
     Percent of
    Common
    Stock(2)
     

    John H. Alschuler

     —(4)  *    * 

    Arthur M. Coppola(5)

     2,833,460(6)(7)  1.86% 2,529,240(8) 1.67%

    Edward C. Coppola(5)

     1,936,991(9)(10)  1.28% 1,552,836(11) 1.03%

    Steven R. Hash

     —(12)  *    * 

    Fred S. Hubbell

     76,077(13)(14)  *    * 

    Diana M. Laing

     12,479(15)  *    * 

    Mason G. Ross

     8,951(16)  *    * 

    Steven L. Soboroff

     2,022(17)(18)  *    * 

    Andrea M. Stephen

     6,960(19)  *    * 

    John M. Sullivan

            

    *
    The percentage of shares beneficially owned by this director does not exceed one percent of our outstanding shares of Common Stock.

    (1)
    Except as provided under applicable state marital property laws or as otherwise noted, each individual in the table above has sole voting and investment power over the shares of Common Stock and/or OP Units (as defined in Note 3 below) listed.

    (2)
    Assumes that all OP Units and LTIP Units (as defined in Note 3) held by the person are redeemed for shares of Common Stock (assuming, in the case of any LTIP Units, they have first been converted into OP Units) and that none of our OP Units or LTIP Units held by other persons are redeemed for or converted into shares of Common Stock.

    (3)
    Our Company is the sole general partner of, and owns an aggregate of approximately 93% of the ownership interests referred to as "OP Units" in, The Macerich Partnership, L.P. or our "Operating Partnership." Our Operating Partnership holds directly or indirectly substantially all of our interests in our regional shopping centers and our community/power shopping centers (the "Centers"). Our Company conducts all of its business through our Operating Partnership, the property partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies that own title to our Centers and various management companies. In connection with our formation as well as subsequent acquisitions of certain Centers, OP Units were issued to certain persons in connection with the transfer of their interests in such Centers. The OP Units are redeemable at the election of the holder and our Company may redeem them for cash or shares of Common Stock on a one-for-one basis (subject to anti-dilution provisions), at the Company's election.

    Our Long Term Incentive Plan or "LTIP" allows for the issuance of limited partnership units in the form of a class of units of our Operating Partnership referred to as "LTIP Units," as more fully described on pages 41-42 of this Proxy Statement. LTIP Units may be performance-based, service-based, or fully-vested. Upon the occurrence of specified events, any vested LTIP Units can over time achieve full parity with the common OP Units of our Operating Partnership at which time LTIP Units are convertible, subject to the satisfaction of applicable vesting conditions, on a one-for-one basis into common OP Units.

    (4)
    Mr. Alschuler has 1,888 stock units that will vest after May 20, 2016 and 39 stock units credited as dividend equivalents under our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive Plan as currently in effect ("2003 Incentive Plan") and 1,446 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Eligible Directors' Deferred Compensation/Phantom Stock Plan referred to as our "Director Phantom Stock Plan," the vesting and terms of which are described under "Compensation of Non-Employee Directors" below. Stock units, including the

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      stock units issued under our Director Phantom Stock Plan, are payable solely in shares of Common Stock, do not represent outstanding shares, do not have voting rights and are non-transferrable.

    (5)
    Arthur Coppola and Edward Coppola are brothers.

    (6)
    Includes 488 shares held by Mr. A. Coppola as custodian for his minor child and 1,764,055 OP Units that are held by family limited liability companies of which Mr. A. Coppola is the sole manager.

    (7)
    Includes 107,679 SARs granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan that vested on March 15, 2011 and are currently exercisable, 304,635 vested LTIP Units and 58,604 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. SARs are payable solely in shares of Common Stock, do not represent outstanding shares, do not have voting rights and are non-transferrable. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. A. Coppola has 126,594 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

    (8)
    Includes 1,764,055 OP Units that are held by family limited liability companies of which Mr. A. Coppola is the sole manager, 304,635 vested LTIP Units and 58,604 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. A. Coppola has 126,594 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

    (9)
    Includes 5,001 shares of Common Stock held for Mr. E. Coppola under our 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan. Also includes 39,969 shares held by a family limited partnership of which Mr. E. Coppola has sole beneficial ownership, 155,952 OP Units held in a family trust where Mr. E. Coppola has shared beneficial ownership and 5,053 shares held by Mr. E. Coppola as custodian for his children.

    (10)
    Includes 76,508 SARs granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan that vested on March 15, 2011 and are currently exercisable, 137,132 vested LTIP Units and 21,392 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. E. Coppola has 50,637 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

    (11)
    Includes 155,952 OP Units held in a family trust where Mr. E. Coppola has shared beneficial ownership, 137,132 vested LTIP Units and 21,392 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. E. Coppola has 50,637 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

    (12)
    Mr. Hash has 1,888 stock units that will vest after May 20, 2016 under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

    (13)
    Includes 970 shares held in trust by Mr. Hubbell as trustee and 10,511 shares held in trust for the benefit of Mr. Hubbell and his descendants. Also includes 17,344 shares held by a foundation of which Mr. Hubbell and his wife are trustees.

    (14)
    In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Hubbell has 3,093 vested stock units, 336 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 1,388 stock units that will vest after May 20, 2016 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 67,674 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

    (15)
    In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Ms. Laing has 3,093 vested stock units, 336 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 1,388 stock units that will vest after May 20, 2016 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 32,054 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

    (16)
    In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Ross has 1,547 vested stock units, 168 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 1,388 stock units that will vest after May 20, 2016 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 9,587 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

    (17)
    Includes 2,000 shares of Common Stock held in a family trust of which Mr. Soboroff is the trustee.

    (18)
    In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Soboroff has 3,571 vested stock units, 401 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 1,388 stock units that will vest after May 20, 2016 under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

    (19)
    In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Ms. Stephen has 1,388 stock units that will vest after May 20, 2016 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 6,096 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

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    Director Biographical Information


    The followingmatrix provides certain biographical information with respect to our directorsnominees for director as well as the specific experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that led our Board to conclude that each director should serve as a member of our Board of Directors. More information on each director’s qualifications and background is included in the director biographies on the following pages. Each director has served continuously since first elected.

    Summary of Board Experience


    J.
    Alschuler
    A.
    Coppola
    E.
    Coppola
    S.
    Hash
    F.
    Hubbell
    D.
    Laing
    M.
    Ross
    S.
    Soboroff
    A.
    Stephen
    J.
    Sullivan

    Chief Executive Officer/President/Founder

    Approximately 38% of independent directors

    and 30% of all directors on our Board are

    women

     XXXXXXX

    Chief Financial Officer

    6.75 years average tenure for

    independent directors on our

    Board’s slate

     X

    Retail and/or Commercial Real Estate

    XXXXXXXXXX

    Financial Literacy100% of independent directors

    XXXXXXXXXX

    Finance/Capital Markets/ Investmentare financially literate

    XXXXXXXXXX

    Business Operations

    XXXXXXXXXX

    Risk Oversight/Management

    XXXXXXXXXX

    International

    XXXXXX

    Academic

    XXX

       Peggy
    Alford
     John
    Alschuler
     Eric
    Brandt
      Edward
    Coppola
      Steven
    Hash
      Daniel
    Hirsch
      Diana
    Laing
      Thomas
    O’Hern
      Steven
    Soboroff
      Andrea
    Stephen

    Knowledge, Skills & Experience

                               

     

    Chief Executive Officer/President/
    Founder

     

     

     

     

      

      

            

      

       

    Chief Financial Officer

     

       

               

      

          

    Retail and/or Commercial Real Estate

       

        

      

      

      

      

      

      

    Financial Literacy

     

     

     

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

    Finance/Capital Markets/ Investment

     

     

     

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

    Business Operations

     

     

     

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

    Risk Oversight/Management

     

     

     

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

    International

     

     

     

         

                  

    Transactional Experience

     

     

     

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

    ESG Oversight

       

           

      

      

      

      

       

    Digital Expertise

     

       

                         

    Demographics

                               

    Race/Ethnicity

                               

    Black/African American

     

                             

    White/Caucasian

       

     

      

      

      

      

      

      

      

    Gender

                               

    Male

       

     

      

      

      

         

      

       

    Female

     

                   

            

    Board Tenure

                               

    Years

     

    3

     

    6

     

    3

      

    27

      

    6

      

    3

      

    18

      

    3

      

    7

      

    8

    6    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


    PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    Peggy Alford

    Independent Director Nominee

    Director Since: 2018

    Age: 49

    Board Committees: Audit (Chair)

    Other Public Company Boards: Facebook, Inc.

    Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

    As of March 3, 2020, Ms. Alford is Executive Vice President, Global Sales at PayPal. She rejoined PayPal as their Senior Vice President of Core Markets on March 1, 2019, leading commercial teams in the largest and most established markets, including North America, UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Australia. Ms. Alford was elected to the board of Facebook, Inc. in May 2019 and previously served on the board of directors of Social Finance Inc. from July 2018 to April 2019. From September 2017 to February 2019, Ms. Alford was the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Operations for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a philanthropic organization that brings together world-class engineering, grant-making, impact investing, policy and advocacy work, with oversight of finance, real estate, facilities and general operations. Prior to joining the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Ms. Alford held a variety of senior positions at PayPal from May 2011 to August 2017, including Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Americas, Global Customer and Global Credit, where she was responsible for all finance and analytics for PayPal’s Global Merchant and Global Consumer Business Units, its Global Credit business, and its North America and Latin America regions. She also served as PayPal’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources, People Operations and Global Head of Cross Border Trade. From 2007 to 2011, Ms. Alford was President and General Manager of Rent.com (an eBay Inc. company), also serving as its Chief Financial Officer from October 2005 to March 2009. From 2002 to 2005 she served as Marketplace Controller and Director of Accounting Policy, leading accounting policy at eBay Inc. where she was instrumental in creating eBay marketplace controller’s group ensuring the financial integrity of eBay transactions. Ms. Alford started her career at Arthur Andersen LLP in 1993 as an auditor and business consultant in such industries as technology, consumer products, manufacturing, government and education. Ms. Alford earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Dayton and is a certified public accountant.

    Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

    Ms. Alford’s wide-ranging financial and operational experience, technology and omnichannel knowledge and significant experience leading complex businesses are invaluable to our Board. Her fresh perspectives and contributions to our Company are also informed by Ms. Alford’s strong digital expertise and track record of driving growth and innovation through data analytics, areas which have become increasingly critical to our business. In addition to her strong managerial and operational background, Ms. Alford brings deep financial expertise to our Board, based on which she serves as our Audit Committee chairperson and has been determined by our Board to be an audit committee financial expert.

    John H. Alschuler

    Independent Director Nominee


    PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    estate market and our Company'sCompany’s business from a knowledgeable and informed perspective. His experience on boards of other public and private companies further enhances his range of knowledge.

    Arthur M. Coppola
    Eric K. Brandt

    Independent Director Nominee


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    Edward C. Coppola

    Director Nominee

    8    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


    PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    Steven R. Hash

    Independent Director Nominee


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        (and (and its successor, Barclays Capital), including Global Head of Real Estate Investment Banking from 2006 to 2012, Chief Operating Officer of Global Investment Banking from 2008 to 2011, Director of Global Equity Research from 2003 to 2006, Director of U.S. Equity Research from 1999 to 2003, and Senior Equity Research Analyst from 1993 to 1999 covering the Real Estate Investment Trusts sector. From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Hash held various positions with Oppenheimer & Company'sCompany’s Equity Research Department, including senior research analyst. He began his career in 1988 as an auditor for the accounting and consulting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co.

      Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

        Mr. Hash brings toserves as our Independent Chairman of the Board valuable experience in accounting and financial reporting based upon his years as an auditor and senior equity research analyst. In addition, he brings extensive knowledge of real estate investment strategy and economic trends through years of real estate industry research and investment banking both domestically and internationally. In addition to important insights into the equity and capital markets and investor perspectives, he has valuable experience in accounting and financial reporting based upon his years as an auditor and senior equity research analyst. He also has important corporate governance and board leadership expertise, as well as human capital management and talent development knowledge through his positions at other publicly traded companies and at our Company.

    Fred S. Hubbell
    Daniel J. Hirsch

    Independent Director Nominee

      Director Since:1994
      Age:64
      Since
      : 2018

      Age: 47

      Board Committees:Executive;Committees: Compensation; Nominating and Corporate Governance

      Other Public Company Boards:Voya Financial,Boards: Broadmark Realty Capital Inc.

      Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

        Mr. HubbellHirsch is a principal of Cascade Acquisitions Holdings, LLC, the sponsor of a special purpose acquisition company, Cascade Acquisition Corp., formed in November 2020, and serves as its chief operating officer and chief financial officer. From 2003 to December 2016, Mr. Hirsch held several senior positions at Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C. (“FCM”), an investment firm that manages capital on behalf of institutions and individuals, including Managing Member of the Real Estate Group from 2009 to December 2016, Managing Director from 2007 to 2008 and Legal Counsel from 2003 to 2006. He was a consultant to FCM from January 2017 through March 2020. Prior to joining FCM, Mr. Hirsch worked as an associate in the San Francisco office of the law firm Covington & Burling, from 2001 to 2003. In November 2019, Mr. Hirsch joined the board of Broadmark Realty Capital Inc. (“Broadmark”), serving as chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee and a member of the executivecompensation committee. Mr. Hirsch previously served as a director of Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. (“Playa”) from 2010 until March 2020, including serving as the FCM board designee for Playa from January 2017 until March 2020. Mr. Hirsch graduated from Yale Law School with a J.D., and Chairmansumma cum laude with a Bachelor of InsuranceArts in Law, Jurisprudence and Asset Management Americas for ING Group, a Netherlands-based companySocial Thought from Amherst College.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    9


    PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    Key Qualifications, Experience and oneAttributes:

    Mr. Hirsch’s knowledge of the world's largest banking, insurancecapital markets and asset management companies, and servedreal estate sector, as an executivewell as his investment experience, makes him a valuable member of our Board. In addition, Mr. Hirsch’s substantive public company board member from May 2000 through April 2006. The executive board wasexperience, including his ten-year tenure on the first tier leadership board of ING Groupdirectors of Playa and was responsible for the management of the company. Mr. Hubbell became Chairman of Insurance and Asset Management Americas in 2004 and was previously Chair of the Executive Committees of the Americas and Asia/Pacific beginning in January 2000. Mr. Hubbell was also responsible for Nationale Nederlanden, ING Group's largest Dutch insurance company, and ING Group's asset management operations throughout Europe from May 2004 to April 2006. Mr. Hubbell elected to retire from ING Group's executive board effective April 25, 2006. From January 1, 2012 through October 31, 2012, Mr. Hubbell was a senior industry advisor to ING Group on a part time basis. Mr. Hubbell was formerly Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Equitable of Iowa Companies, an insurance holding company, serving as Chairman from May 1993 to October 1997, and as President and Chief Executive Officer from May 1989 to October 1997. Mr. Hubbell served as interim director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development from October 5, 2009 through January 14, 2010. On December 31, 2012, Mr. Hubbell was electedhis current service as a member of the board of directors of Broadmark brings valuable knowledge and audit committee of Voya Financial, which became a publicly traded company on May 2, 2013 following its divestiture from ING Group. On May 31, 2013, Mr. Hubbell was elected lead director, chairman of the nominating and governance committee and a member of the compensation and benefits committee of Voya Financial. Mr. Hubbell is also an attorney.

    Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:


    Table of Contentsdeliberations.

    Diana M. Laing

    Independent Director Nominee

      Director Since:Since: 2003
      Age:61

      Age: 66

      Board Committees:Audit (Chair)Committees: Nominating and Corporate Governance

      Other Public Company Boards: Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.; Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.; CareTrust REIT, Inc.

      Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

        Ms. Laing served as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., Hawaii’s leading owner and operator of grocery and drug store-anchored retail centers, from November 2018 to May 2019, was elected to their board of directors in April 2019 and is thecurrently a member of its audit and compensation committees. From May 2014 to June 2018, Ms. Laing served as Chief Financial Officer of American Homes 4 Rent, a publicly traded REIT focused on the acquisition, renovation, leasing and operation of single-family homes as rental properties and has served in such capacity since May 2014.properties. From May 2004 until its merger with Parkway Properties of Orlando, Florida in December 2013, Ms. Laing was the Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Thomas Properties Group, Inc., a publicly traded real estate operating company and institutional investment manager focused on the development, acquisition, operation and ownership of commercial properties throughout the United States. She was responsible for financial reporting, capital markets transactions and investor relations. Ms. Laing served as Chief Financial Officer of each of Triple Net Properties, LLC from January through April 2004, New Pacific Realty Corporation from December 2001 to December 2003, and Firstsource Corp. from July 2000 to May 2001. From August 1996 to July 2000, Ms. Laing was Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Arden Realty, Inc., a publicly traded REIT which was the largest owner and operator of commercial office properties in Southern California. From 1982 to August 1996, she served in various capacities, including Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Southwest Property Trust, Inc., a publicly traded multi-family REIT which owned multi-family properties throughout the southwestern United States. Ms. Laing began her career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen & Co. SheMs. Laing is a member of the board of directors of Spirit Realty Capital, Inc., a publicly traded REIT, where she serves as chair of its audit committee. In January 2019, Ms. Laing was elected to the board of directors of CareTrust REIT, Inc. and serves on the advisory boards to the Dean of the Spears School of Businessits audit and the Chairman of the School of Accounting at Oklahoma State University andcompensation committees. She also is a member of the Board of GovernorsTrustees of the Oklahoma State University Foundation.

      Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

        Our Board believes Ms. Laing'sLaing’s over 3335 years of real estate industry experience, with her particular expertise in finance, capital markets, strategic planning, budgeting and financial reporting, make her a valuable member of our Board. This financial and real estate experience is supplemented by her substantive public company and REIT experience, which enhances her understanding of the issues facing our Company and industry. Based on her financial expertise, Ms. Laing serves as the Chairperson of our Audit Committee and has been determined by our Board to be an audit committee financial expert.

    Mason G. Ross
            Independent Thomas E. O’Hern

    Director Nominee

      Director Since:2009
      Age:72
      Since
      : 2018

      Age: 65

      Board Committees:Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair)Committees: Executive

      Other Public Company Boards: Douglas Emmett, Inc.

      Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

        On January 1, 2019, Mr. Ross spent 35 years at Northwestern Mutual Life,O’Hern became our Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the strategic direction and overall management of our Company. Mr. O’Hern became one of our Senior Executive Vice Presidents in September 2008 and was our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from July 1994 until his election as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. O’Hern was an industry-leading life insurance company, the final nine years of whichExecutive Vice President from December 1998 through September 2008 and served as a Senior Vice President from March 1993 to December 1998. From our formation to July 1994, he served as Executive Vice PresidentChief Accounting Officer, Treasurer and Secretary.

        10    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


    PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    From November 1984 to March 1993, Mr. O’Hern was a Chief Investment Officer. As Chief InvestmentFinancial Officer his responsibilities included the designat various real estate development companies. He was also a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. and administration of investment compensation systems, oversight of investment risk management, and the formationhe was with that firm from 1978 through 1984. Mr. O’Hern is a member of the asset allocation strategyboard of directors and audit committee chairman of Douglas Emmett, Inc., a publicly traded office REIT. On November 1, 2020, Mr. O’Hern became a member of the investment portfolio. During his prior 27 years at Northwestern Mutual Life, he held a varietyAdvisory Board of positions, including leading the company's real estate investment and private securities operations. During that time, he also served as a director of Robert W. Baird, Inc., a regional brokerage and investment banking firm, and the Russell Investment Group, an international investment management firm. Since retiring from Northwestern Mutual Life in 2007, he has remained active in the investment business and currently serves as a director of Schroeder Manatee Ranch Inc., a privately held


    Table of Contents

        real estate company and as a trustee of several large private trusts. He is the past chairmanGovernors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment ManagersTrusts. Mr. O’Hern also serves on The USC Marshall School of Business Board of Leaders and a former trusteeon the board of trustees of the Urban Land Institute.Torrance Memorial Medical Center Foundation.

      Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

        OurAs our Chief Executive Officer and long-time Chief Financial Officer, our Board values the over 40Mr. O’Hern’s many years of investment experience of Mr. Rossleadership, senior executive expertise, strategic direction and his deep relationships and experience in our industry and in the retail and shopping center industry generally. His knowledge of our Company and the REIT industry, tax matters and complex joint venture structuring, strategic planning, expertise in both debt and equity in the capital markets, the financial and operational elements of our Company’s business, as well as his extensive involvement in commercial real estate. His real estate financing expertise acquired over a 25 year period of providing real estate financing for all types of properties providesrelationships with key stakeholders, including partners, lenders, stockholders and tenants, will continue to provide our Board with important knowledge in consideringcritical information to oversee and direct the management of our Company's capitalCompany. In addition, his many years of experience on the board of Douglas Emmett, Inc. and liquidity needs.his role as audit committee chairman will continue to serve him well on our Board.

    Steven L. Soboroff

    Independent Director Nominee

      Director Since:Since: 2014
      Age:67

      Age: 72

      Board Committees:Committees: Audit; Compensation; Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chair)

      Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

        Steve Soboroff is the managing partner of Soboroff Partners, a shopping center development and leasing company, and has served in such capacity since 1978. FromIn August 2013, to September 2015, Mr. Soboroff served as the President of the Los Angeles Police Commission upon his appointmentwas appointed to the Board of Police Commissioners by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and now serveshas been chosen as the Commission's Vice President.Commission’s President by his fellow commissioners to serve in that role until his term expires in 2023. During 2001 to 2010, he served in the roles of Chairman and CEO as well as President of Playa Vista, one of the country'scountry’s most significant multi-use real estate projects. Mr. Soboroff also was President of the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission from 1995 to 2001 and a member of the Los Angeles Harbor Commission. In addition, Mr. Soboroff is a board member of several non-profit philanthropic and academic organizations.

      Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

        Mr. Soboroff is a well-recognized business and government leader with a distinguished record of public and private accomplishments. Mr. Soboroff contributes to the mix of experience and qualifications of our Board through both his real estate and government experience and leadership. During his career in both the public and private sectors, Mr. Soboroff acquired significant financial, real estate, managerial, and public policy knowledge as well as substantial business and government relationships. Our Board values his extensive real estate knowledge and insight into retail operations, developments and strategy, and his wealth of government relations experience.

    Andrea M. Stephen

    Independent Director Nominee

      Director Since:Since: 2013
      Age:51

      Age: 56

      Board Committees:Committees: Compensation (Chair); Executive

      Other Public Company Boards:Boards: First Capital Realty, Inc.; BoardwalkReal Estate Investment Trust; Slate Grocery Real Estate Investment Trust

      Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

        Ms. Stephen served as Executive Vice President, Investments for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited ("(“Cadillac Fairview"Fairview”), one of North America'sAmerica’s largest real estate companies, from October 2002 to December 2011 and as Senior Vice President, Investments for Cadillac Fairview from May 2000 to October 2002, where she was responsible for developing and executing Cadillac Fairview'sFairview’s investment strategy. Prior to joining Cadillac Fairview, Ms. Stephen held the position of Director, Real Estate with the Ontario Teachers'Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, the largest single profession pension plan in Canada, from

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    11


    BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

    December 1999 to May 2000, as well as various portfolio manager positions from September 1995 to December 1999. Previously, Ms. Stephen served as Director, Financial Reporting for Bramalea Centres Inc. for approximately two years and as an Audit Manager for KPMG LLP at the end of her over six year tenure. Ms. Stephen is a member of the board of directors of First Capital Real Estate Investment Trust (f/k/a First Capital Realty Inc.), Canada's


    Table of Contents

        Canada’s leading owner, developer and operatormanager of supermarket and drugstore anchored neighborhood and community shopping centers,mixed-use real estate in Canada’s most populated cities, serving onas chair of the audit committee, compensation committee governance committee and the executive committee. She is also a member of the governance and executive committees. In June 2017, Ms. Stephen was elected to the board of trustees servingof Slate Grocery Real Estate Investment Trust and serves as chair of the board as well as a member of its audit, compensation and investment committees. Ms. Stephen previously served on the audit committee,board of trustees of Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust, Canada'sone of Canada’s leading ownerowners and operatoroperators of multifamily communities. Ms. Stephen also previously served on the board of directorsmulti-family communities, from May 2012 to May 2019 and as a director of Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários, S.A., a Brazilian real estate operating company, from June 2006 to March 2012.

      Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

        With over 25 years in the real estate industry and extensive transactional and management experience, Ms. Stephen has a broad understanding of the operational, financial and strategic issues facing real estate companies. She brings management expertise, leadership capabilities, financial knowledge and business acumen to our Board. Her significant international investment experience also provides a global perspective as well as international relationships. In addition, her service on various boards provides valuable insight and makes her an important contributor to our Board.

    John M. Sullivan
            Director Nominee

      Director Since:2014


      Age:55

      Other Public Company Boards:Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários, S.A.; Dream Global REIT

      Principal Occupation and Business Experience:

        Mr. Sullivan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cadillac Fairview and has served in such position since January 2011. Mr. Sullivan was previously the Executive Vice President of Development of Cadillac Fairview from November 2006 to January 2011. Prior to joining Cadillac Fairview, he held positions with Brookfield Properties Corporation and Marathon Realty Company Limited. Mr. Sullivan serves on the board of directors of Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários, S.A., a Brazilian real estate operating company, and is a member of the board of directors and audit committee of Dream Global REIT, an open ended Canadian REIT focusing on international commercial real estate. In addition, Mr. Sullivan serves as a trustee of the International Council of Shopping Centers, an international shopping center industry trade association, and as Vice Chair of the Real Property Association of Canada, a national industry association for owners and managers of investment real estate.

      Key Qualifications, Experience and Attributes:

        Our Board values Mr. Sullivan's over 25 years of extensive real estate experience and relationships which will enrich our Company and Board. Mr. Sullivan brings to our Board strong executive management expertise, leadership and financial acumen, as well as significant transactional, leasing, finance, asset management and development experience in the commercial real estate industry. As a CEO, he has a unique knowledge of the issues companies address, ranging from strategic and operational to corporate governance and risk management. In addition, Mr. Sullivan has international expertise and public company board service that augment his understanding of the commercial real estate industry and our Company.


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      Corporate Governance
      CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      The Board of Directors and its Committees
      THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ITS COMMITTEES

      Board of Directors

        Seven of our ten directors are independent under the NYSE Rules.

        BOARD OF

        DIRECTORS

        •  Eight of our ten director nominees are independent under the NYSE listing standards.

        •  All of the members of our Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent.

        Our Company is managed under the direction of our Board of Directors, which is currently composed of ten members. Our Board of Directors met eight times in 2020. Each of our directors attended more than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of our Board and of each committee on which he or she served during 2020.

        DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

        For a director to be considered independent, our Board must determine that the director does not have any material relationship with our Company (either directly or as a partner, stockholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with our Company). Our Board has established Director Independence Standards to assist it in determining director independence. The Director Independence Standards establish exclusionary standards that conform to the independence requirements of the NYSE listing standards and categorical standards that identify permissible immaterial relationships between our directors and our Company. These Director Independence Standards are included in our Guidelines on Corporate Governance, which are available at www.macerich.com under “Investors—Corporate Governance.” The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. Our Board has determined that the following eight non-employee director nominees do not have any material relationship with our Company (either directly or as a partner, stockholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with our Company) and each is an independent director under our Director Independence Standards: Messrs. Alschuler, Brandt, Hash, Hirsch and Soboroff and Mses. Alford, Laing and Stephen. Messrs. Coppola and O’Hern are not independent directors because they are current executive-level employees of our Company.

        COMMITTEE

        CHARTERS

        The charters for the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Executive Committee are available at www.macerich.com under “Investors—Corporate Governance.” The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

        12    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      Board Committee Memberships

      During 2020, our Board had standing Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are independent.

      Our Company is managed under the direction of a Board of Directors, which is composed of ten members. Our Board of Directors met 12 times in 2015. Each of our directors attended at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of our Board and of each committee on which he or she served during 2015.

      Director Independence.    For a director to be considered independent, our Board must determine that the director does not have any material relationship with our Company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with our Company). Our Board has established Director Independence Standards to assist it in determining director independence. The Director Independence Standards establish exclusionary standards that conform to the independence requirements of the NYSE Rules and categorical standards that identify permissible immaterial relationships between our directors and our Company. These Director Independence Standards are included in our Guidelines on Corporate Governance which are available atwww.macerich.com under "Investors—Corporate Governance." Our Board has determined that the following seven current non-employee director nominees do not have any material relationship with our Company (either directly or as a partner, shareholder or officer of an organization that has a relationship with our Company) and each is an independent director under our Director Independence Standards: Messrs. Alschuler, Hash, Hubbell, Ross and Soboroff and Mses. Laing and Stephen. Messrs. A. Coppola, E. Coppola and Sullivan are not independent directors under our Director Independence Standards.


      Table of Contents

      Board Committee Memberships

      During 2015, the Board had standing Executive Audit, Compensation, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. The current members of ourthese committees, the principal functions of each committee and the number of meetings held in 20152020 are showndescribed below. All members attended each meeting of their respective Committees.committees on which he or she served during 2020.

      In addition, in April 2020, our Board established a Capital Allocation Committee to assist our Board with reviewing and evaluating our short- and long-term capital needs in light of, among other things, the impacts of COVID-19 on our business. The Capital Allocation Committee is comprised of Eric K. Brandt, Steven R. Hash, Diana M. Laing, Thomas E. O’Hern and Andrea M. Stephen and is chaired by Eric K. Brandt. The Capital Allocation Committee met four times during 2020 and all members attended each meeting. Our Board may from time to time establish other special or standing committees to facilitate the management of our Company or to discharge specific duties delegated by our full Board.

      LOGO

      Name of Committee and
      Current Members

      Committee Functions
      Number of
      Meetings

      Audit:
          Diana M. Laing, Chair*
          Steven R. Hash
          Steven L. Soboroff

      *  Audit Committee Financial
          Expert

      COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS

      •  appoints, evaluates, approves the compensation of, and, where appropriate, replaces our independent registered public accountants

      reviews our financial statements with management and our independent registered public accountants

      reviews and approves with our independent registered public accountants the scope and results of the audit engagement

      •  pre-approves audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accountants

      reviews the independence and qualifications of our independent registered public accountants

      reviews the adequacy of our internal accounting controls, and legal and regulatory compliance and risk assessment and management

        oversees information technology, cybersecurity and other data protection strategies and plans

      •  reviews and approves related-party transactions in accordance with our Related Party Transaction Policies and Procedures as described below

      8
      Compensation:
          Andrea M. Stephen, Chair
          Steven R. Hash
          Steven L. Soboroff

       

      MEMBERS

      Peggy Alford, Chair*

      John H. Alschuler*

      Steven L. Soboroff

      Steven R. Hash*, ex officio

      *  Audit Committee Financial

          Expert

      Number of Meetings: 8

      LOGO

      COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS

      •  approves and evaluates our executive officer compensation plans, policies and programs

      reviews annually our overall compensation structure and philosophy

      reviews and approves compensation for our executive officers

      reviews and recommends director compensation to our Board

      administers certain of our employee benefit and stock plans

      5
      Nominating

      •  approves the compensation and Corporate Governance:
          Mason G. Ross, Chair
          John H. Alschuler
          Fred S. Hubbell
          Steven L. Soboroffoversees the work of any compensation advisers

      •  conducts the independence assessment with respect to any compensation advisers

       

      MEMBERS

      Andrea M. Stephen, Chair

      Eric K. Brandt

      Daniel J. Hirsch

      Steven L. Soboroff

      Steven R. Hash, ex officio

      Number of Meetings: 6

      LOGO

      COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS

      •  assists our Board byin identifying individuals qualified to become Board members and recommends to our Board nomineescandidates for election as directors by our stockholders or by our Board to fill a vacancy occurring between stockholder meetings

        recommends to our Board director nominees for each Board committee

      •  recommends adoption of and changes to our Guidelines on Corporate Governance

      leads our Board in its annual evaluation of the performance of our Board and our committees

        provides strategic oversight of our Company’s ESG policies and programs

      recommends to our Board director nominees for each Board committee

      performs such other duties and responsibilities as are set forth in its charter or delegated by our Board, including developing a succession plan to ensure continuity in management and our Board

       4
      Executive:
          Arthur M. Coppola, Chair
          Fred S. Hubbell*
          Andrea M. Stephen

      *  Lead Director

       

      MEMBERS

      Steven L. Soboroff, Chair

      John H. Alschuler

      Daniel J. Hirsch

      Diana M. Laing

      Steven R. Hash, ex officio

      Number of Meetings: 3

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    13


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      LOGO

      COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS

      •  exercises the powers and authority of theour Board between Board meetings as permitted by applicable law

      implements the policy decisions of theour Board on matters not delegated to other committees of theour Board

       2


      MEMBERS

      Steven R. Hash*, Chair

      Thomas E. O’Hern

      Andrea M. Stephen

      * Independent Chairman of the Board

      No meetings held in 2020


      Table of ContentsCorporate Governance Enhancements

      As part of our Board’s ongoing commitment to governance best practices, in 2019 our Board adopted two notable corporate governance enhancements:

      First, our Board enacted a resolution prohibiting the Company from unilaterally electing to be subject to the provisions of Title 3, Subtitle 8 of the Maryland General Corporation Law (often referred to as the Maryland Unsolicited Takeovers Act (or “MUTA”)). MUTA permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and at least three independent directors to elect, without any stockholder vote or other action and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to be subject to any or all of the following five provisions:

      Committee Charters.Section 3-803—requiring classification of the board of directors into three classes;

          The chartersSection 3-804(a)—requiring that stockholders may remove any director by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast by the stockholders generally in the election of directors;

      Section 3-804(b)—requiring that the number of directors be fixed only by vote of the board of directors;

      Section 3-804(c)—requiring that any vacancy on the board of directors be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors for the Executive Committee, Audit Committee, Compensation Committeeremainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies; and

      Section 3-805—requiring that a special meeting of stockholders may be called only upon the Nominatingwritten request of stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting.

      Pursuant to the Board’s resolution, the Company is prohibited from electing to be subject to any of the foregoing provisions, and Corporate Governance Committee are availablesuch prohibition may not be repealed unless a proposal to repeal such prohibition with respect to any such section is approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter by stockholders of the Company.

      Second, our Board amended our Bylaws to enhance our stockholders’ power to amend our Bylaws by allowing any stockholder to propose amendments to the Bylaws and removing the previous requirement that stockholders meet certain ownership thresholds to submit such a proposal. As a result, stockholders may amend the Company’s Bylaws by the affirmative vote of a majority of all votes entitled to be cast on the matter pursuant to a proposal submitted for approval atwww.macerich.com under "Investors—Corporate Governance." a meeting of stockholders by any stockholder, following applicable notice requirements.

      Related Party Transaction Policies and Procedures

      The Audit Committee administers our written Related Party Transaction Policies and Procedures. These policies are designed to assist with the proper identification, review and disclosure of related party transactions and apply generally to any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, in which our Company or an affiliate is a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and a related party has a direct or indirect material interest. A related party generally includes any person who is, or was in the last fiscal year, a director, director nominee, executive officer, stockholder of more than 5% of our Common Stock, an immediate family member of any of the foregoing, or an entity in which one of the foregoing serves as an executive officer, general partner, principal or has a 10% or greater beneficial interest to the extent such information is provided to our Company or is otherwise publicly available. Under the policies and procedures, transactions that fall within this definition will be reported to our Chief Legal Officer or Chief Financial Officer and referred to the Audit Committee for approval, ratification or other action. In determining

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      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      whether to approve or ratify a transaction, the Audit Committee will consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances, including the related party'sparty’s interest, the amount involved in the transaction, and whether the transaction has terms no less favorable than those generally available from an unrelated third party. The Audit Committee will approve or ratify such transaction if it determines, in good faith, that under all of the circumstances the transaction is fair to our Company. In addition, any related party transaction previously approved by the Audit Committee or otherwise already existing that is ongoing in nature will be reviewed by the Audit Committee annually to ensure that such transaction has been conducted in accordance with the previous approval granted by the Audit Committee, if any, and remains appropriate. There were no related party transactions identified in 2020.

      Risk Oversight

      One of the principal functions of our Board of Directors is to provide oversight concerning our Company'sCompany’s assessment and management of risk related to our business. Our Board of Directors is involved in risk oversight through direct decision-making authority with respect to fundamental financial and business strategies and major corporate activities, as well as through its oversight of management and the committees of our Board.

      Management is responsible for identifying the material risks facing our Company, implementing appropriate risk management strategies and ensuring that information with respect to material risks is shared with our Board and/or the appropriate Board committee. In connection with this responsibility, members of management provide regular reports to our Board regarding business operations and strategic planning, financial planning and budgeting, and material litigation and regulations, including any material risk to our Company relating to such matters. Our Board of Directors believes that the processes it has established to administer our Board'sBoard’s risk oversight function would be effective under a variety of leadership frameworks and therefore these processes do not have any material effect on our Company'sCompany’s leadership structure described under the heading "Board“Board Leadership Structure"Structure” below.

      Our Board has delegated oversight for specific areas of risk exposure to our Board committees as follows:


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        Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.    The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the policies and procedures related to management succession, including both emergency CEO succession and CEO succession in the ordinary course of business.

      AUDIT COMMITTEE

      As required by the NYSE listing standards, the Audit Committee is responsible for periodically discussing our Company’s overall risk assessment and risk management policies with management, our Company’s internal auditors and our independent registered public accounting firm as well as our Company’s plans to monitor, control and minimize such risk and exposure. The Audit Committee is also responsible for primary risk oversight related to our financial reporting, accounting and internal controls, cybersecurity oversight and also oversees risk related to our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

      COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

      The Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeing our Company’s assessment and management of risk related to our Company’s compensation plans, policies and overall philosophy as more fully described below under “Compensation Risk Assessment.”

      NOMINATING AND CORPORATE

      GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

      The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the policies and procedures related to management succession, including both emergency CEO succession and CEO succession in the ordinary course of business and the evaluation of emergent environmental, social and governance-related risks.

      At each regular meeting of our Board of Directors, the chairperson of each committee reports to the full Board regarding the matters reported and discussed at any committee meetings, including any risk exposure and risk management policies with respect to such matters. In addition, the Audit Committee receives updates on the Company’s cybersecurity, including cybersecurity controls and procedures, at each quarterly meeting and the full Board receives an annual briefing from the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Our Company conducts mandatory cybersecurity training for employees and has an information security insurance policy in place. Our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Legal Officer and/or Chief Financial Officer regularly attend meetings of our committees when they are not in executive session. In addition, our directors are free to communicate directly with members of management and oureach committee charters providecharter provides that ourthe committee members may retain outside advisors.advisors at our Company’s expense.

      Compensation Risk Assessment.Assessment.    We believe that our compensation programs do not encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking that could have a material adverse effect on our Company. The Compensation Committee considers, in establishing and reviewing our executive compensation program, whether the program encourages unnecessary or excessive risk taking and has concluded that it does not. Base salaries are fixed in amount and thuswe believe do not encourage risk taking. While our annual incentive

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    15


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      compensation program focuses on short-term or annual performance, our executives'executives’ annual bonuses are determined based on the Compensation Committee'sCommittee’s consideration of a variety of corporate and individual performance factors as described below under "Compensation“Compensation Discussion and Analysis." Therefore, the Compensation Committee believes that the annual bonus program appropriately balances risk and the desire to focus executives on short-term goals important to our success and that it does not encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking.

      A significant portion of the compensation provided to our named executive officers is in the form of equity awards that further align executives'executives’ interests with those of our stockholders. The Compensation Committee believes that these awards do not encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking since the ultimate value of the awards is tied to our stock price and since a large percentage of our grants are subject to vesting schedules to help ensure that executives always have significant value tied to our long-term stock price performance. As described in our "Compensation“Compensation Discussion and Analysis," an important component of our executive compensation program is tothe grant executivesof performance-based LTIP Unit awards that vest based on the percentile ranking of our total stockholder return as compared to our peer REITsperformance over the applicable performance period. The Compensation Committee believes these awards as well as our other LTIP Unit awards provide additional incentives for executives to create value for our stockholders and, together with the executives'executives’ equity ownership in our Company pursuant to our Stock Ownership Policies as described below, help further link their interests with those of our stockholders.

      Additional Compensation Committee Matters.Matters.    The Compensation Committee charter provides that the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of any compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser as it deems necessary to assist in the evaluation of director or executive officer compensation and shall beis directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such compensation consultant, independent legal counsel or other adviser. The Compensation Committee periodically engages independent compensation consultants to assist in the development and review of our director and executive officer compensation programs, including evolving compensation trends and market survey data. After a review of various compensation consultants, theThe Compensation Committee retainedretains Frederic W. Cook & Co. ("Cook & Co.", Inc. (“FW Cook”), a nationally recognized independent compensation consulting firm, in late 2012 to evaluate the existing executive and non-employee director compensation programs, assessadvise on the design and competitive positioning of theseour executive and non-employee director compensation programs and make recommendations for change, as appropriate. The Compensation Committee continued its engagement of Cook & Co. for 2015. The Compensation Committee considered the independence of FW Cook & Co. and determined that its engagement of FW Cook & Co. does not raise any conflicts of interest with our Company or any of our directors or executive officers. FW Cook & Co. provides no other consulting services to our Company, our executive officers or directors.

      Mr. A. CoppolaO’Hern generally attendsattended the Compensation Committee meetings in 2020 (excluding any executive sessions) and providesprovided his analysis and recommendations with respect to our executive compensation program, including the compensation for our other executive officers. While Mr. A. Coppola'sO’Hern’s input is viewed by the Compensation


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      Committee as an integral and vital part of the compensation process, the Compensation Committee is solely responsible for making the final decision regarding the form and amount of compensation for our Company's executive officers. The Compensation Committee may also form and delegate authority to subcommittees, when appropriate, with each subcommittee to consist only of independent directors. No such subcommittee has been formed.formed to date.

      Director Selection Process

      The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee utilizes a variety of methods for identifying and evaluating nominees for director. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee periodically assesses the appropriate size of our Board of Directors, and whether any vacancies are expected due to retirement or otherwise. In the event that vacancies are anticipated, or otherwise arise, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers various potential candidates for director. Candidates may come to the attention of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee through current Board members, officers, professional search firms or other persons. These candidates are evaluated at regular or special meetings of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and may be considered at any point during the year. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also may review materials provided by professional search firms or other parties in connection with a nominee. In evaluating such nominations, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and capability on our Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will make the final recommendations of candidates to our Board for nomination.

      Our Board of Directors has a policy that stockholders may recommend a director candidate for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for election at an annual meeting of stockholders by submitting the names and qualifications of such persons in writing to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o our Secretary, no later than the December 1 prior to the next annual meeting of stockholders, together with information about the stockholder and the candidate otherwise required for director nominations by a stockholder pursuant to Section 1.11 of our Bylaws, a copy of which will be made available upon request. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may request additional information concerning such director candidate as it deems reasonably required to determine the eligibility and qualification of the director candidate to serve as a member of our Board. Stockholders who wish to nominate a person for election as a director in connection with an annual meeting of stockholders (as opposed to making a recommendation to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee as described above) must deliver written notice to our Secretary in the manner described in Section 1.11 of our Bylaws and within the time periods set forth herein under the heading "Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominees."

      16    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Board of Directors will consider all persons properly recommended as a nominee for election to theour Board in the same manner regardless of the source of the recommendation. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not apply any specific, minimum qualifications in considering a director candidate and does not impose additional qualifications on stockholder-recommended potential nominees. Instead, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the candidates taking into account the current Board membership and considers a variety of factors, including the specific needs of our Company and our Board, the experience, skills, areas of expertise, independence, productivity, length of service, occupational and other responsibilities (including other public company board memberships and committee memberships) of the candidates, and such other factors as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may determine isare appropriate for review. This process is described in our Guidelines on Corporate Governance, which is available atwww.macerich.com under "Investors—“Investors— Corporate Governance."” The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. Stockholders who wish to nominate a person for election as a director in connection with an annual meeting of stockholders (as opposed to making a recommendation to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee as described above) must deliver written notice to our Secretary in the manner described in Section 1.11 of our current Bylaws and within the time periods set forth herein under the heading “Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominees.”

      Diversity.    AlthoughOur Company’s stockholders also possess the right to nominate candidates for election to our CompanyBoard through the “proxy access” provisions of our Company’s Bylaws, pursuant to which an eligible stockholder, or a qualifying group of up to 20 stockholders, owning at least 3% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock continuously for at least three years, may nominate up to the greater of two directors or the largest whole number that does not have a formal policyexceed 20% of the number of directors then serving on our Board, for inclusion in our proxy materials, subject to complying with the considerationrequirements contained in Section 1.13 of diversity in identifying nominees for director, our Bylaws.

      Diversity.     Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recognizes the benefits associated with a diverse Board and strives to create diversity in theour Board as a whole when identifying and selecting nominees. OurThirty percent of our Board’s nominees at our Annual Meeting are female and one of our Board’s nominees at our Annual Meeting is African American. Beyond gender and racial and ethnic diversity, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee utilizes a broad conception of diversity, including diversity of professional experience, age, background, skills, areas of expertise and perspective. These factors, the additional factors described above under "Director“Director Selection Process"Process” and others that are considered useful by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are reviewed in terms of assessing the perceived needs of


      Table of Contents

      our Board at any particular point in time. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee focuses on having a Board which collectively possesses a broad range of talent, skill, expertise and experience useful to the effective oversight of our Company'sCompany’s business and affairs. On an annual basis, as part of our Board'sBoard’s self-evaluation, our Board assesses whether the overall mix of our Board members is appropriate for our Company.

      Board Leadership Structure

      Steven R. Hash, previously our Lead Independent Director, was appointed to serve as Independent Chairman of the Board in June 2018. Mr. Hash actively manages our Board by: working with the CEO, other directors and our management team to set the agenda for our Board meetings; presiding over all meetings of our Board and executive sessions of the independent directors; and other customary duties. The Independent Chairman serves as an information resource for the independent directors and acts as a liaison between directors, committee chairs and management. Our Board believes this structure continues to ensure strong, independent oversight and leadership. The independent directors meet in separate executive sessions after each regularly scheduled non-telephonic Board meeting. The independent directors met four times in 2020.

      Our Guidelines on Corporate Governance provide that our Board is free to make its choice forcombine or separate the roles of Chairman of the Board and CEO in any way that our Board considers is best for our Company. Our Board recognizes that no single leadership model is correct at all times and that, depending on the circumstances, another leadership model might be appropriate. Our Board, therefore, believes that it should have the flexibility to decide whether it is best for our Company at any point in time to combine or separate the roles of CEO and Chairman of the Board.

      Our Board currently combines the role of Chairman of the Board and the role of CEO, but couples this with the Lead Director position to further strengthen our governance structure. Our Board believes this structure provides an efficient and effective leadership model for our Company given Mr. A. Coppola's strong leadership and extensive knowledge of our Company. Combining the Chairman and CEO roles in the case of Mr. A. Coppola serves as a bridge between the Board and management and fosters clear accountability, effective decision-making and alignment on corporate strategy.

      To ensure independent oversight, we have a strong Lead Director role and hold executive sessions of the independent directors after every Board meeting. Our current Lead Director, who was designated by our independent directors, is Mr. Hubbell. In addition to collaborating with our CEO on a regular basis, the role of the Lead Director is to prepare with our CEO our Board agendas, chair the executive sessions of the non-management directors, call meetings of the independent directors and perform such other functions as our Board or non-management directors may direct. The non-management directors meet in separate executive sessions after each regularly scheduled quarterly Board meeting. The non-management directors met four times in 2015.

      Annual Board, Committee and CommitteeDirector Evaluations

      Pursuant to our Guidelines on Corporate Governance and the charter of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees an annual evaluation of the performance of theour Board and its committees in order to assess the overall effectiveness of theour Board and its committees. The results of the assessment are reported by the

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    17


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee directly to, and are discussed with, theour Board following the end of each fiscal year. The evaluation process is designed to facilitate ongoing, systematic examination of the Board'sour Board’s effectiveness and accountability, and to identify opportunities for improving its operations and procedures.

      In 2015,2020, in accordance with the requirements of the NYSE listing standards, theour Board completed an evaluation process focusing on the effectiveness of the performance of theour Board. Our Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees each conducted a separate written evaluation of its own performance and of the adequacy of its charter and reported to theour Board on the results of its evaluation. In addition to our formal annual Board and committee self-evaluations, our Independent Chairman meets with each director individually to provide an additional forum for feedback and reports any additional feedback from those discussions to our Board as necessary.

      Succession Planning

      Our Board is focused on ensuring that we have a high-performing management team. Our Board, acting through our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, developed areviews management development and succession plan which is reviewedplanning at least annually to ensure continuity in our Company'sCompany’s management, including policies and principles for named executive officer selection. This plan, on which each named executive officer reports his recommendations, addresses both emergency succession and succession in the ordinary course of business. In addition, high-potential leaders are given exposure and visibility to Board members through formal presentations at Board and committee meetings, as well as through informal events.

      Attendance at Stockholders'Stockholders’ Meetings

      Our Board encourages directors in the Santa Monica area at the time of the stockholders' meeting to attend the meeting.

      Our Board does not require director attendance at our stockholders'stockholders’ meetings because our stock is


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      predominately held by institutional stockholders and in-personattendance is traditionally light. AtDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, our 20152020 annual stockholders'stockholders’ meeting twowas held virtually. Mr. O’Hern, Mr. Coppola, several of our independent directors and three of ourother executive officers attended.and five non-management directors attended our 2020 annual stockholders’ meeting.

      Contact Our Board

      Individual stockholders or any other interested parties may contact our entire Board of Directors or individual members of our Board of Directors, our non-management directors as a group or the Lead Director for our non-management directors, by sending an e-mail as follows:

        Board of Directors—boardofdirectors@macerich.com
        Non-Management Directors—nonmanagementdirectors@macerich.com
        Lead Director for the Non-Management Directors—leaddirector@macerich.com

      Such communications may be submitted in writing in care of:

        Attention: Secretary
        The Macerich Company
        401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700
        Santa Monica, CA 90401

      All communications are distributed to our Board, or to any individual director or directors as appropriate, depending on the facts and circumstances of the communication. Our Board of Directors requested that certain items that are unrelated to the duties and responsibilities of our Board be excluded, such as spam, junk mail and mass mailings, resumes and other forms of job inquiries, surveys, business solicitations or advertisements.

      Codes of Ethics

      Our Company expects that all of our directors, officers and employees maintain a high level of integrity in their dealings with and on behalf of our Company and will act in the best interests of our Company. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics provides principles of conduct and ethics for our directors, officers and employees. This Code complies with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, applicable Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC")SEC rules and the NYSE Rules.listing standards. In addition, our Company adopted a Code of Ethics for our CEO and senior financial officers which supplements our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is applicable to all employees and complies with the additional requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and applicable SEC rules. To the extent required by applicable SEC rules and NYSE Rules,listing standards, we intend to promptly disclose future amendments to certain provisions of these Codes or waivers of such provisions granted to directors and executive officers, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or persons performing similar functions, on our website atwww.macerich.com under "Investors—“Investors—Corporate Governance—Corporate Governance Policies—Code of Business Conduct and Ethics." Each of these Codes of Conduct is available on our website atwww.macerich.com under "Investors—“Investors—Corporate Governance."” The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

      Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility

      Macerich has implemented an ESG structure that supports focused leadership for the oversight, executive management and program implementation of its fully integrated sustainability and corporate responsibility efforts. Our Board, through the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, provides strategic oversight concerning social responsibility, environmental and sustainability matters. The executive leadership team provides management oversight, while the focused sustainability department and the ESG Steering Committee are responsible for program implementation. Together, our cross-disciplined stakeholders drive decision making to execute strategic objectives focused on climate-related risk management, sustainability and social impacts.

      18    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      2020 Sustainability Highlights

      • 47,439 MWh of solar and clean energy produced on-site

      • 322 electric vehicle charging stations across
      35 properties

      • 31% of energy consumption from renewable and clean sources(1)

      • 1.4M meals donated across all properties for our communities in need

      • 51% landfill waste diversion rate

      • Committed to Science Based Targets initiative and the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign

      (1)

      Sources include on-site solar generation, fuel cell energy generation, renewable energy credits (RECs) and renewable procurement.

      At Macerich, we are committed to operating in ways that advance environmental goals, social good and sound corporate governance. Our sustainability strategy is focused on achieving carbon neutrality, leading the industry as we transition to a net-zero economy, and creating positive experiences and long-lasting impacts on our customers, tenants, employees and communities. We have, and will continue to, identify and prioritize sustainability issues, develop necessary systems and targets to gauge performance and consistently gather data across our operations. We balance the goal of achieving carbon neutrality with the need to support the resiliency of people and communities, while we work to deliver a seamless consumer experience, create value for our stockholders and contribute to economic vitality.

      In 2020, Macerich published its first comprehensive Corporate Responsibility Report, which summarized its environmental, social and governance performance for the year ended December 31, 2019 based on the frameworks set forth by the Global Reporting Initiative, the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. The report is available at www.macerich.com under “About—Sustainability” and Macerich intends to publish annual updates to the Corporate Responsibility Report, The information contained on, or available through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

      Our prior investments and dedicated focus on environmental stewardship over many years continued to deliver key benefits for the Company recognizesand our stakeholders in 2020 and, in a year that was overwhelming shaped by the impact of COVID-19, we were able to further our environmental commitments and also respond to the needs of our employees, tenants and the communities in which we operate. Importantly, in 2020, Macerich committed to the Science Based Targets initiative and set science-based emissions reduction targets across all relevant scopes, in line with 1.5°C emissions scenarios. Our long-standing goal for carbon neutrality by 2030 continues to support our net-zero energy pathway.

      In 2020, Macerich achieved the #1 GRESB Performance Score within Retail/Americas, as well as earned a spot on CDP’s Climate Change “A” List for the fifth year.

      LOGO

      Macerich’s Sustainability Goals

      Macerich continues to implement and execute on processes and invest in capital projects to minimize the risks of the changing global climate. The four pillars of our fully integrated sustainability program are:

          CARBON NEUTRALITY    

      GOAL #1: Achieve Carbon

      Neutrality by 2030

      ZERO WASTE

      GOAL #2: Achieve Zero Waste    

      in Water and Waste by

      2025-2030

          ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT    

      GOAL #3: Increase Internal and

      External Stakeholder Engagement

      in Sustainability

      FUNDAMENTAL INTEGRATION

      GOAL #4: Fully Integrate

      Sustainability Practices and

      Principles

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    19


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      LOGO

      Carbon Neutrality

      Macerich is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 through energy efficiency, sustainable investment, renewable and clean generation sources and renewable energy credits, while setting science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets consistent with keeping global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.

      Achieving Carbon Neutraility: Our Net-Zero Pathway

      1.

      Operational Excellence and Energy Efficiency

      2.

      Investing in Our Future

      3.

      Renewable Procurement

      4.

      Reduce Embodied Carbon in Development Projects

      5.

      Renewable Energy Credits and Carbon Offsets

      ENERGY CONSUMPTIONON-SITE RENEWABLE & CLEAN ENERGYRENEWABLE ENERGY PROCUREMENT

      OBJECTIVE*

      20% reduction in energy consumption
      by 2030 – On track

      OBJECTIVE*

      10% of energy generated by solar and fuel
      cell systems by 2020 – Completed

      15% of energy generated by solar and fuel
      cell systems by 2030 – On track

      OBJECTIVE*

      50% of annual portfolio energy usage

      supported through utility and direct renewable energy procurement by 2030 – On track

      STATUS

      9% reduction in grid-tied energy consumption; 25% reduction in overall energy consumption**

      STATUS

      10% of energy generated by solar and
      fuel cell systems by 2020

      STATUS

      9% of energy procured through
      renewable sources

      *

      Objectives are relative to a 2015 baseline.

      **

      2020 energy consumption decrease is largely attributed to reduced portfolio operations from the COVID-19 pandemic.

      LOGO

      20    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      LOGO

      Zero Waste

      We recognize the importance of preserving our natural resources and diminishing the impact of our properties on local landfills. We’re building on strong existing programs in waste and water management, heading toward our goal of achieving zero waste by 2030.

      Macerich is targeting reduction of net water consumption by 50% from 2015 levels and eliminating 100% of property water effluent by 2030. Our objectives for eliminating water waste include a focus on conservation and efficiency, water capture and reuse, stormwater management, and encouraging tenants to use water wisely.

      Macerich is also working to increase landfill waste diversion rates to over 70% by 2025. In 2020, our landfill diversion rate grew to 51%, an increase of 4% from 2019. Macerich is working to reduce solid waste by 50% from 2015 levels. We achieved our 2025 solid waste reduction and diversion rate objectives five years early and continue to make strides toward our 2030 targets. We will continue to evaluate our objectives and practices to develop ambitious new targets as we hit our existing targets and seek to make a meaningful impact.

      Our waste and water reduction practices include tenant engagement, contractor engagement for education and outreach, biodigesters for food waste, waste to energy technology which redirects waste away from landfills to be processed into steam for energy production, water leak detection technology, smart irrigation and water-saving fixtures.

      LOGO

      LOGO

      LOGO

      Active Engagement

      For Macerich, stakeholder engagement is an essential component of our fully integrated ESG strategy. We identify stakeholders as those individuals and groups impacted by our Company, our properties and our operations – from financial, environmental and social considerations in conductingstandpoints. We work to understand stakeholder concerns and priorities and maintain regular, ongoing communications with each group. Further details on our business. We strive to conduct our business in a socially responsible manner that balances consideration of environmental and social issues with creating long term value for our Company and our stockholders. We are committed to improving our natural resource efficiency and demonstrating that the operation and development of our propertiesstakeholder engagement strategy can be conductedfound in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. Consideration of these issues is an ongoing part of operations, whether it relates to our offices or Centers.

      To learn more about our Company's sustainability efforts, please view our SustainabilityCorporate Responsibility Report on our website atwww.macerich.com under "About Macerich—“About—Sustainability."


      LOGO

      Table of ContentsValuing Human Capital

      Macerich is committed to providing a positive and engaging work environment for our employees and taking an active role in the betterment of the communities in which our employees live and work. We put great effort into cultivating an inclusive company culture that attracts top talent and creates an environment that fosters collaboration, innovation and diversity, while providing professional development opportunities and training.

      This commitment was at the forefront in 2020 as we emphasized the health and wellness of our employees and retained a majority of our employees with no furloughs or layoffs. Additionally, to support our employees, we eliminated non-essentialface-to-face meetings and business travel, made key technology upgrades to ensure seamless communications among employees, provided real-time guidance and useful resources to help employees cope with the challenges and disruptions created by COVID-19, including information on childcare and eldercare resources, mental health and wellness programs and additional individualized help available through Macerich’s robust Employee Assistance Program. In the summer of 2020, we hosted our annual Whole Life Challenge, a six-week health and wellness challenge that we sponsor for our employees, and had 65% participation among employees. We also made laptops available to employees if needed to assist their families and children with remote learning. See “—COVID-19—Connection Redefined” below for additional details on additional resources and support provided to Macerich employees and our communities during 2020.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    21


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      We are always looking to encourage two-way engagement and productive feedback from our employees. Channels for engaging employees include: the company intranet, ongoing newsletters, performance reviews and informal conversations with supervisors, peer mentoring, training, educational and career development opportunities, lunch and learns, community events, our ethics hotline and social media.

      Our employees enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to make a difference in the communities where they live and work. Through the Macerich Volunteer Program (MVP), we offer all full-time employees 24 hours of paid volunteer time each year. Employees can volunteer with nonprofits of their choosing, as well as partners pre-selected by the local property. We believe this creates value for society while giving employees the opportunity to strengthen their relationships within their communities.

      We recognize the value in strengthening our workforce with diverse thought, ideas and people and maintain employment policies that comply with federal, state and local labor laws. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to diversity, recognition and inclusion and reward our employees based on merit and their contributions in accordance with the principles and requirements of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and the principles and requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Our Company’s policies set forth our commitment to provide equal employment opportunity and to recruit, hire and promote at all levels without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws. As of December 31, 2020, approximately 58% and 26% of our employees were female and non-white, respectively. In 2020, we launched the Diversity, Recognition, Enrichment, and Awareness at Macerich (DREAM) initiative. The DREAM initiative represents the Company’s diversity steering committee, channeling efforts into three focus areas: training and advocacy, communication, and education and programming.

      Our Macerich Dependent Scholarship Program assists children of non-management employees who plan to continue their education after high school in college or vocational school. This program is administered by Scholarship America ® , the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability or national origin. Since the inception of the program in 2017, 48 scholarships totaling $138,000 have been awarded.

      LOGO

      Community Involvement

      The vitality of our communities is inseparable from the strength of our business. Our Centers are part of the fabric of their neighborhoods and we want to make a lasting positive impact. Each Macerich property develops and implements local engagement programs that reflect its community’s needs and interests. These programs incorporate employee volunteerism, in-kind and financial donations, and partnerships with local nonprofit organizations. In 2020, these programs pivoted to address the needs of our communities as they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. See “—COVID-19—Connection Redefined” below for additional details on additional resources and outreach in our communities.

      LOGO

      COVID-19—Connection Redefined

      2020 was a critical time for our industry and it was, and remains, more important than ever to stay connected to our employees, our retailers, and our communities as we look to redefine the “new normal” in 2021 and beyond. When the pandemic caused local governments to issue shutdown orders, Macerich was sharply focused on the twin goals of supporting people’s health and ensuring business continuity at our Centers. In consultation with the head of infectious disease at a top California medical center, we developed and implemented a long list of operational protocols based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations designed to ensure the safety of our employees, tenants, service providers and shoppers. In addition to enhanced cleaning initiatives, we upgraded our ventilation and filtration systems across our portfolio and we have secured the stringent, highly regarded Bureau Veritas SafeGuard Hygiene Excellence and Safety Certification at all of our Centers. We also prioritized following governmental ordinances on business operations, supporting critical community needs, supplying our retail community with vital resources for recovery, and worked to balance those objectives while keeping the Macerich team focused on our business. We strongly believe the role our properties play within each community will be even more important and valued as society emerges from the current crisis and people once again gather together for connection and commerce. Examples of our efforts include:

      COMMUNITY:

      Made our real estate available for and hosted many essential functions, such as drive-through COVID-19 testing and vaccination facilities, food drives and first responder parking, and for community activities, such as drive through graduation ceremonies and church services

      22    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      Donated food and supplies to support first responders and hospitals, including the donation of unused iPads to hospitals in New York for patients that needed connection to family

      Made our outdoor space available for in-person voting, first responder parking, drive-through farmers’ markets and open-air yoga, barre and cycling studios

      Held socially distanced outdoor concerts, outdoor movies, blood drives and job fairs

      Donated to support local non-profit charities

      Held our own “Million Meals Challenge” to help address rising food insecurity in our communities, providing more than 1.4 million meals to date

      Contributed more than 500 laptops to schools from Centers in New York, California and Arizona to support online learning for local students

      Made our billboards and other media available for campaigns about staying home, healthy hygiene protocols and blood drives

      RETAIL PARTNERS:

      Hosted webinars for retailers with PwC to explain the stimulus package and how retailers can access those funds, with over 400 retailers attending the live session

      Designed and implemented a website to provide retailers with a library of information on resources, from information on the stimulus package initiated in the CARES Act to state and local grants and lending programs

      Operated and promoted new ways to connect with shoppers that involved minimum contact, including curbside pickup, buy online pick up in store (BOPIS), buy online return in store (BORIS) and expanded dining take-out

      Held new outdoor events to connect our retailers with shoppers while mall interiors were closed

      More information about our efforts can be found on the company’s website at www.macerich.com/Sustainability.


      COMPENSATION OF NON-EMPLOYEECompensation of Non-Employee Directors
      DIRECTORS

      Our non-employee directors are compensated for their services according to an arrangement authorizedapproved by our Board of Directors and recommended byupon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee generally reviews director compensation annually. AAny Board member who is also an employee of our Company or a subsidiary does not receive compensation for service as a director. Messrs. A. Coppola and E. CoppolaO’Hern are currently the only directors who are also employees of our Company or a subsidiary. Dana K. Anderson, currently our Vice Chairman Emeritus, was an executive officer (but not a named executive officer)subsidiary and director of our Company until May 28, 2015 when he did not stand for re-election at our 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Accordingly, during his term in 2015, Mr. Anderson only received compensation as an executive officer of our Company and not as a director of our Company. Mr. Sullivan receives no compensation from our Company as a director because his employer's policiestherefore do not allow it, but he is reimbursedreceive any additional compensation for his reasonable expenses.their service on our Board.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    23


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      In August 2013,2018, FW Cook & Co. conducted a competitive review of our non-employee director compensation program, including the review of the director compensation programs of companies within our peer group and suggested changes for the Compensation Committee'sCommittee’s consideration. FW Cook generally provides a bi-annual review of our non-employee director compensation program, which would have taken place in 2020. Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the 2020 competitive review was rescheduled for 2021. Based on the recommendations byof the Compensation Committee in 2018, our Board of Directors revised certain aspects of our non-employee director compensation, effective August 7, 2013.compensation. The following sets forth the current compensation structure that became effective as of August 7, 2013 and was in place during 2015:structure:

      Annual Retainer for Service on our Board

        $60,00070,000

      Annual Equity Award for Service on our Board

        $110,000135,000 of restricted stock units based upon the closing price of our Common Stock on the grant date, which is in March offollowing our Annual Meeting each year. The restricted stock units are granted under our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive Plan, as currently in effect (the “2003 Incentive Plan”), and have a one-year vesting period.

      Annual Retainer for Lead DirectorIndependent Chairman of the Board

        $30,000125,000 – 50% cash and 50% restricted stock units granted simultaneously with the annual equity award.

      Annual Retainers for Chairs of Audit, Capital Allocation, Compensation and Nominating &and Corporate Governance Committees (in addition to membership retainer)

        

      Audit: $20,000

      Capital Allocation: $20,000

      Compensation: $20,000

      Nominating & Corp. Governance: $12,500

      Annual Retainer for Committee Membership and ex officio attendance of Independent Chairman of the Board

        $12,500

      Audit: $15,000

      Capital Allocation: $12,500

      Compensation: $12,500

      Nominating & Corp. Governance: $12,500

      Expenses

        The reasonable expenses incurred by each director (including employee directors) in connection with the performance of their duties are reimbursed.

      Non-Employee Director Equity Award ProgramsNON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR EQUITY AWARD PROGRAMS

      In addition, our Director Phantom Stock Plan offers our non-employee directors the opportunity to defer cash compensation otherwise payable and to receive that compensation (to the extent that it is actually earned by service during that period) in cash or in shares of Common Stock as elected by the director, after termination of the director'sdirector’s service or on a specified payment date. Such compensation includes the annual cash retainers payable to our non-employee directors. Substantially allA majority of our current non-employee directors during his or her term of serviceserving in 2020 elected to receive all or a portion of such compensationtheir 2020 cash retainers in Common Stock. Deferred amounts are generally credited as stock units at the beginning of the applicable deferral period based on the present value of such deferred compensation divided by the average fair market value of our Common Stock for the preceding 10 trading days. Stock unit balances are credited with additional stock units as dividend equivalents and are ultimately paid out in shares of our Common Stock on a one-for-one basis. A maximum of 500,000 shares of our Common Stock may be issued in total under our Director Phantom Stock Plan, subject to certain customary adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and similar events. The vesting of the stock units is accelerated in casethe event of the death or disability of a director or, upon the termination of service as a director at the time of or after a change of control event, the termination of his or her services as a director.


      Table of Contents

      event. Our Company has a deferral program for the equity compensation of our non-employee directors which allows them to defer the receipt of all or a portion of their restricted stock unit awards and receive the underlying shares of Common Stock after termination of service or on a specified payment date. Any dividends payable with respect to those deferred restricted stock units will also be deferred and will be paid in accordance with theira non-employee director’s payment election. The deferred dividend equivalents may be paid in cash or converted into additional restricted stock units and ultimately paid in shares of our Common Stock on a one-to-one basis. The vesting of the deferred restricted stock units is accelerated in casethe event of the death or disability of anon-employee director or upon a change of control event.

      24    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      2015 Non-Employee Director Compensation2020 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION


      The following table summarizessets forth the compensation paid, awarded or earned with respect to each of our non-employee directors during 2015.

      Name
       Fees
      Earned or
      Paid in
      Cash
      ($)(1)
       Stock
      Awards
      ($)(2)
       Option
      Awards
      ($)
       Non-Equity
      Incentive
      Plan
      Compensation
      ($)
       Change in
      Pension
      Value and
      Nonqualified
      Deferred
      Compensation
      Earnings
       All Other
      Compensation
      ($)
       Total
      ($)
       

      Douglas D. Abbey

        35,417  118,020(3)         153,437 

      John H. Alschuler

        42,292  40,955          83,247 

      Steven R. Hash

        49,583  40,955          90,538 

      Fred S. Hubbell

        115,651  110,000          225,651 

      Diana M. Laing

        92,500  110,000          202,500 

      Stanley A. Moore

        35,850  118,020(3)         153,870 

      Mason G. Ross

        85,000  110,000          195,000 

      Dr. William P. Sexton

        35,417  118,020(3)         153,437 

      Steven L. Soboroff

        92,418  110,000          202,418 

      Andrea M. Stephen

        103,959  110,000          213,959 

      John M. Sullivan

                     


      (1)
      Pursuant to2020. We do not provide our Director Phantom Stock Plan, each director receiving compensation, except Messrs. Hash and Soboroff, elected to defer fully his or her annual cash retainers for 2015 and to receive such compensation in Common Stock at a future date. Therefore, for 2015 compensation, Messrs. Abbey, Alschuler, Hubbell, Moore and Ross, Mses. Laing and Stephen and Dr. Sexton were creditednon-employee directors with 115, 476, 1,874, 594, 1,176, 2,494, 1,524 and 557 stock units, respectively, which vested during 2015 as their service was provided. The amounts shown for Messrs. Abbey, Moore and Dr. Sexton represent the prorated share of their director fees through May 28, 2015, the last date on which they each served as a director.

      (2)
      The amounts shown represent the grant date fair value computed in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Bulletin ASC Topic 718 referred to as "FASB ASC Topic 718," of restricted stockinitial inducement awards granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan. Any estimated forfeitures were excluded from the determination of these amounts and there were no forfeitures of stock awards during 2015 by our directors. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 18 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2016.

      For Messrs. Abbey, Moore and Dr. Sexton, the grant date fair value of their restricted stock award calculated as described above was $110,000 and the remaining amount in this column reflects the modification of their unvested restricted stock awards in connection with the termination of their service as a director. See also, footnote (3) below.


      Table of Contents

        Except for Mr. Sullivan, each of our non-employee directors received 1,268 restricted stock units on March 6, 2015 under our 2003 Incentive Plan. The closing price of our Common Stock on that date was $86.72. Messrs. Alschuler and Hash each received 500 restricted stock units upon joining our Board on May 28, 2015. The closing price ofother than the regular annual equity award granted to our Common Stock on that date was $81.91.existing non-employee directors.

      (3)
      The Compensation Committee modified their awards upon their termination from service on our Board to permit their unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units to continue to vest in accordance with their original vesting schedules. $24,060 of the amount in this column reflects the incremental fair value of these awards, computed as of the modification date in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718.

      Name

        Fees Earned or
      Paid in Cash
      ($)(1)
         Stock
      Awards
      ($)(2)
         Total
      ($)
       

      Peggy Alford

        

       

      105,000

       

        

       

      135,000

       

        

       

      240,000

       

      John H. Alschuler

        

       

      98,750

       

        

       

      135,000

       

        

       

      233,750

       

      Eric K. Brandt

        

       

      115,000

       

        

       

      135,000

       

        

       

      250,000

       

      Steven R. Hash

        

       

      197,500

       

        

       

      197,500

       

        

       

      395,000

       

      Daniel J. Hirsch

        

       

      95,000

       

        

       

      135,000

       

        

       

      230,000

       

      Diana M. Laing

        

       

      95,000

       

        

       

      135,000

       

        

       

      230,000

       

      Steven L. Soboroff

        

       

      122,500

       

        

       

      135,000

       

        

       

      257,500

       

      Andrea M. Stephen

        

       

      127,500

       

        

       

      135,000

       

        

       

      262,500

       

      (1)

      Pursuant to our Director Phantom Stock Plan, each director receiving compensation, except Messrs. Alschuler, Brandt and Soboroff, elected to defer part of his or her annual cash retainers for 2020 and to receive such compensation in Common Stock at a future date. Therefore, for 2020 compensation, Messrs. Hash and Hirsch and Mses. Alford, Laing and Stephen were credited with 3,397, 3,589, 2,324, 4,619 and 1,732 stock units, respectively, which vested during 2020 as their service was provided.

      (2)

      The amounts shown represent the grant date fair value computed in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Bulletin ASC Topic 718 referred to as “FASB ASC Topic 718,” of restricted stock awards granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan. Any estimated forfeitures were excluded from the determination of these amounts and there were no forfeitures of stock awards during 2020 by our directors. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 20 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021.

      Messrs. Alschuler, Brandt, Hirsch and Soboroff and Mses. Alford, Laing and Stephen each received 14,531 restricted stock units and Mr. Hash received 21,259 restricted stock units on June 18, 2020 under our 2003 Incentive Plan. The closing price per share of our Common Stock on that date was $9.29.

      As of December 31, 2015,2020, our non-employee directors held the following number of unvested shares of restricted stock, unpaid phantom stock units and unvested restricted stock units:

      Name

        Unpaid Phantom
      Stock Units
      (#)
         Unvested Restricted
      Stock Units
      (#)
       

      Peggy Alford

        

       

      2,318

       

        

       

      14,531

       

      John H. Alschuler

        

       

       

        

       

      14,531

       

      Eric K. Brandt

        

       

       

        

       

      14,531

       

      Steven R. Hash

        

       

       

        

       

      21,259

       

      Daniel J. Hirsch

        

       

       

        

       

      14,531

       

      Diana M. Laing

        

       

       

        

       

      14,531

       

      Steven L. Soboroff

        

       

       

        

       

      14,531

       

      Andrea M. Stephen

        

       

      2,344

       

        

       

      14,531

       

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    25


      BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

      Name
       Unvested
      Shares of
      Restricted
      Stock (#)
       Unpaid
      Phantom
      Stock
      Units (#)
       Unvested
      Restricted
      Stock
      Units (#)
       

      Douglas D. Abbey

          8,835   

      John H. Alschuler

          496  500 

      Steven R. Hash

            500 

      Fred S. Hubbell

        403  61,363  1,268 

      Diana M. Laing

        403  27,699  1,268 

      Stanley A. Moore

          38,030   

      Mason G. Ross

        403  8,219  1,268 

      Dr. William P. Sexton

          35,511   

      Steven L. Soboroff

            1,268 

      Andrea M. Stephen

        403  4,591  1,268 

      John M. Sullivan

             


      Executive Officers
      EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

      The following table sets forth, as of March 31, 2016,2021, the names, ages and positions of our executive officers and the year each became an executive officer.

      Name

           Age     Position

      Executive

      Officer Since

       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

      65

      Chief Executive Officer

      1993

      Edward C. Coppola

      66

      President

      1993

      Ann C. Menard

      57

      Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

      2018

          

      Douglas J. Healey

      58

      Senior Executive Vice President, Head of Leasing

      2018

      Scott W. Kingsmore                

      53

      Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

      2019

      Kenneth L. Volk

      58

      Executive Vice President, Business Development

      2019

      26    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      EQUITY OWNERSHIP

      Name
       Age Position Officer
      Since
       

      Arthur M. Coppola

       64 Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer  1993 

      Edward C. Coppola

       61 President  1993 

      Thomas E. O'Hern

       60 Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer  1993 

      Robert D. Perlmutter

       54 Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer  2012 

      Thomas J. Leanse

       62 Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary  2012 

      Randy L. Brant

       63 Executive Vice President, Real Estate  2001 

      Eric V. Salo

       50 Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer  2000 

      Table of Contents

      Executive Officer Equity OwnershipEQUITY OWNERSHIP OF DIRECTORS, NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS


      The following table sets forth as of the record date, March 21, 2016, the number of sharesbeneficial ownership of our Common Stock and OP Units beneficially owned byexchangeable for shares of our Common Stock, as of March 22, 2021, unless otherwise noted, for (i) each of theour current directors, (ii) each of our named executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table on page 45 of this Proxy Statement, whom we referwho is not a director, (iii) our directors and executive officers as a group and (iv) each person known by our Company to as our "named executive officers."

      Name
       Amount and Nature
      of Beneficial
      Ownership of
      Common Stock and
      OP Units(1)
       Percent of
      Common
      Stock(2)
       Amount and
      Nature of
      Beneficial
      Ownership of
      OP Units(1)
       Percent of
      Common
      Stock(2)

      Arthur M. Coppola

        2,833,460(3)(4)  1.86% 2,529,240(5) 1.67%

      Edward C. Coppola

        1,936,991(6)(7)  1.28% 1,552,836(8) 1.03%

      Thomas E. O'Hern

        253,068(9)  *  198,344(10) *

      Robert D. Perlmutter

        136,326(11)  *  117,074(11) *

      Thomas J. Leanse

        121,588(12)  *  114,545(13) *


      *
      The percentage of shares beneficially owned by this executive officer does not exceed one percentown more than 5% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock.

      (1)
      All information in the following table is based on Schedules 13D, 13G and/or any amendments thereto, filed with the SEC, and on information supplied to us by our directors and officers. Except as provided under applicable state marital property laws or as otherwise noted, each individualdescribed in the table above hasnotes below, the following beneficial owners have sole voting power and sole investment power over thewith respect to all shares set forth opposite their respective names. As of March 22, 2021, there were 179,491,992 shares of our Common Stock and/or OP Units listed.

      (2)
      Assumes that all OP Units and LTIP Units held by the person are redeemed for shares of Common Stock (assuming, in the case of any LTIP Units, they have first been converted into OP Units) and that none of our OP Units or LTIP Units held by other persons are redeemed for or converted into shares of Common Stock.

      (3)
      Includes 488 shares held by Mr. A. Coppola as custodian for his minor child and 1,764,055 OP Units that are held by family limited liability companies of which Mr. A. Coppola is the sole manager.

      (4)
      Includes 107,679 SARs granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan that vested on March 15, 2011 and are currently exercisable, 304,635 vested LTIP Units and 58,604 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. A. Coppola has 126,594 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (5)
      Includes 1,764,055 OP Units that are held by family limited liability companies of which Mr. A. Coppola is the sole manager, 304,635 vested LTIP Units and 58,604 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. A. Coppola has 126,594 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (6)
      Includes 5,001 shares of Common Stock held for Mr. E. Coppola under our 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan. Also includes 39,969 shares held by a family limited partnership of which Mr. E. Coppola has sole beneficial ownership, 155,952 OP Units held in a family trust where Mr. E. Coppola has shared beneficial ownership and 5,053 shares held by Mr. E. Coppola as custodian for his children.

      (7)
      Includes 76,508 SARs granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan that vested on March 15, 2011 and are currently exercisable, 137,132 vested LTIP Units and 21,392 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. E. Coppola has 50,637 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (8)
      Includes 155,952 OP Units held in a family trust where Mr. E. Coppola has shared beneficial ownership, 137,132 vested LTIP Units and 21,392 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. E. Coppola has 50,637 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (9)
      Includes 4,200 shares of Common Stock held for Mr. O'Hern under our 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan and 123,988 OP Units. Also includes 4,147 shares held by Mr. O'Hern as custodian for his children, 1,378 shares

      outstanding.

      Name and Address of Beneficial Owner**

       Amount and Nature of
      Beneficial Ownership
      of Common Stock(1)
        Percent of
      Common
      Stock(2)
          Amount and Nature of
      Beneficial Ownership
      of OP Units(1)(3)
        Percent of
      Common
      Stock
      and OP
      Units(4)

      Peggy Alford

       

       

      5,982

      (5) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      John H. Alschuler

       

       

      8,851

      (6) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      Eric K. Brandt

       

       

      5,434

      (7) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      Edward C. Coppola

       

       

      501,927

      (8) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

      1,844,762

      (9) 

       

       

      1.29

      Steven R. Hash

       

       

      17,793

      (10) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      Daniel J. Hirsch

       

       

      4,732

      (11) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      Diana M. Laing

       

       

      13,107

      (12) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

       

       

      123,621

      (13) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

      507,945

      (14) 

       

       

      *

       

      Steven L. Soboroff

       

       

      2,125

      (15) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      Andrea M. Stephen

       

       

      71,755

      (16) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

       

       

       

      *

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

       

       

      30,375

      (17) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

      67,365

      (18) 

       

       

      *

       

      Douglas J. Healey

       

       

      65,498

      (19) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

      68,350

      (20) 

       

       

      *

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

       

       

      35,138

      (21) 

       

       

      *

       

       

       

      68,659

      (22) 

       

       

      *

       

      All directors and executive officers as a group (14 persons)(23)

       

       

      896,338

       

       

       

      *

       

       

       

      2,633,862

       

       

       

      1.94

      BlackRock, Inc.(24)

       

       

      21,011,260

       

       

       

      11.71

       

       

       

       

       

      11.71

      The Vanguard Group, Inc.(25)

       

       

      17,824,333

       

       

       

      9.93

       

       

       

       

       

      9.93

      *

      Less than 1%.

      **

      Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of each person or entity is c/o The Macerich Company, 401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Santa Monica, California 90401.

      (1)

      Except as provided under applicable state marital property laws or as otherwise noted, each individual in the table above has sole voting and investment power over the shares of Common Stock and/or OP Units (as defined in Note 3 below) listed.

      (2)

      Assumes that none of our outstanding OP Units or LTIP Units (as defined in Note 3) held by the person are redeemed for shares of Common Stock (assuming, in the case of any LTIP Units, they have first been converted into OP Units).

      (3)

      Our Company is the sole general partner of, and owns an aggregate of approximately 95% of the OP Units in, our Operating Partnership. Our Operating Partnership holds directly or indirectly substantially all of our interests in the Centers. Our Company conducts all of its business through our Operating Partnership, the property partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies that own title to our Centers and various management companies. In connection with our formation as well as subsequent acquisitions of certain Centers, OP Units were issued to certain persons in connection with the transfer of their interests in such Centers. The OP Units are redeemable at the election of the holder and our Company may redeem them for cash or shares of Common Stock on a one-for-one basis (subject to anti-dilution provisions), at our Company’s election.

      Our Long Term Incentive Plan or “LTIP” allows for the issuance of limited partnership units in the form of a class of units of our Operating Partnership referred to as “LTIP Units,” as more fully described on pages 54-55 of this Proxy Statement. LTIP Units may be performance-based, service-based or fully-vested. Upon the occurrence of specified events, any vested LTIP Units can over time achieve full parity with the common OP Units of our Operating Partnership at which time LTIP Units are convertible, subject to the satisfaction of applicable vesting conditions, on a one-for-one basis into common OP Units.

      Table of Contents2021 PROXY STATEMENT    27


      (10)
      Includes 123,988 OP Units, 63,893 vested LTIP Units and 10,463 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. O'Hern has 28,131 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (11)
      Includes 54,178 OP Units held in trust by Mr. Perlmutter as trustee, 54,836 vested LTIP Units and 8,060 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Perlmutter has 21,099 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (12)
      Includes 44,840 OP Units. Also includes 7,043 shares subject to options granted to Mr. Leanse under our 2003 Incentive Plan that are currently exercisable, 61,178 vested LTIP Units and 8,527 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Leanse has 3,521 shares subject to options that become exercisable after May 20, 2016 and 19,340 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (13)
      Includes 44,840 OP Units, 61,178 vested LTIP Units and 8,527 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 20, 2016. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Leanse has 19,340 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (4)

      Assumes that all OP Units or LTIP Units held by the person are redeemed for shares of Common Stock (assuming, in the case of any LTIP Units, they have first been converted into OP Units) and that none of our OP Units or LTIP Units held by other persons are redeemed for or converted into shares of Common Stock.

      (5)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Ms. Alford has 14,531 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 9,982 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Eligible Directors’ Deferred Compensation/Phantom Stock Plan referred to as our “Director Phantom Stock Plan,” the vesting and terms of which are described under “Compensation of Non-Employee Directors” above. Stock units, including the stock units issued under our 2003 Incentive Plan and our Director Phantom Stock Plan, are payable solely in shares of Common Stock, do not represent outstanding shares, do not have voting rights and are non-transferrable.

      (6)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Alschuler has 9,692 vested stock units, 3,606 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 14,531 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 5,443 phantom stock units credited under our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

      (7)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Brandt has 14,531 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

      (8)

      Includes 8,945 shares of Common Stock held for Mr. Coppola under our 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan. Also includes 53,426 shares held by a family limited partnership of which Mr. Coppola has sole beneficial ownership and 28,000 shares held in a family trust of which Mr. Coppola has shared beneficial ownership.

      (9)

      Includes 163,990 OP Units held in a family trust of which Mr. Coppola has shared beneficial ownership, 73,199 vested LTIP Units and 99,510 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 21, 2021. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Coppola has 417,855 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (10)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Hash has 9,568 vested stock units, 3,406 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 21,259 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 6,537 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

      (11)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Hirsch has 5,330 vested stock units, 1,849 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 14,531 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 12,306 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

      (12)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Ms. Laing has 12,285 vested stock units, 5,127 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 14,531 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 61,932 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

      (13)

      Includes 10,660 shares of Common Stock held for Mr. O’Hern under our 401(k)/Profit Sharing Plan. Also includes 2,390 shares held by Mr. O’Hern as custodian for his children and 1,860 shares Mr. O’Hern holds jointly with two of his children.

      (14)

      Includes 151,457 vested LTIP Units and 150,284 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 21, 2021. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. O’Hern has 607,073 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (15)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Soboroff has 12,763 vested stock units, 5,421 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 14,531 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

      (16)

      Includes 63,289 shares held by Ms. Stephen’s husband. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Ms. Stephen has 7,804 vested stock units, 2,751 stock units credited as dividend equivalents and 14,531 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021 under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 19,639 phantom stock units credited under the terms of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

      (17)

      Includes 24,477 shares held by a family trust of which Mr. Kingsmore has shared beneficial ownership. In addition to the securities disclosed in the table above, Mr. Kingsmore has 1,935 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021.

      (18)

      Includes 9,841 vested LTIP Units and 56,404 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 21, 2021. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Kingsmore has 73,250 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (19)

      In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Healey has 2,679 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021.

      (20)

      Includes 10,419 vested LTIP Units and 56,692 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 21, 2021. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Healey has 74,532 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (21)

      All shares disclosed in the table are held by his living trust in which he is the sole beneficiary. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Volk has 1,786 stock units that will vest after May 21, 2021.

      (22)

      Includes 10,419 vested LTIP Units and 56,692 service-based LTIP Units that will vest after May 21, 2021. In addition to the securities disclosed in the above table, Mr. Volk has 74,532 unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

      (23)

      Includes certain LTIP Units. See footnotes above.

      (24)

      The Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on January 26, 2021 indicates that the reporting entity is a parent holding company and has sole voting power with respect to 20,167,512 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 21,011,260 shares, reporting on behalf of the following subsidiaries: BlackRock Life Limited, BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Advisors, LLC, BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V., BlackRock Fund Advisors, BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association, BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., BlackRock Japan Co., Ltd., BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, BlackRock (Luxembourg) S.A., BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited and BlackRock Fund Managers Ltd. The business address of BlackRock is 55 East 52nd Street, New York, New York 10055.

      28    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      EXECUTIVE OFFICER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

      (25)

      The Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 10, 2021 indicates that the reporting entity is a registered investment advisor and has shared voting power with respect to 460,207 shares, sole dispositive power with respect to 17,273,670 shares and shared dispositive power with respect to 550,663 shares, reporting on behalf of the following subsidiaries: Vanguard Asset Management, Limited, Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company, Vanguard Global Advisors, LLC, Vanguard Group (Ireland) Limited, Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd, Vanguard Investments Canada Inc., Vanguard Investments Hong Kong Limited and Vanguard Investments UK, Limited. The business address of Vanguard is 100 Vanguard Boulevard, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355.

      Executive Officer Biographical InformationEXECUTIVE OFFICER BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION


      Biographical information concerning Messrs. A. Coppola and E. CoppolaO’Hern is set forth above under the caption "Information“Information Regarding our Director Nominees."

      Thomas E. O'Hern became one ofDouglas J. Healey was appointed as our Senior Executive Vice PresidentsPresident, Head of Leasing in September 2008March 2020 and has been our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since July 1994. Mr. O'Hern was an Executive Vice President from December 1998 through September 2008 and served as a Senior Vice President from March 1993 to December 1998. From our formation to July 1994, he served as Chief Accounting Officer, Treasurer and Secretary. From November 1984 to March 1993, Mr. O'Hern was a Chief Financial Officer at various real estate development companies. He was also a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co. and he was with that firm from 1978 through 1984. Mr. O'Hern is a member of the board of directors, the audit committee chairman and a member of the nominating and corporate governance committee of Douglas Emmett, Inc., a publicly traded REIT. Mr. O'Hern also serves on The USC Marshall School of Business Board of Leaders.

      Robert D. Perlmutter became one of our Senior Executive Vice Presidents and was appointed our Chief Operating Officer in February 2016 and is responsible for leasing, operation and development activities. Mr. Perlmutterpreviously served as our Executive Vice President of Leasing from April 2012 through FebruaryMarch 2016 directinguntil March 2020. Mr. Healey joined our Company in May 2005 as a Senior Vice President of Leasing following our acquisition of the Wilmorite portfolio. Mr. Healey directs strategic leasing for our Company’s entire portfolio of regional shopping centers and has over 25 years of expertise in the retail leasing. Beforeindustry, specializing in retail merchandising. Prior to joining our Company, he held various leasing positions with Wilmorite Properties from 1991 until 2005. Mr. Perlmutter was the managing member of Davis Street Land Company, a privately-held real estate company focused on the management, development and ownership of upscale shopping centers from 1998 until March 2012. He was the Chief Executive Officer of Heitman Retail Properties, where he supervised overall operations and growth of its retail holdings from 1990 to 1998. Mr. Perlmutter is a member of the board of trustees of Chatham Lodging Trust, a publicly traded REIT which invests in upscale extended-stay hotels and premium-branded select-service hotels. In addition, heHealey is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

      Thomas J. LeanseScott W. Kingsmore became our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer on January 1, 2019 and was appointed a Senior Executive Vice President in March 2020. Mr. Kingsmore is responsible for accounting, financial and tax reporting, investor relations, raising capital through debt and equity markets and information technology systems. His tenure at our Company started in 1996 as Vice President and Controller, and since then he has served in key roles in finance for over 20 years, most recently as Senior Vice President of Finance from April 1, 2004 until December 31, 2018. Prior to joining our Company, he worked for Westfield America within its corporate accounting department. Mr. Kingsmore was also a certified public accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1991 to 1995, and he graduated from University of California at Los Angeles in 1991.

      Ann C. Menard joined our Company on September 1, 2012January 29, 2018 as one of our Senioran Executive Vice Presidents,President and has been our Chief Legal Officer and Secretary since March 1, 2018. Ms. Menard became one of our Senior Executive Vice Presidents as of March 2020. Prior to joining our Company, Ms. Menard was U.S. General Counsel and Managing Director for Tishman Speyer, a global real estate owner, operator, developer and fund manager from October 1, 2012.2005 through December 2017, where she managed legal activities and risk in connection with operations in major U.S. markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Chicago and Atlanta. Prior to joining Tishman Speyer, Ms. Menard was a partner in the real estate and corporate finance departments at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP in their Los Angeles and Newport Beach offices. Ms. Menard is a member of the Corporate Governance Council, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and received her JD, magna cum laude, from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1991, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

      Kenneth L. Volk was appointed Executive Vice President of Business Development in January 2019 and directs common area retail, media and sponsorship, brand experiences and alternative revenue, as well as short-term inline leasing. Mr. Volk joined our Company in 2007 as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer overseeing business development and marketing. He has over 25 years of experience in the retail REIT industry, specializing in marketing and communications. Prior to joining our Company, Mr. Leanse was a partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP from 1992 through 2012, where he specialized in the shopping center industry, representing various developers, in addition to actingVolk served as amicus curiae for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Mr. Leanse received his JD from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1978, after graduating from UC San Diego in 1975 with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Economics. He was a partner


      Table of Contents

      in the Los Angeles office of Pepper Hamilton & Scheetz from 1987 to 1992, and an associate and then partner at the Long Beach office of Ball, Hunt, Hart, Brown and Baerwitz. Prior to that he was employed in Chicago, Illinois at the office of the Trust Counsel for Harris Bank and was also an Assistant State's Attorney in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Mr. Leanse has also acted as General Counsel to the US Ski Association and the US Ski Team. Mr. Leanse is on the Board of Directors of Cedars Sinai Medical Center and was an officer of the Pacific Southwest Region of the Anti-Defamation League.

      Randy L. Brant joined our Company in 2001 as our Senior Vice President of Development LeasingMarketing and was appointed our Executive Vice President of Real Estate in DecemberCommunication for The Mills Corporation from September 2002 to March 2007, where he also oversaw strategic partnerships and oversees our development operations. He has over 35 years of experience in the retail industry, specializing in upscale and entertainment-driven retail developments. Before joining our Company, he was President of Gordon/Brant, LLC, an international developer specializing in entertainment-oriented retail centers known for creating the first two phases of The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace.Mills TV digital media network. Mr. BrantVolk also previously served as Senior Vice President of Real EstateShopping Center Marketing for Simon Property Group and Vice Presidentfrom May 1989 until August 2002.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    29


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Contact Our Board

      Individual stockholders or any other interested parties may contact our entire Board of Leasing for Forest City Enterprises. Mr. Brant began his career with the Ernest Hahn Company, where he was manager of shopping centers and went on to become Vice President of Leasing for the company.

      Eric V. Salo has been oneDirectors or individual members of our Executive Vice Presidents since February 2011 and was appointedBoard of Directors, our Chief Strategy Officer in February 2016, directing the areas of asset management, property management, business development and marketing. Mr. Salo joined our Company in 1987 working in the acquisitions group, served as our Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning from August 2000 to November 2005, thennon-management directors as a Senior Vice President of Asset Management from November 2005 to February 2011, overseeing our Company's joint venture partner relationships, real estate portfolio performance and ancillary revenue programs. Mr. Salo served as board chairmangroup or the Chairman of the Cancer Support Community—West Los Angeles, a non-profit organization providing cancer supportBoard, by sending an e-mail as follows:

      Board of Directors
        boardofdirectors@macerich.com

      Non-Management Directors
        nonmanagementdirectors@macerich.com

      ���Chairman of the Board
        chairman@macerich.com

      Such communications may also be submitted in writing in care of:

      Attention: Secretary

      The Macerich Company

      401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700

      Santa Monica, CA 90401

      All communications are distributed to our Board, or to any individual director or directors as appropriate, depending on the facts and education from January 2009 to June 2012. In addition, Mr. Salo is a membercircumstances of the International Councilcommunication. Our Board of Shopping CentersDirectors has requested that certain items that are unrelated to the duties and directs a tuition assistance program through The Seattle Foundation.responsibilities of our Board be excluded, such as spam, junk mail and mass mailings, resumes and other forms of job inquiries, surveys, business solicitations or advertisements.

      The following Report of the Compensation Committee shall not be deemed soliciting material or to be filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Securities Exchange Act, of 1934, as amended, or "Exchange Act," or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C or the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, except to the extent our Company specifically requests that this Report be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporates this Report by reference into a filing under either of such Acts.


      Compensation Committee Report
      COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

      The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation, has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis in this Proxy Statement with management. Based on such review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20152020 and this Proxy Statement for our 20162021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

      The Compensation Committee

      The Compensation Committee
      Andrea M. Stephen, Chair
      Steven R. Hash

      Andrea M. Stephen, Chair

      Eric K. Brandt

      Steven R. Hash, ex officio

      Daniel J. Hirsch

      Steven L. Soboroff


      Table of Contents


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      The Compensation Discussion &and Analysis ("(“CD&A"&A”) describes the material elements of our Company's executive compensation program, how itthe program is designed to support the achievement of our key strategic and financial objectives, and the compensation decisions the Compensation Committee made under the program for our named executive officers, who for 20152020 were:

      Named Executive Officers

        

      Title in 2015

      Arthur M. Coppola

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        Chairman and

      Chief Executive Officer

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      President

      Thomas E. O'Hern

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

      Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

      Robert D. Perlmutter

      Douglas J. Healey

        Executive Vice President, Leasing(1)
      Thomas J. Leanse

      Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and SecretaryHead of Leasing

      Kenneth L. Volk

      Executive Vice President, Business Development


      (1)
      On February 12, 2016, Robert Perlmutter was promoted

      For purposes of this CD&A, we refer to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of our Company.


      the Compensation Committee as the “Committee.”

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      30    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS


      Executive Summary
      EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

      Business HighlightsBUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS


      20152020 was aan extraordinarily challenging year of continued operational excellence for our Company, as evidencedthe COVID-19 global pandemic stormed the U.S. in the first quarter, forcing all of our Centers to close, resulting in many of our tenants halting rent payments. Through the diligent efforts of the Macerich management team, we fortified the Company and reshaped our strategic plans to quickly adapt. We immediately took steps to ensure the health and safety of our employees, our tenants, our service providers and our community shoppers. We also quickly adopted measures to conserve liquidity, such as pausing development projects where appropriate and practicable, drawing down our line of credit, reducing our dividend and negotiating deferrals of certain mortgage loan payments. Over the second and third quarters we worked with local, state and national authorities to safely reopen our properties. By October 2020, our entire portfolio was open and operational, enabling us to improve occupancy, rent collections and cash flow despite reduced capacity limits mandated by our performance against key performance metrics, as well as significant value-creative, strategic achievements. Thesestate and local COVID-19 regulations.

      Significant accomplishments include:

      Operational

      FFO per diluted share grew 9.7% in 2015 to $3.95(1), compared to $3.60 in 2014

      Same center NOI grew 6.5%

      Gross margins expanded to 69.2% in 2015, a 247 basis point improvement over 2014

      Mall tenant annual sales per square foot increased 8.2% to $635 for 2015, up from $587 in 2014

      Leasing

      Occupancy levels increased to 96.1% at year-end 2015, compared to 95.8% at year-end 2014

      Releasing spreads for 2015 were up 14.2%

      Development

      Broadway Plaza: 235,000 square foot expansion underway, with first phase opened in November 2015. A total of 45 new stores opening in the expanded center were announced

      Santa Monica Place: new ArcLight Cinema and Cheesecake Factory opened in November 2015

      Green Acres Mall: 335,000 square foot power center is underway, 85% pre-leased, with completion expected in Fall 2016

      Fashion Outlets of San Francisco and Fashion Outlets of Philadelphia projects: the launch of these projects was announced

      Strategic

      Entered into joint ventures with GIC, a foreign sovereign wealth fund (40% interest in five assets), and Heitman (49% interest in three assets), generating $2.3 billion in cash proceeds, including $1.1 billion of excess financing proceeds

      Returned a total of $4.00 per share to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 12, 2015 in the form of two special dividends paid in December 2015 and January 2016, respectively

      Successfully launched a $1.2 billion stock repurchase program

      SustainabilityIn recognition of its leadership in sustainability, our Company received the following key awards in 2015:

      Retail "Leader in the Light" Environmental Award for the second straight year from the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts

      Award of Excellence for "Best Building Mixed-Use-Project" from the Northern Virginia Chapter of the NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, for Tysons Corner Center

      #1 ranking in the U.S. Retail Sector for sustainability performance for real estate portfolios around the world, according to scores published by Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB)

      Numerous LEED® Gold certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council


      (1)
      Excluding costs related to an unsolicited hostile takeover attempt and proxy contest.

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      In 2015, our Company continued the sector-leading progress we have made in recent years, demonstrating our ability to consistently seize opportunities and further strengthen our Company and our growth prospects.

      Over the past three years, FFO per diluted share(1), sales per square foot and occupancy have continuously improved.For additional information about these financial metrics, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

      FFO per Share—Diluted

      OPERATIONAL

       Sales

      • Rent collections, which had dipped to approximately 35% in April and May, improved as the year progressed with collection rates of approximately 89% in the third quarter and approximately 94% in the fourth quarter

      • Average rent per Square Footsquare foot was $61.87 at December 31, 2020, representing a 1.3% increase over 2019

      • Instituted extensive COVID-19 related protocols, including, among others, upgrading ventilation systems to hospital-grade air filtration, enhanced cleaning and sanitization protocols, compliance with mask-wearing mandates, social distance, customer queueing and path of travel protocols

      • Secured the stringent, highly regarded Bureau Veritas SafeGuard Hygiene Excellence and Safety Certification during 2020 and in early 2021




      GRAPHIC

       



      LEASING

      • Of our approximately 200 national tenants, we have received payment from and/or agreed to repayment terms for approximately 96% of those tenants, based on gross rent

      • Negotiated thousands of GRAPHICCOVID-19 workout lease amendments, including over 2,200 amendments during the fourth quarter alone

      • Opened 173 new stores totaling over 875,000 square feet

      • Maintained a strong leasing pipeline for 2021 new store openings totaling approximately 900,000 square feet

      • Secured commitments for 70% of leased square footage expiring in 2021, and are negotiating letters of intent for the remaining 30%

      • Executed leases totaling approximately 900,000 square feet during the fourth quarter, only 8% less than pre-COVID-19 levels during the fourth quarter of 2019

      • Secured 1,200 temporary in-line lease agreements occupying nearly 1.9 million square feet by year end, with over 800 temporary tenants during the holiday season, matching the 2019 temporary occupancy levels

      Occupancy at Year-End

      GRAPHIC2021 PROXY STATEMENT    31


      (1)
      FFO per share-diluted represents funds from operations per share on a diluted basis, excluding the gain or loss on early extinguishment of debt and adjusting for certain items in 2012 related to Shoppingtown Mall, Valley View Center and Prescott Gateway. For 2015, FFO per share-diluted excludes costs related to an unsolicited hostile takeover attempt and proxy contest. For the definition of FFO per share-diluted and a reconciliation of FFO per share-diluted to net income per share attributable to common stockholders-diluted, see Appendix I of this Proxy Statement and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Funds from Operations and Adjusted Funds from Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      COMMUNITY OUTREACH

      During 2020, our Company engaged in many community initiatives, including:

      • Made our real estate available for and hosted many essential functions, such as drive-through COVID-19 testing and vaccination facilities, food drives and first responder parking, and for community activities, such as drive through graduation ceremonies, church services and drive-in concerts and movies

      • Donated over 1.4 million meals to support local food banks

      • Continued to support charities in the communities in which we do business, including providing needed supplies for first responders

      • Participated in marketing campaigns with the use of billboards and other media at our Centers for stay-at-home campaigns, healthy hygiene protocols and blood drives

      • Donated iPads to hospitals for use by patients requiring connection to family and friends

      • Donated over 500 laptops to schools in New York, California and Arizona to support disadvantaged students with online learning

      ENVIRONMENTAL/ SUSTAINABILITY

      • #1 GRESB ranking within Retail/Americas for the sixth consecutive year

      • Top Ranking on CDP Climate ‘A’ List for the fifth year

      • One of five REITs designated as sector leaders on Barron’s list of America’s Most Sustainable Companies announced in 2020

      • Retail “Leader in the Light” Environmental Award for years 2016-2019 from Nareit

      • Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership List of Top 30 On-Site Generation Companies

      EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT/ CULTURE

      • Retention of key talent during this very challenging year

      • No layoffs or furloughs

      • Development of diversity, equity and inclusion programming, referred to internally as the DREAM initiative

      • Provided guidance and resources to employees to assist with the challenges and disruptions created by COVID-19, including:

      • information on childcare and eldercare resources,

      • mental health and wellness programs

      • individualized assistance through Macerich’s robust Employee Assistance Program

      • technology upgrades to assist in remote work

      • providing laptops to employees to assist families and children with remote learning

      • Regular employee engagement programming such as:

      • video meetings with various operational teams with guest executive speakers

      • regular newsletters to our employee population

      • lunch and learn programs

      • events recognizing specific employee contributions

      • Most successful Whole Life Challenge in Company history, with 65% participation1

      1

      The Whole Life Challenge is a six-week health and wellness challenge that we sponsor for employees.

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      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS

      Our strong operating performance has created significant long-term value for stockholders. Our one-year, three-year, and five-year total stockholder return ("TSR") outperformed the FTSE NAREIT All Equity REITs Index and the S&P 500 Index over all three periods.

      GRAPHIC

      2015 Say-on-Pay Vote and Stockholder Outreach Efforts

      At our 2015 annual stockholders' meeting, approximately 56% of the votes cast were in favor of the advisory resolution to approve our Company's executive compensation program. This level of support was a significant decline from the 2014 vote, when approximately 98% of the votes cast were in favor of this proposal. Following the 2015 annual meeting, the Compensation Committee conducted an extensive stockholder outreach campaign through which our Compensation Committee Chair and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer met in-person with stockholders representing over 56% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock to gather feedback on our executive compensation program and areas for potential improvement. Based on what we


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      learned, we confirmed the appropriateness of certain changes we had already started to implement, and made additional changes to our executive compensation program, as summarized below:

      GRAPHIC


      Table of Contents

      Compensation HighlightsElements


      Compensation Elements..    The following chart summarizes, for each component of our ongoing executive compensation program, the objectives and key features and the compensation decisions made by the Committee for our named executive officers for 2015:officers:

      Pay ElementObjectives and Key Features2020 Highlights
      Salary

      • Relatively low, fixed cash pay based on the scope and complexity of each position, the officer’s experience, competitive pay levels and general economic conditions

      • 2020 salaries remained unchanged from 2019 levels for all named executive officers, except Mr. Kingsmore, whose salary was increased to be more competitive with market practices as well as to align with salaries for peer executives within our Company

      Annual Incentive Bonus

      • Variable short-term incentive

      • Rewards achievement of both corporate and individual performance

      • Measures and goals are established to support annual strategies and operating plans designed to support our Company’s short-term financial and strategic objectives:

      • Corporate goals (Same Center NOI growth, FFO per diluted share, releasing spreads, EBITDA margin improvement and general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue) were weighted 75%, and evaluated formulaically against pre-established threshold, target, and maximum goals

      • Individual performance against pre-established goals was weighted 25%

      • Consistent with prior years, the Committee initially developed a proposed 2020 “scorecard” of financial and strategic performance objectives early in the year based on our then-current annual operating plans. However, this scorecard had not been fully approved by the Committee when the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly and severely impacted our business operations

      • At the onset of the pandemic, we immediately adapted our strategic plans to focus on crisis-related priorities, including protecting the health and safety of our employees, tenants, service providers and shoppers; conserving liquidity; collecting rents; negotiating tenant workouts and reopening Centers

      • During the second half of fiscal 2020, our Committee decided to bifurcate the year for purposes of evaluating performance, with the original draft scorecard and original personal goals of each executive used to evaluate performance for the first two quarters and the revised second half scorecard setting forth certain pandemic-related strategic goals used to evaluate the performance for the last two quarters

      • Due to the material adverse impact of the pandemic on our business, we did not achieve the corporate financial goals under the original draft scorecard. However, the Committee evaluated each named executive officer’s individual performance at the maximum, reflecting the team’s agility and resilience in navigating the crisis, resulting in weighted payout of 25% of each executive’s target bonus for the first half of 2020

      • The Committee evaluated the management team’s achievement of the pandemic-related strategic goals at target for the second half of 2020, resulting in a weighted payout of 50% of each executive’s target bonus

      • In total, each named executive officer earned 75% of their target bonus for 2020 which resulted in bonus reductions for all named executive officers of approximately 32-39% from 2019. Refer to “Compensation for 2020 Performance – Annual Incentives” for more detail

      GRAPHIC2021 PROXY STATEMENT    33



      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Pay ElementObjectives and Key Features2020 Highlights
      Long-Term Incentives

      2020 Performance-Based LTIP Units

      • Variable long-term incentive

      • Provides incentive for our executive officers to take actions that contribute to the creation of stockholder value and outperform other equity REITs which are investment alternatives for our stockholders

      • May be earned from 0% to 150% of target based on our TSR over the three-year performance period compared to publicly-traded, US-based equity REITs in the Nareit Index which are categorized as “mall” or “shopping center” REITs (the “Equity Peer REITs”). Refer to “Role of Data for Peer Companies” for more detail.

      2020 Service-Based LTIP Units

      • Vest in equal annual installments over a three-year period to promote stockholder alignment, retention and stability of our management team

      • Target LTIP Unit grant values for the awards made January 1, 2020 were at same levels as in 2019 for all named executive officers, except Mr. O’Hern

      • In 2019, notwithstanding the terms of his letter agreement, Mr. O’Hern volunteered to reduce the size of his 2019 long-term incentive awards by $2,000,000 in order to provide incentive compensation for our Company’s senior vice presidents

      • Mr. O’Hern’s 2020 target LTIP Unit value, which was granted prior to the U.S. onset of the COVID-19 crisis, was at the normal target level of $6,000,000.

      • For 2021, and again, notwithstanding the terms of his letter agreement, Mr. O’Hern volunteered to reduce the size of his 2021 long-term incentive awards by $1,500,000. Mr. Coppola also volunteered to reduce the size of his typical long-term incentive awards by $600,000 for 2021. The Committee approved these reductions and determined, in consultation with Mr. O’Hern, to offer the reduced awards to the balance of the management team to provide more meaningful long-term incentive compensation to those executives.

      • 75% of the 2020 target LTIP value was granted in performance-based LTIP Units and 25% of target LTIP value was granted in service-based LTIP Units to our CEO and President

      • 50% of 2020 target LTIP value was granted in performance-based LTIP Units and 50% of target LTIP value was granted in service-based LTIP Units for our named executive officers other than our CEO and President

      • None of the performance-based LTIP Units granted in 2018 were earned because our relative TSR for the 2018-2020 performance period was below the 25th percentile, evidencing our pay-for-performance philosophy

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      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Target Total Direct Compensation Mix

      LOGO

      LOGO


      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    
      35


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      LTIP Pay for Performance Alignment.    The forfeiture, and tracking forfeiture, of the performance-based LTIP Unit awards for 2017 through 2022 reflects strong pay for performance alignment with respect to the applicable performance periods. The graphic below summarizes the performance periods and outcome, or projected outcome, of our performance-based LTIP Unit awards in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, through December 31, 2020.

      LTIP Performance Period

       2017 2018 2019 2020 2021  2022      Status  %Payout 

       

      2017 3-year LTIP

       

       

       

      100% Complete

       

               

       

      q

       

        

       

      Below Threshold and 100% Forfeited

       

         0%      

       

      2018 3-Year LTIP

       

         

       

      100% Complete

       

             

       

      q

       

        

       

      Below Threshold and 100% Forfeited

       

         0%      

       

      2019 3-Year LTIP

       

           

       

      67% Complete

       

           

       

      q

       

        

       

      Tracking Below Threshold

       

         0%(1)  

       

      2020 3-Year LTIP

       

             

       

      33% Complete

       

        

       

      q

       

        

       

      Tracking Below Threshold

       

         0%(1)  

      (1)

      The performance period for these awards remains open and the payout percentage for these awards has not been determined. The payout percentage is reflected as 0% in the table to indicate that, if the performance period applicable to the award had ended as of December 31, 2020, the Company’s relative TSR ranking considered for purposes of the awards would have been below the applicable Threshold level and the awards would have been forfeited. We make no prediction as to the future performance of our stock.

      The three-year performance period for the 2018 performance-based LTIP Unit awards has been completed and the entire award was forfeited because the Company did not achieve the Threshold relative TSR ranking.

      The total amount realized with respect to the outstanding 2019 and 2020 performance-based LTIP Unit awards will be determined following the three-year performance periods ending December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively. If the performance period had ended on December 31, 2020, the 2019 and 2020 performance-based LTIP Unit awards would have resulted in $0 realized pay due to the failure to satisfy the Threshold relative TSR achievement level.

      36    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Target vs. Realizable CEO Compensation

      As illustrated above, the majority of our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation opportunity is “at risk” and tied to performance goals and our relative TSR. Because a significant portion of compensation opportunity is in the form of equity awards, the value is also tied to our absolute TSR. Our pay-for-performance philosophy is further illustrated by comparing target total direct compensation to “realizable” compensation for each of the past three years, which after taking into account actual performance, demonstrates alignment of pay and performance.

      LOGO

      (1)

      Target TDC for 2019 includes target LTIP grant value of $4 million, as Mr. O’Hern volunteered to reduce the size of his 2019 long-term incentive award by $2 million. Mr. O’Hern’s 2020 target LTIP grant value, which was granted prior to the U.S. onset of the COVID-19 crisis, was at the normal target level of $6 million. In 2021, Mr. O’Hern again volunteered to reduce his target LTIP grant value by $1.5 million.

      Target pay includes base salary, target annual incentive compensation, and the target grant-date fair value of long-term incentives in 2018 for Mr. A. Coppola and in each of 2019 and 2020 for Mr. O’Hern. Realizable pay includes: (i) annual base salary earned; (ii) actual annual incentive earned in respect of the applicable year; and (iii) the value of performance-based LTIP Units (assuming the performance period had ended December 31, 2020) and service-based LTIP Units as of December 31, 2020, including earned dividend equivalents. None of the performance-based LTIP Units granted in 2018 were earned, and none of the performance-based LTIP Units granted in 2019 and 2020 would have been earned at December 31, 2020 based on our relative TSR performance as of such date. The value of the service-based LTIP Units is based on our closing stock price on December 31, 2020, the last trading day of fiscal 2020. This chart and the total realizable pay reported in this chart provide supplemental information regarding the compensation paid to our Chief Executive Officer
      2015 Pay Mix
      and should not be viewed as a substitute for the 2020 Summary Compensation Table. We believe that showing realizable compensation illustrates for stockholders the alignment between pay and performance.

      2020 Say-on-Pay Vote

      At our 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, more than 95% of the votes cast were in favor of the GRAPHICnon-binding, advisory Say-on-Pay resolution. The level of support was a significant improvement from 2019 vote, when approximately 71% of the votes cast were in favor of this proposal. The Committee considered both the results of the 2020 advisory vote on executive compensation, as well as feedback from our ongoing engagement with stockholders on a variety of issues, including executive compensation and corporate governance. As part of our commitment to ongoing transparent communication with our stockholders, we will continue this open dialogue to ensure we understand stockholder views on these important issues.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    37


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Compensation Governance Highlights


      Other Named Executive Officers
      2015 Pay Mix

      GRAPHIC


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      Compensation and Corporate Governance

      Our executive compensation and corporate governance programs are designed to closely link pay with operational performance and increases in long-term stockholder value while minimizing excessive risk-taking.risk taking. To help us accomplish these important objectives, we have adopted the following policies and practices:

        No Excessive Risk Taking.Taking.    Our compensation program is designed to not incentivize excessive risk taking by participants. We conduct an annual risk assessment of all of our compensation programs.

        No Employment Agreements.    As of January 1, 2016, we had no employment agreements and one remaining management continuity agreement for one named executive officer.

        No Excise Tax Gross-Ups.Gross-Ups    In December 2015, the only two remaining management continuity agreements that provided for excise tax gross-ups expired. As a result, none.    None of our Company'sCompany’s executives are entitled to any change of control excise tax gross-ups.gross-ups.

        Double-Trigger Equity Vesting.Vesting    Effective with the 2016 equity grants, our.    Our equity awards are subject to double-trigger vesting acceleration in connection with a change of control.

        Robust Stock Ownership Guidelines.Guidelines.    We have robust stock ownership policies for our named executive officers and directors, and each individual who is subject to them is in compliance with those policies. See "Stock“Stock Ownership Policies"Policies” on page 4347 of this Proxy Statement.

        Holding Period.Period.    Until the minimum required stock ownership level is achieved, our named executive officers must retain 50% of the net-after-tax profit shares from vesting of equity compensation awards. See "Stock“Stock Ownership Policies"Policies” on page 4347 of this Proxy Statement.

        Clawback Policy.Policy.    We have a clawback policy that allows us to recover certain cash and equity incentive compensation paid to our executive officers if the compensation was based on achieving financial results that were subsequently restated and the amount of the executive officer'sofficer’s incentive compensation would have been lower had the financial results been properly reported.

        No Repricing.Repricing.    We do not repricepermit repricing of underwater options or SARs or permit exchange of underwater options or SARs for other awards or cash, without prior stockholder approval.

        Anti-Hedging Policy.Policy.    We have a policy prohibiting all of our directors, officers and employees from engaging in any hedging or monetization transactions that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of our securities. This policy also prohibits short sales and the purchase and sale of publicly traded options of our Company.

        Anti-Pledging Policy.Policy.    In addition, we have a policy (a) prohibiting all our directors and executive officers from pledging our securities if they are unable to meet our stock ownership requirements without reference to such pledged shares and (b) recommending that our directors and executive officers not pledge our Company'sCompany’s securities. Currently, no shares of our Company are pledged by our directors and executive officers.

        Independent Compensation Consultant.Consultant.    The Compensation Committee engages an independent compensation consulting firm that provides us with no other services.

        Annual Say-on-Pay.    We annually submit our executive compensation program for our named executive officers to say-on-pay advisory votes for stockholder consideration.

      Compensation Philosophy and Objectives

      Our executive compensation program is designed to achieve the following objectives:

        Attract, retain and reward experienced, highly-motivated executives who are capable of leading our Company in executing our ambitious growthcorporate strategy.

      Link compensation earned to achievement of our Company'sCompany’s short-term and long-term financial and strategic goals.


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        Align the interests of management with those of our stockholders by providing a substantial portion of compensation in the form of equity-based incentives and maintaining robust stock ownership requirements.

        Adhere to high standards of corporate governance.

      The Committee believes strongly in linking compensation to corporate performance: the annual incentive awards (which for 2015 were entirely in the form of equity awards) are primarily based on overall corporate performance and the earned valuevesting of 75% of the long-term incentive equity awards dependedfor our CEO and President and 50% for all other named executive officers depends on our 2015three-year relative TSR relativecompared to theour Equity Peer REITs. The Committee also recognizes individual

      38    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      performance in making its executive compensation decisions. The Committee believes this is the best program overall to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled executives whose performance and contributions benefit our Company and our stockholders.

      The Committee does not have a strict policy for allocating a specific portion of compensation to our named executive officers between cash and non-cash or short-term and long-term compensation. Instead, the Committee considers how each component promotes retention and/or motivates performance by the executive. The Committee believes it utilizes the right blend of cash and equity to provide appropriate incentives for executives while aligning their interests with those of our stockholders and encouraging the executives'executives’ long-term commitment to our Company. The Committee does not have a strict policy to allocate a specific portion of compensation to our named executive officers between cash and non-cash or short-term and long-term compensation. Instead, the Committee considers how each component promotes retention and/or motivates performance by the executive.

      Inputs to Compensation Decisions

      Role of the Compensation Committee.Committee

      The Committee reviews and approves the compensation for our executive officers, reviews our overall compensation structure and philosophy and administers certain of our employee benefit and stock plans, with authority to authorize awards under our incentive plans. The Committee currently consists of threefour independent directors, Ms. Stephen (Chair) and Messrs. SoboroffBrandt, Hirsch, and Hash.Soboroff.

      Role of Management.Management

      Management, under the leadership of Mr. A. Coppola,our Chief Executive Officer, develops our Company'sCompany’s strategy and corresponding internal business plans, which our executive compensation program is designed to support. Mr. A. CoppolaOur Chief Executive Officer also provides the Committee with his evaluation of the performance of and his recommendations on compensation for his direct reports, including the other named executive officers.

      Role of Compensation Consultant.Consultant

      The Committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of any compensation consultant as it deems necessary to assist in the evaluation of director or executive officer compensation and is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such compensation consultant. As requested by the Committee, our compensation consultant periodically provides reviews of the various elements of our compensation programs, including evolving compensation trends and market survey data.

      The Committee retained FW Cook & Co. as its independent compensation consultant with respect to our compensation programs. Cook & Co.'sFW Cook’s role is to evaluate the existing executive and non-employee director compensation programs, assess the design and competitive positioning of these programs, and make recommendations for change, as appropriate. The Committee considered the independence of FW Cook & Co. and determined that its engagement of FW Cook & Co. does not raise any conflicts of interest with our Company or any of our directors or executive officers. FW Cook & Co. provides no other consulting services to our Company, our executive officers or directors.

      Role of Data for Peer Companies.Companies

      FW Cook & Co. periodically conducts competitive reviews of our executive compensation program. In 2015, Cook & Co. conducted such a review,program, including a competitive analysis of pay opportunities for our named executive officers as compared to the twenty U.S. publicly traded REITsrelevant peer group selected by the Compensation Committee. These REITs were selected because they are considered comparable to our Company primarily in terms of size, but also with consideration of property focus. We feel that size, as measured by total


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      capitalization, and, where applicable, a focus on the retail sector, best depict a complexity and breadth of operations, as well as the amount of capital and assets managed, similar to our Company. The peer group REITs are:

      Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.Kilroy Realty Corporation
      AvalonBay Communities, Inc.Kimco Realty Corporation
      Boston Properties, Inc.Prologis, Inc.
      Digital Realty Trust, Inc.Regency Centers Corporation
      Douglas Emmett, Inc.Simon Property Group, Inc.
      Equity ResidentialSL Green Realty Corp.
      Federal Realty Investment TrustTanger Factory Outlets
      General Growth Properties, Inc.Taubman Centers, Inc.
      HCP, Inc.Ventas, Inc.
      Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.Vornado Realty Trust

      The Committee reviews compensation practices at peer companies to inform itself and aid it in its decision-making process so it can establish compensation programs that it believes are reasonably competitive. In 2019, FW Cook conducted a competitive analysis of our executive compensation program versus a refreshed compensation peer group, which included the following U.S.-based, publicly-traded REITs:

      Acadia Realty TrustSimon Property Group, Inc.
      Brixmor Property Group, Inc.SITE Centers
      Douglas Emmett, Inc.SL Green Realty Corp.
      Federal Realty Investment TrustTanger Factory Outlets
      JBG Smith PropertiesTaubman Centers, Inc.
      Kilroy Realty CorporationVEREIT, Inc.
      Kimco Realty CorporationVornado Realty Trust
      Regency Centers CorporationWeingarten Realty

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    39


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      The group included our direct mall REIT competitors, both larger and smaller than us, as well as other REITs, primarily selected based on size, headquartered in Southern California, and/or with a meaningful number of retail properties in their portfolio. At the time FW Cook conducted the 2019 competitive review, our twelve-month average total capitalization was in the median range compared to the peer group. The Committee however,continues to believe that these REITs best reflect a complexity and breadth of operations, as well as the amount of capital and assets managed, similar to our Company.

      The Committee does not set compensation components to meet specific benchmarks. Instead, the Committee focuses on a balance of annual and long-term compensation, which is heavily weighted toward "at risk"“at risk” performance-based compensation. Peer group data is not used as the determining factor in setting compensation because each officer'sofficer’s role and experience is unique. The Committee believes that ultimately the decision as to appropriate compensation for a particular officer should be made based on a full review of that officer'sofficer’s and our Company'sCompany’s performance.

      Compensation for 2015 PerformanceCOMPENSATION FOR 2020 PERFORMANCE

      Compensation opportunities for each named executive officer consisted of a base salary, an annual bonus opportunity, and long-term incentives, each of which areis described in more detail below.


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Measures for First Half of 2020

      2020 Corporate Goals—Weighted 75%

             2020 Goals 

      Measure

        Weighting   Threshold   Target   Max 
          Payoutg    50%    100%    200% 

      Same Center NOI Growth(1)

         12.5   0.75%    1.00%    1.25% 

      FFO per Diluted Share(2)(3)

         12.5   $   3.45   $3.50   $3.55 

      Big Box Lease-up(4)

         12.5   70%    80%    90% 

      Year-end Occupancy

         12.5   94.3%    94.6%    94.9% 

      Key Sustainability Metrics

         12.5               

      Relative G&A as a % of Revenue

         12.5        Top Quartile      

      (1)

      Excludes leasing expenses

      (2)

      Excludes the impact of acquisitions/dispositions

      (3)

      FFO per diluted share represents funds from operations per share on a diluted basis, excluding financing expenses in connection with Chandler Freehold and loss on extinguishment of debt. For the definition of FFO and a reconciliation of FFO to net operating income attributable to common stockholders, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Funds from Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

      (4)

      Related to Sears and Forever 21 lease rejections/terminations as a result of their bankruptcy filings.

      While performance was below the threshold goal for all of the quantitativeabove economic measures at 12/31/2020, resulting in no payout under the initial draft scorecard, at the end of Q1 2020, the Company was trending at target for both Same Center NOI Growth and qualitative metrics onFFO per Diluted Share while the scorecard. In 2015, the Compensation Committee assigned weightings to the three key categoriesremaining measures were not readily quantifiable in a single quarter.

      Individual Performance—Weighted 25%

      A portion of the scorecard—annual incentive is based on an assessment of individual performance in order to reward individual achievements and contributions. In making the individual determinations, the Committee took into consideration each named executive officer’s individual contributions to our operational and financial strategic and individual—to ensure that achievement of the financial objectives (weighted 50%) would have the strongest impact on actual earned bonuses. The 2015 scorecard measures,performance in 2019, as well as actual achievement versustheir individual accomplishments and performance relative to their objectives for the year. The Committee has the discretion to award between 0% and 200% of the named executive officer’s target individual award opportunity.

      With respect to Mr. O’Hern:    His leadership of the management team and the entire Company through every aspect of our operations during this extraordinary year. Some examples included:

      creating the strategic path for our Company to successfully navigate through the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic;

      leading our Company’s efforts to preserve liquidity by drawing down our Company’s line of credit in the early days of the pandemic, reducing the dividend and pausing all development projects where appropriate and practicable and initiating the efforts, where possible, to get mortgage lenders to defer debt service payments during the periods of mall closures;

      leading the Company’s employees through the first pandemic in over 100 years and maintaining a fully functional workforce, many of whom were working remotely, and maintaining morale and collaboration through the challenges posed by COVID-19;

      engaging with state and local government officials to develop re-opening plans after the initial COVID-19 related closures;

      leading the Company’s efforts to ensure the health and safety of our employees, tenants, service providers and shoppers by, among other things, enhancing filtration systems and cleaning protocols across our portfolio; and

      engaging in extensive investor and lender outreach to keep them apprised of our Company’s plans to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic successfully.

      With respect to Mr. Coppola:    His leadership and achievements included:

      leading negotiations in connection with JC Penney bankruptcy, including securing four stores which were slated to close safeguarding entitlements, reduced parking ratios and expanded development rights;

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    41


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      taking a lead role in critical negotiations with department stores and theatres for payment of rents and development rights throughout our portfolio;

      securing the contact for the sale of Paradise Valley, which closed in the first quarter of 2021; and

      continuing to strengthen relationships with key tenants and non-core asset groups.

      With respect to Mr. Kingsmore:    His success in his role as Chief Financial Officer, including:

      overseeing mortgage debt deferrals and multiple mortgage loan extensions with no change to interest rates;

      leading the second phase of Yardi, a new enterprise planning resources system, which included all primary accounting, retail manager and leasing modules;

      working closely with the leasing group, reviewing and approving the majority of COVID-19 related workouts and related lease renewal packages;

      overseeing complex accounting, operational and financial reporting disclosures in light of COVID-19; and

      engaging in extensive investor and lender outreach to keep them apprised of the Company’s post-COVID-19 business plans.

      With respect to Mr. Healey:    His success in his role as head of Leasing, including:

      ensuring proper strategy, resources, organization and staffing during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis;

      achieving successful openings of 173 new tenants totaling 875,000 square feet and 433 lease extensions totaling 1.6 million square feet;

      maintaining a strong leasing pipeline for 2021;

      working closely with tenants on COVID-19 related workouts and bankruptcy workouts; and

      mentoring two new executive vice presidents in leasing.

      With respect to Mr. Volk:    His success in his role as head of Business Development, including:

      securing 1,200 temporary in-line leases occupying 1.9 million square feet by year end with over 800 temporary tenants during the holiday season, matching 2019 temporary occupancy levels;

      securing over 800 defer-to-abate workout agreements to secure rent and occupancy;

      securing over 3,800 new temp/media agreements;

      coordinating a tenant webinar with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and US Bank to present information on COVID-19 CARES Act programs; and

      executing long-term unique agreements with Candytopia, The Friends Experience, Toyota Showroom, Puma NBA All Star Event; Grinch Experience and SoulCycle, amongst others, generating top rents and filling large vacancies.

      Based on each goal,executive’s accomplishments for 2020, as well as considering the team’s resilience and prompt response to the challenges created by the pandemic in the second quarter of 2020, the Committee scored the individual performance category at 200% of target for all named executive officers.

      42    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Measures for Second Half of 2020—Weighted 100%

      At the onset of the pandemic, we immediately adapted our strategic plans to focus on crisis-related priorities, which the Committee used to evaluate performance for the second half of the year in lieu of reliance on the initial draft scorecard and personal goals established in the beginning of 2021. Performance objectives were established in three categories: Liquidity, Operations, and Culture, and performance highlights in each of these categories are outlined in the following table:


      below.

      Table of Contents

      Financial Measures–Weighted 50%


       
      Measure
       Target
       Maximum
       Actual

      FFO per diluted share

       $3.85 $3.90 $3.95(1)

      Same Center NOI Growth

       4.5% 5.25% 6.5%

      Margin Expansion(2)

       200 bps 250 bps 247 bps

      Stabilized Development Yields

       +/–50 bps of expected > 50 bps of expected Within 50 bps of expected

      (1)
      Excluding costs related to an unsolicited hostile takeover attempt and proxy contest.

      (2)
      Excluding properties acquired or disposed of during the year.

      Because performance on the FFO per share and same center NOI growth metrics exceeded maximum, performance on the margin expansion metric approximated maximum, and performance on the stabilized development yield metric was in the target range, the Compensation Committee scored this category near, but below the maximum at 180% of target.

      Strategic Measures–Weighted 30%



      Measure
      Target
      Actual


      Capital Recycling

      LIQUIDITY

       Continue

      Rent Collections and Tenant Leasing Resolutions: We significantly improved rent collections during the year from approximately 35% for the period of the peak closure orders in April and May to approximately 94% in the fourth quarter. Of the approximately 200 national tenants in our portfolio, managementwe received payment from and/or agreed to repayment terms for approximately 96% of recyclingthose tenants, based on gross rent.

      Progress on Renewing Line of Credit: Although we made progress on negotiations of a new line of credit prior to the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic, we elected to exercise our one-year extension right on our existing line of credit in July of 2020 given the uncertainty arising out of non-core assetsthe pandemic and redeploying proceedsthe related government closure orders. We continued our negotiations with our lenders through the balance of 2020 and closed on a new line of credit in April 2021.

      Paradise Valley Entitlements: We made significant progress on securing entitlements and in negotiating acquisitions from Dillards and Macy’s which allowed the closing of the sale of this asset in the first quarter of 2021.

      Expense Reduction/Cost Containment:

      • Preserved over $290 million of cash in 2020 through use of a stock dividend and dividend reductions.

      • Preserved approximately $155 million of cash from reduced planned development and operating capital expenditures

      • Preserved over $25 million of cash through reduced controllable operating expenses

      • Negotiated deferrals of debt service payments on nineteen mortgage loans totaling $47 million Deferred real estate taxes to the extent such relief was available

       Significantly Exceeded.    Sold Panorama Mall in November 2015. Also, successfully closed joint ventures with GIC and Heitman, generating $2.3 billion in proceeds, the majority of which were used to fund the special dividend and our share repurchase program.
       
      NAV Education Close gap between market's perception

      OPERATIONS

      Re-Open Centers: During the trough of the COVID-19 pandemic, all but a few of the Company’s malls had been forced to close pursuant to government orders, except for the continued operation of essential retail and services. Approximately 74% of the gross leasable area, which was occupied prior to the COVID-19 closures, had closed. Many of the stores that remained open did so on a limited-hours basis. Working diligently with local and national authorities, while prioritizing the health and safety of our employees, tenants, service providers, and shoppers, we were pleased to have our entire portfolio NAVopen and reality through investor educationoperational by the fourth quarter.

      Occupancy: We established the goal of increasing average occupancy at all of the Company’s open malls to at least 80%. At December 31, 2020, portfolio-wide occupancy was 89.7%.

      Tenant Bankruptcy Workouts: Tenant bankruptcies were at an all-time high in 2020, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. While several of these retailers were already on the path to restructurings and/or insolvency over the next several years, the crisis accelerated bankruptcies of dozens of retailers into 2020. The biggest bankruptcy of the year was JCPenney. Of our 27 JCPenney locations, only two closed, and we have an executed replacement lease for one location and a signed letter of intent for the other. Excluding JCPenney, 2020 bankruptcy filings included 41 tenants in 296 locations with a total of 2.1 million square feet. Eighteen of these tenant bankruptcies resulted in liquidation, and in total, 1 million square feet of leases were terminated as a result of bankruptcy lease rejections. Our leasing team, in partnership with asset management, oversaw the workout of the other 23 tenants, which resulted in securing 161 locations and 1.1 million square feet.

      Significant Progress on 10-Year Portfolio Strategy: Completed initial phase of identifying properties as hold or sell, and candidates for redevelopment with a focus on use diversification and densification. Transaction timing and supporting capital plan is pending and cannot be effectively determined until the continued volatility and uncertainties posed by COVID-19 have dissipated and the capital markets have return to some semblance of normal.

       Exceeded.    Valuation of joint venture sales to GIC and Heitman demonstrate improved understanding of our NAV as they represent a good cross-section of our entire portfolio. Following such sales, several analysts materially increased their estimates of our portfolio NAV.
       
      Acquisitions Opportunistically source strategic acquisitionsAchieved.    Successfully reached an agreement to acquire a 50% interest in Country Club Plaza.
      Leasing, Development and RedevelopmentEffectively execute planned expansions, development, redevelopment, pre-lease percentage, etc.

      Source new embedded redevelopment opportunities within existing portfolio
      Mostly Achieved.

      Schematic plans completed for two centers: Westside Pavilion and Washington Square

      Progress made on Seritage joint venture. Deal approved and documented with Primark to take approximately one-half of the Sears store at Kings Plaza

      Fashion Outlets of San Francisco and Fashion Outlets of Philadelphia development projects underway

      Broadway Plaza first phase is 85% pre-leased with a projected Q2 2016 opening

      Green Acres Commons is 80% pre-leased with a projected Q3 2016 opening

       

      Table of Contents2021 PROXY STATEMENT    43


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS



      Measure
      Target
      Actual


      Portfolio Common Area Revenue Generation

      CULTURAL

       Effectively execute holistic merchandising and revenue generation plans for common areas of properties, while striving to elevate the customer experience  Achieved

      Ensuring engagement and motivation of employees. Total common area revenue increased approximately $6 millionThroughout the COVID-19 crisis, our leadership team kept the organization motivated with strong morale, including while working remotely, effectively harmonizing engagement across properties and regional offices. Highlights include:

      •   Retention of key talent during this very challenging year, with no layoffs or furloughs

      •   Most successful Whole Life Challenge in 2015 or approximately 6%Company history, with 65% participation1

      •   Achievement of One Million Meals philanthropy challenge

      •   Development of diversity, equity and inclusion programming, referred to internally as the DREAM initiative

      •   Regular employee engagement programming, such as

      •   Video meetings with various operational teams with guest executive speakers

      •   Regular newsletters to our employee population

      •   Lunch and learn programs

      •   Events recognizing specific employee contributions

      Community Outreach. 100 new kiosk deals executedDuring 2020, the Company engaged in 2015, which are expectednumerous community initiatives, including

      • Donating food and supplies to position oursupport first responders and hospitals

      • Donating real estate for essential functions, drive-through testing facilities, first responder parking and food drives, drive by high school graduations

      • Donating to local non-profit charities

      • Making Company wellbillboards and other media available for continued growth in 2016.stay-at-home campaigns, healthy hygiene protocols and blood drives

      • Donating iPads to hospitals for use by patients requiring connection to family and friends

       

      Because we achieved virtually all of the strategic metrics, and significantly exceeded expectations on capital recycling and NAV education, the Compensation Committee scored this category between target and maximum at 150% of target.

      Individual Performance–Weighted 20%

      The Committee evaluated the 2015team’s overall performance against these strategic goals at 100% of target.

      Summary of Resulting 2020 Earned Bonuses

      Resulting 2020 Earned Bonuses: 75% of Target – Approximately 32-39% Reduction from 2019 Earned Bonuses

      First Half Performance—weighted 50%.    Performance was below threshold for the corporate performance metrics, resulting in 0 payout for 75% of the award. Based on each executive’s individual performance, as well as considering the team’s resilience and prompt response to the challenges created by the pandemic in the second quarter of our2020, the Committee scored the individual performance category at maximum for all named executive officers, with Mr. A. Coppola advising the Committee with respect to the performanceresulting in a 200% payout for 25% of the other executives. As part of this process,award. The resulting payout for the Committee discussed with Mr. A. Coppola his evaluationfirst half of the contributionsyear was 50% of each executive, including with respect to our 2015 corporate achievements.target; or 25%, on a time-weighted basis.

      Second Half Performance—weighted 50%.    The Compensation Committee evaluated the team’s performance against the second-half strategic goals on a holistic basis and determined performance was achieved at 100% of the target level, or 50% of target on a time-weighted basis.

      1

      The Whole Life Challenge is a six-week health and wellness challenge that we sponsor for employees.

      44    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      The Committee noted the following:

      With respect to Mr. E. Coppola:    his continued leadership regarding our strategic dispositions, acquisitions and developments, including his involvement in the October 2015 transaction with GIC. The Committee also noted Mr. E. Coppola's responsibilityresulting total bonuses for the Tysons Corner Center, Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA and Broadway Plaza developments. His knowledge of the real estate markets as well as his significant relationships with real estate owners, partners and governmental officials2020 were critical to the success of our disposition, acquisition and development strategies.

      With respect to Mr. O'Hern:    his success in strengthening our balance sheet, including reducing our leverage and completing approximately $3.0 billion of debt financing transactions, managing to a sector leading (6.5%) same center NOI growth (above the high end of expectations) and critical involvement in the structuring, negotiating and financing of the October 2015 joint venture transaction with GIC and the joint venture transaction with Heitman (which closed early January 2016) which together generated over $2.3 billion of proceeds to Macerich. In addition, in November 2015, Mr. O'Hern negotiated and implemented a $400 million accelerated stock repurchase program which successfully retired 5.1 million shares of Macerich at an average price of $78.26.

      With respect to Mr. Perlmutter:    his role in achieving our industry-leading leasing results, including the highest occupancy in a decade, double-digit releasing spreads and his work with Messrs. A. Coppola and E. Coppola with respect to our achievements relating to acquisitions, dispositions and redevelopments. In addition, Mr. Perlmutter put a leasing succession plan in place to allow for a more strategic impact.

      With respect to Mr. Leanse:    his key role in advising management and the Board in connection with an unsuccessful unsolicited takeover attempt and proxy contest, including related litigation prosecuted by activist investors; his involvement in negotiating the joint venture transactions with GIC and Heitman; the acquisition of interests in nine Sears locations in a joint venture with Seritage and negotiating and launching our $1.2 billion stock repurchase program. The Committee also noted his significant part in negotiating acquisitions and dispositions, including the Company's joint venture with The Taubman Company to acquire Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri.

      With respect to Mr. A. Coppola:    in determining Mr. A. Coppola's annual incentive bonus, the Committee reviewed with Mr. A. Coppola his 2015 accomplishments against his goals. Goals for 2015 included corporate, financial, strategic and operational objectives in support of our 2015 corporate goals previously described. Some of


      Table of Contents

      the noteworthy accomplishments achieved by Mr. A. Coppola that were considered by the Committee are as follows:

        Joint Ventures, Special Dividend and Stock Repurchase Program.  Mr. A. Coppola was primarily responsible for our strategic joint ventures with GIC and Heitman. These joint ventures with two top institutional partners generated over $2.3 billion in proceeds to Macerich which were used to pay $4.00 in special dividends to stockholders and to implement a previously approved $1.2 billion stock repurchase program and reduce leverage.

        Development/Redevelopment Activity.  The Committee recognized Mr. A. Coppola's critical role with respect to our achievements relating to our key developments and redevelopments, including the office, residential and hotel towers at Tysons Corner Center and the redevelopment and expansion of Broadway Plaza. Consistent with Mr. A. Coppola's strategic vision, we are successfully recycling our capital from the disposition of our non-core assets into our key developments in our core markets.

        Strategic Accomplishments.  Mr. A. Coppola led Macerich through a transformational year in 2015 by posting sector leading operating performance in addition to creating new and expanding existing strategic relationships. He is primarily responsible for Macerich's continued success in working with our retail tenants to develop and execute omni-channel strategies through which online commerce complements brick and mortar retailing. Mr. A. Coppola also guided the Company to several high profile and industry leading awards in recognition of sustainability initiatives and practices. Additionally, he led a comprehensive succession planning initiative, which resulted in some key organizational changes which will allow Macerich to continue its path of growth with stability.

      The Committee believes that Mr. A. Coppola's management and direction of our executive team was critical to the performance of our Company in 2015 and that, as CEO, he was ultimately responsible for our tremendous corporate performance through his leadership and strategic vision.

      Based on each executive's significant accomplishments, many of which exceeded target objectives, the Compensation Committee scored this category between target and maximum at 150%75% of target for each executive.named executive officer.

      LOGO

      The Committee scored the financial, strategic, and individual components as follows in determiningresulting earned bonus amounts for 2015 performance:


       
       

           Score 
            
       
       

        Weighting  % of Target  Weighted 

       
       

      Financial Metrics

        50% 180% 90%
        

      Strategic Metrics

        30% 150% 45%
        

      Individual Metrics

        20% 150% 30%
        

      Total Score

        100%    165%
        

      Earned bonuses were awarded in the form of fully-vested LTIP Units, to further promote alignment with stockholders. Under applicable SEC rules, equity awards are reported as compensation in the tables below in this Proxy Statement for the year in which the award was granted, not the year to which the performance relates. Accordingly, the LTIP Units awarded as annual incentive compensation based on 2015 performance described above will be reported in those tables in next year's proxy statement as compensation for 2016. Thus, the compensation for our named executive officers for 2015 reflected in the Summary Compensation Table and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table below includes the LTIP Units awarded to each executive early in 20152020 were approximately 32-39% less than earned bonuses for 2014 performance. See "2015 Total Compensation" below.2019.


        Name 2019 Bonus  2020 Bonus  Percentage Reduction from 2019

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        $1,812,000   $1,200,000  ~34%   

      Edward C. Coppola

        $1,952,000   $1,200,000  ~39%   

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        $   549,000   $   375,000  ~32%   

      Douglas J. Healey

        $   610,000   $   375,000  ~39%   

      Kenneth L. Volk

        $   600,000   $   375,000  ~38%   

      Table of ContentsLong-Term Incentives

      Long-Term Incentives–75% Performance-Based and Tied to Achieving Strong Relative Returns

      Since 2006, our Company has utilized aOur long-term equity-based incentive program asis an important means to align the interests of our executives and our stockholders, to encourage our executives to adopt a longer-term perspective and to reward them for creating stockholder value in a pay-for-performance structure.

      2020 Long-Term Incentive Program

      For 2015,2020, the Committee approved for each named executive officer an aggregate grant date fair value for these awards, to bewhich were granted on January 1, 2020 in the form of LTIP Units. That amount was divided between two types of LTIP Units as follows:

      Performance-Based LTIP Units (75%).    Could.    May be earned from 0% to 150% of the target number of units awarded based on our TSR performance for 2015 relative to the Equity Peer REITs. Half of the 2015 performance-based LTIP Units also required our absolute TSR in 2015 to be at least 3%REITs for the LTIP Units to be earned.

      three-year performance period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Payouts, as a percentage of target units, for the performance-based LTIP Units for various levels of absolute and relative TSR performance are outlined in the following table, with linear interpolation for performance between performance levels.

         
       
       

        MAC Relative TSR Percentile Ranking 

       
       

      2015 TSR

        < 25th %-ile  25th %-ile  50th %-ile  > 75th %-ile 

       
       

      If Absolute TSR >3%

        0% 50% 100% 150%
        

      If Absolute TSR <3%

        0% 25% 50% 75%
        

      Macerich Relative TSR Raking vs. Peer REITs

      Percentage of Target LTIP
      Units That Vest*

      < 25th Percentile

          0%

      25th Percentile

        50%

      50th Percentile

      100%

      >=75th Percentile

      150%

      Earned units must be held an additional two years (until December 31, 2017) to further align executives' interests with those

      *

      Payout interpolated for performance between levels.

      Seventy-five percent (75%) of stockholders.the target annual LTIP grant value for our CEO and President and fifty percent (50%) for the other named executive officers was granted in the form of performance-based LTIP Units.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    45


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Service-Based LTIP Units (25%)..    Vest in equal annual installments over a three-year period to promote retention and further alignment of our executive'sexecutives’ interests with those of our stockholders.

      The Committee reviewed peer group data relating to Twenty-five percent (25%) of the allocation of long-term incentive equity awards between performance-basedtarget LTIP grant value for our CEO and service-based grantsPresident and determined that 75% performance-based was a higher percentage than the median mix between performance-based and time-based equity among the peer group, but consistent with our emphasis on "at risk" compensation. For the performance-based component, the Committee considered the range of potential realizable values that our executives could earn to ensure that the awards would be both reasonably competitive and appropriate to motivate our leadership team. The factors considered by the Committee in making awards to the different named executive officers were similar to those consideredfifty percent (50%) for annual incentive awards: Mr. A. Coppola's critical role in driving the performance of our Company and formulating our strategic vision and the other named executive officers' rolesofficers was granted in executing that strategy within their respective areasthe form of responsibility.service-based LTIP Units.

      2021 Long-Term Incentive Program

      For 2015,2021, the Committee granted the same mix of performance-based and time-based LTIP units as for our TSR relative2020 grants, i.e., 75% performance-based LTIP units for our CEO and President and 50% for other named executive officers. However, there were two primary changes to the stockholder return2021 long-term incentive program:

      Target LTIP Unit grant values for the awards made January 1, 2021 for Mr. O’Hern and Coppola were reduced from the target values granted on January 1, 2020. Notwithstanding the terms of his letter agreement, Mr. O’Hern volunteered to reduce the size of his 2021 long-term incentive awards by $1,500,000. Similarly, Mr. Coppola volunteered to reduce the size of his 2021 long-term incentive award grant value by $600,000 from his typical award. Messrs. O’Hern and Coppola recommended that the Committee utilize those reductions to fund increased grants of LTIP units for the balance of the executive team in recognition of their efforts. The Committee accepted that recommendation.

      The Committee changed the design of the performance-based LTIP component to better support our multi-year business strategies and align pay delivery with executive performance. The 2021 performance-based LTIPs may be earned from 0 to 150% of the target number of units awarded based on our performance versus three-year FFO per Share goals (weighted 50%) and three-year Permanent Occupancy goals (weighted 50%), with potential modification based on our relative TSR versus the Equity Peer REITs. The Committee selected FFO per Share and Permanent Occupancy because it believes these are the most important drivers of long-term value creation. All goals were established prior to the start of the performance period.

      For the FFO per Share component, performance for each of 2021, 2022, and 2023 fiscal years will each be weighted 20% (60% total), and three-year cumulative FFO per share for the 2021-2023 performance period will be weighted 40%.

      For the Permanent Occupancy component, year-end Permanent Occupancy for 2021, 2022, and 2023 will be weighted 20%, 20%, and 60%, respectively.

      Macerich’s TSR performance relative tothe Equity Peer REITs was atfor the 65three-year performance period from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2023 may modify the number of LTIP units earned on the FFO per Share and Permanent Occupancy metrics. If the Company’s relative TSR is equal to or below the 25th percentile, the number of earned LTIP units will be reduced by 20%; if the Company’s relative TSR is equal to or greater than the 75th percentile, the number of earned LTIP units will be increased by 20%; if the Company’s relative TSR is between the 25th percentile and our absolute75th percentile, the modifier will be interpolated (i.e., 50th percentile relative TSR was 5%, exceeding the 3% absolute TSR hurdle, resultingresults in vesting at 130% of target.no modification).

      Executive Benefits

      2015 Total Compensation

      We are including this supplemental information to provide a more meaningful view of the compensation of our named executive officers for their performance during 2015. The table below shows each named executive officer's salary, annual long-term incentive equity award grant value, bonus for services performed in 2015 and all other compensation. This table, in contrast to the Summary Compensation Table on page 45 of this Proxy Statement, includes equity awards granted under our annual incentive award program in 2016 for services performed in 2015


      Table of Contents

      and excludes equity awards granted under our annual incentive award program in 2015 for services performed in 2014.


       
       
      Executive
       Salary
       Annual
      Incentive
      Earned
      for 2015(1)

       Long-Term
      Incentive
      Award
      Value(2)

       All Other
      Compensation

       Total
      Compensation

       

       
       

      Arthur M. Coppola

        $1,000,000  $3,299,947  $8,999,946  $93,129  $13,393,022 
        

      Edward C. Coppola

        $800,000  $2,639,974  $2,999,883  $126,080  $6,565,937 
        

      Thomas E. O'Hern

        $550,000  $1,361,210  $1,249,863  $69,256  $3,230,329 
        

      Robert D. Perlmutter

        $500,000  $1,237,500  $999,962  $57,330  $2,794,792 
        

      Thomas J. Leanse

        $500,000  $1,237,500  $1,249,863  $45,229  $3,032,592 
        
      (1)
      Earned annual incentives were awarded in the form of fully-vested LTIP Units on March 4, 2016, with the number of LTIP Units based on the closing price of our Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such date.

      (2)
      These amounts represent the sum of the aggregate grant date fair value of performance-based LTIP Unit awards (75% of the aggregate grant value) and service-based LTIP Unit awards (25% of the aggregate grant value) granted in January 2015 to each of our named executive officers, the terms of which are described above.

      Changes to 2016 Long-Term Incentive Program Based on Stockholder Feedback.

      Based on feedback from stockholders during our extensive outreach campaign in 2015, the Compensation Committee made the following changes to the program for 2016:

        The performance period for the performance-based LTIP Units has been lengthened to three years to better measure our long-term sustained stockholder value creation.

        Stockholders' sentiment was that our relative performance was the most important metric to use in determining the number of performance-based LTIP Units earned and the inclusion of the absolute TSR threshold for half of the performance-based LTIP Units was generally not understood by our stockholders and is a measure seldom used by other REITs; accordingly, we eliminated the absolute TSR threshold in favor of a relative performance measure.

        In the event of a change of control, double-trigger vesting acceleration rules will apply. That is, vesting will not accelerate upon a change of control unless either (a) the successor entity does not assume, convert, or replace the LTIP Units into a similar security, or (b) the participant is terminated without "Cause" or resigns for "Good Reason" within 24 months of the change of control.

      Employment Agreement.    The employment agreement with Mr. Leanse, our Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, expired on December 31, 2015. Mr. Leanse's management continuity agreement remains in effect. For a description of the principal terms of Mr. Leanse's management continuity agreement, see pages 57-58 of this Proxy Statement.

      Eliminated Excise Tax Gross-Ups.    The management continuity agreements of Messrs. E. Coppola and O'Hern terminated in December 2015. With the termination of these agreements, all excise tax gross-up provisions have been eliminated.

      Other.Certain of our named executive officers participate in our deferred compensation plan available to all Vice Presidents and above who earn more than $115,000$120,000 annually. See the "Nonqualified“Nonqualified Deferred Compensation"Compensation” table on page 5557 of this Proxy Statement for more information. We also provide our named executive officers with life insurance, medical and disability insurance, and use of a private aircraft in which our Company owns a fractional interest, to allow them to devote more time to our


      Table of Contents

      business. Refer to footnote 6 to the Summary Compensation Table on page 4853 of this Proxy Statement for additional detail.

      Compensation Governance Policies
      Offer Letter with Mr. O’Hern

      In connection with Thomas E. O’Hern’s election as Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2019, our Company entered into a letter agreement with Mr. O’Hern on April 26, 2018 that provides Mr. O’Hern with certain compensation and benefits during the period commencing April 26, 2018 and ending April 25, 2021 (the “Term”). During the Term, Mr. O’Hern’s annual base salary is $800,000 and his target annual bonus is equal to 200% of his annual base salary. The letter agreement provides that all or a portion of his annual bonuses payable in respect of fiscal years 2018, 2019 and 2020 may be paid in cash, fully vested LTIP Units, fully vested shares or a combination thereof as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, with such allocation subject to Mr. O’Hern’s consent. The letter agreement also specifies that Mr. O’Hern’s target long-term incentive grant value is $6,000,000 for each calendar year of the Term, with the allocation between performance-based and time-based awards, vesting provisions, and other terms the same as annual grants made to other executive officers. The letter agreement also provided Mr. O’Hern a one-time award of fully vested LTIP Units granted on April 26, 2018 with a grant date value of $5,000,000, 50% of which will be subject to repayment if Mr. O’Hern’s employment is terminated by the Company for cause or Mr. O’Hern resigns for any reason other than good reason on or prior to April 25, 2019.

      46    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Notwithstanding the terms of his letter agreement, Mr. O’Hern volunteered to reduce the size of his 2019 long-term incentive awards by $2,000,000 and such amount was instead used to fund an incentive bonus pool of $2,000,000 for other senior executives tied to same center growth and EBITDA margin growth. His January 1, 2020 grant was at the normal target level of $6,000,000. Notwithstanding the terms of his letter agreement, Mr. O’Hern volunteered to reduce the size of his January 1, 2021 LTIP Unit grant by $1,500,000.

      Mr. O’Hern will also continue to participate in the Change in Control Severance Pay Plan for Senior Executives (as described below) during the Term. Upon a termination of Mr. O’Hern’s employment without cause or his resignation with good reason (other than in a circumstance that would entitle him to severance benefits under the Severance Plan for Senior Executives) during the Term, Mr. O’Hern would be entitled to receive: (a) a prorated annual bonus for the year of termination, based on actual performance, (b) an amount equal to (i) the sum of his base salary and the average of the three annual incentive bonuses awarded to him in respect of his service as Chief Executive Officer for the immediately preceding three years (or, if such termination occurred before the fiscal year 2018 bonus was payable, his target annual bonus, or, if one or two such bonuses have been awarded, the average of such bonuses) multiplied by (ii) the quotient of the number of days between his termination date and April 25, 2021, divided by 365, (c) a lump sum cash payment equal to the monthly COBRA continuation rate multiplied by 36, and (d) outplacement services for 12 months pursuant to our outplacement services for senior executives. In addition, the letter agreement provides that all long-term incentive awards granted to Mr. O’Hern shall vest upon the termination of his employment by the Company for no reason or for any reason other than for cause, termination of his employment for good reason or due to his death or disability on terms no less favorable to those contained in the award agreements for his LTIP Unit awards.

      Severance Benefits

      On November 2, 2017, we adopted The Macerich Company Change in Control Severance Pay Plan for Senior Executives, which we refer to as the “Severance Plan for Senior Executives,” which covers our Chief Executive Officer, President and other senior executive officers. The Severance Plan for Senior Executives provides specified payments and benefits in connection with a qualifying termination of employment following a “change in control” (as defined in the Severance Plan for Senior Executives). Our goal in providing severance and change in control payments and benefits is to offer sufficient cash continuity protection such that our named executive officers will focus their full time and attention on the requirements of the business rather than potential implications for their respective positions. We prefer to have certainty regarding the potential severance amounts payable to our named executive officers following a change in control, rather than negotiating severance at the time that a named executive officer’s employment with us terminates. We have also determined that accelerated vesting provisions with respect to equity awards in connection with a termination related to a change in control of our Company are appropriate because they encourage our named executive officers to stay focused on the business in those circumstances, rather than focusing on the potential implications for them personally. For a description of our severance and change in control agreements with certain of our named executive officers, see “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” below.

      Stock Ownership Policies

      The

      Our Board believes that our directors and executive officers should have a meaningful investment in our Common Stock in order to more closely align their interests with those of our stockholders. Accordingly, theour Board has established stock ownership policies for executives and non-employee directors.

      Executive Stock Ownership Requirements.Requirements.     Executives must own Company Common Stock or any class of our equity securities or units of our Operating Partnership with a value equal to at least the following multiples of their respective base salaries.



      Position

      Ownership Requirement as
      Multiple of Base Salary



      Chief Executive Officer6x
       

      Chief Executive Officer

      6x

      Other Named Executive Officers

        

      3x

      Non-Employee Director Stock Ownership Requirements.Requirements.     Non-employee directors must own Common Stock or any class of our equity securities or units of our Operating Partnership with a value equal to at least five times the annual cash retainer for Board service.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    47


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      Until the required ownership level is achieved, executives and non-employee directors subject to the guidelines must retain at least 50% of net-after-tax profit shares from equity compensation awards. Net-after-tax profit shares are shares from vesting of equity grants and/or shares received upon exercise of stock options, net of shares tendered or withheld for payment of the exercise price and net of taxes. This retention requirement will also apply if an executive or director becomes non-compliant due to a reduction in stock price.

      These policies also set forth the forms of equity interests in our Company which will count toward stock ownership (any pledged securities do not count) and allow theour Board to approve exceptions from time to time for this stock ownership policy. Our policy further provides that a non-employee director who is prohibited by law or by the regulations of his or her employer from having an ownership interest in our Company'sCompany’s securities shall be exempt. Refer to our Guidelines on Corporate Governance, which are posted on our website. All of our directors and named executive officers that are subject to these stock ownership policies are in compliance with them.

      Clawback Policy

      We have a clawback policy that allows us to recover certain cash orand equity incentive compensation paid to our executive officers if the compensation was based on achieving financial results that were subsequently restated and the amount of the executive officer'sofficer’s incentive compensation would have been lower had the financial results been properly reported.

      Anti-Hedging/Anti-Pledging Policy

      We have a policy prohibiting all of our directors, officers and employees from engaging in any hedging or monetization transactions that are designed to hedge or offset any decrease in the market value of our securities. This policy also prohibits short sales and the purchase and sale of publicly traded options of our Company. In addition, we have a policy (a) prohibiting all our directors and executive officers from pledging our securities if they are unable to meet our stock ownership requirements without reference to such pledged shares and (b) recommending that our directors and executive officers not pledge our securities. Currently, no shares of our Company are pledged by our directors and executive officers.


      Table of Contents

      Accounting and Tax Issues

      The Committee considers both the accounting and tax issues raised by the various compensation elements for our Company and our executives.

      LTIP Units.Units.     As described on pages 51-5254-55 of this Proxy Statement, LTIP Units of our Operating Partnership are intended to qualify as "profits interests"“profits interests” for federal income tax purposes and as such initially do not have full parity, on a per unit basis, with our common OP Units with respect to liquidating distributions. Such parity can be achieved over time through priority allocations of "book-up gains"“book-up gains” attributable to appreciation of the Operating Partnership'sPartnership’s assets. LTIP Units, regardless of when they were issued, are eligible to share in allocable "book-up gains"“book-up gains” since the most recent book-up or book-down of the limited partners'partners’ capital accounts.


      Tax Deductibility of Compensation Expense.     Generally, Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), disallows a federal income tax deduction for public corporations of remuneration in excess of $1 million paid in any fiscal year to certain specified executive officers or former executive officers. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 2018 (i) these executive officers consisted of a public corporation’s chief executive officer and up to three other executive officers (other than the chief financial officer) whose compensation is required to be disclosed to stockholders under the Exchange Act because they are our most highly-compensated executive officers and (ii) qualifying “performance-based compensation” was not subject to this deduction limit if specified requirements are met.

      Pursuant to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which was signed into law on December 22, 2017, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the remuneration of a public corporation’s chief financial officer is also subject to the deduction limit and anyone who was a named executive officer in any year after 2016 will remain a covered employee for as long as he or she (or his or her beneficiaries) receives compensation from the company. In addition, subject to certain transition rules (which apply to remuneration provided pursuant to written binding contracts which were in effect on November 2, 2017 and which are not subsequently modified in any material respect), for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, the exemption from the deduction limit for “performance-based compensation” is no longer available. Consequently, for fiscal years beginning after December 31, 2017, all remuneration in excess of $1 million paid to a specified executive will not be deductible.

      Table48    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

      In designing our executive compensation program and determining the compensation of Contentsour executive officers, including our named executive officers, the Compensation Committee considers a variety of factors, including the potential impact of the Section 162(m) deduction limit. However, the Compensation Committee will not necessarily limit executive compensation to that which is or may be deductible under Section 162(m). The deductibility of some types of compensation depends upon the timing of an executive officer’s vesting or exercise of previously granted rights. Further, interpretations of, and changes in, the tax laws, and other factors beyond the Compensation Committee’s control also affect the deductibility of compensation. The Compensation Committee will consider various alternatives to preserving the deductibility of compensation payments and benefits to the extent consistent with its compensation goals.

      To maintain flexibility to compensate our executive officers in a manner designed to promote our short-term and long-term goals, the Compensation Committee has not adopted a policy that all compensation must be deductible. The Compensation Committee believes that our stockholders’ interests are best served if its discretion and flexibility in awarding compensation is not restricted, even though some compensation awards may result in non-deductible compensation expense.

      Section 409A of the Code imposes additional significant taxes in the event that an executive officer, director or service provider receives “deferred compensation” that does not satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. In addition to traditional nonqualified deferred compensation plans, Section 409A of the Code applies to certain severance arrangements, bonus arrangements and equity awards. We structure all our nonqualified deferred compensation plans, severance arrangements, bonus arrangements and equity awards in a manner to either avoid the application of Section 409A or, to the extent doing so is not possible, to comply with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code.


      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    
      49


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
      TABLES

      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

      The following table and accompanying notes show for our namedChief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and our three most highly compensated executive officers, as of December  31, 2015,2020, the aggregate compensation paid, awarded or earned with respect to such persons in 2013, 2014 and 2015.the years indicated.


      Summary Compensation Table—Fiscal Years 2013-2015
      SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE—FISCAL YEARS 2018-2020

      Name and
      Principal Position
       Year Salary
      ($)(1)
       Bonus
      ($)(2)(3)
       Stock
      Awards
      ($)(2)(4)
       Change in
      Pension
      Value and
      Nonqualified
      Deferred
      Compensation
      Earnings
      ($)(5)
       All Other
      Compensation
      ($)(6)
       Total
      ($)
       
      Arthur M. Coppola,  2015  1,000,000    11,999,938    93,129  13,093,067 
      Chairman of the Board  2014  1,000,000    12,999,897    212,972  14,212,869 
      of Directors and Chief
      Executive Officer
        2013  992,308(7)   12,063,963    68,777  13,125,048 

      Edward C. Coppola,

       

       

      2015

       

       

      800,000

       

       


       

       

      5,399,859

       

       


       

       

      126,080

       

       

      6,325,939

       
      President  2014  800,000    6,199,914    172,177  7,172,091 
         2013  800,000    4,021,299    113,156  4,934,445 

      Thomas E. O'Hern,

       

       

      2015

       

       

      550,000

       

       


       

       

      2,549,796

       

       


       

       

      69,256

       

       

      3,169,052

       
      Senior Executive Vice  2014  550,000    2,899,866    101,459  3,551,325 
      President, Chief Financial
      Officer and Treasurer
        2013  550,000    1,675,552    116,557  2,342,109 

      Robert D. Perlmutter,

       

       

      2015

       

       

      500,000

       

       


       

       

      2,199,907

       

       


       

       

      57,330

       

       

      2,757,237

       
      Senior Executive Vice  2014  500,000    2,499,895    55,672  3,055,567 
      President and Chief
      Operating Officer(8)
        2013  500,000    1,340,389    104,630  1,945,019 

      Thomas J. Leanse,

       

       

      2015

       

       

      500,000

       

       


       

       

      2,449,808

       

       


       

       

      45,229

       

       

      2,995,037

       
      Senior Executive Vice  2014  500,000    2,749,904    43,970  3,293,874 
      President, Chief Legal
      Officer and Secretary
        2013  500,000    1,675,552    41,342  2,216,894 

      Name and

      Principal Position

        Year   Salary
      ($)(1)
        Bonus
      ($)(2)(3)
         Stock
      Awards
      ($)(2)(3)(4)
         Change in
      Pension
      Value  and
      Nonqualified
      Deferred
      Compensation
      Earnings
      ($)(5)
         All Other
      Compensation
      ($)(6)
         Total
      ($)
       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

         2020    800,000   1,200,000    5,999,968        376,030    8,375,998 

      Chief Executive Officer

         2019    800,000   1,812,000    3,999,981        326,068    6,938,049 
          2018    728,462(7)   750,000    7,794,571        82,494    9,355,527 

      Edward C. Coppola

         2020    800,000   1,200,000    3,599,981        265,909    5,865,890 

      President

         2019    800,000   1,952,000    3,599,944        207,454    6,559,398 
          2018    800,000   750,000    4,916,689        141,985    6,608,674 

      Scott W. Kingsmore(8)

         2020    500,000   375,000    749,990        127,165    1,752,155 

      Senior Executive Vice President, Chief
      Financial Officer and Treasurer

         2019    443,654   549,000    918,710        145,381    2,056,745 

      Douglas J. Healey

         2020    500,000   375,000    749,990        119,566    1,744,556 

      Senior Executive Vice President,

         2019    497,885(9)   610,000    1,087,433        99,074    2,294,392 

      Head of Leasing

         2018    450,000   225,000    286,875        20,398    982,273 

      Kenneth L. Volk(10)

         2020    500,000   375,000    749,990        95,964    1,720,954 

      Executive Vice President,

         2019    495,769   600,000    974,957        152,101    2,222,827 

      Business Development

                                        


      (1)
      Includes any amount of salary deferred under our qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. See "Nonqualified Deferred Compensation" table below for more information.

      (2)
      SEC Reporting of Cash and Equity Awards


      In reviewing the Summary Compensation Table, it is important to note that under SEC rules, cash awards are reported in the table for the year that they are earned regardless of when they are paid, while equity awards are reported in the table for the year that they are granted (as determined in accordance with applicable accounting rules) regardless of when they are earned.

      (3)
      Bonuses Reported in Year 2015


      As described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above, the annual incentive compensation awards for our named executive officers for their 2015 performances were paid in the form of fully-vested LTIP Units on March 4, 2016. Accordingly, the LTIP Unit bonuses granted to these named executive officers for their 2015 performance will be reported in the "Stock Awards" column for 2016.

      Table of Contents

        Bonuses Reported in Year 2014


      The annual incentive compensation awards for our named executive officers for their 2014 performances were paid in the form of fully-vested LTIP Units on March 6, 2015, and were previously described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis of our proxy statement filed on May 6, 2015. In accordance with SEC rules, the LTIP Unit bonuses granted to these named executive officers for their 2014 performance are reported in the "Stock Awards" column for 2015. See also footnote (4) below.

      Bonuses Reported in Year 2013


      The annual incentive compensation awards for our named executive officers for their 2013 performance were paid in the form of fully-vested LTIP Units on March 7, 2014 and were previously described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis of our proxy statement filed on April 18, 2014. In accordance with SEC rules, the LTIP Unit bonuses granted to these named executive officers for their 2013 performance are reported in the "Stock Awards" column for 2014. See also footnote (4) below.

      (4)
      Stock Awards Reported in Year 2015


      The amounts reflected in this column for 2015 relate to two types of performance-based LTIP Units, service-based LTIP Units and fully-vested LTIP Units granted in 2015 under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan. These amounts represent the value at the grant date computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding for this purpose the estimate of forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions.

      a.
      Performance-Based LTIP Units.    The aggregate grant date fair values for the two types of performance-based LTIP Unit awards based upon the probable outcome of the performance conditions as of the grant date was as follows:

      (1)

      Includes any amount of salary deferred under our qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. See the “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation – Fiscal 2020” table below for more information.

      (2)

      SEC Reporting of Cash and Equity Awards

      In reviewing the Summary Compensation Table, it is important to note that under SEC rules, cash incentive awards are generally reported in the table for the year that they are earned regardless of when they are paid, while equity awards are generally reported in the table for the year that they are granted (as determined in accordance with applicable accounting rules) regardless of when they are earned.

      (3)

      Bonuses Reported in Year 2020

      Arthur M. CoppolaAs described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis above, the annual incentive compensation awards for 2020 performance were paid in cash in March 2021. Under SEC rules, cash incentive awards are reported in the Summary Compensation Table for the year that they are earned, regardless of when they are paid. Accordingly, the cash bonuses paid for 2020 performance are reported in the “Bonus” column for 2020. These cash bonuses were paid in 2021 and were the only incentive awards granted in cash or equity to each named executive officer for their 2020 performance.

      Bonuses Reported in Year 2019

      The annual incentive compensation awards for 2019 performance were paid in cash in March 2020. These cash bonuses were paid in 2020 and were the only incentive awards granted in cash or equity to each named executive officer for their 2019 performance. As described below, the amount in the “Stock Awards” column for 2019 reflects the grant date fair value of a portion of the equity incentive awards granted in March 2019 for Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk’s performance in 2018.

      Stock Award Reported in Year 2019

      Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk. Pursuant to our Restricted Stock/Stock Unit/LTIP Unit Bonus Program, participants, including Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk, were offered the opportunity to elect to receive up to 50% of their cash bonus in the form of an equity award that vests over three years. Subject to certain conditions, if a participant timely elected to receive an equity award instead of cash, he or she received an equity award that has a market value (not considering the effect of vesting restrictions) as of the date of the award equal to 1.5 times the amount he or she would otherwise have received in cash. Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk elected in advance to participate in the Restricted Stock/Stock Unit/LTIP

      50    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES

      Unit Bonus Program and therefore received equity in lieu of 50% of their incentive cash bonus for 2018 performance. The equity award was granted to Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk on March 8, 2019 for 2018 performance and was in the form of a stock unit award that vests over three years. See also footnote (4) below.

      Bonus and Stock Award Reported in Year 2018

      Messrs. O’Hern and Coppola. The annual incentive compensation awards for 2018 performance were paid in cash in March 2019. Accordingly, the cash bonuses paid for 2018 performance are reported in the “Bonus” column for 2018. These cash bonuses were paid in 2019 and were the only incentive awards granted in cash or equity to Messrs. O’Hern and Coppola for their 2018 performance.

      Mr. Healey. As described above, Mr. Healey, was offered the opportunity to elect to receive up to 50% of his cash bonus in the form of an equity award that vests over three years. Mr. Healey elected in advance to participate in the Restricted Stock/Stock Unit/LTIP Unit Bonus Program and therefore received equity in lieu of 50% of his incentive cash bonus for 2018 performance. The “Bonus” column for 2018 for Mr. Healey shows the amount of the incentive bonus awarded for his 2018 performance that was paid in cash. The amount in the “Stock Awards” column for 2018 reflects the grant date fair value of a portion of the equity annual incentive award granted in March 2018 for Mr. Healey’s performance in 2017. See also footnote (4) below.

      (4)

      Stock Awards Reported in Year 2020

      The amounts reflected in this column for 2020 relate to performance-based LTIP Units and service-based LTIP Units granted in 2020 under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan. These amounts represent the value at the grant date computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding for this purpose the estimate of forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions.

      a.

      Performance-Based LTIP Units.    The aggregate grant date fair values for performance-based LTIP Unit awards based upon the probable outcome of the performance conditions as of the grant date were as follows:

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

      $

      4,499,986

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      $

      2,699,992

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

      $

      374,994

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

      $

      374,994

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

      $

      374,994

       

           

      The actual value with respect to our 2020 annual performance-based LTIP unit awards is contingent upon our total stockholder return relative to the total stockholder return of our Peer REITs over a three-year measurement period that will end on December 31, 2022. Assuming that maximum performance is achieved under our 2020 annual performance-based LTIP Units awards, the value at the grant date of the awards would each have been as follows: Mr. O’Hern—$6,749,961

      6,749,979; Mr. Coppola—$4,049,988; Mr. Kingsmore—$562,491; Mr. Healey—$562,491 and Mr. Volk—$562,491, respectively.

      Edward C. Coppola

       b.$2,249,944

      Service-Based LTIP Units.    The grant date fair values for service-based LTIP Unit awards were as follows:

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

      $

      1,499,982

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      $

      899,989

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

      $

      374,996

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

      $

      374,996

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

      $

      374,996

       

      Thomas E. O'Hern

          $937,409

      Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 20 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021.

      Robert D. Perlmutter

          $749,982

      Stock Awards Reported in Year 2019

      Thomas J. Leanse

          $937,409

      The amounts reflected in this column for 2019 relate to performance-based LTIP Units and service-based LTIP Units granted in 2019 under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan. For Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk, the amount reported also reflects the grant date fair value of a portion of the equity annual incentive award granted in March 2019 for their performance in 2018, which was in the form of a stock unit award that vests over three years (see also footnote (2) above). These amounts represent the value at the grant date computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding for this purpose the estimate of forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    51


      The maximum aggregate value of the performance-based LTIP Unit awards at the grant date assuming that the highest level of performance conditions would be achieved was as follows:


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES

      Arthur M. Coppola

       a.$12,724,446

      Performance-Based LTIP Units.    The aggregate grant date fair values for performance-based LTIP Unit awards based upon the probable outcome of the performance conditions as of the grant date were as follows:

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

      $

      2,999,997

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      $

      2,699,997

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

      $

      337,487

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

      $

      374,985

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

      $

      374,985

       

      Edward C. Coppola

       b.$4,241,399

      Service-Based LTIP Units.    The grant date fair values for service-based LTIP Unit awards were as follows:

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

      $

      999,984

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      $

      899,964

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

      $

      337,497

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

      $

      374,978

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

      $

      374,978

       

      Thomas E. O'Hern

       c.$1,767,124

      Restricted Stock Units.    The aggregate grant date fair value for restricted stock unit award, which represents 50% of Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk’s annual incentive award earned for 2018 performance was as follows:

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

      $

      243,726

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

      $

      337,470

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

      $

      224,994

       

      Robert D. Perlmutter

          $1,413,800

      Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 19 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 25, 2020.

      Thomas J. Leanse

          $1,767,124

      Stock Awards Reported in Year 2018

      Arthur M. Coppola

          $2,249,985

      The amounts reflected in this column for 2018 for Messrs. O’Hern and Coppola relate to performance-based LTIP Units, service-based LTIP Units and fully-vested LTIP Units granted in 2018 under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan. For Mr. Healey, the amount reported reflects the grant date fair value of a portion of the equity annual incentive award granted in March 2018 for Mr. Healey’s performance in 2017, which was in the form of a stock unit award that vests over three years (see also footnote (2) above). These amounts represent the value at the grant date computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding for this purpose the estimate of forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions.

      Edward C. Coppola

       a.$749,939

      Performance-Based LTIP Units.    The aggregate grant date fair values for performance-based LTIP Unit awards based upon the probable outcome of the performance conditions as of the grant date were as follows:

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

      $

      1,499,985

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      $

      2,699,973

       

      Thomas E. O'Hern

       b.$312,454

      Service-Based LTIP Units.    The grant date fair values for service-based LTIP Unit awards were as follows:

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

      $

      499,956

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      $

      899,947

       

      Robert D. Perlmutter

       c.$249,980

      Fully-Vested LTIP Units.    The grant date fair values for fully-vested LTIP Unit awards represent each named executive officer’s, other than Mr. Healey’s, annual incentive award earned for 2017 performance. In addition, for Mr. O’Hern, the amount reported below includes the value of the one-time award of fully-vested LTIP Units awarded to him in connection with his promotion to the Chief Executive Officer position and in accordance with the terms of his offer letter, as discussed in more detail in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

      $

      5,794,630

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

      $

      1,316,769

       

      52    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES

      Thomas J. Leanse

       d.$312,454

      Restricted Stock Units.    The aggregate grant date fair value for restricted stock unit award, which represents 50% of Mr. Healey’s annual incentive award earned for 2017 performance was as follows:


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        c.
        Fully-Vested LTIP Units.    The grant date fair values for each of the fully-vested LTIP Unit awards, which represent each named executive officer's annual incentive award earned for 2014 performance, was as follows:

      Douglas J. Healey

        

      $

      286,875

       

      Arthur M. Coppola

          

      Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 19 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 25, 2019.

      (5)$2,999,992

      None of the earnings on the deferred compensation of our named executive officers for 2020 were considered above-market or preferential as determined under SEC rules.

      (6)

      “All Other Compensation” includes the following components for 2020:

          Matching
      Contributions
      under
      401(k) Plan
      $
         Matching
      Contributions
      under
      Nonqualified
      Deferred
      Compensation
      Plan
      $
         Life
      Insurance
      Premiums
      $
         Other
      Welfare
      Benefit
      Premiums
      $
         Use of
      Private
      Aircraft
      $
         Personal
      Days Payout
      $
       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

       

      11,400

       

        

       

      120,785

       

        

       

      3,572

       

        

       

      34,117

       

        

       

       

        

       

      206,156

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

       

      11,400

       

        

       

       

        

       

      5,202

       

        

       

      28,192

       

        

       

      14,959

       

        

       

      206,156

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

       

      11,400

       

        

       

      43,837

       

        

       

      867

       

        

       

      22,599

       

        

       

       

        

       

      48,462

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

       

      11,400

       

        

       

       

        

       

      1,207

       

        

       

      8,884

       

        

       

       

        

       

      98,075

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

       

      11,400

       

        

       

      30,000

       

        

       

      1,191

       

        

       

      22,604

       

        

       

       

        

       

      30,769

       

      Edward C. Coppola

          $2,399,976

      Thomas E. O'HernMatching Contributions.    Amounts shown include matching deferred compensation contributions by our Company as determined by our Board of Directors annually under our nonqualified deferred compensation plan and matching contributions by our Company under our 401(k) Plan. The amount of the matching contributions under these plans is determined in the same manner for all plan participants. See the “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation – Fiscal 2020” table below.

      $1,299,933

      Robert D. Perlmutter

      $1,199,945

      Thomas J. Leanse

      $1,199,945

      Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 18 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2016.


      Stock Awards Reported in Year 2014


      The amounts reflected in this column for 2014 relate to two types of performance-based LTIP Units, service-based LTIP Units and fully-vested LTIP Units granted in 2014 under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan. These amounts represent the value at the grant date computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, disregarding for this purpose the estimate of forfeitures related to service-based vesting conditions.

      a.
      Performance-Based LTIP Units.    The aggregate grant date fair values for the two types of performance-based LTIP Unit awards based upon the probable outcome of the performance conditions as of the grant date was as follows:

      Arthur M. CoppolaOther Welfare Benefit Premiums.    Amounts shown reflect the premiums paid by our Company for medical and disability insurance.

      $6,749,948

      Edward C. Coppola

      $2,249,952

      Thomas E. O'Hern

      $937,450

      Robert D. Perlmutter

      $749,923

      Thomas J. Leanse

      $937,450

      The maximum aggregate value of the performance-based LTIP Unit awards at the grant date assuming that the highest level of performance conditions would be achieved was as follows:

      Arthur M. CoppolaPrivate Aircraft Use.    Amount shown reflects the incremental cost to our Company of such executive’s personal use of a private aircraft in which our Company owns a fractional interest. The incremental cost is determined by using the amount our Company is billed for such use less the portion reimbursed by the executives and such amount may include: landing fees, parking and flight planning expenses; crew travel expenses; supplies and catering; aircraft fuel and oil expenses; maintenance, parts and external labor (inspections and repairs); engine insurance expenses; position flight costs; and passenger ground transportation. Since the aircraft is used primarily for business travel, our Company does not include the fixed costs that do not change based on usage, such as management fees and acquisition costs.

      $13,150,785

      Edward C. Coppola

      $4,383,536

      Thomas E. O'Hern

      $1,826,414

      Robert D. Perlmutter

      $1,461,061

      Thomas J. Leanse

      $1,826,414
        b.
        Service-Based LTIP Units.    The grant date fair values for each of the service-based LTIP Unit awards was as follows:

      Personal Time Payout.    The amounts shown reflect Arthur M. Coppolaone-time payments made for accrued but unused personal days in connection with the elimination of defined paid vacation and personal days for Vice Presidents and above. From January 1, 2020 forward, vacation and personal time ceased to accrue for approximately 100 employees; the benefit costs for these employees will no longer be an expense on the Company’s financial statements.

      $2,249,951

      Edward C. Coppola

      $749,964

      Thomas E. O'Hern

      $312,470

      Robert D. Perlmutter

      $249,988

      Thomas J. Leanse

      $312,470

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        c.
        Fully-Vested LTIP Units.    The grant date fair values for each of the fully-vested LTIP Unit awards, which represent each named executive officer's annual incentive award earned for 2013 performance, was as follows:

      (7)

      Arthur M. CoppolaMr. O’Hern’s base salary increased to $800,000 effective April 26, 2018.

      $3,999,998

      Edward C. Coppola

      $3,199,998

      Thomas E. O'Hern

      $1,649,946

      Robert D. Perlmutter

      $1,499,984

      Thomas J. Leanse

      $1,499,984

      Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 18 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2015.


      Stock Awards Reported in Year 2013


      The amounts reflected in this column for 2013 relate to performance-based LTIP Units granted in 2013 under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan and represent the value at the grant date based upon the probable outcome of the performance conditions computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The value of each performance-based LTIP Unit award at the grant date assuming that the highest level of performance conditions would be achieved was as follows:

      (8)

      Arthur M. CoppolaMr. Kingsmore was not a NEO in 2018, so compensation for 2018 is not included.

      $22,297,857

      Edward C. Coppola

      $7,432,578

      Thomas E. O'Hern

      $3,096,928

      Robert D. Perlmutter

      $2,477,444

      Thomas J. Leanse

      $3,096,928

      Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 20 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 21, 2014.

      (5)
      None of the earnings on the deferred compensation of our named executive officers for 2015 were considered above-market or preferential as determined under SEC rules.

      (6)
      "All Other Compensation" includes the following components for 2015:

       
       Matching
      Contributions
      under
      401(k) Plan
      $
       Matching
      Contributions
      under
      Nonqualified
      Deferred
      Compensation
      Plan
      $
       Life
      Insurance
      Premiums
      $
       Other
      Welfare
      Benefit
      Premiums
      $
       Use of
      Private
      Aircraft
      $
       

      Arthur M. Coppola

            4,240  29,448  59,441 

      Edward C. Coppola

        10,600    2,725  29,448  83,307 

      Thomas E. O'Hern

        10,600  27,500  1,708  29,448   

      Robert D. Perlmutter

        10,600  25,000  968  20,762   

      Thomas J. Leanse

        10,600  25,000  1,742  7,887   

      Matching Contributions.    Amounts shown include matching deferred compensation contributions by our Company as determined by our Board of Directors annually under our nonqualified deferred compensation plan and matching contributions by our Company under our 401(k) Plan. The amount of the matching contributions under these plans is determined in the same manner for all plan participants. See the "Nonqualified Deferred Compensation" table below.

      (9)

      Mr. Healey’s base salary increased to $500,000 effective January 1, 2019.

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      Other Welfare Benefit Premiums.    Amounts shown reflect the premiums paid by our Company for medical and disability insurance.


      Private Aircraft Use.    Amounts shown reflect the incremental cost to our Company of such executive's personal use of a private aircraft in which our Company owns a fractional interest. The incremental cost is determined by using the amount our Company is billed for such use less the portion reimbursed by the executives and such amount may include: landing fees, parking and flight planning expenses; crew travel expenses; supplies and catering; aircraft fuel and oil expenses; maintenance, parts and external labor (inspections and repairs); engine insurance expenses; position flight costs; and passenger ground transportation. Since the aircraft is used primarily for business travel, our Company does not include the fixed costs that do not change based on usage, such as management fees and acquisition costs.

      (7)
      Mr. A. Coppola's base salary increased to $1,000,000 effective February 17, 2013.

      (8)
      Mr. Perlmutter was promoted to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer on February 12, 2016.
      (10)

      Mr. Volk was not a NEO in 2018, so compensation for 2018 is not included.


      Employment Agreement with Mr. Leanse

      The employment agreement with Mr. Leanse expired December 31, 2015 and we did not enter into a new employment agreement with Mr. Leanse. Under the employment agreement Mr. Leanse agreed to certain covenants, including confidentiality for five years after the date of his termination of service with the Company and non-solicitation of employees for one year after his termination of service with the Company. The employment agreement with Mr. Leanse provided for an annual base salary of not less than $500,000 and a target annual bonus of $750,000 (subject to attainment of performance goals) effective September 1, 2012 through December 31, 2015. The employment agreement also provided for the grant on its effective date of September 1, 2012 of 20,000 fully-vested LTIP Units, 39,932 fully-vested SARs and 10,068 stock options that vest in six annual installments ending on September 1, 2017.

      We have not entered into employment agreements with any of our other named executive officers.


      Table of Contents2021 PROXY STATEMENT    53


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES


      Grants of Plan-Based Awards—Fiscal 2015
      GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS—FISCAL 2020

      The following table provides information regarding performance-based LTIP Units, service-based LTIP Units and fully-vested LTIP Unitsstock units granted to our named executive officers in 2015.2020.

       
        
        
       Estimated Future Payouts
      Under Equity Incentive
      Plan Awards(1)
        
        
       
       
        
        
       All Other Stock
      Awards: Number
      of Shares of Stock
      or Units
      (#)
       Grant Date Fair
      Value of Stock
      and Option
      Awards
      ($)(4)
       
      Name
       Grant
      Date
       Approval
      Date
       Threshold
      (#)
       Target
      (#)
       Maximum
      (#)
       

      Arthur M. Coppola

        1/1/15  12/17/14  50,851  101,702  152,553    6,749,961 

        1/1/15  12/17/14        26,975(2) 2,249,985 

        3/6/15  1/28/15        34,594(3) 2,999,992 

      Edward C. Coppola

        1/1/15  12/17/14  16,950  33,900  50,850    2,249,944 

        1/1/15  12/17/14        8,991(2) 749,939 

        3/6/15  1/28/15        27,675(3) 2,399,976 

      Thomas E. O'Hern

        1/1/15  12/17/14  7,062  14,124  21,186    937,409 

        1/1/15  12/17/14        3,746(2) 312,454 

        3/6/15  1/28/15        14,990(3) 1,299,933 

      Robert D. Perlmutter

        1/1/15  12/17/14  5,650  11,300  16,950    749,982 

        1/1/15  12/17/14        2,997(2) 249,980 

        3/6/15  1/28/15        13,837(3) 1,199,945 

      Thomas J. Leanse

        1/1/15  12/17/14  7,062  14,124  21,186    937,409 

        1/1/15  12/17/14        3,746(2) 312,454 

        3/6/15  1/28/15        13,837(3) 1,199,945 
                 Estimate Future Payouts
      Under Equity Incentive
      Plan Awards (1)
         All Other Stock
      Awards: Number
      of Shares of Stock
      or Units
      (#)
        Grant Date Fair
      Value of Stock
      and Option
      Awards
      ($)(2)
       

      Name

        Grant
      Date
         Approval
      Date
         

       

      Threshold
      (#)

         Target
      (#)
         Maximum
      (#)
       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

         1/1/2020    12/16/2019    80,935    161,870    242,805       4,499,986 
          1/1/2020    12/16/2019                55,720(3)   1,499,982 

      Edward C. Coppola

         1/1/2020    12/16/2019    48,561    97,122    145,683       2,699,992 
          1/1/2020    12/16/2019                33,432(3)   899,989 

      Scott W. Kingsmore

         1/1/2020    12/16/2019    6,744    13,489    20,233       374,994 
         1/1/2020    12/16/2019                13,930(3)   374,996 

      Douglas J. Healey

         1/1/2020    12/16/2019    6,744    13,489    20,233       374,994 
         1/1/2020    12/16/2019                13,930(3)   374,996 

      Kenneth L. Volk

         1/1/2020    12/16/2019    6,744    13,489    20,233       374,994 
          1/1/2020    12/16/2019                13,930(3)   374,996 


      (1)
      Represents awards of performance-based LTIP Units granted under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan as more fully described on pages 51-52 of this Proxy Statement. Performance was measured on a cumulative basis at the end of the one-year performance period from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. The number of LTIP Units reported under the "Threshold (#)" subcolumn represents the number of LTIP Units that would be awarded if our performance relative to our peer REITs was at the 25th percentile, which represents the minimum percentile rank that would entitle recipients to awards under the LTIP. The number of LTIP Units reported under the "Target (#)" subcolumn represents the number of LTIP Units that would be awarded if our performance relative to our peer REITs was at the 50th percentile. The number of LTIP Units reported under the "Maximum (#)" subcolumn represents the number of LTIP Units that would be awarded if our performance relative to our peer REITs was at or above the 75th percentile.

      (2)
      Represents awards of service-based LTIP Units granted under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan as more fully described on page 52 of this Proxy Statement.

      (3)
      Represents awards of fully-vested LTIP Units granted under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan. These awards represent each executive's bonus under our annual incentive compensation program for 2014 performance and were previously described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis of our proxy statement filed on May 6, 2015.

      (4)
      The amounts reflected in this column represent the grant date fair value of these awards computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 as described in note (4) to the "Summary Compensation Table" above. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 18 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2016.
      (1)

      Represents awards of performance-based LTIP Units granted under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan as more fully described on pages 54-55 of this Proxy Statement. Performance will be measured on a cumulative basis at the end of the three-year performance period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The number of LTIP Units reported under the “Threshold (#)” subcolumn represents the number of LTIP Units that would be awarded if our performance relative to our Equity Peer REITs was at the 25th percentile, which represents the minimum percentile rank that would entitle recipients to awards under the LTIP. The number of LTIP Units reported under the “Target (#)” subcolumn represents the number of LTIP Units that would be awarded if our performance relative to our Equity Peer REITs was at the 50th percentile. The number of LTIP Units reported under the “Maximum (#)” subcolumn represents the number of LTIP Units that would be awarded if our performance relative to our Equity Peer REITs was at or above the 75th percentile.

      (2)

      The amounts reflected in this column represent the grant date fair value of these awards computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 as described in note (4) to the “Summary Compensation Table” above. Assumptions used in the calculation of these amounts are set forth in footnote 20 to our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2021.

      (3)

      Represents awards of service-based LTIP Units granted under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan as more fully described on pages 54-55 of this Proxy Statement.


      Discussion of Summary Compensation and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table

      Our executive compensation policies and practices, pursuant to which the compensation set forth in the Summary Compensation Table and the Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table was paid, awarded or earned, are generally described under "Compensation“Compensation Discussion and Analysis"Analysis” and in the footnotes to the compensation tables. The


      Table of Contents

      material terms of our LTIP, pursuant to which LTIP Units are granted, are described below. For a description of our severance and change of control agreements with certain of our named executive officers, see "Potential“Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control."Control” below.

      LTIP Unit Awards

      LTIP Units of our Operating Partnership are structured to qualify as "profits interests"“profits interests” for federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, LTIP Units initially do not have full parity, on a per unit basis, with our Operating Partnership'sPartnership’s common OP Units with respect to liquidating distributions. Upon the occurrence of specified events, the LTIP Units can over time achieve full parity with the common OP Units, at which time LTIP Units are convertible, subject to the satisfaction of applicable vesting conditions, on a one-for-one basis into common OP Units. LTIP Units that have been converted into common OP Units and have become vested are redeemable by the holder for shares of Common Stock on a one-for-one basis or the cash value of such shares, at our Company'sCompany’s election. LTIP Units generally may be subject to performance-based vesting or service-based vesting.

      54    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES

      20152020 Performance-Based and Service-Based LTIP Units.Units.    Our named executive officersChief Executive Officer and President were granted LTIP Units effective January 1, 2015,2020, with 75% of the total award consisting of performance-based LTIP Units and 25% consisting of service-based LTIP Units. Service-basedOur other named executive officers were granted LTIP Units effective January 1, 2020, with 50% of the total award consisting of performance-based LTIP Units and 50% consisting of service-based LTIP Units.

      a. Performance-Based LTIP Units.    Performance-based awards were granted in 20152020 to support the long-term retention of our executives.encourage executives to adopt a longer-term perspective and to reward them for creating stockholder value in a pay-for-performance

      a.    Performance-Based LTIP Units. structure. The 20152020 performance-based LTIP Units wereare subject to performance-based vesting over the 12-monththree-year period from January 1, 20152020 through December 31, 2015 and were equally divided between two types2022, with the number of awards. The terms of both performance-based LTIP Unit awards were the same, withUnits vesting, of each awardif any, depending on our relative total stockholder return over the performance period as described below, except one award also had a 3% absolute total stockholder return hurdle.below. These LTIP Units wereare subject to forfeiture to the extent the applicable performance requirements wereare not achieved. Vesting of the LTIP Units wasis based on the percentile ranking of our total stockholder return per share of Common Stock relative to our Equity Peer REITs, as measured at the end of the performance period. Total stockholder return waswill be measured by the compounded total annual return per share achieved by the shares of common stockCommon Stock of our Company or such Equity Peer REIT and assumed reinvestment of all dividends and other distributions. Our Equity Peer REITs are identified in Appendix II to this Proxy Statement.

      Depending on our total stockholder return relative to the total stockholder return of our Equity Peer REITs, vesting of these LTIP Units occurredwill occur in accordance with the schedule below, with linear interpolation between performance levels. Determination of the vesting of our performance-based LTIP Units would have occurredwill occur earlier in the event of a change of control or qualified termination of employment (which generally includes a termination by our Company without cause or by the executive for good reason) based on our performance through the date of such event.

      Company Percentile Ranking Relative to the Equity Peer REITs

      Percentage of Target LTIP
      Units That Vest*

      Below the 25th

        0%

          0%

      At the 25th

        50%

        50%

      At the 50th

        100%

      100%

      At or above the 75th

        150%

      150%


      *

      Linear interpolation between performance levels.

      * Linear interpolation between performance levels.

      The percentagePrior to the vesting of the 2020 performance-based LTIP Units, that vested effective December 31, 2015 was 130%holders of the target number of units covered by each award since (i) our Company's total stockholder return relative to the total stockholder return of our Equity Peer REITs for the performance period was at the 65th percentile and (ii) our total stockholder return of 5.01% exceeded the absolute threshold for the performance period. Although the LTIP Units have vested, they must be retained by the executives until at least December 31, 2017, which further aligns the


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      interests of our executives with our stockholders because the value of the LTIP Units is directly tied to our Common Stock price.

      Holders of the 20152020 performance-based LTIP Units were onlywill be entitled to receive per unit distributions duringequal to 10% of the performance periodregular periodic distributions payable on a common OP Unit, but will not be entitled to the extent the underlying LTIP Units vested.receive any special distributions. Distributions on vested LTIP Units are equal in amount to the regular distributions paid on an equal number of common OP Units, which are equal in amount to the dividends paid on an equal number of shares of Common Stock.

      b.Service-Based LTIP Units.Units.    Service-based awards were granted in 2020 to support the long-term retention of our executives. The 20152020 service-based LTIP Units vest in equal annual installments over a three-year period. Vesting is conditioned upon the executive remaining an employee of our Company through the applicable vesting dates, and subject to acceleration of vesting in the event of a change of control of our Company followed by certain qualifying terminations or histhe executive’s death or disability. UponFollowing the termination of the executive'sexecutive’s service relationship with our Company under specified circumstances, including termination by our Company without cause, andor by the executive for good reason, his or her service-based LTIP Units will continue to vest in accordance with the vesting schedule.

      Regular and other non-liquidating distributions were made with respect to the service-based LTIP Units from the date of their issuance to the executive. Distributions were in the same amount and at the same time as those made with respect to common OP Units. At the end of the vesting period, distributions will continue to be made only to the extent that the service-based LTIP Units have become vested.

      20162021 Performance-Based and Service-Based LTIP Units.Units.    The Compensation Committee continued the LTIP program for 20162021 and awarded LTIP Units to our named executive officers,Chief Executive Officer and President, with 75% of the total award consisting of performance-based LTIP Units and 25% consisting of service-based LTIP Units. The Compensation Committee awarded LTIP Units to our other named executive officers, with 50% of the total award consisting of performance-based LTIP Units and 50% consisting of service-based LTIP Units. The performance period for the 20162021 performance-based LTIP Unit awards is January 1, 20162021 through December 31, 2018. For purposes of determining the vesting of the performance-based LTIP Units, the Equity Peer REITs will continue to be the peer group. Based on stockholder feedback, the 2016 performance-based LTIP Units do not have an absolute TSR hurdle; the2023. The number of 20162021 performance-based LTIP Units that will vest will depend solelyon our performance relative to financial and operational measures, as modified based on our relative TSRtotal stockholder return versus a peer group of publicly-traded, U.S.-based equity REITs in the peer group.Nareit Index that are categorized as “mall” or “shopping center” REITs.


      Table of Contents

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    55


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES


      Outstanding Equity Awards at DecemberOUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT DECEMBER 31, 2015—Fiscal 2015
      2020

      The following table provides information on the holdings of certain of our named executive officers of SARs, stock optionsservice-based LTIP Units and service-basedperformance-based LTIP Units as of December 31, 2015.2020.

       
       Option Awards(1) Stock Awards 
      Name
       Number of
      Securities
      Underlying
      Unexercised
      Options
      (#)
      Exercisable
       Number of
      Securities
      Underlying
      Unexercised
      Options
      (#)
      Unexercisable
       Equity
      Incentive
      Plan
      Awards:
      Number of
      Securities
      Underlying
      Unexercised
      Unearned
      Options
      (#)
       Option
      Exercise
      Price
      ($)
       Option
      Expiration
      Date
       Number of
      Shares or
      Units of
      Stock That
      Have Not
      Vested
      (#)(5)
       Market
      Value of
      Shares or
      Units of
      Stock That
      Have Not
      Vested
      ($)(6)
       Equity
      Incentive
      Plan Awards:
      Number of
      Unearned
      Shares,
      Units or
      Other
      Rights That
      Have Not
      Vested
      (#)
       Equity
      Incentive
      Plan Awards:
      Market or
      Payout
      Value of
      Unearned
      Shares,
      Units or
      Other
      Rights That
      Have Not
      Vested
      ($)
       

      Arthur M. Coppola

        105,114(1)     55.274(1) 3/7/18  30,720  2,478,797     

      Edward C. Coppola

        74,686(1)     55.274(1) 3/7/18  10,239  826,185     

      Thomas E. O'Hern

                  4,267  344,304     

      Robert D. Perlmutter

                  3,413  275,395     

      Thomas J. Leanse

        6,876(2) 3,438(3)   58.152(4) 9/1/22  4,267  344,304     
        Option Awards     Stock Awards 

      Name

       Number of
      Securities
      Underlying
      Unexercised
      Options
      (#)
      Exercisable
        Number of
      Securities
      Underlying
      Unexercised
      Options
      (#)
      Unexercisable
        Equity
      Incentive
      Plan
      Awards:
      Number of
      Securities
      Underlying
      Unexercised
      Unearned
      Options
      (#)
        Option
      Exercise
      Price
      ($)
        Option
      Expiration
      Date
            Number of
      Shares or
      Units of
      Stock That
      Have Not
      Vested
      (#)
        

      Market
      Value of
      Shares or

      Units of
      Stock That
      Have Not
      Vested
      ($) (5)

        Equity
      Incentive
      Plan
      Awards:
      Number of
      Unearned
      Shares,
      Units or
      Other
      Rights That
      Have Not
      Vested
      (#)
        

      Equity
      Incentive
      Plan
      Awards:
      Market or
      Payout
      Value of
      Unearned
      Shares,
      Units or
      Other
      Rights That
      Have Not
      Vested

      ($) (7)

       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           

       

      44,849

      (1) 

       

       

      478,539

       

       

       

      115,123

      (6) 

       

       

      1,228,362

       

      Edward C. Coppola

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           

       

      29,222

      (1) 

       

       

      311,799

       

       

       

      79,330

      (6) 

       

       

      846,451

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           

       

      16,566

      (2) 

       

       

      176,759

       

       

       

      10,590

      (6) 

       

       

      112,995

       

      Douglas J. Healey

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           

       

      19,152

      (3) 

       

       

      204,352

       

       

       

      11,018

      (6) 

       

       

      117,562

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           

       

      17,017

      (4) 

       

       

      181,571

       

       

       

      11,018

      (6) 

       

       

      117,562

       


      (1)
      Represents SAR awards that vested on March 15, 2011 and the number and exercise price reflect certain anti-dilutive adjustments made since the date of grant under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

      (2)
      Represents the portion of Mr. Leanse's stock option award which has vested and reflects certain anti-dilutive adjustments made since the grant date under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

      (3)
      Represents the unvested portion of Mr. Leanse's stock option award that will vest in two equal installments beginning on September 1, 2016 and ending on September 1, 2017. The number reflects certain anti-dilutive adjustments made since the grant date under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

      (4)
      The exercise price reflects certain anti-dilutive adjustments made since the grant date under our 2003 Incentive Plan.

      (5)
      Represents the unvested portion of the 2014 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 30, 2016 and the unvested portion of the 2015 service-based LTIP Units that will vest in two equal installments on December 30, 2016 and December 29, 2017.

      (6)
      Based on a price of $80.69 per unit, which was the closing price on the NYSE of one share of our Common Stock on December 31, 2015. Assumes that the value of LTIP Units on a per unit basis is equal to the per share value of our Common Stock.

      (1)

      Represents the unvested portion of the 2019 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021 and the unvested portion of the 2020 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022.

      (2)

      Includes the unvested portion of the 2019 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021, the unvested portion of the 2020 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, 2,744 stock units that vested on March 15, 2021 and 1,935 stock units that will vest on March 15, 2022.

      (3)

      Includes the unvested portion of the 2019 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021, the unvested portion of the 2020 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, 4,298 stock units that vested on March 15, 2021 and 2,679 stock units that will vest on March 15, 2022.

      (4)

      Includes the unvested portion of the 2019 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021, the unvested portion of the 2020 service-based LTIP Units that will vest on December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022, 3,056 stock units that vested on March 15, 2021 and 1,786 stock units that will vest on March 15, 2022.

      (5)

      Based on a price of $10.67 per unit, which was the closing price on the NYSE of one share of our Common Stock on December 31, 2020. Assumes that the value of LTIP Units on a per unit basis is equal to the per share value of our Common Stock.

      (6)

      Represents awards of performance-based LTIP Units granted on January 1, 2019 and January 1, 2020 under our LTIP and 2003 Incentive Plan. The number of LTIP Units reported in this table represents 50% of the target number of performance-based LTIP Units granted in 2019 and 2020, which is based on our performance relative to our Equity Peer REITs during 2020 at the 25th percentile, which is the minimum percentile rank that would entitle recipients to awards under the LTIP. As discussed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above, none of the performance-based LTIP Units granted in 2019 and 2020 would have been earned assuming the performance period ended on December 31, 2020 based on our relative total stockholder return performance through such date.

      (7)

      The vesting of the 2019 performance-based LTIP Units will be measured on a cumulative basis at the end of the three-year performance period from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2021 and the 2020 performance-based LTIP Units will be measured on a cumulative basis at the end of the three-year performance period from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022. Although these LTIP Units have not vested, for purposes of this table, it is assumed that one performance-based LTIP Unit represents the economic equivalent of one share of Common Stock. The market value is based upon the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE on December 31, 2020 of $10.67.

      Table of Contents56    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TABLES


      Option Exercises and Stock Vested—Fiscal 2015
      OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED—FISCAL 2020

      The following table presents information regarding the exercise of SARs by our named executive officers during 2015 and the vesting of LTIP Units and stock units during 20152020 that were previously granted to thecertain of our named executive officers.

       
       Option Awards Stock Awards 
      Name
       Number of
      Shares
      Acquired
      on Exercise
      (#)
       Value Realized
      on Exercise
      ($)(1)
       Number of
      Shares
      Acquired
      on Vesting
      (#)(2)
       Value Realized
      on Vesting
      ($)(2)
       

      Arthur M. Coppola

            188,532(3) 15,421,249 

      Edward C. Coppola

            78,987(4) 6,540,341 

      Thomas E. O'Hern

        20,885  1,824,180  36,368(5) 3,024,924 

      Robert D. Perlmutter

            30,941(6) 2,580,067 

      Thomas J. Leanse

        12,696  1,108,912  35,215(7) 2,924,936 

      (1)
      Represents the amounts realized based on the difference between the market price of our stock on the date of exercise and the exercise price.

      (2)
      This number represents (a) the vesting of performance-based LTIP Units and service-based LTIP Units on December 31, 2015 and (b) the grant of fully-vested LTIP Units on March 6, 2015, representing the annual incentive compensation award for 2014 performance. An individual, upon the vesting of an equity award, does not receive cash equal to the amount contained in the Value Realized on Vesting column of this table. Instead, the amounts contained in the Value Realized on Vesting column reflect the market value of our Common Stock on the applicable vesting date. For purposes of this table, it is assumed one LTIP Unit represents the economic equivalent of one share of Common Stock. The LTIP Units do not realize their full economic value until certain conditions are met, as described on pages 51-52 of this Proxy Statement, and such conditions have been met for the 2014 service-based LTIP Units included in this table.

      (3)
      This number represents (a) the vesting of 132,212 performance-based LTIP Units and 21,726 service-based LTIP Units and (b) the grant of 34,594 fully-vested LTIP Units, representing the annual incentive compensation award for 2014 performance.

      (4)
      This number represents (a) the vesting of 44,070 performance-based LTIP Units and 7,242 service-based LTIP Units and (b) the grant of 27,675 fully-vested LTIP Units, representing the annual incentive compensation award for 2014 performance.

      (5)
      This number represents (a) the vesting of 18,361 performance-based LTIP Units and 3,017 service-based LTIP Units and (b) the grant of 14,990 fully-vested LTIP Units, representing the annual incentive compensation award for 2014 performance.

      (6)
      This number represents (a) the vesting of 14,690 performance-based LTIP Units and 2,414 service-based LTIP Units and (b) the grant of 13,837 fully-vested LTIP Units, representing the annual incentive compensation award for 2014 performance.

      (7)
      This number represents (a) the vesting of 18,361 performance-based LTIP Units and 3,017 service-based LTIP Units and (b) the grant of 13,837 fully-vested LTIP Units, representing the annual incentive compensation award for 2014 performance.

         Option Awards      Stock Awards 

      Name

        Number of
      Shares
      Acquired
      on Exercise
      (#)
         Value Realized
      on Exercise
      ($)
             Number of
      Shares
      Acquired
      on Vesting
      (#) (1)
        Value Realized
      on Vesting
      ($) (1)
       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

       

       

        

       

       

            

       

      28,813

       

       

       

      307,435

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

       

       

        

       

       

            

       

      22,643

       

       

       

      241,601

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

       

       

        

       

       

            

       

      11,000

      (2) 

       

       

      127,742

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

       

       

        

       

       

            

       

      13,688

      (3) 

       

       

      163,045

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

       

       

        

       

       

            

       

      11,681

      (4) 

       

       

      136,091

       

      (1)

      This number includes (a) the vesting of stock units for Messrs. Kingsmore, Healey and Volk and (b) the vesting of service-based LTIP Units on December 31, 2020. An individual, upon the vesting of an equity award, does not receive cash equal to the amount contained in the Value Realized on Vesting column of this table. Instead, the amounts contained in the Value Realized on Vesting column reflect the market value of our Common Stock on the applicable vesting date. For purposes of this table, it is assumed one LTIP Unit represents the economic equivalent of one share of Common Stock. The LTIP Units do not realize their full economic value until certain conditions are met, as described on pages 54-55 of this Proxy Statement.

      (2)

      This number represents the vesting of 7,242 service-based LTIP Units and 3,758 stock units.

      (3)

      This number represents the vesting of 7,531 service-based LTIP Units and 6,157 stock units.

      (4)

      This number represents the vesting of 7,531 service-based LTIP Units and 4,150 stock units.

      Table of Contents


      Nonqualified Deferred Compensation—Fiscal 2015
      NONQUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION—FISCAL 2020

      Certain of our named executive officers participate or participated in our 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan for Senior Executives, which was amended and restated as our 2013 Deferred Compensation Plan, effective January 1, 2013, referred to as our "Deferred“Deferred Compensation Plan," which also includes certain amounts deferred prior to 2005 under a predecessor plan. The following table provides information with respect to our named executive officers for the Deferred Compensation Plan for the fiscal year 2015.2020.

      Name

        Executive
      Contributions
      in 2020
      ($) (1)
         Registrant
      Contributions
      in 2020
      ($) (2)
           Aggregate
      Earnings
      in 2020
      ($) (3)
         Aggregate
      Withdrawals/
      Distributions
      during 2020
      ($)
         Aggregate
      Balance at
      12/31/2020
      ($) (4)
       

      Thomas E. O’Hern

        

       

      563,631

       

        

       

      120,785

       

          

       

      28,371

       

        

       

       

        

       

      4,988,141

       

      Edward C. Coppola

        

       

       

        

       

       

          

       

      172,220

       

        

       

       

        

       

      752,869

       

      Scott W. Kingsmore

        

       

      219,048

       

        

       

      43,837

       

          

       

      620,652

       

        

       

      (113,353

        

       

      4,241,119

       

      Douglas J. Healey

        

       

       

        

       

       

          

       

       

        

       

       

        

       

       

      Kenneth L. Volk

        

       

      210,000

       

        

       

      30,000

       

          

       

      521,669

       

        

       

      (237,425

        

       

      3,505,472

       

      (1)

      The amounts in this column are included in the “Salary” column of the Summary Compensation Table.

      (2)

      Our Company’s contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan are included in the “All Other Compensation” column of the Summary Compensation Table.

      (3)

      None of the earnings set forth in this column are considered above-market or preferential as determined under SEC rules, and, therefore, none of such amounts are reflected in the Summary Compensation Table.

      (4)

      The balances shown represent compensation already reported in the Summary Compensation Table in this and prior-year proxy statements, except for any earnings that were not above-market or preferential as determined under SEC rules.

      2021 PROXY STATEMENT    57


      POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

      Name
       Executive
      Contributions
      in 2015
      ($)(1)
       Registrant
      Contributions
      in 2015
      ($)(2)
       Aggregate
      Earnings
      in 2015
      ($)(3)
       Aggregate
      Withdrawals/
      Distributions
      during 2015
      ($)
       Aggregate
      Balance
      at 12/31/15
      ($)(4)
       

      Arthur M. Coppola

                 

      Edward C. Coppola

            (5,984)   416,116 

      Thomas E. O'Hern

        110,000  27,500  37,338    1,938,477 

      Robert D. Perlmutter

        100,000  25,000  (25,403)   734,452 

      Thomas J. Leanse

        100,000  25,000  4,752    408,456 


      (1)
      The amounts in this column are included in the "Salary" column of the Summary Compensation Table.

      (2)
      Our Company's contributions to the Deferred Compensation Plan are included in the "All Other Compensation" column of the Summary Compensation Table.

      (3)
      None of the earnings set forth in this column are considered above-market or preferential as determined under SEC rules, and, therefore, none of such amounts are reflected in the Summary Compensation Table.

      (4)
      The balances shown represent compensation already reported in the "Summary Compensation Table" in this and prior-year proxy statements, except for any earnings that were not above-market or preferential as determined under SEC rules.

      Description of Our Deferred Compensation Plan

      As of December 31, 2015,2020, Messrs. E.O’Hern, Coppola, O'Hern, PerlmutterKingsmore and LeanseVolk had account balances under our Deferred Compensation Plan. Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, our key executives who satisfy certain eligibility requirements may make annual irrevocable elections to defer a specified portion of their base salary and bonus to be earned during the following calendar year. Deferral of amounts earned in 20152020 by participants were limited to 85% of base salary and 85% of bonus. Our Company will credit an amount equal to the compensation deferred by a participant to that participant'sparticipant’s deferral account under the Deferred Compensation Plan. In addition, our Company may credit matching amounts to an account established for each participant in an amount equal to a percentage, established by our Company in its sole discretion prior to the beginning of the plan year, of the amount of compensation deferred by each participant under the plan.Deferred Compensation Plan. For 2015,2020, our Company matched 25%15% of the amount of salary and bonus deferred by a participant up to a limit of 5%3% of the participant'sparticipant’s total salary and bonus.

      Account balances under the Deferred Compensation Plan will be credited with income, gains and losses based on the performance of investment funds selected by the participant from a list of funds designated by our Company. The amounts credited to participants'participants’ deferred accounts and Company matching accounts are at all times 100% vested. Participants will be eligible to receive distributions of the amounts credited to their accounts, at up to six different times that they may specify, in a lump sum or installments pursuant to elections made under the rules of the Deferred Compensation Plan. Changes to these elections under the plan may be made under limited circumstances. Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, key employees who have elected a payment at termination of employment must generally wait six months after termination, other than as a result of death, to receive a distribution. Our Company is contributing assets to a trust, which assets remain subject to the claims of our Company'sCompany’s general creditors, to provide a source of funds for payment of our Company'sCompany’s obligations under the Deferred Compensation Plan. Employees who are eligible to participate in the Deferred Compensation Plan may also be eligible for life insurance coverage in an amount equal to two times their annual salaries.


      Table of Contents

      Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change ofin Control

      The following section describes potential payments and benefits to our named executive officers under our current compensation and benefit plans and arrangements had a termination of employment or a change ofin control of our Company occurred on December 31, 2015.2020.

      On November 2, 2017, we adopted the Change in Control Severance Pay Plan for Senior Executives and on May 3, 2019, we adopted the Change in Control Severance Pay Plan for Executive Vice Presidents (collectively, the “Severance Plans”) which provide for the payment and benefits set forth below upon a qualifying termination of employment following a change in control. In addition, our 2003 Incentive Plan contains provisions regarding the acceleration of vesting and modification of equity awards. The Compensation Committee is authorized to accelerate the vesting of and modify outstanding awards as well as authorize discretionary severance payments to our named executive officers upon termination.

      None of our named executive officers have an employment agreement with our Company. Mr. Leanse has a management continuity agreement which provides for change of control benefits as described below which automatically renews each year, unless our Company gives notice that the term will not be renewed. The management continuity agreements of Messrs. E. Coppola and O'Hern terminated in December 2015. With the termination of Messrs. E. Coppola and O'Hern's management continuity agreements, all excise tax gross-up provisions have been eliminated.

      Regardless of the manner in which a named executive officer'sofficer’s employment terminates, he isthey are entitled to receive all accrued, vested or earned but deferred compensation and benefits during histheir term of employment. The information below sets forth the additional payments and/or benefits to our named executive officers under the specified circumstances.

      Change in Control Severance Pay Plans

      Under the Severance Plans, in the event that the employment of any of the named executive officers is terminated by us other than for “cause” (as defined in the Severance Plans) or due to the executive’s death or “total disability” (as defined in the Severance Plans) or by the executive for “good reason” (as defined in the Severance Plans), in each case upon or within 24 months following a change in control, the named executive officer will be entitled to the following: (i) a lump sum payment equal to three times the sum of (A) the higher of the executive’s annual base salary as of the date of termination or the date of the change in control and (B) the average annual incentive bonus award to the executive in respect of the immediately preceding three fiscal years, (ii) a pro-rated portion of the executive’s target annual incentive bonus for the year of termination, payable in a lump sum, (iii) outplacement services pursuant to our Company’s outplacement services plan for a period of 12 months following termination and (iv) a lump sum payment equal to the product of (A) the total amount of COBRA continuation monthly premium rate that would have otherwise been payable by the executive for COBRA continuation for medical, vision and dental coverage for the executive and his eligible dependents and (B) 36. The Severance Plans do not provide for an excise tax gross-up payment to any eligible participant. Instead, if any payment by our Company would subject an executive to the excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code, such payments shall be reduced or the full amount of such

      58 Payments Made/Benefits Received    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


      POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

      payments shall be made, whichever leaves the executive in the best net after-tax position. Receipt of the payments and benefits set forth above is subject to the execution and effectiveness of a general release of claims in favor of our Company and its affiliates.

      Offer Letter with Mr. O’Hern

      Our Company entered into an offer letter with Mr. O’Hern on April 26, 2018 which provides for certain benefits upon a qualifying termination of employment, which are described above in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis under “Offer Letter with Mr. O’Hern.”

      Treatment of Equity Awards Upon Termination
      or Change in Control

      WithUpon a Termination of Employment by our Company for Cause

      If a named executive officer'sofficer’s employment is terminated with cause, hethe executive will forfeit all unvested equity awards as of the termination date.

      Upon a Termination of Employment by our Company Without Cause

      If a named executive officer'sofficer’s employment is terminated for any reason, other than (i) by death, disability, resignation or retirement of such officer or (ii) by termination with cause,

      the executive will have three months (or such other period in the Compensation Committee'sCommittee’s discretion) from the termination date to exercise vested options and SARs, subject to specified limitations,

      his

      the executive’s unvested performance-based LTIP Units will be eligible to vest in accordance with the partial service factor under the award agreement and based on performance through the executive'sexecutive’s termination date (this will also occur if the executive terminates histhe executive’s employment for good reason), and

      his

      the executive’s unvested service-based LTIP Units will continue to vest in accordance with the vesting schedulepartial service factor under the award agreement (this will also occur if the executive terminates histhe executive’s employment for good reason).

      Payments Made/Benefits Received Upon Resignation by the Named Executive Officer

      In the event of the resignation of a named executive officer for good reason,

      Payments Made/Benefits Received Upon Retirement

      In the event of the retirement of a named executive officer,


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        under our current retirement policy and except as provided below, all outstanding equity awards will continue to vest in accordance with the vesting schedule originally set forth in histhe executive’s award agreement provided the named executive officer retires at age 55 or older, has at least fiveten years of service with our Company and has not been directly or indirectly employed by a competitor at any time after histhe executive’s retirement,

        if a named executive officer does not meet the requirements for retirement under our current retirement policy, and the Compensation Committee does not otherwise provide,

        his

        the executive’s equity awards that have not vested as of histhe executive’s retirement date will be forfeited, and

        he

        the executive will have 12 months from histhe executive’s retirement date to exercise vested options and SARs, subject to specified limitations.

        he will forfeit limitations, and

        all unvested performance-based and service-based LTIP Units unless the Compensation Committee determines in its sole discretion to provide for vesting of some or all such LTIP Units.

      will receive a partial service factor.

      Payments Made/Benefits Received 2021 PROXY STATEMENT    59


      POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

      Upon Death or Disability

      In the event of death or disability of a named executive officer while employed,

      except as provided below, histhe executive’s unvested equity awards will immediately vest,

      his

      the executive’s unvested performance-based LTIP Units will be eligible to vest based on performance through the executive'sexecutive’s date of death or disability, and

      his

      the executive’s vested stock options or SARs may be exercised for 12 months after the date of histhe executive’s disability or death.

      Payments Made/Benefits Received Upon Change of Control

      Our Company entered into a management continuity agreement with Mr. Leanse in connection with his hiring as our Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, effective January 1, 2013, which provides that if, within two years following a change of control, his employment is terminated (i) by us for no reason or any reason other than for cause or by reason of death or disability or (ii) by Mr. Leanse for good reason, he will generally be entitled to receive an amount equal to three times the sum of:

      In addition, Mr. Leanse will receive all accrued obligations, including a pro rata share of his bonus amount for the year in which the termination occurs. Our Company will also generally continue welfare benefits for the executive officer and his family at least equal to, and at the same after-tax cost to the executive officer and/or his family, as those that would have been provided to them in accordance with the plans, programs, practices and policies as in effect immediately prior to the change of control, generally until up to the third anniversary of the termination date (subject to earlier termination if the executive becomes eligible for health coverage under another employer's plans).

      Upon a change of control, any shares of restricted stock, stock units or service-based LTIP Units held by Mr. Leanse that remain unvested shall immediately vest, any unvested stock options or SARs held by him shall vest in full and be immediately exercisable and any outstanding performance-based LTIP Units shall vest as provided in the


      Table of Contents

      applicable award agreement. See "Discussion of Summary Compensation and Grants of Plan-Based Awards Table—LTIP Unit Awards." Any such stock options or SARs shall remain exercisable for a period at least until the first to occur of (1) the expiration of the full term of the option or SAR and (2) one year after the date on which the change of control occurs.

        "Good reason" means an action taken by our Company resulting in a material negative change in the employment relationship and generally includes the assignment to the executive of any duties materially inconsistent in any respect with the executive's position, authority, duties or responsibilities or any other material diminution in such position, authority, duties or responsibilities, one or more reductions in base salary that, individually or in the aggregate, exceed 10%, a change in his principal office location, material modification of bonus, benefit plans or fringe benefits or material breach of the management continuity agreement or any employment agreement by our Company or its successors or assigns.

        "Change of control" generally requires a corporate transaction involving a 40% or greater change in ownership, certain majority changes in our Board of Directors or with limited exceptions the acquisition of 33% or more of our outstanding shares of Common Stock or voting securities by any person.

        "Cause" generally includes for each executive (1) a failure to perform in a material respect without proper cause his obligations under the management continuity agreement or any written employment agreement, (2) a felony conviction or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony, or (3) an act of fraud, dishonesty or gross misconduct materially injurious to our Company.

      Mr. Leanse's management continuity agreement does not provide for an excise tax gross-up payment. Instead, if any payment by our Company would subject Mr. Leanse to an excise tax, the payments under his management continuity agreement shall be reduced if the selected accounting firm determines that he would have a greater net after tax receipt of aggregate payments if his payments under his management continuity agreement were so reduced.

      Under the management continuity agreement, Mr. Leanse has agreed to certain covenants, including confidentiality in perpetuity and non-solicitation of employees for two years after the termination date.

      Termination/Change ofin Control Payments Table

      The following table provides the potential payments and benefits to the named executive officers, upon termination of employment or a change ofin control, assuming such event occurred on December 31, 2015.2020. These numbers do not reflect the actual amounts that may be paid to such persons, which will only be known at the time that they become eligible for payment and will only be payable if the specified event occurs.

        Items Not Reflected in Table

      The following items are not reflected in the table set forth below:

        Accrued salary, bonus and personal time and vacation.

        time.

        Costs of COBRA or any other mandated governmental assistance program to former employees.

        Welfare benefits, including life insurance, provided to all salaried employees.

        Amounts outstanding under our 401(k) plan or any deferred compensation plan. There are no special or enhanced benefits under these plans for our named executive officers, and all of such participating officers are fully vested in these plans. See "Nonqualified“Nonqualified Deferred Compensation" table.

        Compensation – Fiscal 2020” table above.

        Other Notes Applicable to the Table

        For the accelerated vesting of the unvested service-based LTIP Units, the table reflects the intrinsic value of such acceleration. The value for each unvested LTIP Unit is $80.69,$10.67, which represents the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE on December 31, 2015.

      2020.


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        For the accelerated vesting of Mr. Leanse's unvested stock options, the table reflects the intrinsic value of such acceleration. The value for each unvested stock option is the amount by which the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE on December 31, 2015 ($80.69) exceeded the exercise price of the option ($58.152).

        Life insurance amounts only reflect policies paid for by our Company and in effect on December 31, 2015.

        2020.

        The table assumes that a "disability"“disability” is of a long-term nature, which triggers vesting of unvested equity awards and the accelerated vesting determination of any unvested performance-based LTIP Units.

        Messrs. A. Coppola and E.

        Mr. Coppola also havehas death benefit coverage under a split-dollar life insurance policy. No premiums have been paid by our Company under this policy since July 30, 2002. At the time of theirhis death, the total premiums our Company previously paid for the policiespolicy will be recovered and the remaining death benefits will be paid to theirhis designated beneficiaries.

        The "Termination“Termination without cause"cause” and "Change of“Change in control/Termination"Termination” rows in the following table include a termination by our Company without cause and a termination for good reason by the named executive officer.


      The amounts shown are only estimates of the amounts that would be payable to the executives upon termination of employment and do not reflect tax positions we may take or the accounting treatment of such payments. Actual amounts to be paid can only be determined at the time of separation.

        60    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

        TERMINATION/CHANGE IN CONTROL PAYMENTS

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            Cash
        Severance
        ($)
           Miscellaneous
        Benefits
        ($)
             Awards
        ($)
           Life
        Insurance
        Proceeds
        ($)
             Total
        ($)
         

        Thomas E. O’Hern

                                     

        Termination with cause

                                

        Termination without cause

           1,861,359    102,351(5)      478,539(2)          2,442,249 

        Resignation

                                

        Retirement

                     478,539(3)          478,539 

        Death

                     478,539(3)    1,600,000      2,078,539 

        Disability

                   (1)      478,539(3)          478,539 

        Change in control/Termination

           12,356,700    102,351(5)      478,539(3)          12,937,590 

        Edward C. Coppola

                                     

        Termination with cause

                                

        Termination without cause

                     311,777(2)          311,777 

        Resignation

                                

        Retirement

                     311,777(3)          311,777 

        Death

                     311,777(3)    1,600,000      1,911,777 

        Disability

                   (1)      311,777(3)          311,777 

        Change in control/Termination

           8,018,800    84,576(5)      311,777(3)          8,415,153 

        Scott W. Kingsmore

                                     

        Termination with cause

                                

        Termination without cause

                     176,759(4)          176,759 

        Resignation

                                

        Retirement

                                

        Death

                     176,759(4)    1,000,000      1,176,759 

        Disability

                   (1)      176,759(4)          176,759 

        Change in control/Termination

           3,396,789    67,797(5)      176,759(4)          3,641,345 

        Douglas J. Healey

                                     

        Termination with cause

                                

        Termination without cause

                     204,352(4)          204,352 

        Resignation

                                

        Retirement

                     204,352(4)          204,352 

        Death

                     204,352(4)    1,000,000      1,204,352 

        Disability

                   (1)      204,352(4)          204,352 

        Change in control/Termination

           4,021,845    26,652(5)      204,352(4)          4,252,849 

        Kenneth L. Volk

                                     

        Termination with cause

                                

        Termination without cause

                     181,571(4)          181,571 

        Resignation

                                

        Retirement

                     181,571(4)          181,571 

        Death

                     181,571(4)    1,000,000      1,181,571 

        Disability

                   (1)      181,571(4)          181,571 

        Change in control/Termination

           3,568,619    67,812(5)      181,571(4)          3,818,002 

        (1)

        Upon disability, the executive officer will generally receive up to $25,000 monthly until his return to employment.


        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    
        Termination/Change of Control Payments
        61


        POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

         
         Cash
        Severance
        ($)
         Miscellaneous
        Benefits
        ($)
         Service-Based
        Awards
        ($)
         Life
        Insurance
        Proceeds
        ($)
         Total
        ($)
         

        Arthur M. Coppola

                        

        Termination with cause

                   

        Termination without cause

              2,478,797(2)   2,478,797 

        Resignation

                   

        Retirement

                   

        Death

              2,478,797(3) 2,000,000  4,478,797 

        Disability

             (1) 2,478,797(3)   2,478,797 

        Change of control

              2,478,797(3)   2,478,797 

        Change of control/Termination

              2,478,797(3)   2,478,797 

        Edward C. Coppola

                        

        Termination with cause

                   

        Termination without cause

              826,185(2)   826,185 

        Resignation

                   

        Retirement

                   

        Death

              826,185(3) 1,600,000  2,426,185 

        Disability

             (1) 826,185(3)   826,185 

        Change of control

              826,185(3)   826,185 

        Change of control/Termination

              826,185(3)   826,185 

        Thomas E. O'Hern

                        

        Termination with cause

                   

        Termination without cause

              344,304(2)   344,304 

        Resignation

                   

        Retirement

                   

        Death

              344,304(3) 1,100,000  1,444,304 

        Disability

             (1) 344,304(3)   344,304 

        Change of control

              344,304(3)   344,304 

        Change of control/Termination

              344,304(3)   344,304 

        Robert D. Perlmutter

                        

        Termination with cause

                   

        Termination without cause

              275,395(2)   275,395 

        Resignation

                   

        Retirement

                   

        Death

              275,395(3) 1,000,000  1,275,395 

        Disability

             (1) 275,395(3)   275,395 

        Change of control

              275,395(3)   275,395 

        Change of control/Termination

              275,395(3)   275,395 

        Thomas J. Leanse

                        

        Termination with cause

                   

        Termination without cause

          2,500,000    344,304(2)   2,844,304 

        Resignation

                   

        Retirement

                   

        Death

              421,790(5) 1,000,000  1,421,790 

        Disability

             (1) 421,790(5)   421,790 

        Change of control

              421,790(5)   421,790 

        Change of control/Termination

          6,337,500  28,887(4) 421,790(5)   6,788,177 


        (1)
        Upon disability, the executive officer will generally receive up to $25,000 monthly until his return to employment.

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        (2)
        Amount reflects the vesting of service-based LTIP Units. The executive officer's
        (2)

        Amount reflects the vesting of service-based LTIP Units. The executive officer’s unvested service-based LTIP Units will continue to vest in accordance with the vesting schedule upon a termination without cause or if the executive officer terminates his employment for good reason.

        (3)

        Amount reflects the vesting of service-based LTIP Units.

        (4)

        Amount represents the vesting of service-based LTIP Units and restricted stock units. The executive officer’s unvested equity will continue to vest in accordance with the vesting schedule upon a termination without cause or if the executive officer terminates his employment for good reason.

        (5)

        Amount represents the estimated value of continuing welfare benefits for 36 months after December 31, 2020.

        CEO COMPENSATION PAY RATIO

        In August 2015, pursuant to a mandate of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), the SEC adopted a rule requiring annual disclosure of the ratio of the median employee’s annual total compensation to the total annual compensation of the CEO. We believe that executive pay should be internally consistent and equitable to motivate our employees to create stockholder value. The annual total compensation for 2020 for Mr. O’Hern, who became our CEO on January 1, 2019, was $8,375,998 as reported under the heading “Summary Compensation Table.” Our median employee’s total compensation for 2020 was $104,028. As a result, we estimate that Mr. O’Hern’s 2020 total compensation was approximately 81 times that of our median employee.

        Our CEO to median employee pay ratio was calculated in accordance with Item 402(u) of Regulation S-K. We identified the vesting schedule upon a termination without cause or ifmedian employee by examining 2020 total compensation consisting of base salary, annual bonus amounts, stock-based compensation (based on the executive officer terminates his employment for good reason.

        (3)
        Amount represents the vesting of service-based LTIP Units.

        (4)
        Amount represents the estimatedgrant date fair value of continuing welfare benefitsawards during 2020) and other incentive payments for 36 months afterall full-time, part-time, seasonal and hourly employees who were employed by our Company on December 31, 2015.

        (5)
        Amount represents2020, other than our CEO. After identifying the vestingmedian employee based on 2020 total compensation, we calculated annual total compensation for such employee using the same methodology we use for our named executive officers as set forth in the “Total” column in the Summary Compensation Table.

        The pay ratio reported above is a reasonable estimate calculated in a manner consistent with SEC rules, based on our internal records and the methodology described above. The SEC rules for identifying the median compensated employee allow companies to adopt a variety of service-based LTIP Unitsmethodologies, to apply certain exclusions and stock options.

        to make reasonable estimates and assumptions that reflect their employee populations and compensation practices. Accordingly, the pay ratio reported by other companies may not be comparable to the pay ratio reported above, as other companies have different employee populations and compensation practices and may use different methodologies, exclusions, estimates and assumptions in calculating their own pay ratios.

        EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

        Our Company currently maintains two equity compensation plans for the granting of equity awards to directors, officers and employees: our 2003 Incentive Plan and our Director Phantom Stock Plan. Our Company also maintains our ESPP. Except as described in footnote 4 to the table, each of these plans has been approved by our Company’s stockholders.

        The following table sets forth, for each of our Company’s equity compensation plans, the number of shares of Common Stock subject to outstanding awards, the weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, and the number of shares remaining available for future award grants as of December 31, 2020.

        Plan category

          Number of shares of
        Common Stock to be
        issued upon exercise
        of outstanding
        options, warrants
        and rights
          Weighted average
        exercise price of
        outstanding options
        warrants and
        rights(1)
           Number of shares of Common
        Stock remaining available for
        future issuance under equity
        compensation plans (excluding
        shares reflected in the first
        column)
         

        Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders

           3,993,372(2)   $54.34    6,753,521(3) 

        Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders (4)

           101,272       110,062(5) 

        Total

           4,094,644   $54.34    6,863,583 

        (1)

        These weighted-average exercise prices do not reflect the shares that will be issued upon the payment of outstanding stock units, OP Units or LTIP Units.

        62    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS

        (2)

        Includes (a) 37,515 outstanding options with a weighted average exercise price of $54.34 and a weighted average term to expiration of 5.02 years and (b) 309,845 unvested restricted stock units. Also includes 3,646,012 LTIP Units (of which 784,052 were unvested and 2,861,960 were vested) which may be redeemed for shares under our 2003 Incentive Plan. This number of shares is presented before giving effect to the shares that will be purchased under our ESPP for the purchase period ending May 31, 2021.

        (3)

        Of these shares, 6,620,968 were available for options, SARs, restricted stock, stock units, stock bonuses, performance-based awards, dividend equivalent rights and OP Units or other units convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 132,553 were available for issuance under our ESPP.

        (4)

        In February 2010, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to our Director Phantom Stock Plan to increase the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to the plan. In accordance with applicable NYSE rules, this share increase was not required to be approved by our stockholders because the shares of Common Stock issued under the plan are issued solely in payment of deferred compensation in accordance with the terms of the plan.

        (5)

        These shares were available for the issuance of stock units under our Director Phantom Stock Plan. See “Compensation of Non-Employee Directors” on page 23 of this Proxy Statement for a description of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.


        Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
        COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION

        Messrs. Hash, MooreBrandt, Hirsch and Soboroff Dr. Sexton and Ms. Stephen each served as a member of the Compensation Committee during 2015.2020. No member of the Compensation Committee is a past or present officer or employee of our Company or had any relationship with us requiring disclosure under SEC rules requiring disclosure of certain transactions with related persons. In addition, none of our executive officers served as a director or a member of a compensation committee (or other committee serving an equivalent function) of any other entity, the executive officer of which served as a director or member of the Compensation Committee during 2015.2020.


        Certain Transactions

        The following provides a description of certain relationships and related transactions between our executive officers or members of their immediate families and our Company or our subsidiaries and affiliates. All of these relationships and related transactions were approved or ratified by the Audit Committee in accordance with our Related Party Transaction Policies and Procedures.

        Macerich Management Company employs Mr. A. Coppola's son-in-law and Mr. Brant's son as a Senior Vice President of Leasing and a Leasing Manager, respectively. Neither of these individuals are considered an officer under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. The total compensation and benefits paid to each of Mr. A. Coppola's son-in-law and Mr. Brant's son for 2015 did not exceed $535,000.


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        PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

        The following table sets forth information as of the record date, March 21, 2016, with respect to the only persons known by our Company to own beneficially more than 5% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock, based solely upon Schedule 13G and Schedule 13D reports filed with the SEC, and the number of shares of Common Stock and OP units beneficially owned by our directors and executive officers as a group. The number of shares of Common Stock and OP Units beneficially owned by each director is set forth in "Information Regarding our Director Nominees—Director Stock Ownership" and the number of shares of Common Stock and OP Units beneficially owned by each named executive officer is set forth in "Executive Officers—Executive Officer Equity Ownership."

        Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
         Amount and Nature of
        Beneficial Ownership
         Percent of
        Class
         

        Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board(1)
        5650 Yonge Street, 3rd Floor
        Toronto, Ontario M2M 4H5, Canada

          23,286,237  15.59%

        The Vanguard Group, Inc.(2)
        100 Vanguard Boulevard
        Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355

          22,798,579  15.27%

        BlackRock, Inc.(3)
        55 East 52nd Street
        New York, New York 10022

          12,740,552  8.53%

        Cohen & Steers, Inc.(4)
        280 Park Avenue, 10th Floor
        New York, New York 10017

          10,380,352  6.95%

        State Street Corporation(5)
        One Lincoln Street
        Boston, Massachusetts 02111

          8,047,440  5.39%

        All directors and executive officers as a group (15 persons)(6)

          5,618,750  3.64%


        (1)
        The Schedule 13D indicates that the reporting entity is a pension plan and has shared voting and dispositive power with respect to 23,286,237 shares. The Schedule 13D indicates that 1700480 Ontario Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the reporting entity, may be deemed to share voting and dispositive power with respect to the 23,286,237 shares. The address for 1700480 Ontario Inc. is 20 Queen Street West, 5th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3R4, Canada.

        (2)
        The Schedule 13G/A indicates that the reporting entity is a registered investment advisor and has sole voting power with respect to 491,272 shares, shared voting power with respect to 132,933 shares, sole dispositive power with respect to 22,398,743 shares and shared dispositive power with respect to 399,836 shares. The Schedule 13G/A indicates that Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company is the beneficial owner of 213,125 shares as the result of serving as investment manager of collective trust accounts and Vanguard Investments Australia, Ltd. is the beneficial owner of 464,858 shares as a result of serving as investment manager of Australian investment offerings, and each entity is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the reporting entity. In addition, the number of shares reported as beneficially owned by The Vanguard Group, Inc. includes the 9,694,254 shares separately reported as beneficially owned by Vanguard Specialized Funds—Vanguard REIT Index Fund on a Schedule 13G/A.

        (3)
        The Schedule 13G/A indicates that the reporting entity is a parent holding company and has sole voting power with respect to 11,585,930 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 12,740,552 shares, reporting on behalf of the following subsidiaries: BlackRock Advisors, LLC, BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., BlackRock Capital Management, BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, BlackRock (Luxembourg) S.A., BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V., BlackRock

        Table of Contents

          Fund Managers Ltd., BlackRock Life Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, BlackRock Fund Advisors, BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited, BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A., BlackRock Japan Co. Ltd. and BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Ltd.

        (4)
        The Schedule 13G indicates that the reporting entity, Cohen & Steers, Inc., is a parent holding company and a registered investment advisor filing on behalf of the following subsidiaries which are also registered investment advisors: Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc., which is reported as the beneficial owner of 10,251,515 shares with sole voting power with respect to 6,426,773 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 10,251,515 shares, and Cohen & Steers UK Ltd., which is reported as the beneficial owner of 128,837 shares with sole voting power with respect to 69,602 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 128,837 shares. Cohen & Steers, Inc. is reported as having sole voting power with respect to 6,496,375 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 10,380,352 shares. The address for Cohen & Steers, Inc. and Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. is 280 Park Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10017 and the address for Cohen & Steers UK Ltd. is 21 Sackville Street, 4th Floor, London, United Kingdom W1S 3DN.

        (5)
        The Schedule 13G indicates that the reporting entity is a parent holding company and has shared voting power with respect to 8,047,440 shares and shared dispositive power with respect to 8,047,440 shares, reporting on behalf of the following subsidiaries: State Street Bank and Trust Company, SSGA Funds Management, Inc., State Street Global Advisors Limited, State Street Global Advisors, Ltd., State Street Global Advisors, Australia, Limited, State Street Global Advisors (Asia) Limited, State Street Global Advisors (Japan) Co., Ltd., State Street Global Advisors France, S.A., and State Street Global Advisors Ireland Limited.

        (6)
        Includes options to purchase shares and SARs under our 2003 Incentive Plan which are currently exercisable or become exercisable before May 20, 2016 and certain LTIP Units. See the Notes to the tables on pages 7-8 and pages 25-26 of this Proxy Statement.

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        AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS

        The Audit Committee currently consistspresently is comprised of three members, Ms. LaingAlford (Chair) and Messrs. HashAlschuler and Soboroff. Ms. Laing isAlford was appointed to the chairperson ofAudit Committee on March 29, 2018 and became the Committee and has been determined by our Board to be an audit committee financial expert. In 2015, theCommittee’s Chair on January 30, 2019. The Audit Committee met eight times.times in 2020. The principal responsibilities of and functions to be performed by the Audit Committee are established by the Audit Committee charter. The Audit Committee and our Board of Directors amended and restated the Audit Committee charter in January 2016April 2019 and such charter complies with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the NYSE Rules.listing standards. The Committee reviews and reassesses the adequacy of its charter annually. Our securities are listed on the NYSE and are governed by its listing standards. EachBoard of the members of the AuditDirectors has determined that each Committee is financially literate,member is an independent director as defined by the NYSE listing standards for audit committee members and meets the independencefinancial literacy requirements for audit committees underof the NYSE Ruleslisting standards. Our Board of Directors also has determined that Ms. Alford and Mr. Alschuler are audit committee financial experts as defined by the Exchange Act. (See "The“The Board of Directors and its Committees—Director Independence"Independence” and "—“—Committee Charters.")

        The following Report of the Audit Committee shall not be deemed soliciting material or to be filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C or the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, except to the extent our Company specifically requests that this Report be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporates this Report by reference into a filing under either of such Acts. The Audit Committee members whose names appear on the Audit Committee Report were committee members during 2020.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    63


        AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS


        REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE

        The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation, assists our Board of Directors in performing its oversight responsibilities for our financial reporting process, audit process and internal controls, as more fully described in the Audit Committee'sCommittee’s charter. Management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements and the reporting process, including the systems of internal controls. Our independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for auditing our financial statements and expressing an opinion as to their conformity to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

        In the performance of its oversight function, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 20152020 with management and with our independent registered public accounting firm.management. In addition, the Audit Committee discussed with representatives of our independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed with the Audit Committee by Auditing Standard No. 16,Communications with Audit Committees, as adopted bythe applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.Board and the SEC. The Committee has also received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from our independent registered public accounting firm required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent registered public accounting firm'sfirm’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm their independence from our Company.

        Based on the review and discussions with management and our independent registered public accounting firm described above, the Audit Committee recommended to our Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 20152020 for filing with the SEC.


        The Audit Committee
        Diana M. Laing, Chairperson

        Peggy Alford

        John Alschuler

        Steven R. Hash,
        ex officio

        Steven L. Soboroff


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        Principal Accountant Fees and Services
        PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

        For the years ended December 31, 20152020 and 2014,2019, our Company was billed by KPMG LLP for services in the following categories:

        Audit Fees.Fees.    Fees for audit services totaled $3,647,000$4,027,000 in 20152020 and $3,617,000$3,857,000 in 2014,2019, including fees associated with the annual audit of our Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates, audit of internal control over financial reporting, the performance of interim reviews of our quarterly unaudited financial information and review of our registration statement and offering documents.

        Audit-Related Fees.Fees.    No fees for audit-related services were paid to KPMG LLP in 20152020 or 2014.2019.

        Tax Fees.Fees.    No fees for tax services were paid to KPMG LLP in 20152020 or 2014.2019.

        All Other Fees.Fees    There were no.    All other fees paidconsist of an annual license fee of $2,000 in each of 2020 and 2019 for any other services not described above in 2015 or 2014.use of accounting research software.

        Our Company has been advised by KPMG LLP that neither the firm, nor any member of the firm, has any financial interest, direct or indirect, in any capacity in our Company or its subsidiaries.

        64    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS


        AUDIT COMMITTEE PRE-APPROVALAudit Committee Pre-Approval Policy
        POLICY

        Consistent with the SEC rules regarding independence, the Audit Committee has responsibility for appointing, setting compensation and overseeing the work of our independent registered public accounting firm. In recognition of this responsibility, the Audit Committee has established a policy to pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee approves a list of services and related fees expected to be rendered during any fiscal-year period within each of four categories of service:

        The Audit Committee pre-approves our independent registered public accounting firm'sfirm’s services within each category. In 2015,2020, the Audit Committee pre-approved the retention of KPMG LLP to perform various audit and audit-related services for our Company as described above. For each proposed service, our independent registered public accounting firm is generally required to provide documentation at the time of approval to permit the Audit Committee to make a determination whether the provision of such services would impair our independent registered public accounting firm'sfirm’s independence. The fees are budgeted and the Audit Committee requires our independent registered public accounting firm and management to report actual fees versus the budget periodically throughout the year by category of service. During the year, circumstances may arise when it may become


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        necessary to engage our independent registered public accounting firm for additional services not contemplated in the original pre-approval categories. In those instances, the Audit Committee requires specific pre-approval before engaging our independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee may delegate pre-approval authority to one or more of its members. The member to whom such authority is delegated must report for informational purposes only, any pre-approval decisions to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting.


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        PROPOSAL 2:NON-BINDING ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION OF OUR COMPANY’S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

        We are providing our stockholders with the opportunity to cast a non-binding, advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the SEC’s executive compensation disclosure rules and set forth in this Proxy Statement (including in the compensation tables and the narrative discussion accompanying those tables as well as in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis).

        As described more fully under the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, beginning on page 30 of this Proxy Statement, our executive compensation program is guided by the following philosophy and objectives:

        Our objective is to closely align executive compensation with the creation of stockholder value, with a balanced focus on both short-term and long-term performance and a substantial emphasis on total stockholder return. We believe our executive compensation policies and practices appropriately align the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders through a combination of base salary, annual incentive compensation awards and long-term incentive equity awards.

        Our executive compensation program is designed to attract, retain and reward experienced, highly motivated executives who are capable of leading our Company effectively. The Compensation Committee believes strongly in linking compensation to performance and has designed our compensation program to deliver total pay that is primarily linked to overall business results while also recognizing individual performance. The Compensation Committee utilizes a combination of cash and equity-based compensation to provide appropriate incentives for executives to achieve our business objectives as well as further align their interests with our stockholders and encourage their long-term commitment to our Company.

        We urge our stockholders to read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement, which describes in more detail how our executive compensation policies and practices are designed to achieve our compensation objectives, as well as the Summary Compensation Table and related compensation tables and narrative discussion that accompanies the compensation tables which provide detailed information on the compensation of our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee and our Board believe that the policies and procedures described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis have enabled our Company to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled executives whose performance and contributions have contributed to our Company’s success.

        In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Exchange Act (which was added by the Dodd-Frank Act) and the related rules of the SEC, our Board will request your non-binding, advisory vote on the following resolution at our Annual Meeting:

        RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to our named executive officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K (which disclosure includes the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables and the narrative discussion that accompanies the compensation tables), is hereby approved.

        This proposal to approve the compensation paid to our named executive officers is advisory in nature and, therefore, not binding on our Company, our Board or our Compensation Committee and will not be construed as overruling a decision by, or creating or implying any additional duty for, our Company, our Board or our Compensation Committee. However, the Compensation Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and approving the compensation for our executive officers and reviewing our overall compensation structure and philosophy, values input from our stockholders and will consider the result of the vote when making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers. Our Company’s current policy is to hold a non-binding, advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers every year. It is expected that the next such vote will occur at our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders.

        OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL, ON A NON-BINDING, ADVISORY BASIS, OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AS DISCLOSED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO THE SEC’S EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE RULES. PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED “FOR” APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.

        66    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        PROPOSAL 3: AMENDMENT TO OUR CHARTER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES OF COMMON STOCK

        Our Board has unanimously approved and declared advisable an amendment to our charter that increases the number of authorized shares of Common Stock from 250,000,000 to 500,000,000. The proposed amendment is subject to approval by our stockholders. As of March 26, 2021, 185,422,090 shares of our Common Stock were issued and outstanding. In addition, an aggregate of 55,059,805 shares of our Common Stock are (i) subject to outstanding equity awards, which include stock units, stock options and LTIP Unit awards, (ii) reserved for future issuance under the 2003 Incentive Plan, (iii) reserved for future issuance under our ESPP and (iv) reserved for future issuance under our current at-the-market offering programs. If the amendment is approved, it will become effective upon the filing of the Articles of Amendment to our charter with, and acceptance for record by, the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland.

        Our Board has determined that it is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and our stockholders to amend our charter in order to have available on a timely basis additional authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock in an amount adequate to provide for our future needs, which may include possible equity financings, opportunities for expanding our business through investments or acquisitions, management incentives and employee benefit plans, stock dividends or stock splits, and for other general corporate purposes. If our stockholders do not approve this proposal, we may be substantially limited in our flexibility to advance our operational and future strategic plans, including our ability to access the capital markets, finance the acquisition and development of properties, complete corporate collaborations, partnerships or other strategic transactions, attract, retain and motivate employees, and pursue other business opportunities integral to our growth and success. We have not amended our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of Common Stock since 2009.

        The Company’s issuance of shares of Common Stock, including the additional shares that will be authorized if this proposal is approved, may dilute the equity ownership position of current holders of Common Stock and may be made without stockholder approval, unless otherwise required by applicable law or the NYSE.

        If our Board were to approve the issuance of additional shares of Common Stock, it could have a takeover defense effect, although this is not the intent of our Board in proposing the amendment. For instance, shares of our authorized but unissued Common Stock could be issued in one or more transactions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our Company. As of the date of this Proxy Statement, we are not aware of any attempt or plan to obtain control of us.

        The holders of our Common Stock have no preemptive rights, and our Board has no plans to grant such rights with respect to any such shares.

        The full text of the amendment to Article FIFTH of our charter is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference into this proposal.

        OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT OF OUR CHARTER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES OF COMMON STOCK. PROPERLY EXECUTED PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT OF OUR CHARTER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED SHARES OF COMMON STOCK UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    67


        PROPOSAL 4: AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        At our Annual Meeting, our stockholders will be asked to approve the amendment and restatement of our Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan or “ESPP”, which was adopted by our Board on January 27, 2021, effective June 1, 2021, subject to stockholder approval. Our ESPP originally was adopted by our Board on April 1, 2003 and approved by our Company’s stockholders on May 28, 2003.

        Our ESPP has operated and will continue to operate on substantially the same terms as an “employee stock purchase plan” intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Code. Our ESPP is not, however, qualified under Section 423 of the Code because most of the eligible employees under our ESPP are employed by our Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries, which are ineligible to provide such a plan to their employees.

        Our ESPP is a broad-based plan pursuant to which shares of Common Stock are available for purchase by eligible employees who elect to participate in our ESPP. Eligible employees may purchase, by means of payroll deductions, limited amounts of our Company’s Common Stock during periodic offering periods. The shares will be offered at up to a 15% discount from their fair market value as of specified dates. The 15% discount will be applied against the lower of the stock value at the beginning or the end of each six-month offering period under the plan.

        The principal change made to our ESPP in the amendment and restatement is to increase the maximum number of shares available for purchase under the ESPP from 791,117 (as adjusted due to stock dividend) to 1,291,117.

        Our Board believes that our ESPP has helped and will continue to help our Company to retain and motivate eligible employees and to further align the interests of eligible employees with those of our stockholders. As of March 31, 2021, there were 132,553 shares available for future awards under the our ESPP. Based solely on the closing price of our common stock reported on the NYSE on March 31, 2021, the maximum aggregate market value of the 500,000 shares subject to the proposed increase under the Amendment is approximately $5.85 million.

        The principal terms of our ESPP are summarized below. Because it is not a complete description of all of the terms and conditions of our ESPP, the summary is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the ESPP, which has been attached hereto as Appendix B and is incorporated herein by reference. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to them in the ESPP.

        SUMMARY OF OUR ESPP

        Purpose.    The purpose of our ESPP is to provide eligible employees with an opportunity to purchase shares of our Company’s Common Stock at a favorable price and upon favorable terms in consideration of the participating employees’ services. Our ESPP is intended to provide an additional incentive to participating eligible employees to remain in our Company’s employ and to advance its best interests.

        Operation of the ESPP.    Our ESPP generally operates in successive six-month periods commencing on each June 1 and December 1. These periods are referred to as “Offering Periods.” The next Offering Period will commence on June 1, 2021.

        On the first day of each Offering Period (referred to as the “Grant Date”), each eligible employee who has timely filed a valid election to participate in our ESPP for that Offering Period is granted an option to purchase shares of Common Stock. A participant must designate in his or her election the percentage of his or her compensation to be withheld from his or her pay during that Offering Period for the purchase of stock under our ESPP. Our Company credits the participant’s contributions under our ESPP to a bookkeeping account in his or her name. Accounts are funded entirely by the participant’s contributions and our Company does not contribute any amounts to participant’s accounts under our ESPP. A participant generally may elect to terminate, but may not otherwise increase or decrease, his or her contributions to our ESPP during an Offering Period. Amounts contributed to our ESPP constitute general corporate assets and may be used by our Company for any corporate purpose.

        68    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        PROPOSAL 4: AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        Except as noted below, each option granted under our ESPP automatically is exercised on the last day of the Offering Period with respect to which it was granted (also referred to as the “Exercise Date”). The number of shares acquired by a participant upon exercise of his or her option is determined by dividing the participant’s ESPP account balance as of the Exercise Date by the Option Price for that Offering Period. The “Option Price” for an Offering Period will equal 85% (or such higher percentage as the committee appointed to administer the ESPP shall determine prior to the beginning of the Offering Period) of the lesser of (1) the fair market value of a share of our Common Stock on the Grant Date of that Offering Period or (2) the fair market value of a share of our Common Stock on the Exercise Date of that Offering Period. (This formula is consistent with the requirements for employee stock purchase plans intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Code.) A participant’s ESPP account is reduced upon exercise of his or her option by the amount used to pay the Option Price of the shares acquired by the participant. No interest is paid to any participant or credited to any account under our ESPP.

        Eligibility.    Only certain employees are eligible to participate in our ESPP. To be eligible to participate in an Offering Period, on the Grant Date of that Offering Period an individual must:

        be employed by our Company or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates that has been designated as a participating subsidiary;

        customarily work more than 19.23 hours per week (which is the equivalent of more than 1,000 hours on an annualized basis); and

        have been employed by our Company or one of its participating subsidiaries for at least 45 days, or, if providing part-time services in excess of the threshold in the immediately preceding bullet, at least one year.

        As of the first day of the Offering Period beginning December 1, 2020, approximately 681 employees of our Company and its participating subsidiaries, including all of our Company’s named executive officers, were eligible to participate in the ESPP.

        Our Company has designated the following entities as “participating subsidiaries”: The Macerich Partnership, L.P., Macerich Management Company, Brooklyn Kings Plaza LLC, Valley Stream Green Acres LLC, Queens Center SPE LLC, Macerich Niagara LLC, Wilton Mall, LLC and WMAP, L.L.C. The participating subsidiaries may be changed by our Company from time to time.

        Limits on Authorized Shares; Limits on Contributions.    If stockholders approve the amendment and restatement of our ESPP, a maximum of 1,291,117 shares of Common Stock will be available for purchase and issuance under our ESPP, counting from its beginning in 2003. Approximately 658,564 shares of Common Stock have been purchased under our ESPP to date, which would make the maximum number of shares available for future purchase under our ESPP approximately 632,553. See the “—Dilution Analysis” section below for more information on our ESPP share limit relative to the Company’s total number of outstanding shares.

        Participation in our ESPP is also subject to the following limits:

        A participant cannot contribute more than the lesser of 15% or $26,000 of his or her base salary or regular gross pay per calendar year.

        A participant will not be granted an option under our ESPP if it would cause the participant to own stock and/or hold outstanding options to purchase stock representing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of our Company or one of its subsidiaries.

        A participant will not be granted an option under our ESPP if it would cause the participant to own equity shares of our Company in excess of 5.0% of the lesser of the number or value of the then-outstanding equity shares (except as otherwise permitted under our Company’s charter).

        Antidilution Adjustments.    As is customary in stock incentive plans of this nature, the number and kind of shares available under our ESPP, as well as ESPP purchase prices and share limits, are subject to adjustment in the case of certain corporate events. These events include reorganizations, mergers, combinations, consolidations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, stock splits, stock dividends, asset sales or other similar unusual or extraordinary corporate events, or extraordinary dividends or other distributions of property to our stockholders.

        Termination of Participation.    A participant’s election to participate in our ESPP generally will continue in effect for all Offering Periods until the participant files a new election that takes effect or the participant ceases to participate in our ESPP. A participant’s participation in our ESPP generally will terminate if, prior to the applicable Exercise Date, the participant ceases to be employed by our Company or one of its participating subsidiaries or the participant is no longer customarily employed for at least 1,000 hours on an annualized basis.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    69


        PROPOSAL 4: AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        If a participant’s ESPP participation terminates during an Offering Period for any of the reasons discussed in the preceding paragraph, he or she will no longer be permitted to make contributions to our ESPP for that Offering Period and, subject to limited exceptions, his or her option for that Offering Period will automatically terminate and his or her ESPP account balance will be paid to him or her in cash without interest. Such termination will not have any effect upon the participant’s ability to participate in any succeeding Offering Period, provided that the applicable eligibility and participation requirements are again then met.

        Transfer Restrictions.    A participant’s rights with respect to options or the purchase of shares under our ESPP, as well as contributions credited to his or her ESPP account, may not be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way except by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

        Administration.    Our ESPP is administered by our Board or by a committee appointed by our Board. Our Board has appointed our Compensation Committee as the current administrator of our ESPP. The administrator has full power and discretion to adopt, amend or rescind any rules and regulations for carrying out our ESPP and to construe and interpret our ESPP. Decisions of the ESPP administrator with respect to our ESPP are final and binding on all persons.

        No Limit on Other Plans.    Our ESPP does not limit the ability of our Board or any committee of our Board to grant awards or authorize any other compensation, with or without reference to our Company’s Common Stock, under any other plan or authority.

        Amendments.    Our Board generally may amend or terminate our ESPP at any time and in any manner, provided that the then-existing rights of participants are not materially and adversely affected thereby. Stockholder approval for an amendment to our ESPP will be obtained to increase share authority under our ESPP or if otherwise required by applicable law or stock exchange rules or if deemed necessary or advisable by our Board of Directors.

        Termination.    Our ESPP will terminate when all of the shares authorized under our ESPP have been purchased, unless our Board terminates our ESPP earlier.

        FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ESPP

        The following summarizes the current federal income tax principles applicable to our ESPP, but is not intended to be exhaustive and does not describe state, local, or international tax consequences.

        Our ESPP is designed to operate on substantially the same terms as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code. Our Company’s corporate structure makes it ineligible to maintain such a plan. Therefore, certain tax benefits available to participants in a Section 423 plan are not available under our ESPP. Participant contributions to our ESPP are made on an after-tax basis. That is, a participant’s ESPP contributions are deducted from compensation that is taxable to the participant and for which our Company is generally entitled to a tax deduction.

        Generally, no taxable income is recognized by a participant with respect to the grant of his or her ESPP option. Our Company will have no tax deduction with respect to the grant of an ESPP option.

        Upon the exercise of an ESPP option, the participant will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the Exercise Date and the purchase price paid for the shares, and our Company generally will be entitled to a corresponding tax deduction. Upon a subsequent sale of the shares acquired upon the exercise of an ESPP option, the participant will recognize capital gain or loss based on the difference between the sale price received for the shares and the fair market value of the shares on the Exercise Date. Such capital gain will be short-term or long-term capital gain depending on the length of time that the participant holds the shares after exercise and prior to the sale. Our Company will not be entitled to a tax deduction with respect to any capital gain realized by a participant on a sale of shares.

        SECURITIES UNDERLYING AWARDS

        The closing price of a share of our Common Stock as of March 31, 2021 was $11.70 per share. Our Company previously has registered under the Securities Act, the issuance of 750,000 (adjusted due to stock dividend to 791,117) shares of Common Stock available for issuance under our ESPP. If the amendment of our ESPP is approved by stockholders, our Company plans to register the issuance of an additional 500,000 shares of Common Stock available for issuance under our ESPP.

        70    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        PROPOSAL 4: AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        SPECIFIC BENEFITS

        The specific benefits that will be received by or allocated to particular eligible executives or groups of employees under our ESPP cannot be determined at this time because the amount of contributions set aside to purchase shares of Common Stock under our ESPP (subject to the limitations discussed above) is within the discretion of each participant. The maximum levels of participation and benefits are described above.

        DILUTION ANALYSIS

        As of March 31, 2021, the Company had outstanding 196,854,270 shares of Common Stock. The approximately 632,553 shares that would be available for issuance under our ESPP if stockholders approve this proposal represent 0.32% of the issued and outstanding shares of our Company as of that date. In 2018, 2019 and 2020, Common Stock purchases under our ESPP represented a total of 35,293 shares, 58,191 shares and 265,386 shares, respectively. Our Compensation Committee recommended to our Board that an additional 500,000 shares be made available under our ESPP in order to provide a pool of shares sufficient for approximately five years of awards (assuming that historic rates of issuance will continue). Our Compensation Committee determined that reserving shares sufficient for approximately five years of ESPP purchases is in line with the practices of other public companies with respect to similar broad-based employee stock purchase programs.

        Because the amount of contributions set aside to purchase shares of Common Stock under our ESPP (subject to the limitations discussed above) is within the discretion of each participating employee and the purchase price for the shares will be affected by changes in the value of such stock, it is not possible to calculate the amount of dilution that may ultimately result from such purchases.

        VOTE REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDATION

        Our Board believes that the continuation of our ESPP will promote the interests of our Company and its stockholders and continue to enable our Company to attract, retain and reward persons important to our Company’s success.

        Members of our Board who are also employees or officers of our Company are eligible to participate in our ESPP and thus have a personal interest in the approval of the amendment and restatement of our ESPP.

        Approval of the amendment and restatement of our ESPP requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter at our Annual Meeting in person or by proxy. In addition, the rules of the NYSE require that votes for the proposal must be at least a majority of all of the votes cast on the proposal (including votes for and against and abstentions). Accordingly, abstentions shall be included in determining the number of votes cast on the proposal, thus having the effect of a vote against the proposal. Broker non-votes, if any, are not counted in determining the number of votes cast and will therefore have no effect on the outcome.

        IN LIGHT OF THE FACTORS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT, INCLUDING THE LIMITED SIZE OF THE REQUEST FOR SHARES IN THIS PROPOSAL AND THE FACT THAT THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EQUITY COMPENSATION TO EMPLOYEES ON A BROAD BASIS IS VITAL TO OUR COMPANY’S ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES IN THE COMPETITIVE LABOR MARKETS IN WHICH IT COMPETES, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN. PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    71


        PROPOSAL 5: RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF KPMG LLP AS OUR COMPANY'SCOMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

        Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
        INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

        The Audit Committee has appointed KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.2021.

        The Audit Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm. KPMG LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm continuously since 2010. In order to assure continuing external auditor independence, the Audit Committee periodically considers whether it is appropriate to adopt a policy of rotating the independent registered public accounting firm. Further, in conjunction with the mandated rotation of the independent registered public accounting firm'sfirm’s lead engagement partner, the Audit Committee and its Chairperson are directly involved in the selection of KPMG LLP'sLLP’s new lead engagement partner. Based on its most recent evaluation of KPMG LLP, the members of the Audit Committee believe that the continued retention of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is in the best interests of our Company and its stockholders and has recommended that the stockholders ratify the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company'sour Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.2021.

        Although ratification by stockholders is not required by law, our Board has determined that it is desirable to request approval of this appointment by our stockholders. If our stockholders do not ratify the appointment, the Audit Committee will reconsider whether to retain KPMG LLP, and may decide to retain the firm notwithstanding the vote. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion, may change the appointment at any time during the year if it determines that such a change would be in the best interests of our Company. In addition, if KPMG LLP should decline to act or otherwise become incapable of acting, or if the appointment should be discontinued, the Audit Committee will appoint substitute independent public accountants. A representative of KPMG LLP will be present at our Annual Meeting, will be given the opportunity to make a statement if he or she so desires and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

        OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR"“FOR” THE PROPOSAL TO RATIFY THE APPOINTMENT OF KPMG LLP AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2016.2021. PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED "FOR"“FOR” RATIFICATION UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.

        72    2021 PROXY STATEMENT



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        PROPOSAL 3: ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE THE COMPENSATION OF OUR COMPANY'S NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

        We are providing our stockholders with the opportunity to cast a non-binding, advisory vote on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed pursuant to the SEC's executive compensation disclosure rules and set forth in this Proxy Statement (including in the compensation tables and the narrative discussion accompanying those tables as well as in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis).

        As described more fully under the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section beginning on page 28 of this Proxy Statement, our executive compensation program is guided by the following philosophy and objectives:

          Our objective is to closely align executive compensation with the creation of stockholder value, with a balanced focus on both short-term and long-term performance and a substantial emphasis on total stockholder return. We believe our executive compensation policies and practices appropriately align the interests of our executives with those of our stockholders through a combination of base salary, annual incentive compensation awards and long-term incentive equity awards.

          Our executive compensation program is designed to attract, retain and reward experienced, highly motivated executives who are capable of leading our Company effectively. The Compensation Committee believes strongly in linking compensation to performance, and has designed our compensation program to deliver total pay that is primarily linked to overall business results while also recognizing individual performance. The Compensation Committee utilizes a combination of cash and equity-based compensation to provide appropriate incentives for executives to achieve our business objectives as well as further align their interests with our stockholders and encourage their long-term commitment to our Company.

        We urge our stockholders to read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement, which describes in more detail how our executive compensation policies and practices are designed to achieve our compensation objectives, as well as the Summary Compensation Table and related compensation tables and narrative discussion that accompanies the compensation tables which provide detailed information on the compensation of our named executive officers. The Compensation Committee and our Board of Directors believe that the policies and procedures described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis have enabled our Company to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled executives whose performance and contributions have contributed to our Company's success.

        In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Exchange Act (which was added by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, referred to as the "Dodd-Frank Act") and the related rules of the SEC, our Board will request your non-binding, advisory vote on the following resolution at our Annual Meeting:

          RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to our named executive officers, as disclosed in this Proxy Statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K (which disclosure includes the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables and the narrative discussion that accompanies the compensation tables), is hereby approved.

        This proposal to approve the compensation paid to our named executive officers is advisory in nature and, therefore, not binding on our Company, our Board of Directors or our Compensation Committee and will not be construed as overruling a decision by, or creating or implying any additional duty for, our Company, our Board or our Compensation Committee. However, the Compensation Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and approving the compensation for our executive officers and reviewing our overall compensation structure and philosophy, values input from our stockholders and will consider the result of the vote when making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers.


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        Our Company's current policy is to provide stockholders with an opportunity to approve the compensation of our named executive officers each year at our annual meeting of stockholders. It is expected that the next such vote will occur at our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders.

        OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AS DISCLOSED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO THE SEC'S EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE RULES. PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED "FOR" APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.


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        PROPOSAL 4: APPROVAL OF OUR AMENDED AND RESTATED 2003 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

        At our Annual Meeting, stockholders will be asked to approve our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, which was adopted, subject to stockholder approval, by our Board of Directors on January 28, 2016.

        Our Company believes that incentives and stock-based awards focus employees on the objective of creating stockholder value and promoting the success of our Company, as well as further aligning employees' interests with those of our stockholders and encouraging their long-term commitment to our Company. Incentive compensation plans like our 2003 Incentive Plan are an important attraction, retention and motivation tool for participants in the plan. Our Board of Directors approved our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan based on a belief that the number of shares of our Common Stock available under our 2003 Incentive Plan does not give our Company sufficient authority and flexibility to adequately provide for future incentives. Our Board of Directors believes that these amendments would give our Company greater flexibility to structure future incentives and better attract, retain, motivate and reward key employees. If our Company's stockholders do not approve this proposal, the current share limits under, and other terms and conditions of, our 2003 Incentive Plan will continue in effect. If our Company's stockholders approve this proposal, we anticipate the additional shares will be sufficient to provide equity incentives to attract, retain and motivate employees for at least the next five years.

        As of March 21, 2016, under the 2003 Incentive Plan, there were:

          A total of 423,533 outstanding stock options and SARs with a weighted average exercise price of $53.88 and a weighted average term of expiration of 2.12 years.

          A total of 531,916 full value awards (e.g., unvested RSUs and unvested LTIP Units) outstanding.

          792,173 shares of our Common Stock remaining available for new award grants.

        Our Company had 149,329,392 shares of Common Stock and 10,852,449 operating partnership units which are convertible into shares of Common Stock outstanding as of March 21, 2016.

        Summary of Amendments

          Increase in Aggregate Share Limit.  Our 2003 Incentive Plan currently limits the aggregate number of shares of our Common Stock that may be delivered pursuant to all awards granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan to 12,800,000 shares, or 13,825,428 shares as adjusted for previous stock dividends. Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan will increase this limit by an additional 6,000,000 shares so that the new aggregate share limit for the plan will be 19,825,428 shares. Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan also includes adjustments to certain other sub-limits under the plan as described in more detail in the "Summary Description of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan" below.

          Change in Share-Counting Procedures.  Our 2003 Incentive Plan currently uses a formula for full-value awards under which any shares of our Common Stock issued in payment of full-value awards granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan after June 8, 2009 are counted against the plan's share limit as 2.62 shares for every one share actually issued in payment of the award. Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan would delete the 2.62 fungible share reserve. Accordingly so-called "full-value awards" (i.e. awards other than stock options and SARs) granted under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan would be counted against the plan's share limit as one share for every one share actually issued in connection with the award. See "Summary Description of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan—Shares Available for Awards" below.

          Extension of Plan Term.  Our 2003 Incentive Plan is currently scheduled to expire on June 8, 2019. If our stockholders approve this Amended 2003 Incentive Plan proposal, the term of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan would be extended until May 26, 2026.

          Double Trigger Change in Control Vesting Acceleration of Awards.  Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan provides that unless expressly provided in an award agreement, outstanding awards assumed by our

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            successor entity in a change in control shall continue to be subject to vesting, but vesting shall be accelerated only if within 24 months of the change in control, the employee's employment is involuntarily terminated, including death or disability. If our successor entity does not assume outstanding awards in connection with a change in control, then the vesting of all outstanding awards will be accelerated upon a change in control.

          Clawback Policy.  Awards granted under the Amended 2003 Incentive Plan are subject to our Company's Clawback Policy.

        The foregoing amendments, along with other technical changes deemed advisable by our Board of Directors, are included in our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, which is attached to this Proxy Statement as Appendix III. A copy of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan document may also be obtained by written request to our Secretary at The Macerich Company, 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700, Santa Monica, California 90401.

        The principal terms of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan are summarized below. The summary is qualified in its entirety by the full text of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan.

        Summary Description of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan
        ADDITIONAL MATTERS

        Purpose.    The purpose of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan is to promote the success of our Company by providing an additional means, through the grant of stock-based incentives and other awards, to attract, retain, motivate and reward key employees (including employees who are officers) and directors of, and certain consultants and advisors to, our Company, its subsidiaries, and related entities. Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan generally provides for incentives and awards which may vest or become payable based on performance criteria or past or continued service. Our Company's subsidiaries and its related entities are collectively referred to as our "Subsidiaries."

        Administration.    Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan provides that it may be administered by our Board of Directors or a committee consisting of one or more directors (or such greater number of directors as may be required under applicable law). Our Board of Directors has delegated general administrative authority for our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan to the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors and each member of that Committee is a non-employee director as well as an independent director under the NYSE Rules.

        The Compensation Committee has broad authority under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan with respect to awards granted to eligible persons, which generally includes the authority to:

          select the participants and the types of awards they may receive;

          determine the number of shares that are subject to awards and the specific terms and conditions of awards, including the price (if any) to be paid for the shares and/or the awards and any vesting criteria;

          cancel, modify or waive our Company's rights to, or modify, discontinue, suspend or terminate, any or all outstanding awards, subject to any required consents;

          accelerate or extend the exercisability or extend the term of any or all outstanding awards within the maximum term; and

          approve the forms of award agreements and construe and interpret our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan and make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan.

        Notwithstanding this authority, without prior stockholder approval, the Compensation Committee will not reduce the exercise or base price of any option or SAR granted under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan (i.e. "reprice") by amendment, substitution, cancellation and regrant, cancellation for cash or other means, other than as a result of antidilution or other adjustments under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan incident to certain events such as a stock split, stock dividend, extraordinary cash dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, or similar transaction affecting the underlying securities.


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        Eligibility.    Persons eligible to receive discretionary awards under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan include key employees, (including employees who are officers) and directors of, and certain consultants or advisors to, our Company or our Subsidiaries, which we refer to as "Eligible Persons."

        As of March 21, 2016, approximately 93 officers and employees of our Company and our Subsidiaries (including all of the named executive officers) and all of our non-employee directors were considered eligible under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, subject to the Compensation Committee's discretion to determine the particular individuals who, from time to time, will be selected to receive awards.

        Shares Available for Awards.    The aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to all awards under our 2003 Incentive Plan currently is 13,825,428 shares, on an adjusted basis. If stockholders approve this Amended 2003 Incentive Plan proposal, the aggregate share limit for our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan would be increased by an additional 6,000,000 shares so that the new aggregate share limit would be 19,825,428 shares.

        Various additional share limits are imposed under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. A maximum of:

          No more than 4,000,000 shares (subject to standard anti-dilution adjustments) may be issued pursuant to incentive stock options, or "ISOs" granted under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. For purposes of clarity, any shares that are delivered pursuant to ISOs also count against (and are not in addition to) the aggregate Amended 2003 Incentive Plan share limit described above.

          No more than 750,000 shares (subject to standard anti-dilution adjustments) may be issued under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan pursuant to stock options and SARs granted to any individual in any calendar year.

          No more than 1,000,000 shares (subject to standard anti-dilution adjustments) may be issued under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan pursuant to any one individual in any calendar year in the form of any performance-based award (other than stock options and SARs) granted to any one individual in any calendar year. The aggregate amount of compensation that may be paid to any participant in respect of performance-based awards payable only in cash and not related to stock under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan may not exceed (x) $3,000,000, times (y) the applicable number of years (not to exceed 10) in the performance period for the award. In addition, if a performance-based award is payable in cash or shares of restricted stock, the lesser of the share limit or the dollar limit will apply.

        To the extent that the exercise of an option or other award would cause the holder to own more than 9.8% of the lesser of the number or the value of the outstanding Common Stock and preferred stock (except as otherwise permitted under our charter), our Company has the option to deliver either shares of Common Stock or an amount in cash equal to the closing price of a share of Common Stock, as reported on the NYSE.

        To the extent that an award is settled in cash or a form other than shares, the shares that would have been delivered had there been no such cash or other settlement will not be counted against the shares available for issuance under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. In the event that shares are delivered in respect of a dividend equivalent right, or "DER" (and, for purposes of clarity, other than as a result of an adjustment pursuant to a stock split, stock dividend or similar event), only the actual number of shares delivered with respect to the award shall be counted against the share limits of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. To the extent that shares are delivered pursuant to the exercise of a SAR or stock option, the number of underlying shares as to which the exercise related shall be counted against the applicable share limits, as opposed to only counting the shares actually issued. (For purposes of clarity, if a SAR relates to 100,000 shares and is exercised at a time when the payment due to the participant is 15,000 shares, 100,000 shares shall be charged against the applicable share limits with respect to such exercise.) Shares that are subject to or underlie awards which expire or for any reason are cancelled, terminated, or forfeited, fail to vest, or for any other reason are not paid or delivered under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan will again be available for subsequent awards under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. Shares that are exchanged by a participant or withheld by our Company to pay the exercise price of an award granted under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, as well as any shares exchanged or withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to any award, will not be


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        available for subsequent awards under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. In addition, our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan generally provides that shares issued in connection with awards that are granted by or become obligations of our Company through the assumption of awards (or in substitution for awards) in connection with an acquisition of another company will not count against the shares available for issuance under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. Our Company may not increase the applicable share limits of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan by repurchasing shares of Common Stock on the market (by using cash received through the exercise of stock options or otherwise).

        Annual Share Usage

        The following table sets forth information regarding historical grants under the 2003 Incentive Plan for the three-year period ended December 31, 2015, and the corresponding annual share usage rate, which is defined as the number of shares subject to equity-based awards granted in a year divided by the weighted average common shares (including partnership units convertible to common shares) outstanding for that year for each of the last three fiscal years:

        Description
         2015* 2014 2013 

        Time-Based Full-Value LTIP Awards Granted

          126,733  145,351  76,383 

        Fully Vested LTIP Awards Granted in Settlement of Earned Bonus

          132,607  246,471   

        Performance-Based Full-Value LTIP Awards Granted

          242,384  409,395  318,900 

        Total Granted

          501,724  801,217  395,283 

        Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding during the Fiscal Year (excluding Partnership Units Convertible to Common Shares)

          157,916,000  143,144,000  139,598,000 

        Operating Partnership Units Outstanding during the Fiscal Year

          10,562,000  10,080,000  9,846,000 

        Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding during the Fiscal Year (including Partnership Units Convertible to Common Shares)

          168,478,000  153,224,000  149,444,000 

        Annual Share Usage Rate

          0.30% 0.52% 0.26%

        Three-Year Share Usage Average

          0.36%      


        *
        Excludes 10,197 stock options and SARs issued in adjustment of outstanding stock options and SARs in connection with the payment of the Special Dividend of $2.00 per share of Common Stock on December 8, 2015. The exercise price and number of outstanding stock options and SARs were adjusted such that each stock option and SAR had the same intrinsic value to the holder before and after giving effect to the payment of the special dividend.

        Types of Awards.    Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan authorizes the grant of stock options, SARs, restricted stock, stock units, stock bonuses, Performance-Based Awards (described below), DERs and OP Units or other convertible or exchangeable units, as well as cash bonus awards.

        The Compensation Committee may authorize settlement of awards in cash or shares or other awards, subject to certain preexisting rights of participants evidenced by an award agreement.

        The Compensation Committee, in making or amending an award, may determine the effect of termination of service (including retirement) on the rights and benefits under awards and in doing so may make distinctions based upon the cause of termination or other factors.

        Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan permits participants to pay the exercise price of an option or the cash purchase price (if any) of any shares in one or a combination of the following methods: (1) in cash or by electronic funds transfer; (2) by check payable to the order of our Company; (3) if permitted by the Compensation Committee, by notice and third party payment; or (4) by the delivery of shares of Common Stock already owned by the participant.


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        Shares may also be issued solely for services or other rights or property. Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan does not permit loans to participants to finance awards or stock purchases.

        Transfer Restrictions.    Subject to customary exceptions set forth in our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, rights and benefits under awards under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan are not transferable by the recipient other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and are generally only exercisable by the participant (or, if the participant has suffered a disability, his or her legal representative). The Compensation Committee may, however, permit certain transfers of an award if the transferor presents satisfactory evidence that the transfer is for donative, estate and/or tax planning purposes to certain related persons or entities and without consideration (other than nominal consideration), or in certain other circumstances.

        Stock Options.    An option is the right to purchase shares of Common Stock at a future date at a specified price (the "exercise price") during a specified term not to exceed 10 years. The Compensation Committee may grant one or more options to any Eligible Person.

        The exercise price of any options granted to Eligible Persons under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan is determined by the Compensation Committee at the time of the grant and must be at least 100% (110% in the case of an ISO granted to a participant who owns or is deemed to own more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of our Company) of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant. The Compensation Committee may grant ISOs or nonqualified stock options under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. ISOs have more restrictive eligibility criteria and are taxed differently from nonqualified stock options, as described under "Federal Income Tax Consequences of Options" below. ISOs are also subject to more restrictive terms and are limited in amount by the Internal Revenue Code and our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. No ISO may be granted under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan after January 27, 2026.

        Stock Appreciation Rights.    In its discretion, the Compensation Committee may grant a SAR concurrently with or after the grant of an option, and with reference to all or a portion of the shares covered by such option, or on a stand-alone basis. A SAR granted in connection with an option is typically the right to receive payment of an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of Common Stock on the date the SAR is exercised over the exercise price of the related option, which we refer to as the "spread value". The base price of a stand-alone SAR must be at least the fair market value of the Common Stock on the grant date. The base price of a SAR granted with reference to an outstanding option may be less than the fair market value of Common Stock on the date of grant, but if so, may not be less than the option exercise price. A SAR granted in connection with an option is only exercisable if and to the extent that the related option is exercisable. Upon exercise of a SAR, the holder receives the spread value in shares of Common Stock (valued at fair market value at date of exercise), in cash, or in a combination of Common Stock and cash. The maximum term of SARs granted under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan is 10 years.

        Restricted Stock and Stock Units.    A restricted stock award is an award typically for a fixed number of shares of Common Stock, which is subject to vesting or other restrictions. The Compensation Committee must specify the price, if any, or services the recipient must provide for the shares of restricted stock, the conditions on vesting (which may include, among others, the passage of time or specified performance objectives or both) and any other restrictions (for example, restrictions on transfer) imposed on the shares. Unless the Compensation Committee otherwise provides in an award agreement, a restricted stock award confers voting and dividend rights prior to vesting and includes a minimum vesting period of six months.

        A stock unit represents a bookkeeping entry which serves as a unit of measurement relative to a share for purposes of determining the payment, in shares or cash, of a deferred benefit or right. Stock units may be granted for services rendered, in lieu of other compensation, or in lieu of, in exchange for or in addition to any other award under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. The Compensation Committee will specify the terms relating to the stock units, the conditions on vesting and any other restrictions imposed on the units in making the award. The stock units do not confer voting rights but may provide for DERs as determined by the Compensation Committee.


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        Performance-Based Awards.    The Compensation Committee may grant to eligible employees of our Company and our Subsidiaries Performance-Based Awards (other than qualifying options or SARs) designed to satisfy the requirements for deducibility under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code.

        Performance-Based Awards are earned and payable only if performance reaches specific, pre-established performance goals related to one or more business criteria approved by the Compensation Committee. The performance goals must be approved by the Compensation Committee in advance of applicable deadlines under the Internal Revenue Code and while the performance relating to the goals remains substantially uncertain. The performance goals may be established based on one or a combination of the following business criteria:

          funds from operations;

          EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization);

          stock appreciation;

          total stockholder return;

          total revenue growth;

          net income;

          net operating income growth;

          occupancy gains;

          releasing spreads;

          square footage growth;

          sales per square foot growth;

          same center net operating income growth;

          gross operating margin improvement; and/or

          improvement in balance sheet metrics.

        The business criteria may be applied based on the performance of our Company (including our Subsidiaries) on a consolidated, Subsidiary, segment, division, region or property basis, measured on an absolute basis or relative to other companies, an index or other benchmark. The performance measurement period with respect to an award may be not less than three months nor more than 10 years. To the extent provided in the applicable award agreement, performance goals will be adjusted to exclude the impact of an event or occurrence which the Compensation Committee determines should appropriately be excluded, including: (i) restructurings, discontinued operations and other unusual or nonrecurring gains and losses; (ii) an event not directly related to the operations of the Company, Subsidiary, segment, division, region or property, (iii) the cumulative effects of tax or accounting changes, or (iv) other events not foreseen at the time the targets were set.

        Performance-Based Awards may be stock-based (payable in stock only or in cash and stock) or may be cash-only awards. Before any Performance-Based Award is paid, the Compensation Committee must certify that the performance goals have been satisfied. The Compensation Committee will have discretion to determine the performance goals and restrictions or other limitations of the individual awards and may reserve "negative" discretion to reduce payments below maximum award limits. The maximum number of shares of Common Stock which may be delivered pursuant to all stock-related awards (other than options and SARs) to any participant under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan in any calendar year may not exceed 1,000,000 shares (subject to standard anti-dilution adjustments). The aggregate amount of compensation that may be paid to any participant in respect of Performance-Based Awards payable only in cash and not related to stock under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan may not exceed (x) $3,000,000, times (y) the applicable number of years (not to exceed 10) in the performance


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        period for the award. In addition, if a Performance-Based Award is payable in cash or shares of restricted stock, the lesser of the share limit or the dollar limit will apply.

        Stock Bonuses.    A stock bonus typically represents a bonus in shares for services rendered (in excess of any cash payment a participant may be required to make for the shares). The Compensation Committee may grant stock bonuses to reward services, contributions or achievements or in connection with the deferral of compensation, in such manner and on such terms and conditions (including any restrictions on the shares) as the Compensation Committee may determine from time to time.

        Dividend Equivalent Rights.    Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan authorizes awards, excluding options and SARs, to be granted with or without DERs. DERs are amounts payable in cash, stock or other property (or additional stock units that may be paid in stock or cash) and are based on all or part of the amount of dividends that would have been paid on shares had the shares been outstanding from the date the stock-based award was granted. The Compensation Committee determines the time and conditions of payment and may limit amounts payable as DERs. Restricted stock and other stock-based awards are not considered awards coupled with DERs insofar as shares of Common Stock or other securities underlying these awards carry by their own terms the right to receive dividends or distributions.

        Operating Partnership Units or other Convertible or Exchangeable Units.    The Compensation Committee may authorize for the benefit of any Eligible Person, the issuance of Common Stock or the payment of cash in connection with, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of, operating partnership units (both full value and appreciation only), phantom units or other interests in Subsidiaries that are issued by the Subsidiary, subject to the Compensation Committee's approval and any required Board approval. Such interests or rights may be convertible or exchangeable into shares of Common Stock, units or cash.

        Deferred Payments.    Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to permit the deferred payment of awards. The Compensation Committee may determine the form and timing of payment, vesting, and other terms applicable to deferrals.

        Adjustments; Acceleration.    As is customary in incentive plans of this nature, each share limit and the number and kind of shares available under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan and any outstanding stock-based awards, as well as the exercise, base or purchase prices of awards, and performance targets under certain types of performance-based awards (e.g., a SAR), are subject to adjustment in the event of certain reorganizations, mergers, combinations, recapitalizations, stock splits, stock dividends, extraordinary cash dividends, or other similar events that change the number or kind of shares outstanding, and extraordinary dividends or distributions of property to the stockholders.

        Double Trigger Change in Control.    Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan provides that, unless expressly provided in an award agreement, outstanding awards assumed by our successor entity in a change in control shall continue to be subject to vesting, but vesting shall be accelerated only if within 24 months of the change in control, the employee's employment is involuntarily terminated, including death or disability. If our successor entity does not assume outstanding awards in connection with a change in control, then the vesting of all outstanding awards will be accelerated upon a change in control.

        No Limit on Other Plans or Agreements.    Our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan generally does not limit the authority of our Board of Directors or the Compensation Committee to grant awards or authorize any other compensation, with or without reference to the Common Stock, under any other plan or authority, and does not limit the authority of our Board of Directors or Compensation Committee, by agreement with a participant, to alter standard provisions as to the vesting or exercisability of awards.

        Termination of or Changes to our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan.    Our Board of Directors may terminate, suspend, modify or amend our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan at any time. Stockholder approval for an amendment will be obtained if required under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan, or under Sections 162(m), 422 or 424 of the Internal Revenue Code, by other applicable law (including stock exchange rules), or if deemed necessary or advisable by our Board of Directors.


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        Our 2003 Incentive Plan is currently scheduled to expire on June 8, 2019. If stockholders approve this Amended 2003 Incentive Plan proposal, the term of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan would be extended until May 26, 2026, subject to earlier termination by our Board of Directors. The applicable provisions of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan and the Compensation Committee's authority will continue with respect to any awards then outstanding.

        Generally speaking, outstanding options and other awards may be amended by the Compensation Committee (subject to the no-repricing provision referred to above), but the consent of the holder is required if the amendment (or any plan amendment) materially adversely affects the holder.

        Securities Underlying Awards.    The closing price of a share of Common Stock on March 21, 2016 was $79.65 per share. If our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan proposal is approved by stockholders, our Company plans to register the 6,000,000 additional shares of Common Stock available for issuance under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as soon as practicable.

        Federal Income Tax Consequences of Options

        The U.S. federal income tax consequences of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan under current federal law, which is subject to change, are summarized in the following discussion of the general tax principles applicable to our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and, among other considerations, does not describe the deferred compensation provisions of Section 409A of the Code to the extent an award is subject to and does not satisfy those rules, nor does it describe state, local, or international tax consequences.

        With respect to nonqualified stock options, our Company is generally entitled to deduct and the participant recognizes taxable income in an amount equal to the difference between the option exercise price and the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise. With respect to ISOs, our Company is generally not entitled to a deduction nor does the participant recognize income at the time of exercise, although the participant may be subject to the U.S. federal alternative minimum tax.

        The current federal income tax consequences of other awards authorized under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan generally follow certain basic patterns: nontransferable restricted stock subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture results in income recognition equal to the excess of the fair market value over the price paid (if any) only at the time the restrictions lapse (unless the recipient elects to accelerate recognition as of the date of grant); bonuses, SARs, cash and stock-based performance awards, DERs, stock units, and other types of awards are generally subject to tax at the time of payment; and compensation otherwise effectively deferred is taxed when paid. In each of the foregoing cases, our Company will generally have a corresponding deduction at the time the participant recognizes income.

        If an award is accelerated under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan in connection with a change in control (as this term is used under the Internal Revenue Code), our Company may not be permitted to deduct the portion of the compensation attributable to the acceleration if it exceeds certain threshold limits under the Internal Revenue Code; related excise taxes also may be triggered. Furthermore, if compensation attributable to awards is not performance-based within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, our Company may not be permitted to deduct that compensation to certain executive officers to the extent that aggregate non-performance-based compensation exceeds $1,000,000 in any tax year.

        Specific Benefits

        Our Company has not approved any awards that are conditioned upon stockholder approval of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan. If the additional shares that will be available under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan if stockholders approve the proposed amendments, had been available for award purposes in fiscal 2015, our Company expects that its award grants made in fiscal 2015 would not have been substantially different from those actually made in that year under our 2003 Incentive Plan. For information regarding the bonuses paid to our named executive officers for 2015 performance (and the stock-based awards granted to our named executive officers in 2015 with respect to their bonuses for 2014), see the discussion in the "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" section above. For information regarding stock-based awards granted to our Company's named executive officers during 2015, see the material under the heading "Grants of Plan-Based Awards" above.


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        Aggregate Past Grants Under Our 2003 Incentive Plan

        As of March 21, 2016, awards covering 7,881,008 shares of Common Stock had been granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan. This number of shares includes shares subject to awards that expired or terminated without having been exercised and paid and became available for new award grants under our 2003 Incentive Plan. The following table shows information regarding the distribution of those awards among the persons and groups identified below, exercises of options and SARs and vesting of restricted stock and stock units prior to that date, and holdings of options and SARs and unvested restricted stock and stock units as of that date.

         
         Number of
        Shares
        Subject
        to Past
        Option/SAR
        Grants
         Number
        of
        Shares
        Acquired
        On
        Exercise
          
          
         Number of
        Shares/Units
        Subject
        to Past
        Restricted
        Stock/Unit
        Grants(1)
          
         Number of
        Shares/Units
        Outstanding
        and Unvested
        as of
        3/21/16(1)
         
         
         Number of Shares
        Underlying Options/SARs
        as of 3/21/16
         Number of
        Shares/Units
        Vested
        as of
        3/21/16(1)
         
        Name and Position
         Exercisable Unexercisable 

        Executive Group:

                              

        Arthur M. Coppola

          107,679    107,679    1,915,026  1,729,828  185,198 

        Thomas E. O'Hern

          59,406  20,885      524,949  486,355  38,594 

        Edward C. Coppola

          76,508    76,508    984,007  911,978  72,029 

        Thomas J. Leanse

          50,497  12,696  7,044  3,521  180,544  152,677  27,867 

        Robert D. Perlmutter

                  156,173  127,014  29,159 

        Total for Current Executive Group (7 persons):

          366,997  59,410  191,231  3,521  4,139,255  3,757,255  382,000 

        Non-Executive Director Group:

                              

        John H. Alschuler

                  1,927  39  1,888 

        Steven R. Hash

                  1,888    1,888 

        Fred S. Hubbell

                  15,898  14,510  1,388 

        Diana M. Laing

          2,700  2,700      15,898  14,510  1,388 

        Mason G. Ross

                  11,229  9,841  1,388 

        Steven L. Soboroff

                  5,383  3,995  1,388 

        Andrea M. Stephen

                  6,190  4,802  1,388 

        John M. Sullivan

                       

        Total for Current Non-Executive Director Group (8 persons):

          2,700  2,700      58,413  47,697  10,716 

        Each other person who has received 5% or more of the options, warrants or rights under our 2003 Incentive Plan

                       

        All employees, including all current officers who are not executive officers or directors, as a group

          1,189,930  160,784  228,790    2,123,713  1,957,893  139,200 

        Total

          1,559,627  222,894  420,021  3,521  6,321,381  5,762,845  531,916 


        (1)
        In addition to awards of restricted stock and stock units covering shares of Common Stock granted under our 2003 Incentive Plan, these columns also include outstanding LTIP Units granted to certain of our employees. Under certain circumstances, LTIP Units that become vested may be redeemed by the holder for shares of Common Stock on a one-for-one basis or the cash value of such shares, at our Company's election. Any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to such LTIP Units would be charged against the applicable share limits of our 2003 Incentive Plan. The terms of the LTIP Units are more fully described on pages 51-52 of this Proxy Statement.

        Table of Contents

        Messrs. A. Coppola, E. Coppola and the entire non-executive director group are nominees for election as directors at our Annual Meeting.

        Vote Required

        Our Board of Directors believes that the proposed amendments to our 2003 Incentive Plan, as reflected in the Amended 2003 Incentive Plan will promote the interests of our Company and its stockholders and continue to enable our Company to attract, retain, motivate, and reward persons important to our Company's success.

        Members of our Board of Directors and all of our Company's executive officers are eligible to receive awards under our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan and thus have a personal interest in the approval of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan proposal.

        OUR BOARDSOLICITATION OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF OUR AMENDED 2003 INCENTIVE PLAN. PROXIES RECEIVED WILL BE VOTED "FOR" APPROVAL OF OUR AMENDED 2003 INCENTIVE PLAN UNLESS STOCKHOLDERS SPECIFY OTHERWISE IN THE PROXY.

        Approval of our Amended 2003 Incentive Plan proposal requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast on the matter at our Annual Meeting in person or by Proxy. Broker non-votes and abstentions on the proposal have the effect described on pages 4-5 of this Proxy Statement.


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        Equity Compensation Plan Information

        Our Company currently maintains two equity compensation plans for the granting of equity awards to directors, officers and employees: our 2003 Incentive Plan and our Director Phantom Stock Plan. Our Company also maintains our Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP"). Except as described in footnote 4 to the table, each of these plans has been approved by our Company's stockholders.

        The following table sets forth, for each of our Company's equity compensation plans, the number of shares of Common Stock subject to outstanding awards, the weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, and the number of shares remaining available for future award grants as of December 31, 2015.

        Plan category
         Number of shares of
        Common Stock to be
        issued upon exercise
        of outstanding
        options, warrants
        and rights
         Weighted-average
        exercise price of
        outstanding options,
        warrants and
        rights(1)
         Number of shares of Common
        Stock remaining available for
        future issuance under equity
        compensation plans (excluding
        shares reflected in the first
        column)
         

        Equity compensation plans approved by stockholders

          3,156,208(2)$55.21  2,802,603(3)

        Equity compensation plans not approved by stockholders(4)

          50,397    199,603(5)

        Total

          3,206,605 $55.21  3,002,206 


        (1)
        These weighted-average exercise prices do not reflect the shares that will be issued upon the payment of outstanding stock units, OP Units or LTIP Units.

        (2)
        Includes (a) 428,097 outstanding options and SARs with a weighted average exercise price of $55.21 and a weighted average term to expiration of 2.32 years, (b) 132,086 unvested RSUs, and (c) 1,612 unvested shares of restricted stock. Also includes 2,455,017 LTIP Units (of which 56,315 were unvested and 2,398,702 were vested) which may be redeemed for shares under our 2003 Incentive Plan, and 139,396 fully vested shares subject to stock units credited under our Director Phantom Stock Plan. This number of shares is presented before giving effect to the shares that will be purchased under our ESPP for the purchase period ending May 31, 2016.

        (3)
        Of these shares, 2,285,318 were available for options, SARs, restricted stock, stock units, stock bonuses, performance-based awards, dividend equivalent rights and OP Units or other units convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock under our 2003 Incentive Plan and 517,285 were available for issuance under our ESPP.

        (4)
        In February 2010, our Board of Directors approved an amendment to our Director Phantom Stock Plan to increase the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to the plan. In accordance with applicable NYSE listing rules, this share increase was not required to be approved by our stockholders because the shares of Common Stock issued under the plan are issued solely in payment of deferred compensation in accordance with the terms of the plan.

        (5)
        These shares were available for the issuance of stock units under our Director Phantom Stock Plan. See "Compensation of Non-Employee Directors" on pages 22-23 of this Proxy Statement for a description of our Director Phantom Stock Plan.

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        ADDITIONAL MATTERS

        Solicitation of Proxies

        The cost of solicitation of Proxies for our Annual Meeting will be paid by our Company. Solicitation will be made primarily by mail, but our regular employees, without additional remuneration, may solicit Proxies by telephone, e-mail, facsimile and personal interviews. In addition, Innisfree M&A Incorporated will assist in the solicitation of Proxies and our Company anticipates a fee for proxy solicitation services of approximately $20,000 plus out-of-pocket costs. We will also request persons, firms and corporations holding shares in their names or in the names of their nominees, which are beneficially owned by others, to send Proxy materials to and obtain Proxies from such beneficial owners. We will reimburse such holders for their reasonable expenses.


        Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominees
        STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS AND DIRECTOR NOMINEES

        For a stockholder to properly present a matter at our Annual Meeting other than pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, including nominations for persons for election to our Board of Directors, our Secretary must have received written notice thereof on or after February 28, 2016March 20, 2021 and on or before March 29, 2016,5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on April 19, 2021 (60 to 90 days prior to the first anniversary of our 2020 annual meeting of stockholders) as specified in our Bylaws, and such notice must have satisfied the additional requirements set forth in our Bylaws. Our Secretary has not received any valid notice of any such matter to be presented by

        For a stockholder at our Annual Meeting.

        A stockholderto submit a proposal submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act for inclusion in our proxy statement and form of proxy for the 2017our annual meeting of stockholders in 2022, it must be received by our Company by December 16, 2016.30, 2021. Such a proposal must also comply with the requirements as to form and substance established by the SEC for such proposals. For an eligible stockholder or group of stockholders to nominate a director nominee for election at our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders pursuant to the proxy access provision of our Bylaws, such eligible stockholder or group of stockholders must comply with the then current advance notice requirements in our Bylaws and deliver the proposal to our principal executive offices on or after February 27, 2022 and on or before 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on March 29, 2022 (60 to 90 days prior to the first anniversary of our Annual Meeting) in order for such proposal to be considered timely. In addition, our Bylaws require the eligible stockholder or group of stockholders to update and supplement such information as of specified dates. Any such proposal should be mailed to: The Macerich Company, 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700, Santa Monica, California 90401, Attn: Secretary.

        A stockholder otherwise desiring to bring a proposal before the 20172022 annual meeting of stockholders (including generally any proposal relating to the nomination of a director to be elected to our Board of Directors) must comply with the then current advance notice and information requirements in our Bylaws and deliver the proposal to our principal executive offices on or after February 25, 201727, 2022 and on or before 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, on March 27, 201729, 2022 (60 to 90 days prior to the first anniversary of our Annual Meeting) in order for such proposal to be considered timely. Any such proposal should be mailed to: The Macerich Company, 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700, Santa Monica, California 90401, Attn: Secretary. Copies of our charter and Bylaws may be obtained without charge by providing a written request to our Secretary at that address.


        Householding of Proxy Materials
        HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS

        The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (such as banks and brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy statements and annual reports with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (or proxy materials in the case of stockholders who receive paper copiesset of proxy materials),materials addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as "householding"“householding” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies.

        A number of banks and brokers with account holders whothat are beneficial holders of the Company's common stockour Common Stock will be householding the Company's Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (orour Company’s proxy materials in the case of stockholders who receive paper copies of proxy materials).materials. If you have received notice from your bank or broker that it will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive a separate Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (or proxy materials, if applicable), please notify your bank or broker, or contact Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., toll-free at 1-800-542-1061 or by writing toat Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., Attn: Householding Department, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, New York 11717. TheOur Company undertakes, upon oral or written request, to deliver promptly a second copy of the Company's Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (orour Company’s proxy materials if applicable) to a stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the document

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    73


        ADDITIONAL MATTERS

        was delivered. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (or proxy materials


        Table of Contents

        if applicable) at their address and would like to request householding of the communications should contact their bank or broker or The Macerich Company, Attn: Investor Relations, 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 700, Santa Monica, California 90401.


        Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
        DELINQUENT SECTION 16(A) REPORTS

        Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities, to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC and the NYSE. Officers, directors and greater than 10% stockholders are required by the SEC'sSEC’s regulations to furnish our Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. To our knowledge, based solely on our review of the copies of such reports furnished to our Company during and with respect to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015,2020, all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our executive officers, directors and greater than 10% beneficial owners were satisfied on a timely basis. However, Mr. Dana Anderson, our Vice Chairman Emeritus, previously failed to file a Form 5 to report gifts of shares of our Common Stock to his sons in 2012, which gifts were subsequently reported on a Form 4 filed on December 2, 2020.


        Other Matters
        OTHER MATTERS

        Our Board of Directors does not know of any matter other than those described in this Proxy Statement which will be presented for action at our Annual Meeting. If other matters are presented, Proxies will be voted in accordance with the discretion of the Proxy holders.

        REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF SHARES YOU OWN, YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT TO OUR COMPANY.


        Table of Contents


        Appendix I
        FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

        RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES

        Funds From Operations ("FFO")Information set forth in our Proxy Statement and Adjusted Funds From Operations ("AFFO")

        Ourthe accompanying materials contains “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the federal securities laws, Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act), which reflect the Company’s expectations regarding future events and plans. Generally, the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “assumes,” “targets,” “goals,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “continues,” variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of our Proxy Statement and involve a number of known and unknown assumptions, risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be difficult to predict and beyond the control of the Company, uses FFO in additionwhich could cause actual results to net income to report our operating and financial results and considers FFO and FFO-diluted as supplemental measures for the real estate industry and a supplement to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") measures. The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") defines FFO as net income (loss) (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains (or losses)differ materially from extraordinary items and sales of depreciated operating properties, plus real estate related depreciation and amortization, impairment write-downs of real estate and write-downs of investments in an affiliate where the write-downs have been driven by a decreasethose contained in the value of real estate held byforward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the affiliate and after adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures. Adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures are calculated to reflect FFO onforward-looking statements: the same basis.

        Adjusted FFO ("AFFO") excludes the FFO impact of Shoppingtown Mall and Valley View Center for the year ended December 31, 2012. In December 2011,COVID-19 on our Company conveyed Shoppingtown Mall to the lender by a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. In July 2010, a court-appointed receiver assumed operational control of Valley View Center and responsibility for managing all aspects of the property. Valley View Center was sold by the receiver on April 23, 2012,business and the related non-recourse mortgage loan obligation was fully extinguished on that date, resulting in a gain on extinguishmentbusiness of debt of $104.0 million. On May 31, 2012, our Company conveyed Prescott Gateway to the lender by a deed-in-lieu of foreclosuretenants and the debt was forgiven resultingeconomy generally and other risks and uncertainties detailed in a gain on extinguishment of debt of $16.3 million. AFFO excludes the gain on extinguishment of debt on Prescott Gateway for the twelve months ended December 31, 2012.

        FFO and FFO on a diluted basis are useful to investorsrisks identified in comparing operating and financial results between periods. This is especially true since FFO excludes real estate depreciation and amortization, asPart I, Item 1A. Risk Factors within our Company believes real estate values fluctuate based on market conditions rather than depreciating in value ratably on a straight-line basis over time. Our Company believes that such a presentation also provides investors with a more meaningful measure of our operating results in comparison to the operating results of other REITs. Our Company believes that AFFO and AFFO on a diluted basis provide useful supplemental information regarding our Company's performance as they show a more meaningful and consistent comparison of our Company's operating performance and allow investors to more easily compare our Company's results without taking into account non-cash credits and charges on properties controlled by either a receiver or loan servicer. Our Company believes that FFO and AFFO on a diluted basis are measures investors find most useful in measuring the dilutive impact of outstanding convertible securities.

        Our Company believes that FFO and AFFO do not represent cash flow from operations as defined by GAAP, should not be considered as an alternative to net income as defined by GAAP, and are not indicative of cash available to fund all cash flow needs. Our Company also cautions that FFO and AFFO, as presented, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other real estate investment trusts.

        Management compensates for the limitations of FFO and AFFO by providing investors with financial statements prepared according to GAAP, along with this detailed discussion of FFO and AFFO and a reconciliation of FFO and AFFO and FFO and AFFO-diluted to net income available to common stockholders. Management believes that to further understand our Company's performance, FFO and AFFO should be compared with our Company's reported net income and considered in addition to cash flows in accordance with GAAP, as presented in our Company's consolidated financial statements. See our Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for filed with the year ended December 31, 2015.SEC on February 24, 2021 and in our other filings made with the SEC. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

        74    2021 PROXY STATEMENT



        TableAPPENDIX A

        Text of Contents

        The following reconciles net income attributableProposed Amendment to our CompanyCharter to FFO and FFO-diluted forIncrease the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and FFO and FFO-dilutedNumber of Authorized Shares of Common Stock.

        If approved, Article FIFTH, subsection (a) of our charter will be amended to AFFO and AFFO-diluted for the same periods (dollars and sharesread in thousands):its entirety as follows:

        FIFTH:

        “The Corporation has authority to issue 575,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of 500,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), 15,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Preferred Stock”), and 60,000,000 shares of Excess Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Excess Stock”). The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $5,750,000.”

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    A-1

         
         2015 2014 2013 2012 

        Net income attributable to our Company

         $487,562 $1,499,042 $420,090 $337,426 

        Adjustments to reconcile net income attributable to our Company to FFO—basic:

                     

        Noncontrolling interests in the Operating Partnership

          32,615  105,584  29,637  27,359 

        (Gain) loss on sale or write down of consolidated assets, net

          (378,248) (73,440) (207,105) 40,381 

        Gain on remeasurement of consolidated assets

          (22,089) (1,423,136) (51,205) (199,956)

        Add: gain (loss) on undepreciated assets—consolidated assets

          1,326  1,396  2,546  (390)

        Add: noncontrolling interests share of gain (loss) on sale of assets—consolidated joint ventures

          481  146  (2,082) 1,899 

        (Gain) loss on sale or write down of assets—unconsolidated joint ventures(1)

          (4,392) 1,237  (94,372) (2,019)

        Add: gain on sale of undepreciated assets—unconsolidated joint ventures(1)

          4,395  2,621  602  1,163 

        Depreciation and amortization on consolidated assets

          464,472  378,716  374,425  307,193 

        Less: noncontrolling interests in depreciation and amortization—consolidated joint ventures

          (14,962) (20,700) (19,928) (18,561)

        Depreciation and amortization—unconsolidated joint ventures(1)

          84,160  82,570  86,866  96,228 

        Less: depreciation on personal property

          (13,052) (11,282) (11,900) (12,861)

        FFO attributable to common stockholders and unit holders—basic and diluted

          642,268  542,754  527,574  577,862 

        (Gain) loss on early extinguishment of debt, net—consolidated assets

          (1,487) 9,551  (2,684)  

        Gain on early extinguishment of debt, net—unconsolidated joint ventures(1)

              (352)  

        FFO attributable to common stockholders and unit holders excluding early extinguishment of debt, net—diluted

          640,781  552,305  524,538  577,862 

        Costs related to unsolicited takeover offer

          25,204       

        FFO attributable to common stockholders and unit holders excluding early extinguishment of debt, net and costs related to unsolicited takeover offer—diluted

          665,985  552,305  524,538  577,862 

        Shoppingtown Mall

                422 

        Valley View Center

                (101,105)

        Prescott Gateway

                (16,296)

        AFFO and AFFO attributable to common stockholders and unit holders—diluted

         $665,985 $552,305 $524,538 $460,883 

        Weighted average number of FFO shares outstanding for:

                     

        FFO attributable to common stockholders and unit holders—basic(2)

          168,478  153,224  149,444  144,937 

        Adjustments for the impact of dilutive securities in computing FFO—diluted:

                     

        Share and unit-based compensation

          144  147  82   

        FFO attributable to common stockholders and unit holders—diluted(3)

          168,622  153,371  149,526  144,937 


        (1)
        Unconsolidated assets are presented at our Company's pro rata share.

        Table of Contents

        (2)
        Calculated based upon basic net income as adjusted to reach basic FFO. During the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012, there were 10.6, 10.1 million, 9.8 million and 10.9 million OP Units outstanding, respectively.

        (3)
        The computation of FFO-diluted shares outstanding includes the effect of share and unit-based compensation plans and the senior notes using the treasury stock method. It also assumes the conversion of MACWH, LP common and preferred units to the extent that they are dilutive to the FFO-diluted computation.

        The following reconciles net income per share attributable to common stockholders-diluted to FFO per share-diluted and AFFO per share-diluted for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012:

         
         2015 2014 2013 2012 

        Net income per share attributable to common stockholders—diluted

         $3.08 $10.45 $3.00 $2.51 

        Per share impact of depreciation and amortization of real estate

          3.09  2.81  2.88  2.57 

        Per share impact of gain on remeasurement, sale or write down of assets, net

          (2.36) (9.72) (2.35) (1.09)

        FFO per share—diluted

          3.81  3.54  3.53  3.99 

        Per share impact of loss (gain) on early extinguishment of debt, net

          (0.01) 0.06  (0.02)  

        Per share impact of costs related to unsolicited takeover offer

          0.15       

        FFO per share excluding early extinguishment of debt, net and costs related to unsolicited takeover offer—diluted

          3.95  3.60  3.51  3.99 

        Per share impact—Shoppingtown Mall, Valley View Center and Prescott Gateway

                (0.81)

        AFFO per share—diluted

         $3.95 $3.60 $3.51 $3.18 

        APPENDIX B

        Table of Contents

        THE MACERICH COMPANY

        EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        As amended and restated effective June 1, 2021


        2021 PROXY STATEMENTB-i



        Appendix II
        TABLE OF CONTENTS


        Peer REITs

        Page
        1.  Acadia Realty Trust
        2.Agree Realty Corp.
        3.Alexander's Inc.
        4.Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.
        5.American Assets Trust Inc.
        6.American Campus Communities Inc.
        7.American Homes 4 Rent Cl A
        8.American Residential Properties Inc.
        9.American Tower Corp.
        10.Apartment Investment & Management Co. Cl A
        11.Armada Hoffler Properties Inc.
        12.Ashford Hospitality Prime Inc.
        13.Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc.
        14.AvalonBay Communities Inc.
        15.BioMed Realty Trust Inc.
        16.Boston Properties Inc.
        17.Brandywine Realty Trust
        18.Brixmor Property Group Inc.
        19.Camden Property Trust
        20.Campus Crest Communities Inc.
        21.CareTrust REIT, Inc.
        22.CatchMark Timber Trust Inc. Cl A
        23.CBL & Associates Properties Inc.
        24.Cedar Realty Trust Inc.
        25.Chatham Lodging Trust
        26.Chesapeake Lodging Trust
        27.Columbia Property Trust Inc.
        28.CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust Inc.
        29.CoreSite Realty Corp.
        30.Corporate Office Properties Trust
        31.Corrections Corporation of America
        32.Cousins Properties Inc.
        33.Crown Castle International Corp.
        34.CubeSmart
        35.CyrusOne Inc.
        36.DCT Industrial Trust Inc.
        37.DDR Corp.
        38.DiamondRock Hospitality Company
        39.Digital Realty Trust Inc.
        40.Douglas Emmett Inc.
        41.Duke Realty Corp.
        42.Dupont Fabros Technology Inc.
        43.EastGroup Properties Inc.
        44.Education Realty Trust Inc.
        45.Empire State Realty Trust Inc. Cl A
        46.EPR Properties
        47.Equinix, Inc.
        48.Equity Commonwealth
        49.Equity Lifestyle Properties Inc.
        50.Equity One Inc.
        51.Equity Residential
        52.Essex Property Trust Inc.
        53.Extra Space Storage Inc.
        54.Federal Realty Investment Trust
        55.FelCor Lodging Trust Inc.
        56.First Industrial Realty Trust Inc.
        57.First Potomac Realty Trust
        58.Franklin Street Properties Corp.
        59.Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. WI
        60.General Growth Properties Inc.
        61.Getty Realty Corp.
        62.Gladstone Commercial Corp.
        63.Government Properties Income Trust
        64.Gramercy Property Trust Inc.
        65.HCP Inc.
        66.Healthcare Realty Trust Inc.
        67.Healthcare Trust of America Inc. Cl A
        68.Hersha Hospitality Trust Cl A
        69.Highwoods Properties Inc.
        70.Hospitality Properties Trust
        71.Host Hotels & Resorts Inc.
        72.Hudson Pacific Properties Inc.
        73.Inland Real Estate Corp.
        74.Investors Real Estate Trust
        75.Iron Mountain Incorporated
        76.Kilroy Realty Corp.
        77.Kimco Realty Corp.
        78.Kite Realty Group Trust
        79.Lamar Advertising Company
        80.LaSalle Hotel Properties
        81.Lexington Realty Trust
        82.Liberty Property Trust
        83.LTC Properties Inc.
        84.Mack-Cali Realty Corp.
        85.Medical Properties Trust Inc.
        86.Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc.
        87.Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp. Cl A
        88.Monogram Residential Trust, Inc.
        89.National Health Investors Inc.
        90.National Retail Properties Inc.
        91.New Senior Investment Group Inc.
        92.New York REIT Inc.
        93.NorthStar Realty Finance Corp.
        94.Omega Healthcare Investors Inc.
        95.One Liberty Properties Inc.
        96.Outfront Media, Inc.
        97.Paramount Group Inc.
        98.Parkway Properties Inc.

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        99.Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
        100.Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust
        101.Physicians Realty Trust
        102.Piedmont Office Realty Trust Inc. Cl A
        103.Plum Creek Timber Company Inc.
        104.Post Properties Inc.
        105.Potlatch Corp.
        106.Prologis Inc.
        107.PS Business Parks Inc.
        108.Public Storage
        109.QTS Realty Trust Inc. Cl A
        110.Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust
        111.Rayonier Inc.
        112.Realty Income Corp.
        113.Regency Centers Corp.
        114.Retail Opportunity Investments Corp.
        115.Retail Properties of America Inc. Cl A
        116.Rexford Industrial Realty Inc.
        117.RLJ Lodging Trust
        118.Rouse Properties Inc.
        119.Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc.
        120.Sabra Health Care REIT Inc.
        121.Saul Centers Inc.
        122.Select Income REIT
        123.Senior Housing Properties Trust
        124.Silver Bay Realty Trust Corp.
        125.Simon Property Group Inc.
        126.SL Green Realty Corp.
        127.Sovran Self Storage Inc.
        128.Spirit Realty Capital Inc.
        129.STAG Industrial Inc.
        130.Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust
        131.Store Capital Corp.
        132.Summit Hotel Properties Inc.
        133.Sun Communities Inc.
        134.Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc.
        135.Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc.
        136.Taubman Centers Inc.
        137.Terreno Realty Corp.
        138.The GEO Group Inc.
        139.The Macerich Company
        140.TIER REIT, Inc.
        141.UDR Inc.
        142.UMH Properties Inc.
        143.Universal Health Realty Income Trust
        144.Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. Cl A
        145.Ventas Inc.
        146.VEREIT, Inc.
        147.Vornado Realty Trust
        148.W.P. Carey Inc.
        149.Washington Real Estate Investment Trust
        150.Weingarten Realty Investors
        151.Welltower, Inc.
        152.Weyerhaeuser Co.
        153.Whitestone REIT
        154.Winthrop Realty Trust
        155.WP Glimcher Inc.

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        Appendix III


        THE MACERICH COMPANY
        2003 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN


        As Amended and Restated as of January 28, 2016


        Table of Contents

        TABLE OF CONTENTS




        Page
        1.THE PLANPURPOSE   III-1B-1 
        1.1PurposeIII-1
        1.2Administration and Authorization; Power and ProcedureIII-1
        1.3ParticipationIII-2
        1.4Shares Available for Awards; Share LimitsIII-2
        1.5Grant of AwardsIII-3
        1.6Award PeriodIII-3
        1.7Limitations on Exercise and Vesting of AwardsIII-3
        1.8No Transferability; Limited Exception to Transfer RestrictionsIII-4
        2.OPTIONSIII-4
        2.1GrantsIII-4
        2.2Option PriceIII-4
        2.3Limitations on Grant and Terms of Incentive Stock OptionsIII-5
        2.4Limits on 10% HoldersIII-5
        2.5Effects of Termination of Employment or ServiceIII-5
        2.6Limitation on Exercise of Option AwardIII-6
        3.STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS (INCLUDING LIMITED STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS)III-6
        3.1GrantsIII-6
        3.2Exercise of Stock Appreciation RightsIII-7
        3.3PaymentIII-7
        4.RESTRICTED STOCK AND STOCK UNIT AWARDSIII-7
        4.1GrantsIII-7
        4.2RestrictionsIII-8
        4.3Return to the CorporationIII-8
        5.PERFORMANCE SHARE AWARDS, OTHER STOCK AWARDS AND DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTSIII-9
        5.1Grants of Performance Share AwardsIII-9
        5.2Special Performance-Based AwardsIII-9
        5.3Grants of Stock Bonuses and Other AwardsIII-10
        5.4Deferred PaymentsIII-10
        5.5Limitations on AwardsIII-10
        5.6Dividend Equivalent RightsIII-10
        5.7Operating Partnership Units or other Convertible UnitsIII-11
        5.8Alternative PaymentsIII-11
        6.OTHER PROVISIONSIII-11
        6.1Rights of Eligible Persons, Participants and BeneficiariesIII-11
        6.2Adjustments; AccelerationIII-11
        6.3Effect of Termination of Service on AwardsIII-13
        6.4Compliance with LawsIII-14
        6.5Tax MattersIII-14
        6.6Plan and Award Amendments, Termination and SuspensionIII-14
        6.7Privileges of Stock OwnershipIII-15
        6.8Effective Date of the PlanIII-15
        6.9Term of the PlanIII-15
        6.10Governing Law/Construction/SeverabilityIII-15
        6.11CaptionsIII-16

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        III-ii


        B-ii    2021 PROXY STATEMENT

        Table of Contents


        THE MACERICH COMPANY

        EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        The following constitute the provisions of The Macerich Company Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended and restated effective June 1, 2021. The Plan originally was adopted by the Board on April 1, 2003, EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
        As Amended and Restated as of Januaryapproved by the Corporation’s stockholders on May 28, 2016

        1.    THE PLAN.

                    1.1    Purpose.2003.

         

        1.

        PURPOSE

        The purpose of this Plan is to promoteassist Eligible Employees in acquiring a stock ownership interest in the successCorporation at a favorable price and upon favorable terms. This Plan is also intended to encourage Eligible Employees to remain in the employ of the CompanyCorporation or a Participating Subsidiary and to provide them with an additional incentive to advance the best interests of the Corporation. This Plan is not intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code because most Eligible Employees are employed by providingParticipating Subsidiaries that are ineligible to provide such a plan to their employees. The Plan and all offerings and Options hereunder are intended to, and shall be interpreted in all respects to, comply with Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and authorities promulgated thereunder.

        2.

        DEFINITIONS

        Capitalized terms used herein which are not otherwise defined shall have the following meanings.

        Account” means the bookkeeping account maintained by the Corporation, or by a recordkeeper on behalf of the Corporation, for a Participant pursuant to Section 7(a).

        Beneficially Own” means to own Equity Shares, directly or indirectly through the application of Section 544 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(h)(1)(B) of the Code.

        Board” means the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

        Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

        Committee” means the committee appointed by the Board to administer this Plan pursuant to Section 12.

        Commission” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

        Common Stock” means the Common Stock of the Corporation and such other securities or property as may become the subject of Options pursuant to an adjustment made under Section 17.

        Compensation” means (1) if the Eligible Employee is a salaried employee, the Eligible Employee’s regular salary from the Corporation (or the Participating Subsidiary that employs the Eligible Employee, as applicable) for the relevant period of time, or (2) if the Eligible Employee is not a salaried employee, the Eligible Employee’s regular gross pay from the Corporation (or the Participating Subsidiary that employs the Eligible Employee, as applicable) for his or her regularly-scheduled work week(s) during the relevant period of time. Compensation includes any amounts contributed as salary reduction contributions to a plan qualifying under Section 401(k), 125 or 129 of the Code and, for purposes of the 15% limit in Section 6(b), amounts deferred under nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Any other form of remuneration is excluded from Compensation, including (but not limited to) the following: overtime payments, commissions, prizes, awards, relocation or housing allowances, stock option exercises, stock appreciation right payments, the vesting or grant of Awardsrestricted stock, performance awards, auto allowances, tuition reimbursement and other forms of imputed income, bonuses, incentive compensation, special payments, fees, and allowances.

        Constructively Own” means to attract, motivate, retain and reward key employees (including employees who are officers) and directorsown Equity Shares, directly or indirectly through the application of and certain consultants and advisorsSection 318 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(d)(5) of the Code.

        Contributions” means the bookkeeping amounts credited to the CompanyAccount of a Participant pursuant to this Plan, equal in amount to the amount of Compensation that the Participant elected to contribute for the purchase of Common Stock under and in accordance with awards and incentives for individual service or performance, financial performance of the Company and market performance of the Corporation's Common Stock. "Corporation"this Plan.

        Corporation means The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation, and its successors, and "Company"successors.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    B-1


        Eligible Employee means, any employee of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries, collectively. These terms and other capitalized terms are defined in Article 7.

                    1.2    Administration and Authorization; Power and Procedure.

                             (a)    Committee.    This Plan shall be administered by and all Awards to Eligible Persons shall be authorized by the Committee. Action of the Committee with respect to the administration of this Plan shall be taken pursuant to a majority vote or by unanimous written consent of its members. Where the Committee authorizes the issuance of shares under this Plan, the Committee shall adopt a resolution which sets the minimum consideration for the shares to be issued or a formula for its determination, fairly describes any consideration other than money and states any findings required by this Plan or the partnership agreement of The Macerich Partnership, L.P.

                             (b)    Plan Awards; Interpretation; Powers of Committee.    Subject to the express provisions of this Plan, the resolutions of the Board approving this Plan, and compliance with Section 2-203 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, the Committee shall have the authority:

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                   (vii)    to determine whether, and the extent to which, adjustments are required pursuant to Section 6.2 hereof and authorize the termination, conversion, substitution or succession of Awards upon the occurrence of an event of the type described in Section 6.2; and

                   (viii)    to make all other determinations and take such other action as contemplated by this Plan or as may be necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan and the effectuation of its purposes.

        Participating Subsidiary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and except for an adjustment pursuant to Section 6.2(a) the Committee“Eligible Employee” shall not without the approval of stockholders (1) amend an outstanding Option or SAR to reduce the exercise price or base priceinclude any employee who:

        (a)

        has been employed by the Corporation or a Subsidiary for less than forty-five (45) days;

        (b)

        is providing part-time services and has been employed by the Corporation or a Subsidiary for less than one year; or

        (c)

        is providing part-time services and whose customary employment is for 19.23 hours or less per week (which is the equivalent of one thousand (1,000) hours or less on an annualized basis).

        For purposes of the Award, (2) cancel, exchange, or surrender an outstanding Option or SAR, when the exercise or base price exceeds the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock,forty-five (45) day employment requirement in exchange for cash(a), employment by a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other Awards, (3) cancel, exchange, or surrender an outstanding Option or SAR in exchange for an Option or SAR with an exercise or base price that is less thanentity prior to the exercise or base priceacquisition of the original Award, or (4) take any other action with respect to an Option or SAR that would be treated as a repricing under the rules and regulations of the principal U.S. national securities exchange on which the Company's shares of Common Stock are listed.

                             (c)    Binding Determinations/Liability Limitation.    Any action takensuch entity by or inaction of, the Corporation anyor a Subsidiary the Board or the Committee relating or pursuant to this Plan and within its authority hereunder or under applicable law shall be withinconsidered as employment with the absolute discretion of that entityCorporation or body and shall be conclusive and binding upon all persons. Neither the Board nor any Committee, nor any member thereof or person acting at the direction thereof shall be liable for any act, omission, interpretation, construction or determination made in good faith in connection with this Plan (or any Award made under this Plan), and all such persons shall be entitled to indemnification and reimbursement by the Company in respect of any claim, loss, damage or expense (including, without limitation, attorneys' fees) arising or resulting therefrom to the fullest extent permitted by law and/or under any directors and officers liability insurance coverage that may be in effect from time to time.

                             (d)    Reliance on Experts.    In making any determination or in taking or not taking any action under this Plan, the Committee or the Board,Subsidiary, as the case may be, may obtain and may rely uponemployment in the advicemanagement of experts, including professional advisorsany shopping mall or other property immediately prior to the Corporation. No director, officerCorporation’s or agenta Subsidiary’s acquisition of a direct or indirect interest in, or becoming the Company shall be liable for anymanager of, such action or determination taken or made or omitted in good faith.

                             (e)    Delegation.    The Committee may delegate ministerial, non-discretionary functions to individuals who are officers or employeesproperty of the Company.

                    1.3    Participation.

                             Awards may be granted by the Committee only to those persons that the Committee determines to be Eligible Persons. An Eligible Person who has been granted an Award may, if otherwise eligible, be granted additional Awards if the Committee shall so determine.

                    1.4    Shares Available for Awards; Share Limits.

                             (a)    Shares Available.    Subject to the provisions of Section 6.2, the capital stock that may be delivered under this Plan shall be shares of the Corporation's authorized but unissued Common Stock. The shares may be delivered for any lawful consideration.

                             (b)    Share Limits.

                   (i)    The maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be delivered pursuant to Awards granted to Eligible Persons under this Plan shall not exceed 19,825,428 shares (the "Share Limit").

                   (ii)    The maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be delivered pursuant to options qualified as Incentive Stock Options granted under this Plan is 4,000,000 shares.

                   (iii)    The maximum number of shares subject to those Options and Stock Appreciation Rights that are granted during any calendar year to any individual under this Plan shall be limited to 750,000.

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                   (iv)    Each of the foregoing numerical limits shall be subject to adjustment as contemplated by this Section 1.4 and Section 6.2.

                             (c)    Calculation of Available Shares and Replenishment.    To the extent thatwho becomes an Award granted under this Plan is settled in cash or a form other than shares of Common Stock, the shares that would have been delivered had there been no such cash or other settlement shall not be counted against the shares available for issuance under this Plan. In the event that shares of Common Stock are delivered in respect of a Dividend Equivalent Right granted under this Plan (and for purposes of clarity, other than as a result of an adjustment pursuant to Section 6.2), the actual number of shares delivered with respect to the Award shall be counted against the share limits of this Plan. (For purposes of clarity, if 1,000 Dividend Equivalent Rights are granted and outstanding when the Corporation pays a dividend, and 50 shares are delivered in payment of those rights with respect to that dividend, 50 shares shall be counted against the share limits of this Plan). To the extent that shares of Common Stock are delivered pursuant to the exercise of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right granted under this Plan, the number of underlying shares as to which the exercise related shall be counted against the applicable share limits under Section 1.4(b), as opposed to only counting the shares actually issued. (For purposes of clarity, if a Stock Appreciation Right relates to 100,000 shares and is exercised at a time when the payment due to the Participant is 15,000 shares, 100,000 shares shall be charged against the applicable share limits under Section 1.4(b) with respect to such exercise.) Shares that are subject to or underlie Awards granted under this Plan which expire or for any reason are cancelled or terminated, are forfeited, fail to vest, or for any other reason are not paid or delivered under this Plan shall again be available for subsequent Awards under this Plan. Shares that are exchanged by a Participant or withheld by the Corporation as full or partial payment in connection with any Award under this Plan, as well as any shares exchanged by a Participant or withheld by the Corporation or one of its Subsidiaries to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to any Award, shall not be available for subsequent Awards under this Plan. In the event the Corporation repurchases shares of Common Stock on the open market, such shares shall not be added to the share limits under Section 1.4(b). Refer to Section 6.12 for application of the foregoing share limits with respect to assumed awards. The foregoing adjustments to the share limits of this Plan are subject to any applicable limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code with respect to Awards intended as performance-based compensation thereunder.

                    1.5    Grant of Awards.

                             Subject to the express provisions of this Plan, the Committee shall determine the number of shares of Common Stock subject to each Award, the price (if any) to be paid for the shares or the Award and, in the case of Performance Share Awards, in addition to matters addressed in Section 1.2(b), the specific objectives, goals and performance criteria that further define the terms of the Performance Share Award. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. The Award Agreement shall set forth the material terms and conditions of the Award established by the Committee consistent with the specific provisions of this Plan.

                    1.6    Award Period.

                             Each Award and all executory rights or obligations under the related Award Agreement shall expire on such date (if any) as shall be determined by the Committee, but, subject to Section 4.1(c), in the case of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, not later than ten (10) years after the Award Date.

                    1.7    Limitations on Exercise and Vesting of Awards.

                             (a)    Provisions for Exercise.    Once exercisable an Award shall remain exercisable until the expiration or earlier termination of the Award.

                             (b)    Procedure.    Any exercisable Award shall be deemed to be exercised when the Secretary or the Treasureremployee of the Corporation or its or their designee approves a notice ofSubsidiary in connection with such exercise in the form required by the Company from the Participant, together with any required payment made in accordance with Section 2.2.

                             (c)    Fractional Shares/Minimum Issue.    Fractional share interestsevent shall be disregarded, but may be accumulated. The Committee, however, may determine in the case of Eligible Persons that cash, other securities, or other property will be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional share interests. No fewer than 100 shares may be

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        purchased on exercise of any Award at one time unless the number purchased is the total number at the time available for purchase under the Award.

                    1.8    No Transferability; Limited Exception to Transfer Restrictions.

                             (a)    Limit On Exercise and Transfer.    Unless otherwise expressly provided in (or pursuant to) this Section 1.8, by applicable law and by the Award Agreement,counted as the same may be amended, (i) Awards are non-transferable and shall not be subject in any manner to sale, transfer, anticipation, alienation, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge; (ii) Awards shall be exercised only by the Participant; and (iii) amounts payable or shares issuable pursuant to any Award shall be delivered only to (or for the account of) the Participant.

                             (b)    Exceptions.    The Committee may permit Awards to be exercised by and paid to certain persons or entities related to the Participant, including but not limited to members of the Participant's immediate family, or charitable institutions, trusts or other entities controlled by or whose beneficiaries or beneficial owners are the Participant and/or members of the Participant's immediate family or to such other related persons or entities as may be approved by the Committee, pursuant to such conditions and procedures, including limitations on subsequent transfers, as the Committee may establish. Consistentemployment with Section 6.4, any permitted transfer shall be subject to the condition that the Committee receive evidence satisfactory to it that the transfer (i) is being made for essentially donative, estate and/or tax planning purposes on a gratuitous or donative basis and without consideration (other than nominal consideration or in exchange for an interest in a qualified transferee), and (ii) will not compromise the Corporation's ability to register shares issuable under this Plan on SEC Form S-8 under the Securities Act or a Subsidiary's ability to rely on SEC Rule 701 thereunder with respect to Subsidiary interests or securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, ISOs and Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to any and all additional transfer restrictions under the Code.

                             (c)    Further Exceptions to Limits On Transfer.    The exercise and transfer restrictions in Section 1.8(a) shall not apply to:

                   (i)    transfers to the Corporation,

                   (ii)    the designation of a beneficiary to receive benefits in the event of the Participant's death or, if the Participant has died, transfers to or exercise by the Participant's beneficiary, or, in the absence of a validly designated beneficiary, transfers by will or the laws of descent and distribution,

                   (iii)    subject to any applicable ISO limitations, transfers to a family member (or former family member) pursuant to a domestic relations order if approved or ratified by the Committee,

                   (iv)    if the Participant has suffered a disability, permitted transfers or exercises on behalf of the Participant by his or her legal representative, or

                   (v)    the authorization by the Committee of "cashless exercise" procedures with third parties who provide financing for the purpose of (or who otherwise facilitate) the exercise of Awards consistent with applicable laws and the express authorization of the Committee.

        2.    OPTIONS.

                    2.1    Grants.

                    One or more Options may be granted under this Article to any Eligible Person. Each Option granted shall be designated in the applicable Award Agreement, by the Committee as either an Incentive Stock Option, subject to Section 2.3, or a Nonqualified Stock Option.

                    2.2    Option Price.

                             (a)    Pricing Limits.    The purchase price per share of the Common Stock covered by each Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of the Award, provided that such price shall be no less than 100% (110% in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Participant described in Section 2.4) of the Fair Market

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        Value of the Common Stock on the date of grant and in all cases shall not be less than the par value thereof, payable in any form of lawful consideration specified by the Committee.

                             (b)    Payment Provisions.    The purchase price of any shares purchased on exercise of an Option granted under this Article shall be paid in full at the time of each purchase in one or a combination of the following methods: (i) in cash or by electronic funds transfer; (ii) by check payable to the order of the Corporation; or (iii) by the delivery of shares of Common Stock of the Corporation already owned by the Participant,provided,however, that the Committee may in its absolute discretion limit the Participant's ability to exercise an Award by delivering such shares. Shares of Common Stock used to satisfy the exercise price of an Option shall be valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise. In addition to the payment methods described above and to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee may provide that the Option can be exercised and payment made by delivering a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Corporation the amount of sale proceeds necessary to pay the exercise price and, unless otherwise allowed by the Committee, any applicable tax withholding under Section 6.5. The Corporation shall not be obligated to deliver the shares unless and until it receives full payment of the exercise price therefor and any related withholding obligations have been satisfied.

                    2.3    Limitations on Grant and Terms of Incentive Stock Options.

                             (a)    $100,000 Limit.    To the extent that the aggregate "Fair Market Value" of stock with respect to which incentive stock options first become exercisable by a Participant in any calendar year exceeds $100,000, taking into account both Common Stock subject to Incentive Stock Options under this Plan and stock subject to incentive stock options under all other plans of the Company, such options shall be treated as Nonqualified Stock Options. For this purpose, the "Fair Market Value" of the stock subject to options shall be determined as of the date the options were awarded. In reducing the number of options treated as incentive stock options to meet the $100,000 limit, the most recently granted options shall be reduced first. To the extent a reduction of simultaneously granted options is necessary to meet the $100,000 limit, the Committee may, in the manner and to the extent permitted by law, designate which shares of Common Stock are to be treated as shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option.

                             (b)    Other Code Limits.    Incentive Stock Options may only be granted to Eligible Employees of the Corporation or a Subsidiary, that qualifies as a "subsidiary corporation" pursuant to Section 424(f) of the Code. For this purpose, a "subsidiary corporation" means any Subsidiary that is a corporation in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Corporation if, at the time of the granting of the option, each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain of corporations owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain. There shall be imposed in any Award Agreement relating to Incentive Stock Options such other terms and conditions as from time to time are required in order that the Option be an "incentive stock option" as that term is defined in Section 422 of the Code.

                    2.4    Limits on 10% Holders.

                    No Incentive Stock Optioncase may be, granted to any person who, at the time the Option is granted, owns (or is deemed to own under Section 424(d) of the Code) shares of outstanding Common Stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Corporation, unless the exercise price of such Option is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the stock subject to the Option and such Option by its terms is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date such Option is granted.

                    2.5    Effects of Termination of Employment or Service.

                             (a)    Options.    Unless otherwise provided in, or by authorized amendment to, the Award Agreement or provided in another applicable agreement with the Participant:

                   (i)    Options—Resignation or Dismissal.    If the Participant's employment by (or other service specified in the Award Agreement to) the Company terminates for any reason (the date of such

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              termination being referred toeach as the "Severance Date") (other than Total Disability or death, Retirement, or for Cause (as determined in the discretion of the Committee))Committee.

              Equity Shares” means shares that are either Common Stock or Preferred Stock.

              Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

              Exercise Date” means, with respect to an Offering Period, the last day of that Offering Period, provided that if the last day of the Offering Period falls on a weekend or holiday, the Exercise Date shall be the first business day of the Company following such date.

              Exercise Price” means the per share exercise price of an Option as determined in accordance with Section 8(b).

              Fair Market Value” on any date means:

              (a)

              if the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trade on a national securities exchange, the closing price of a share of Common Stock on the Composite Tape, as published in The Wall Street Journal or reported by such other source as the Committee deems reliable, of the principal national securities exchange on which such stock is so listed or admitted to trade, on such date, or, if there is no trading of the Common Stock on such date, then the closing price of a share of Common Stock as quoted on such Composite Tape and as published in the Wall Street Journal or reported by such other source as the Committee deems reliable on the next preceding date on which there was trading in the shares of Common Stock;

              (b)

              if the Common Stock is not listed or admitted to trade on a national securities exchange but is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market or the Nasdaq Capital Market or through a similar market, the closing sales price for a share of Common Stock (or the closing bid for a share of Common Stock if no sales of Common Stock were reported on the relevant date) as quoted on such exchange or market (or, in the event of more than one such quote, as quoted on the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Common Stock on the relevant date) on such date or, if such date is not a market trading date, on the last market trading day prior to such date, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or

              (c)

              in the absence of market or exchange data required to determine Fair Market Value pursuant to the foregoing, the value as established by the Committee at such time for purposes of this Plan.

              Grant Date” means, with respect to an Offering Period, the first day of that Offering Period.

              Offering Period” means each six-month period commencing June 1 or December 1 and ending the immediately following November 30 or May 31, respectively.

              Option” means the stock option to acquire shares of Common Stock granted to a Participant pursuant to Section 8.

              Participant” means an Eligible Employee who has elected to participate in this Plan and who has filed a valid and effective Participation Agreement to make Contributions pursuant to Section 6.

              Participating Subsidiary” means each of The Macerich Partnership, L.P., Macerich Management Company, Macerich Partners of Colorado LLC, Brooklyn Kings Plaza LLC, Valley Stream Green Acres LLC, Queens Center SPE LLC, WMAP, L.L.C., Great Northern SPE, LLC, Rotterdam Square, LLC, and Wilton Mall, LLC, during such periods of time as such entities are Subsidiaries, and each other Subsidiary designated by the Participant shall have three months afterCorporation pursuant to Section 19(e).

              B-2    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        Participation Agreement” means the Severancewritten agreement filed by an Eligible Employee with the Corporation pursuant to Section 6 to participate in this Plan.

        Plan” means The Macerich CompanyEmployee Stock Purchase Plan, as set forth in this amendment and restatement and as it may be amended from time to time.

        Preferred Stock” means the Preferred Stock of the Corporation.

        Restatement Date but not beyond” means June 1, 2021, the original option term, to exerciseeffective date of this amendment and restatement of the Plan.

        Subsidiary” means any Option tocorporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity controlled (by stock ownership or otherwise) directly or indirectly by, or under common control with, the extent it is exercisable on the Severance Date. In the caseCorporation.

        3.

        ELIGIBILITY

        Any person employed as an Eligible Employee as of a termination for Cause, the Option shall terminate on the Severance Date. In other cases, the Option, to the extent not exercisable on the SeveranceGrant Date shall terminate on that date.

             (ii)    Options—Death or Disability.    Ifbe eligible to participate in this Plan during the Participant's employment by (or specified service to) the Company terminates as a result of Total Disability or death, the Participant, Participant's Personal Representative or his or her Beneficiary, as the case may be, shall have until 12 months after the SeveranceOffering Period in which such Grant Date but not beyond the original option term, to exercise any Option to the extent it is exercisable by the Severance Date. The Option, to the extent not exercisable on the Severance Date, shall terminate on that date.

             (iii)    Options—Retirement.    If the Participant's employment by (or specified service to) the Company terminates as a result of Retirement, the Participant, Participant's Personal Representative or his or her Beneficiary, as the case may be, shall have until 12 months after the Severance Date, but not beyond the original option term, to exercise any Nonqualified Stock Option (three months after the Severance Date in the case of an Incentive Stock Option) to the extent it is exercisable by the Severance Date. The Option, to the extent not exercisable on the Severance Date, shall terminate on that date.

                             (b)    Certain SARs.    Any SAR granted concurrently or in tandem with an Option shall have the same post-termination provisions and exercisability periods as the Option to which it relates, unless the Committee otherwise provides.

                             (c)    Committee Discretion.    Notwithstanding and without limiting the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.5, in the event of, or in anticipation of, a termination of employment or service with the Company for any reason the Committee may, in its discretion, increase the portion of the Participant's Award available to the Participant, or Participant's Beneficiary or Personal Representative, as the case may be, or,occurs, subject to the provisionsEligible Employee satisfying the requirements of Section 1.6, extend6.

        4.

        STOCK SUBJECT TO THIS PLAN; SHARE LIMITATIONS

        (a)

        Aggregate Share Limit. Subject to the provisions of Section 17, the capital stock that may be delivered under this Plan will be shares of the Corporation’s authorized but unissued Common Stock, any of its shares of Common Stock held as “phantom” treasury shares, and any of its shares of Common Stock purchased on the open market for re-delivery under this Plan. The maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be delivered pursuant to Options granted under this Plan from the inception of the Plan is one million, two hundred ninety one thousand, one hundred and seventeen (1,291,117) shares, subject to adjustments pursuant to Section 17.

        (b)

        Shares Not Actually Delivered. Shares that are subject to or underlie Options which for any reason are cancelled or terminated, are forfeited, fail to vest, or for any other reason are not paid or delivered under this Plan shall again, except to the extent prohibited by law, be available for subsequent Options under the Plan.

        5.

        OFFERING PERIODS

        During the exercisability period, upon such terms as the Committee shall determine and expressly set forth in or by amendment to the Award Agreement.

                             (d)    Limitations on Incentive Stock Options.    Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the post-termination exercise periodterm of an Incentive Stock Option exceeds the limitations under Section 422 the Code, such Option will cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option at such time that the applicable time limit is exceeded.

                    2.6    Limitation on Exercise of Option Award.    No Participant may receive Common Stock upon exercise of an Option to the extent that it will cause such person to Beneficially or Constructively Own Equity Shares in excess of the Ownership Limit. If a Participant exercises any portion of an Option (by tendering the exercise price to the Corporation) which upon delivery of the Common Stock would cause the holder of the Option to Beneficially or Constructively Own Equity Shares in excess of the Ownership Limit,this Plan, the Corporation shall have the rightwill grant Options to deliver to the Participant, in lieupurchase shares of Common Stock a check or cash in each Offering Period to all Participants in that Offering Period. Each Option shall become effective on the amount equal to the Fair Market ValueGrant Date of the Common Stock otherwise deliverable on the date of exercise (minus any amounts withheld pursuant to Section 6.5).

        3.    STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS (INCLUDING LIMITED STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS).

                    3.1    Grants.

                    In its discretion, the Committee may grant to any Eligible Person Stock Appreciation Rights either concurrently with the grant of another Award or in respect of an outstanding Award, in whole or in part, or independently of any other Award. Any Stock Appreciation Right granted in connection with an Incentive Stock Option shall contain such terms as may be required to comply with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder, unless the holder otherwise agrees.

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        Table of Contents

                    3.2    Exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights.

                             (a)    Tandem SARs.    Unless the Award Agreement or the Committee otherwise provides, a Stock Appreciation Right related to an Option shall be exercisable at such time or times, and to the extent, that the related Option shall be exercisable. The base price of any SAR related to an Option may be less than the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the grant date, provided that such price shall be no less than the exercise price of the related Option. To the extent that a Stock Appreciation Right is exercised, the number of shares subject to the Stock Appreciation Right and the related Option of the Participant shall, however, be reduced by the referenced number of underlying shares as to which the exercise related.

                             (b)    Stand-Alone SARs.    Subject to Sections 1.6 and 1.7, a Stock Appreciation Right granted independently of any other Award shall be exercisable pursuant to the terms of the Award Agreement. The base price of each stand-alone SAR shall be determined by the Committee at the time of the Award, provided that such price shall be no less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date of grant.

                    3.3    Payment.

                             (a)    Amount.    Unless the Committee otherwise provides, upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right and the attendant surrender of an exercisable portion of any related Award, the Participant shall be entitled to receive payment of an amount determined by multiplying:

                   (i)    the difference obtained by subtracting the exercise price per share of Common Stock under the related Award (if applicable) or the initial share value specified in the Award from the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right, by

                   (ii)    the number of sharesOffering Period with respect to which the Stock Appreciation RightOption is granted. The term of each Option shall have been exercised.

                             (b)    Formbe the duration of Paymentthe related Offering Period and shall end on the Exercise Date of that Offering Period. Offering Periods shall continue until this Plan is terminated in accordance with Section 18 or 19.

        6.

        PARTICIPATION

        (a)

        Enrollment. An Eligible Employee may become a participant in this Plan by completing a Participation Agreement on a form approved by and in a manner prescribed by the Committee (or its delegate). To become effective, a Participation Agreement must be signed by the Eligible Person and be filed with the Corporation at the time specified by the Committee, but in all cases prior to the start of the Offering Period with respect to which it is to become effective, and must set forth a whole percentage (or, if the Committee so provides, a stated amount) of the Eligible Employee’s Compensation to be credited to the Participant’s Account as Contributions each pay period.

        (b)

        Contribution Limits. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Participant may not elect to contribute more than the lesser of fifteen percent (15%), or twenty-six thousand dollars ($26,000), of his or her Compensation for Offering Periods ending in any one calendar year. The Committee may establish further limitations, rules and procedures regarding Plan Contributions, in its complete and sole discretion.

        (c)

        Content and Duration of Participation Agreements. Participation Agreements shall contain the Eligible Employee’s authorization and consent to the Corporation’s withholding from his or her Compensation the amount of his or her Contributions. An Eligible Employee’s Participation Agreement, and his or her participation election and withholding consent thereon, shall remain valid for all Offering Periods until (1) the Eligible Employee’s participation terminates pursuant to the terms hereof, (2) the Eligible Employee files a new Participation Agreement that becomes effective, or (3) the Committee requires that a new Participation Agreement be executed and filed with the Corporation.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    B-3


        7.

        METHOD OF PAYMENT OF CONTRIBUTIONS

        (a)

        Participant Accounts. The Corporation shall maintain on its books, or cause to be maintained by a recordkeeper, an Account in the name of each Participant. The amount of Compensation elected to be applied as Contributions by a Participant shall be deducted from such Participant’s Compensation on each payday during the period for payroll deductions set forth below and such payroll deductions shall be credited to that Participant’s Account as soon as administratively practicable after such date. A Participant may not make any additional payments to his or her Account. A Participant’s Account shall be reduced by any amounts used to pay the Exercise Price of shares acquired, and by any other amounts distributed pursuant to Section 7(e), 9(b), 11, 18 or 19.

        (b)

        Payroll Deductions. Subject to such other rules as the Committee may adopt, payroll deductions with respect to an Offering Period shall commence as of the first pay date which coincides with or immediately follows the applicable Grant Date and shall end on the last pay date which coincides with or immediately precedes the applicable Exercise Date, unless sooner terminated by the Participant as provided in Section 7(d) or 7(e) or until his or her participation terminates pursuant to Section 11.

        (c)

        Changes in Contribution Elections. A Participant may discontinue, increase, or decrease the level of his or her Contributions (within Plan limits) by completing and filing with the Corporation, on such terms as the Committee (or its delegate) may prescribe, a new Participation Agreement which indicates such election. Subject to any other timing requirements that the Committee may impose, an election pursuant to this Section 7(c) shall be effective with the first Offering Period that commences after the Corporation’s receipt of such election. Except as contemplated by Sections 7(d) and 7(e), changes in Contribution levels may not take effect during an Offering Period. Other modifications or suspensions of Participation Agreements are not permitted.

        (d)

        Discontinuance of Plan Contributions (Other Than a Withdrawal). A Participant may discontinue (but not increase or otherwise decrease) the level of his or her Contributions, by filing with the Corporation, on such terms as the Committee (or its delegate) may prescribe, a new Participation Agreement that indicates such election. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, an election pursuant to this Section 7(d) shall be effective no earlier than the first payroll period that starts after the Corporation’s receipt of such election.

        (e)

        Withdrawal During an Offering Period. A Participant may terminate his or her Contributions during an Offering Period (and receive a distribution of the balance of his or her Account in accordance with Section 11) by completing and filing with the Corporation, in such form and on such terms as the Committee (or its delegate) may prescribe, a written withdrawal form which shall be signed by the Participant. Such termination shall be effective as soon as administratively practicable after its receipt by the Corporation. A withdrawal election pursuant to this Section 7(e) with respect to an Offering Period shall only be effective, however, if it is received by the Corporation prior to the Exercise Date of that Offering Period (or such earlier deadline that the Committee may reasonably require to process the withdrawal prior to the applicable Exercise Date). Partial withdrawals of Accounts are not permitted.

        (f)

        Leaves of Absence. During leaves of absence approved by the Corporation or a Participating Subsidiary, a Participant may continue participation in this Plan by cash payments to the Corporation on his normal paydays equal to the reduction in his Plan Contributions caused by his leave.

        8.

        GRANT OF OPTION

        (a)

        Grant Date; Number of Shares. On each Grant Date, each Eligible Employee who is a participant during that Offering Period shall be granted an Option to purchase a number of shares of Common Stock. The Option shall be exercised on the Exercise Date. The number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall be determined by dividing the Participant’s Account balance as of the applicable Exercise Date by the Exercise Price, subject to the limits set forth in Section 8(c).

        (b)

        Exercise Price. The Exercise Price per share of the shares subject to an Option for an Offering Period shall be the lesser of: (1) 85% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the applicable Grant Date; or (2) 85% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the applicable Exercise Date. The Committee may, however, provide prior to the start of an Offering Period that the Exercise Price per share of Common Stock for that Offering Period shall be determined (1) based on a different discount amount (as opposed to a full 15% discount as contemplated by the preceding sentence) provided that in no event shall the applicable discount amount be greater than 15%, and/or (2) based on the applicable discount amount applied to the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the applicable Grant Date or Exercise Date (as opposed to the lesser of the Fair Market Value of a share on the Grant Date or the Fair Market Value of a share on the Exercise date as contemplated

        B-4    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        by the preceding sentence). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding provisions of this Section 8(b), in no event shall the Exercise Price per share be less than the par value of a share of Common Stock.

        (c)

        Limits on Share Purchases. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein, no Option shall be granted under this Plan to the extent:

        (1)

        it would, if exercised, cause the person to own stock (within the meaning of Section 423 of the Code) possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Corporation or of any Subsidiary; or

        (2)

        it would, if exercised, cause the person to Beneficially Own or Constructively Own Equity Shares in excess of 5.0% of the lesser of the number or value of the then-outstanding Equity Shares, except as otherwise permitted in accordance with the Corporation’s charter.

        For purposes of the foregoing, a right to purchase stock accrues when it first become exercisable during the calendar year. In determining whether the stock ownership of an Eligible Employee equals or exceeds the 5% limit set forth above, the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code (relating to attribution of stock ownership) shall apply, and stock that the Eligible Employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as stock owned by the Eligible Employee.

        9.

        EXERCISE OF OPTION

        (a)

        Purchase of Shares. Unless a Participant withdraws pursuant to Section 7(e) or the Participant’s Plan participation is terminated as provided in Section 11, his or her Option for the purchase of shares of Common Stock shall be exercised automatically on the Exercise Date for that Offering Period, without any further action on the Participant’s part, and the maximum number of whole shares of Common Stock subject to such Option (subject to the limits of Section 8(c)) shall be purchased at the Exercise Price with the balance of such Participant’s Account.

        (b)

        Account Balance Remaining After Purchase. If any amount which is not sufficient to purchase a whole share remains in a Participant’s Account after the exercise of his or her Option on the Exercise Date: (1) such amount shall be credited to such Participant’s Account for the next Offering Period, if he or she is then a Participant; or (2) if such Participant is not a Participant in the next Offering Period, or if the Committee so elects, such amount shall be refunded to such Participant as soon as administratively practicable after such date. If the aggregate share limit of Section 4(a) is reached, any amount that remains in a Participant’s Account after the exercise of his or her Option on the Exercise Date to purchase the number of shares that he or she is allocated shall be refunded to the Participant as soon as administratively practicable after such date. If any amount which exceeds any of the limits set forth in Section 8(c) remains in a Participant’s Account after the exercise of his or her Option on the Exercise Date, such amount shall be refunded to the Participant as soon as administratively practicable after such date.

        10.

        DELIVERY OF SHARES

        As soon as administratively practicable after the Exercise Date, the Corporation shall, in its sole discretion, shall determinedeliver to each Participant a certificate representing the form in which payment shall be made of the amount determined under paragraph (a) above, either solely in cash, solely in shares of Common Stock (valued at Fair Market Value on the date ofpurchased upon exercise of his or her Option, provide for the Stock Appreciation Right), or partly increditing of such shares in book entry form in the name of the Participant, or provide for an alternative arrangement for the delivery of such shares to a broker or recordkeeping service for the benefit of the Participant. In the event the Corporation is required to obtain from any commission or agency authority to issue any such certificate or otherwise deliver such shares, the Corporation will seek to obtain such authority. If the Corporation is unable to obtain from any such commission or agency authority which counsel for the Corporation deems necessary for the lawful issuance of any such certificate or other delivery of such shares, or if for any other reason the Corporation cannot issue or deliver shares of Common Stock and partly in cash, providedsatisfy Section 21, the Corporation shall be relieved from liability to any Participant except that the CommitteeCorporation shall return to each Participant to whom such shares can not be issued or delivered the amount of the balance credited to his or her Account that would have determined thatotherwise been used for the purchase of such exercise and payment are consistent with applicable law. shares.

        11.

        TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT; CHANGE IN ELIGIBLE STATUS

        (a)

        General. Except as provided in Section 11(b) below, if a Participant ceases to be an Eligible Employee for any reason (including, without limitation, due to the Participant’s death, disability, quit, resignation or retirement, or due to a layoff or other termination of employment with or without cause), or if the Participant elects to withdraw from the Plan pursuant to Section 7(e), at any time prior to the last day of an Offering Period in which he or she participates, such Participant’s Account shall be paid to him or her (or, in the event of the Participant’s death, to the person or persons entitled thereto under Section 13) in cash, and such Participant’s Option and participation in the Plan shall automatically terminate as of the time that the Participant ceased to be an Eligible Employee.

        2021 PROXY STATEMENT    B-5


        (b)

        Change in Eligible Status; Leave. If a Participant (1) ceases to be an Eligible Employee during an Offering Period but remains an employee of the Corporation or a Subsidiary through the Exercise Date (for example, and without limitation, due to a change in the Participant’s employer from the Corporation or a Participating Subsidiary to a non-Participating Subsidiary, if the Participant’s employer ceases to maintain the Plan as a Participating Subsidiary but otherwise continues as a Subsidiary, or if the Participant’s customary level of employment no longer satisfies the requirements set forth in the definition of Eligible Employee), or (2) during an Offering Period commences a sick leave, family leave, military leave, or other leave of absence approved by the Corporation or a Participating Subsidiary, and the Participant is an employee of the Corporation or a Subsidiary or on such leave as of the applicable Exercise Date, such Participant’s Contributions shall cease (subject to Section 7(f)), and the Contributions previously credited to the Participant’s Account for that Offering Period shall be used to exercise the Participant’s Option as of the applicable Exercise Date in accordance with Section 9 (unless the Participant makes a timely withdrawal election in accordance with Section 7(e), in which case such Participant’s Account shall be paid to him or her in cash in accordance with the first paragraph of this Section 11(a)).

        (c)

        Re-Enrollment. A Participant’s termination from Plan participation precludes the Participant from again participating in this Plan during that Offering Period. However, such termination shall not have any effect upon his or her ability to participate in any succeeding Offering Period, provided that the applicable eligibility and participation requirements are again then met. A Participant’s termination from Plan participation shall be deemed to be a revocation of that Participant’s Participation Agreement and such Participant must file a new Participation Agreement to resume Plan participation in any succeeding Offering Period.

        (d)

        Change in Subsidiary Status. For purposes of this Plan, if a Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary, each person employed by that Subsidiary will be deemed to have terminated employment for purposes of this Plan, unless the person continues as an employee of the Corporation or another Subsidiary. For purposes of this Plan, if a Subsidiary ceases to be a Participating Subsidiary, each person employed by that Subsidiary will cease being an Eligible Employee, unless the person continues as an employee of the Corporation or another Participating Subsidiary.

        12.

        ADMINISTRATION

        (a)

        The Committee. The Board shall appoint the Committee, which shall be composed of not less than two members of the Board. The Board may, at any time, increase or decrease the number of members of the Committee, may remove from membership on the Committee all or any portion of its members, and may appoint such person or persons as it desires to fill any vacancy existing on the Committee, whether caused by removal, resignation, or otherwise. The Board may also, at any time, assume the administration of all or a part of this Plan, in which case references (or relevant references in the event the Board assumes the administration of only certain aspects of this Plan) to the “Committee” shall be deemed to be references to the Board. Action of the Committee with respect to this Plan shall be taken pursuant to a majority vote or by the unanimous written consent of its members. No member of the Committee shall be entitled to act on or decide any matter relating solely to himself or herself or solely to any of his or her rights or benefits under this Plan.

        (b)

        Powers and Duties of the Committee. Subject to the express provisions of this Plan, the Committee shall supervise and administer this Plan and shall have the full authority and discretion: (1) to construe and interpret this Plan and any agreements defining the rights and obligations of the Corporation, any Subsidiary, and Participants under this Plan; (2) to further define the terms used in this Plan; (3) to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the administration of this Plan; and (4) to make all other determinations and take such other action as contemplated by this Plan or as may be necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan or the effectuation of its purposes.

        (c)

        Decisions of the Committee are Binding. Any action taken by, or inaction of, the Corporation, any Subsidiary, the Board or the Committee relating or pursuant to this Plan and within its authority hereunder or under applicable law shall be within the absolute discretion of that entity or body and shall be conclusive and binding upon all persons.

        (d)

        Indemnification. Neither the Board nor any Committee, nor any member thereof or person acting at the direction thereof, shall be liable for any act, omission, interpretation, construction or determination made in good faith in connection with this Plan, and all such persons shall be entitled to indemnification and reimbursement by the Corporation in respect of any claim, loss, damage or expense (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees) arising or resulting therefrom to the fullest extent permitted by law and/or under any directors and officers liability insurance coverage that may be in effect from time to time.

        (e)

        Reliance on Experts. In making any determination or in taking or not taking any action under this Plan, the Committee or the Board, as the case may be, may obtain and may rely upon the advice of experts, including professional advisors to the Corporation. No director, officer or agent of the Corporation or any Subsidiary shall be liable for any such action or determination taken or made or omitted in good faith.

        B-6    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        (f)

        Delegation. The Committee may delegate ministerial, non-discretionary functions to individuals who are officers or employees of the Corporation or a Subsidiary.

        13.

        DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY

        If the Committee permits beneficiary designations with respect to this Plan, then each Participant may file, on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Committee (or its delegate), a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any shares or cash from or with respect to such Participant’s Account under this Plan in the event of such Participant’s death. If a Participant is married and the designated beneficiary is not solely his or her spouse, spousal consent shall be required for such designation to be effective unless it is established (to the satisfaction of the Committee or its delegate) that there is no spouse or that the spouse cannot be located. The Committee may rely on the last designation of a beneficiary filed by a Participant in accordance with this Plan. Beneficiary designations may be changed by the Participant to elect to receive cash(with the consent of his or shares (or a combination thereof)her spouse, if required) at any time on such exercise, any such election shall be subject to such conditions asforms provided and in the manner prescribed by the Committee may impose. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to(or its delegate).

        If a Participant dies with no validly designated beneficiary under this Plan who is living at the contrary, no Participant may receive Common Stock upon the exercisetime of a Stock Appreciation Right to the extent it will cause such person to Beneficially or Constructively Own Equity SharesParticipant’s death (or in excess of the Ownership Limit. In the event that a Participant exercises any portion of a Stock Appreciation Right which upon delivery of Common Stock would cause such Participant to Beneficially or Constructively Own Equity Shares in excess of the Ownership Limit,Committee does not permit beneficiary designations under this Plan), the Corporation shall have the right, notwithstanding any election granteddeliver all shares and/or cash payable pursuant to the terms hereof to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, byor if no such executor or administrator has been appointed, the Committee, toCorporation, in its discretion, may deliver a check such shares and/or cash to the Participant.

        4.    RESTRICTED STOCK AND STOCK UNIT AWARDS.

                    Subjectspouse or to any applicable limitations under applicable law, resolutionsone or more dependents or relatives of the Board,Participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Corporation, then to such other generally applicableperson as the Corporation may designate.

        If a Participant’s death occurs before the end of an Offering Period or subsequent to the end of an Offering Period but prior to the delivery to him or her or for his or her benefit of any shares deliverable under the terms and conditions of this Plan, and the Corporation has notice of the Participant’s death, then any shares purchased for that Offering Period and any remaining balance of such rulesParticipant’s Account shall be paid to such beneficiary (or such other person entitled to such payment pursuant to this Section 13). If the Committee permits beneficiary designations with respect to this Plan, any such designation shall have no effect with respect to shares purchased and proceduresactually delivered (or credited, as the Committeecase may establish from timebe) to time:or for the benefit of the Participant.

                    4.1    Grants.

        14.

        TRANSFERABILITY

                             (a)    Restricted Stock.    The Committee may, in its discretion, grant oneNeither Contributions credited to a Participant’s Account nor any Options or more Restricted Stock Awards to any Eligible Person. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement shall specify the number of shares of Common Stock to be issuedrights with respect to the Participant, the dateexercise of such issuance, the consideration for suchOptions or right to receive shares (but not less than the minimum lawful consideration under applicable law) by the Participant, the extent (if any) to which and the time (if ever) at which the Participant shall be entitled to dividends, voting and other rights in respect of the shares prior to vesting, and the restrictions (which may be based on performance criteria, passage of time or other

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        factors or any combination thereof) imposed on such shares and the conditions of release or lapse of such restrictions. Such restrictions shall not lapse earlier than six months after the Award Date, except to the extent the Committee may otherwise provide, such as in the case of Awards principally for services already rendered, or to the extent provided in an applicable agreement with the Participant. Stock certificates or book entries representing shares of Restricted Stock pending the lapse of the restrictions ("Restricted Shares") shall bear a legend or notation making appropriate reference to the restrictions imposed hereunder and (if in certificate form) shall be held by the Corporation or by a third party designated by the Committee until the restrictions on such shares shall have lapsed and the shares shall have vested in accordance with the provisions of the Award and Section 1.7. Upon issuance of the Restricted Stock Award, the Participant may be required to provide such further assurance and documents as the Committee may require to enforce the restrictions.

                             (b)    Stock Units.    The Committee may, in its discretion, authorize and grant to any Eligible Person a Stock Unit Award or the crediting of Stock Units for services rendered or to be rendered or in lieu of other compensation, consistent with other applicable terms of this Plan may permit an Eligible Person to irrevocably elect to defer by means of Stock Units or receive in Stock Units all or a portion of any Award hereunder, or may grant Stock Units in lieu of, in exchange for, in respect of, or in addition to any other compensation or Award under this Plan. The specific terms, conditions, and provisions relating to each Stock Unit grant or election, including the applicable vesting and payout provisions of the Stock Units and the form of payment to be made at or following the vesting thereof, shall be set forth in or pursuant to the applicable agreement or Award and any relevant Company bonus, performance or other service or deferred compensation plan, in form substantially as approved by the Committee.

                             (c)    Payouts.    The Committee in the applicable Award Agreement or the relevant Company deferred compensation plan may permit the Participant to elect the form and time of payout of vested Stock Units on such conditions or subject to such procedures as the Committee may impose, and may permit or require Restricted Stock or Stock Unit offsets or other provision for payment of any applicable taxes that may be due on the crediting, vesting or payment in respect of the Stock Units in accordance with Section 6.5.

                    4.2    Restrictions.

                             (a)    Pre-Vesting Restraints.    Except as provided in Section 4.1 and 1.8, Restricted Shares comprising any Restricted Stock Award and rights in respect of Stock Unit Awards may not be sold,anticipated, alienated, encumbered, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of or encumbered, either voluntarily or involuntarily, untilin any way (other than by will, the restrictions on Restricted Shares have lapsedlaws of descent and the shares issuable pursuant to the Stock Unit Award have been issued.

                             (b)    Dividend and Voting Rights.    Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant receiving a Restricted Stock Award shall be entitled to dividend and voting rights for all shares issued even though they are not vested, provided that such rights shall terminate immediately as to any Restricted Shares that cease to be eligible for vesting. Restricted Stock Awards (to the extent not also entitled to receive dividends) and Stock Unit Awards may include Dividend Equivalent Rights to the extent authorized by the Committee,distribution, or as provided in Section 5.6.

                             (c)    Payments.    If13) by the Participant shall have paid or received cash, sharesParticipant. Any such attempt at anticipation, alienation, encumbrance, assignment, transfer, pledge or other property (including any payments in respect of dividends) in connection with the Restricted Stock Award or Stock Unit Award, the Award Agreementdisposition shall specify the extent (if any) to which suchbe without effect and all amounts shall be returned (withpaid and all shares shall be delivered in accordance with the provisions of this Plan. Amounts payable or without an earnings factor) asshares deliverable pursuant to any Restricted Sharesthis Plan shall be paid or Stock Unit Awards which ceasedelivered only to be eligible for vesting.

                    4.3    Return to the Corporation.    

                    Unless the Committee otherwise expressly provides, Restricted Shares or Stock Units that remain subject to conditions to vesting upon restrictions at the time of termination of employment or service or are subject to other conditions to vesting that have not been satisfied by the time specified(or credited in the applicable Award Agreement shall not vest and shall be returned to the Corporation or cancelled,name of, as the case may be, unless the Committee otherwise provides in or by amendment to the applicable terms of the Award.

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        Table of Contents

        5.    PERFORMANCE SHARE AWARDS, OTHER STOCK AWARDS AND DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS.    

                    5.1    Grants of Performance Share Awards.    

                             Subject to Section 6.4, the Committee may, in its discretion, grant Performance Share Awards to Eligible Persons based upon such factors as the Committee shall deem relevant in light of the specific type and terms of the award. An Award Agreement shall specify the maximum number of shares of Common Stock (if any) subject to the Performance Share Award, the consideration (but not less than the minimum lawful consideration and subject to any limitations under applicable law, resolutions of the Board, other generally applicable terms and conditions of this Plan) to be paid for any such shares as may be issuable tobe) the Participant the duration of the Award and the conditions upon which delivery of any shares, cash or, other property to the Participant shall be based. The amount of cash or shares or other property that may be deliverable pursuant to such Award shall be based upon the degree of attainment over a specified period of not more than 10 years (a "performance cycle") as may be established by the Committee of such measure(s) of the performance of the Company (or any part thereof) or the Participant as may be established by the Committee. The Committee may provide for full or partial credit, prior to completion of such performance cycle or the attainment of the performance achievement specified in the Award, in the event of the Participant'sParticipant’s death, Retirement, Total Disability, a Change in Control Eventthe Participant’s beneficiary pursuant to Section 13.

        15.

        USE OF FUNDS; INTEREST

        All Contributions received or in such other circumstances as the Committee may determine.

                    5.2    Special Performance-Based Awards.    

                             (a)    General Provisions.    Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and in addition to qualifying awards granted under other provisions of this Plan (i.e. Options or SARs granted with an exercise price not less than Fair Market Value at the applicable date of grant for Section 162(m) purposes to Eligible Employees ("Presumptively Qualifying Awards")), the Committee may authorize and grant to any Eligible Employee, other cash or stock-related performance-based awards, including "performance-based" awards within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code ("Performance-Based Awards"), whether in the form of restricted stock, stock appreciation rights, performance stock, phantom stock, stock units, Dividend Equivalent Rights ("DERs"), or other rights, whether or not related to stock values or appreciation, and whether payable in cash, Common Stock or a combination thereof. If the Award (other than a Presumptively Qualifying Award) is intended as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, the vesting or payment thereof will depend on the performance of the Company on a consolidated, Subsidiary, segment, division, region or property basis, measured on an absolute basis or relative to other companies, an index, or other benchmark, with reference to performance goals relative to one or more of the following business criteria (the "criterion"): funds from operations, EBITDA, stock appreciation, total stockholder return, total revenue growth, net income, net operating income growth, occupancy gains, releasing spreads, square footage growth, sales per square foot growth, same center net operating income growth, gross operating margin improvement, and improvement in balance sheet metrics. To qualify Awards as performance-based under Section 162(m), the applicable business criteria and specific performance goal or goals ("targets") must be established and approvedheld by the Committee during the first 90 days of the applicable performance period (or before one-quarter of the performance measurement period has elapsed, if such period is less than one year) and while the performance relating to such targets remains substantially uncertain within the meaning thereof. To the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement, performance targets shall be adjusted to exclude the impact of an event or occurrence which the Committee determines should appropriately be excluded, including: (i) restructurings, discontinued operations, and other unusual or nonrecurring gains and losses, (ii) an event not directly related to the operations of the Company, Subsidiary, segment, division, region, or property, (iii) the cumulative effects of tax or accounting changes, or (iv) other events not foreseen at the time the targets were set. The applicable performance measurement period may be not less than three months nor more than 10 years.

                             (b)    Maximum Award.    Grants or awards under this Section 5.2 may be paid in cash or stock or any combination thereof. In no event shall grants of stock-related Awards (other than Options and Stock Appreciation Rights) made in any calendar year to any Eligible EmployeeCorporation under this Plan relatewill be included in the general assets of the Corporation and may be used for any corporate purpose. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein to more than 1,000,000 shares, subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 6.2. Inthe contrary, no event shall grants madeinterest will be paid to any Eligible Employee under this

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        Plan of Awards payable only in cash and not relatedParticipant or credited to stock provide for payment of more than (x) $3,000,000, times (y) the applicable number of years (not more than 10) to which the Awards relate in the performance periods. If an Award pursuant to this Section 5.2 is payable in cashhis or restricted shares, the lesser of the share limit or the dollar limit of this Section 5.2(b) shall apply.

                             (c)    Committee Certification.    Except as otherwise permitted to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m), before any Performance-Based Award under this Section 5.2 is paid, the Committee must certify that the performance standard, target(s), and the other material terms of the Performance-Based Award were in fact satisfied.

                             (d)    Terms and Conditions of Awards.    The Committee will have discretion to determine the restrictions or other limitations of the individual Awards under this Section 5.2, including the authority to reduce Awards, to determine payout schedules and the extent of vesting or to pay no Awards, in its sole discretion,if the Committee preserves such authority at the time of grant by language to this effect in its authorizing resolutions or otherwise. The Committee may provide that in the event a Participant terminates employment or service for any one or more reason during a Plan Year, the Participant shall forfeit all rights to any Award for the Plan Year.

                             (e)    Expiration of Grant Authority.    As required pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder, the Committee's authority to grant new awards that are intended to qualify as performance-based compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code (other than Presumptively Qualifying Awards) shall terminate upon the first meeting of the Corporation's stockholders that occurs in the fifth year following the year in which the Corporation's stockholders first approve this Plan, subject to any subsequent extension that may be approved by stockholders.

                    5.3    Grants of Stock Bonuses and Other Awards.

                             Subject to Section 6.4, the Committee may grant a Stock Bonus to any Eligible Person to reward services, contributions or achievements, or in connection with the deferral of compensation, the value of which shall be determined by the Committee, in the manner and on such terms and conditions (including restrictions on such shares, if any) as determined from time to time by the Committee. The number of shares so awarded shall be determined by the Committee. The Award may be granted independently or in lieu of a cash bonus.

                    5.4    Deferred Payments.    

                             The Committee may authorize for the benefit of any Eligible Person the deferral of any payment of cash or shares or other property that may become due or of cash otherwise payableher Account under this Plan and provide for accretions to benefits thereon based upon such deferment (including, but not limited to a greater nominal value in shares than in cash(in respect of Account balances, refunds of Account balances, or an allowance for interest, dividend equivalents or appreciation rights) at the election or at the request of such Participant or as a mandatory basis as a condition of the Award, subject to the other terms of this Plan. Such deferral shall be subject to such further conditions, restrictions or requirements as the Committee may impose, subject to any then vested rights of Participants.

                    5.5    Limitations on Awardsotherwise).

                             Notwithstanding the provisions of this Article 5, in no case may any Award of shares be granted to the extent that it will cause an Eligible Person to Beneficially or Constructively Own Equity Shares in excess of the Ownership Limit.

                    5.6    Dividend Equivalent Rights.    

                             In its discretion, the Committee may grant to any Eligible Person DERs concurrently with the grant of any Award on such terms as set forth by the Committee in the Award Agreement. DERs shall be based on all or part of the amount of dividends declared on shares of Common Stock and shall be paid or credited as of dividend payment dates, during the period between the date of grant (or such later date as the Committee may set) and the date the Award is settled or expires (or such earlier date as the Committee may set), as determined by the Committee. DERs shall be payable in cash, shares or other property, or (to the extent permitted by law) may be

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        subject to such conditions, not inconsistent with Section 162(m) (in the case of Options or SARs, or other Awards intended to satisfy its conditions with respect to deductibility), as may be determined by the Committee.

                    5.7    Operating Partnership Units or other Convertible Units.    

                             The Committee may authorize for the benefit of any Eligible Person the issuance of Common Stock or the payment of cash in connection with, or upon exercise, conversion or exchange of, operating partnership units (both full value and appreciation only), phantom units or other interests in Subsidiaries that are issued by the Subsidiary with the Committee's approval and any required Board approval and that are convertible or exchangeable into Common Stock, units or cash.

                    5.8    Alternative Payments.    

                             The Committee may require or allow all or a portion of an Award under this Article 5 to be paid or credited in the form of shares of Common Stock, Restricted Shares, Stock Units, an Option or other Award.

        6.    OTHER PROVISIONS.

                    6.1    Rights of Eligible Persons, Participants and Beneficiaries.

                             (a)    Employment Status.    Status as an Eligible Person shall not be construed as a commitment that any Award will be made under this Plan to an Eligible Person or to Eligible Persons generally.

                             (b)    No Employment/Service Agreement.    Nothing contained in this Plan (or in any other documents under this Plan or in any Award) shall confer upon any Eligible Employee or other Participant any right to continue in the employ or other service of the Company, constitute any contract or agreement of employment or other service or affect an employee's status as an employee at will, nor shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company to change a person's compensation or other benefits, or to terminate his or her employment or other service, with or without cause. Nothing in this Section, however, is intended to adversely affect any express independent right of such person under a separate employment or other agreement other than an Award Agreement.

                             (c)    Plan Not Funded.    AwardsAmounts payable under this Plan shall be payable in shares of Common Stock or from the general assets of the Company,Corporation and, (except as provided in Section 1.4)except for any shares that may be reserved on the books of the Corporation for issuance with respect to this Plan, no special or separate reserve, fund or deposit shall be made to assure payment of amounts that may be due with respect to this Plan.

        16.

        REPORTS

        Statements shall be provided to Participants as soon as administratively practicable following each Exercise Date. Each Participant’s statement shall set forth, as of such Awards. No Participant, Beneficiary or other person shall have any right, title or interest in any fund or in any specific asset (including shares of Common Stock, except as expressly otherwise provided) of the Company by reason of any Award hereunder. Neither the provisions of this Plan (or of any related documents), nor the creation or adoption of this Plan, nor any action taken pursuantExercise Date, that Participant’s Account balance immediately prior to the provisionsexercise of this Plan shall create,his or be construed to create, a trusther Option, the Exercise Price, the number of any kindwhole shares purchased and his or a fiduciary relationship between the Company and any Participant, Beneficiary or other person. To the extent that a Participant, Beneficiary or other person acquires a right to receive payment pursuant to any Award hereunder, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company.her remaining Account balance, if any.

                    6.2    Adjustments; Acceleration.2021 PROXY STATEMENT    B-7

                             (a)    Adjustments.    


        17.

        ADJUSTMENTS OF AND CHANGES IN THE STOCK

        Upon or in contemplation of:of any reclassification, recapitalization, stock split (including a stock dividendsplit in the form of a stock dividend), or reverse stock split (collectively, a "stock split");split; any merger, combination, consolidation, or other reorganization; any spin-off, split-up, spin-off,or any similar extraordinary dividend distribution in respect of the Common Stock (whether in the form of securities or property); any exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Corporation, or any similar, unusual or extraordinary corporate transaction in respect of the Common Stock; or a sale of all or substantially all the assets of the Corporation as an entirety;entirety occurs; then the Committee shall:

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              property deliverable upon exercise of any or all outstanding Awards, or (e) (subject to limitations under Section 6.10(c)) the performance standards appropriate to any or all outstanding Awards, orcircumstances:

               (ii)    make provision for a cash payment or for the assumption, substitution or exchange of any or all outstanding share-based Awards or the cash, securities or property deliverable to the holder of any or all outstanding share-based Awards, based upon the distribution or consideration payable to holders of the outstanding Common Stock upon or in respect of such event.

        (a)

        proportionately adjust any or all of (1) the number and type of shares or the number and type of other securities that thereafter may be made the subject of Options (including the specific maximum numbers of shares set forth elsewhere in this Plan), (2) the number, amount and type of shares (or other securities or property) subject to any or all outstanding Options, (3) the Exercise Price of any or all outstanding Options, or (4) the securities, cash or other property deliverable upon exercise of any outstanding Options; or

        (b)

        make provision for a cash payment or for the substitution or exchange of any or all outstanding Options for cash, securities or property to be delivered to the holders of any or all outstanding Options based upon the distribution or consideration payable to holders of the Common Stock upon or in respect of such event.

        The Committee may adopt such valuation methodologies for outstanding AwardsOptions as it deems reasonable in the event of a cash or property settlement and, in the case of Options, SARs or similar rights, but without limitation on other methodologies, may base such settlementsolely upon the excess if any(if any) of the per share amount payable upon or in respect of such event over the exercise priceExercise Price of the Award, unless otherwise provided in, or by authorized amendment to, the Award Agreement or provided in another applicable agreement with the Participant.

        The Committee shall also make equitable or proportionate adjustments in the number of shares subject to outstanding Awards and the exercise price and/or the terms of outstanding Awards to take into account cash or stock dividends declared and paid other than in the ordinary course to the extent determined to be necessary by the Committee to avoid distortion in the value of the Awards. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Section 6.2(a), no adjustment shall be required if such action would cause an Award to fail to satisfy the conditions of any applicable exception from the requirements of Section 409A of the Code or otherwise would subject a participant to the additional tax imposed under Section 409A of the Code in respect of an outstanding Award.Option.

        In any of such events, the Committee may take such action sufficiently prior to such event to the extent that the Committee deems the action necessary to permit the Participant to realize the benefits intended to be conveyed with respect to the underlying shares in the same manner as is or will be available to stockholders generally. In

        18.

        POSSIBLE EARLY TERMINATION OF PLAN AND OPTIONS

        Upon a dissolution of the Corporation, or any other event described in Section 17 that the Corporation does not survive or does not survive as a publicly-traded company in respect of its Common Stock, as the case may be, the Plan and, if prior to the last day of an Offering Period, any stock split, if no action is taken by the Committee, the proportionate adjustments contemplated by clause (a)(i) above shall nevertheless be made.

        It is intended that, if possible, any adjustments contemplated by the preceding provisions of this Section 6.2(a) be made in a manner that satisfies applicable U.S. legal, tax (including, without limitation and as applicable in the circumstances, Section 424 of the Code, Section 409A of the Code and Section 162(m) of the Code) and accounting (so as to not trigger any charge to earningsoutstanding Option granted with respect to such adjustment) requirements.

        Without limiting the generality of Section 1.2(c),that Offering Period shall terminate, subject to any good faith determinationprovision that has been expressly made by the Committee as to whether an adjustmentBoard for the survival, substitution, assumption, exchange or other settlement of the Plan and Options. In the event a Participant’s Option is required in the circumstancesterminated pursuant to this Section 6.2(a), and the extent and nature of any such adjustment, shall be conclusive and binding on all persons.

                             (b)    Automatic Termination upon Settlement.    Without limiting the authority of the Company under Section 6.2(a) or (c), if18 without a provision hashaving been made by the CommitteeBoard for the assumption,a substitution, exchange or other settlement (each of the foregoing,Option, such Participant’s Account shall be paid to him or her in cash without interest.

        19.

        TERM OF PLAN; AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION

        (a)

        Restatement Effective. Subject to Section 19(b), this amendment and restatement of the Plan shall become effective as of the Restatement Date.

        (b)

        Stockholder Approval. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein to the contrary, the effectiveness of this amendment and restatement of the Plan is subject to the approval of this Plan by the stockholders of the Corporation. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein to the contrary, no shares of Common Stock shall be issued or delivered under this Plan with respect to any Offering Period beginning on or after the Restatement Date unless such stockholder approval is obtained on or before the Exercise Date of such Offering Period. If such stockholder approval is not obtained prior to such Exercise Date, all Contributions credited to a Participant’s Account hereunder for such Offering Period shall be refunded to such Participant (without interest) as soon as practicable.

        (c)

        Termination. Unless sooner terminated pursuant to Section 18 or this Section 19, this Plan shall terminate at the end of the Offering Period in which all of the shares of Common Stock made available under this Plan are subscribed, and the shares available shall be allocated for purchase by Participants in that Offering Period on a pro-rata basis determined with respect to Participants’ Account balances.

        (d)

        Board Amendment Authority. The Board may, at any time, terminate or, from time to time, amend, modify or suspend this Plan, in whole or in part and without notice. Stockholder approval for any amendment or modification shall not be required, except to the extent required by applicable law or listing agency, or deemed necessary or advisable by the Board. No Options may be granted during any suspension of this Plan or after the termination of this Plan, but the Committee will retain jurisdiction as to

        B-8    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        Options then outstanding in accordance with the terms of this Plan. No amendment, modification, or termination pursuant to this Section 19(d) shall, without written consent of the Participant, affect in any manner materially adverse to the Participant any rights or benefits of such Participant or obligations of the Corporation under any Option granted under this Plan prior to the effective date of such change. Changes contemplated by Section 17 or Section 18 shall not be deemed to constitute changes or amendments requiring Participant consent.

        (e)

        Corporation Designation of Participating Subsidiaries. Notwithstanding the amendment provisions of Section 19(d) and without limiting the Board’s authority thereunder and without limiting the Committee’s authority pursuant to any other provision of this Plan, the Corporation through its officers shall have the right to designate from time to time which of the Subsidiaries are Participating Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any Subsidiary that may first become such after the date stockholders first approve this Plan). Any such change shall not take effect earlier than the first Offering Period that starts on or after the effective date of such change. Any such change shall not require stockholder approval, except to the extent required by law or applicable stock exchange rules or as deemed necessary or advisable by the Board.

        20.

        NOTICES

        All notices or other communications by a "settlement") or continuation of at least the vested portion of an outstanding Award pursuant to Section 6.2(a) upon or in anticipation of either (i) a Change in Control Event approved by the Board, or (ii) a reorganization event which the Company does not survive (or does not survive as a public company in respect of its outstanding common stock) then (subject, however,Participant to the terms of such settlement or continuation and any specific terms of the Award or another applicable written agreement to the contrary) the prior outstanding Award shall terminate upon consummation of the event to the extent so provided.

                             (c)    Double Trigger Change in Control Acceleration of Awards.    The following shall apply to Awards (or replacement awards) heldCorporation contemplated by any Participant immediately prior to the occurrence of a Qualified Termination upon or not later than 24 months following a Change in Control Event:

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        A "Qualified Termination" for these purposes (i) includes any termination of employment by the Company (other than for Cause or because of the Participant's death or Total Disability), subject to the actual occurrence of the Change in Control Event, (ii) may include a constructive termination by the Company (such as a termination by the Participant for specified reasons), and (iii) may be deemed (subject to actual occurrence of the Change in Control Event before expiration or other termination of the Award) to include any such termination by the Company in express contemplation of a publicly announced Change in Control Event.

                    If Awards are not assumed, continued, or replaced in connection with a Change in Control Event, the foregoing subsections (i) through (iii) shall apply to such Awards.

                    The Committee may override the provisions regarding acceleration in this Section 6.2(c) by express provision in the Award Agreement or otherwise and may accord any Eligible Person a right to refuse any acceleration, whether pursuant to the Award Agreement or otherwise, in such circumstances as the Committee may approve. Any acceleration of Awards shall comply with applicable legal requirements and, if necessary to accomplish the purposes of the acceleration or if the circumstances require, may be deemed by the Committee to occur (subject to Section 6.2(d)), immediately prior to the event.

                             (d)    Limitation on Award Adjustments.    To the extent limited by Section 162(m) in the case of an Award intended as a performance-based award for purposes of Section 162(m) and necessary to assure deductibility of the compensation payable under the Award, the Committee shall have no discretion under this Plan (i) to increase the amount of compensation or the number of shares that would otherwise be due upon the attainment of the applicable performance goal or the exercise of the option or SAR or (ii) to waive the achievement of any applicable performance goal as a condition to receiving a benefit or right under an Award.

                             (e)    No Extension Beyond Expiration.    Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall an Award be reinstated or extended beyond its final expiration date.

                             (f)    Possible Rescission of Acceleration.    If the vesting of an Award has been accelerated expressly in anticipation of an event or upon stockholder approval of an event and the Committee or the Board later determines that the event will not occur, the Committee may rescind the effect of the acceleration as to any then outstanding and unexercised or otherwise unvested Awards.

                             (g)    Terminology.    As used in this Section 6.2 and without limiting the authority of the Board in other contexts, the term "Committee" includes alternatively, the Board.

                    6.3    Effect of Termination of Service on Awards.

                             (a)    General.    Subject to Section 2.5, the Committee shall establish the effect of a termination of employment or service on the rights and benefits under each Award under this Plan and in so doing may make distinctions based upon, inter alia, the cause of termination and type of Award. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or other provision of this Plan or another written agreement with the Participant, the Severance Date shall be the later of (1) the date of termination (for any reason whatsoever) of the Participant's employment by the Company, in the case of an Award granted to an employee; (2) the date of termination of directorship in the case of an Award granted to or held by a director (or former employee continuing in service as a director); or (3) the date of termination of services to the Company, as determined by the Committee, in the case of an Other Eligible Person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may authorize by express provision in or amendment to an Award an extension of the date of termination of the Award if a person's status after grant changes from one eligible category to another, or in other circumstances that the Committee deems appropriate.

                             (b)    Termination of Consulting or Affiliate Services.    If the Participant is not an Eligible Employee or Non-Employee Director and provides services as an Other Eligible Person, the Committee shall be the sole judge of whether the Participant continues to render services to the Company, unless a written agreement with the Participant or the Award otherwise provides. If in these circumstances the Company notifies the Participant in writing that a termination of services of the Participant for purposes of this Plan has occurred, then (unless the written agreement or Award otherwise expressly provides), the Participant's termination of services for purposes of Section 2.5, 3, 4.3 or 5 shall be the date which is 10 days after the Company's mailing of the notice or, in the case of a termination for Cause, the date of the mailing of the notice.

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                             (c)    Effect on Unvested Awards.    Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement and subject to the other provisions of this Plan, a Restricted Stock Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Performance Share Award, or Stock Unit Award, to the extent such Award has not become exercisable, or vested, as the case may be, as of the applicable Severance Date, shall terminate on the Severance Date without further payment or benefit of any kind; and any Option theretofore outstanding and not exercisable shall terminate. Vested Options and any related SARs are further subject to the provisions of Section 2.5.

                             (d)    Events Not Deemed Terminations of Service.    Unless Company policy or the Committee otherwise provides, the employment relationship shall not be considered terminated in the case of (i) sick leave, (ii) military leave, or (iii) any other leave of absence authorized by the Company or the Committee; provided that unless reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or law, such leave is for a period of not more than 90 days. In the case of any Eligible Employee on an approved leave of absence, continued vesting of the Award while on leave from the employ of the Company may be suspended until the employee returns to service, unless the Committee otherwise provides or applicable law otherwise requires. In no event shall an Award be exercised after the expiration of the term set forth in the Award Agreement.

                             (e)    Effect of Change of Subsidiary Status.    For purposes of this Plan and any Award, if an entity ceases to be a Subsidiary an involuntary termination of employment or service shall be deemed to have occurred with respect to each Eligible Personbeen duly given when received in respect of the Subsidiary who does not continue as an Eligible Person in respect of another entity withinform and manner specified by the Company after giving effect toCommittee (or its delegate) at the Subsidiary's change of status.

                    6.4    Compliance with Laws.location, or by the person, designated by the Committee (or its delegate) for that purpose.

         

        21.

        CONDITIONS UPON ISSUANCE OF SHARES

        This Plan, the granting and vesting of AwardsOptions under this Plan and the offer, issuance and delivery of shares of Common Stock and/or the payment of money under this Plan or under Awards are subject to compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations (including but not limited to state and federal securities law),laws) and to such approvals by any listing, regulatory or governmental authority as may, in the opinion of counsel for the Company,Corporation, be necessary or advisable in connection therewith. The person acquiring any securities under this Plan will, if requested by the Company,Corporation and as a condition precedent to the exercise of his or her Option, provide such assurances and representations to the CompanyCorporation as the Committee may deem necessary or desirable to assure compliance with all applicable legal and accounting requirements.

        22.

        PLAN CONSTRUCTION

        (a)

        Section 16. It is the intent of the Corporation that transactions involving Options under this Plan (other than “Discretionary Transactions” as that term is defined in Rule 16b-3(b)(1) promulgated by the Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, to the extent there are any Discretionary Transactions under this Plan), in the case of Participants who are or may be subject to the prohibitions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, satisfy the requirements for exemption under Rule 16b-3(c) promulgated by the Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act to the maximum extent possible. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall have no liability to any Participant for Section 16 consequences of Options or other events with respect to this Plan.

        (b)

        Section 423. This Plan and Options are not intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Code. Nevertheless, all Participants are to have the same rights and privileges (within the meaning of Section 423(b)(5) of the Code) under this Plan, subject to differences in Compensation among Participants and subject to the Contribution and share limits of this Plan.

        (c)

        Interpretation. If any provision of this Plan or of any Option would otherwise frustrate or conflict with the intents expressed above, that provision to the extent possible shall be interpreted so as to avoid such conflict. If the conflict remains irreconcilable, the Committee may disregard the provision if it concludes that to do so furthers the interest of the Corporation and is consistent with the purposes of this Plan as to such persons in the circumstances.

        23.

        EMPLOYEES’ RIGHTS

        (a)

        No Employment Rights. Nothing in this Plan (or in any Participation Agreement or other document related to this Plan) will confer upon any Eligible Employee or Participant any right to continue in the employ or other service of the Corporation or any Subsidiary, constitute any contract or agreement of employment or other service or effect an employee’s status as an employee at will, nor shall interfere in any way with the right of the Corporation or any Subsidiary to change such person’s compensation or other benefits or to terminate his or her employment or other service, with or without cause. Nothing contained in this Section 23(a), however, is intended to adversely affect any express independent right of any such person under a separate employment or service contract other than a Participation Agreement.

                    6.5    Tax Matters.2021 PROXY STATEMENT    B-9


        (b)

        No Rights to Assets of the Corporation. No Participant or other person will have any right, title or interest in any fund or in any specific asset (including shares of Common Stock) of the Corporation or any Subsidiary by reason of any Option hereunder. Neither the provisions of this Plan (or of any Participation Agreement or other document related to this Plan), nor the creation or adoption of this Plan, nor any action taken pursuant to the provisions of this Plan will create, or be construed to create, a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Corporation or any Subsidiary and any Participant, Beneficiary or other person. To the extent that a Participant, Beneficiary or other person acquires a right to receive payment pursuant to this Plan, such right will be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Corporation.

         Upon any exercise, vesting, or payment of any Award or upon

        (c)

        No Stockholder Rights. A Participant will not be entitled to any privilege of stock ownership as to any shares of Common Stock not actually delivered to and held of record by the Participant. No adjustment will be made for dividends or other rights as a stockholder for which a record date is prior to such date of delivery.

        24.

        MISCELLANEOUS

        (a)

        Governing Law. This Plan, the Options, Participation Agreements and other documents related to this Plan shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Maryland.

        (b)

        Severability. If any provision shall be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid and unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Plan shall continue in effect.

        (c)

        Captions and Headings. Captions and headings are given to the sections of this Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference. Such captions and headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction of interpretation of this Plan or any provision hereof.

        (d)

        No Affect on Other Plans or Corporate Authority. The adoption of this Plan shall not affect any other Corporation or Subsidiary compensation or incentive plans in effect. Nothing in this Plan will limit or be deemed to limit the authority of the Board or Committee (1) to establish any other forms of incentives or compensation for employees of the Corporation or any Subsidiary (with or without reference to the Common Stock), or (2) to grant or assume options (outside the scope of and in addition to those contemplated by this Plan) in connection with any proper corporate purpose; to the extent consistent with any other plan or authority. Benefits received by a Participant under an Option granted pursuant to this Plan shall not be deemed a part of the Participant’s compensation for purposes of the determination of benefits under any other employee welfare or benefit plans or arrangements, if any, provided by the Corporation or any Subsidiary, except where the Committee or the Board (or the Board of Directors of the Subsidiary that sponsors such plan or arrangement, as applicable) expressly otherwise provides or authorizes in writing.

        (e)

        Electronic and Telephonic Media. Notwithstanding any provisions contained herein to the contrary requiring the submission of forms and elections in the form of a writing signed by the Participant in order to be effective, the Committee (or its delegate) may require or permit Participant (or Beneficiary, as the context may require) elections and/or consents under this Plan to be made by means of such electronic or telephonic media as the Committee may prescribe. A Participant’s participation election, request to withdraw from participation or other form of election permitted by electronic or telephonic media under this Plan by the Committee (or its delegate) shall be deemed to constitute the submission of a writing signed by the Participant for purposes of this Plan only if timely processed. Reasonable efforts will be used to process electronic or telephonic media consents and elections made under this Plan. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence or anything else in this Plan to the contrary, neither the Corporation, the Committee (or its delegate), nor any other person guarantees that any consent or election will be so processed. However, the Committee (or its delegate) may accept consents and elections that are not timely processed and retroactively implement such consents or elections in the event that and to the extent that the failure of timely processing was due to system error or other event not reasonably within the control of the Participant, as the Committee (or its delegate) determines in its sole discretion. The Committee (or its delegate) may adopt new or alternative rules for electronic or telephonic media consents and elections as it deems appropriate in its sole and complete discretion (including, without limitation, eliminating any electronic or telephonic media system and re-implementing a requirement of written forms in all cases). In order to be effective, each consent and/or election must be made in accordance with such other rules as the Committee may prescribe. The provisions of this Section 24(e) shall not affect the requirement that Beneficiary designations be in writing in accordance with Section 13.

        B-10    2021 PROXY STATEMENT


        25.

        TAX WITHHOLDING

        Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Plan herein to the disposition ofcontrary, the Corporation may withhold from the shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to be delivered to a Participant as of an Exercise Date, as a result of the exercise of an Incentive Stockthe Participant’s Option prior to satisfaction ofon such date, the holding period requirements of Section 422 of the Code, the Company shall have the right at its option to (i) require the Participant (or Personal Representative or Beneficiary, as the case may be) to pay or provide for payment of at least the minimum amount of taxes (if any) that the Corporation reasonably determines it or any taxes which the CompanySubsidiary may be required to withhold with respect to such Awardexercise. In such event, the maximum number of whole shares subject to such Option (subject to the other limits set forth in this Plan) shall be purchased at the Exercise Price with the Participant’s Account balance, and the number of shares withheld shall be the number of whole shares having a Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date equal to (or exceeding by less than the Fair Market Value of one share) the tax withholding amount.

        Should the Corporation for any reason be unable, or elect not to, satisfy its or any Subsidiary’s tax withholding obligations in the manner described in the preceding paragraph with respect to a Participant’s exercise of an Option, the Corporation or Subsidiary, as the case may be, shall have the right at its option to (1) require the Participant to pay or provide for payment or (ii) deduct from any amount payable in cashof the minimum amount of any taxes which the Company may beCorporation or Subsidiary reasonably determines that it or any affiliate is required to withhold with respect to such cash payment. Inevent or (2) deduct from any case where a taxamount otherwise payable to or for the account of the Participant the amount of any taxes which the Corporation or Subsidiary reasonably determines that it or any affiliate is required to be withheld in connection with the delivery of shares of Common Stock under this Plan, the Committee may in its sole discretion (subject to Section 6.4) require or grant (either at the time of the Award or thereafter) to the Participant the right to elect, pursuant to such rules and subject to such conditions as the Committee may establish, that the Corporation reduce the number of shares to be delivered by (or otherwise reacquire) the appropriate number of shares, valued in a consistent manner at their Fair Market Value or at the sales price in accordance with authorized procedures for cashless exercises, necessary to satisfy the minimum applicable withholding obligation on exercise, vesting or payment. In no event shall the shares withheld exceed the minimum number required for tax withholding under applicable law. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the Company may permit tax withholding in shares in excess of the statutory minimum provided the accounting rules under ASC 718 will not result in liability classification of the awards under the rules.

                    6.6    Plan and Award Amendments, Termination and Suspension.

                             (a)    Board Authorization.    The Board may, at any time, terminate or, from time to time, amend, modify or suspend this Plan, in whole or in part. No Awards may be granted during any suspension of this Plan or

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        after termination of this Plan, but the Committee shall retain jurisdiction as to Awards then outstanding in accordance with the terms of this Plan.

                             (b)    Stockholder Approval.    To the extent then required under Section 1.2(b) of the Plan, Sections 162, 422 or 424 of the Code or any other applicable law or listing agency, or deemed necessary or advisable by the Board, any amendment to this Plan shall be subject to stockholder approval.

                             (c)    Amendments to Awards.    Without limiting any other express authority of the Committee under (but subject to) the express limits of this Plan, the Committee by agreement or resolution may waive conditions of or limitations on Awards to Participants that the Committee in the prior exercise of its discretion has imposed, without the consent of a Participant, and (subject to the requirements of Sections 1.2(b), 1.6 and 6.6(d) and subject to the resolutions of the Board approving the Plan) may make other changes to the terms and conditions of Awards, including without limitation, providing for shorter vesting periods or longer exercise periods for Awards.

                             (d)    Limitations on Amendments to Plan and Awards.    No amendment, suspension or termination of this Plan or change of or affecting any outstanding Award shall, without written consent of the Participant, affect in any manner materially adverse to the Participant any rights or benefits of the Participant or obligations of the Company under any Award granted under this Plan prior to the effective date of such change. Changes contemplated by Section 6.2 shall not be deemed to constitute changes or amendments for purposes of this Section 6.6.

                             (e)    ISO Acceleration.    The portion of any Incentive Stock Option accelerated in connection with a Change in Control Event or any other action permitted hereunder shall remain exercisable as an Incentive Stock Option only to the extent the applicable $100,000 limitation is not exceeded. To the extent exceeded, the accelerated portion of the Option shall be exercisable as a Nonqualified Stock Option under the Code.

                    6.7    Privileges of Stock Ownership.

                    Except as otherwise expressly authorized by the Committee or this Plan, a Participant shall not be entitled to any privilege of stock ownership as to any shares of Common Stock not actually delivered to and held of record by the Participant. No adjustment will be made for dividends or other rights as a stockholder for which a record date is prior to such date of delivery.

                    6.8    Effective Date of the Plan.

                    This amended and restated version of the Plan is effective as of January 28, 2016, the date of approval by the Board. Awards granted under this Plan prior to such date shall be governed by the terms of this Plan as in effect on the applicable grant date of the Award and the applicable Award Agreement. The Plan shall be submitted for and subject to stockholder approval.

                    6.9    Term of the Plan.

                    No Award will be granted under this Plan after May 26, 2026 (the "termination date") and no Incentive Stock Option will be granted under this Plan after January 27, 2026. Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Plan or in an applicable Award Agreement, any Award granted prior to the termination date may extend beyond such date, and all authority of the Committeewithhold with respect to Awards hereunder, including the authority to amend an Award, shall continue during any suspension of this Plan and in respect of Awards outstanding on the termination date.such event.

                    6.10    Governing Law/Construction/Severability.2021 PROXY STATEMENT    B-11

                             (a)    Choice of Law.    This Plan, the Awards, all documents evidencing Awards and all other related documents shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland.

                             (b)    Severability.    If a court of competent jurisdiction holds any provision invalid and unenforceable, the remaining provisions of this Plan shall continue in effect.

                             (c)    Plan Construction.

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                   (i)    Rule 16b-3.    It is the intent of the Corporation that the Awards and transactions permitted by Awards be interpreted in a manner that, in the case of Participants who are or may be subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, qualify, to the maximum extent compatible with the express terms of the Award, for exemption from matching liability under Rule 16b-3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall have no liability to any Participant for Section 16 consequences of Awards or events under Awards or if a particular Award or event does not so qualify.

                   (ii)    Section 162(m).    It is the further intent of the Company that (to the extent the Company or Awards under this Plan may be or become subject to limitations on deductibility under Section 162(m) of the Code), Options or SARs granted with an exercise or base price not less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant and performance-based awards under Section 5.2 of this Plan that are granted to or held by a person subject to Section 162(m) of the Code will qualify as performance-based compensation or otherwise be exempt from deductibility limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code, to the extent that the authorization of the Award (or the payment thereof, as the case may be) satisfies any applicable administrative requirements thereof.

                    6.11    Captions.

                    Captions and headings are given to the sections and subsections of this Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of this Plan or any provision thereof.

                    6.12    Stock-Based Awards in Substitution for Stock Options or Awards Granted by Other Corporation.

                    Awards may be granted under this Plan in substitution for or in connection with an assumption of employee stock options, SARs, restricted stock or other stock-based awards granted by other entities to persons who are or who will become Eligible Persons in respect of the Company, in connection with a distribution, merger or other reorganization by or with the granting entity or an affiliated entity, or the acquisition by the Company, directly or indirectly, of all or a substantial part of the stock or assets of the employing entity. The Awards so granted need not comply with other specific terms of this Plan, provided the Awards reflect only adjustments giving effect to the assumption or substitution consistent with the conversion applicable to the Common Stock in the transaction and any change in the issuer of the security.

                    Any such shares that are issued and any awards that are granted by, or become obligations of, the Company, as a result of the assumption by the Company or an affiliate of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an acquired company (or previously granted by a predecessor employer (or direct or indirect parent thereof) in the case of persons that become employed by the Company (or a subsidiary or affiliate) in connection with a business or asset acquisition or similar transaction) shall not be counted against the maximum number of shares and awards available for issuance under the Plan.

                    6.13    Non-Exclusivity of Plan.

                    Nothing in this Plan shall limit or be deemed to limit the authority of the Board or the Committee to grant awards or authorize any other compensation, with or without reference to the Common Stock, under any other plan or authority.

                    6.14    No Corporate Action Restriction.

                    The existence of the Plan, the Award Agreements and the Awards granted hereunder shall not limit, affect or restrict in any way the right or power of the Board or the stockholders of the Corporation to make or authorize: (a) any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Corporation's or any Subsidiary's capital structure or its business, (b) any merger, amalgamation, consolidation or change in the ownership of the Corporation or any subsidiary, (c) any issue of bonds, debentures, capital, preferred or prior preference stock ahead of or affecting the Corporation's or any Subsidiary's capital stock or the rights thereof, (d) any dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation or any Subsidiary, (e) any sale or transfer of all or any part of the Corporation or any Subsidiary's assets or business, or (f) any other corporate act or proceeding by the Corporation or any Subsidiary.

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        No participant, beneficiary or any other person shall have any claim under any Award or Award Agreement against any member of the Board or the Committee, or the Corporation or any employees, officers or agents of the Corporation or any Subsidiary, as a result of any such action.

                    6.15    Other Company Benefit and Compensation Program.

                    Payments and other benefits received by a Participant under an Award made pursuant to this Plan shall not be deemed a part of a Participant's compensation for purposes of the determination of benefits under any other employee welfare or benefit plans or arrangements, if any, provided by the Corporation or any Subsidiary, except where the Committee or the Board expressly otherwise provides or authorizes in writing. Awards under this Plan may be made in addition to, in combination with, as alternatives to or in payment of grants, awards or commitments under any other plans or arrangements of the Company or the Subsidiaries.

                    6.16    Clawback Policy.

                    Awards granted under the Plan shall be subject to the Company's clawback policy, as in effect from time to time.

        7.    DEFINITIONS.

                    7.1    Definitions.

                             (a)    "Award" means (i) an award of any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Stock Bonus, Stock Unit, Performance Share Award, Dividend Equivalent Right or deferred payment right, convertible, exchangeable or other security pursuant to Section 5.7, or other right or security that would constitute a "derivative security" under Rule 16a-1(c) of the Exchange Act, or any combination thereof, whether alternative or cumulative, or (ii) a cash award (whether or not intended to qualify as a Performance-Based Award under Section 5.2), in each case authorized by and granted under this Plan.

                             (b)    "Award Agreement" means either (1) a written award agreement in a form approved by the Committee and executed by the Corporation by an officer duly authorized to act on its behalf, or (2) an electronic notice of award grant in a form approved consistent with the written award agreement approved by the Committee and recorded by the Corporation (or its designee) in an electronic recordkeeping system used for the purpose of tracking award grants under this Plan generally, as the Corporation may provide and, in each case and if required by the Corporation, executed or otherwise electronically accepted by the recipient of the Award in such form and manner as the Corporation may require.

                             (c)    "Award Date" means the date upon which the Committee took the action granting an Award or such later date as the Committee designates as the Award Date at the time of the Award.

                             (d)    "Award Period" means the period beginning on an Award Date and ending on the expiration date of such Award.

                             (e)    "Beneficial Ownership" shall mean ownership of Equity Shares by a person who would be treated as an owner of such shares either directly or indirectly through the application of Section 544 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(h)(1)(B) of the Code. The terms "Beneficial Owner," "Beneficially Owns" and "Beneficially Owned" shall have correlative meanings.

                             (f)    "Beneficiary" means the person, persons, trust or trusts designated by a Participant or, in the absence of a designation, entitled by will or the laws of descent and distribution, to receive the benefits specified in the Award Agreement and under this Plan in the event of a Participant's death, and shall mean the Participant's executor or administrator if no other Beneficiary is designated and able to act under the circumstances.

                             (g)    "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

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                             (h)    "Cause" with respect to a Participant means (unless otherwise expressly provided in the applicable Award Agreement or another applicable agreement with the Participant) a termination of service based upon a finding by the Company, acting in good faith based on its reasonable belief at the time, that the Participant:

                   (1)    has failed to perform job duties in a material respect without proper cause; or

                   (2)    has materially breached a fiduciary duty, or willfully and materially violated any other duty, law, rule, regulation or policy of the Company in a manner injurious to the Company; or has been convicted of a felony; or

                   (3)    has materially breached any of the provisions of any agreement with the Company.

        A termination for Cause shall be deemed to occur (subject to reinstatement upon a contrary final determination by the Committee) on the date on which the Company first delivers written notice to the Participant of a finding of termination for Cause.

                             (i)    "Change in Control Event" means any of the following:

                   (1)    The acquisition by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act (a "Person") of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 20% or more of either (A) the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the Corporation (the "Outstanding Company Common Stock") or (B) the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the "Outstanding Company Voting Securities"); provided, however, that, for purposes of this definition), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of Control; (i) any acquisition directly from the Corporation, (ii) any acquisition by the Corporation, (iii) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation or successor or (iv) any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a transaction that complies with Sections (3)(A), (3)(B) and (3)(C) below;

                   (2)    Individuals who, as of the date hereof, constitute the Board (the "Incumbent Board") cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof whose election, or nomination for election by the Corporation's stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board (including for these purposes, the new members whose election or nomination was so approved, without counting the member and his predecessor twice) shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board;

                   (3)    Consummation of a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange or consolidation or similar corporate transaction involving the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, or the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity by the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries (each, a "Business Combination"), in each case unless, following such Business Combination, (A) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities that were the beneficial owners of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 60% of the then-outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity that, as a result of such transaction, owns the Corporation or all or substantially all of the Corporation's assets directly or through one or more subsidiaries ("Parent")) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and the Outstanding Company Voting

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              Securities, as the case may be, (B) no Person (excluding any entity resulting from such Business Combination or a Parent or any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Corporation or such entity resulting from such Business Combination or Parent) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of, respectively, the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the entity resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of such entity, except to the extent that the ownership in excess of 20% existed prior to the Business Combination, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors or trustees of the entity resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or of the action of the Board providing for such Business Combination; or

                   (4)    Approval by the stockholders of the Corporation of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation.

                             (j)    "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

                             (k)    "Commission" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

                             (l)    "Committee" means the Board or one or more committees appointed by the Board to administer all or certain aspects of this Plan, each committee to be comprised solely of one or more directors or such number as may be required under applicable law or the Corporation's charter or Bylaws. Each member of a Committee shall be a "non-employee director" within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 and an "independent director" under the New York Stock Exchange listing standards. Each member of a Committee in respect of his or her participation in any decision with respect to an Award intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code must satisfy the requirements of "outside director" status within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code;provided, however, that the failure to satisfy such requirement shall not affect the validity of the action of any committee otherwise duly authorized and acting in the matter.

                             (m)    "Common Stock" means the Common Stock of the Corporation and such other securities or property as may become the subject of Awards, or become subject to Awards, pursuant to an adjustment made under Section 6.2 of this Plan.

                             (n)    "Company" means, collectively, the Corporation and its Subsidiaries.

                             (o)    "Constructive Ownership" shall mean ownership of Equity Shares by a person who would be treated as an owner of such shares either directly or indirectly through the application of Section 318 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(d)(5) of the Code. The terms "Constructive Owner," "Constructively Owns" and "Constructively Owned" shall have correlative meanings.

                             (p)    "Corporation" means The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation, and its successors.

                             (q)    "Dividend Equivalent Right" or "DER" means a right authorized under Section 5.6 of this Plan; provided, however, that Restricted Stock and other stock-based Awards shall not be deemed to be Awards coupled with Dividend Equivalent Rights insofar as shares of Common Stock or other securities underlying these Awards carry by their own terms the right to receive dividends or distributions.

                             (r)    "Eligible Employee" means an officer (whether or not a director) or key employee of the Company.

                             (s)    "Eligible Person" means an Eligible Employee, a Non-Employee Director or any Other Eligible Person, as designated by the Committee in its discretion.

                             (t)    "Equity Shares" means shares that are either Common Stock or Preferred Stock.

                             (u)    "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

                             (v)    "Fair Market Value" means, unless otherwise determined or provided by the Committee in the circumstances, the closing price (in regular trading) for a share of Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange

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        (the "Exchange") for the date in question or, if no sales of Common Stock were reported on the Exchange on that date, the closing price (in regular trading) for a share of Common Stock on the Exchange for the next preceding day on which sales of Common Stock were reported on the Exchange. The Committee may, however, provide with respect to one or more Awards that the Fair Market Value shall equal the closing price (in regular trading) for a share of Common Stock on the Exchange on the last trading day preceding the date in question or the average of the high and low trading prices of a share of Common Stock on the Exchange for the date in question or the most recent trading day. If the Common Stock is no longer listed or is no longer actively traded on the Exchange as of the applicable date, the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock shall be the value as reasonably determined by the Committee for purposes of the Award in the circumstances. The Committee also may adopt a different methodology for determining Fair Market Value with respect to one or more Awards if a different methodology is necessary or advisable to secure any intended favorable tax, legal or other treatment for the particular Award(s) (for example, and without limitation, the Committee may provide that Fair Market Value for purposes of one or more Awards will be based on an average of closing prices (or the average of high and low daily trading prices) for a specified period preceding the relevant date).

                             (w)    "Full-Value Award" means any Award under this Plan that isnot an Option grant or a SAR grant.

                             (x)    "Incentive Stock Option" means an Option which is intended, as evidenced by its designation, as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, the award of which contains such provisions (including but not limited to the receipt of stockholder approval of this Plan, if the Award is made prior to such approval) and is made under such circumstances and to such persons as may be necessary to comply with that section.

                             (y)    "Nonqualified Stock Option" means an Option that is designated as a Nonqualified Stock Option and shall include any Option intended as an Incentive Stock Option that fails to meet the applicable legal requirements thereof. Any Option granted hereunder that is not designated as an incentive stock option shall be deemed to be designated a nonqualified stock option under this Plan and not an incentive stock option under the Code.

                             (z)    "Non-Employee Director" means a member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation who is not an officer or employee of the Company.

                             (aa)    "Option" means an option to purchase Common Stock granted under this Plan. The Committee shall designate any Option granted to an Eligible Person as a Nonqualified Stock Option or an Incentive Stock Option.

                             (bb)    "Other Eligible Person" means any individual consultant or advisor who renders or has renderedbonafide services (other than services in connection with the offering or sale of securities of the Company in a capital raising transaction or as a market maker or promoter of the Company's securities) to the Company, and who is selected to participate in this Plan by the Committee. An advisor or consultant may be selected as an Other Eligible Person only if such person's participation in this Plan would not adversely affect (1) the Corporation's eligibility to use Form S-8 to register under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the offering of shares issuable under this Plan by the Company or (2) the Corporation's or any Subsidiary's compliance with any other laws applicable to transactions or determinations under this Plan.

                             (cc)    "Ownership Limit" means 9.8% of the lesser of the number or value of the outstanding Equity Shares of the Corporation, except as otherwise permitted under the charter of the Corporation.

                             (dd)    "Participant" means an Eligible Person who has been granted an Award under this Plan.

                             (ee)    "Performance Share Award" means an Award of a right to receive shares of Common Stock under Section 5.1, or to receive shares of Common Stock or other compensation (including cash) under Section 5.2, the issuance or payment of which is contingent upon, among other conditions, the attainment of performance objectives specified by the Committee.

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                             (ff)    "Personal Representative" means the person or persons who, upon the disability or incompetence of a Participant, shall have acquired on behalf of the Participant, by legal proceeding or otherwise, the power to exercise the rights or receive benefits under this Plan and who shall have become the legal representative of the Participant.

                             (gg)    "Plan" means this 2003 Equity Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

                             (hh)    "Preferred Stock" means the Preferred Stock of the Corporation.

                             (ii)    "Qualified Termination" is defined in Section 6.2(c).

                             (jj)    "Restricted Shares" or "Restricted Stock" means shares of Common Stock awarded to a Participant under this Plan, subject to payment of such consideration, if any, and such conditions on vesting (which may include, among others, the passage of time, specified performance objectives or other factors) and such transfer and other restrictions as are established in or pursuant to this Plan and the related Award Agreement, for so long as such shares remain unvested under the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.

                             (kk)    "Retirement" means, except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, retirement with the consent of the Company, from active service as an employee or officer of the Company or, in the case of a Non-Employee Director, a retirement or resignation as a director, in each case only on or after attaining age 55 with 10 or more years of service or after attaining age 65.

                             (ll)    "Rule 16b-3" means Rule 16b-3 as promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, as amended from time to time.

                             (mm)    "Section 16 Person" means a person subject to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act.

                             (nn)    "Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

                             (oo)    "Severance Date" means the date of termination of employment or service as further defined in Section 6.3.

                             (pp)    "Stock Appreciation Right" or "SAR" means a right authorized under this Plan to receive a number of shares of Common Stock or an amount of cash, or a combination of shares and cash, the aggregate amount or value of which is determined by reference to a change in the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock.

                             (qq)    "Stock Bonus" means an Award of shares of Common Stock granted under this Plan for no consideration other than past services and without restriction other than such transfer or other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable to assure compliance with law.

                             (rr)    "Stock Unit" means a bookkeeping entry which serves as a unit of measurement relative to a share of Common Stock for purposes of determining the payment, in Common Stock or cash, of an Award, including a deferred benefit or right under this Plan. Stock Units are not outstanding shares and do not entitle a Participant to any dividend, voting or other rights in respect of any Common Stock represented thereby or acquirable thereunder. Stock Units, may, however, by express provision in the applicable Award Agreement, entitle a Participant to dividend equivalent rights, as defined by the Committee.

                             (ss)    "Subsidiary" means The Macerich Partnership, L.P., Macerich Management Company, Macerich Partners of Colorado LLC, Brooklyn Kings Plaza LLC, Valley Stream Green Acres LLC, Queens Center SPE LLC, Wilton Mall, LLC, Macerich Niagara LLC and WMAP L.L.C. or any corporation or other entity controlled (by stock ownership or otherwise), directly or indirectly by, or under common control with, the Corporation.

                             (tt)    "Total Disability" means a "permanent and total disability" within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code and such other disabilities, infirmities, afflictions or conditions as the Committee by rule may include.

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        LOGO

        THE MACERICH COMPANY

        401 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 700

        SANTA MONICA, CA 90401

        AUTHORIZE YOUR PROXY BY INTERNET-INTERNET - www.proxyvote.com

        Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up untilinformation. Vote by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the meeting date.on May 27, 2021 for shares held directly and by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on May 25, 2021 for shares held in a Plan. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the website and follow the instructions to obtain your records and to create an electronic voting instruction form.

         

        AUTHORIZE YOUR PROXY BY PHONE - 1-800-690-6903

        Use any touch-tone telephone to transmit your voting instructions up untilinstructions. Vote by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the meeting date.on May 27, 2021 for shares held directly and by 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time on May 25, 2021 for shares held in a Plan. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions.

         

        AUTHORIZE YOUR PROXY BY MAIL

        Mark, sign and date your proxy card and return it promptly in the postage-paid envelope we have provided or return it to Vote Processing, c/o Broadridge, 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717.

         

            

        TO VOTE, MARK BLOCKS BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS:

         

        E01096-P75448-Z67694

        D46832-P52744-Z79459  

        KEEP THIS PORTION FOR YOUR RECORDS

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        DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY

        DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY

        THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.

         

         

        THE MACERICH COMPANY

         

        The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposals:

         

        1.

         

        Election of Directors

         

        Nominees:

         

        For

         

        Against

         

        Abstain

         

        For

         

        Against

         

        following proposals:

        Abstain

         

        1a.   Peggy Alford

         

        1.Election of Directors

        Nominees:

        For

         Against 

         Abstain 

        1a.John H. Alschuler

        o

        o

        o

        1b.Arthur M. Coppola

        o

        o

        o

        For

        Against

        Abstain

        1c.Edward C. Coppola

        1d.Steven R. Hash

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        2.

        Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the year ending December 31, 2016.

        o

        o

        o

        1e.Fred S. Hubbell

        1f.Diana M. Laing

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        3.

        Advisory vote to approve our named executive officer compensation as described in our Proxy Statement.

        o1b.  John H. Alschuler

        o3.  Amendment to our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock.

        o

        1c.   Eric K. Brandt

        1d.  Edward C. Coppola

        1e.   Steven R. Hash

        4.  Amendment and restatement of our Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

        5.  Ratification of the appointment of KPMG LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

         

        1f.   Daniel J. Hirsch

         

        1g.  Diana M. Laing

         

         

         

         

        1g.Mason G. Ross

        1h.Steven L. Soboroff

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        4.

        Approval of our Amended and Restated 2003 Equity Incentive Plan.

        o

        o

        o

        1i.Andrea M. Stephen

        1j.John M. Sullivan

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        o

        Proxies will be voted atin the discretion of the persons named in this Proxy on any other matter that may properly come before the meeting or any postponement(s) or adjournments(s)adjournment(s) thereof.

        1h.  Thomas E. O’Hern

        1i.   Steven L. Soboroff

        1j.   Andrea M. Stephen

         

         

         

         

               

        For address changes and/or comments, please check this box and write them on the back where indicated.

        o

        Please indicate if you plan to attend this meeting.

        o

        o

         

        Yes

         

        Yes

        No

        Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other representative, please give full title as such. Joint owners should each sign personally. All holders must sign. If a corporation or partnership, please sign in full corporate or partnership name by authorized officer.

        Signature [PLEASE SIGN WITHIN BOX]

                                        Date

        Date

        Signature (Joint Owners)

                                                            Date

        Date


         

         

         

        Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:

        The Notice and Proxy Statement and Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com.

         

         

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        D46833-P52744-Z79459        

         

         

        THE MACERICH COMPANY

         

        THE MACERICH COMPANY

        Proxy Solicited on Behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company for the Annual Meeting to be held on May 26, 201628, 2021

         

        The undersigned stockholder(s) of The Macerich Company, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), hereby appoint(s) Thomas E. O’HernAnn C. Menard and Thomas J. Leanse,Scott W. Kingsmore, and each of them, as Proxies for the undersigned, each with full power of substitution, to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company to be held at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, California 90401, on May 26, 201628, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. local time, and at any postponement(s) or adjournment(s) thereof, to cast on behalf of the undersigned all votes that the undersigned is entitled to cast at such meeting and otherwise to represent the undersigned at the meeting with all powers possessed by the undersigned if personally present at the meeting. The undersigned hereby acknowledgesacknowledge(s) receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the accompanying Proxy Statement, the terms of each of which are incorporated herein by reference, and revokes any Proxy heretofore given with respect to such meeting or any postponement(s) or adjournment(s) thereof.

         

        Note: It is possible that the originally scheduled time, day and/or location of the Annual Meeting of Stockholders may be changed. This Proxy will remain valid regardless of such changes.

        The votes entitled to be cast by the undersigned will be cast as instructed on the reverse side hereof. If this Proxy is executed but no instruction is given, the votes entitled to be cast by the undersigned will be cast “FOR” each of the nominees for director in Proposal 1 and “FOR” Proposals 2, 3, 4 and 4,5, each as described in the Proxy Statement. The votes entitled to be cast by the undersigned will be cast in the discretion of the Proxy holder on any other matter that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any postponement(s) or adjournment(s) thereof.

         

        Address Changes/Comments:

        (If you noted any Address Changes/Comments above, please mark corresponding box on the reverse side.)

        Continued and to be signed on reverse side