Table of Contents

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

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

Filed by the Registrantx

Filed by a Party other than the Registranto


CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX:

Check the appropriate box:

x

Preliminary Proxy Statement

o

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

o

Definitive Proxy Statement

o

Definitive Additional Materials

o

Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

Under Rule 14a-12

SL Green Realty Corp.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

PAYMENT OF FILING FEE (CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX):

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

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

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

x

No fee required.

o

Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.

(1)

1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

(2)

2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

(3)

3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

(4)

4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

(5)

5) Total fee paid:

o

Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

materials:

o

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 Formform or Scheduleschedule and the date of its filing.

(1)

1) Amount Previously Paid:

previously paid:

(2)

2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

3) Filing Party:
4) Date Filed:



Table of Contents









2017

Proxy
Statement

May   , 2017
 




Table of Contents

2017 PROXY STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Business Highlights

During2016, our CEO and other executive officers led us to achieve strong operational and financial results, including the following:

Growth in FFO Per Share

Normalized Funds From Operations Per Share ($)(1)
56%overall growth in Normalized FFO per
share since 2012


(1)  

(3)Refer to Appendix A to this proxy statement for a reconciliation of Normalized FFO.

Combined Same-store Cash Net Operating Income(2)

Year-over-year (% growth)
6.0%growth in 2016, following 3.0%+
annual growth since 2012


(2)  

Filing Party:Refer to Appendix A to this proxy statement for a reconciliation of Combined Same-store Cash Net Operating Income.


Outstanding Leasing Results


3.2Msquare feet of Manhattan office leases signed at a mark-to-market of 27.6% and 638,000 square feet of suburban office leases signed at a mark-to-market of 6.1%


Record Monetization of Assets

Over $3.9 billion of real estate dispositions, generating $1.1 billion of cash proceeds and resulting in liquidity in excess of $2.0 billion as of December 31, 2016

Major progress on One Vanderbilt, including securing a $1.5 billion construction loan and $525 million in JV equity, and breaking ground on the project

Continued superior long-term total return to stockholders, or TRS
+921% TRS
from IPO through December 31, 2016

2017 Proxy Statement  1



Table of Contents

2017 PROXY STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Executive Compensation Highlights

Stockholder Engagement and Support

We have reached out to at least 65% of stockholders each of the past three years:

Say-on-pay approved every year since it was first introduced in 2011

Our responses to stockholder concerns:

Peer Group – removed NYC-based asset managers

Annual Cash Bonus Program – 100% formulaic in 2016 for CEO, Chairman and President

Employment Agreement Equity Awards – 100% performance-based for CEO; raised performance hurdles

Outperformance Plans – relative TRS component incorporated; robust performance hurdles used; no single trigger acceleration

Executive Chairman Compensation – reduced 2016 compensation by 50% compared to 2015, reflecting our Executive Chairman’s evolving role


Focus on Variable Pay Linked to Performance
CEO total direct compensation for 2016:

CEO stock ownership guideline of8xbase salary

Aggressive performance requirements for annual bonus and OPP align management compensation with outstanding shareholder returns

2014 OPP - Robust Hurdles




Reduction in Annual Bonuses for 2016 – Second Consecutive Year of Reduced Bonuses

2016 Annual Cash Bonus Program

Annual Cash Bonus Program earned at only

61%of maximum for 2016 demonstrating rigor of performance targets


Low G&A in Relative and Absolute Terms

We have consistently maintained low G&A expenses, with G&A expense as a percentage of total assets and revenues among the lowest of our office REIT peers


2  SL Green Realty Corp.



Table of Contents

2017 PROXY STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Corporate Governance Highlights

Declassified Board Proposal

In this proxy statement, we have proposed to declassify our Board. With stockholder approval, we will phase out board classes, so that beginning in 2018 directors whose terms are expiring will be elected for one-year terms. By our 2020 annual meeting, our Board of Directors will be fully declassified.


Proxy Access

Since 2016, our bylaws permit:

A stockholder
(or a group of up to20 stockholders)

(4)
3% / 3-years
Owning 3% or more of our outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years

Date Filed:
2 candidates / 20%

To nominate and include in our proxy materials director candidates constituting up to the greater of two individuals or 20% of the Board, if the nominee(s) satisfy the requirements specified in our bylaws


Director Succession Planning

We remain focused on refreshing the membership of the Board.

Independent directors recently added to our Board:

Craig Hatkoff, 2011

Betsy Atkins, 2015

Lauren Dillard, 2016

Increased diversity and reduced average age and tenure of independent directors:

33% of independent board members are women

Age: 73.5 => 64.5

Tenure: 20 => 11


Sustainability

Our industry leadership has been widely recognized.

REIT of the Year – Sustainability (2017) - Real Estate & Investment Finance

Ranked as one of the greenest businesses in the United States for three consecutive years (2014-2016) – Newsweek

ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year (2015 and 2016) – United States Environmental Protection Agency

Sustainability Report (2014-2016) – GRI Compliant

Our sustainability strategy, achievements and reports are available on our website at http://www.slgreen.com/sustainability.


2017 Proxy Statement  3





GRAPHICTable of Contents

April      , 2007SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
420 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York10170-1881

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Dear Stockholder:

You are invited to attend thethe2017 annual meeting of stockholders of SL Green Realty Corp. This year’s meeting, a Maryland corporation, which will be held on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 10:June1,2017 at10:00 a.m., local time, at the Grand Hyatt New York Hotel, Park Avenue at Grand Central Terminal, 109 East 42ndYork,109 East42nd Street, New York, New York.

York,10017. The attached proxy statement, with the accompanying formal notice of the meeting, describes the matters expected to be acted upon at the meeting. We urge you to review these materials carefully and to take part in the affairs of our company by voting on the matters described in the accompanying proxy statement. We hope that you will be able to attend the meeting. Our directors and management team will be available to answer questions. Afterwards, there will be a vote on the matters set forth in the accompanying proxy statement.

Your vote is important. Whether you plan to attend the meeting or not, please complete the enclosed proxy card and return it as promptly as possible. If you attend the meeting, you may continue to have your shares of common stock voted as instructed in the proxy or you may withdraw your proxy at the meeting and vote your shares of common stock in person. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Sincerely,

GRAPHIC

Stephen L. Green

Chairman of the Board




SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

420 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York  10170-1881


NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

to be held on May 24, 2007


The 2007 annual meeting of stockholders of SL Green Realty Corp. will be held on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 10:00 a.m., local time, the Grand Hyatt New York Hotel, Park Avenue at Grand Central Terminal, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, New York. At the annual meeting, stockholders will vote uponfor the following proposals:purposes:

1.     To elect one Class I director to serve until the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders and until his successor is duly elected and qualified;

2.     To ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007;

3.     To authorize and approve our amended and restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan in order to increase the number of shares that may be issued pursuant to such plan and to adjust the unit values of certain awards under such plan;

4.     To authorize and approve articles of amendment and restatement of our Articles of Incorporation in order to (i) increase the number of authorized shares of common stock and (ii) make various ministerial changes to our current Articles of Incorporation; and

5.    
1.     To elect the three Class II director nominees named in the proxy statement to serve on the Board of Directors for a three-year term and until their successors are duly elected and qualify;
2.To hold an advisory vote on executive compensation;
3.To vote on the amendment of our Articles of Restatement to effect the declassification of our Board of Directors;
4.To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December31,2017;
5.To hold an advisory vote on whether an advisory vote on executive compensation should be held every one, two or three years; and
6.To consider and act upon a stockholder proposal regarding setting target amounts for CEO compensation.

In addition, stockholders may be asked to consider and vote upon any other matters that may properly be brought before the annual meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Any action may be taken on the foregoing matters at the annual meeting on the date specified above, or on any date or dates to which by original or later adjournment, the annual meeting may be adjourned, or to which the annual meeting may be postponed.

OurThe Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on March 20, 2007March31,2017 as the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the annual meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof. Only stockholders

By Order of recordthe Board of our common stock at the close of business on that date will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the annual meeting, and at any adjournments or postponements thereof. A list of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting will be available at the annual meeting and for ten calendar days prior to the annual meeting, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., local time, at our corporate offices located at 420 Lexington Avenue, Directors,
 
Andrew S. Levine
Secretary

New York, New York  10170-1881. You may arrange to review this list by contacting our Secretary, Andrew S. Levine.




You are requested to fill in and sign the enclosed form of proxy, which is being solicited by our Board of Directors, and to mail it promptly in the enclosed postage-prepaid envelope. Any proxy may be revoked by delivery of a later dated proxy. In addition, stockholders of record who attend the annual meeting may vote in person, even if they have previously delivered a signed proxy.May     ,2017

By Order of our Board of Directors

Voting

You may authorize your proxy via the Internet or by telephone:


 Visit www.proxyvote.com

 
Scan this QR code to vote with your mobile device


Call1-800-454-8683
24h/7

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Stockholder Meeting to be Held on June 1, 2017.

This proxy statement and our 2016 Annual Report to Stockholders are available at http://www.proxyvote.com

GRAPHIC

Andrew S. Levine

Secretary

New York, New York

April     , 2007


Whether or not you plan to attend the annual meeting, please complete, sign, date and promptly return the enclosed proxy card in the postage-prepaidpost-prepaid envelope provided.provided or authorize your proxy by telephone or the Internet by following the instructions on your proxy card. For specific instructions on voting, please refers to the instructions on the proxy card or the information forwarded by your broker, bank or other holder of record. If you attend the annual meeting, you may vote in person if you wish, even if you previously have previously signed and returned your proxy card. Please note however, that if your shares are held of record by a bank, broker bank or other nominee and you wish to vote in person at the annual meeting, you must obtain a proxy issued in your name from such bank, broker bank or other nominee.

4  SL Green Realty Corp.





Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2017 PROXY STATEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Page1

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING

Business Highlights

1

Who is entitled to vote at the meeting?

Executive Compensation Highlights

1

2

What is the purpose of the meeting?

Corporate Governance Highlights

1

3

What constitutes a quorum?

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

2

4

What vote is needed to approve each proposal?

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

2

6

Can I change my vote after I submit my proxy card?

Proposal1: Election of Directors

2

6

How do I vote?

Board Structure and Independence

2

13

How is my vote counted?

Board Committees

3

14

What other information should I review before voting?

Corporate Governance

3

16

Who is soliciting my proxy?

Director Compensation

3

18

PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Executive Officers

4

20

Information Regarding the Nominee and the Continuing Directors

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

4

21

Biographical Information RegardingProposal2: Advisory Vote on the Compensation of ourNamed Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors

6

21

The Compensation Committee Report

21
Compensation Discussion and Analysis21
Executive Compensation Tables39
CHARTER AMENDMENT50
Proposal3: Charter Amendment to DeclassifyBoard of Directors and its Committees

7

50

Director Compensation

AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS

8

51

PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Proposal4: Ratification of Appointment ofIndependent Registered Public Accounting Firm

9

51

Fee Disclosure

Audit Committee Report

9

51

Fee Disclosure

52
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures of our Audit Committee

9

52

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

SAY-ON-FREQUENCY PROPOSAL

11

53

PROPOSAL 3: APPROVAL OF OUR AMENDED AND RESTATED 2005 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

Proposal5: Advisory Vote on the Frequency ofStockholder Advisory Votes on the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers

13

53

Summary of the Provisions of Our Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL

13

54

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

Overview

17

54

PROPOSAL 4: APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

Proposal6: Stockholder Proposal Regarding SettingTarget Amounts for CEO Compensation

19

54

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Board of Directors’ Statement in Opposition

21

55

Corporate Governance Guidelines

Vote Required

21

55

Director Independence

Recommendation

21

55

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

21

56

Audit Committee Financial Expert

Executive and Director Stock Ownership Guidelines

22

56

Communications with our BoardSecurity Ownership of Directors

Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

22

56

Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection Policy

Section16(a) Beneficial OwnershipReporting Compliance

22

58

Director Attendance at Annual Meetings

22

Identification of Director Candidates

22

Executive Sessions of Non-Management Directors

23

Disclosure Committee

23

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

24

Executive Compensation

24

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

24

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

24

59

OTHER MATTERS

INFORMATION

24

61

Solicitation of Proxies

Questions and Answers About the Annual Meeting

24

61

Stockholder Proposals

Other Matters

24

63

Householding of Proxy Materials

APPENDICES

24

Other Matters

Appendix A: Information Regarding Certain Financial Measures

25

A-1

APPENDIX A: AMENDED AND RESTATED 2005 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

Appendix B: Charter Amendment

A-1

APPENDIX B: ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT

B-1

B-1

i




SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
420 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York  10170-1881


PROXY STATEMENT


FOR 2007 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
to be held on May 24, 2007

We are sending this proxy statement and the enclosed proxy card to our stockholders on or about April     , 2007 in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of SL Green Realty Corp. for use at the 2007 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 10:00 a.m., local time, the Grand Hyatt New York Hotel, Park Avenue at Grand Central Terminal, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, or at any postponement or adjournment of the meeting.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE ANNUAL MEETING

Who is entitled to vote at the meeting?

If our records show that you were a stockholder of our common stock at the close of business on March 20, 2007, which is referred toReferences in this proxy statement as the record date, you are entitled to receive notice of the meeting and to vote the shares of common stock that you held on the record date. Each outstanding share of common stock entitles its holder to cast one vote for each matter to be voted upon.

What is the purpose of the meeting?

At the annual meeting, you will be asked:

·                    to vote upon the election of one Class I director;

·                    to ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007;

·                    to authorize and approve our amended and restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares that may be issued pursuant to the plan and to adjust the unit values of certain awards under such plan;

·                    to authorize and approve articles of amendment and restatement of our Articles of Incorporation in order to (i) increase the number of authorized shares of common stock and (ii) make various ministerial changes to our current Articles of Incorporation; and

·                    to consider and act upon any other matters that may properly be brought before the meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

What constitutes a quorum?

The presence, in person or by proxy, of holders of a majority of the total number of outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote at this meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the meeting. As of the record date, there were 59,180,818 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting.


What vote is needed to approve each proposal?

The affirmative vote of the holders of record of a plurality of all of the votes cast at the meeting at which a quorum is present is necessary for the election of the Class I director. The affirmative vote of the holders of record of a majority of all of the votes cast at the meeting at which a quorum is present is required for the ratification of our independent registered public accounting firm, approval of our amended and restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan“we,” “us,” “our,” “ours,” and the approval of any other matters properly presented at the meeting for stockholder approval. The affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the outstanding shares of our common stock is necessary to approve the proposed articles of amendment and restatement of our Articles of Incorporation. We will treat abstentions as shares that are present and entitled to vote for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum. With respect to the proposal to amend and restate our Articles of Incorporation, abstentions will have the effect of a vote cast “against” the proposal. With respect to the other proposals, abstentions do not constitute a vote “for” or “against,” will not be counted as “votes cast” and will have no effect on such proposals. Broker “non-votes,” or proxies from brokers or nominees indicating that such broker or nominee has not received instructions from the beneficial owner or other entity entitled to vote such shares on a particular matter with respect to which such broker or nominee does not have discretionary voting power, will be treated in the same manner as abstentions for purposes of the annual meeting. None of the proposals, if approved, entitle stockholders to appraisal rights under Maryland law or our Articles of Incorporation.

Can I change my vote after I submit my proxy card?

If you cast a vote by proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is voted by:

·                    filing a written notice revoking the proxy with our Secretary at our address;

·                    signing and forwarding to us a proxy with a later date; or

·                    appearing in person and voting by ballot at the meeting.

If you attend the meeting, you may vote in person whether or not you have previously given a proxy, but your presence (without further action) at the meeting will not constitute revocation of a previously given proxy.

How do I vote?

We request that you complete, sign, date and promptly return the accompanying proxy card in the enclosed postage-prepaid envelope. You may also attend the meeting in person and vote in person. If your shares of common stock are held by a broker, bank or other nominee (i.e., in “street name”), you will receive instructions from your nominee, which you must follow in order to have your shares of common stock voted. Such stockholders who wish to vote in person at the meeting will need to obtain a proxy form from the broker, bank or other nominee that holds their shares of common stock of record.

How is my vote counted?

If you properly execute a proxy in the accompanying form, and if we receive it prior to voting at the meeting, the shares of common stock that the proxy represents will be voted in the manner specified on the proxy. If no specification is made, the common stock will be voted “for” the election of the nominee for the Class I director named in this proxy statement, “for” ratification of our Audit Committee’s selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007, “for” approval of our amended and restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, “for” approval of the proposed articles of amendment and restatement of our Articles of Incorporation and as recommended by our Board of Directors with regard to all other matters in its discretion. It is not anticipated that any matters other than those set forth in the proxy statement will be presented at the


meeting. If other matters are presented, proxies will be voted in accordance with the discretion of the proxy holders. In addition, no stockholder proposals or nominations were received on a timely basis, so no such matters may be brought to a vote at the annual meeting.

What other information should I review before voting?

For your review, our 2006 annual report, including financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, is being mailed to you concurrently with the mailing of this proxy statement. You may also obtain, free of charge, a copy of our 2006 annual report on our website at http://www.slgreen.com. The information found on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this proxy statement or any other report or document we file with or furnish to the SEC. You may also obtain a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which contains additional information about our company, free of charge, by directing your request in writing“Company” refer to SL Green Realty Corp., 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York  10170-1881, Attention:  Investor Relations. The 2006 annual report andunless the Annual Report on Form 10-K, however, are not part of the proxy solicitation material.

Who is soliciting my proxy?

context otherwise requires. This solicitation of proxies is made by and on behalf of our Board of Directors. We will pay the cost of the solicitation of proxies. We have retained Morrow & Co., Inc. at an aggregate estimated cost of $5,500, plus out-of-pocket expenses, to assist in the solicitation of proxies. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, our directors, officers and employees may solicit proxies personally or by telephone.

No person is authorized on our behalf to give any information or to make any representations with respect to the proposals other than the information and the representations contained in this proxy statement and if given ora form of proxy have been made such information and/or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized and the delivery of this proxy statement shall, under no circumstances, create any implication that there has been no change in our affairs since the date hereof.

3




PROPOSAL 1:  ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

Our Board of Directors currently consists of five members and is divided into three classes, with the directors in each class serving for a term of three years and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The term of one class expires at each annual meeting of stockholders.

At the annual meeting, one director will be elected to serve until the 2010 annual meeting and until his successor is duly elected and qualified. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has recommended Edwin Thomas Burton, IIIavailable to our Board of Directors as a nominee for election to serve as a Class I director. This nominee is currently serving as a Class I director. Following the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, our Board has nominated Edwin Thomas Burton, III to serve as a Class I director. Our Board anticipates that the nominee will serve, if elected, as a director. However, if the nominee is unable to accept election, proxies voted in favor of the nominee will be voted for the election of such other person or persons as our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may recommend to our Board.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the Nominee.

Information Regarding the Nominee and the Continuing Directors

The following table and biographical descriptions set forth certain information with respect to the nominee for election as a Class I director at the 2007 annual meeting and the continuing directors whose terms expire at the annual meetings of stockholders in 2008 and 2009, respectively, based upon information furnished by each director.

Name

 

 

 

Age

 

Director Since

 

Class I Nominee Director (term expires in 2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edwin Thomas Burton, III

 

 

63

 

 

 

1997

 

 

Class II Continuing Directors (terms to expire in 2008)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marc Holliday

 

 

40

 

 

 

2001

 

 

John S. Levy

 

 

70

 

 

 

1997

 

 

Class III Continuing Directors (terms expire in 2009)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John H. Alschuler, Jr.

 

 

57

 

 

 

1997

 

 

Stephen L. Green

 

 

68

 

 

 

1997

 

 

Class I Nominee Director—Term Expires 2010

Edwin Thomas Burton, III has served as one of our directors since 1997 and serves as Chairman of our Audit Committee, and is a member of our Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. Mr. Burton is a member of, and from 1997 until March 2001 served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of, the Investment Advisory Committee of the Virginia Retirement System for state and local employees of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Burton served as the Chairman of the Virginia Retirement System Special Committee on the sale of RF&P Corporation, a $570 million real estate company. Since 1988, he has served as a professor of economics at the University of Virginia. Mr. Burton served as a director of Virginia National Bank from 1998 until 2004. From 1994 until 1995, Mr. Burton served as Senior Vice President, Managing Director and member of the board of directors of Interstate Johnson Lane, Incorporated, an investment banking firm where he was responsible for the Corporate Finance and Public Finance Divisions. From 1987 to 1994, Mr. Burton served as President of Rothschild Financial Services, Incorporated (a subsidiary of Rothschild, Inc. of North America), an investment banking company headquartered in New York City that is involved in proprietary trading, securities lending and other investment activities. Mr. Burton also serves as a consultant to numerous companies on investment strategy and investment banking. Mr. Burton served on the board of directors of Capstar, a


publicly-traded hotel company, and SNL Securities, a private securities data company. He has held various teaching positions at York College, Rice University and Cornell University and has written and lectured extensively in the field of economics. Mr. Burton received a B.A. degree and an M.A. degree in economics from Rice University and a Ph.D. degree in economics from Northwestern University.

Class II Continuing Directors—Terms Expire in 2008

Marc Holliday has served as our Chief Executive Officer since January 2004 and our President since April 2001. Mr. Holliday has also served as one of our directors since December 2001 and is a member of our Executive Committee of our Board of Directors. Mr. Holliday joined our company as Chief Investment Officer in July 1998. Since joining our company, Mr. Holliday has directed our focused business plan of repositioning and strategically upgrading of the portfolio to larger avenue properties with higher quality tenants, while at the same time driving strong earnings performance and growth in stockholder value. Mr. Holliday implemented this plan by overseeing a diversified strategy involving selective acquisitions and dispositions coupled with a successful joint venture initiative and structured finance program. Under Mr. Holliday’s investment guidance, we have grown to be the largest owner of commercial office properties in Manhattan. Mr. Holliday has also served as the president and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Gramercy Capital Corp., or Gramercy (NYSE: GKK), since August 2004. Prior to joining our company, he was Managing Director and Head of Direct Originations for New York-based Capital Trust (NYSE:CT), a mezzanine finance company. While at Capital Trust, Mr. Holliday was in charge of originating direct principal investments for the firm, consisting of mezzanine debt, preferred equity and first mortgages. From 1991 to 1997, Mr. Holliday served in various management positions, including senior vice president at Capital Trust’s predecessor company, Victor Capital Group, a private real estate investment bank specializing in advisory services, investment management, and debt and equity placements. Mr. Holliday received a B.S. degree in Business and Finance from Lehigh University in 1988, as well as an M.S. degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University in 1990.

John S. Levy has served as one of our director since 1997 and serves as Chairman of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board of Directors and as a member of our Audit and Compensation Committees. Mr. Levy is a private investor. Mr. Levy was associated with Lehman Brothers Inc. (or its corporate predecessors) from 1983 until 1995. During that period, Mr. Levy served as Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the Financial Services Division, Senior Executive Vice President and Co-Director of the International Division overseeing the International Branch System, and Managing Partner of the Equity Securities Division, where he managed the International, Institutional, Retail and Research Departments. Prior to that period, Mr. Levy was associated with A.G. Becker Incorporated (or its corporate predecessors) from 1960 until 1983. At A.G. Becker, Mr. Levy served as Managing Director of the Execution Services Division, Vice President-Manager of Institutional and Retail Sales, Manager of the Institutional Sales Division, Manager of the New York Retail Office and a Registered Representative. Mr. Levy received a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College.

Class III Continuing Directors—Terms Expire in 2009

John H. Alschuler, Jr. has served as one of our directors since 1997 and serves as Chairman of our Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors and as a member of our Audit, Executive and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. He is the President of Hamilton, Rabinowitz & Alschuler, Inc. and the Partner in Charge of its New York office. Hamilton, Rabinowitz & Alschuler, Inc. is a nationally recognized consulting firm with over 20 years of experience in real estate, advisory services, policy, and management consulting. Mr. Alschuler conducts a broad-range consulting practice, focused on the revitalization of urban communities and the construction of significant places with sound economic and social foundations. He has advised a wide range of development clients, including the Alliance for Downtown New York, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Guggenheim Foundation, The


Related Companies, Madison Square Garden, Brookfield Properties, the Government of Kuwait, Queens West Development Corporation, Empire State Development Corporation and the State of New York, among others. He has also advised a large array of public organizations and elected officials, including the Mayor and Governor of the State of New York and a variety of State Governors across the nation on various issues, including economic development, real estate development and capital construction. Most recently, he led the advisory team that shaped former Mayor Rudolph Guiliani’s and Governor George Pataki’s plan for the redevelopment of Governor’s Island. He served as the Chief Consultant for the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Waterfront. He also assists the office of the Deputy Mayor of Washington, D.C. in the management of large scale real estate transactions. Mr. Alschuler is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University where he teaches real estate development. Mr. Alschuler received a B.A. degree from Wesleyan University and an Ed.D. degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Stephen L. Green has served as our Chairman and member of our Executive Committee of our Board of Directors since 1997 and is a full-time executive officer of our company with responsibility for developing key market relationships and real estate opportunities while overseeing our long-term strategic direction. Mr. Green stepped down as our Chief Executive Officer in January 2004, when Marc Holliday was promoted to that position. Mr. Green founded our predecessor, S.L. Green Properties, Inc., in 1980. Prior to our initial public offering in 1997, Mr. Green had been involved in the acquisition of over 50 Manhattan office buildings containing in excess of 4.0 million square feet. As of December 31, 2005, our portfolio included interests in 28 properties comprising over 18.2 million square feet of space. Mr. Green has also served as the chairman of the board of directors of Gramercy (NYSE: GKK), since August 2004. Mr. Green is an at-large member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York and has previously served as Chairman of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Tax Committee. He currently serves as a member on the board of directors of Street Squash. Mr. Green received a B.A. degree from Hartwick College and a J.D. degree from Boston College Law School.

Biographical Information Regarding Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors

Gregory F. Hughes has served as our Chief Financial Officer since February 2004. Mr. Hughes has also served as the Chief Credit Officer of Gramercy (NYSE:GKK) since August 2004. Mr. Hughes is responsible for finance, capital markets, investor relations and administration. Prior to joining our company, from 2002 to 2003, Mr. Hughes was a Managing Director and the Chief Financial Officer of the real estate private equity group at JP Morgan Partners. From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Hughes was a Partner and the Chief Financial Officer of Fortress Investment Group, an investment and asset management firm which managed a real estate private equity fund totaling approximately $900 million and an NYSE listed real estate investment trust with assets in excess of $1.3 billion. While at Fortress Investment Group, Mr. Hughes was actively involved in evaluating a broad range of real estate equity and structured finance investments and arranged various financings to facilitate acquisitions and fund recapitalizations. Mr. Hughes also served as Chief Financial Officer of Wellsford Residential Property Trust and Wellsford Real Properties, where he was responsible for the firm’s financial forecasting and reporting, treasury and accounting functions, capital markets and investor relations. While at Wellsford, Mr. Hughes was involved in numerous public and private debt and equity offerings and during his tenure, Wellsford became one of the first real estate investment trusts to obtain an investment grade rating. From 1985 to 1992, Mr. Hughes worked at Kenneth Leventhal & Co., a public accounting firm specializing in real estate and financial services. Mr. Hughes received his B.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Hughes is 42 years old.

Andrew S. Levine has served as our General Counsel, Executive Vice President and Secretary since November 2000. Prior to joining our company, Mr. Levine was a partner at the law firm of Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn, LLP. Mr. Levine was also a partner at the firm of Dreyer & Traub. As a member of the REIT and Real Estate Transactions and Business groups at Pryor, Cashman, Sherman &


Flynn, LLP, Mr. Levine served as counsel for a diverse client base of public and private real estate companies, national retailers, REITs, private developers, investment advisers and lenders. Mr. Levine received a B.A. degree from the University of Vermont in 1980 and a J.D. degree from Rutgers School of Law in 1984. Mr. Levine is 48 years old.

Andrew Mathias has served as our Chief Investment Officer since January 2004. Mr. Mathias is responsible for the firm’s equity and structured finance investments. Mr. Mathias also oversees the firm’s acquisitions/dispositions and its joint venture program. Mr. Mathias joined our company in March 1999 as a Vice President and was promoted to Director of Investments in 2002, a position he held until his promotion to Chief Investment Officer. Mr. Mathias has also served as the Chief Investment Officer of Gramercy (NYSE:GKK) since August 2004. Prior to joining our company, from July 1998, Mr. Mathias was with New York-based Capital Trust (NYSE:CT), a mezzanine finance company. From June 1995 to July 1998, Mr. Mathias worked at CT’s predecessor company, Victor Capital Group, a private real estate investment bank specializing in advisory services, investment management, and debt and equity placements. While there, he worked on a wide variety of real estate principal investments and advisory transactions, both on behalf of third-party clients and for the firm’s own account. Mr. Mathias also worked on the high yield/restructuring desk at Bear Stearns and Co. Mr. Mathias received a degree in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Mathias is 32 years old.

The Board of Directors and its Committees

We are managed by a five-member Board of Directors. The Board has affirmatively determined that Messrs. John H. Alschuler, Jr., Edwin Thomas Burton, III and John S. Levy, representing a majority of its members, are independent of our management, as such term is defined by the rules of the New York Stock Exchange Inc., or the NYSE. Our Board of Directors held seventeen meetings during fiscal year 2006. Each of the directors attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of our Board of Directors held during 2006 and Messrs. Holliday and Green attended our 2006 annual meeting.

Audit Committee.   We have a standing Audit Committee, consisting of John H. Alschuler, Jr., Edwin Thomas Burton, III (Chairman) and John S. Levy, each of whom is “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. The Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Burton is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in rules promulgated by the SEC under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Our Audit Committee is responsible for, among other things, engaging our independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the plans and results of their audit engagement, approving professional services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing the independence of the auditors, considering the range of audit and non-audit fees, reviewing the adequacy of our internal controls, accounting and reporting practices and assessing the quality and integrity of our consolidated financial statements. In 2004, our Board approved a new amended written charter for our Audit Committee, a copy of which is available on our website at http://www.slgreen.com. Additional information regarding the functions performed by our Audit Committee is set forth in the “Audit Committee Report” included in this annual proxy statement. Our Audit Committee held eight meetings during fiscal year 2006. Each of the committee members attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of our Audit Committee held during fiscal year 2006.

Compensation Committee.   We have a standing Compensation Committee, consisting of John H. Alschuler, Jr. (Chairman), Edwin Thomas Burton, III and John S. Levy, each of whom is “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE. Our Compensation Committee is responsible for, among other things, (1) reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the Chairman of our Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer and such other executive officers that may be designated by the Chairman of our Board of Directors and/or Chief Executive Officer, evaluating the performance of such officers in light of such goals and objectives, and determining and approving the


compensation of such officers based on these evaluations, (2) approving the compensation of our other executive officers, (3) recommending to our Board of Directors for approval the compensation of the non-employee directors, (4) overseeing our incentive-compensation and stock-based compensation plans and (5) reviewing the Compensation Discussion and Analysis for inclusion in this annual proxy statement. Our Compensation Committee also has authority to grant awards under our 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, including our 2006 Long-Term Outperformance Compensation Plan, 2005 Long-Term Outperformance Compensation Plan and our 2003 Long-Term Outperformance Compensation Program. With respect to the compensation of our executive officers, our Compensation Committee solicits recommendations from our Chief Executive Officer regarding total compensation for all executive officers and reviews his recommendations in terms of total compensation and the allocation of such compensation among base salary, annual bonus amounts and other long-term incentive compensation as well as the allocation of such items among cash and equity compensation.  Our Compensation Committee has retained SMG Advisory Group, an outside compensation consulting firm, or SMG, to provide relevant market data concerning the marketplace, our peer group and other compensation developments. See “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis.”  In 2004, our Board approved a written charter for our Compensation Committee, a copy of which is available on our website at http://www.slgreen.com. Our Compensation Committee held six meetings during fiscal year 2006. Each of the committee members attended at least 75% of the total number of meetings of our Compensation Committee held during fiscal year 2006.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.   We have a standing Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, consisting of John H. Alschuler, Jr., Edwin Thomas Burton, III and John S. Levy (Chairman), each of whom is “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things, assisting the Board in identifying individuals qualified to become Board members, recommending to the Board the director nominees to be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders, recommending to the Board the directors to serve on each of the Board’s committees, developing and recommending to the Board the corporate governance principles and guidelines applicable to our company and directing the Board in an annual review of its performance. In 2004, our Board approved a written charter for our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, a copy of which is available on our website at http://www.slgreen.com. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee was established in December 2003 by our Board to replace our Nominating Committee which consisted of Messrs. Burton, Alschuler and Levy. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held one meeting during fiscal year 2006, in which it nominated two Class III directors whose nomination was successfully voted on at our 2006 annual meeting. All of the committee members attended the meeting of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held during fiscal year 2006.

Executive Committee.   Subject to the supervision and oversight of our Board of Directors, our Executive Committee, which consists of Stephen L. Green, Marc Holliday and John H. Alschuler, Jr., has the authority to approve the acquisition, disposition and financing of investments by us and to authorize the execution of certain contracts and agreements, including those relating to the borrowing of money by us, and to exercise generally all other powers of our Board of Directors, except for those which require action by all directors or the independent directors under our articles of incorporation or bylaws or under applicable law.

Director Compensation

[To be included in definitive proxy statement]

8




PROPOSAL 2:   RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Our Audit Committee has selected the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2007, subject to ratification of this appointment by our common stockholders. Ernst & Young LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since our formation in June 1997 and is considered by our management to be well-qualified. Ernst & Young LLP has advised us that neither it nor any member thereof has any financial interest, direct or indirect, in our company or any of our subsidiaries in any capacity.

A representative of Ernst & Young LLP will be present at the annual meeting, will be given the opportunity to make a statement if he or she so desiresInternet, and will be availablemailed to respond to appropriate questions.stockholders, on or about May     ,2017.

2017 Proxy Statement  5



Table of Contents

Fee DisclosureOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Audit Fees

Fees, including out-of-pocket expenses, for audit services totaled approximately $2,268,000 in fiscal year 2006 and $1,428,000 in fiscal year 2005. Audit fees include fees associated with our annual audit and the reviews of our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. In addition, audit fees include Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 planning and testing, fees for public filings in connection with various property acquisitions, joint venture audits, and services relating to public filings in connection with preferred and common stock offerings and certain other transactions, including the acquisition of Reckson Associates Realty Corp. Our joint venture partners paid approximately half of the joint venture audit fees. Audit fees also include fees for accounting research and consultations.

Audit-Related Fees

Fees for audit-related services totaled approximately $78,000 in 2006 and $78,000 in 2005. The audit-related services principally include fees for operating expense, tax certiorari audits and employee benefit plan audits. In addition, the audit-related services include fees for agreed-upon procedures projects and acquisition due diligence.

Tax Fees

Fees for tax services, including tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning totaled approximately none in 2006 and none in 2005.

All Other Fees

Fees for all other services not included above totaled none in 2006 and none in 2005.

Our Audit Committee considers whether the provision by Ernst & Young LLP of the services that are required to be described under “All Other Fees” is compatible with maintaining Ernst & Young LLP’s independence from both management and our company.

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures of our Audit Committee

Our Audit Committee must pre-approve all audit services and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm, except for any de minimis non-audit services. Non-audit services are considered de minimis if (1) the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services constitutes less than 5% of the total amount of revenues we paid to our independent registered public accounting firm during the fiscal year in which they are provided; (2) we did not recognize such services at


the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and (3) such services are promptly brought to our Audit Committee’s attention and approved prior to the completion of the audit by our Audit Committee or any of its member(s) who has authority to give such approval. None of the fees reflected above were approved by our Audit Committee pursuant to this de minimis exception. Our Audit Committee may delegate to one or more of its members who is an independent director the authority to grant pre-approvals. All services provided by Ernst & Young LLP in 2006 were pre-approved by our Audit Committee.

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the ratification of the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.

10




AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

The following is a report by our Audit Committee regarding the responsibilities and functions of our Audit Committee. This Report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any previous or future documents filed by us with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate the Report by reference in any such document.

Our Audit Committee oversees our financial reporting process on behalf of our Board of Directors, in accordance with our Audit Committee Charter. Management has the primary responsibility for the preparation, presentation and integrity of our financial statements, accounting and financial reporting principles, internal controls, and procedures designed to ensure compliance with accounting standards, applicable laws and regulations. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, our Audit Committee reviewed the audited financial statements in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 with management, including a discussion of the quality, not just the acceptability, of the accounting principles, the reasonableness of significant judgments and the clarity of disclosures in the financial statements.

Our Audit Committee reviewed with the independent registered public accounting firm, who is responsible for auditing our financial statements and for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, their judgments as to the quality, not just the acceptability, of our accounting principles and such other matters as are required to be discussed with the Audit Committee under Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as currently in effect. Our Audit Committee received the written disclosure and the letter from our independent registered public accounting firm required by the Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, as currently in effect, discussed with our independent registered public accounting firm the auditors’ independence from both management and our company and considered the compatibility of our independent registered public accounting firms’ provision of non-audit services to our company with their independence.

Our Audit Committee discussed with our independent registered public accounting firm the overall scope and plans for their audit. Our Audit Committee met with our independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the results of their examinations, their evaluations of our internal controls and the overall quality of our financial reporting, including off-balance sheet investments and our compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, but subject to the limitations on the role and responsibilities of our Audit Committee referred to below, our Audit Committee recommended to our Board of Directors (and our Board of Directors has approved) that the audited financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 for filing with the SEC.

Our Board of Directors has determined that our Audit Committee has at least one “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 401(h) of SEC Regulation S-K, such expert being Mr. Edwin Thomas Burton, III, and that he is “independent,” as that term is used in Item 7(d)(3)(iv) of Schedule 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

The members of our Audit Committee are not professionally engaged in the practice of auditing or accounting. Committee members rely, without independent investigation or verification, on the information provided to them and on the representations made by management and independent registered public accounting firm. Accordingly, our Audit Committee’s oversight does not provide an independent basis to determine that management has maintained appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles or appropriate internal controls and procedures designed to assure compliance with


accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. Furthermore, our Audit Committee’s considerations and discussions referred to above do not assure that the audit of our financial statements has been carried out in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), that the financial statements are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States or that Ernst & Young LLP is in fact “independent.”

Submitted by our Audit Committee

Edwin Thomas Burton, III (Chairman)

John H. Alschuler, Jr.

John S. Levy

12




PROPOSAL 3:   APPROVAL OF OUR AMENDED AND RESTATED 2005 STOCK OPTION AND
INCENTIVE PLAN

At our annual meeting, the stockholders are being asked to vote on a proposal to ratify and approve the adoption of our Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. The plan was approved by our Board of Directors on March     , 2007, subject to approval by the stockholders.

Under the 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan 1,506,617 shares (or Fungible Units) currently remain available for awards. Under the proposal, an additional  shares shall be made available under our Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. Accordingly, our Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan will provide for a maximum of  shares to be issued thereunder, however, if the stockholders approve the proposal, a total of will remain available for new awards (comprising the 1,506,617 shares currently available for awards, plus the additional  shares added by the proposed amendment).

In addition, as summarized below, the 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan is proposed to be amended to reflect changes in the valuation methodology utilized by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) with respect to calculating the value of full-value awards and the rate at which awards will be made thereunder. These amendments will provide that (i) awards based upon the full value of a share shall be counted against the overall share limitation as  units (from 3.9 units under the prior plan), (ii) awards based upon the full value of a share that vest or are granted based upon the achievement of certain performance goals (“Full-Value Performance Awards”) shall be counted against the overall share limitation as  units (from 2.6 units under the prior plan), and (iii) stock options, stock appreciation rights and other awards that do not deliver the value at grant thereof of the underlying share and that expire five years from the date of grant shall be counted against the overall share limitation as  of a unit (from 0.8 of a unit under the prior plan). Stock options, stock appreciation rights and other awards that do not deliver the value at grant thereof of the underlying share and that expire 10 years from the date of grant shall continue to be counted against the overall share limitation as 1.0 unit. With respect to the total Fungible Units available under the Plan, Full-Value Performance Awards continue to be discounted by 35% against awards based upon the full value of shares (consistent with the terms of the Plan prior to the amendment and restatement). In addition, Full-Value Performance Awards are subject to the same performance measures as applied to the 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan prior to its amendment and restatement (subject to a revision to the list of peer group companies to add three companies in replacement of companies which were acquired since the initial effective date of the 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan). In addition, the 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan is proposed to be amended to provide that at the end of the third calendar year following the effective date of the Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, the three year average of (A) the number of shares subject to awards granted in a single year, divided by (B) the number of shares of our outstanding common stock at the end of such year shall not exceed the greater of 2.23% or the mean of the applicable peer group.

Summary of the Provisions of Our Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan

The following summary of our Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or our stock option and incentive plan, is qualified in its entirety by the specific language of the plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Appendix A, marked to reflect changes to our current 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan.

Administration

Our Compensation Committee has the authority to administer and interpret our stock option and incentive plan, to authorize the granting of awards, to determine the eligibility of an employee, director or consultant to receive an award, to determine the number of shares of common stock to be covered by each award, to determine the terms, provisions and conditions of each award, to prescribe the form of instruments evidencing awards and to take any other actions and make all other determinations that it


deems necessary or appropriate. Our Compensation Committee may, among other things, establish performance goals that must be met in order for awards to be granted or to vest, or for the restrictions on any such awards to lapse. Our stock option and incentive plan will be administered by our Compensation Committee, each member of which is, to the extent required by Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, a non-employee director and will, at such times as the Company is subject to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the Code, qualify as an outside director for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code, or, if no committee exists, our Board of Directors. Nevertheless, grants to members of our Compensation Committee will be made and administered by our Board of Directors rather than our Compensation Committee. References below to our Compensation Committee include a reference to our Board of Directors for those periods in which our Board of Directors is acting. Our Compensation Committee, in its discretion, may delegate to our chief executive officer all or part of our Compensation Committee’s authority and duties with respect to awards; however, our Compensation Committee may not delegate its authority and duties with respect to awards that have been, or will be, granted to certain of our officers.

Available Shares

Subject to adjustments upon certain corporate transactions or events, up to a maximum of 7,000,000 shares (the “Fungible Pool Limit”) may be subject to stock options, restricted stock, phantom stock units, dividend equivalent rights and other equity-based awards under our stock option and incentive plan. Each Share issued or to be issued in connection with awards other than stock options, stock appreciation rights or other awards that do not deliver the full value at grant thereof of the underlying shares (e.g., restricted stock) (“Full-Value Awards”) that vest or are granted based on the achievement of certain performance goals that are based on (A) FFO growth, (B) total return to stockholders (either in absolute terms or compared with other companies in the market), (C) total return to stockholders in the top one-third of the “peer group” (which for these purposes shall comprise: Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., American Financial Realty Trust, Boston Properties, Inc., Brandywine Realty Trust, Corporate Office Properties Trust, Crescent Real Estate Equities Company, Douglas Emmett, Duke Realty Corporation, Highwoods Properties, Inc., HRPT Properties, Kilroy Realty Corporation, Liberty Property Trust, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, Maguire Properties, Parkway Properties, SL Green Realty Corp., Washington REIT) or (D) a combination of the foregoing (as set forth in our stock option and incentive plan), shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as   units (also referred to herein as Full-Value Performance Awards). Each share issued or to be issued in connection with any other Full-Value Awards shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as  units. Options, stock appreciation rights and other awards that do not deliver the value at grant thereof of the underlying shares and that expire 10 years from the date of grant shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as 1 unit. Options, stock appreciation rights and other awards that do not deliver the value at grant thereof of the underlying Shares and that expire five years from the date of grant shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as  of a unit. Thus, under the foregoing rules, depending on the type of grants made, while a total of  shares remain available for awards, as many as  shares can be the subject of grants under the stock option and incentive plan. At the end of the third calendar year following the effective date of the 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, as well as at the end of the third calendar year following the effective date of the Amended and Restated Stock 2005 Option and Incentive Plan, (i) the three-year average of (A) the number of shares subject to awards granted in a single year, divided by (B) the number of shares of our outstanding common stock at the end of such year shall not exceed the (ii) greater of (A) 2%, with respect to the third calendar year following the effective date of the 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, or 2.23% with respect to the third calendar year following the effective date of the Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan or (B) the mean of the applicable peer group. For purposes of calculating the number of shares granted in a year in connection with the limitation set forth in the foregoing sentence, shares underlying Full-Value Awards will be taken into account as (i) 1.5 shares if our annual common stock price volatility is 53% or higher, (ii) two shares if our annual common stock price


volatility is between 25% and 52%, and (iii) four shares if our annual common stock price volatility is less than 25%. No award may be granted to any person who, assuming exercise of all options and payment of all awards held by such person, would own or be deemed to own more than 9.8% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. In addition, subject to adjustment upon certain corporate transactions or events, a participant may not receive awards (with shares subject to awards being counted, depending on the type of award, in the proportions ranging from   to   , as described above) in any one year covering more than 700,000 shares; thus, under this provision, depending on the type of grant involved, as many as 1,000,000 shares can be the subject of option grants to any one person in any year, and as many as 350,000 shares may be granted as restricted stock (or be the subject of other Full-Value Grants) to any one person in any year. If an option or other award granted under the stock option and incentive plan expires or terminates, the common stock subject to any portion of the award that expires or terminates without having been exercised or paid, as the case may be, will again become available for the issuance of additional awards. Shares of our common stock distributed under our stock option and incentive plan may be treasury shares or authorized but unissued shares. Unless the stock option and incentive plan is previously terminated by our Board of Directors, no new award may be granted under the stock option and incentive plan after the tenth anniversary of the date that such plan was initially approved by our Board of Directors.

Awards Under the Plan

Our key employees, directors, officers, advisors, consultants or other personnel or other persons expected to provide significant services (of a type expressly approved by our Compensation Committee as covered services for these purposes) to us or our subsidiaries are eligible to be granted Options, Restricted Stock, Phantom Shares, Dividend Equivalent Rights and other equity-based awards under our stock option and incentive plan. Eligibility for awards under our stock option and incentive plan is generally determined by our Compensation Committee.

Stock Options.   The terms of specific options, including whether options shall constitute “incentive stock options” for purposes of Section 422(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, shall be determined by our Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors. The exercise price of an option shall be determined by our Compensation Committee and reflected in the applicable award agreement. The exercise price may not be lower than 100% (110% in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a 10% stockholder, if permitted under the plan) of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. Each option will be exercisable after the period or periods specified in the award agreement, which will not exceed ten years from the date of grant. Options will be exercisable at such times and subject to such terms as determined by our Compensation Committee.

Restricted Stock.   A restricted stock award is an award of shares of common stock that is subject to restrictions on transferability and such other restrictions, if any, as our Board of Directors or Compensation Committee may impose at the date of grant. Grants of restricted stock may be subject to vesting schedules as determined by our Compensation Committee. The restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances, including, without limitation, (i) a specified period of employment or the satisfaction of one or a combination of the performance goals set forth in Exhibit B of our stock option and incentive plan (which is attached hereto as Appendix A), or (ii) based on other goals established by our Compensation Committee. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, upon a termination of employment or other service for cause or by the grantee for any reason, all shares of restricted stock still subject to restrictions shall be forfeited. In addition, unless otherwise provided in an applicable award agreement, a participant granted restricted stock shall have all the rights of a stockholder of our company, including the right to vote the shares and the right to receive any cash dividends currently. Dividends paid on all restricted stock will be at the same rate and on the same date as on shares of our common stock. Holders of restricted stock are prohibited from selling such shares until they vest.


Phantom Shares.   Phantom shares will vest as provided in the applicable award agreement. A phantom share represents a right to receive the fair market value of a share of our common stock, or, if provided by our Compensation Committee, the right to receive the fair market value of a share of our common stock in excess of a base value established by our Compensation Committee at the time of grant. Phantom shares may generally be settled in cash or by transfer of shares of common stock (as may be elected by the participant or our Compensation Committee, as may be provided by our Compensation Committee at grant). Unless otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, subject to elections by the grantee in accordance with the plan, the settlement date with respect to a phantom share is the first day of the month to follow the date on which the phantom share vests. Our Compensation Committee may, under certain circumstances, permit a participant to receive as settlement of the phantom shares installments over a period not to exceed ten years. In addition, our Compensation Committee may establish a program under which distributions with respect to phantom shares may be deferred for additional periods as set forth in the preceding sentence.

Dividend Equivalents.   A dividend equivalent is a right to receive (or have credited) the equivalent value (in cash or shares of common stock) of cash distributions made on shares of common stock otherwise subject to an award (e.g., an award of phantom shares); provided, however, that a dividend equivalent right may not be granted in connection with an award of options or stock appreciation rights. Our Compensation Committee may provide that amounts payable in the ordinary course with respect to dividend equivalents shall be converted into cash or additional shares of common stock. Our Compensation Committee will establish all other limitations and conditions of awards of dividend equivalents as it deems appropriate.

Other Stock-Based Awards.   Our stock option and incentive plan will authorize the granting of (i) other awards based upon the common stock including shares based upon certain conditions, convertible preferred shares, convertible debentures and other exchangeable or redeemable securities or equity interests, and stock appreciation rights, (ii) limited-partnership or any other membership or ownership interests (which may be expressed as units or otherwise) in a subsidiary or operating or other partnership (or other affiliate of the company), with any shares being issued in connection with the conversion of (or other distribution on account of) such interest being subject to the Fungible Pool Limit and the other provisions of our stock option and incentive plan, and (iii) awards valued by reference to book value, fair value or performance parameters relative to the company or any subsidiary or group of subsidiaries.

Adjustments in General; Certain Change in Control Provisions

In the event of certain corporate reorganizations or other events, our Compensation Committee generally may make certain adjustments in its discretion to the manner in which our stock option and incentive plan operates (including, for example, to the number of shares available under our stock option and incentive plan), and may otherwise take actions which, in its judgment, are necessary to preserve the rights of plan participants. Upon a change in control (as defined in the plan), our Compensation Committee generally may make such adjustments as it, in its discretion, determines are necessary or appropriate in light of the change in control, if our Compensation Committee determines that the adjustments do not have an adverse economic impact on the participants, and certain other special provisions may apply.

Amendment and Termination

We may grant awards under our stock option and incentive plan until the 10th anniversary of the earlier of the date on which it is approved by (i) our Board of Directors or (ii) our stockholders. Our Board of Directors may generally amend our stock option and incentive plan as it deems advisable, except in certain respects regarding outstanding awards. In addition, our stock option and incentive plan may not be amended without stockholder approval if the absence of such approval would cause our stock option and incentive plan to fail to comply with any applicable legal requirement or applicable stock exchange or similar rule.

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Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

Incentive Stock Options

In general, neither the grant nor the exercise of an incentive stock option will result in taxable income to an option holder or a deduction for us. To receive special tax treatment as an incentive stock option under the Internal Revenue Code as to shares acquired upon exercise of an incentive stock option, an option holder must not dispose of the shares either within two years after the incentive stock option is granted or within one year after the transfer of the shares to the option holder pursuant to exercise of the option. In addition, the option holder must be an employee of ours or of a qualified subsidiary at all times between the date of grant and the date three months (one year in the case of disability) before exercise of the option. (Special rules apply in the case of the death of the option holder.)  Incentive stock option treatment under the Internal Revenue Code generally allows any gain resulting from the sale of common stock received upon the exercise of an incentive stock option to be treated as a capital gain to the option holder, but we will not be entitled to a tax deduction. The exercise of an incentive stock option (if the holding period rules described in this paragraph are satisfied), however, will give rise to income includable by the option holder in his or her alternative minimum taxable income for purposes of the alternative minimum tax in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the stock acquired on the date of the exercise of the option over the exercise price.

If the holding period rules noted above are not satisfied, certain gain recognized on the disposition of the shares acquired upon the exercise of an incentive stock option will be characterized as ordinary income. This gain will be equal to the difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise. (Special rules may apply to disqualifying dispositions where the amount realized is less than the value at exercise.)  We will generally be entitled to a deduction for federal income tax purposes equal to the amount of such gain included by an option holder as ordinary income. Any excess of the amount realized upon such disposition over the fair market value at exercise will generally be long-term or short-term capital gain depending on the holding period involved. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if exercise of the option is permitted other than by cash payment of the exercise price, various special tax rules may apply.

Non-Qualified Stock Options

No income will be recognized by an option holder at the time a non-qualified stock option is granted. Ordinary income will generally be recognized by an option holder, however, at the time a non-qualified stock option is exercised in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the underlying common stock on the exercise date over the exercise price. We will generally be entitled to a deduction for federal income tax purposes in the same amount as the amount included in ordinary income by the option holder with respect to his or her non-qualified stock option. Gain or loss on a subsequent sale or other disposition of the shares acquired upon the exercise of a non-qualified stock option will be measured by the difference between the amount realized on the disposition and the tax basis of such shares, and will generally be long-term or short-term capital gain depending on the holding period involved. The tax basis of the shares acquired upon the exercise of any non-qualified stock option will be equal to the sum of the exercise price of the non-qualified stock option and the amount included in income with respect to the option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that exercise of the option is permitted other than by cash payment of the exercise price, various special tax rules may apply.

Restricted Stock

Unless a holder of restricted stock makes an “83(b) election” (as discussed below), there generally will be no tax consequences as a result of the grant of restricted stock until the restricted stock is no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture or is transferable (free of the risk). Generally, when the


restrictions are lifted, the holder will recognize ordinary income, and we will be entitled to a deduction for federal income tax purposes, equal to the difference between the fair market value of the stock at that time and the amount, if any, paid by the holder for the restricted stock. Subsequently realized changes in the value of the stock generally will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the length of time the shares are held prior to their disposition. Unless an “83(b) election” is made (as discussed below), dividends on shares subject to restrictions will generally be considered compensation income. In general terms, if a holder makes an 83(b) election (under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code) upon the award of restricted stock, the holder will recognize ordinary income on the date of the award of restricted stock, and we will be entitled to a deduction, equal to (i) the fair market value of the restricted stock as though the stock were (A) not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture or (B) transferable, minus (ii) the amount, if any, paid for the restricted stock. If an 83(b) election is made, generally there will be no tax consequences to the holder upon the lifting of restrictions, and all subsequent appreciation or depreciation in the restricted stock generally will be eligible for capital gains treatment.

Phantom Shares

The phantom shares have been designed with the intention that there will be no tax consequences as a result of the granting of a phantom share until payment is made to the participant with respect to the phantom share. When payment is made, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income, and we will generally be entitled to a deduction, equal to the fair market value of the common stock and/or cash, as applicable, received upon payment.

Dividend Equivalents

There generally will be no tax consequences as a result of the award of a dividend equivalent. When payment is made, the holder of the dividend equivalent generally will recognize ordinary income, and we will be entitled to a deduction, equal to the amount received in respect of the dividend equivalent.

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended

Additional special tax rules may apply to those award holders who are subject to the rules set forth in Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the Internal Revenue Service, we inform you that, any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this proxy statement is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another person any transaction or matter addressed in this proxy statement.

Our Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the approval of our Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan.


PROPOSAL 4:   APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT OF OUR ARTICLES
OF INCORPORATION

Our Board of Directors has declared the articles of amendment and restatement of our Articles of Incorporation advisable and has directed that the proposal be submitted for consideration at the annual meeting. A form of Articles of Amendment and Restatement, marked to reflect changes to our current Articles of Incorporation, is attached to this proxy statement as Appendix B, and this summary of the provisions of the Articles of Amendment and Restatement is qualified in its entirety by reference to Appendix B, which you should read in its entirety.

Our company is presently authorized by its Articles of Incorporation to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock. At March 20, 2007, 5,910,818 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding and 7,373,885 shares of common stock have been reserved for issuance for purposes of conversion of outstanding convertible securities, dividend reinvestment and direct purchases, and stock options and stock purchases under stockholder approved employee benefit plans, leaving only 33,445,297 shares of common stock available for issuance. Consequently, we may not have a sufficient number of authorized shares of common stock available if necessary for future mergers and acquisitions, capital raising activities, stock splits and other legitimate corporate purposes.

If the proposal is approved by the holders of our common stock, our current Articles of Incorporation will be amended and restated to provide that our company has the authority to issue 260,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of 160,000,000 shares of common stock, 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock and 75,000,000 shares of excess stock, each with a par value $0.01 per share. We currently have the authority to issue 200,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of 100,000,000 shares of common stock, 25,000,000 shares of preferred stock and 75,000,000 shares of excess stock, each with a par value of $0.01 per share. Because the number of outstanding shares of common stock is approaching the maximum number of shares of common stock authorized by our current Articles of Incorporation, we wish to increase the number of authorized shares of stock to permit us to issue additional shares of common stock in the future.

In addition, if the proposal is approved by the holders of common stock, various ministerial changes not requiring stockholder approval will be made to our current Articles of Incorporation.

Our Board of Directors believes that it is in the best interests of our company and our stockholders to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock. This will provide flexibility with respect to future transactions, including acquisitions of other businesses where we would have the option to use our common stock (or securities convertible into or exercisable for common stock) as consideration (rather than cash), financing future growth, financing transactions, stock splits and other corporate purposes.

Our stockholders will not have any preemptive rights with respect to the additional shares being authorized. No further approval by stockholders would be necessary prior to the issuance of any additional shares of common stock, except as may be required by law or applicable NYSE rules. In certain circumstances, generally relating to the number of shares to be issued and the identity of the recipient, the rules of the NYSE require stockholder authorization in connection with the issuance of such additional shares. Subject to law and the rules of the NYSE, our Board of Directors has the sole discretion to issue additional shares of common stock on such terms and for such consideration as may be determined by our Board of Directors. The issuance of any additional shares of common stock may have the effect of diluting the percentage of stock ownership of our present stockholders.

We have not proposed the increase to our authorized stock with the intention of using the additional common stock for anti-takeover purposes, although we could theoretically use the additional stock in the future to make it more difficult or to discourage an attempt to acquire control of our company. As of the date of this proxy statement, we are unaware of any pending or threatened efforts to acquire control of our company.


If the holders of common stock approve the proposal, the Articles of Amendment and Restatement will be filed with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland, or the SDAT, and the amendment and restatement of our Articles of Incorporation as described above will be effective upon the acceptance for record of the Articles of Amendment and Restatement by the SDAT.

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote “FOR” the approval of the Amendment and Restatement of our Articles of Incorporation.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE MATTERS

This section of our proxy statement contains information about a variety of our corporate governance policies and practices. In this section, you will find information about how we are complying with the NYSE’s final corporate governance rules that were approved by the SEC. We are committed to operating our business under strong and accountable corporate governance practices. You are encouraged to visit the corporate governance section of the “Investors—Corporate Governance” pagesection of our corporate website at http://www.slgreen.com to view or to obtain copies of our committee charters, codeCode of business conduct and ethics, corporate governance principlesEthics, Governance Principles and director independence standards. The information found on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this proxy statement or any other report or document wedocumentwe file with, or furnish to, the SEC. You also may also obtain, free of charge, a copy of the respective charters of our committees, codeCode of business conduct and ethics, corporate governance principlesEthics, Governance Principles and director independence standards by directing your request in writing to SL Green Realty Corp., 420,420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170-1881,York10170-1881, Attention: Investor Relations. Additional information relating to the corporate governance of our companythe Company also is also included in other sections of this proxy statement.

Proposal 1: Election of Directors

Corporate Governance Guidelines

OurThe Board, of Directors has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that address significant issues of corporate governance and set forth procedures by which our Board carries out its responsibilities. Amongupon the areas addressed by the Corporate Governance Guidelines are director qualification standards, director responsibilities, director access to management and independent advisors, director compensation, director orientation and continuing education, management succession, annual performance evaluationrecommendation of the Board and management responsibilities. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, has nominated Betsy Atkins, Marc Holliday and John S. Levy for election to serve as its Class II directors. If elected, each Class II director will serve until the2020 annual meeting and until their successors are duly elected and qualify. Ms. Atkins and Messrs. Holliday and Levy currently are serving as Class II directors. Each of Ms. Atkins and Messrs. Holliday and Levy has consented to being named in this proxy statement and to serve as a director if elected. However, if any of Ms. Atkins and Messrs. Holliday and Levy is responsibleunable to accept election, proxies voted in favor of such nominee will be voted for assessingthe election of such other person as the Board nominates.

Majority Voting Standard

A majority of all the votes cast with respect to a nominee’s election is required for such nominee to be elected to serve on the Board. This means that the number ofvotes cast “for” a nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” such nominee, with abstentions and periodically reviewingbroker non-votes not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” a nominee. For more information on the adequacyoperation of our majority voting standard in director elections, see the section entitled “Our Board of Directors and Corporate Governance GuidelinesGovernance—Corporate Governance—Majority Voting Standard and will recommend, as appropriate, proposed changesDirector Resignation Policy.”

The Board unanimously recommends a vote“FOR” the election of Ms. Atkins and Messrs. Holliday and Levy.

Information Regarding the Nominees and the Continuing Directors

The following table and biographical descriptions set forth certain information with respect to the Board.

Director Independence

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that a majority of ournominees for election as Class II directors serving on our Board must be independent as required by the listing standards of the NYSEat the2017 annual meeting and the applicable rules promulgated bycontinuing Class I and Class III directors whose terms expire at the SEC. In addition,annual meetings of stockholders in2019 and2018, respectively, based upon information furnished byeach director. We have proposed to declassify our board. Subject to stockholder approval, we will phase out board classes, and directors whose terms are expiring will be elected for one-year terms. If our proposal to declassify is approved, then our Board of Directors has adopted director independence standards, which are certain additional categorical standards to assist in making determinations with respect to the independence of directors. Our Board has affirmatively determined, based upon its review of all relevant facts and circumstances, that each of the following directors and director nominees has no direct or indirect material relationship with us and is independent under the listing standards of the NYSE and the applicable rules promulgatedwill be fully declassified by the SEC:  Messrs. Edwin T. Burton, III, John H. Alschuler, Jr. and John S. Levy. Our Board has determined that Messrs. Green and Holliday, our two other directors, are not independent because they are also executive officers of our company.our2020 annual meeting.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics6  

Our Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to our directors, executive officers and employees. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics was designed to assist our directors, executive officers and employees in complying with the law, resolving moral and ethical issues that may arise and in complying with our policies and procedures. Among the areas addressed by the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics are compliance with applicable laws, conflicts of interest, use and protection of our company’s assets, confidentiality, communications with the public, accounting matters, records retention, fair dealing, discrimination and harassment and health and safety.


Audit Committee Financial Expert

Our Board of Directors has determined that our Audit Committee has at least one “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item 401(h) of SEC Regulation S-K, such expert being Mr. Edwin T. Burton, III, and that he is “independent,” as that term is used in Item 7(d)(3)(iv) of Schedule 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Mr. Burton has agreed to serve as our audit committee financial expert.

Communications with our Board of Directors

We have a process by which stockholders and/or other parties may communicate with our Board of Directors or individual directors. Any such communications may be sent to our Board by U.S. mail or overnight delivery and should be directed to Andrew S. Levine, Secretary, at SL Green Realty Corp., 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York  10170-1881, who will forward them on to the intended recipient. Any such communications may be made anonymously.



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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Name   Age   Director Since
Class II Nominees (terms will expire in2020)
Betsy Atkins*632015
Marc Holliday502001
John S. Levy*811997
Class I Continuing Directors (terms will expire in2019)
Edwin Thomas Burton, III*741997
Craig M. Hatkoff*632011
Andrew W. Mathias432014
Class III Continuing Directors (terms will expire in2018)
John H. Alschuler*691997
Lauren B. Dillard*412016
Stephen L. Green791997
*Independent Director

Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection PolicyClass II Nominees—Terms Will Expire in 2020

Betsy AtkinsDirector Since:April2015Age:63Independent

Ms. Atkins has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Baja Corp, an independent venture capital firm focused on technology, renewable energy and life sciences industries, since 1994. Ms. Atkins served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Clear Standards, Inc., a provider of enterprise carbon management and sustainability solutions, from February 2009 until August 2009 when Clear Standards was acquired by SAP AG, a business software company. Previously, Ms. Atkins served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCI, Inc., a functional food/nutraceutical company, from 1991 through 1993. Ms. Atkins was a co-founder of Ascend Communications, Inc. in 1989 and a member of its Board of Directors, and served as its Executive Vice President of sales, marketing, professional services and international operations prior to its acquisition by Lucent Technologies. Ms. Atkins served on the boards of directors of Polycom, Inc. from 1999 to 2016, SunPower Corporation from October 2005 to August 2012 and Chico’s FAS, Inc. from January 2004 to July 2013, Ciber, Inc. from July 2014 to October 2014, Darden Restaurants, Inc. from October 2014 to September 2015, and has served on the boards of directors of Schneider Electric, SA since April 2011, HD Supply, Inc. since September 2013, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation since April 2017, as well as the boards of a number of private companies. Ms. Atkins is also an advisor to SAP, was formerly an advisor to British Telecom and was a presidential-appointee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation advisory committee. Ms. Atkins holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts. Ms. Atkins has deep expertise in many areas, including executive leadership and operational experience in various technology, durable goods, energy efficiency infrastructure and retail industries, as well as significant public board experience, which gives her broad experience and thought leadership in corporate governance matters generally, including executive compensation and evolving best practices in sustainability and enterprise risk management.


Our Audit Committee has established procedures for (1) the receipt, retention and treatment2017 Proxy Statement  7



Table of complaints received by our company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and (2) the confidential and anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. If you wish to contact our Audit Committee to report complaints or concerns relating to the financial reporting of our company, you may do so in writing to the Chairman of our Audit Committee, c/o General Counsel, Contents

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Marc Holliday

Chief Executive Officer Since January2004Director Since: December2001Age:50

In addition to serving as our Chief Executive Officer and as a member of our Board, Mr. Holliday also serves as a member of our Executive Committee. Mr. Holliday stepped down as our President in April 2007, when Andrew Mathias, our current President, was promoted to that position. Mr. Holliday joined the Company as Chief Investment Officer in July 1998. In October 2008, Mr. Holliday stepped down from his positions of President and Chief Executive Officer of Gramercy Property Trust, Inc. f/k/a Gramercy Capital Corp., or Gramercy, positions he had held since August 2004. Mr. Holliday also served as a director of Gramercy from 2004 until September 2014. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Holliday was Managing Director and Head of Direct Originations for New York-based Capital Trust Inc., a mezzanine finance company, where he was in charge of originating direct principal investments for the firm, consisting of mezzanine debt, preferred equity and first mortgages. From 1991 to 1997, Mr. Holliday served in various management positions, including Senior Vice President, at Capital Trust, Inc.’s predecessor, Victor Capital Group, L.P. Mr. Holliday serves as a member of the Board of Directors of NYRA and Columbia University and is also an executive officer and sits on the Board of the Real Estate Board of New York. Mr. Holliday received a B.S. degree in Business and Finance from Lehigh University in 1988 and an M. S. degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University in 1990. Mr. Holliday’s extensive experience and skills in real estate and finance, as well as his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, provide him with valuable knowledge of and expertise in our business and industry. Furthermore, Mr. Holliday’s presence on the Board facilitates communication between the Board and the Company’s senior management.


John S. Levy

Director Since:1997 Age:81Independent

Mr. Levy retired from Lehman Brothers Inc. in 1995. From 1983 until 1995, at Lehman Brothers (or its predecessors), he served as Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the Financial Services Division, Senior Executive Vice President and Co-Director of the International Division and Managing Partner of the Equity Securities Division. Mr. Levy was associated with A.G. Becker Incorporated (or its predecessors) from 1960 until 1983, where he served as Managing Director of the Execution Services Division, Vice President-Manager of Institutional and Retail Sales, Manager of the Institutional Sales Division, Manager of the New York Retail Office and a Registered Representative. Mr. Levy received a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College. Mr. Levy’s extensive skills, experience and sophistication in corporate governance, financial, compensation, legal and commercial matters, including his corporate finance expertise developed at Lehman Brothers, allow him to provide valuable insights into the Company’s business and finances.

8  SL Green Realty Corp., 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York  10170-1881. Any such communications may be made anonymously.



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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Director Attendance at Annual MeetingsClass I Continuing Directors—Terms Will Expire in 2019

Edwin
Thomas
Burton, III

Director Since:1997 Age:74 Independent

Mr. Burton is a Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia, and has held teaching positions at York College, Rice University and Cornell University, and has written and lectured extensively in the field of Economics. Mr. Burton has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Retirement System for state and local employees of the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1994 to 2001 and then again from 2004 to 2014, and served as its Chairman from 1997 until March 2001. Mr. Burton also serves as a consultant to numerous companies on investment strategy and investment banking. From 1994 until 1995, Mr. Burton served as Senior Vice President, Managing Director and director of Interstate Johnson Lane, Incorporated, an investment banking firm, where he was in charge of the Corporate Finance and Public Finance Divisions. From 1987 to 1994, Mr. Burton served as President of Rothschild Financial Services, Incorporated (a subsidiary of Rothschild, Inc. of North America), an investment banking company headquartered in New York City that is involved in proprietary trading, securities lending and other investment activities. Mr. Burton also served as a consultant to the American Stock Exchange from 1985 until 1986 and a senior vice president with Smith Barney (or its corporate predecessor) from 1976 until 1984. Since 2004, Mr. Burton has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Chase Investors, a privately-held registered investment advisor. Mr. Burton also has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Capstar Hotel Company, a publicly-traded hotel company, Virginia National Bank, a publicly-traded commercial bank, and SNL Securities, a private securities data company. Mr. Burton received a B.A. degree in Economics from Rice University and a Ph.D. degree in Economics from Northwestern University. In addition to his experience in academia as a seasoned professor of economics, Mr. Burton’s extensive skills and experience in corporate governance, financial, compensation and legal matters allow him to provide valuable financial expertise and insights into the Company’s business.


Craig M.
Hatkoff

Director Since:2011 Age:63 Independent

Mr. Hatkoff served as Vice Chairman of Capital Trust, Inc., a real estate investment management company that was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, and one of the largest dedicated real estate mezzanine lenders, from 1997 to 2000, and served on the Board of Directors from 1997 to 2010. From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Hatkoff was a trustee of the New York City School Construction Authority, the agency responsible for the construction of all public schools in New York City. Mr. Hatkoff was a founder and a managing partner of Victor Capital Group, L.P., from 1989 until its acquisition in 1997 by Capital Trust, Inc. Previously, he spent 11 years at Chemical Bank, including as co-head of the real estate investment banking unit, where he was a pioneer in commercial mortgage securitization. Mr. Hatkoff is a co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. Mr. Hatkoff is also Chairman of Turtle Pond Publications LLC, which is active in children’s publishing and entertainment and is a private investor in other entrepreneurial ventures. Mr. Hatkoff has been a director of Taubman Centers, Inc. since 2004. Mr. Hatkoff is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, where he teaches courses on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Mr. Hatkoff has in-depth expertise and knowledge of real estate, capital markets, finance, private investing, entrepreneurship and executive management through his work with Chemical Bank, Victor Capital Group and Capital Trust. As a result of the foregoing, Mr. Hatkoff provides a unique insight into the financial markets generally, valuation analysis, strategic planning, and unique financing structures and alternatives. He also possesses entrepreneurial, brand marketing, social media, technology and innovation, and senior leadership experience through his private investments and service on the Boards of numerous educational and charitable organizations. Mr. Hatkoff also has extensive Board and Board committee experience at other public companies, including his current service at Taubman Centers, Inc. and his long-standing service to Capital Trust, Inc., which enables him to provide significant insight as to governance and compliance-related matters particular to real estate companies.

2017 Proxy Statement  9



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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Andrew W.
Mathias

Presidentsince:April2007Director Since:June 2014 Age: 43

Mr. Mathias joined the Company in March 1999 as Vice President and was promoted to Director of Investments in 2002, a position he held until his promotion to Chief Investment Officer in January 2004, a position he held until January 2011. In October 2008, Mr. Mathias stepped down from his position as Chief Investment Officer of Gramercy, a position he had held since August 2004. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Mathias worked at Capital Trust, Inc. and its predecessor, Victor Capital Group, L.P. Mr. Mathias also worked on the high yield and restructuring desk at Bear Stearns and Co. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Regional Plan Association, which works to improve the prosperity, infrastructure, sustainability and quality of life of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region. Mr. Mathias received a B.S. degree in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.


Class III Continuing Directors—Terms Will Expire in 2018

John H.
Alschuler

Lead Independent Director Director Since:1997 Age:69Independent

Since 2008, Mr. Alschuler has been the Chairman of HR&A Advisors Inc., an economic development, real-estate and public policy consulting organization. Mr. Alschuler also is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University, where he teaches real estate development at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. Mr. Alschuler currently serves on the Board of Directors of Xenia Hotels and Resorts, The Macerich Company, the Center for an Urban Future, a Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and Friends of the High Line Inc., a Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Mr. Alschuler received a B.A. degree from Wesleyan University and an Ed.D. degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Mr. Alschuler’s achievements in academia and business, as well as his extensive knowledge of commercial real estate, New York City’s economy, commercial and other markets in New York City and national and international markets for real estate, and his expertise in inter-governmental relations, allow him to assess the real estate market and the Company’s business from a knowledgeable and informed perspective, from which he provides valuable insights into the Company’s business.


Stephen L.
Green

Chairman and Director Since1997Age: 79

Mr. Green serves as an executive officer, working in conjunction with our Chief Executive Officer, overseeing our long-term strategic direction. Mr. Green formerly served as our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Green founded our predecessor, S.L. Green Properties, Inc., in 1980. Prior to our initial public offering in 1997, Mr. Green had been involved in the acquisition of over 50 Manhattan office buildings containing in excess of 10.0 million square feet. Mr. Green also served as Chairman of the Board of Gramercy from August 2004 through June 2009. Mr. Green is an at-large member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York and previously has served as Chairman of the Real Estate Board of New York’s Tax Committee. Mr. Green also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc. from August 2007 through April 2009. Mr. Green currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Streetsquash, Inc., a Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Mr. Green also served as a member of the board of trustees of the NYU Langone Medical Center. Mr. Green received a B.A. degree from Hartwick College and a J.D. degree from Boston College Law School. In addition to his industry-wide reputation, Mr. Green’s extensive skills and experience in real estate, including founding our predecessor, provide him with invaluable knowledge of and expertise in our business and industry. This experience, particularly his experience having led our predecessor and the Company, contributes depth and context to the Board’s discussions of the Company’s business.


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Lauren B.
Dillard

Director Since:2016 Age:41Independent

Ms. Dillard has been a Managing Director for the Carlyle Group, a global alternative asset manager, since 2011 and Head of Carlyle’s Investment Solutions Group since December 2015, where she also served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer from 2013 until December 2015. Since joining the Carlyle Group in 2002, Ms. Dillard has held a series of positions including Head of Global Tax Department and Head of Global Equity Programs. Ms. Dillard was a member of Carlyle’s Transaction Team where she played a significant role in transactions, including Carlyle’s initial public offering. Ms. Dillard currently serves on Carlyle’s Management Committee and is a board member of AlpInvest Partners. Prior to 2002, Ms. Dillard served in the Real Estate and Financial Services Group of the Tax Practice of Arthur Andersen, LLP. Ms. Dillard is active in a range of leadership, philanthropic, and internal and external mentoring efforts to advance the role of women in private equity, including: founder and leader of Carlyle’s Women’s Employee Resource Group, member of the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN) and other industry initiatives. She is also the recipient of the prestigious One Carlyle Award in recognition of her contributions to and support of the firm’s collaborative culture. Ms. Dillard received her B.S. in business administration from the University of Richmond. Ms. Dillard’s sophisticated understanding of tax, real estate and global equity and investment programs, together with her considerable operational expertise, provides the Board and the Company with deep and practical insight on a broad range of matters.


Board Refreshment

Led by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board engages in ongoing director succession planning, including a focus on refreshing the Board and enhancing the level of diversity. We encourage each memberbelieve that we have achieved much in this regard; we have added three new independent directors since2011, including two women – Betsy Atkins, who joined our Board in2015, and Lauren Dillard, who joined our Board in2016. Together with the addition of Craig Hatkoff in2011, these additions reduce the average age and tenure of our independent directors by approximately nine years.

Thanks to the efforts of the Board, we believe that, taken as a whole, the Board has the desired mix of Directorsexpertise, experience, reputation and diversity necessary for us to attend each annual meetingcontinue to deliver superior performance in a highly competitive marketplace, as well as the knowledge, ability and independence to continue to deliver the high standard of stockholders. Messrs. Holliday and Green attended the annual meetinggovernance expected by our investors.

DiversityExperienceLeadership

Our Board represents diversity in its broader sense. This means diversity of knowledge, skills, and education, as well as diversity of age, gender, and outlook

Our Board members have broad experience serving on public boards in industries relevant to the Company

Our Board members have strong corporate leadership backgrounds such as being a CEO, CFO or holding other Executive positions

33% of our independent Board members are women

78% of our Board have served on the Boards of other publicly traded companies

89% of our Board have served as CEO or in senior leadership positions


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Table of stockholders held on May 17, 2006.Contents

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Identification of Director Candidates

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee assists ourthe Board of Directors in identifying and reviewing director candidates to determine whether they qualify for membership on the Board and for recommendingrecommends director nominees to the Board the director nominees to be considered for election at our annual meeting of stockholders. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee adopted a written policy on the criteria and process of identifying and reviewing director candidates.

Each director candidate must have (1) education and experience that provides knowledge of business, financial, governmental or legal matters that are relevant to the Company’s business or to its status as a publicly owned company, (2) an unblemished reputation for integrity, (3) a reputation for exercising good business judgment and (4) sufficient available time to be able to fulfill his or her responsibilities as a member of the Board and of any committees to which he or she may be appointed.

In making recommendations to ourthe Board, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers such factors as it deems appropriate. These factors may include judgment, skill, diversity (including diversity of knowledge, skills, professional experience, education, expertise and representation in industries relevant to the Company), ability to bring new perspectives and add to Board discussion and consideration, experience with businesses and other organizations comparable to our company,the Company (including experience managing public companies, marketing experience or experience determining compensation of officers of public companies), the interplay of the candidate’s experience with the experience of other Board members, the candidate’s industry knowledge and experience, the ability of a nominee to devote sufficient time to the affairs of our companythe Company, any actual or potential conflicts of interest and whether the candidate meets the NYSE independence criteria, the extent to which the candidate generally would be a desirable addition to the Board and any committees of the Board, qualifications to serve on appropriate Board committees (including financial acumen), technological literacy, strategic insight, familiarity with desired markets or regions, ability to make independent and analytical judgments, ability to introduce the Company to business or other opportunities, reputation in the corporate governance community, personal rapport with senior officers of the Company, risk management skills and effective communication skills. Such matters are considered in light of the skills, qualifications and diversity of the other members of the Board.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee ensures that the potential nominee is not an employee or agent of and does not serve on the board of directors or similar managing body of any of our competitors and determines whether the potential nominee has an interest in any transactions to which we are a party.

Prior to a vote as to whether a potential nominee is recommended to the Board of Directors, each member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is provided access to such potential nominee. Such access includes an opportunity to interview such potential nominee in person or by telephone and to submit questions to such potential candidate. In addition, each potential nominee provides the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee with a written detailed biography and other requested information.

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may solicitsolicits and considerconsiders suggestions of our directors or management regarding possible nominees. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also may also procure the services of outside sources or third parties to assist in the identification of director candidates.

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may consider director candidates recommended by our stockholders. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will apply the same standards in considering candidates submitted by stockholders as it does in evaluating candidates


submitted by members of ourthe Board. Any recommendations by stockholders shouldare to follow the procedures outlined under “Stockholder Proposals”“Other Information—Other Matters—Stockholder Proposals and Nominations” in this proxy statement and should also provide the reasons supporting a candidate’s recommendation, the candidate’s qualifications and the candidate’s written consent to being considered as a director nominee.

In addition, any stockholder recommendingconnection with the identification and review of director candidates and related matters, FTI Consulting, Inc., or FTI Consulting, provides services to us that include actively working with the Chairman of the Board, the Lead Independent Director and our Chief Executive Officer in reviewing governance issues, specific board member roles and responsibilities and committee assignments. FTI Consulting also assists us in the initial search, screening, interviewing and vetting of potential new directors and worked closely with our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in connection with the recent additions of Craig Hatkoff in2011, Betsy Atkins in2015 (who was initially recommended for consideration by our Chief Executive Officer and has been nominated for re-election at the annual meeting) and Lauren Dillard in2016.

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Board Structure and Independence

Board Structure

The Board currently consists of nine members and is divided into three classes. Directors in each class serve for a director candidate should submit information demonstratingterm of three years and until their successors are duly elected and qualify. The term of directors of one class expires at each annual meeting of stockholders.

Board Leadership Structure; Lead Independent Director

As noted above, the Board currently is comprised of six independent and three employee directors. Mr. Green has served as Chairman of the Board since1997 and serves as an executive officer. The Board has appointed Mr. Alschuler, one of the independent directors, as Lead Independent Director. We believe that the number of sharesindependent, experienced directors that make up the Board, along with the independent oversight of common stockour Lead Independent Director, benefits the Company and its stockholders.

We recognize that hedifferent board leadership structures may be appropriate for companies in different situations, and that no one structure is suitable for all companies. Our current Board leadership structure is optimal for us because it demonstrates to our employees and other stakeholders that the Company is under strong leadership, coordinated closely between a separate Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. In our judgment, the Company, like many companies, has been well-served by this leadership structure.

To facilitate the role of the independent directors, the Board determined that it is appropriate for the independent directors to appoint one independent director to serve as Lead Independent Director. In addition to presiding at executive sessions of independent directors, the Lead Independent Director has the responsibility to: (1) consult with the Chief Executive Officer as to an appropriate schedule and agenda for each Board meeting, seeking to ensure that the independent directors can perform their duties effectively and responsibly, (2) ensure the independent directors have adequate resources, especially by way of full, timely and relevant information to support their decision making, (3) advise the Chief Executive Officer as to the quality, quantity and timeliness of the information submitted by the Company’s management that is necessary or she owns.appropriate for the independent directors to effectively and responsibly perform their duties, (4) recommend tothe Board and the Board Committees the retention of advisers and consultants who report directly to the Board, (5) ensure that independent directors have adequate opportunities to meet and discuss issues in sessions of the independent directors without management present and, as appropriate, call meetings of the Independent Directors, (6) serve as Chairman of the sessions of the independent directors, (7) serve as principal liaison between the independent directors and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and between the independent directors and senior management, (8) communicate to management, as appropriate, the results of private discussions among independent directors, (9) chair the meetings of the Board when the Chairman is not present, (10) with respect to questions and comments directed to the Lead Independent Director or to the independent directors as a group, determine the appropriate means of response, with such consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and other directors as the Lead Independent Director may deem appropriate and (11) perform such other duties as the Board from time to time may delegate. Mr. Alschuler serves as the Lead Independent Director.

Throughout the year, the Board discusses corporate governance practices with stockholders and third party advisers to ensure that the Board and its committees follow practices that are optimal for the Company and its stockholders while also delivering superior total return. As part of this process, the Board conducts an annual evaluation in order to determine whether it and its committees function effectively, with independent directors meeting separately with outside counsel. The discussion with stockholders, as well as the evaluations, are the basis for the Board’s annual review of possible changes to the Company’s corporate governance practices. Our Governance Principles provide the flexibility for the Board to modify our leadership structure as the Board deems appropriate.

Director Independence

Our Governance Principles provide that a majority of our directors serving on the Board must be independent as required by the listing standards of the NYSE and the applicable rules promulgated by the SEC. In addition, the Board adopted director independence standards that assist the Board in making its determinations with respect to the independence of directors. The Board determined affirmatively, based upon its review of all relevant facts and circumstances and after considering all applicablerelationships of which the Board had knowledge, between or among the directors and the Company or our management (some of such relationships are described in the section of this proxy statement entitled “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions”), that each of the following directors and director nominees has no direct or indirect material relationship with us and is independent under the listing standards of the NYSE, the applicable rules promulgated by the SEC and our director independence

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standards: Mses. Betsy Atkins and Lauren B. Dillard and Messrs. Edwin T. Burton, III, John H. Alschuler, John S. Levy and Craig M. Hatkoff. The Board has determined that Messrs. Steven L. Green, Marc Holliday andAndrew W. Mathias, our three other directors, are not independent because they are also executive officers of the Company.

Executive Sessions of Non-Management Directors

In accordance with the CorporateOur Governance Guidelines,Principles require the non-management directors serving on ourthe Board of Directorsto meet in an executive session after each regularly scheduled meeting of the Audit Committeeat least annually without the presence of any directors or other persons who are part of our management. In accordance with such requirement, theindependent directors, who currently comprise all of the non-management directors, meet in executive sessions from time to time on such a basis. The executive sessions are regularly are chaired by our Lead Independent Director.

Communications with the chairBoard

We have a process by which stockholders and/or other parties may communicate with the Board, individual directors (including the independent directors) or independent directors as a group. Any such communications may be sent to the Board or any named individual director (including the independent directors), by U.S. mail orovernight delivery and should be directed to Andrew S. Levine, Secretary, at SL Green Realty Corp.,420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York10170-1881. Mr. Levine forwards all such communications to the intended recipient or recipients. Any such communications may be made anonymously.

Director Attendance

The Board held six meetings and all directors attended75% or more of the board of directors meetings and meetings of the committees on which they served during the periods they served during fiscal year2016.

We encourage each member of the Board committee having jurisdiction overto attend each annual meeting of stockholders. Four of our directors attended the particular subject matterannual meeting of stockholders held on June2, 2016.

Board Committees

The Board has four standing committees: an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and an Executive Committee. The current charters for each of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are available on our corporate website at www.slgreen.com under the “Investors—Corporate Governance” section. Further, wewill provide a copy of these charters without charge to each stockholder upon written request. Requests for copies should be discussedaddressed to Andrew S. Levine, Secretary, at SL Green Realty Corp.,420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York10170-1881. From time to time, the particular session or portion of a session.Board also may create additional committees for such purposes as the Board may determine.

DisclosureAudit Committee

We maintain a DisclosureOur Audit Committee consistingconsists of membersEdwin Thomas Burton, III (Chairman), Lauren B. Dillard and Craig M. Hatkoff, each of whom is “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE and the SEC and each of whom meets the financial literacy standard required by the rules of the NYSE. Our Audit Committee’s primary purpose is to select and appoint our executiveindependent registered public accounting firm and to assist the Board in its oversight of the integrity of the Company’s financial statements; the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; the qualifications and independence of the registered public accounting firm employed by the Company for the audit of the Company’s financial statements; the performance of the people responsible for the Company’s internal audit function; and the performance of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. Our Audit Committee also prepares the report that the rules ofthe SEC require be included in this proxy statement and provides an open avenue of communication among the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, its internal auditors, its management and senior employees.the Board. Our Disclosure Committee meets at least quarterly. The purpose of our Disclosure Committeemanagement is to bring together representatives from our core business linesresponsible for the preparation, presentation and employees involved in the preparationintegrity of our financial statements and for the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Management is responsible for maintaining appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles and policies and internal controls and procedures that provide for compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. Our independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for planning and carrying out a proper audit of our annual financial statements prior to the filing of our Annual Report on Form10-K, reviewing our quarterly financial statements prior to the filing of each Quarterly Report on Form10-Q

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and annually auditing the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and other procedures. Our Audit Committee held12 meetings during fiscal year2016. Additional information regarding the functions performed by our Audit Committee is set forth in the “Audit Committee Report” included in this annual proxy statement.

Audit Committee Financial Expert

The Board determined that Edwin T. Burton, III qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined in Item401(h) of SEC Regulation S-K.

Compensation Committee

Our Compensation Committee consists of John H. Alschuler (Chairman), Edwin Thomas Burton, III and John S. Levy, each of whom is “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE. Our Compensation Committee’s primary purposes are to determine how the Company’s Chief Executive Officer should be compensated; to administer the Company’s employee benefit plans and executive compensation programs; to determine compensation of our executive officers other than our Chief Executive Officer; and to produce the report on executive compensation that is required to be included in this proxy statement. With respect to the compensation of our executive officers, our Compensation Committee solicits recommendations from our Chief Executive Officer regarding total compensation for all executive officers other than the Chief Executive Officer and reviews his recommendations in terms of total compensation and the allocation of such compensation among base salary, annual bonus amounts and other long-term incentive compensation as well as the allocation of such items between cash and equity compensation. Our Compensation Committee retained Gressle & McGinley LLC as its independent outside compensation consulting firm and engaged Gressle & McGinley LLC to provide our Compensation Committee with relevant data concerning the marketplace, our peer group and its own independent analysis and recommendations concerning executive compensation. Gressle & McGinley LLC regularly participates in Compensation Committee meetings. See “Executive Compensation—Compensation Discussion and Analysis.” Our Compensation Committee held two meetings during fiscal year2016.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

Our Nominating and Corporate GovernanceCommittee consists of John H. Alschuler, Betsy Atkins, Craig M. Hatkoff and John S. Levy (Chairman), each of whom is “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s primary purposes are to identify individuals qualified to fill vacancies or newly-created positions on the Board; to recommend to the Board the persons it shouldnominate for election as directors at annual meetings of the Company’s stockholders; to recommend directors to serve on all committees of the Board; and to develop and recommend to the Board governance principles applicable to the Company. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held one meeting during fiscal year2016.

Executive Committee

Subject to the supervision and oversight of the Board, our Executive Committee, which consists of Stephen L. Green (Chairman), Marc Holliday and John H. Alschuler, is responsible for, among other things, the approval of our acquisition, disposition and financing of investments; the authorization of the execution of certain contracts and agreements, including those relating to our borrowing of money; and the exercise, in general, of all other powers ofthe Board, except for such powers that require action by all directors or the independent directors under our articles of incorporation or bylaws or under applicable law. Our Executive Committee did not hold any meetings and did not take any actions by written consent during fiscal year2016, as all matters within its authority were approved by the Board.

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Corporate Governance

Stockholder Outreach

The Board and our Lead Independent Director believe that engaging in stockholder outreach is an essential element of strong corporate governance. We strive for a collaborative approach to issues of importance to investors and continually seek to better understand the views of our investors on key topics affecting our business. In2016 and2017, our Lead Independent Director and members ofour senior management team engaged with many of our largest institutional investors, representing ownership of approximately74% of our outstanding common stock. We then shared the feedback received during our outreach process with the Board and its committees to make meaningful changes to our corporate governance practices and launch new initiatives.

Declassified Board

As a result of our stockholder engagement efforts and our commitment to corporate governance, we have proposed to declassify our Board of Directors. With stockholder approval, we will phase out board classes, so that beginning in2018 directors whose terms are expiring will be electedfor one-year terms. By our2020 annual meeting, our Board of Directors will be fully declassified. For more information regarding the group can discussdeclassification of our Board, see “Proposal3: Charter Amendment to Declassify Board of Directors” in this proxy statement.

Proxy Access

As a result of our stockholder engagement efforts and our commitment to corporate governance, in March2016 we adopted a proxy access bylaw, enabling our stockholders to include their own director nominees in our proxy materials along with candidates nominated by the Board, so longas stockholder-nominees meet certain requirements, as set forth in our bylaws. For more information on our proxy access bylaw, see the section entitled “Other Matters—Stockholder Proposals and Nominations.”

Majority Voting Standard and Director Resignation Policy

As a result of our stockholder engagement efforts and our commitment to corporate governance, in March2016 the Board implemented a majority voting standard for director elections. In an uncontested election (as is the case for this annual meeting), our bylaws provide that a majority of all the votes cast with respect to a nominee’s election is required for such nominee to be elected to serve on the Board. This means that the number of votes cast “for” a nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” such nominee, with abstentions and broker non-votes not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” a nominee. With respect to a contested election, a plurality of all of the votes cast is sufficient for the election of directors. For this purpose, a contested election is deemed to occur at any issues or mattersmeeting of stockholders for which the membersSecretary determines that the number of nominees or proposed nominees exceeds the number of directors to be elected at such meeting as of the seventh day preceding the date the Company files its definitive proxy statement for such meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission (regardless of whether or not thereafter revised or supplemented).

If a nominee who currently is serving as a director receives a greater number of votes “against” his or her election than votes “for” such election in an uncontested election, Maryland law provides that the director would continueto serve on the Board as a “holdover director.” However, under our Governance Principles, any nominee for election as a director in an uncontested election who receives a greater number of votes “against” his or her election than votes “for” such election must, within ten business days following the certification of the stockholder vote, tender his or her written resignation to the Chairman of the Board for consideration by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the resignation and, within60 days following the date of the stockholders’ meeting at which the election occurred, will make a recommendation to the Board concerning the acceptance or rejection of the resignation.

The Board will then take formal action on the recommendation no later than90 days following the date of the stockholders’ meeting at which the election occurred. In considering the recommendation, the Board will consider the information, factors and alternatives considered by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and such additional factors, information and alternatives as the Board deems relevant. We will publicly disclose, in a Form8-K filed with the SEC, the Board’s decision within four business days after the decision is made. The Board also will provide, if applicable, the Board’s reason or reasons for rejecting the tendered resignation.

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Sustainability

The Board shares our commitment to environmentally sustainable initiatives and innovation that deliver efficiency, value and health for our business, tenants and community. Structured around the three key areas of efficiency, tenant experience and industry leadership, our sustainability program integrates market-leading initiatives to address energy usage, natural resource consumption, air quality, recycling, transportation and education.

Our commitment toward efficiency is evidenced by portfolio-wide investments. By implementing cutting edge technologies and modernizing obsolete building systems, we continue to optimize building performance, reduce maintenance costs and provide tenants with a Class A experience. We have installed more than35,000 LED bulbs, monitor energy consumption through a real-time energy platform and track our portfolio’s sustainability performance through a web based environmental management system. Currently, we are awareexploring the deployment of cogeneration, photovoltaic “solar” panels, fuel cells and steam reduction technologies to provide healthier and more reliable forms of energy throughout our portfolio.

Key to our program is active tenant engagement. We partner with tenant sustainability teams in a number of ways, including LEED-CI certifications, Earth Day events, annual community service days, quarterly tenant educational webinars on sustainability topics, Urban Green Council award nominations and participation in the NYC Mayor’s Zero Waste Challenge.

Our industry leadership has been widely recognized. During2015 and2016, we were recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for our efforts to strategically manage and improve energy efficiency across our Manhattan and suburban portfolios. In addition to releasing a compliant GRI report for the past3 consecutive years, we have been recognized by Newsweek as one of the greenest companies in the United States and as REIT of the Year – Sustainability by Real Estate & Investment Finance in its2017 award ceremonies. Additionally, we have been included in the MSCI Sustainability Index since2015. Our sustainability strategy, achievements and reports are available on our website at http://www.slgreen.com/sustainability.

Risk Oversight

The Board is responsible for overseeing the Company’s risk management process. The Board focuses on the Company’s general risk management strategy and the most significant risks facing the Company, and ensures that appropriate risk mitigation strategies are implemented by management. The Board also is apprised of particular risk management matters in connection with its general oversight and approval of corporate matters. In particular, the Board focuses on overseeing risks relating to the structure and amount of our debt, including overall aggregate principal balance, variable rate versus fixed rate debt, maturity schedules and balance of secured and unsecured debt.

The Board delegated to the Audit Committee oversight of the Company’s risk management process. Among its duties, the Audit Committee reviews with management (a) the Company policies with respect to risk assessment and management of risks that may be material to the Company, (b) the Company’s system of disclosure controls and system of internal controls over financial reporting and (c) the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee also is responsible for reviewing major legislative and regulatory developments that could have a material impact on the Company’scontingent liabilities and risks. Our other Board committees also consider and address risk as they perform their respective committee responsibilities. All committees report to the full Board as appropriate, including when a matter rises to the level of a material or enterprise level risk.

In addition, our Compensation Committee considers the risks to the Company’s stockholders and to the achievement of our goals that may be inherent in the Company’s executive compensation program.

The Company’s management is responsible for day-to-day risk management, including the primary monitoring and testing function for company-wide policies and procedures, and management of the day-to-day oversight of the risk management strategy for the ongoing business of the Company. This oversight includes identifying, evaluating, and addressing potential risks that may exist at the enterprise, strategic, financial, operational, and compliance and reporting levels.

We believe the division of risk management responsibilities described above is an effective approach for addressing the risks facing the Company and that the Board leadership structure supports this approach.

Governance Principles

The Board adopted Governance Principles that address significant issues of corporate governance and set forth procedures by which the Board carries out its responsibilities. Among the areas addressed by theGovernance Principles are director qualification standards, director responsibilities, director access to management and independent advisors, director compensation, director orientation and continuing education, management

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succession, annual performance evaluation of the Board and management responsibilities. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for,among other things, assessing and periodically reviewing the adequacy of the Governance Principles and will recommend, as appropriate, proposed changes to the Board.

Code of Ethics

The Board adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to our directors, executive officers and employees. The Code of Ethics is designed to assist our directors, executive officers and employees in complying with the law and in resolving moral and ethical issues that may arise and in complying with our policies and procedures. Among the areas addressed by the Code of Ethics are compliance with applicable laws, conflicts of interest, use and protectionof the Company’s assets, confidentiality, communications with the public, accounting matters, records retention, fair dealing, discrimination, harassment and health and safety. We intend to disclose on our corporate website any amendment to, or waiver of, any provisions of this Code applicable to our directors and executive officers that would otherwise be required to be disclosed under the rules of the SEC or the NYSE.

Whistleblowing and Whistleblower Protection Policy

Our Audit Committee established procedures for (1) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and (2) the confidential and anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. If you wish to contact our Audit Committee to reportcomplaints or concerns relating to the financial reporting of the Company, you may do so in writing to the Chairman of our Audit Committee, c/o Andrew S. Levine, Secretary, SL Green Realty Corp.,420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York10170-1881. Any such communications may be made anonymously.

Director Compensation

Directors of the Company who are also employees receive no additional compensation for their services as directors. The following table sets forth information regarding the compensation paid to our non-employee directors during the fiscal year ended December31,2016.

Name   Fees Earned or
Paid in Cash(1)
($)
   Stock
Awards(2)
($)
   
Option
Awards(3)
($)
   Total
($)
Edwin T. Burton, III$   90,000$   300,000$   390,000
John H. Alschuler$192,000$300,000$492,000
John S. Levy$85,000$300,000$385,000
Craig M. Hatkoff$77,000$300,000$377,000
Betsy Atkins$77,000$300,000$377,000
Lauren B. Dillard(4)   
(1)Mr. Levy deferred all of his2016cash compensation and Mr. Alschuler deferred $67,500of his2016cash compensation pursuant to our Non-Employee Directors’ Deferral Program. Mr. Burton elected to receive all of his2016cash compensation and Mr. Hatkoff elected to receive $25,000of his2016cash compensation in the form of shares of our common stock. Accordingly, our non-employee directors received the following shares of our common stock or phantom stock units with respect to the portion of their2016cash compensation that they elected to defer or receive in stock, as applicable: Mr. Burton received865shares, Mr. Alschuler received648units, Mr. Levy received817units and Mr. Hatkoff received240shares.
(2)Amounts shown reflect the full grant date fair value on the date of grant of shares of our common stock or phantom stock units granted to the directors in2016, excluding shares of our common stock and phantom stock units credited in lieu of annual fees and meeting fees.
(3)There were no stock options granted to members of the Board in2016. At December31,2016, the aggregate number of option awards held by our non-employee directors was as follows: Mr. Burton—6,000; Mr. Alschuler—26,500; and Mr. Levy—38,500.
(4)Ms. Dillard was appointed to the Board effective December31,2016, and did not receive any compensation during the fiscal year ended December31,2016.

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Only non-employee Directors are compensated for service on the Board. During the fiscal year ended December31,2016, the fees for non-employee Directors were:

Annual cash retainers   
Cash retainer$50,000
Additional cash retainer if serving as the Lead Independent Director$85,000
Additional cash retainer if serving as a chair of the Audit Committee$10,000
Additional cash retainer if serving as a chair of the Compensation Committee$7,500
Additional cash retainer if serving as a chair of the Corporate Governance Committee $5,000
Meeting fees
For each meeting of the Board or a committee of the Board$1,500
For each special meeting of the Audit Committee held independently of Board meetings$4,000
Stock grant
Valued at the grant date with shares fully vested on such grant date.$     300,000

The annual fees and meeting fees generally are payable quarterly in cash. Each director may elect to receive some or all of these fees in stock and, as noted below, may elect to defer some or all of these fees.

Under our Non-Employee Directors’ Deferral Program, our non-employee directors were entitled to elect to defer up to 100% of their annual fees, meeting fees and annual stock grant. At each director’s election, cash fees deferred under the program could be credited in the form of either phantom stock units, account credits that accrue earnings or losses based on the 30-day LIBOR rate at the beginning of each month plus 2% (or based on such other rate or the performance of such investments as may be determined in advance by the Board) or measurement fund credits that track the performance of one or more open-ended mutual funds selected by the director. Stock grants deferred under the program are credited in the form of phantom stock units. Subject to limitations contained in the program, on a fixed date each quarter, a director may convert phantom stock units into account credits or measurement fund credits or vice versa or change the mutual funds that some or all of the director’s measurement fund credits track. All cash fees credited as, and conversions of or into, phantom stock units or measurement fund credits are based on the fair market value of our common stock or the applicable mutual fund on the date the cash fees otherwise would have been paid or the date of the conversion, as applicable. Unless otherwise elected by a director, a director’s phantom stock units, account credits and measurement fund credits are payable on the earlier of the January1st coincident with or next following the director’s termination of service from the Board, or a change in control of the Company, as defined by the program. Phantom stock units are payable in an equal number of shares of our common stock; provided that we may elect to instead settle a director’s phantom stock units by paying the director cash in an amount equal to the value of such shares of common stock. Account credits and measurement fund credits are payable in cash. Under the program, each director is entitled to receive dividend equivalents that are paid currently on the director’s phantom stock units, unless the director elected to defer payment of such dividend equivalents and have them concurrently reinvested into additional phantom stock units.

For the fiscal year ending2017, we increased the annual cash retainer for serving as chair of our Audit Committee from $10,000 to $25,000, but otherwise retained the same director compensation arrangements that were in place for2016.

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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Executive Officers

The following sets forth biographical information regarding our executive officers who are not also directors.

Matthew J.
DiLiberto

Matthew J. DiLiberto joined the Company in September2004 and currently serves as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer overseeing the finance, accounting, tax, investor relations and corporate capital markets functions of the organization. Mr. DiLiberto previously served as the Company’s Chief Accounting Officer & Treasurer from2007 to2014. From June2000 to September2004, Mr. DiLiberto was with Roseland, New Jersey-based Chelsea Property Group, now a division of Simon Property Group, a REIT focused on the development and ownership of premium outlet centers, where he was a Controller and Director of Information Management. From August1998 to June2000, Mr. DiLiberto worked at New York-based Vornado Realty Trust, a diversified REIT with ownership interests in office, retail, and other property types, where he worked as a Senior Financial Analyst focusing on accounting and controls as well as the preparation of high level management reports and SEC filings. Prior to joining Vornado Realty Trust, Mr. DiLiberto worked as a Business Assurance Associate at Coopers and Lybrand, LLP (now PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP). Mr. DiLiberto currently serves on the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trust’s Best Financial Practices Council and is a member of the Board of Directors of the FDNY Foundation. Mr. DiLiberto received a B.S. degree in Accounting from The University of Scranton. Mr. DiLiberto is42 years old.


Andrew S.
Levine

Andrew S. Levine has served as our Chief Legal Officer since April2007 and as our General Counsel, Executive Vice President and Secretary since November2000. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Levine was a partner in the REIT and Real Estate Transactions and Business groups at the law firm of Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn, LLP. Prior to joining Pryor, Cashman, Sherman & Flynn, LLP, Mr. Levine was a partner at the law firm of Dreyer & Traub. Mr. Levine received a B.A. degree from the University of Vermont and a J.D. degree from Rutgers School of Law, where Mr. Levine was an Editor of the Law Review and he currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Rutgers Center for Corporate Law and Governance. Mr. Levine is58 years old.


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Proposal 2: Advisory Vote on the Compensation of our Named Executive Officers

Section14A(a)(1) of the Exchange Act generally requires each public company to include in its proxy statement a separate resolution subject to a non-binding stockholder vote to approve the compensation of the company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in its proxy statement pursuant to Item402of Regulation S-K, not less frequently than once every three years. This is commonly known as, and is referred to herein as, a “say-on-pay” proposal or resolution.

At our2011annual stockholder meeting, our stockholders advised on a non-binding basis, by an affirmative vote of a majority of all votes cast, that the Company should hold non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation on an annual basis. On July14,2011, the Board determined that it would include future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers in the Company’s annual meeting proxy materials every year until the next advisory vote on the frequency of stockholder votes on executive compensation, which will occur at the Company’s upcoming2017annual meeting of stockholders.

Accordingly, pursuant to Section14A(a)(1) of the Exchange Act, the Company is providing stockholders with the opportunity to approve the following non-binding, advisory resolution:

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in this proxy statement pursuant to Item402of Regulation S-K, including the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, compensation tables and narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED.”

The Board unanimously recommends a vote“FOR”the above resolution regarding the compensation of our named executive officers, as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section and the accompanying compensation tables in this Proxy Statement.

The affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes cast with respect to this proposal will be consideredrequired to approve this proposal.

The results of this advisory vote are not binding on the Compensation Committee, the Company or the Board. Nevertheless, we value input from our stockholders and will consider carefully the results of this vote when making future decisions concerning executive compensation.


Compensation Committee Report

The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of SL Green Realty Corp. has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item402(b) of Regulation S-K with management and, based on such review and discussions, our Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this annual proxy statement and incorporated by reference in the Company’s Annual Report on Form10-K for disclosurethe year ended December31,2016.

Submitted by our Compensation Committee
John H. Alschuler (Chairman)
Edwin Thomas Burton, III
John S. Levy

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This section of our proxy statement discusses the principles underlying our executive compensation policies and decisions and the most important factors relevant to an analysis of these policies and decisions. It provides qualitative and quantitative information regarding the manner and context in which compensation is awarded to, and earned by, our public SEC filings. Our Disclosure Committee reports tonamed executive officers and places in perspective the data presented in the tables and narrative that follow.

Throughout this proxy statement, the individuals who served as our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer during our2016fiscal year, as well as the other individuals included in the “Summary Compensation Table” are referred to as the “named executive officers” or our “executives.”

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Executive Summary

Why You Should Vote for Our2017 Say-On-Pay Proposal

Low G&A Expense

We consistently maintain low G&A expense through our prudent management structure, which ensures that shareholder returns are not unduly diluted by the costs of managing our assets. In2016 our G&A expense as a percentage of total assets was the second lowest among our office REIT peers.

Stockholder Engagement and Support

We have engaged in significant stockholder outreach over the last several years regarding executive compensation and made numerous changes to our executive compensation programs in response to feedback we received. Since our2016 annual meeting, we have conducted stockholder outreach with institutional stockholders owning approximately74% of our outstanding common stock, resulting in the chairman of the Compensation Committee discussing our executive compensation programs with the owners of more than a majority of our outstanding common stock.

Our say-on-pay proposal was approved at our2016 annual meeting, as it has been every year since it was first introduced in2011.

Strong Operational Performance

As described below, we had strong year-over-year growth in funds from operations, or FFO, per share and cash same-store net operating income. In2016, we signed3.2 million square feet of Manhattan office leases at a mark-to-market of27.6%, and we signed an additional638,000 square feet of suburban office leases at a mark-to-market of6.1%. Also during2016, we executed $3.9 billion of real estate dispositions, generating $1.1 billion of cash, which resulted in liquidity of over $2.0 billion at year-end2016. We also made major progress on our One Vanderbilt project, including breaking ground on the project and securing a $1.5 billion construction loan and over $500 million in joint venture equity.

We reduced our ratio of net debt to EBITDA by more than30% during2016 as compared to2015, based on Fitch Ratings’ methodology. We have also achieved full investment grade corporate credit ratings from Moody’s Investors Service, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings and our corporate credit rating outlook was upgraded to “Positive” by Standard and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

Superior Long-Term TRS Performance

Although our short-term TRS performance for2016 was disappointing, our TRS has been consistently strong in the19 years since our initial public offering, growing921%, among the best of our office REIT peers.

Pay Linked to Performance

In response to our stockholder feedback, we increased the formulaic component of our annual cash bonus program from60% in2014 to100% in2016 for Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias, our top three executives.

The rigorous application of our pay-for-performance compensation principles resulted in the formulaic annual cash bonus program for our top three executives being earned at only61%, and a reduction of our CEO’s total annual bonus by $250,000—4% below2015 and16% below2014. In addition, to reflect our Executive Chairman’s evolving role and as a result of our2016 TRS, we reduced our Executive Chairman’s total compensation for2016 by50% compared to2015.

Compensation Philosophy

As described below under “Our Executive Compensation Philosophy,” our executive compensation programs are designed to provide performance-based incentives that create strong alignment of management and stockholder interests and reward superior performance with superior compensation. We seek to attract and retain top talent in a highly competitive market, and we expect superior performance from our executives. Due to the efforts of the executives we attract, we achieve organizational efficiency (i.e., low relative and absolute G&A expense) as the efforts of our executives allow us to maintain a smaller organization overall, relative to the size and activities of the Company. We believe the results speak for themselves, as even in a year where REITs underperformed other sectors of the market, our long-term TRS remains among the best of our office REIT peers and our G&A expense as a percentage of total assets is the second lowest among our office REIT peers.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

2016 Performance and Executive Compensation

The information below summarizes our strong long-term TRS, our2016 achievements and our2016 CEO and other NEO compensation.

Normalized FFO Per Share(1)Growth in Same Store Cash NOI(1)Operating Success
Leasing Results
3.2 million square feet of Manhattan office leases at 27.6% mark-to-market and 638,000 square feet of suburban office leases at 6.1% mark-to-market
97.1% occupancy for the same store Manhattan office portfolio
Disposition Volume
Executed $3.9 billion of real estate dispositions generating $1.1 billion of cash proceeds
Organizational Achievements
Major progress on One Vanderbilt, including securing a $1.5 billion construction loan and $525 million in JV equity, and breaking ground on the project

Superior Long-Term TRS PerformanceLow G&A Expense(2)

Despite disappointing TRS for2016 of -2.06%, our longer term TRS performance remains strong, as set forth below:

Total Shareholder Return (as of 12/31/2016)

We have consistently maintained low G&A expenses, with G&A expense as a percentage of total assets and revenues among the lowest of our office REIT peers.

G&A expense as a
Percentage of Total Assets
(2)

G&A expense as a
Percentage of Total Revenues
(2)



2016 CEO Compensation2016 Other NEO Compensation
88.5% Variable Performance-Based;75% Equity86.5% Variable Performance-Based;70.0% Equity

Chief Executive Officer Pay Mix

Other Named Executive Officers Pay Mix

(1)Refer to Appendix A to this proxy statement for reconciliations of combined same-store cash net operating income and normalized FFO for the years ended December31,2016,2015,2014,2013and2012and information regarding our use of these financial measures.
(2)Percentages of total revenues and total assets are presented on a consolidated basis. Companies used for comparison in G&A expense analysis are: Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., Boston Properties, Inc., Brandywine Realty Trust, Douglas Emmett, Inc., Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., Kilroy Realty Corporation, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, Paramount Group, Inc. and Vornado Realty Trust. Office peer data obtained from Weekly Sector Scorecard, Office, dated February17,2017published by Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Stockholder Engagement; Executive Compensation Changes

Over the last several years, we have engaged in a formal stockholder outreach program focused on our executive compensation. Throughout each year, we are in contact with our large institutional stockholders, representing the owners of more than a majority of our outstanding common stock, to discuss our executive compensation programs, our business and our overall performance. Since our 2016 annual meeting, we contacted institutional stockholders owning approximately 74% of our outstanding common stock. These discussions are led by the chairman of our Compensation Committee, or the Committee, and Lead Independent Director or, in certain instances, members of senior management. We provide these stockholders with information regarding our executive compensation programs, our performance and the manner in which we believe our executive compensation programs contributed to our superior long-term performance. We also engage in discussions with these stockholders where we are able to clarify aspects of our executive compensation programs that they may not fully understand and receive direct feedback regarding specific aspects of our executive compensation programs.

Below are some common themes we discussed during this stockholder outreach and our responses over the last few years:

Area of Stockholder Concern

Our Response

Peer Group

Removed NYC-based asset managers from our peer group and committed, on a going forward basis, to review compensation and performance based on an NYC-based REIT peer group and a national office REIT index.

Annual Cash Bonus Program

For2016, we increased the formulaic component of our annual cash bonus program to100%, an increase of40% since2014, and reduced the number of criteria used in our program.

Contract Awards

In2016, our Chief Executive Officer and President received equity awards granted pursuant to their employment agreements with higher performance hurdles requiring the achievement of either an8% per year increase in FFO per share,8% TRS per year or relative TRS in the top35% of MSCI US REIT Index companies.

Provided only performance-based employment agreement equity awards for our Chief Executive Officer’s2016 employment agreement to further align pay for performance.

Outperformance Plans  

The SL Green Realty Corp.2014 Outperformance Plan, or our2014 Outperformance Plan, includes performance metrics to incorporate a new relative TRS component for one-third of each award granted. The remainder of each award is subject to the achievement of absolute TRS performance metrics similar to those utilized for prior outperformance plans.

There will be no payout under our2014 Outperformance Plan unless total return exceeds $2.5 billion or relative TRS is at or above the50th percentile of index companies. In order for participants to earn the full award under our2014 Outperformance Plan, our TRS during the performance period must equal or exceed50%, which would represent total returns to stockholders in excess of$5 billion, and be in thetop25% of index companies. We would need to achieve TRS of35.5% from February1,2017 through August31,2017 in order for executives to earn the maximum absolute TRS amounts under our2014 Outperformance Plan. In that case, the awards earned by participants in our2014 Outperformance Plan would be less than1.25% of the aggregate total return delivered to our stockholders.

Under our2014 Outperformance Plan, we adopted double trigger provisions for acceleration of vesting of equity awards granted to our named executive officers in the event of a change in control of the Company.

Executive Chairman Compensation

Reflecting our Executive Chairman’s evolving role, we meaningfully reduced annual bonuses paid to our Executive Chairman for the second consecutive year. As a result, our Chairman’s2016 compensation was50% less than his2015 compensation. In addition, our Executive Chairman will not participate in any of our future outperformance plans.


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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Compensation Practices

We believe that our executive compensation programs provide appropriate performance-based incentives to attract and retain leadership talent in the highly competitive New York City real estate market, to align management and stockholder interests and to continue to drive our long-term track record of superior return to stockholders. The following are key features of our executive compensation programs, which reflect the changes we have adopted following our extensive stockholder outreach in recent years:

WHAT WE DO

Pay for performance and create alignment with stockholders

100% formulaic annual cash bonus program for our CEO, Chairman and President

Include robust hurdles in our 2014 Outperformance Plan based on both absolute and relative TRS, with no payout unless total return exceeds $2.5billion or relative TRS is at or above the50th percentile of index companies

Subject all future employment agreement equity awards for our CEO to performance-based hurdles

Pay a majority of total compensation for our CEO and named executive officers in equity

Follow robust stock ownership guidelines for our directors and named executive officers; in 2016, we increased the stock ownership guidelines for our directors from 3x to5x the annual cash retainer

Impose a clawback policy with respect to incentive payments

Require a double trigger for cash severance and accelerated vesting in connection with a change in control


WHAT WE DON’T DO

No dividends or distributions paid on unearned equity awards subject to performance-based vesting

No excise tax gross-up provisions

Don’t allow repricing of stock options

No single trigger cash severance or accelerated vesting in connection with a change in control

Don’t allow directors or officers to hedge our securities

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Our Executive Compensation Philosophy

We adopted an executive compensation philosophy that rewards the achievement of annual and long-term goals of both the Company and individual executives. Our executive compensation programs are designed to achieve the following objectives:

To provide performance-based incentives that create a strong alignment of management and stockholder interests

To attract and retain top talent in a market that is highly competitive for New York City commercial real estate management

To motivate our executives to achieve, and reward them for achieving, superior performance

To achieve an appropriate balance between risk and reward in our compensation programs that does not create incentives for unnecessary or excessive risk taking

To foster the dedication required to succeed against our competitors, while maintaining low overall general and administrative expense

In order to reach these goals, the Committee, in consultation with our Chief Executive Officer and the Committee’s independent compensation consultant, adopted executive compensation practices that follow a pay-for-performance philosophy. Our primary business objective, of maximizing TRS through growth in FFO while seeking appreciation in the value of our investment properties, demands a long-term focus. Therefore, on both a current and historical basis, our executive compensation programs are based heavily on the achievement of both annual and multi-year performance measures.

Consideration of 2016 Say-on-Pay Vote

Our say-on-pay proposal was approved at our 2016 annual meeting, as it has been every year since it was first introduced in 2011. The Committee viewed this favorable vote by more than a majority of our stockholders as an indication that our stockholders are generally supportive of the structure of our executive compensation programs. Nevertheless, we continued to engage in stockholder outreach and implemented the additional changes described above based on the feedback we received.

Our Executive Compensation Programs

Our named executive officers’ compensation currently has three primary components, which are discussed in more detail below:

annual base salary and deferred compensation

annual incentive awards, which include cash and equity bonuses

long-term equity incentive awards, which include stock options and full-value equity awards

Variable pay constitutes the vast majority of our executives’ compensation, which allows the Committee to reward superior performance and penalize poor performance, while the substantial long-term equity incentive portions of our compensation programs serve to align the interests of our named executive officers with our stockholders.

Annual Base Salary and Deferred Compensation

Base salaries are established at levels intended to reflect the scope of each executive’s duties and responsibilities and further take into account the competitive market compensation paid by other companies for similar positions. However, they do not serve our objective of paying for performance, and therefore are intentionally structured to be a relatively low percentage of total compensation.

The following sets forth the annual base salaries for our named executive officers for 2015 and 2016, which reflect amounts agreed to in each executive’s employment agreement:

Executive   2015
Base Salary
   2016
Base Salary
   % Change
Marc Holliday$     1,050,000$     1,350,00028.6%
Stephen L. Green$750,000$750,000
Andrew Mathias$800,000$800,000
Matthew J. DiLiberto$400,000$400,000
Andrew S. Levine$500,000$550,00010.0%

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In addition to base salary, each of Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias also received a contribution of deferred notional stock units that are subject to vesting based on continued employment during a one-year period following the contribution and are only paid upon termination of employment or a change in control. The amount of deferred compensation that each of Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias received for 2016 was equal to the minimum amount that we had previously agreed to provide under the executive’s employment agreement and associated deferred compensation agreement that was in effect for 2016. This deferred compensation is viewed similarly to annual base salary, in that fixed amounts are granted each year regardless of performance. However, because the value of this deferred compensation is tied to the value of our common stock and these executives will not receive this deferred compensation until the termination of their employment or a change in control, this deferred compensation program further establishes alignment of management and stockholder interests and helps ensure that the executives remain focused on long-term stockholder value creation. The following table sets forth the deferred compensation grants made to our executives in 2016:

Executive   Deferred
Compensation
Amount
   Notional
Stock
Units(1)
Marc Holliday$     750,0008,265
Stephen L. Green$150,0001,333
Andrew Mathias$500,0004,443
(1)Deferred compensation contributions were converted into notional stock units based on the market price of our common stock on the date of the contribution.

Annual Incentive Awards

We pay annual incentive awards in the form of annual cash and equity bonuses to focus and reward our named executive officers on achieving key corporate financial and operational objectives and individual goals. Based in part on the feedback we received in connection with our outreach efforts relating to executive compensation, the Committee decided to revise the structure of our annual incentive award program for our Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman and President. For 2016, we increased the formulaic component of our annual cash bonus program to 100% of the target opportunity (from 75% in 2015 and 60% in 2014) and we reduced the number of performance criteria. Otherwise, we maintained the same overall structure of our annual incentive award program. Also, in 2016, the entire amount of the annual cash bonuses paid to our top three named executive officers was determined pursuant to this annual cash bonus program, which is described in more detail below.

Annual Cash Bonus Program (Top Three Named Executive Officers)

As noted above, the annual cash bonuses paid to our top three named executive officers for 2016 were determined pursuant to our annual cash bonus program. Under this program, the Committee established specific threshold, target and maximum cash bonus amounts that each of our top three named executive officers could earn for 2016 and established specific performance criteria that were to be used in a formulaic manner to determine 100% of each of these executives’ cash bonuses. For 2016, each of Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias were eligible to earn the following percentages of his base salary (with linear interpolation used to determine the percentage earned for performance that falls between threshold, target and/ or maximum):

Executive   Threshold   Target   Maximum
Marc Holliday100%200%300%
Stephen L. Green100%175%250%
Andrew Mathias100%175%250%

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One hundred percent of each executive’s annual cash bonus was determined in a formulaic manner based on the level of our achievement of a number of performance criteria as compared to the level established in advance by the Committee. The following set forth the specific performance criteria selected for 2016, the relative weighting of each, the threshold, target and maximum performance levels established by the Committee in advance for each, and our actual 2016 results for each:

Performance criteria   

2016
Weighting
Levels

   Threshold   Target   Maximum   2016Actual
Performance
FFO per share25.0%$     6.75$     6.85$     6.95$     7.08(2)
Same-store cash NOI growth25.0%3.0%4.0%5.0%6.0%
Dividend growth20.0%5.0%9.0%13.0%7.6%
Relative TRS for2016(1)15.0%40th60th80th16th
Absolute TRS for201615.0%5.0%7.0%9.0%-2.06%
(1)Relative TRS for 2016 was based on the percentile of our TRS relative to the TRS of the constituents of the SNL US REIT Office Index.
(2)Represents normalized FFO per share of $7.08, which adjusts actual FFO per share of $8.29 to exclude $1.21 per share attributable to the write-off of accounting related balances and the 2017 portion of the lease termination fee related to the sale of 388-390 Greenwich Street to Citigroup, Inc.

The following table reflects the 2016 cash bonuses awarded to Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias pursuant to our annual cash bonus program, presented based on the maximum percentages of each executive’s base salary that can be earned:

Executive   Max Cash
Bonus
(%)
   Actual Cash
Bonus
(%)(1)
   Total
($)
Marc Holliday300.00%183.19%$     2,473,125
Stephen L. Green250.00%154.90%$1,161,718
Andrew Mathias250.00%154.90%$1,239,166
(1)Consistent with the timing of prior years’ annual cash bonus determinations, payouts and determinations under the annual cash bonus program were made in December 2016 based on a combination of actual results through that point in time and estimates of full year results.

As a result of the rigor of the performance targets established by the Committee for our annual cash bonus program, the amounts paid to Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias were significantly reduced for 2016 as compared to 2015, as set forth in the table below:

Executive   2015
Annual Cash Bonus
   2016
Annual Cash Bonus
   % Change(1)
Marc Holliday$2,795,625$2,473,125-11.5%
Stephen L. Green$1,671,093$1,161,718-30.5%
Andrew Mathias$1,782,500$1,239,166-30.5%
(1)The decrease in annual cash bonus amount paid to Mr. Holliday was partially offset by the increase in total bonus opportunity resulting from the corresponding increase in Mr. Holliday’s 2016 base salary.

Annual Equity Bonuses (Top Three Named Executive Officers)

We also maintain an equity bonus program for our top three named executive officers, which provides annual bonuses that are determined by the Committee, in its discretion, based on the short-term and long-term performance of our Company and the executive, the Committee’s view of appropriate annual incentive awards in light of the executive’s historical compensation, skill, experience and position, competitive market factors and such other factors as are determined appropriate by the Committee. In making these awards for 2016, the Committee sought to find a balance between (i) acknowledging the significant operational achievements attained during the year, as highlighted above, (ii) ensuring that annual incentive award and total compensation amounts were in line with the prevailing market and adequate to address recruitment and retention needs in the competitive New York City commercial real estate markets where we actively compete for business opportunities and executive talent with other publicly-traded REITs, private real estate operating companies, opportunity funds and sovereign wealth funds, among others, (iii) continuing to ensure our compensation programs create alignment of management and stockholder interests by appropriately rewarding our named executive officers for the attainment of performance achievements that drive long-term value creation and (iv) rewarding our continued superior

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long-term TRS performance as balanced against our disappointing short-term TRS performance. In addition, the Committee based its decisions on our performance as compared to specific company goals and objectives for 2016 that were presented at the 2015 investor day conference, which are repeated below:

2016Goals and Objectives2016 Results
2,600,000square feet of Manhattan leases signed(1)3.2million sq. ft. signed
97% or greater same-store Manhattan portfolio leased occupancy97.1%
13-16% mark-to-market on signed Manhattan office leases27.6%
6.0% same-store cash NOI growth6.0%
Increase growth portfolio NOI by $28million$28.7million
$1billion of office property acquisitionsNone
$750million of office property dispositions$3billion
$500million of retail/residential property acquisitions$29million
$100million of retail/residential property dispositions$138million
$150million increase of debt and preferred equity balance$180million
$200million of debt and preferred equity income$234million
$400million of Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings$251million
Create more than $500million of incremental retail value$1.2billion
Sign200,000square feet of leases at One Vanderbilt2018Action
Obtain $1billion of construction financing for One Vanderbilt$1.5billion construction loan obtained
Dispose of more than $100million of suburban assets$82million
Achieve7.6x or better net debt to EBITDA (per Fitch)Achieved
Dividend increase of12.5% or more7.6% increase
TRS greater than10%TRS of -2.1%
TRS in excess of MSCI US REIT Index by250basis points-1,066basis points
(1)Goal increased by management from 2,000,000 square feet to 2,600,000 square feet in July 2016.

The differences in compensation awarded to our named executive officers are generally a function of the executive’s position and authority, as well as the competitive landscape for executives in similar positions. The table below sets forth the annual equity bonus awards that were granted to each of Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias for 2015 and 2016, as approved by the Committee:

Executive   2015
Equity Bonus
   2016
Equity Bonus
(1)
   % Change
Marc Holliday$     4,204,375$     4,276,8751.7%
Stephen L. Green$2,228,907$788,282-64.6%
Andrew Mathias$3,217,500$3,560,83410.7%
Total$9,650,782$8,625,991-10.6%
(1)Excludes the value of 11,340 LTIP units granted to Mr. Mathias in June 2016, which were granted in recognition of performance since the beginning of 2014 as opposed to solely relating to 2016.

The amounts of the equity bonus awards for our executives in 2016 as compared to 2015 were primarily determined based on our strong operational achievements and, on an individual basis, the changing roles of each of our Chief Executive Officer, Executive Chairman and President, as balanced against our disappointing short-term TRS performance in 2016. In particular, reflecting our Executive Chairman’s evolving role, we significantly reduced the equity bonus award paid to our Executive Chairman. As a result, the overall equity bonus awards for our top three executives were reduced by approximately 10.6%, in the aggregate, while the individual equity bonus awards reflect each executive’s contributions to our strong business achievements in 2016. The 2016 equity bonuses paid to each of our top three named executive officers listed above were paid in early 2017 in the form of LTIP units that vested upon grant, but remain subject to a no-sell restriction until two years after their grant date. Our named executive officers received the following number of LTIP units for these equity bonuses: Mr. Holliday—40,329; Mr. Green—7,433; and Mr. Mathias—33,577.

During 2016, we also separately granted Mr. Mathias an equity bonus consisting of 11,340 LTIP units that were vested upon grant, but were subject to a no-sell restriction until two years after their grant. These LTIP units were granted as equity bonus in 2016, but were in recognition of performance since the beginning of 2014 as opposed to solely relating to 2016.

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Bonuses to Other Executives

Consistent with our historical practice, annual bonuses for Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine were determined by the Committee in its discretion in substantially the same manner as the equity bonuses for our top three named executive officers. The table below sets forth the annual bonus awards that were granted to Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine for 2015 and 2016, as approved by the Committee, to the extent paid in cash or LTIP units:

Executive   2015 Bonus   2016 Bonus   % Change
Matthew J. DiLiberto$     1,400,000$     1,700,00021.4%
Andrew S. Levine$1,100,000$1,350,00022.7%

Similar to the annual equity bonus awards that were granted to our top three named executive officers, these annual bonuses for Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine reflected our significant operational achievements for 2016, our continued superior long-term TRS performance and their evolving roles at our company, as balanced against our disappointing short-term TRS performance for 2016. These 2016 bonuses were paid to Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine in early 2017 in the form of cash and LTIP units that vested upon grant, but remain subject to no-sell restriction until two years after their grant date. Mr. DiLiberto received $1,400,000 in cash and 2,829 LTIP units and Mr. Levine received 12,730 LTIP units.

In addition to these bonuses paid to Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine for 2016, the Committee also determined to make bonus awards to each executive in the form of 30,000 Class O LTIP units, which are economically similar to stock options, and will only have value if our recent operational achievements translate into future returns for our stockholders. This decision reflects our commitment to our pay-for-performance compensation philosophy, and further aligns the interests of these executive officers with those of our stockholders.

Long-Term Equity Incentive Awards

Long-term equity incentives have been provided to our named executive officers through the grant of stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and/or LTIP units pursuant to our outperformance plans and in connection with new or extended employment agreements. The majority of these awards included performance-based vesting hurdles that must be met in order for recipients to earn them. The grant of equity awards links a named executive officer’s compensation and net worth directly to the performance of our stock price as well as the achievement of other performance-based vesting hurdles in some cases, which we believe encourages our named executive officers to make decisions with an ownership mentality and provides alignment of interest with our stockholders. The Committee has made long-term equity incentive awards a central part of our executive compensation program due to these features.

Outperformance Plans

A main component of our long-term equity incentive award program is our outperformance plans. Our outperformance plans provide equity awards to our named executive officers and other employees that are subject to performance-based hurdles based on TRS or stock price appreciation over a multi-year period, and are eligible for potential acceleration in specific, limited circumstances. In addition to the performance-based vesting hurdles, all of these equity awards have additional time-based vesting provisions of four to five years in the aggregate with principally back-end vesting, based on continued employment, which act as a retention device and provide a strong incentive to the executives to increase stockholder value during the vesting period.

Our outperformance plans are designed to provide strong and direct alignment of our executive’s interests with long-term stockholder interests. As a result, historically, we provided a meaningful percentage of our executives’ total compensation in the form of equity awards under our outperformance plans. We anticipate continuing to utilize these types of plans as a significant component of our executive compensation program.

To guarantee that our long-term equity incentive awards reward only exceptional returns, our outperformance plans incorporate challenging performance hurdles. During prior periods where stockholders did not realize superior returns, such as during 2008 and 2009, our outperformance plans did not provide payouts. Due to the variable, at-risk nature of our outperformance plans, our executives must truly drive our overall performance and TRS to earn awards. This feature is illustrated by the table below showing our

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strong TRS during the performance periods of our two previous outperformance plans and the awards earned by our executives pursuant to those plans, as compared to our performance through December 31, 2016 relative to the robust performance hurdles contained in our 2014 Outperformance Plan:

   2010 Notional
Unit Long-Term
Compensation Plan
   2011Outperformance Plan   2014Outperformance Plan
Performance PeriodDec. 2009 – Nov. 2012Sept. 2011 – Aug. 2014Sept. 2014 – Aug. 2017
Initial Stock Price$42.37$73.38$109.36
Maximum Plan Award$75.0 million$85.0 million610,000 LTIP units
Cumulative Absolute25% - 50%25% - 38%25% - 50%
Hurdle Range
Absolute Hurdle Achieved?YES – 85% TRSYES – 54% TRSNOT YET – 4.5% TRS for the
($76.42 + $1.80($109.36 + $3.9228 months ended 12/31/16
dividends)dividends)($107.55 + $6.56 dividends)
Cumulative Relative Hurdle RangeN/AN/A50th percentile – 75th percentile
Relative Hurdle Achieved?N/AN/ANOT YET – 24th percentile for
the 28 months ended 12/31/16

2014 Outperformance Plan

In August 2014, the Committee approved the general terms of our 2014 Outperformance Plan. Under our 2014 Outperformance Plan, participants may earn awards based on our TRS on an absolute basis as well as on a relative basis compared to the constituents of the MSCI US REIT Index, or Index Companies, over a three-year performance period beginning on September 1, 2014 and continuing through August 31, 2017. Awards earned based on absolute TRS will be determined independently of awards earned based on relative TRS.

In order for participants to earn the full award under our 2014 Outperformance Plan, our TRS during the performance period must equal or exceed50%, which would represent total returns to stockholders in excess of$5billion, and be in thetop25% of Index Companies.

Our 2014 Outperformance Plan was designed to be complementary to the SL Green Realty Corp. 2011 Long-Term Outperformance Plan, or our 2011 Outperformance Plan, as the baseline stock price for measuring performance under our 2014 Outperformance Plan exceeds the stock price at which maximum stock price appreciation would be achieved under our 2011 Outperformance Plan.

Awards that are earned under our 2014 Outperformance Plan will also be subject to vesting based on continued employment through August 31, 2018, with 50% of the awards earned vesting on August 31, 2017 and the remaining 50% vesting on August 31, 2018. The maximum number of LTIP units that may be earned under our 2014 Outperformance Plan will be 610,000 LTIP units.

Under the 2014 Outperformance Plan, two-thirds of the LTIP units may be earned based on our absolute TRS and one-third of the LTIP units may be earned based on our relative TRS compared to Index Companies. The table below reflects the minimum and maximum thresholds for both the absolute TRS and relative TRS components:

Absolute TRS   Percentage of Absolute TRS
LTIP Units Earned
(two-thirds of total)
      Relative TRS   Percentage of Relative TRS
LTIP Units Earned
(one-third of total)
Less than 25% 0%  Below 50th percentile 0%
25%37.5%50th percentile37.5%
50% or higher100%75th percentile or greater100%

The number of LTIP units that are earned if performance is above the minimum thresholds, but below the maximum hurdles, will be determined based on linear interpolation between the percentages earned at the minimum and maximum thresholds.

In the event our performance reaches the maximum absolute TRS or relative TRS hurdle before the end of the three-year performance period, a pro-rata portion of the maximum award may be earned. For each component, if our performance reaches the maximum threshold duringthe second half of the performance period, participants will earn one-third of the maximum award. If our performance reaches the maximum threshold during the third year of the performance period for a component, participants will earn up to two-thirds of the maximum award that may be earned for that component. Except in the event of a change in control, no awards may be earned during the first half of the performance period and, with respect to the last one-third of the maximum award, no awards may be earned prior to the end of the performance period.

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Awards may be earned upon a change in control as follows, but any such awards remain subject to vesting based on continued employment, as set forth above, with acceleration only occurring for a named executive officer in the event of a termination of the executive’s employment by us without cause or by the executive for good reason. In the event of a change in control during the first year of the performance period, participants will earn, for each component, the greater of (i) a prorated award based on the attainment of prorated performance hurdles or (ii) a non-prorated award based on attainment of the full, non-prorated performance hurdles, in each case, using the change in control as the end of the performance period. In the event a change in control occurs after the first year of the performance period, awards will be earned for each component based upon the attainment of prorated performance hurdles using the change in control as the end of the performance period.

The awards made to our named executive officers under our 2014 Outperformance Plan also provide that if that executive’s employment is terminated by us without cause or by the executive officer for good reason, then the executive officer is treated under our 2014 Outperformance Plan as if he had remained employed by us for 12 months after the date of his termination. If the executive officer’s employment terminates due to death or disability, then such termination will be treated in the same manner, for that award recipient, as if a change in control occurred on the date of such termination; provided that any LTIP units earned in connection with death or disability will vest in full as of the date on which they are earned.

Distributions are not payable unless and until awards are earned. If awards are earned under our 2014 Outperformance Plan, each participant will then be entitled to the distributions that would have been paid had the number of earned LTIP units been earned at the beginning of the performance period. Those distributions will be paid in cash or additional LTIP units as determined by the Committee. Thereafter, distributions will be paid currently with respect to all earned LTIP units, whether vested or unvested.

The following awards under our 2014 Outperformance Plan have been made pursuant to which our named executive officers have the opportunity to earn the following LTIP units:

Executive   Award Opportunity (# of LTIP Units)(1)
Threshold   Maximum   Hypothetical Earning
Based on Annualized
Results through
12/31/2016(2)
Marc Holliday     43,208     115,222     0
Stephen L. Green14,04537,4550
Andrew Mathias30,50081,3330
Matthew J. DiLiberto6,62117,6570
Andrew S. Levine7,72520,6000

Robust hurdles demonstrate strong pay for performance alignment. We would need to achieve TRS of10.5% and35.5% from February 1, 2017 through August 31, 2017 in order for executives to earn the threshold and maximum absolute TRS amounts, respectively, under our 2014 Outperformance Plan.
(1)Based on awards granted to date, for Messrs. Holliday, Green, Mathias and Levine, approximately 83.3% of the LTIP units may be earned based on our absolute TRS performance and approximately 16.7% of the LTIP units may be earned based on our relative TRS performance. For Mr. DiLiberto, approximately 66.7% of the LTIP units may be earned based on our absolute TRS performance and approximately 33.3% may be earned based on our relative TRS performance.
(2)Represents LTIP units that would have been earned based on our performance from the start of the performance period through December31,2016.

Pursuant to our employment agreements with Messrs. Holliday and Mathias, we agreed to allocate at least 22.67% and 16.00%, respectively, of the total awards under our 2014 Outperformance Plan to these executives. To date, we have allocated 18.9% and 13.3% to Messrs. Holliday and Mathias, respectively, of the total awards under our 2014 Outperformance Plan to which they are entitled, representing the full allocation of LTIP units that each may earn based on our absolute TRS performance and one-half of the allocation of LTIP units that each may earn based on our relative TRS performance.

Employment Agreement Awards

The second main component of our long-term equity incentive award program is equity awards granted for retention purposes or in connection with new or extended employment agreements. We typically enter into employment agreements with each of our named executive officers, other than Mr. Green, that have terms of three or four years. In connection with these agreements, we typically grant one or more types of equity awards to our named executive officers that have vesting periods aligned with the terms of these agreements. Vesting of these awards has been based on continued employment and, for a majority of these awards, the achievement of performance hurdles.

In connection with our employment agreements with our named executive officers, we granted equity awards to Messrs. Mathias, DiLiberto and Levine on the effective date of each such agreement. In addition, our employment agreements with Messrs. Holliday and Mathias provided for the granting of the stock options and LTIP units noted in the table below, which, collectively for each of Mr. Holliday and Mr. Mathias, are scheduled to vest over the three-year term of the agreement. These long-term equity incentive

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awards were not granted at the time these agreements were entered into. Instead, these agreements provided that the executives would be entitled to terminate their employment with us and receive severance payments and benefits if we did not make these grants on or before their scheduled vesting dates. These provisions were included instead of making long-term grants at the time the agreement was entered into, in part, to avoid the distortion in measuring annual compensation that otherwise might have occurred if these grants were all made in the year in which we entered into the agreements. Regardless of the ultimate grant dates, for purposes of evaluating our executive compensation, we believe these awards should be viewed collectively as long-term equity awards vesting over the three-year terms of these agreements (as opposed to three separate awards subject to short-term vesting), which is consistent with how the Committee viewed, and approved of, these awards.

The table below indicates the terms of the employments agreements with Messrs. Holliday, Mathias, DiLiberto and Levine that were in effect as of January 1, 2016 and summarizes the terms and grant dates of the long-term equity incentive awards made, or to be made, to our named executive officers pursuant to these employment agreements.

Messrs. Holliday and Mathias had amended their employment agreements in 2014 such that 100% of the future LTIP unit awards granted under these employment agreements were subject to performance-based vesting hurdles, with restructured hurdles that are more difficult to achieve than those originally established, as set forth in the table below.

  MARC HOLLIDAY (JANUARY 18, 2013 – JANUARY 17, 2016)
Equity Award   # of Shares/
Units
   Grant
Date
   Description(1)
Stock options200,0002013One-third vesting on1/17/14, 1/17/15 and 1/17/16; 50% expires 5 years after grant;50% expires 10 years after grant
Three-
Year
vesting
Performance-based and
time-based LTIP units
 87,870 2014 Vesting1/17/14; 60% subject to performance-based vesting contingent upon achievement of either7% increase in FFO, 7% TRS or TRS in the top40% of the MSCI US REIT Index, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from2013); two-year post-vesting no-sale
Performance-based
LTIP units
87,8702015Vesting1/17/15 and 1/17/16, respectively; vesting contingent upon achievement of either8% increase in FFO, 8% TRS or TRS in the top35% of the MSCI US REIT Index, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from2013); two-year post-vesting no-sale
Performance-based
LTIP units
87,8702016
   
ANDREW MATHIAS (JANUARY1,2014– DECEMBER31,2016)(2)
Equity Award# of Shares/
Units
Grant
Date
Description(1)
Stock options130,0002013One-third vesting on12/31/14, 12/31/15 and 12/31/16; 50% expires 5years after grant; 50% expires 10 years after grant
Three-
Year
vesting
Performance-based and
time-based LTIP units
58,6662014Vesting 12/31/14; 60% subject to performance-based vesting contingent upon achievement of either7% increase in FFO, 7% TRS or TRS in the top40% of the MSCI US REIT Index, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from2014); two-year post-vesting no-sale
Performance-based
LTIP units
58,6672015Vesting12/31/15 and 12/31/16, respectively; vesting contingent upon achievement of either8% increase in FFO, 8% TRS or TRS in the top35% of the MSCI US REIT Index, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from2014); two-year post-vesting no-sale
Performance-based
LTIP units
58,6672016
 
MATTHEW J. DILIBERTO (JANUARY1,2015– JANUARY1,2018)
Equity Award# of Shares/
Units
Grant
Date
Description(1)
Time-based LTIP units13,00020146,000 LTIP units vesting 1/1/16 and 3,500 LTIP units vesting on each of1/1/17 and 1/1/18
Performance-based
LTIP units
7,0002014One-half vesting on each of1/1/17 and 1/1/18; vesting contingent upon achievement of either8% increase in FFO, 8% TRS or TRS in the top35% of the MSCI US REIT Index, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from2015)
 

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                   ANDREW S. LEVINE (JANUARY 1, 2016 – JANUARY 1, 2019)
Equity Award    # of Shares/
Units
    Grant
Date
    Description(1)
Time-based LTIP units18,0002016One-third vesting on 1/1/17, 1/1/18 and 1/1/19
 Performance-based
LTIP units
 18,000 2016 One-third vesting on 1/1/17, 1/1/18 and 1/1/19 contingent on achievement of performance hurdle; from 50-100% vesting based on achievement of either annual FFO growth or TRS of 5-8% per year or TRS in the top 35-50% of the MSCI US REIT Index, respectively, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from 2016 through such year or a subsequent quarter during the term); no vesting unless the 50% threshold performance criteria described above is met
(1)Performance-based LTIP units not earned in one year will vest on a subsequent vesting date occurring during the term of employment if the performance hurdle is met based on cumulative performance through a subsequent calendar quarter (for awards granted to Messrs. Holliday, Mathias and Levine) or year (for awards granted to Mr. DiLiberto) occurring prior to such vesting date.
(2)Excludes additional allocations of awards under our outperformance plans that were made to Mr. Mathias in connection with his employment agreement.

In 2016, we entered into a new employment agreement with Mr. Holliday following the expiration of his prior employment agreements. The structure of Mr. Holliday’s new employment agreement was similar to his prior employment agreement in that the long-term equity incentive awards to be made to Mr. Holliday were not granted at the time this agreement was entered into and, instead, these agreements provided that Mr. Holliday would be entitled to terminate his employment with us and receive severance payments and benefits if we did not make these grants on or before their scheduled vesting dates. However, unlike Mr. Holliday’s prior agreement, he is no longer entitled to receive ungranted performance-based LTIP units upon a termination for good reason or without cause, except where such termination also occurs in connection with a change in control. The table below indicates the terms of these employment agreements and summarizes the terms and grant dates of the long-term equity incentive awards made, or to be made, to Mr. Holliday pursuant to this employment agreement.

MARC HOLLIDAY (JANUARY 18, 2016 – JANUARY 17, 2019)
Equity Award    # of Shares/Units    Grant Date    Description(1)
Stock options /
Class O LTIP units
105,0002016Vesting one-year after grant date, which grant is to occur on or before 7/1/16; 50% expires 5 years after grant; 50% expires 10 years after grant
Stock options /
Class O LTIP units
105,0002017Vesting one-year after grant date, which grant is to occur one year after the 2016 grant; 50% expires 5 years after grant; 50% expires 10 years after grant
Performance-based LTIP units76,9802017Vesting 1/17/17, 1/17/18 and 1/17/19, respectively, contingent on achievement of performance hurdle; from 50-100% vesting based on achievement of either annual FFO growth or TRS of 5-8% per year or TRS in the top 35-50% of the MSCI US REIT Index, respectively, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from 2016 through such year or a subsequent quarter during the term); no vesting unless the 50% threshold performance criteria described above is met; two-year post-vesting no-sale
Performance-based LTIP units61,5842018
Performance-based LTIP units61,5842019
(1)Performance-based LTIP units not earned in one year will vest on a subsequent vesting date occurring during the term of employment if the performance hurdle is met based on cumulative performance through a subsequent calendar quarter occurring prior to such vesting date.

Also in 2016, we entered into an amendment to our employment agreement with Mr. Mathias in connection with the one-year renewal of his employment agreement pursuant to its terms. In satisfaction of our obligations under the employment agreement amendment, we granted 54,545 LTIP units to Mr. Mathias on January 10, 2017, which LTIP units are scheduled to vest on December 31, 2017, subject to continued employment through such date. Once vested, the LTIP units will be subject to a two-year post-vesting no-sale restriction. Had we not made such grant to Mr. Mathias on or before January 31, 2017, and had Mr. Mathias subsequently opted to terminate his employment on or before February 28, 2017, then certain non-competition provisions of the employment agreement would have ceased to apply as of the effective date of termination.

We also entered into a new employment agreement with Mr. Levine, effective January 1, 2016, which is summarized above.

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Other Compensation Policies and Information

How We Determine Executive Compensation

The Committee determines compensation for our named executive officers and is comprised of three of our independent directors, John H. Alschuler (Chairman), Edwin Thomas Burton, III and John S. Levy.

Independent Compensation Consultant/Compensation Process

The Committee retained Gressle & McGinley LLC as its independent outside compensation consulting firm and engaged Gressle & McGinley LLC to provide the Committee with relevant data concerning the marketplace, our peer group and its own independent analysis and recommendations concerning executive compensation. Gressle & McGinley LLC regularly participates in Compensation Committee meetings. Gressle & McGinley LLC does not provide any additional services to the Committee and does not provide any services to the Company other than to the Committee. Its sole role is as an independent consulting firm to advise the Committee with respect to the compensation of our named executive officers. The ultimate determination of total compensation and the elements that comprise that total compensation is made solely by the Committee.

With respect to our named executive officers, the Committee solicits recommendations from our Chief Executive Officer regarding total compensation, the allocation of this compensation among base salary, annual bonus amounts and other long-term incentive compensation, as well as the portion of overall compensation to be provided in cash or equity. Our Chairman also advises the Committee on these matters as they pertain to the compensation of our Chief Executive Officer. FTI Consulting, Inc., or FTI Consulting, is retained by our management as a general business advisor and provides services to the Company in a number of areas, including compensation. FTI Consulting, which has relationships with certain officers of the Company, provides market data to our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, which they review when considering their compensation recommendations. The recommendations with respect to compensation are formulated by our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman and are communicated to the Committee by them. The Committee is also provided with the market data compiled by FTI Consulting and its recommendations with respect to the compensation of our named executive officers. The other named executive officers do not play a role in determining their own compensation, other than discussing their performance with our Chief Executive Officer.

All final determinations of compensation for our named executive officers are made solely by the Committee.

The Committee meets during the year to evaluate executive performance, to monitor market conditions in light of our goals and objectives, to solicit input from our independent compensation consultant on market practices, including peer group pay practices and new developments, and to review our executive compensation practices. As part of these meetings, in formulation of its executive compensation policies and practices for 2016, the Committee reviewed then-existing policies of certain of our institutional investors, Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc., or ISS, Glass Lewis & Co LLC and other governance groups, as well as feedback provided by such groups in prior year proxy research reports. The Committee is currently engaged with stockholders, as discussed above, and annually reviews our executive compensation policies and practices to ensure that such policies are in line with current market practices and stockholders’ best interests. The Committee makes regular reports to the Board.

Peer Group Benchmarking

In 2016, as in prior years, the Committee reviewed various peer compensation information in connection with its compensation decisions, primarily focused on the chief executive officer’s compensation. The Committee did not use this peer information to target a particular percentile for our Chief Executive Officer’s total compensation for 2016, but rather used this information to confirm that our Chief Executive Officer’s total compensation for 2016 was within an appropriate range of the total compensation received by the chief executive officers of these peers, considering relative size and performance. With respect to size, we ranked above the median of these peers with respect to common equity market capitalization and total revenue. The Committee reviewed 2015 total compensation information for the chief executive officers of a New York City traditional REIT peer group.

The Committee utilized a New York City-based peer group given the unique characteristics of the New York City real estate marketplace in which we conduct substantially all of our business, which is one of the most competitive in the world from both a business and compensation perspective. The following companies were included in the New York City traditional REIT peer group that the Committee reviewed:

NYC Traditional REIT Peer Group
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Boston Properties, Inc.
Brookfield Asset Management, Inc.
General Growth Properties, Inc.
iStar Financial
Kennedy-Wilson Holdings, Inc.
Ladder Capital Corp.
NorthStar Asset Management Group Inc.
Paramount Group, Inc.
Vornado Realty Trust

Our direct New York City competitors, both in terms of real estate business and talent, are not limited to other public REITs doing business in New York City. Rather, the Committee also views our competitors as consisting of top performing hedge funds, international investors, large private firms and others that may have equal or greater financial resources, including access to cost-efficient capital. The Committee believes that the top real estate principals

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of these non-REIT companies typically receive substantially higher compensation than chief executive officers of public REITs.

However, based on feedback from our stockholders, we removed all New York City-based asset managers from our peer group beginning in 2015 and now review compensation based on our New York City traditional REIT peer group and a national office REIT index. For 2016, we added Kennedy-Wilson Holdings, Inc. and Paramount Group, Inc. to our New York City traditional REIT peer group.

Analysis of Risk Associated with Our Executive Compensation Plans

In setting compensation, we also consider the risks to our stockholders and to achievement of our goals that may be inherent in the executive compensation program. We concluded that it is not reasonably likely that our compensation policies and practices will have a material adverse effect on us.

Although a significant portion of our executive’s compensation is performance-based and “at-risk,” we believe our executive compensation programs are appropriately structured and do not pose a material risk to the Company. We considered the following elements of our executive compensation plans and policies when evaluating whether such plans and policies encourage our executives to take unreasonable risks:

We evaluate performance based upon the achievement of a variety of business objectives and goals including, by way of example, FFO growth, occupancy and leasing rates, TRS performance (both on an absolute and relative basis), real estate investment activity, the strength of our credit profile, and capital markets executions that we believe correlate to long-term creation of stockholder value and that are affected by management decisions;
We adopted a balanced approach to equity compensation that incorporates the use of various equity-based compensation vehicles. By utilizing a balanced equity compensation mix comprised of several different types of equity-based compensation vehicles, including full value equity awards that retain value even in a depressed market, we lessen the likelihood that executives will take unreasonable risks to keep their equity awards “in-the-money,” as may be the case with equity compensation programs that rely solely on leveraged market-based equity compensation vehicles such as stock options;
We provide a significant portion of incentive compensation in the form of Long-Term Incentive Awards, such as awards that may be earned under our2014 Outperformance Plan. The amounts that ultimately may be earned under this program are tied to how we perform over a three-year period, which focuses management on sustaining our long-term performance;
We structure payouts under our performance-based awards based on achieving a minimum level of performance, so that some compensation is awarded at levels below full target achievement rather than an “all-or-nothing” approach;
We consider non-financial and other qualitative performance factors in determining actual compensation payouts;
We provide a significant portion of each executive’s annual compensation in the form of equity-based compensation, which results in our executives having built sizable holdings of equity in the Company. We note that executives are required to maintain sizable holdings of equity in the Company under the terms of our stock ownership guidelines, which aligns an appropriate portion of their personal wealth to our long-term performance; and
We adopted a policy for recoupment of incentive payments made to our executives, including our named executive officers, if payment was based on having met or exceeded performance expectations during a period of fraudulent activity for which the executive is responsible.

In conclusion, our executive compensation program is structured so that (i) we avoid the type of disproportionately large short-term incentives that could encourage executives to take risks that may not be in our long-term interests, (ii) we provide incentives to manage the Company for long-term performance, (iii) we have adopted a policy for recoupment of incentive payments under certain circumstances and (iv) a significant amount of the wealth of our executives is tied to our long-term success. We believe this combination of factors encourages our executives to manage the Company in a prudent manner.

Perquisites and Other Personal Benefits

We do not provide significant perquisites or personal benefits to our named executive officers, except that we reimburse our Chairman for costs associated with an automobile he leases for personal use and provide leased automobiles for our Chief Executive Officer and President. Additionally, we provide our Chairman with a full-time driver and our Chief Executive Officer receives certain insurance benefits. The costs of these benefits constitute only a small percentage of the applicable executive’s compensation.

Employment Agreements

As noted above, we have employment agreements with all of our named executive officers. All of the employment agreements with our named executive officers provide for, among other things, severance payments and benefits and acceleration of equity awards in connection with certain qualified terminations. In return, each of our named executive officers has agreed to non-compete,

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non-solicitation, non-interference and confidentiality provisions. For each of our executives, we believe that, because the severance level is negotiated up front, it makes it easier for us to terminate these executives without the need for protracted negotiations over severance. We also believe that providing pre-negotiated severance benefits for all of our executives in the event they are terminated without cause or terminate their employment for good reason following a change in control helps to further align the interests of our executives and our stockholders in the event of a potentially attractive proposed change in control transaction following which one or more of our executives may be expected to be terminated. See “Executive Compensation—Executive Compensation Tables—Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control” for a summary of the employment agreements with our named executive officers.

Clawback Policy

The Board adopted a clawback policy under which any incentive payments made to a named executive officer on the basis of having met or exceeded performance targets during a period of fraudulent activity for which such executive is found personally responsible may be recouped by the Company.

Anti-hedging Policy

The Board has adopted a policy prohibiting all of our executive officers and directors from engaging in hedging transactions with respect to our securities. Pursuant to this policy, our executive officers and directors may not engage in hedging transactions with respect to our securities (including, without limitation, partnership interests in our operating partnership) through puts, calls, covered calls, synthetic purchases, collars, other derivative securities of the Company or otherwise at any time. Prior to the adoption of this policy, none of our executive officers or directors were engaging in any hedging transactions with respect to our securities, and this policy was adopted to formally reflect the practices that our executive officers and directors had already been observing.

Other Matters

Tax Treatment. The Committee reviews and considers the tax efficiency of executive compensation as part of its decision-making process. Section 162(m) of the IRC generally limits the deductibility of compensation over $1 million to a corporation’s named executive officers. We are a real estate investment trust and therefore generally do not pay income taxes. In addition, our named executive officers provide most of their services to our operating partnership. We received a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service to the effect that the deduction limitation of Section 162(m) does not apply with respect to compensation to our named executive officers for services rendered to our operating partnership. As a result, the amounts and form of compensation that we provide to our named executive officers is not materially impacted by Section 162(m) of the IRC.

LTIP units and Class O LTIP units. Under our 2014 Outperformance Plan, in lieu of issuing shares of restricted stock, we issued a separate class of units of limited partnership interest in our operating partnership, which we refer to as LTIP units. We also used LTIP units for the equity bonuses that we granted to our named executive officers for 2016 and as equity awards granted in connection with new or extended employment agreements or the provisions of such agreements. LTIP units are similar to common units in our operating partnership, which generally are economically equivalent to shares of our common stock, except that the LTIP units are structured as “profits interests” for U.S. federal income tax purposes under current federal income tax law. As profits interests, LTIP units generally only have value, other than with respect to the right to receive distributions, if the value of the assets of our operating partnership increases between the issuance of LTIP units and the date of a book-up event for partnership tax purposes. If the value of the assets of our operating partnership increases sufficiently, the LTIP units can achieve full parity with common units in our operating partnership. If such parity is achieved, LTIP units may be converted, subject to the satisfaction of applicable vesting conditions, on a one-for-one basis into common units, which in turn are redeemable by the holder for cash or, at our election, on a one-for-one basis into shares of our common stock. LTIP units are not entitled to distributions prior to being earned based on achievement against the performance-based hurdles contained in these plans. Once earned, these LTIP units, whether vested or unvested, entitle the holder to receive distributions per unit from our operating partnership that are equivalent to the dividends paid per share on our common stock.

In addition to the LTIP units described above that we issued in lieu of shares of restricted stock, we also have issued another class of units of limited partnership interest in our operating partnership that are intended to be similar to stock options from an economic perspective, which we refer to as Class O LTIP units. Class O LTIP units are also intended to qualify as “profits interests” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. During 2016, we used Class O LTIP units as equity awards granted in connection with new or extended employment agreements or the provisions of such agreements, and we also used Class O LTIP units for annual bonuses that we granted to certain of our named executive officers in 2017 for 2016 performance.

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Like stock options, Class O LTIP units operate in a manner that generally permits holders to realize the benefit of any increase in the per share value of our common stock above the value at the time the Class O LTIP units are granted. At the time of the grant of Class O LTIP units, the operating partnership establishes a conversion threshold, the vesting terms and the mandatory conversion date, if any, for the Class O LTIP units. The conversion threshold corresponds to the exercise price of a stock option while the mandatory conversion date corresponds to the expiration date of a stock option. Similar to the exercise price for stock options, the conversion threshold will equal the per unit value of the common units of our operating partnership on the grant date. Class O LTIP units will receive 10% distributions relating to periods between grant and vesting upon vesting, and will receive 10% distributions from vesting to their conversion as opposed to holders of non-qualified stock options who will not receive any distributions relating to periods between grant and exercise.

Once Class O LTIP units have vested, they may be converted into common units of our operating partnership by the holder at any time prior to their mandatory conversion date in a manner that is similar to a net exercise of stock options. Upon exercise of this conversion right, the Class O LTIP units will convert into a number of common units of the operating partnership that have an aggregate value equal to the aggregate spread of the Class O LTIP units that are converted. The “spread” for each Class O LTIP unit will equal the excess, if any, of the value of our operating partnership’s assets per common unit on the conversion date above the per unit value at the time the Class O LTIP unit was granted (i.e., the conversion threshold). Any Class O LTIP units that have not been voluntarily converted prior to the mandatory conversion date established at the time the Class O LTIP units were granted will automatically convert into common units on such mandatory conversion date, or be forfeited if the value of our operating partnership’s assets per common unit is less than the conversion threshold for the Class O LTIP units.

LTIP units and Class O LTIP units are intended to offer executives substantially the same long-term incentive as shares of restricted stock and stock options, respectively, with more favorable U.S. federal income tax treatment available for “profits interests” under current federal income tax law. More specifically, one key disadvantage of restricted stock is that executives are generally taxed on the full market value of a grant at the time of vesting, even if they choose to hold the stock. Similarly, holders of non-qualified stock options are taxed upon exercise. Conversely, under current federal income tax law, an executive would generally not be subject to tax at the time of issuance or vesting of an LTIP unit or Class O LTIP unit or conversion into common units but only when he or she chooses to liquidate the common units into which his or her LTIP units or Class O LTIP units convert. Therefore, an executive who wishes to hold his or her equity awards for the long term can generally do so in a more tax-efficient manner with LTIP units or Class O LTIP units. In light of the increased tax efficiency, we have chosen to use LTIP units and Class O LTIP units for grants to our executives. We believe that the use of LTIP units and Class O LTIP units has (i) enhanced our equity-based compensation package overall, (ii) advanced the goal of promoting long-term equity ownership by executives, (iii) not adversely impacted dilution as compared to restricted stock, and (iv) further aligned the interests of our executives with the interests of our stockholders. We also believe that these benefits outweigh the loss of the U.S. federal income tax business-expense deduction from the utilization of LTIP units or Class O LTIP units, as compared to restricted stock or stock options.

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Executive Compensation Tables

Summary Compensation Table

The following table sets forth information regarding the compensation paid to the individuals who served as our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer during our 2016 fiscal year and each of our three most highly compensated executive officers, other than our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, whose total compensation exceeded $100,000 during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, or collectively, the “named executive officers.”

Name And Principal
Position
  Year  Salary
($)
  Bonus
($)
  Stock Awards(1)
($)
  Option
Awards(2)($)
  Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
  All Other
Compensation(3)($)
  Total ($)
Marc Holliday  2016$  1,350,000  $11,285,597$  2,173,500$2,473,125$44,149$  17,326,371
Chief Executive2015$1,050,000$787,500$19,159,050$2,008,125$43,074$23,047,749
Officer2014$1,050,000$14,160,346$1,102,500$41,215$16,354,061
Stephen L. Green2016$750,000 $1,933,688 $1,161,718$179,800$4,025,206
Chairman of the2015$750,000$468,750$3,962,493$1,202,343$170,490$6,554,076
Board2014$750,000$4,468,371$173,992$5,392,363
Andrew Mathias2016$800,000 $9,120,896 $1,239,166$38,823$11,198,885
President2015$800,000$500,000$13,436,852$1,282,500$26,790$16,046,132
2014$800,000$10,188,264$7,800$10,996,064
Matthew J.2016$400,000$     1,400,000   $7,950$1,807,950
DiLiberto2015$400,000$1,400,000$7,950$1,807,950
Chief Financial
Officer
Andrew S. Levine2016$550,000 $3,709,007  $7,950$4,266,957
Chief Legal Officer2015$500,000$873,342$7,950$1,381,292
and General2014$490,000$2,033,308$7,800$2,531,108
Counsel
(1)Amounts shown do not reflect compensation actually received by the named executive officer. Instead, the amounts shown are the full grant date fair value of stock awards issued to the executives in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. In accordance with SEC disclosure requirements, the amounts for 2015 and 2014 include the full grant date fair value of the executives' allocations in our 2014 Outperformance Plan and our 2011 Outperformance Plan granted during such years. The grant date fair value of such awards is computed in accordance with ASC 718, “Compensation-Stock Compensation,” or ASC 718, by the use of Monte Carlo simulation models that consider the probable outcomes of the market-based performance conditions governing such awards. For the awards granted under our 2014 Outperformance Plan during 2015, the Monte Carlo simulation model used an assumed stock price volatility level of 21.0% on our common stock and a risk-free interest rate of 0.88%. For the awards granted under our 2011 Outperformance Plan during 2014, the Monte Carlo simulation model used an assumed stock price volatility level of 19.0% on our common stock and a risk-free interest rate of 0.08%. The actual value of awards with respect to (i) our 2014 Outperformance Plan will be contingent upon our attainment of absolute and relative stockholder return metrics over a three-year measurement period ending August 31, 2017 and (ii) our 2011 Outperformance Plan was contingent upon the attainment of stockholder return targets over a three-year measurement period that ended August 31, 2014.
(2)Amounts shown do not reflect compensation actually received by the named executive officer. Instead, the amounts shown are the full grant date fair value of Class O LTIP units as computed in accordance with ASC 718 by the use of the Black-Scholes option pricing model. For Class O LTIP units granted during 2016 with a mandatory conversion date that is 5 years after the date of grant, the Black-Scholes simulation model assumed volatility of 23%, an annual dividend yield of 2.3%, a risk free interest rate of 0.89% and an expected term of 3 years. For Class O LTIP units granted during 2016 with a mandatory conversion date that is 10 years after the date of grant, the Black-Scholes simulation model assumed volatility of 35%, an annual dividend yield of 2.3%, a risk free interest rate of 1.26% and an expected term of 5.5 years.

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(3)The table and footnotes below show the components of this column for2016, which include certain perquisites such as Company401(k) matching contributions.

Name

YearAll Other
Compensation ($)
Marc Holliday2016$44,149(a)
Stephen L. Green2016$     179,800(b)
Andrew Mathias2016$38,823(c)
Matthew J. DiLiberto2016$7,950(d)
Andrew S. Levine2016$7,950(d)
(a)

Represents (i) the Company’s matching contributions with respect to amounts earned by the named executive officer under our401(k) plan ($7,950), (ii) leased car payments ($22,987) and (iii) life insurance premiums ($13,212). The Company’s401(k) matching contributions are credited in the year subsequent to which employees make their contributions.

(b)Represents leased car ($36,273) and full-time driver payments ($143,527). Mr. Green is the only officer in the Company provided with a full-time driver and it is the Company’s policy to not provide such perquisite to any officer other than Mr. Green.
(c)Represents the Company’s matching contributions with respect to amounts earned by the named executive officer under our401(k) plan ($7,950) and leased car payments ($30,873). The Company’s401(k) matching contributions are credited in the year subsequent to which employees make their contributions.
(d)Represents the Company’s matching contributions with respect to amounts earned by the named executive officer under our401(k) plan ($7,950). The Company’s401(k) matching contributions are credited in the year subsequent to which employees make their contributions.

2016 Grants of Plan-Based Awards

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to each grant of an award made to a named executive officer in the fiscal year ended December31,2016.





Estimated Possible Payouts Under Non-Equity
Incentive Plan Awards

Estimated Future Payouts Under
Equity Incentive Plan Awards
All Other
Stock
Awards:
Number
of Shares
of Stock
or Units
(#)
All Other
Option
Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Options
(#)
Exercise
or Base
Price of
Option
Awards
($/Sh)
Grant
Date
Closing
Market
Price
($/Sh)
Grant Date
Fair Value
of Stock
and Option
Awards
($)
Name     Grant Date     Approval
Date
     Threshold
($)
     Target
($)
     Maximum
($)
     Threshold
(#)
     Target
(#)
     Maximum
(#)
                         
Marc Holliday01/12/201601/12/201640,153(1)$     3,363,537
01/12/201601/12/201687,870(2)$7,238,379
02/10/201602/10/20168,265(3)$683,681
06/17/201606/17/201652,500(4)$     99.86$     100.32$717,675
06/17/201606/17/201652,500(4)$99.86$100.32$1,455,825
N/AN/A$     1,350,000(9)$     2,700,000(9)$     4,050,000(9)   
Stephen L.
Green
 01/01/2016 12/09/2009 1,333(5)$150,602
01/12/201601/12/2016 21,286(1)$1,783,086
N/AN/A$750,000(9)$1,312,500(9)$1,875,000(9)    
Andrew
Mathias
01/01/201611/08/2013   4,443(5) $501,970
01/12/201601/12/2016  30,728(1)  $2,574,023
01/12/201601/12/201658,667(6)58,667(6)$5,134,800
06/17/201606/17/201611,340(1)$910,103
N/AN/A$800,000(9)$1,400,000(9)$2,000,000(9)
Matthew J.
DiLiberto
 
Andrew S.
Levine
01/12/201601/12/201610,505(1)$879,983
02/10/201602/10/20169,000(7)13,500(7)18,000(7)$1,340,064
02/10/201602/10/201618,000(8)$1,488,960
(1)This grant of LTIP units vested immediately upon grant, but remains subject to a two-year restriction on transfer from the date of grant.
(2)This grant of LTIP units was awarded in connection with Mr. Holliday’s employment agreement and was to be subject to vesting based on the achievement of any of the following financial performance goals during2015(or on a cumulative basis beginning with2013through the end of2015) and continued employment through January17th of the year following the year as of which the financial performance goals are achieved: (i)8% or greater increase in FFO on a per-share basis, (ii)8% or greater TRS or (iii) TRS or percentage increase in FFO per share in the top35% of a peer group of companies determined each year by our Compensation Committee. This grant is presented in the “All Other Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units” column instead of the “Estimated Future

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Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Award” column, because the grant occurred after performance-based vesting was achieved. Once vested, these LTIP units remain subject to a restriction on transfer until the earlier of two years after vesting, termination of employment or a change in control.
(3)This grant of notional stock units was subject to vesting based on continued employment through January17,2017. Each stock unit represents the contingent right to receive the value of one share of our common stock in accordance with the terms of a deferred compensation agreement.
(4)These grants of Class O LTIP units were awarded in connection with the extension of Mr. Holliday’s employment. These grants reflect an award of52,500Class O LTIP units with a mandatory conversion date that is5years after the date of grant and an award of52,500Class O LTIP units that expire10years after the date of grant, each of which vests on June17,2017. These grants are presented in the “All Other Option Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options” column, because Class O LTIP units are economically similar to stock options. The conversion threshold for the Class O LTIP units, which is equivalent to the exercise price for a stock option, was determined by reference to the fair market value under our Fourth Amended and Restated2005Stock Option and Incentive Plan of one share of our common stock, meaning, in this instance, the closing stock price of one share of our common stock on the NYSE on June16,2016, the last preceding trading date prior to the grant date. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Other Compensation Policies and Information—Other Matters—LTIP units and Class O LTIP units” for a description of Class O LTIP units.
(5)This grant of notional stock units was subject to vesting based on continued employment through December31,2016. Each stock unit represents the contingent right to receive the value of one share of our common stock in accordance with the terms of a deferred compensation agreement.
(6)This grant of LTIP units was awarded in connection with Mr. Mathias’s employment agreement and was subject to vesting based on the achievement of any of the following financial performance goals during2016(or on a cumulative basis beginning with2014through the end of2016) and continued employment through the end of the year as of which the financial performance goals are achieved: (i)8% or greater increase in FFO on a per-share basis, (ii)8% or greater TRS or (iii) TRS or percentage increase in FFO per share in the top35% of a peer group of companies determined each year by our Compensation Committee. Once vested, these LTIP units remain subject to a restriction on transfer until the earlier of two years after vesting, termination of employment or a change in control. The “Maximum (#)” column represents the maximum number of LTIP units that could be earned. The “Target (#)” column represents the number of LTIP units that would be earned if the performance goals are achieved. The LTIP units only provide for a single level of performance. Accordingly, the “Threshold(#)” subcolumn is not applicable.
(7)This grant of LTIP units was awarded in connection with Mr. Levine’s employment agreement. This grant of LTIP units vests pro-rata over a three-year period on January1,2017,2018and2019, subject to the achievement of financial performance goals and continued employment through each vesting date. In each case, from50-100% of the LTIP units eligible to vest on each vesting date will vest based on the achievement of either (i) annual FFO growth or TRS of5-8% per year or (ii) TRS in the top35-50% of the MSCI US REITIndex, respectively, for the prior year (or on a cumulative basis from2016through such year or a subsequent quarter during the term). None of the LTIP units will vest unless the50% minimum performance vesting threshold is met.
(8)This grant of LTIP units was awarded in connection with Mr. Levine's employment agreement. This grant of LTIP units vests pro-rata over a three-year period on January1,2017,2018and2019, respectively, subject to continued employment through each vesting date. Once vested, LTIP units remain subject to a two-year restriction on transfer from the date of grant.
(9)Represents cash payouts that were possible pursuant to the formulaic component of our annual cash bonus program for2016. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Annual Incentive Awards—Annual Cash Bonus Program (Top Three Named Executive Officers)” for a description of these awards.

Grants of all equity awards were made pursuant to the Fourth Amended and Restated2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan. LTIP units that are only subject to time-based vesting based on continued employment through a specified date (and have not been forfeited) generally entitle executives to receive cash dividends, dividend equivalents or distributions whether or not then vested. LTIP units that are subject to performance-based vesting hurdles accrue cash dividends, dividend equivalents or distributions prior to the achievement of these hurdles, and such accrued amounts are only paid to the executives if and when the performance hurdles are met.

See “Potential Payments Upon Termination or a Change in Control” below, for a discussion regarding potential acceleration of the equity awards and a description of the material terms of each named executive officer’s employment agreement.

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Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2016

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to all outstanding equity awards held by each named executive officer at the fiscal year ended December31,2016.

Option AwardsStock Awards
Name     Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
     Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
     Option
Exercise
Price
($)
     Option
Expiration
Date
     Number
of Shares
or Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested(#)
(1)
     Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock That
Have Not
Vested(2)
     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
or Units
or Other
Rights that
Have Not
Vested(2)
Marc Holliday100,000 $76.6501/02/201813,253$1,425,360
100,000$76.6501/02/2023 25,925(3)$2,788,234
52,500(4) $99.8606/17/2021
52,500(4)$99.8606/17/2026   
Stephen L. Green 2,201$236,7188,427(3)$906,324
Andrew Mathias 65,000$   91.43 11/08/20183,781$406,647 
65,000$91.4311/08/202318,300(3)$   1,968,165
Matthew J. DiLiberto20,000(5)10,000(5)$90.1512/12/201811,148$   1,198,967
 10,121(3)$1,088,514
Andrew S. Levine8,333(6)4,167(6)$90.1512/12/201824,926$2,680,791
8,333(6)4,167(6)$90.1512/12/202316,635(3)$1,789,094
(1)

For each of our named executive officers, includes the following:


Executive     Notional
Stock Units(a)
     LTIP
Units(b)
     Performance-
Based
Employment
Agreement
LTIP Units(c)
     Time-Based
Employment
Agreement
LTIP Units(d)
      Marc Holliday8,2654,988 
Stephen L. Green 2,201
Andrew Mathias3,781
Matthew J. DiLiberto6483,5007,000
Andrew S. Levine9266,00018,000
(a)Represents notional stock units, each of which represents the contingent right to receive the value of one share of our common stock in accordance with the terms of a deferred compensation agreement. These notional stock units vested on01/17/2017. Vested notional stock units are settled in cash no later than30days following the earliest of (i) Mr. Holliday’s death, (ii) the date of Mr. Holliday’s separation from service with us, and (iii) the effective date of a change in control (as defined in the deferred compensation agreement).
(b)Represents LTIP units that vest on6/30/2017based on2016performance, subject to continued employment through such date.
(c)Represents LTIP units that vested on01/01/2017based on2016performance.
(d)For Mr. DiLiberto, represents LTIP units, of which one-half is scheduled to vest on01/01/2017and one-half is scheduled to vest on01/01/2018, subject to continued employment through such dates. For Mr. Levine, represents6,000LTIP units that vested on01/01/2017, with the remaining12,000LTIP units scheduled to vest one-half on01/01/2018and one-half on01/01/2019, subject to continued employment through such dates.

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(2)Based on a price of $107.55per share/unit, which was the closing price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on December31,2016. Assumes that the value of LTIP units on a per unit basis is equal to the per share value of our common stock.
(3)Includes the following LTIP units, which represents the number of LTIP units that will be earned under the2014Outperformance Plan if we achieve both25% or greater absolute TRS and relative TRS in the50th percentile or higher during the three-year performance period under the2014Outperformance Plan: Mr. Holliday—25,925LTIP units; Mr. Green—8,427LTIP units; Mr. Mathias—18,300LTIP units; Mr. DiLiberto—6,621LTIP units; and Mr. Levine—4,635LTIP units. If our absolute and relative performance for the three-year performance period applicable to these awards continues to be the same as we experienced from the beginning of the performance period through December31,2016, our named executive officers will not earn any LTIP units under these awards. As a result, in accordance with SEC rules, the table reflects the number of LTIP units that would be earned if the “threshold” performance goal was achieved. For Mr. DiLiberto, also includes3,500LTIP units that are scheduled to vest on01/01/2018, based on the attainment of specified performance goals during the vesting period and subject to continued employment through such date. For Mr. Levine, also includes12,000LTIP units that are scheduled to vest one-half on01/01/2018and one-half on01/01/2019, based on the attainment of specified performance goals during the vesting period and subject to continued employment through such dates.
(4)Reflects an award of52,500Class O LTIP units with a mandatory conversion date that is five years after the date of grant and an award of52,500Class O LTIP units with a mandatory conversion date that is10years after the date of grant, each of which is scheduled to vest on06/17/2017, subject to continued employment through such date. Class O LTIP units are economically similar to stock options. See “Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Other Compensation Policies and Information—Other Matters—LTIP units and Class O LTIP units” for a description of Class O LTIP units.
(5)Reflects an award of30,000stock options that expires five years after the date of grant, of which one-third vested on01/01/2015, one-third vested on01/01/2016and one-third vested on01/01/2017.
(6)Reflects an award of12,500stock options that expires five years after the date of grant and an award of12,500stock options that expires10years after the date of grant, of which one one-third of each vested on01/01/2015, one-third of each vested on01/01/2016and one-third of each vested on01/01/2017.

2016 Option Exercises and Stock Vested

None of our named executive officers exercised any stock options during2016. The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the vesting of stock, including restricted stock, restricted stock units, LTIP units and similar instruments for each named executive officer during the fiscal year ended December31,2016.

     Stock Awards
NameNumber
of Shares
Acquired on
Vesting (#)
     Value
Realized on
Vesting
(1)($)
Marc Holliday137,801$    13,944,593
Stephen L. Green24,820$2,569,524
Andrew Mathias108,957$11,491,522
Matthew J. DiLiberto6,646$746,660
Andrew S. Levine25,430$2,761,905
(1)Amounts reflect the market value of the stock on the vesting date.

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2016 Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

The following table sets forth certain information regarding non-tax qualified compensation deferred during the year ended December31,2016. All of the information below relates to notional stock units that we have granted to certain of our named executive officers pursuant to employment agreements we have entered into with them. Pursuant to these employment agreements, we have agreed to grant notional stock units with a specified value to certain of our named executive officers each year, which are subject to vesting based on continued employment for the following year. Once vested, these notional stock units represent a contingent right to receive the value ofone share of our common stock. Under the terms of the deferred compensation agreements, each participant is also entitled to dividend equivalent rights, to be paid in cash on a current basis, equal to the amount per share of any cash dividend we declare, multiplied by the total number of notional units held by such participant as of the record date for such dividend. Vested notional stock units are settled in cash no later than30 days following the earliest of (i) the executive’s death, (ii) the date of the executive’s separation from service with us and (iii) the effective date of a change in control.

Executive   Executive
Contributions
in Last FY ($)
(1)(2)
   Registrant
Contributions
in Last FY ($)
   Aggregate
Earnings
in Last FY ($)(2)(3)
   Aggregate
Withdrawals/
Distributions ($)(4)
   Aggregate
Balance
at Last FYE ($)(
2)(5)
Marc Holliday$    479,771$         -18,809$         128,735$   4,140,783
Stephen L. Green$143,364$-27,562$39,303$1,467,735
Andrew Mathias$477,845$-46,553$79,825$2,980,963
Matthew J. DiLiberto
Andrew S. Levine
(1)Represents values as of the vesting dates for notional units that vested during2016, which are reported in the2016Option Exercises and Stock Vested table.
(2)Awards of notional units constitute “Stock Awards” for purposes of the Summary Compensation Table, and, as a result, the full grant date fair value of these awards computed in accordance with ASC718, as of the grant date of such awards, are included in the “Stock Awards” column of the Summary Compensation Table for the year in which they were granted. The right to receive dividend equivalents was factored into the determination of the grant date fair value, which means that the value of the dividend equivalents included in “Aggregate Earnings in Last FY” was effectively already included in the Summary Compensation Table.
(3)The amounts in this column represent the increase or decrease in value of vested notional units from December31,2015through December31,2016, as calculated based on the closing stock price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on December31,2015, or, for notional units that vested during2016, the closing stock price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on such vesting date, compared to the closing stock price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on December31,2016, plus the aggregate value of dividend equivalent rights paid with respect to all vested and unvested notional units held by each executive during2016.
(4)Represents the aggregate value of dividend equivalent rights paid with respect to all vested and unvested notional units held by each executive during2016.
(5)Based on a per share price of $107.55, which was the closing stock price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on December31,2016.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

We have contractual arrangements with our named executive officers that provide for payments, acceleration of vesting or other benefits to our named executive officers upon a termination of employment in certain circumstances or upon a change in control. These include our employment agreements with our named executive officers and the terms of our2014 Outperformance Plan, our performance-based equity awards and our stock options. The following are certain key aspects of these contractual arrangements:

No IRC Section280G tax gross-up provisions

No single trigger change in control payments

No single trigger change in control vesting acceleration

Reasonable cash severance multiples (1x without change in control;2x-3x with change in control)

The discussion below describes these contractual arrangements in greater detail.

Employment Agreements

We have employment agreements with all of our named executive officers. All of the employment agreements with our named executive officers provide for, among other things, severance payments and benefits and acceleration of equity awards in connection with the termination of employment in certain circumstances. In return, each of our named executive officers has agreed to non-compete, non-solicitation, non-interference and confidentiality provisions. The table below summarizes the material terms of our employment agreements with our named executive officers.

Marc HollidayStephen L. GreenAndrew MathiasMatthew J. DiLibertoAndrew S. Levine
Term(1)1/18/16-1/17/191/1/15-1/1/161/1/16-12/31/171/1/15-1/1/181/1/16-1/1/19
Annual Salary$1.35M$750K$800K$400K$550K
Annual Deferred
Compensation(
2)
$750K$150K$550KNoneNone
Guaranteed BonusNone(3)NoneNoneNoneNone
OPP Allocation22.67% (2014)
and24% (future)
None16% (2014/future)NoneNone
Other Benefits$10M of life
insurance
$5M of life insuranceNoneNoneNone
Equity AwardsSee “—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Long-Term Equity Incentive Awards—Employment Agreement Awards” for a summary of the terms relating to equity awards.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Marc HollidayStephen L. GreenAndrew MathiasMatthew J. DiLibertoAndrew S. Levine

Severance Benefits

If the executive’s employment is terminated by us without Cause or by the executive for Good Reason during the term, the executive will be entitled to the following payments or benefits subject (except if such termination is in connection with a Change-in-Control) to the effectiveness of a mutual release:

Termination without Change-in-ControlTermination with Change-in-Control(4)
1x average annual base salary, deferred compensation, if any, and bonus(5)
Pro-rata bonus for partial year(6)
Acceleration of all unvested equity awards (other than OPP awards) and deferred compensation, if any
Grant of certain employment agreement equity awards not previously granted(7)
Option exercise period extended to second January 1st following termination
12 months of benefit continuation/payments
2x-3x average annual base salary, deferred compensation, if any, and bonus(5)
Pro-rata bonus for partial year(6)
Acceleration of all unvested equity awards (other than OPP awards) and deferred compensation, if any
Grant of employment agreement awards not previously granted(7)
Option exercise period extended to second January 1st following termination
24 months of benefit continuation/payments
Section 280G modified cut-back(8)

Death/Disability

If the executive’s employment is terminated by us upon death or disability during the term, the executive will be entitled to the following payments or benefits subject (in the case of disability) to the effectiveness of a mutual release:

Death

Disability

Pro-rata bonus for partial year(6)
Partial acceleration of unvested equity awards (other than OPP awards) and deferred compensation, if any(9)
Grant of certain employment agreement equity awards not previously granted(7)
Payments/benefits to Messrs. Holliday and Green are reduced by life insurance benefit
1x average annual base salary, deferred compensation, if any, and bonus(5)
Pro-rata bonus for partial year(6)
Partial acceleration of unvested equity awards (other than OPP awards) and deferred compensation, if any(9)
Grant of certain employment agreement equity awards not previously granted(7)
36 months of benefit continuation/ payments

Post-Change-in-Control Salary

For periods following a Change-in-Control, in lieu of the base salary, annual bonus, deferred compensation and OPP awards described above, each executive, while employed, will be entitled to receive salary payable in cash at a per annum rate equal to the sum of his annual base salary in effect prior to the Change-in-Control plus his annual bonus and the value of his deferred compensation contributions and his equity awards (other than those granted under outperformance plans) that vested during the most recent fiscal year prior to the Change-in-Control.

Restrictive Covenants

For Messrs. Holliday, Green and Mathias, noncompetition with us for18 months following termination (12 months if employment is terminated upon or after the scheduled expiration of the term of employment or6 months if employment is terminated in connection with or within18 months after a Change-in-Control). Non-solicitation, non-disparagement, non-interference and litigation cooperation covenants also apply.

For Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine, noncompetition with us for12 months after termination unless employment is terminated upon non-renewal of the agreement or without Cause or for Good Reason in connection with or within18 months after a Change-in-Control. Non-solicitation, non-disparagement, non-interference and litigation cooperation covenants also apply.

(1)The terms automatically renew for one year (for Messrs. Green and Mathias) and six months (for Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine) unless either party provide advance written notice of non-renewal. Mr. Holliday’s employment agreement does not provide for automatic renewal of the term. In the event of a Change-in-Control within18months of the end of the term of Mr. Holliday’s agreement, Mr. Holliday may elect to extend the term until18months after the Change-in-Control.

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(2)Annual deferred compensation contributions are made in the form of notional stock units at the beginning of the term and on each anniversary of such date during the term, subject to vesting based on continued employment for one year from the grant date, and are payable no later than30days following the earliest of (i) the executive’s death, (ii) the date of the executive’s separation from service with us and (iii) the effective date of a Change-in-Control based on the value of such stock units at that time.
(3)Mr. Holliday is eligible to participate in an annual formulaic cash bonus program pursuant to which he will be able to earn up to three times his base salary based on the achievement of specific goals established in advance by the Committee.
(4)Severance benefits in the event of a termination by us without Cause or by the executive for Good Reason in connection with or within18months after a Change-in-Control.
(5)Calculated based on the sum of the named executive officer’s (i) average annual base salary in effect during the preceding24months, plus (ii) average annual cash bonuses (including any portion of the annual cash bonus paid in the form of equity awards, but excluding any annual or other equity awards made other than as payment of a cash bonus) paid for the two most recently completed fiscal years, plus (iii) average annual deferred compensation contribution, if any, during the preceding24months, calculated based on the cash value of the annual deferred compensation contributions as of the dates of such contributions. In connection with a Change-in-Control, Messrs. Holliday and Green are entitled to three times, Mr. Mathias is entitled to two and one-half times and Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine are entitled to two times the foregoing sum. Average deferred compensation is only applicable to Messrs. Holliday, Mathias and Green.
(6)Pro-rata bonus is for the year in which employment is terminated (and a bonus for the prior year if such bonus had not yet been determined) based on average annual cash bonus calculated in the manner described in footnote (5) above.
(7)Only applicable to Mr. Holliday. Mr. Holliday will be entitled to receive the stock options or Class O LTIP units provided for in his employment agreement, but will not be entitled to receive any other employment agreement equity awards that had not yet been granted unless his termination is in connection with or within18months after a Change-in-Control; provided that Mr. Holliday will not be subject to the non-competition provisions in his employment agreement if such other employment agreement equity awards are not granted.
(8)In the event that any payment or benefit constitutes an excess “parachute payment” under Section280G of the IRC subject to an excise tax, the executive will not be entitled to a tax gross-up payment; however, the executive’s payments and benefits would be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid such excise taxes, but only if such a reduction of pay or benefits would result in a greater after-tax benefit to the executive.
(9)Full acceleration of vesting of any unvested equity awards granted in lieu of cash bonuses and deferred compensation and24months (Messrs. Holliday and Green),18months (Mr. Mathias) or12months (Messrs. DiLiberto and Levine) of additional vesting of other outstanding equity awards (other than OPP awards).

The terms Cause, Good Reason and Change-in-Control, as used above, are specifically defined in each executive’s employment agreement. The summary above is qualified in its entirety by reference to the copies of the employment agreements and the deferred compensation agreements with our named executive officers, which have been previously filed by us with the SEC, as referenced in our Form10-K for the year ended December31,2016, and are incorporated herein by reference.

Outperformance Plan Awards

The impact of a change in control or termination of employment of our named executive officers on the awards granted under our2014 Outperformance Plan are described above under “—Compensation Discussion and Analysis—Our Executive Compensation Programs—Long-Term Equity Incentive Awards—Outperformance Plans—2014 Outperformance Plan.”

Performance-Based Equity Awards

Upon a change in control, the performance-based vesting criteria for the performance-based LTIP unit awards that we granted to our named executive officers pursuant to their employment agreements or that we granted in2014 in recognition of our strong stock price performance during the three-year performance period under our2011 Outperformance Plan will be determined based on performance through the date of the change in control (except for the portion of the performance-based LTIP unit awards that were to be granted as time-based LTIP unit awards to Messrs. Holliday and Mathias prior to the amendments to their then current employmentagreements in2014, for which the performance-based vesting criteria will be deemed to have been met in the event of a change in control). Regardless of the satisfaction of the performance-based vesting criteria, these awards will remain subject to vesting based on continued employment through the originally established vesting dates. In the event of a termination by us without Cause or by an executive for Good Reason (as defined in each executive’s employment agreement) in connection with or within18 months after a change in control, all of the performance-based LTIP units will vest. Otherwise, the vesting of these performance-based LTIP units upon a termination of employment will be treated in the same manner as other equity awards under our executive’s employment agreements.

Stock Options and Class O LTIP units

Under the general terms of the2005 Plan, the vesting of stock options and Class O LTIP units granted thereunder, including those granted to our named executive officers, will fully accelerate in the event of a termination of the recipient’s employment upon death or disability. Vested stock options and Class O LTIP units generally may be exercised or converted until the earlier of (i) their stated expiration date or mandatory conversion date or (ii) subject to extension of the exercise period or conversion period pursuant to our named executive officers’ employment agreements, a specified period of time after termination of employment (i.e., upon termination in the event of termination for cause, one year after termination in the event of termination due to death or disability and three months after termination in all other cases).

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Hypothetical Illustration of Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

The following tables show the potential payments and estimated value of the benefits that our named executive officers would have been entitled to receive upon a termination of their employment by us without cause or by them for good reason or upon the death or disability as of December31,2016 based on the employment agreements and other contractual arrangements in effect as of that date. Our named executive officers would not have been entitled to any payments or benefits other than those already accrued in the event of a termination of their employment by us for cause or by them without good reason (including upon retirement) or a change in control without termination. The types of events constituting cause, good reason, disability and a change in control may differ in some respects among the different arrangements providing for benefits to the named executive officers; however, for consistency in presentation, the payments and estimated value of benefits have been grouped together based on these concepts without regard for any such differences.

Marc Holliday

Payment/Benefit   Termination without
Cause or for Good Reason
   Termination
w/Change in Control
   Disability   Death(1)
Pro-Rata Bonus$7,500,000$7,500,000$    7,500,000$    7,500,000
Cash Severance$9,375,000$28,125,000$9,375,000 
Stock Option / Class O LTIP Unit Vesting(2)$807,450$807,450$807,450$807,450
LTIP Unit/Stock Unit Vesting(3)$1,425,360$1,425,360$1,425,360$1,425,360
2014OPP(4)    
Benefits Continuation(5)$44,014$88,027$132,041 
 
Stephen L. Green
 
Payment/BenefitTermination without
Cause or for Good Reason
Termination
w/Change in Control
DisabilityDeath(1)
Pro-Rata Bonus$4,200,000$4,200,000$4,200,000$4,200,000
Cash Severance$5,100,000$15,300,000$5,100,000 
Stock Option / Class O LTIP Unit Vesting(2)    
LTIP Unit/Stock Unit Vesting(3)$236,718$236,718$236,718$236,718
2014OPP(4)    
Benefits Continuation(5)$30,941$61,882$92,822 
 
Andrew Mathias
 
Payment/BenefitTermination without
Cause or for Good Reason
Termination
w/Change in Control
DisabilityDeath(1)
Pro-Rata Bonus$5,300,000$5,300,000$5,300,000$5,300,000
Cash Severance$6,625,000$16,562,000$6,625,000 
Stock Option / Class O LTIP Unit Vesting(2)    
LTIP Unit/Stock Unit Vesting(3)$406,647$406,647$406,647$406,647
2014OPP(4)    
Benefits Continuation(5)$44,014 88,027 132,041 
 
Matthew J. DiLiberto
 
Payment/BenefitTermination without
Cause or for Good Reason
Termination
w/Change in Control
DisabilityDeath(1)
Pro-Rata Bonus$1,400,000$1,400,000$1,400,000$1,400,000
Cash Severance$1,800,000$3,600,000$1,800,000 
Stock Option / Class O LTIP Unit Vesting(2)$174,000$174,000$174,000$174,000
LTIP Unit/Stock Unit Vesting(3)$1,575,392$1,575,392$822,542$822,542
2014OPP(4)    
Benefits Continuation(5)$41,554$83,107$124,661 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Andrew S. Levine

Payment/Benefit   Termination without
Cause or for Good Reason
   Termination
w/Change in Control
   Disability   Death(1)
Pro-Rata Bonus$    1,150,000$    1,150,000$    1,150,000$    1,150,000
Cash Severance$1,675,000$3,350,000$1,675,000
Stock Option / Class O LTIP Unit Vesting(2)$145,000$145,000$145,000$145,000
LTIP Unit/Stock Unit Vesting(3)$3,971,391$3,971,391$1,390,191$1,390,191
2014OPP(4)
Benefits Continuation(5)$44,014$88,027$132,041
(1)As we maintained life insurance policies for the benefit of the beneficiaries of Messrs. Holliday and Green in the amount of $10million and $5million, respectively, as of December31,2016, the amount of the payments and benefits to be received by Messrs. Holliday and Green in the event of a termination upon death will be reduced by these amounts in accordance with their employment agreements.
(2)Represents the value of the stock options or Class O LTIP units that would vest. Assumes that the per share value of the stock options or Class O LTIP units that vest equals (i) $107.55per share, which was the closing price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on December31,2016, less (ii) the exercise price per share of such stock options or the conversion threshold of such Class O LTIP units.
(3)Represents the value of the LTIP units and notional stock units, if any, that would vest (other than pursuant to our2014 Outperformance Plan) based on a price of $107.55 per unit, which was the closing price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on December 31, 2016. Assumes that the value of LTIP units on a per unit basis is equal to the per share value of our common stock.
(4)Represents the value of the LTIP units that would vest and the distributions that would be payable pursuant to awards granted under our2014Outperformance Plan based on a price of $107.55per unit, which was the closing price on the NYSE of one share of our common stock on December31,2016. Assumes that the value of LTIP units on a per unit basis is equal to the per share value of our common stock. Based on our TRS performance from the beginning of the performance period through December31,2016, all outstanding awards under our2014Outperformance Plan would have been forfeited in the event of a change in control or termination due to death or disability as of December31,2016. No amounts are included in the event of a termination without cause or for good reason, because the executive only would have been entitled to vesting to the extent that the awards were earned based on the achievement of the performance-based vesting criteria within12months after December31,2016.
(5)Benefits continuation amounts are based on the actual expense for financial reporting purposes for the year ended December31,2016for covering an employee under each our group health plans for the entire year, assuming that the employee elected family coverage under each of these plans, less the minimum contribution required by employees participating in these plans.

The amounts described above do not include payments and benefits to the extent they have been earned prior to the termination of employment or change in control or are provided on a non-discriminatory basis to salaried employees upon termination of employment. These include: accrued salary and vacation pay; earned and accrued, but unpaid, bonuses; distribution of plan balances under our401(k) plan; life insurance proceeds in the event of death; and disability insurance payouts in the event of disability. All of the cash severance payments described below are to be made as lump sum payments at the time of termination; provided that, to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of an additional tax under Section409A of the IRC, the payments are to be delayed until six monthsafter termination, during which time the payments will accrue interest at the rate of5% per annum. As a result of provisions in the named executive officers’ employment agreements, in the event that any payment or benefit to be paid or provided to an executive set forth above would have been subject to the excise tax under Sections280G of the IRC, the payments and benefits to such executive would have been reduced to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of such excise tax, but only if such reduction would result in a greater after-tax benefit to the executive. The amounts set forth in the table above have not been adjusted to reflect any such reduction that might be applicable.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

Our Compensation Committee is comprised of John H. Alschuler, Edwin Thomas Burton, III and John S. Levy. There are no Compensation Committee interlocks and none of our employees is a member of our Compensation Committee.

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CHARTER AMENDMENT

Proposal 3: Charter Amendment to Declassify Board of Directors

Background of the Proposal

As a result of our stockholder engagement efforts and our commitment to corporate governance, after careful consideration, our Board of Directors has proposed to amend our Articles of Restatement (the “Charter”) to phase out board classes, such that directors whose termsare expiring will be elected for one-year terms starting at the Company’s2018annual meeting of stockholders. By our2020annual meeting, our Board of Directors will be fully declassified.

Proposed Amendment to Charter

Our Charter currently divides our Board of Directors into three classes. Directors in each class serve for a term of three years and until their successors are duly elected and qualify. The term of directors of one class expires at each annual meeting of stockholders.

In order to phase out the present three-year staggered terms of our directors and instead provide for the annual election of directors, Section 1 of Article IV of our Charter will need to be amended. Amendments to our Charter must be declared advisable by resolution duly adopted by our Board of Directors, and approved by our stockholders at an annual or special meeting by the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, and once approved by the stockholders, such amendment will become effective upon filing with, and acceptance for record by, the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”) of articles of amendment setting forth the amendment. By resolutions adopted as of April 20, 2017, the Board of Directors declared advisable the amendment to our Charter set forth onAppendix B attached hereto which provides that, beginning with the 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, our directors will be elected for a term ending at the next annual meeting of stockholders following their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualify, and directed that this amendment to our Charter be submitted for consideration by our stockholders at the 2017 annual meeting of stockholders. This amendment is not intended to, and will not, abrogate, shorten or otherwise affect the term of any director elected prior to the 2018 annual meeting of stockholders, including those directors who currently are candidates for election as set forth in Proposal 1.

Effective Date

If the amendment to our Charter is approved by the stockholders of the Company by the requisite vote at the annual meeting, then following the annual meeting, articles of amendment setting forth such amendment will be filed with, and will become effective upon acceptance by, the SDAT. Once the amendment to our Charter becomes effective, the directors whose terms of office expire at annual meetings of stockholders subsequent to the annual meeting, and any successors to such directors, will be elected to hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders following their election instead of the third-succeeding annual meeting, and until their successors are duly elected and qualify.

Vote Required

The affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast by the stockholders on this proposal at the annual meeting is required for approval of the amendment of our Charter to effect the declassification of our Board of Directors. Abstentions and broker non-votes (as described under “Questions and Answers about the Annual Meeting — What vote is required to approve each proposal?”), if any, will have the same effect as votes against the proposal.

The Board unanimously recommends a vote“FOR”the amendment of our Charter to effect the declassification of our Board of Directors.

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AUDIT COMMITTEE MATTERS

Proposal 4: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Audit Committee of the Board has appointed the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December31, 2017. Stockholder ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP is not required by law, the NYSE or the Company’s organizational documents. However, as a matter of good corporate governance, the Board has elected to submit the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP to the stockholders for ratification at the2017 annual meeting. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Audit Committee, in its discretion, may select a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time if the Audit Committee believes that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. If our stockholders do not ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP, the Audit Committee will take that fact into consideration, together with such other factors it deems relevant, in determining its next selection of an independentregistered public accounting firm. Ernst & Young LLP has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since our formation in June1997 and is considered by our management to be well-qualified. Ernst & Young LLP has advised us that neither it nor any member thereof has any financial interest, direct or indirect, in the Company or any of our subsidiaries in any capacity.

A representative of Ernst & Young LLP will be present at the annual meeting, will be given the opportunity to make a statement at the annual meeting if he or she so desires and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

A majority of all of the votes cast with respect to this proposal is required for the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December31,2017. Abstentions do not constitute a vote “for” or “against” and will not be counted as “votes cast”. Therefore, abstentions will have no effect on this proposal.

The Board unanimously recommends a vote“FOR”the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm.

Audit Committee Report

The following report of the Audit Committee of the Board will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any previous or future documents filed by us with the SEC under the Securities Act of1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of1934, as amended, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate this report by reference in any such document.

Our Audit Committee oversees our financial reporting process on behalf of the Board, in accordance with our Audit Committee Charter. Management has the primary responsibility for the preparation, presentation and integrity of our financial statements, accounting and financial reporting principles, internal controls, and procedures designed to ensure compliance with accounting standards, applicable laws and regulations. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, our Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements in the Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended December31,2016 filed by the Company with management.

Our Audit Committee reviewed and discussed with Ernst & Young LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, the matters required to be discussed with the Audit Committee under Auditing Standard No.1301, “Communications with Audit Committees,” as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Our Audit Committee received from Ernst & Young LLP the written disclosures and the letter required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and has discussed with Ernst & Young LLP their independence.

Based on the review and discussions referred to above, our Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended December31,2016 filed by the Company.

The members of our Audit Committee are not engaged professionally in the practice of auditing or accounting. Committee members rely, without independent

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investigation or verification, on the information provided to them and on the representations made by management and our independent registered public accounting firm. Accordingly, our Audit Committee’s oversight does not provide an independent basis to determine that management has maintained appropriate accounting and financial reporting principles or appropriate internal controls and procedures designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and applicable laws and regulations. Furthermore, our Audit Committee’s considerations and discussions referred to above do not assure that the audit of our financial statements has been carried out in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, that the financial statements are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. or that our registered public accounting firm is in fact “independent.”

Submitted by our Audit Committee
Edwin Thomas Burton, III (Chairman)
Lauren B. Dillard
Craig M. Hatkoff

Fee Disclosure

Audit Fees

Fees, including out-of-pocket expenses, for audit services totaled approximately $3,398,000 in fiscal year2016 and $4,031,963 in fiscal year2015. Audit fees include fees associated with our annual audits and related reviews of our annual reports on Form10-K and quarterly reports on Form10-Q. In addition, audit fees include Sarbanes-Oxley Section404 planning and testing, fees for public filingsin connection with various property acquisitions, joint venture audits, and services relating to public filings in connection with our preferred and common stock and debt offerings and certain other transactions. Our joint venture partners paid their pro rata share of any joint venture audit fees. Audit fees also include fees for accounting research and consultations.

Audit-Related Fees

Fees for audit-related services totaled approximately $68,000 in2016 and $54,255 in2015. The audit-related services principally include fees for operating expense audits and agreed-upon procedures projects.

Tax Fees

No fees were incurred for tax services, including tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning in either2016 or2015.

All Other Fees

There were no fees for other services not included above in either2016 or2015.

Our Audit Committee considers whether the provision by Ernst & Young LLP of any services that would be required to be described under “All Other Fees” would be compatible with maintaining Ernst & Young LLP’s independence from both management and the Company.

Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures of our Audit Committee

Our Audit Committee must pre-approve all audit services and permissible non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm, except for any de minimis non-audit services. Non-audit services are considered de minimis if: (1) the aggregate amount of all such non-audit services constitutes less than five percent of the total amount of revenues we paid to our independent registered public accounting firm during the fiscal year in which they are provided; (2) we did not recognize such services at the time of the engagement to be non-audit services; and (3) such services are promptly brought to ourAudit Committee’s or any of its members’ attention and approved by our Audit Committee or any of its members who has authority to give such approval prior to the completion of the audit. None of the fees reflected above were incurred as a result of non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to this de minimis exception. All services provided by Ernst & Young LLP in2016 were pre-approved by our Audit Committee. Our Audit Committee may delegate to one or more of its members who is an independent director the authority to grant pre-approvals.

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Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting ComplianceSAY-ON-FREQUENCY PROPOSAL

Proposal 5: Advisory Vote on the Frequency of Stockholder Advisory Votes on the Compensation of Our Named Executive Officers

Section 16(a)Section14A(a)(2) of the Exchange Act enables stockholders to vote on the frequency of future stockholder advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers, such as Proposal2 included in this proxy statement. Under Section14A(a)(2), generally, each public company must submit this proposal to its stockholders not less than every six years and this proposal was last submitted to our stockholders at our2011 annual meeting of stockholders. By voting on this Proposal5, stockholders may recommend whether future advisory votes on executive compensation should be conducted every “one year,” “two years” or “three years.” In addition, stockholders may choose to abstain from voting on this proposal.

The Compensation Committee and the Board believe that a vote on the compensation of our named executive officers every year is in the best interests of the Company. This recommendation received the majority of thevotes cast at the Company’s2011 annual meeting of stockholders and the administrative process of submitting a non-binding, advisory say-on-pay resolution to stockholders on an annual basis is not expected to impose any substantial additional costs on the Company.

Although this advisory vote on the frequency of future “say on pay” votes is non-binding, the Board and the Compensation Committee will take into account the outcome of the vote when considering the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation.

In order for any of the three alternative frequencies to be approved, it must receive a majority of the votes cast on this proposal. In the event that no option receives a majority of the votes cast, we will consider the option that receives the most votes to be the option selected by the stockholders. Abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will have no effect on the outcome of this matter.

The Board unanimously recommends a vote for“ONE YEAR”as the frequency for future non-binding advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers.

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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL

Proposal 6: Stockholder Proposal Regarding Setting Target Amounts for CEO Compensation

Overview

The Company has been notified that a stockholder of the Company intends to present a proposal for consideration at the annual meeting. The stockholder making this proposal has presented the proposal and supporting statement set forth below, and we are presenting the proposal and the supporting statement as they were submitted to us. While we take issue with certain of the statements contained in the proposal and the supporting statement, we have limited our response to the most important points and have not attempted to address all the statements with which we disagree.

Stockholder Proposal Regarding Setting Target Amounts For CEO Compensation

The Trowel Trades S&P 500 Index Fund, which is located at c/o Comerica Bank & Trust, N.A., Trustee, Post Office Box 75000, Detroit, Michigan 48275 and which is a beneficial owner of1,854 shares of SL Green common stock, has submitted the following resolution and supporting statement:

Resolved:

Shareholders of SL Green Realty Corp. (the "Company") request that the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors take into consideration the pay grades and/or salary ranges of all classifications of Company employees when setting target amounts for CEO compensation. The Compensation Committee should describe in the Company's proxy statements for annual shareholder meetings how it complies with this requested policy. Compliance with this policy is excused if it will result in the violation of any existing contractual obligation or the terms of any existing compensation plan.

Supporting Statement:

Like at many companies, our Company's Compensation Committee uses peer group benchmarks of what other companies pay their CEOs to set its target CEO compensation. These target pay amounts are then subject to performance adjustments. To ensure that our Company's CEO compensation is reasonable relative to our Company's overall employee pay philosophy and structure, we believe that the Compensation Committee should also consider the pay grades and/or salary ranges of Company employees when setting CEO compensation target amounts.

This proposal does not require the Compensation Committee to use other employee pay data in a specific way to set CEO compensation targets. Under this proposal, the Compensation Committee will have discretion to determine how other employee pay should impact CEO compensation targets. The Compensation Committee also will retain authority to use peer group benchmarks and/or any other metric to set CEO compensation target amounts.

Over time, using peer group benchmarks to set CEO compensation can lead to pay inflation. Although many companies target CEO compensation at the median of their peer group, certain companies have targeted their CEO’s pay above median. In addition, peer groups can be cherry-picked to include larger or more successful companies where CEO compensation is higher. (Charles Elson and Craig Ferrere, “Executive Superstars, Peer Groups and Overcompensation,” Journal of Corporation Law, Spring2013).

High pay disparities between CEOs and other senior executives may undermine collaboration and teamwork. According to Institutional Shareholder Services, an excessive pay disparity between the CEO and the next highest-paid named executive officer is a problematic pay practice that may result in a recommendation to its clients that they vote against advisory votes on executive compensation. (Institutional Shareholder Services, United States Proxy Voting Manual, February23,2016, p.147).

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STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL

In our view, the pay of non-executive employees should also be considered. High CEO compensation can impact the morale and productivity of employees who are not senior executives. According to a Glassdoor study of employee opinions, “Higher CEO compensation is statistically linked to lower CEO approval ratings on average.” (Glassdoor, What Makes a Great CEO?, August2016, available at https://www.glassdoor.com/research/studies/ what-makes-a-great-ceo/).

For those reasons, we urge you to vote in favor of this proposal.


The Board of Directors’ Statement In Opposition

For the reasons described below, our Board of Directors unanimously recommends a voteAGAINST this proposal.

Our Board of Directors believes that its executive compensation programs are conceived, designed and implemented in a manner that provides performance-based incentives that create strong alignment of management and stockholder interests and reward superior performance with superior compensation. As described in greater detail under “Our Executive Compensation Programs,” our Compensation Committee (referred to in this statement as the “Committee”), which is comprised of three of our independent directors, determines compensation for our named executive officers, including our Chief Executive Officer.

The Committee retains an independent outside compensation consulting firm to provide relevant data concerning the marketplace, our peer group and its own independent analysis and recommendations concerning executive compensation. In its deliberations, the Committee considers our short-term and long-term performance, including the achievement of the financial and operational goals that we establish and communicate to investors, as well as the Committee’s view of the appropriate overall annual incentive award for each of our named executive officers in light of their historical compensation, skill, experience, position and competitive market factors. The Committee also reviews various peer compensation information to confirm that our Chief Executive Officer’s total compensation is within an appropriate range of the total compensation received by the chief executive officers of these peers, considering relative size and performance. The Committee also considers the risks to our stockholders and to achievement of our goals that may be inherent in the executive compensation program and considers non-financial and other qualitative performance factors in determining actual compensation payouts. In addition, the Committee annually reviews our executive compensation policies and practices to ensure that such policies are in line with current market practices and stockholders’ best interests.

Over the last several years, we also have engaged in a formal stockholder outreach program focused on our executive compensation. Throughout each year, we are in contact with our large institutional stockholders, representing the owners of more than a majority of our outstanding common stock, to discuss our executive compensation programs, our business and our overall performance. These discussions are led by the chairman of the Committee and Lead Independent Director or, in certain instances, members of senior management. As a matter of course, we provide all stockholders and the market generally with information regarding our executive compensation programs, our performance and the manner in which we believe our executive compensation programs contributed to our superior long-term performance. Discussions as part of our stockholder outreach program enable us to clarify aspects of our executive compensation programs that our stockholders may not fully understand and to receive direct feedback regarding specific aspects of our executive compensation programs.

Based on all of these factors, considerations and discussions and given the breadth of the inputs and information available to and taken into account by the Committee, we believe that mandating that certain information be utilized by the Committee in the performance of its duties is unnecessary and not in the best interests of stockholders. Accordingly, our Board of Directors recommends a voteAGAINST the proposal.

Vote Required

A majority of votes cast with respect to the proposal is required for approval. Abstentions and broker non-votes (as described under “Questions and Answers about the Annual Meeting — What vote is require to approve each proposal?”) will not be treated as votes cast and will have no effect on the result of the vote. The stockholder proposal will be voted on at the annual meeting only if properly presented by or on behalf of the proponent.

Board Recommendation

The Board of Directors unanimously recommends a vote AGAINST the stockholder proposal regarding setting target amounts for CEO compensation.



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STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

Executive and Director Stock Ownership Guidelines

In furtherance of the Committee’s ongoing efforts to foster an ownership culture among our senior leadership team, we adopted stock ownership guidelines for our named executive officers and non-employee directors. We have subsequently revised these guidelines to increase the amount of equity in the Company or its operating partnership that our named executive officers are required to own in order to satisfy the guidelines, as set forth below:

Named Executive Officers and Non-Employee Directors Multiple of Base Salary or Annual Cash Retainer
Chief Executive Officer8x
Other Named Executive Officers6x
Non-Employee Directors5x

New named executive officers and non-employee directors have three years from the commencement of their employment or election to the Board to attain compliance with the stock ownership requirements.


Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share as of March31,2017, unless otherwise noted, for (i) each person known to us to be the beneficial owner of more than5% of our outstanding common stock, (ii) each of our directors, (iii) each of our named executive officers who is not a director and (iv) our directors and executive officers as a group. All information in the following table is based on Schedules13D,13G and/or any amendments thereto, filedwith the SEC, and on information supplied to us by our directors and officers. Except as otherwise described in the notes below, the following beneficial owners have sole voting power and sole investment power with respect to all shares set forth opposite their respective names. None of our executive officers own any shares of our preferred stock except as set forth below.

As of March31,2017, there were101,831,845 shares outstanding.

Name**   Amount and Nature of
Beneficial Ownership of
Common Stock
   Percent of Total
The Vanguard Group(1)17,429,74817.12%
Cohen & Steers, Inc.(2)10,434,84110.25%
BlackRock, Inc.(3)9,117,2948.95%
State Street Corporation(4)5,845,9355.74%
John H. Alschuler(5)30,463*
Betsy S. Atkins(6)5,242*
Edwin Thomas Burton, III(7)34,469*
Matthew J. DiLiberto(8)49,053*
Lauren B. Dillard(9)2,879*
Stephen L. Green(10)912,274*
Craig M. Hatkoff1,544*
Marc Holliday(11)853,924*
Andrew S. Levine(12)92,106*
John S. Levy(13)73,980*
Andrew Mathias(14)988,780*
All Directors and Executive Officers as a Group (11Persons)3,044,7142.99%

*

Less than1%.

**

Unless otherwise indicated, the business address is420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York10170-1881.

(1)Based on information provided on a Schedule13G/A filed with the SEC on February13,2017, as of December31,2016, The Vanguard Group (“Vanguard”) may be deemed to beneficially own an aggregate of17,429,326shares of our common stock in its capacity as an investment advisor, which includes129,194,613shares of our common stock held by Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company as a

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STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

result of its serving as investment manager of collective trust accounts and312,463 shares of our common stock held by Vanguard Investments Australia, Ltd. as a result of its serving as investment manager of Australian investment offerings. The business address of Vanguard is100 Vanguard Blvd., Malvern, PA19355. According to information received from Vanguard, the number of shares reported as beneficially owned by Vanguard in such Schedule13G/A includes7,611,627 shares, representing7.51% of our outstanding common stock, that Vanguard Specialized Funds—Vanguard REIT Index Fund separately reported as beneficially owned in a Schedule13G/A filed on February14,2017 with the SEC.

(2)Based on information provided on a Schedule13G/A filed with the SEC on February14,2017, as of December31,2016, Cohen & Steers, Inc., Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. and Cohen & Steers UK Ltd., collectively, may be deemed to beneficially own an aggregate of10,434,841shares of our common stock. The business address for Cohen & Steers, Inc. and Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. is280Park Avenue,10th Floor, New York, NY10017. The business address for Cohen & Steers UK Ltd. is50Pall Mall,4th Floor, London, United Kingdom SW1Y5JH.
(3)Based on information provided on a Schedule13G/A filed with the SEC on January27,2017, as of December31,2016, BlackRock, Inc. may be deemed to beneficially own an aggregate of9,117,294shares of our common stock. The business address for BlackRock is55East52nd Street, New York, NY10022.
(4)Based on information provided on a Schedule13G filed with the SEC on February8,2017, as of December31,2016, State Street
Corporation may be deemed to beneficially own an aggregate of5,845,935shares of our common stock. The business address for State Street is One Lincoln Street, Boston, MA02111.
(5)Includes20,500shares of our common stock subject to options exercisable within60days of March31,2017and9,963phantom units.
(6)Includes1,753phantom units.
(7)Includes34,372phantom units.
(8)Includes47,823LTIP units convertible into limited partnership units in SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P. (“OP Units”) within60days of March31,2017. The total excludes LTIP units that remain subject to performance-based vesting conditions,4,148LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions,30,000Class O LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions and4,121vested LTIP units that are not convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017.
(9)Includes2,879phantom units.
(10)Includes794,633OP Units and117,641vested LTIP units convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017held by the Stephen L. Green Revocable Trust. The total excludes LTIP units that remain subject to performance-based vesting conditions, 2,201 LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions and 33,119 vested LTIP units that are not convertible into OP Units within 60 days of March 31, 2017 held by the Stephen L. Green Revocable Trust.
(11)Includes200,000shares of our common stock subject to options exercisable within60days of March31,2017and633,124LTIP units convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017. The total excludes LTIP units that remain subject to performance-based vesting conditions,4,988LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions,105,000Class O LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions and255,306vested LTIP units that are not convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017. Mr. Holliday also beneficially owns88,900shares of our Series I preferred stock, which represents less than1% of our standing Series I preferred stock. This percentage is based on9,200,000shares of Series I preferred stock outstanding as of March31,2017.
(12)Includes12,500shares of our common stock subject to options exercisable within60days of March31,2017and64,121LTIP units convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017. The total excludes LTIP units that remain subject to performance-based vesting conditions,12,926LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions,30,000Class O LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions and37,084vested LTIP units that are not convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017. Mr. Levine also beneficially owns5,000shares of our Series I preferred stock, which represents less than1% of our standing Series I preferred stock. This percentage is based on9,200,000shares of Series I preferred stock outstanding as of March31,2017.
(13)Includes26,500shares of our common stock subject to options exercisable within60days of March31,2017and47,480phantom units.
(14)Includes130,000shares of our common stock subject to options exercisable within60days of March31,2017and568,916LTIP units convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017. The total excludes LTIP units that remain subject to performance-based vesting conditions,58,326LTIP units that remain subject to time-based vesting conditions and141,870vested LTIP units that are not convertible into OP Units within60days of March31,2017.

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STOCK OWNERSHIP INFORMATION

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

Section16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of1934, as amended, requires our executive officers and directors and persons who own more than 10%than10% 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 persons who own more than 10%than10% of a registered class of our equity securities are required by the SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a)Section16(a) forms that they file. To our knowledge, based solely on review of the copies of such reports and any amendments thereto furnished to us during or with respect to our most recent fiscal year, all Section 16(a)Section16(a) filing requirements applicable to our executive officers, directors and persons who own more than 10%than10% of a registered class of our equity securities were satisfied, with the exception of Mr. Mathias who inadvertently failed to timely file a Form4 relating to an award of LTIP units on June17,2016. The Form4 relating to this award of LTIP units was subsequently filed on June29,2016.

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Policies and Procedures With Respect to Related Party Transactions

All related party transactions (generally, transactions involving amounts exceeding $120,000 in which directors and executive officers or their immediate family members, or stockholders owning5% of more of our outstanding common stock have an interest) are subject to approval or ratification in accordance with the procedures described below.

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the material facts of all related party transactions and either approves or disapproves the entry into such related party transaction. If advance approval of a related party transaction is not feasible, then the related party transaction will be considered and, if our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee determines it to be appropriate, ratified, at the next regularly scheduled meeting of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. In determining whether to approve or ratify a related party transaction, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee takes into account, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether the related party transaction is on terms no less favorable than termsgenerally available to an unaffiliated third-party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction.

No director may participate in any discussion or approval of a related party transaction for which he or she is a related party, except that the director must provide all material information concerning the related party transaction to our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

If a related party transaction will be ongoing, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may establish guidelines for our management to follow in its ongoing dealings with the related party. Thereafter, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, on at least an annual basis, reviews and assesses ongoing relationships with such related party to see that our management is in compliance with our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s guidelines and that such related party transaction remains appropriate.

Related party transactions are disclosed in our SEC filings.

One Vanderbilt Investment

In December2016, we entered into agreements with entities owned and controlled by Messrs. Holliday and Mathias, pursuant to which they agreed to make an investment in our One Vanderbilt project at appraised fair market value for the interests acquired. We entered into these agreements in order to further strengthen the alignment of the interests of Messrs. Holliday and Mathias with those of our company in the successful completion and stabilization of this long-term project.

Pursuant to these agreements, the entities owned and controlled by Messrs. Holliday and Mathias agreed to purchase interests in the One Vanderbilt project that will entitle them to receive approximately1.50% –1.80% and1.00% –1.20%, respectively, of the profit generated from this project in excess of capital contributions. Fifty percent of these interests were purchased on December31,2016 and the remaining fifty percent will be purchased on December31,2017. The entities owned and controlled by Messrs. Holliday and Mathias will pay $1,440,000 and $960,000, respectively, which equals the fair market value of the interests acquired as of the date the investment agreements were entered into as determined by an independent third party appraisal that we obtained.

The entities owned and controlled by Messrs. Holliday and Mathias cannot monetize their interests until after the stabilization of the project, estimated to occur in 2023. Thereafter, such entities may require us to repurchase 50% of the interests within three years after stabilization and 100% following such period. In addition, the agreement calls for us to repurchase these interests in the event of a sale of One Vanderbilt or a transactional change of control of our company. We also have the right to repurchase these interests on the seven-year anniversary of the stabilization of the project or upon the occurrence of certain separation events relating to each of Messrs. Holliday’s and Mathias’s continued service with us prior to the stabilization of the project. The price paid upon an exercise of the various rights described above will equal the liquidation value of the interests at the time, with the value of One Vanderbilt being based on its sale price, if applicable, or fair market value as determined by an independent third party appraiser. Messrs. Holliday and Mathias generally have the right to elect whether to receive any amounts paid upon the repurchase of these interests in cash or common units of our operating partnership. In addition, upon the exercise of the rights described above, we may elect to pay the purchase price in shares of our common stock in lieu of paying in cash, subject to a cap on the maximum number of common units and shares of our common stock that we will be required to pay in these circumstances. We have agreed to provide resale registration rights to the entities owned and controlled by Messrs. Holliday and Mathias for any shares of our common stock that are issued.

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

In accordance with our policies and procedures with respect to related party transactions described above, this investment was reviewed in detail and approved by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. In addition, this investment was also reviewed by the Chairman of the Board, our Lead Independent Director and the Chairman of our Audit Committee as well as the other members of the Board and was approved by the Board as well as our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Cleaning/Security/Messenger and Restoration Services

Through Alliance Building Services, or Alliance, First Quality Maintenance, L.P., or First Quality, provides cleaning, extermination and related services, Classic Security LLC provides security services, Bright Star Couriers LLC provides messenger services, and Onyx Restoration Works provides restoration services with respect to certain properties owned by us. Alliance is partially owned by Gary Green, a son of Stephen L. Green, the chairman of the Board. In addition, First Quality has the non-exclusive opportunity to provide cleaning and related services to individual tenants at our properties on a basis separately negotiated with any tenant seeking such additional services. A subsidiary through which we realize income from management, leasing and construction contracts with third parties and joint venture properties has entered into an arrangement with Alliance whereby it will receive profit participation above a certain threshold for services provided by Alliance to certain tenants at certain buildings above the base services specified in their lease agreements. Income earned from profit participation was approximately $3.5 million, $3.8 million and $3.8 million for the years ended December31,2016,2015 and2014, respectively. We also recorded expenses of approximately $23.4 million, $21.3 million and $21.5 million for the years ended December31,2016,2015 and2014, respectively, for these services (excluding services provided directly to tenants).

Management Fees

S.L. Green Management Corp., a consolidated entity, receives property management fees from an entity in which Stephen L. Green owns an interest. We received management fees from such entity of approximately $701,751, $480,600 and $444,300 for the years ended December31,2016,2015 and2014, respectively.

Marketing Services

A-List Marketing, LLC, or A-List, provided marketing services to us. Deena Wolff, a sister of Marc Holliday, our President and Chief Executive Officer, Edwin Thomas Burton, III, oneis the founder of A-List. We recorded approximately $281,851, $286,900 and $221,100 for the years ended December31,2016,2015 and2014, respectively.

Other

Amounts due from related parties at December31,2016 and2015 consisted of the following (in thousands):

       2016       2015
Due from joint ventures$   1,240$   1,334
Other14,6169,316
Related party receivables$15,856$10,650

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OTHER INFORMATION

These proxy materials are being made available in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors, or the Board, of SL Green Realty Corp., a Maryland corporation, for use at our 2017 annual meeting of stockholders to be held on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., local time, at the Grand Hyatt New York, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10017, or at any postponement or adjournment of the annual meeting.

Questions and Answers about the Annual Meeting

Who is entitled to vote at the annual meeting?

Holders of record of our directors, John H. Alschuler, Jr., onecommon stock, $0.01 par value per share, at the close of business on March 31, 2017, the record date for the annual meeting, are entitled to receive notice of the annual meeting and to vote at the annual meeting. If you are a holder of record of our common stock as of the record date, you may vote the shares that you held on the record date even if you sell such shares after the record date. Each outstanding share as of the record date entitles its holder to cast one vote for each matter to be voted upon and, with respect to the election of directors, one vote for each director to be elected. Stockholders do not have the right to cumulate voting for the election of directors.

What is the purpose of the annual meeting?

At the annual meeting, you will be asked to vote on the following proposals:

Proposal1: the election of the three Class II director nominees named in this proxy statement to serve on the Board for a three-year term and until their successors are duly elected and qualify

Proposal 2: the approval of an advisory resolution approving the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K

Proposal3: the amendment of our Articles of Restatement to effect the declassification of our Board of Directors

Proposal4: the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017

Proposal5: whether an advisory vote on executive compensation should be held every one, two or three years

Proposal6: a stockholder proposal regarding setting target amounts for CEO compensation


You also may be asked to consider and John S. Levy, oneact upon any other matters that may properly be brought before the annual meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

What constitutes a quorum?

The presence, in person or by proxy, of holders of a majority of the total number of outstanding shares entitled to vote at the annual meeting is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at the annual meeting. As of the record date, there were 101,831,845 shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the annual meeting.

Each share of our common stock outstanding on the record date is entitled to one vote on each matter properly submitted at the annual meeting and, with respect to the election of directors, didone vote for each director to be elected. Abstentions and “broker non-votes” (i.e., shares represented at the meeting held by brokers, as to which instructions have not timely file one Form 4been received from the beneficial owners or persons entitled to report one transaction.vote such shares and with respect to which, on a particular matter, the broker does not have discretionary voting power to vote such shares) will be counted for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present for the transaction of business at the annual meeting.


EXECUTIVE COMPENSATIONWhat vote is required to approve each proposal?

[ToFor Proposal 1, a majority of all the votes cast with respect to a nominee’s election is required for such nominee to be includedelected to serve on the Board. This means that the number of votes cast “for” a nominee must exceed the number of votes cast “against” such nominee. Abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted as a vote cast either “for” or “against” a nominee, and therefore, will have no effect on the election of directors. For more information on the operation of our majority voting standard in definitive proxy statement]director elections, see the section entitled “Our Board of Directors and Corporate Governance—Corporate Governance—Majority Voting Standard and Director Resignation Policy.”

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OTHER INFORMATION

A majority of all of the votes cast with respect to the proposal is required for approval of each of Proposals 2, 4 and 6. For Proposal 3, the Articles of Restatement will be amended only if approved by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. For Proposal 5, in order for any of the three alternative frequencies to be approved, it must receive a majority of the votes cast. In the event that no option receives a majority of the votes cast, we will consider the option that receives the most votes to be the option selected by the stockholders.

In respect of Proposals 2, 4, 5 and 6, abstentions and broker non-votes are not counted as votes cast, and therefore will have no effect on the votes for these proposals. In respect of Proposal 3, abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will have the same effect as votes against the proposal.

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENTCan I change my vote after I submit my proxy card?

[To be includedIf you cast a vote by proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is voted by:

filing a written notice revoking the proxy with our Secretary at our address

properly signing and forwarding to us a proxy with a later date

appearing in person and voting by ballot at the annual meeting


If you attend the annual meeting, you may vote in definitiveperson whether or not you previously have given a proxy, statement]but your presence (without further action) at the annual meeting will not constitute revocation of a previously given proxy. Unless you have received a legal proxy to vote the shares, if you hold your shares through a bank, broker or other nominee, that is, in “street name,” only that bank, broker or other nominee can revoke your proxy on your behalf.

You may revoke a proxy for shares held by a bank, broker or other nominee by submitting new voting instructions to the bank, broker or other nominee or, if you have obtained a legal proxy from the bank, broker or other nominee giving you the right to vote the shares at the annual meeting, by attending the annual meeting and voting in person.

CERTAIN RELATIONSIHPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONSHow do I vote?

[ToVoting in Person at the Annual Meeting. If you hold your shares in your own name as a holder of record with our transfer agent, Computershare, and attend the annual meeting, you may vote in person at the annual meeting. If your shares are held by a bank, broker or other nominee, that is, in “street name,” and you wish to vote in person at the annual meeting, you will need to obtain a “legal proxy” from the bank, broker or other nominee that holds your shares of record.

Voting by Proxy. You should submit your proxy or voting instructions as soon as possible. You can vote by valid proxy received by telephone, electronically via the Internet or by mail. The deadline for voting by telephone or electronically via the Internet is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on May 31, 2017. If voting by mail, you must:

indicate your instructions on the proxy

date and sign the proxy

promptly mail the proxy in the enclosed envelope

allow sufficient time for the proxy to be received before the date of the annual meeting


If your shares are held in “street name” such as in a stock brokerage account, by a bank or other nominee, please follow the instructions you received from your broker or with respect to the voting of your shares.

If you have any questions regarding how to authorize your proxy by telephone or via the Internet, please call MacKenzie Partners, Inc., toll-free at (800) 322-2885 or collect at (212) 929-5500.

Even if you plan to attend the annual meeting, we recommend that you submit a proxy to vote your shares in advance so that your vote will be included in definitive proxy statement]counted if you later are unable to attend the annual meeting.

OTHER MATTERSHow is my vote counted?

If you authorize your proxy to vote your shares electronically via the Internet or by telephone, or, if you received a proxy card by mail and you properly marked, signed, dated and returned it, the shares that the proxy represents will be voted in the manner specified on the proxy. If no specification is made, your shares will be voted “for” the election of the nominees for the Class I directors named in this proxy statement, “for” advisory approval of the compensation of our named executive officers, “for” the approval of the amendment of our Articles of Restatement to effect the declassification of our Board of Directors, “for” ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017, “for” a frequency of every one year for future advisory votes on the compensation of our named executive officers and against the stockholder proposal regarding setting target amounts for CEO compensation. It is not anticipated that any matters other than those set forth in this proxy statement will be presented at the annual meeting. If other matters are presented, proxies will be voted in accordance with the discretion of the proxy holders.

62  SL Green Realty Corp.



Table of Contents

OTHER INFORMATION

How does the Board recommend that I vote on each of the proposals?

The Board recommends that you vote:

FORProposal1: the election of Betsy Atkins, Marc Holliday, and John S. Levy as Class II directors to serve on the Board for a three-year term and until their successors are duly elected and qualify

FORProposal2: the approval of an advisory resolution approving the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this proxy statement pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K

FORProposal3: the amendment of our Articles of Restatement to effect the declassification of our Board of Directors

FORProposal4: the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017

FOR “ONE YEAR” in respect ofProposal5: the recommendation, on an advisory basis of whether an advisory vote on executive compensation should be held every one, two or three years

AGAINST Proposal6: a stockholder proposal regarding setting target amounts for CEO compensation


What other information should I review before voting?

Our 2016 annual report, including financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, is being made available to you along with this proxy statement. You may obtain, free of charge, copies of our 2016 annual report and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, which contains additional information about the Company, on our website at http://www.slgreen.com or by directing your request in writing to SL Green Realty Corp., 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170-1881, Attention: Investor Relations. The 2016 annual report and the Annual Report on Form 10-K, however, are not part of the proxy solicitation materials, and the information found on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this proxy statement or any other report or document we file with or furnish to the SEC.

How do I change how I receive proxy materials in the future?

For this year’s meeting, stockholders will receive paper copies of the proxy materials by mail and will not receive a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials. For future meetings, stockholders may elect to receive links to proxy materials by e-mail or to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials and a paper proxy card by mail, in each case, instead of receiving a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials by mail, as applicable. If you elect to receive proxy materials by e-mail, you will not receive proxy materials in the mail (including, if applicable, a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials). Instead, you will receive an e-mail with links to proxy materials and online voting. If you received a paper copy of the proxy materials in the mail, you can eliminate all such paper mailings (including, if applicable, a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials) in the future by electing to receive an e-mail that will provide Internet links to these documents.

Opting to receive all future proxy materials online will save us the cost of producing and mailing such documents to you and help us conserve natural resources. You can change your election by directing your request in writing to SL Green Realty Corp., 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170-1881, Attention: Investor Relations, by sending a blank e-mail with the 16-digit control number on your proxy card to sendmaterial@proxyvote.com, via the internet at http://www.proxyvote.com or by telephone at (800) 579-7639. Your election will remain in effect until you change it.

No person is authorized on our behalf to give any information or to make any representations with respect to the proposals other than the information and the representations contained in this proxy statement, and, if given or made, such information and/or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized.

Other Matters

Solicitation of Proxies

We will pay the cost of solicitation of proxies. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, ourOur directors, officers and employees may also solicit proxies personally, by telephone, via the Internet or by telephonemail without additional compensation for such activities. We also 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 materialsa Proxy Statement to and obtain proxies from such beneficial owners. We will reimburse such holders for their reasonable expenses. In addition, we intend to utilize the proxy solicitation services of Morrow & Co.,MacKenzie Partners, Inc. at an aggregate estimated cost of $5,500$10,000 plus out-of-pocket expenses.

2017 Proxy Statement  63



Table of Contents

OTHER INFORMATION

Stockholder Proposals and Nominations

StockholderProposals for Inclusion in our 2018 Proxy Materials

SEC rules permit stockholders to submit proposals intended to be presented atincluded in our proxy materials if the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders must be received by our Secretary no later than January 12, 2008stockholder and the proposal satisfy the requirements specified in orderRule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. For a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in our proxy statement relatingmaterials for the 2018 annual meeting, the proposal must be delivered to our Secretary at the address provided below by January 1, 2018.

Director Nominations for Inclusion in our 2018 Proxy Materials (Proxy Access)

Our proxy access bylaw permits a stockholder (or a group of up to 20 stockholders) owning 3% or more of our outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in the Company’s proxy materials director candidates constituting up to the 2008greater of two individuals or 20% of the Board, if the nominating stockholder(s) and the nominee(s) satisfy the requirements specified in our bylaws. For the 2018 annual meeting, pursuantnotice of a proxy access nomination must be delivered to Rule 14a-8 underour Secretary at the Exchange Act.address provided below no later than January 1, 2018 and no earlier than December 2, 2017.

For a proposal ofOther Proposals or Nominations to be brought before our 2018 Annual Meeting

Our bylaws permit a stockholder to be presented at the 2008 annual meetingpropose items of stockholders, other than a stockholder proposalbusiness and/or nominate director candidates that are not intended to be included in our proxy materials if the proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8, it must be received at our principal executive offices after November 26, 2007 and on or before March 10, 2008, unlessstockholder complies with the 2008 annual meeting of stockholders is scheduled to take place before May 17, 2008 or after July 23, 2008. Our Bylaws provide that any stockholder wishing to nominate a director or have a stockholder proposal, other than a stockholder proposal included in the proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8, considered at an annual meeting must provide written notice of such nomination or proposal and appropriate supporting documentation, asprocedures set forth in our Bylaws, to us at our principal executive offices not less than 75 days nor more than 180 days prior tobylaws. For the anniversary of the immediately preceding2018 annual meeting, notice of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is scheduled to be held more than seven calendar days prior,such proposals or more than 60 days subsequent, to the anniversary date, such nominations or proposals must be delivered to us notour Secretary at the address provided below no later than March 3, 2018 and no earlier than February 1, 2018.

If the 180th day priorCompany moves the 2018 annual meeting to a date that is more than 25 days before or after the date which is the one year anniversary of this year’s annual meeting date (i.e., June 1, 2018), the Company must receive such meeting and notnotice no later than the laterclose of business on the 75th day prior to such annual meeting or the twentieth10th day following the earlier of the day on which the Company makes a public announcement of the meeting is first madedate or they day on which notice of the meeting date is mailedfirst distributed to stockholders. Any such proposal should

Address for Submission of Notices and Additional Information

All stockholder nominations of individuals for election as directors or proposals of other items of business to be mailed to:considered by stockholders at the 2018 annual meeting (whether or not intended for inclusion in our proxy materials) must be submitted in writing to SL Green Realty Corp., 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170-1881, Attn:Attention: Andrew S. Levine, Secretary.

In addition, both the proxy access and the advance notice provisions of our bylaws require a stockholder’s notice of a nomination or other item of business to include certain information. Director nominees must also meet certain eligibility requirements. Any stockholder considering introducing a nomination or other item of business should carefully review our bylaws.

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 reportsmaterials with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement, annual report or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, as applicable, addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies.


This year, a number of brokers with account holders who are our stockholders will be “householding” our proxy materials. A single proxy statement will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the impactedaffected stockholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that theysuch broker will be “householding” communications, including the proxy materials, to your address, “householding” will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If,

Stockholders who currently receive only one copy of the proxy materials at any time, youtheir address and would like to receive additional copies and/or stockholders who no longer wish to participate in “householding” and would prefer to receive a separate proxy statement and annual report, please notify yourmaterials in the future should direct their request either to their broker or direct your requestto the Company in writing to SL Green Realty Corp., 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170-1881, Attention: Investor Relations. Relations or by telephone at (212) 594-2700.

Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the proxy statementmaterials at their address and would like to request “householding” of their future communications should contactdirect their broker.request either to their broker or to the Company at the address of telephone number above.

Other Matters

OurBy Order of the Board of Directors does

Andrew S. Levine
Secretary

New York, New York
May     , 2017

64  SL Green Realty Corp.



Table of Contents

APPENDIX A:
INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN
FINANCIAL MEASURES

Below are reconciliations of net income attributable to our stockholders to Normalized FFO per share and FFO per share for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 (amounts in thousands, except per share data).

Year Ended December31,
  2016  2015  2014  2013  2012

FFO Reconciliation:

Net income attributable to SL Green
common stockholders

$234,946$269,132$503,104$101,330$155,984

Add:

Depreciation and amortization

821,041560,887371,610324,461325,737

Discontinued operations
depreciation adjustments

5,58116,4436,373

Joint venture depreciation and
noncontrolling interest adjustments

69,85334,22633,48751,26635,593

Net income attributable to
noncontrolling interests

17,78026,40825,05713,65211,188

Less:

Gain on sale of real estate and
discontinued operations, net

238,116190,096163,05914,9006,627

Equity in net gain on sale of interest
in unconsolidated joint venture/
real estate

44,00915,844123,2533,60131,264

Purchase price fair value adjustment

40,07867,446(2,305)

Depreciable real estate reserve

(10,387)(19,226)(2,150)5,789

Depreciation on non-rental real estate assets

2,0272,0362,0451,509940

Funds From Operations attributable
to SL Green common stockholders and
noncontrolling interests

$869,855$661,825$583,036$491,597$490,255

FFO attributable to the write-off of accounting related balances and the 2017 portion of the lease termination fee related to the sale of 388-390 Greenwich Street to Citigroup, Inc. in 2016

126,905

FFO attributable to the additional
cash income from the recapitalization
of 717 Fifth Avenue in 2012

67,797

Normalized Funds From Operations
attributable to SL Green
common stockholders and
noncontrolling interests

$742,950$422,458

Diluted weighted average shares and units outstanding

104,880103,73599,69695,26692,873

Normalized FFO / FFO per share

$7.08$6.38$5.85$5.16$4.55

2017 Proxy Statement  A-1



Table of Contents

APPENDIX A: INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN FINANCIAL MEASURES

Below are reconciliations of income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated joint ventures, noncontrolling interests and discontinued operations to operating income and combined same-store cash net operating income for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the years ended December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 and the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 (amounts in thousands, except per share data).

Reconciliation of 2016 and 2015

        Consolidated Properties    Unconsolidated Joint Ventures    Combined
            Year Ended December31,    Year Ended December31,    Twelve Months
Ended December
31,
   2016 2015 2016 2015 2016 2015

Operating income and Same-store
NOI Reconciliation:

                        

Income (loss) from continuing
operations before equity in net
income from unconsolidated joint
ventures, equity in net gain on sale
of interest in unconsolidated joint
venture/real estate, gain on sale
of real estate, depreciable real estate
reserve, loss on sale of marketable
securities and loss on early
extinguishment of debt

$(4,618)$77,261$   32,032$   4,257

Equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

11,87413,028

Depreciation and amortization

821,041560,887199,011149,023

Interest expense, net of
interest income

321,199323,870197,741199,126

Amortization of deferred
financing costs

24,56427,34824,82913,394

Loss on early extinguishment of debt

(49)(1,606)(1,089)

Operating income

$1,174,060$1,002,345$452,007$364,711

Marketing, general and
administrative expense

99,75994,873

Net operating income from
discontinued operations

427

Transaction related costs, net

7,52811,4305,566615

Non-building revenue

(217,945)(195,944)(31,914)(25,690)

Equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

(11,874)(13,028)

Loss on early extinguishment of debt

491,6061,089

NOI from partner's share of
unconsolidated joint ventures

(254,456)(214,299)

Net operating income (NOI)

1,051,528900,152172,809126,426$1,224,337$1,026,578

NOI from discontinued operations

NOI from other properties/affiliates

(381,013)(231,392)(84,317)(44,402)(465,330)(275,794)

Same-Store NOI

$670,515$668,760$88,492$82,024$759,007$750,784

Ground lease straight-line adjustment

1,7491,8871,7491,887

Straight-line and free rent

(27,442)(48,468)(7,697)(5,879)(35,139)(54,347)

Rental income - FAS 141

(4,050)(17,100)(1,557)(1,867)(5,607)(18,967)

Same-store cash NOI

$640,772$605,079$79,238$74,278$720,010$679,357

A-2  SL Green Realty Corp.



Table of Contents

APPENDIX A: INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN FINANCIAL MEASURES

Reconciliation of 2015 and 2014

Consolidated PropertiesUnconsolidated Joint
Ventures
Combined
Twelve Months Ended
December
31,
Twelve Months Ended
December
31,
Twelve Months Ended
December
31,
  2015  2014  2015  2014  2015  2014

Operating income and Same-store
NOI Reconciliation:

                        

Income from continuing operations
before equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures,
equity in net gain on sale of interest
in unconsolidated joint venture/
real estate, purchase price fair
value adjustment, gain on sale
of real estate, depreciable real
estate reserves and loss on early
extinguishment of debt

$77,261$174,963$$

Equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

13,02826,53713,02826,537

Depreciation and amortization

560,887371,61062,76660,692

Interest expense,
net of interest income

323,870317,40070,01861,556

Amortization of deferred
financing costs

27,34822,3775,7706,008

Loss on early extinguishment
of debt

(49)(32,365)

Operating income

$1,002,345$880,522$151,582$154,793

Marketing, general and
administrative expense

94,87392,488

Net operating income from
discontinued operations

48837,790

Transaction related costs, net

11,4308,70737372

Non-building revenue

(195,944)(217,857)(25,690)(17,467)

Equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

(13,028)(26,537)

Loss on early extinguishment
of debt

4932,3654973,382

Net operating income (NOI)

900,213807,478126,426141,080$1,026,639$948,558

NOI from discontinued operations

(488)(37,790)(488)(37,790)

NOI from other properties/affiliates

(210,584)(114,361)(44,943)(62,229)(255,527)(176,590)

Same-Store NOI

$689,141$655,327$81,483$78,851$770,624$734,178

Ground lease straight-line
adjustment

1,5951,6021,5951,602

Straight-line and free rent

(57,615)(46,210)(5,829)(7,471)(63,444)(53,681)

Rental income - FAS 141

(12,296)(16,377)(1,512)(1,607)(13,808)(17,984)

Same-store cash NOI

$620,825$594,342$74,142$69,773$694,967$664,115

2017 Proxy Statement  A-3



Table of Contents

APPENDIX A: INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN FINANCIAL MEASURES

Reconciliation of 2014 and 2013

Consolidated PropertiesUnconsolidated Joint
Ventures
Combined
Twelve Months Ended
December 31
,
Twelve Months Ended
December 31
,
Twelve Months Ended
December 31
,
  2014  2013  2014  2013  2014  2013
Operating income and Same-store
NOI Reconciliation:
                        

Income from continuing operations
before equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures, equity
in net gain on sale of interest in
unconsolidated joint venture/real estate,
gain (loss) on sale of investment in
marketable securities, purchase price
fair value adjustment and loss on early
extinguishment of debt

$174,963$118,062$$

Equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

26,5379,92126,5379,921

Depreciation and amortization

371,610324,46160,69184,403

Interest expense, net of interest income

317,400310,89461,55679,896

Amortization of deferred financing costs

22,37715,8556,0089,637

Loss on early extinguishment of debt

(32,365)(18,518)

Operating income

$880,522$760,675$154,792$183,857

Marketing, general &
administrative expense

92,48886,192

Net operating income from
discontinued operations

37,79064,906

Loan loss and other investment
reserves, net of recoveries

Transaction related costs,
net of recoveries

8,7073,985372356

Non-building revenue

(217,856)(201,416)(17,467)(18,451)

Equity in income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

(26,537)(9,921)

Loss on early extinguishment of debt

32,36518,5183,382

Net operating income (NOI)

807,479722,939141,079165,762$948,558$888,701

NOI from discontinued operations

(37,790)(64,906)(37,790)(64,906)

NOI from other properties/affiliates

(111,992)(22,437)(54,941)(87,906)(166,933)(110,343)

Same-Store NOI

$  657,697$635,596$86,138$77,856$743,835$713,452

Ground lease straight-line adjustment

1,6021,1431,6021,143

Straight-line and free rent

(47,886)(40,357)(8,404)(9,645)(56,290)(50,002)

Rental income - FAS141

(21,578)(18,956)(1,990)(2,257)(23,568)(21,213)

Same-store cash NOI

$  589,835$  577,426$  75,744$  65,954$  665,579$  643,380

A-4  SL Green Realty Corp.



Table of Contents

APPENDIX A: INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN FINANCIAL MEASURES

Reconciliation of 2013 and 2012

    Consolidated Properties  Unconsolidated Joint Ventures  Combined
    Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
  Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
  Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
  2013  2012  2013  2012  2013  2012
Operating income and Same-store
NOI Reconciliation:
                        

Income from continuing operations
before equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures, equity
in net gain on sale of interest in
unconsolidated joint venture/real
estate, gain (loss) on sale of investment
in marketable securities, purchase price
fair value adjustment and loss (gain)
on early extinguishment of debt

$142,024$79,021$    $

Equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

9,92176,4189,92176,418

Depreciation and amortization

337,692325,73784,40369,108

Interest expense,
net of interest income

330,215329,89779,89686,268

Amortization of deferred
financing costs

16,69519,4509,6373,859

(Loss) gain on early
extinguishment of debt

(18,518)(6,978)10,711

Operating income

$818,029$823,545$183,857$246,364

Marketing, general &
administrative expense

86,19282,840

Net operating income from
discontinued operations

7,54811,849

Loan loss and other investment
reserves, net of recoveries

564

Transaction related costs, net

3,9875,625356960

Non-building revenue

(201,416)(134,391)(18,451)(83,242)

Equity in net income from
unconsolidated joint ventures

(9,921)(76,418)

Loss (gain) on early
extinguishment of debt

18,5186,978(10,711)

Net operating income (NOI)

722,937720,592165,762153,371$888,699$873,963

NOI from discontinued operations

(7,548)(11,849)(7,548)(11,849)

NOI from other properties/affiliates

(59,448)(54,403)(64,861)(56,296)(124,309)(110,699)

Same-Store NOI

$655,941$654,340$100,901$97,075$756,842$751,415

Ground lease straight-line adjustment

5,6452,7025,6452,702

Straight-line and free rent

(47,963)(56,249)(3,186)(2,842)(51,149)(59,091)

Rental income - FAS141

(5,154)(10,317)(2,525)(1,411)(7,679)(11,728)

Same-store cash NOI

$  608,469$  590,476$    95,190$    92,822$  703,659$  683,298

2017 Proxy Statement  A-5



Table of Contents

APPENDIX A: INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN FINANCIAL MEASURES

Reconciliation of 2012 and 2011

  Consolidated PropertiesUnconsolidated Joint Ventures  Combined
Twelve Months Ended
December 31
,
Twelve Months Ended
December 31
,
Twelve Months Ended
December 31
,
  2012  2011  2012  2011  2012  2011
Operating income and Same-store
NOI Reconciliation:
                        

Income from continuing operations
before equity in net income of
unconsolidated joint ventures,
noncontrolling interests and
discontinued operations

$82,524$122,580$     $     

Equity in net income (loss) from
joint ventures

76,4181,58376,4181,583

Depreciation and amortization

332,028277,34569,11658,598

Interest expense,
net of interest income

330,569285,91786,26888,546

Amortization of deferred
financing costs

19,45014,1183,8594,996

Gain (loss) on early
extinguishment of debt

(6,978)904

Operating income

$834,011$702,447$     235,661$     153,723

Marketing, general &
administrative expense

82,84080,103

Net operating income from
discontinued operations

1,38510,878

Loan loss and other investment
reserves, net of recoveries

5646,722

Transaction related costs

5,6255,5619601,173

Non-building revenue

(134,392)(135,987)(93,144)(12,346)

Equity in net income from
joint ventures

(76,418)(1,583)

(Gain) loss on early
extinguishment of debt

6,978(904)(10,711)

Net operating income (NOI)

720,593667,237132,766142,550  $853,359$809,787

Net operating income from
discontinued operations

(1,385)(10,878)    (1,385)(10,878)

NOI from other properties/affiliates

(69,006)  (1,514)(23,150)(36,641)(92,156)(38,155)

Same-Store NOI

$650,202$654,845$     109,616$     105,909$759,818$760,754

Ground lease straight-line adjustment

2,702440(9)2,702431

Straight-line and free rent

(54,686)(79,496)(4,217)(6,219)(58,903)(85,715)

Rental income - FAS141

(17,365)(21,201)(2,030)(1,172)(19,395)(22,373)

Same-store cash NOI

$  580,853$  554,588$     103,369$     98,509$  684,222$  653,097

A-6  SL Green Realty Corp.



Table of Contents

APPENDIX A: INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN FINANCIAL MEASURES

Notes:

Funds from Operations and Normalized Funds from Operations

Funds from Operations, or FFO, is a widely recognized measure of REIT performance. We compute FFO in accordance with standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT, which may not know of any mattersbe comparable to FFO reported by other than those described in this proxy statementREITs that will be presented for action at the annual meeting. If other matters are presented, proxies will be voteddo not compute FFO in accordance with the best judgment ofNAREIT definition, or that interpret the proxy holders.

By Order of our Board of Directors

GRAPHIC

Andrew S. Levine

Secretary

New York, New York

April    , 2007

25




SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
420 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York  10170
Proxy for Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be heldNAREIT definition differently than we do. The revised White Paper on May 24, 2007

THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Stephen L. Green and Andrew S. Levine and either of them, as proxies of the undersigned, with full power of substitution, to vote all shares of common stock of SL Green Realty Corp. held of recordFFO approved by the undersigned as of the close of business on March 20, 2007, on behalf of the undersigned at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held at the Grand Hyatt New York Hotel, Park Avenue at Grand Central Terminal, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, New York, 10:00 a.m., local time, on Thursday, May 24, 2007 and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

When properly executed, this proxy will be voted in the manner directed herein by the undersigned stockholder(s).  If no direction is given, this proxy will be voted FOR the nominee of our Board of Directors listedGovernors of NAREIT in Proposal 1, FOR Proposal 2, FOR Proposal 3April2002, and FOR Proposal 4.  In their discretion, the proxies are each authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.  A stockholder wishing to votesubsequently amended, defines FFO as net income (loss) (computed in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of properties and real estate related impairment charges, plus real estate related depreciation and amortization and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We present FFO because we consider it an important supplemental measure of our Board of Directors’ recommendations need only signoperating performance and date this proxybelieve that it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and return itother interested parties in the enclosed envelope.

SEE REVERSE

SIDE

Please vote and sign on other side and

return promptly in the enclosed envelope.

evaluation of REITs, particularly those that own and operate commercial office properties.

x           Please mark your votesWe also use FFO as in this example.

1.                                       To elect one Class I Directorof several criteria to determine performance-based bonuses for members of our companysenior management. FFO is intended to serve untilexclude GAAP historicalcost depreciation and amortization of real estate and related assets, which assumes that the 2010 annual meetingvalue of stockholdersreal estate assets diminishes ratably over time. Historically, however, real estate values have risen or fallen with market conditions. Because FFO excludes depreciation and until his  respective successoramortization unique to real estate, gains and losses from property dispositions and extraordinary items, it provides a performance measure that, when compared year over year, reflects the impact to operations from trends in occupancy rates, rental rates, operating costs, interest costs, providing perspective not immediately apparent from net income. FFO does not represent cash generated from operating activities in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP), as an indication of our financial performance or to cash flow from operating activities (determined in accordance with GAAP) as a measure of our liquidity, nor is duly electedit indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions.

For certain periods, we also present Normalized FFO, defined as FFO excluding the impact of two discrete transactions (set forth in the table above) that increased FFO in2016 and2012, which we present to enhance the comparability of our FFO across periods.

Combined Same-Store Cash Net Operating Income

The Company presents operating income, net operating income, same-store net operating income and qualified.

Nominees:  Edwin Thomas Burton, III

FOR

WITHHOLD

o

o

2.                                       To ratifysame-store cash net operating income because the selectionCompany believes that these measures provide investors with useful information regarding the operating performance of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent auditorsproperties that are comparable for the fiscalperiods presented. For properties owned in the same manner during both the applicable year ending December 31, 2007.

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

o

o

o

and the year immediately preceding such applicable year, excluding development properties prior to being stabilized for both the applicable year and the preceding year, the Company determines same-store net operating income by subtracting same-store property operating expenses and ground rent from same-store rental and tenant reimbursement revenues. Same-store cash net operating income is derived by deducting same-store straight line, free rent, and lease intangibles (FAS 141 Adjustments) from, and adding same-storetenant credit loss allowance to, same-store net operating income. The Company’s share of unconsolidated joint venture net operating income, same-store net operating income and same-store cash net operating income is calculated in the same manner as noted above, but includes just the Company’s pro-rata share of the total amounts. Combined net operating income, same-store net operating income and same-store cash net operating income are calculated by combining the Company’s consolidated amount with the Company’s share of unconsolidated joint venture amounts for each measure. None of these measures is an alternative to net income (determined in accordance with GAAP) and same-store performance should not be considered an alternative to GAAP net income performance.

3.2017 Proxy Statement                                         To authorize and approve an amendment to our 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan in order to increase the numberA-7



Table of shares that may be issued pursuant to such plan.

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

o

o

o

4.Contents                                       To authorize and approve articles of amendment and restatement of our Articles of Incorporation in order to (i) increase the number of authorized shares of common stockand (ii) make various ministerial changes to our current Articles of Incorporation.

FOR

AGAINST

ABSTAIN

o

o

o

5.                                       To consider and act upon any other matters that may properly be brought before the annual meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

The undersigned hereby acknowledge(s) receipt of a copy of the accompanying notice of annual meeting of stockholders, the proxy statement with respect thereto and our 2006 annual report to stockholders and hereby revoke(s) any proxy or proxies heretofore given.  This proxy may be revoked at any time before it is exercised.

o            MARK HERE FOR ADDRESS CHANGE AND NOTE BELOW

Signature:                                                                                                                              Date:

Note:  Please sign exactly as name appears hereon.  Joint owners should each sign.  When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such.




APPENDIX AB:
CHARTER AMENDMENT

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2005 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE  PLAN




TABLEARTICLES OF CONTENTSAMENDMENT

Page

1.

DEFINITIONS.

A-1

2.

EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERMINATION OF PLAN.

A-4

3.

ADMINISTRATION OF PLAN.

A-4

4.

SHARES AND UNITS SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.

A-5

5.

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO STOCK OPTIONS.

A-6

6.

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO RESTRICTED STOCK.

A-9

7.

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO PHANTOM SHARES.

A-11

8.

PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS.

A-13

9.

OTHER EQUITY-BASED AWARDS

A-14

10.

PERFORMANCE GOALS.

A-15

11.

TAX WITHHOLDING.

A-15

12.

REGULATIONS AND APPROVALS.

A-16

13.

INTERPRETATION AND AMENDMENTS; OTHER RULES.

A-16

14.

CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE.

A-17

15.

MISCELLANEOUS.

A-18

EXHIBIT A PERFORMANCE GOALS

A-20

EXHIBIT B PERFORMANCE GOALS

A-21

A-i




SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

AMENDED AND RESTATED
2005 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN

SL Green Realty Corp., a Maryland corporation, wishes to attract and retain qualified key employees, Directors, officers, advisors, consultants and other personnel and encourage them to increase their efforts to make the Company’s business more successful whether directly or through its Subsidiaries or other affiliates. In furtherance thereof, the SL Green Realty Corp. Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan is designed to provide equity-based incentives to certain Eligible Persons. Awards under the Plan may be made to Eligible Persons in the form of Options, Restricted Stock, Phantom Shares, Dividend Equivalent Rights or other forms of equity-based compensation.

1.   DEFINITIONS.

Whenever used herein, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

“Annual Rate” means the number of Shares subject to Awards granted in a single year divided by the number of Shares of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock at the end of such year.

“Award,” except where referring to a particular category of grant under the Plan, shall include Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, Restricted Stock, Phantom Shares, Dividend Equivalent Rights and other equity-based Awards as contemplated herein.

“Award Agreement” means a written agreement in a form approved by the Committee to be entered into between the Company and the Participant as provided in Section 3. An Award Agreement may be, without limitation, an employment or other similar agreement containing provisions governing grants hereunder, if approved by the Committee for use under the Plan.

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

“Cause” means, unless otherwise provided in the Participant’s Award Agreement, (i) engaging in (A) willful or gross misconduct or (B) willful or gross neglect; (ii) repeatedly failing to adhere to the directions of superiors or the Board or the written policies and practices of the Company or its Subsidiaries or its affiliates; (iii) the commission of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude, dishonesty, breach of trust or unethical business conduct, or any crime involving the Company or its Subsidiaries, or any affiliate thereof; (iv) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement; (v) any illegal act detrimental to the Company its Subsidiaries or any affiliate thereof; (vi) repeated failure to devote substantially all of the Participant’s business time and efforts to the Company or its Subsidiaries, or any affiliate thereof, if required by the Participant’s employment agreement; or (vii) the Participant’s failure  adequately and competently to perform his duties after receiving notice from the Company or its Subsidiaries, or any affiliate thereof specifically identifying the manner in which the Participant has failed to perform; provided, however, that, if at any particular time the Participant is subject to an effective employment agreement or consulting agreement with the Company, then, in lieu of the foregoing definition, “Cause” shall at that time have such meaning as may be specified in such employment agreement.

“Change in Control” means:

(i)  any “person,” including a “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, together with all “affiliates” and “associates” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) of such person, shall become the “beneficial owner” (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 25% or more of either (A) the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities having the right to vote in an election of the Board (“Voting Securities”) or


(B) the then outstanding shares of all classes of stock of the Company (in either such case other than as a result of the acquisition of securities directly from the Company); or

(ii) the members of the Board at the beginning of any consecutive 24-calendar-month period commencing on or after the initial effective date of the Plan (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason including without limitation, as a result of a tender offer, proxy contest, merger or similar transaction, to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided that any person becoming a director of the Company whose election or nomination was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the members of the Board then still in office who were members of the Board at the beginning of such 24-calendar-month period, shall, for purposes hereof, be considered an Incumbent Director; or

(iii) the shareholders of the Company shall approve (A) any consolidation or merger of the Company or any subsidiary where the shareholders of the Company, immediately prior to the consolidation or merger, would not, immediately after the consolidation or merger, beneficially own (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, shares representing in the aggregate at least 50% of the voting shares of the corporation issuing cash or securities in the consolidation or merger (or of its ultimate parent corporation, if any), (B) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one transaction or a series of transactions contemplated or arranged by any party as a single plan) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or (C) any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

Notwithstanding the foregoing clause (i), an event described in clause (i) shall not be a Change in Control if such event occurs solely as the result of an acquisition of securities by the Company which, by reducing the number of shares of stock or other Voting Securities outstanding, increases (x) the proportionate number of shares of stock of the Company beneficially owned by any “person” (as defined above) to 25% or more of the shares of stock then outstanding or (y) the proportionate voting power represented by the Voting Securities beneficially owned by any “person” (as defined above) to 25% or more of the combined voting power of all then outstanding Voting Securities; provided, however, that if any “person” referred to in clause (x) or (y) of this sentence shall thereafter become the beneficial owner of any additional stock of the Company or other Voting Securities (other than pursuant to a share split, stock dividend, or similar transaction), then a Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred for purposes of the foregoing clause (i).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no event or condition shall constitute a Change in Control to the extent that, if it were, a 20% tax would be imposed under Section 409A of the Code; provided that, in such a case, the event or condition shall continue to constitute a Change in Control to the maximum extent possible (e.g., if applicable, in regard of vesting without an acceleration of distribution) without causing the imposition of such 20% tax.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.

“Common Stock” means the shares of common stock of the Company as constituted on the effective date of the Plan, and any other shares into which such common stock shall thereafter be changed by reason of a recapitalization, merger, consolidation, split-up, combination, exchange of shares or the like.

“Company” means SL Green Realty Corp., a Maryland corporation.

“Director” means a non-employee director of the Company or its Subsidiaries.

“Disability” means, unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the Participant’s Award Agreement, a disability which renders the Participant incapable of performing all of his or her material duties for a period of at least 150 consecutive or non-consecutive days during any consecutive twelve-month period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no circumstances or condition shall constitute a Disability to


the extent that, if it were, a 20% tax would be imposed under Section 409A of the Code; provided that, in such a case, the event or condition shall continue to constitute a Disability to the maximum extent possible (e.g., if applicable, in regard of vesting without an acceleration of distribution) without causing the imposition of such 20% tax.

“Dividend Equivalent Right” means a right awarded under Section 8 of the Plan to receive (or have credited) the equivalent value of dividends paid on Common Stock.

“Eligible Person” means a key employee, Director, officer, advisor, consultant or other personnel of the Company and its Subsidiaries or other person expected to provide significant services (of a type expressly approved by the Committee as covered services for these purposes) to the Company or its Subsidiaries.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Fair Market Value” per Share as of a particular date means (i) if Shares are then listed on a national stock exchange, the closing sales price per Share on the exchange for the last preceding date on which there was a sale of Shares on such exchange, as determined by the Committee, (ii) if Shares are not then listed on a national stock exchange but are then traded on an over-the-counter market, the average of the closing bid and asked prices for the Shares in such over-the-counter market for the last preceding date on which there was a sale of such Shares in such market, as determined by the Committee, or (iii) if Shares are not then listed on a national stock exchange or traded on an over-the-counter market, such value as the Committee in its discretion may in good faith determine; provided that, where the Shares are so listed or traded, the Committee may make such discretionary determinations where the Shares have not been traded for 10 trading days.

“Full-Value Award” means an Award other than an Option, Stock Appreciation Right or other Award that does not deliver the full value at grant thereof of the underlying shares.

“Fungible Pool Unit” shall be the measuring unit used for purposes of the Plan, as specified in Section 4, to determine the number of Shares which may be subject to Awards hereunder, which shall consist of Shares in the proportions (ranging from .80.7 to 3.93.0) as set forth in Section 4(a).

“Grantee” means an Eligible Person granted Restricted Stock, Phantom Shares, Dividend Equivalent Rights or such other equity-based Awards as may be granted pursuant to Section 9.

“Incentive Stock Option” means an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422(b) of the Code.

“Non-Qualified Stock Option” means an Option which is not an Incentive Stock Option.

“Option” means the right to purchase, at a price and for the term fixed by the Committee in accordance with the Plan, and subject to such other limitations and restrictions in the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement, a number of Shares determined by the Committee.

“Optionee” means an Eligible Person to whom an Option is granted, or the Successors of the Optionee, as the context so requires.

“Option Price” means the price per Share, determined by the Board or the Committee, at which an Option may be exercised.

“Participant” means a Grantee or Optionee.

“Phantom Share” means a right, pursuant to the Plan, of the Grantee to payment of the Phantom Share Value.


“Phantom Share Value,” per Phantom Share, means the Fair Market Value of a Share of Class A Common Stock, or, if so provided by the Committee, such Fair Market Value to the extent in excess of a base value established by the Committee at the time of grant.

“Plan” means the Company’s Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan, as set forth herein and as the same may from time to time be amended.

“Restricted Stock” means an award of Shares that are subject to restrictions hereunder.

“Retirement” means, unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the Participant’s Award Agreement, the Termination of Service (other than for Cause) of a Participant on or after the Participant’s attainment of age 65 or on or after the Participant’s attainment of age 55 with five consecutive years of service with the Company and or its Subsidiaries or its affiliates.

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Settlement Date” means the date determined under Section 7.4(c).

“Shares” means shares of Common Stock of the Company.

“Stock Appreciation Right” means the right to settle an Option as provided for in Section 5.7.

“Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Company) that is a “subsidiary corporation” with respect to the Company under Section 424(f) of the Code. In the event the Company becomes a subsidiary of another company, the provisions hereof applicable to subsidiaries shall, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, also be applicable to any company that is a “parent corporation” with respect to the Company under Section 424(e) of the Code.

“Successor of the Optionee” means the legal representative of the estate of a deceased Optionee or the person or persons who shall acquire the right to exercise an Option by bequest or inheritance or by reason of the death of the Optionee.

“Termination of Service” means a Participant’s termination of employment or other service, as applicable, with the Company and its Subsidiaries.

“Three-Year Average Annual Rate” means the average of the Annual Rates (i) during the first three calendar years following April 1, 2005 and (ii) for the first three calendar years following the effective date of the Plan.April 1, 2007.

2.   EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERMINATION OF PLAN.

The effective date of the Plan is April 1, 2005.2007. The Plan shall not become effective unless and until it is approved by the requisite percentage of the holders of the Common Stock of the Company. The Plan shall terminate on, and no Award shall be granted hereunder on or after, the 10-year anniversary of the earlier of the approval of the Plan by (i) the Board or (ii) the shareholders of the Company; provided, however, that the Board may at any time prior to that date terminate the Plan; and provided, further, that all Awards made under the Plan prior to a Plan termination shall remain in effect until such Awards have been satisfied or terminated in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.

3.   ADMINISTRATION OF PLAN.

(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Committee appointed by the Board. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Committee, upon and after such time as it is covered in Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall consist of at least two individuals each of whom shall be a “nonemployee director” as defined in Rule 16b-3 as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Rule 16b-3”) under the Exchange Act and shall, at such times as the Company is subject to Section 162(m) of the Code (to the


extent relief from the limitation of Section 162(m) of the Code is sought with respect to Awards), qualify as “outside directors” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code; provided that no action taken by the Committee (including without limitation grants) shall be invalidated because any or all of the members of the Committee fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements of this sentence. If and to the extent applicable, no member of the Committee may act as to matters under the Plan specifically relating to such member. Notwithstanding the other foregoing provisions of this Section 3(a), any Award under the Plan to a person who is a member of the Committee shall be made and administered by the Board. If no Committee is designated by the Board to act for these purposes, the Board shall have the rights and responsibilities of the Committee hereunder and under the Award Agreements.

(b) Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall in its discretion (i) authorize the granting of Awards to Eligible Persons; and (ii) determine the eligibility of Eligible Persons to receive an Award, as well as determine the number of Shares to be covered under any Award Agreement, considering the position and responsibilities of the Eligible Persons, the nature and value to the Company of the Eligible Person’s present and potential contribution to the success of the Company whether directly or through its Subsidiaries and such other factors as the Committee may deem relevant.

(c) The Award Agreement shall contain such other terms, provisions and conditions not inconsistent herewith as shall be determined by the Committee. In the event that any Award Agreement or other agreement hereunder provides (without regard to this sentence) for the obligation of the Company or any affiliate thereof to purchase or repurchase Shares from a Participant or any other person, then, notwithstanding the provisions of the Award Agreement or such other agreement, such obligation shall not apply to the extent that the purchase or repurchase would not be permitted under governing state law. The Participant shall take whatever additional actions and execute whatever additional documents the Committee may in its reasonable judgment deem necessary or advisable in order to carry out or effect one or more of the obligations or restrictions imposed on the Participant pursuant to the express provisions of the Plan and the Award Agreement.

(d) The Committee may provide, in its discretion, that (i) all stock issued hereunder be initially maintained in separate brokerage account for the Participant at a brokerage firm selected by, and pursuant to an arrangement with, the Company; and (ii) in the case of vested Shares, the Participant may move such Shares to another brokerage account of the Participant’s choosing or request that a stock certificate be issued and delivered to him or her.

(e) The Committee, in its discretion, may delegate to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company all or part of the Committee’s authority and duties with respect to awards, including, without limitation, the granting of awards to individuals who are not subject to the reporting and other provisions of Section 16 of the Act and who are not and are not expected to be “covered employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code. Any such delegation by the Committee may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, include a limitation as to the amount of awards that may be awarded during the period of the delegation and may contain guidelines as to the determination of the option exercise price, or price of other awards and the vesting criteria. The Committee may revoke or amend the terms of a delegation at any time but such action shall not invalidate any prior actions of the Committee’s delegate that were consistent with the terms of the Plan.

4.   SHARES AND UNITS SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.

(a) Subject to adjustments as provided in Section 14, the total number of Shares subject to Awards granted under the Plan, in the aggregate, may not exceed 3,500,000 (the “Fungible Pool Limit”). Each Share issued or to be issued in connection with Full-Value Awards that vest or are granted based on the achievement of the performance goals set forth in Exhibit A shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as 2.6 Fungible Pool Units. Each Share issued or to be issued in connection with any other Full-Value Awards shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as 3.9 Fungible Pool Units. Options, Stock


Appreciation Rights and other Awards that do not deliver the full value at grant thereof of the underlying Shares and that expire 10 years from the date of grant shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as 1 Fungible Pool Unit. Options, Stock Appreciation Rights and other Awards that do not deliver the full value at grant thereof of the underlying Shares and that expire five years from the date of grant shall be counted against the Fungible Pool Limit as .8 of a Fungible Pool Unit. (For these purposes, the number of Shares taken into account with respect to a Stock Appreciation Right shall be the number of Shares underlying the Stock Appreciation Rights at grant (i.e., not the final number of Shares delivered upon exercise of the Stock Appreciation Rights).)  Shares that have been granted as Restricted Stock or that have been reserved for distribution in payment for Options, Phantom Shares or other equity-based Awards but are later forfeited or for any other reason are not payable under the Plan may again be made the subject of Awards under the Plan.

(b) At the end of (i) the third calendar year following the effective date of the Plan,April 1, 2005 and (ii) the third calendar year following April 1, 2007, the Three-Year Average Annual Rate, respectively, shall not exceed the greater of (i1) 2% or (ii2) the mean of the Company’s GICS peer group (collectively, the “Target Rate”). For purposes of calculating the number of Shares granted in a year in connection with the limitation set forth in the foregoing sentence, Shares underlying Full-Value Awards will be taken into account as (i) 1.5 Shares if the Company’s annual Common Stock price volatility is 53% or higher, (ii) two Shares if the Company’s annual Common Stock price volatility is between 25% and 52%, and (iii) four Shares if the Company’s annual Common Stock price volatility is less than 25%. (For the avoidance of doubt, the Annual Rate in any one year during the three-year period following the effective date of the Plan may exceed the Target Rate, provided that the Three-Year Average Annual Rate does not exceed the Target Rate.)

(c) Shares subject to Dividend Equivalent Rights, other than Dividend Equivalent Rights based directly on the dividends payable with respect to Shares subject to Options or the dividends payable on a number of Shares corresponding to the number of Phantom Shares awarded, shall be subject to the limitation of Section 4.1(a). If any Phantom Shares, Dividend Equivalent Rights or other equity-based Awards under Section 9 are paid out in cash, then, notwithstanding the first sentence of Section 4.1(a) above (but subject to the second sentence thereof) the underlying Shares may again be made the subject of Awards under the Plan.

(d) The certificates for Shares issued hereunder may include any legend which the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any rights of first refusal or other restrictions on transfer hereunder or under the Award Agreement, or as the Committee may otherwise deem appropriate.

(e) No award may be granted under the Plan to any person who, assuming exercise of all options and payment of all awards held by such person, would own or be deemed to own more than 9.8% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. Subject to adjustments as provided in Section 14, no Eligible Person shall be granted Awards (with Shares subject to Awards being counted, depending on the type of Award, in the proportions ranging from .8 to 3.9, as described in Section 4(a)) in any one year covering more than 700,000 Shares, it being expressly contemplated that Awards in exclusively one category (e.g., Options) can (but need not) be used in the discretion of the Committee to reach the limitation set forth in this sentence.

5.   PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO STOCK OPTIONS.

5.1   Grant of Option.

Subject to the other terms of the Plan, the Committee (or, as expressly permitted by Section 3, the Chief Executive Officer) shall, in its discretion as reflected by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement: (i) determine and designate from time to time those Eligible Persons to whom Options are to be granted and the number of Shares to be optioned to each Eligible Person; (ii) determine whether to grant Incentive Stock Options or to grant Non-Qualified Stock Options, or both (to the extent that any Option does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, it shall constitute a separate Non-Qualified Stock


Option); provided that Incentive Stock Options may only be granted to employees; (iii) determine the time or times when and the manner and condition in which each Option shall be exercisable and the duration of the exercise period; (iv) designate each Option as one intended to be an Incentive Stock Option or as a Non-Qualified Stock Option; and (v) determine or impose other conditions to the grant or exercise of Options under the Plan as it may deem appropriate.

5.2   Option Price.

The Option Price shall be determined by the Committee on the date the Option is granted and reflected in the Award Agreement, as the same may be amended from time to time. The Option Price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day the Option is granted. Any particular Award Agreement may provide for different exercise prices for specified amounts of Shares subject to the Option.

5.3   Period of Option and Vesting.

(a) Unless earlier expired, forfeited or otherwise terminated, each Option shall expire in its entirety upon the 10th anniversary of the date of grant or shall have such other term (which may be shorter, but not longer) as is set forth in the applicable Award Agreement (except that, in the case of an individual described in Section 422(b)(6) of the Code (relating to certain 10% owners) who is granted an Incentive Stock Option, the term of such Option shall be no more than five years from the date of grant). The Option shall also expire, be forfeited and terminate at such times and in such circumstances as otherwise provided hereunder or under the Award Agreement.

(b) Each Option, to the extent that the Optionee has not had a Termination of Service and the Option has not otherwise lapsed, expired, terminated or been forfeited, shall first become exercisable according to the terms and conditions set forth in the Award Agreement, as determined by the Committee at the time of grant. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, no Option (or portion thereof) shall ever be exercisable if the Optionee has a Termination of Service before the time at which such Option (or portion thereof) would otherwise have become exercisable, and any Option that would otherwise become exercisable after such Termination of Service shall not become exercisable and shall be forfeited upon such termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 5.3(b), Options exercisable pursuant to the schedule set forth by the Committee at the time of grant may be fully or more rapidly exercisable or otherwise vested at any time in the discretion of the Committee. Upon and after the death of an Optionee, such Optionee’s Options, if and to the extent otherwise exercisable hereunder or under the applicable Award Agreement after the Optionee’s death, may be exercised by the Successors of the Optionee.

5.4   Exercisability Upon and After Termination of Optionee.

(a) Subject to provisions of the Award Agreement, in the event the Optionee has a Termination of Service other than by the Company or its Subsidiaries for Cause, or other than by reason of death, Retirement or Disability, no exercise of an Option may occur after the expiration of the three-month period to follow the termination, or if earlier, the expiration of the term of the Option as provided under Section 5.3(a); provided that, if the Optionee should die after the Termination of Service, such termination being for a reason other than Cause, Disability or Retirement, but while the Option is still in effect, the Option (if and to the extent otherwise exercisable by the Optionee at the time of death) may be exercised until the earlier of (i) one year from the date of the Termination of Service of the Optionee, or (ii) the date on which the term of the Option expires in accordance with Section 5.3(a).

(b) Subject to provisions of the Award Agreement, in the event the Optionee has a Termination of Service on account of death or Disability or Retirement, the Option (whether or not otherwise exercisable) may be exercised until the earlier of (i) one year from the date of the Termination of Service of the Optionee, or (ii) the date on which the term of the Option expires in accordance with Section 5.3.

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(c) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, if the Optionee has a Termination of Service by the Company for Cause, the Optionee’s Options, to the extent then unexercised, shall thereupon cease to be exercisable and shall be forfeited forthwith.

5.5   Exercise of Options.

(a) Subject to vesting, restrictions on exercisability and other restrictions provided for hereunder or otherwise imposed in accordance herewith, an Option may be exercised, and payment in full of the aggregate Option Price made, by an Optionee only by written notice (in the form prescribed by the Committee) to the Company specifying the number of Shares to be purchased.

(b) Without limiting the scope of the Committee’s discretion hereunder, the Committee may impose such other restrictions on the exercise of Incentive Stock Options (whether or not in the nature of the foregoing restrictions) as it may deem necessary or appropriate.

5.6Payment.

(a) The aggregate Option Price shall be paid in full upon the exercise of the Option. Payment must be made by one of the following methods:

(i) a certified or bank cashier’s check or wire transfer;

(ii) subject to Section 12(e), the proceeds of a Company loan program or third-party sale program or a notice acceptable to the Committee given as consideration under such a program, in each case if permitted by the Committee in its discretion, if such a program has been established and the Optionee is eligible to participate therein;

(iii) if approved by the Committee in its discretion, Shares of previously owned Common Stock, which have been previously owned for more than six months, having an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the aggregate Option Price; or

(iv) by any combination of such methods of payment or any other method acceptable to the Committee in its discretion.

(b) Except in the case of Options exercised by certified or bank cashier’s check, the Committee may impose limitations and prohibitions on the exercise of Options as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, any limitation or prohibition designed to avoid accounting consequences which may result from the use of Common Stock as payment upon exercise of an Option.

(c) The Committee may provide that no Option may be exercised with respect to any fractional Share. Any fractional Shares resulting from an Optionee’s exercise that is accepted by the Company shall in the discretion of the Committee be paid in cash.

5.7Stock Appreciation Rights.

The Committee, in its discretion, may also permit (taking into account, without limitation, the application of Section 409A of the Code, as the Committee may deem appropriate) the Optionee to elect to exercise an Option by receiving a combination of Shares and cash, or, in the discretion of the Committee, either Shares or solely in cash, with an aggregate Fair Market Value (or, to the extent of payment in cash, in an amount) equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised over the aggregate Option Price, as determined as of the day the Option is exercised.

5.8Exercise by Successors.

An Option may be exercised, and payment in full of the aggregate Option Price made, by the Successors of the Optionee only by written notice (in the form prescribed by the Committee) to the Company specifying the number of Shares to be purchased. Such notice shall state that the aggregate


Option Price will be paid in full, or that the Option will be exercised as otherwise provided hereunder, in the discretion of the Company or the Committee, if and as applicable.

5.9Nontransferability of Option.

Each Option granted under the Plan shall be nontransferable by the Optionee except by will or the laws of descent and distribution of the state wherein the Optionee is domiciled at the time of his death; provided, however, that the Committee may (but need not) permit other transfers, where the Committee concludes that such transferability (i) does not result in accelerated U.S. federal income taxation, (ii) does not cause any Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option to fail to be described in Section 422(b) of the Code, and (iii) is otherwise appropriate and desirable; and provided, further, that in no event may an Option be transferred by the Optionee for consideration without shareholder approval.

5.10Deferral.

Except as provided in the Award Agreement, the Committee (taking into account, without limitation, the possible application of Section 409A of the Code, as the Committee may deem appropriate) may establish a program under which Participants will have Phantom Shares subject to Section 7 credited upon their exercise of Options, rather than receiving Shares at that time.

5.11   Certain Incentive Stock Option Provisions

(a)  The aggregate Fair Market Value, determined as of the date an Option is granted, of the Common Stock for which any Optionee may be awarded Incentive Stock Options which are first exercisable by the Optionee during any calendar year under the Plan (or any other stock option plan required to be taken into account under Section 422(d) of the Code) shall not exceed $100,000.

(b)  If Shares acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option are disposed of in a disqualifying disposition within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code by an Optionee prior to the expiration of either two years from the date of grant of such Option or one year from the transfer of Shares to the Optionee pursuant to the exercise of such Option, or in any other disqualifying disposition within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, such Optionee shall notify the Company in writing as soon as practicable thereafter of the date and terms of such disposition and, if the Company (or any affiliate thereof) thereupon has a tax-withholding obligation, shall pay to the Company (or such affiliate) an amount equal to any withholding tax the Company (or affiliate) is required to pay as a result of the disqualifying disposition.

(c) The Option Price with respect to each Incentive Stock Option shall not be less than 100%, or 110% in the case of an individual described in Section 422(b)(6) of the Code (relating to certain 10% owners), of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the day the Option is granted. In the case of an individual described in Section 422(b)(6) of the Code who is granted an Incentive Stock Option, the term of such Option shall be no more than five years from the date of grant.

6.   PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO RESTRICTED STOCK.

6.1Grant of Restricted Stock.

(a) In connection with the grant of Restricted Stock, whether or not performance goals (as provided for under Section 10) apply thereto, the Committee shall establish one or more vesting periods with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock granted, the length of which shall be determined in the discretion of the Committee. Subject to the provisions of this Section 6, the applicable Award Agreement and the other provisions of the Plan, restrictions on Restricted Stock shall lapse if the Grantee satisfies all applicable employment or other service requirements through the end of the applicable vesting period. Nothing in this Section 6 shall limit the Committee’s authority, and the Committee is expressly authorized, to grant Shares which are fully vested upon grant (and for which there is no period of forfeiture), and which are subject to the rules of this Section 6.

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(b) Subject to the other terms of the Plan, the Committee may, in its discretion as reflected by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement:  (i) authorize the granting of Restricted Stock to Eligible Persons; (ii) provide a specified purchase price for the Restricted Stock (whether or not the payment of a purchase price is required by any state law applicable to the Company); (iii) determine the restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock and (iv) determine or impose other conditions, including any applicable performance goals, to the grant of Restricted Stock under the Plan as it may deem appropriate.

6.2   Certificates.

(a) Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, each Grantee of Restricted Stock shall be issued a stock certificate in respect of Shares of Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan. Each such certificate shall be registered in the name of the Grantee. Without limiting the generality of Section 4.1(c), the certificates for Shares of Restricted Stock issued hereunder may include any legend which the Committee deems appropriate to reflect any restrictions on transfer hereunder or under the Award Agreement, or as the Committee may otherwise deem appropriate, and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, shall bear a legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Award, substantially in the following form:

The transferability of this certificate and the shares of stock represented hereby are subject to the terms and conditions (including forfeiture) of the SL Green Realty Corp. 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and an Award Agreement entered into between the registered owner and SL Green Realty Corp. Copies of such Plan and Award Agreement are on file in the offices of SL Green Realty Corp., at 420 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10170.

(b) The Committee may require that any stock certificates evidencing such Shares be held in custody by the Company until the restrictions hereunder shall have lapsed, and that, as a condition of any Award of Restricted Stock, the Grantee shall have delivered to the Company a stock power, endorsed in blank, relating to the stock covered by such Award. If and when such restrictions so lapse, the stock certificates shall be delivered by the Company to the Grantee or his or her designee as provided in Section 6.3 (and the stock power shall be so delivered or shall be discarded).

6.3   Restrictions and Conditions.

Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, the Shares of Restricted Stock awarded pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to the following restrictions and conditions:

(i) Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the Award Agreements, during a period commencing with the date of such Award and ending on the date the period of forfeiture with respect to such Shares lapses, the Grantee shall not be permitted voluntarily or involuntarily to sell, transfer, pledge, anticipate, alienate, encumber or assign Shares of Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan (or have such Shares attached or garnished). Subject to the provisions of the Award Agreements and clause (iii) below, the period of forfeiture with respect to Shares granted hereunder shall lapse as provided in the applicable Award Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise expressly provided by the Committee, the period of forfeiture with respect to such Shares shall only lapse as to whole Shares.

(ii) Except as provided in the foregoing clause (i), below in this clause (ii) or in Section 14, or as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, the Grantee shall have, in respect of the Shares of Restricted Stock, all of the rights of a shareholder of the Company, including the right to vote the Shares and the right to receive any cash dividends currently; provided, however that, if provided in an Award Agreement, cash dividends on such Shares shall (A) be held by the Company (unsegregated as a part of its general assets) until the period of forfeiture lapses (and forfeited if the underlying Shares are forfeited), and paid over to the Grantee (without interest) as soon as


practicable after such period lapses (if not forfeited), or (B) treated as may otherwise be provided in an Award Agreement. Certificates for Shares (not subject to restrictions) shall be delivered to the Grantee or his or her designee, at the request thereof, promptly after, and only after, the period of forfeiture shall lapse without forfeiture in respect of such Shares of Restricted Stock.

(iii) Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, if the Grantee has a Termination of Service by the Company and its Subsidiaries for Cause, or by the Grantee for any reason, during the applicable period of forfeiture, then (A) all Shares still subject to restriction shall thereupon, and with no further action, be forfeited by the Grantee, and (B) in the event the Grantee has paid a cash purchase price for the forfeited Shares, the Company shall pay to the Grantee as soon as practicable (and in no event more than 30 days) after such termination an amount equal to the lesser of (x) the amount paid by the Grantee (if any) for such forfeited Restricted Stock as contemplated by Section 6.1, and (y) the Fair Market Value on the date of termination of the forfeited Restricted Stock.

7.   PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO PHANTOM SHARES.

7.1   Grant of Phantom Shares.

Subject to the other terms of the Plan, the Committee shall, in its discretion as reflected by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement:  (i) authorize the granting of Phantom Shares to Eligible Persons and (ii) determine or impose other conditions to the grant of Phantom Shares under the Plan as it may deem appropriate.

7.2   Term.

The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement that any particular Phantom Share shall expire at the end of a specified term.

7.3   Vesting.

Phantom Shares shall vest as provided in the applicable Award Agreement.

7.4   Settlement of Phantom Shares.

(a) Each vested and outstanding Phantom Share shall be settled by the transfer to the Grantee of one Share; provided that the Committee at the time of grant may provide that a Phantom Share may be settled (i) in cash at the applicable Phantom Share Value or (ii) in cash or by transfer of Shares as elected by the Grantee in accordance with procedures established by the Committee (taking into account, without limitation, Section 409A of the Code, as the Committee may deem appropriate).

(b) Phantom Shares shall be settled with a single-sum payment by the Company; provided that, with respect to Phantom Shares of a Grantee which have a common Settlement Date, the Committee may permit the Grantee to elect in accordance with procedures established by the Committee (taking into account, without limitation, Section 409A of the Code, as the Committee may deem appropriate) to receive installment payments over a period not to exceed 10 years.

(c) (i) Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, the “Settlement Date” with respect to a Phantom Share is as soon as practicable after (but not later than the first day of the month to follow) the date on which the Phantom Share vests; provided that a Grantee may elect, in accordance with procedures to be established by the Committee, that such Settlement Date will be deferred as elected by the Grantee to as soon as practicable after (but not later than the first day of the month to follow) the Grantee’s Termination of Service, or such other time as may be permitted by the Committee. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, elections under this Section 7.4(c)(i) must, except as may otherwise be permitted under the rules applicable under Section 409A of the Code, (A) be effective at least one year after they are made, or, in the case of payments to commence at a specific time, be made at


least one year before the first scheduled payment and (B) defer the commencement of distributions for at least five years.

(ii) Notwithstanding Section 7.4(c)(i), the Committee may provide that distributions of Phantom Shares can be elected at any time in those cases in which the Phantom Share Value is determined by reference to Fair Market Value to the extent in excess of a base value, rather than by reference to unreduced Fair Market Value.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Settlement Date, if not earlier pursuant to this Section 7.4(c), is the date of the Grantee’s death.

(d) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 7, in the event of a Change in Control, the Settlement Date shall be the date of such Change in Control and all amounts due with respect to Phantom Shares to a Grantee hereunder shall be paid as soon as practicable (but in no event more than 30 days) after such Change in Control, unless such Grantee elects otherwise in accordance with procedures established by the Committee.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, a Grantee may receive any amounts to be paid in installments as provided in Section 7.4(b) or deferred by the Grantee as provided in Section 7.4(c) in the event of an “Unforeseeable Emergency.”  For these purposes, an “Unforeseeable Emergency,” as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, is a severe financial hardship to the Grantee resulting from a sudden and unexpected illness or accident of the Grantee or “dependent,” as defined in Section 152(a) of the Code, of the Grantee, loss of the Grantee’s property due to casualty, or other similar extraordinary and unforeseeable circumstances arising as a result of events beyond the control of the Grantee. The circumstances that will constitute an Unforeseeable Emergency will depend upon the facts of each case, but, in any case, payment may not be made to the extent that such hardship is or may be relieved:

(i) through reimbursement or compensation by insurance or otherwise,

(ii) by liquidation of the Grantee’s assets, to the extent the liquidation of such assets would not itself cause severe financial hardship, or

(iii) by future cessation of the making of additional deferrals under Section 7.4 (b) and (c).

Without limitation, the need to send a Grantee’s child to college or the desire to purchase a home shall not constitute an Unforeseeable Emergency. Distributions of amounts because of an Unforeseeable Emergency shall be permitted to the extent reasonably needed to satisfy the emergency need.

7.5   Other Phantom Share Provisions.

(a) Rights to payments with respect to Phantom Shares granted under the Plan shall not be subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment, garnishment, levy, execution, or other legal or equitable process, either voluntary or involuntary; and any attempt to anticipate, alienate, sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber, attach or garnish, or levy or execute on any right to payments or other benefits payable hereunder, shall be void.

(b) A Grantee may designate in writing, on forms to be prescribed by the Committee, a beneficiary or beneficiaries to receive any payments payable after his or her death and may amend or revoke such designation at any time. If no beneficiary designation is in effect at the time of a Grantee’s death, payments hereunder shall be made to the Grantee’s estate. If a Grantee with a vested Phantom Share dies, such Phantom Share shall be settled and the Phantom Share Value in respect of such Phantom Shares paid, and any payments deferred pursuant to an election under Section 7.4(c) shall be accelerated and paid, as soon as practicable (but no later than 60 days) after the date of death to such Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, as applicable.


(c) The Committee may establish a program under which distributions with respect to Phantom Shares may be deferred for periods in addition to those otherwise contemplated by foregoing provisions of this Section 7. Such program may include, without limitation, provisions for the crediting of earnings and losses on unpaid amounts, and, if permitted by the Committee, provisions under which Participants may select from among hypothetical investment alternatives for such deferred amounts in accordance with procedures established by the Committee.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 7, any fractional Phantom Share will be paid out in cash at the Phantom Share Value as of the Settlement Date.

(e) No Phantom Share shall be construed to give any Grantee any rights with respect to Shares or any ownership interest in the Company. Except as may be provided in accordance with Section 8, no provision of the Plan shall be interpreted to confer upon any Grantee any voting, dividend or derivative or other similar rights with respect to any Phantom Share.

7.6   Claims Procedures.

(a) To the extent that the Plan is determined by the Committee to be subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, the Grantee, or his beneficiary hereunder or authorized representative, may file a claim for payments with respect to Phantom Shares under the Plan by written communication to the Committee or its designee. A claim is not considered filed until such communication is actually received. Within 90 days (or, if special circumstances require an extension of time for processing, 180 days, in which case notice of such special circumstances should be provided within the initial 90-day period) after the filing of the claim, the Committee will either:

(i) approve the claim and take appropriate steps for satisfaction of the claim; or

(ii) if the claim is wholly or partially denied, advise the claimant of such denial by furnishing to him a written notice of such denial setting forth (A) the specific reason or reasons for the denial; (B) specific reference to pertinent provisions of the Plan on which the denial is based and, if the denial is based in whole or in part on any rule of construction or interpretation adopted by the Committee, a reference to such rule, a copy of which shall be provided to the claimant; (C) a description of any additional material or information necessary for the claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation of the reasons why such material or information is necessary; and (D) a reference to this Section 7.6 as the provision setting forth the claims procedure under the Plan.

(b) The claimant may request a review of any denial of his claim by written application to the Committee within 60 days after receipt of the notice of denial of such claim. Within 60 days (or, if special circumstances require an extension of time for processing, 120 days, in which case notice of such special circumstances should be provided within the initial 60-day period) after receipt of written application for review, the Committee will provide the claimant with its decision in writing, including, if the claimant’s claim is not approved, specific reasons for the decision and specific references to the Plan provisions on which the decision is based.

8.   PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS.

8.1   Grant of Dividend Equivalent Rights.

Subject to the other terms of the Plan, the Committee shall, in its discretion as reflected by the terms of the Award Agreements, authorize the granting of Dividend Equivalent Rights to Eligible Persons based on the regular cash dividends declared on Common Stock, to be credited as of the dividend payment dates, during the period between the date an Award is granted, and the date such Award is exercised, vests or expires, as determined by the Committee. Such Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be converted to cash or additional Shares by such formula and at such time and subject to such limitation as may be determined by the Committee. With respect to Dividend Equivalent Rights granted with respect to Options intended to


be qualified performance-based compensation for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code, such Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be payable regardless of whether such Option is exercised. If a Dividend Equivalent Right is granted in respect of another Award hereunder, then, unless otherwise stated in the Award Agreement, in no event shall the Dividend Equivalent Right be in effect for a period beyond the time during which the applicable portion of the underlying Award is in effect.

8.2   Certain Terms.

(a) The term of a Dividend Equivalent Right shall be set by the Committee in its discretion.

(b) Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, except as contemplated by Section 8.4, a Dividend Equivalent Right is exercisable or payable only while the Participant is an Eligible Person.

(c) Payment of the amount determined in accordance with Section 8.1 shall be in cash, in Common Stock or a combination of the both, as determined by the Committee.

(d) The Committee may impose such employment-related conditions on the grant of a Dividend Equivalent Right as it deems appropriate in its discretion.

8.3   Other Types of Dividend Equivalent Rights.

The Committee may establish a program under which Dividend Equivalent Rights of a type whether or not described in the foregoing provisions of this Section 8 may be granted to Participants. For example, and without limitation, the Committee may grant a dividend equivalent right in respect of each Share subject to an Option or with respect to a Phantom Share, which right would consist of the right (subject to Section 8.4) to receive a cash payment in an amount equal to the dividend distributions paid on a Share from time to time.

8.4   Deferral.

The Committee may establish a program (taking into account, without limitation, the possible application of Section 409A of the Code, as the Committee may deem appropriate) under which Participants (i) will have Phantom Shares credited, subject to the terms of Sections 7.4 and 7.5 as though directly applicable with respect thereto, upon the granting of Dividend Equivalent Rights, or (ii) will have payments with respect to Dividend Equivalent Rights deferred. In the case of the foregoing clause (ii), such program may include, without limitation, provisions for the crediting of earnings and losses on unpaid amounts, and, if permitted by the Committee, provisions under which Participants may select from among hypothetical investment alternatives for such deferred amounts in accordance with procedures established by the Committee.

9.   OTHER EQUITY-BASED AWARDS

The Committee shall have the right (i) to grant other Awards based upon the Common Stock having such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine, including, without limitation, the grant of shares based upon certain conditions, the grant of convertible preferred shares, convertible debentures and other exchangeable or redeemable securities or equity interests, and the grant of stock appreciation rights, (ii) to grant limited-partnership or any other membership or ownership interests (which may be expressed as units or otherwise) in a Subsidiary or operating or other partnership (or other affiliate of the Company), with any Shares being issued in connection with the conversion of (or other distribution on account of) an interest granted under the authority of this clause (ii) to be subject, for the avoidance of doubt, to Section 4 and the other provisions of the Plan, and (iii) to grant Awards valued by reference to book value, fair value or performance parameters relative to the Company or any Subsidiary or group of Subsidiaries.


10.   PERFORMANCE GOALS.

The Committee, in its discretion, (i) may establish one or more performance goals as a precondition to the issuance or vesting of Awards, and (ii) may provide, in connection with the establishment of the performance goals, for predetermined Awards to those Participants (who continue to meet all applicable eligibility requirements) with respect to whom the applicable performance goals are satisfied. In the case of any grant intended to qualify as performance based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code (including, for these purposes, grants constituting performance based compensation, as determined without regard to certain shareholder approval and disclosure requirements by virtue of an applicable transition rule), the Committee (i) may use one or a combination of the performance goals set forth in Exhibit B; and (ii) may establish other goals (with shareholder approval of other types of goals) intended to be performance goals as contemplated by Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder.

11.   TAX WITHHOLDING.

11.1   In General.

The Company shall be entitled to withhold from any payments or deemed payments any amount of tax withholding determined by the Committee to be required by law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may, in its discretion, require the Participant to pay to the Company at such time as the Committee determines the amount that the Committee deems necessary to satisfy the Company’s obligation to withhold federal, state or local income or other taxes incurred by reason of (i) the exercise of any Option, (ii) the lapsing of any restrictions applicable to any Restricted Stock, (iii) the receipt of a distribution in respect of Phantom Shares or Dividend Equivalent Rights or (iv) any other applicable income-recognition event (for example, an election under Section 83(b) of the Code).

11.2   Share Withholding.

(a) Upon exercise of an Option, the Optionee may, if approved by the Committee in its discretion, make a written election to have Shares then issued withheld by the Company from the Shares otherwise to be received, or to deliver previously owned Shares, in order to satisfy the liability for such withholding taxes. In the event that the Optionee makes, and the Committee permits, such an election, the number of Shares so withheld or delivered shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise sufficient to satisfy the applicable withholding taxes. Where the exercise of an Option does not give rise to an obligation by the Company to withhold federal, state or local income or other taxes on the date of exercise, but may give rise to such an obligation in the future, the Committee may, in its discretion, make such arrangements and impose such requirements as it deems necessary or appropriate.

(b) Upon lapsing of restrictions on Restricted Stock (or other income-recognition event), the Grantee may, if approved by the Committee in its discretion, make a written election to have Shares withheld by the Company from the Shares otherwise to be released from restriction, or to deliver previously owned Shares (not subject to restrictions hereunder), in order to satisfy the liability for such withholding taxes. In the event that the Grantee makes, and the Committee permits, such an election, the number of Shares so withheld or delivered shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise sufficient to satisfy the applicable withholding taxes.

(c) Upon the making of a distribution in respect of Phantom Shares or Dividend Equivalent Rights, the Grantee may, if approved by the Committee in its discretion, make a written election to have amounts (which may include Shares) withheld by the Company from the distribution otherwise to be made, or to deliver previously owned Shares (not subject to restrictions hereunder), in order to satisfy the liability for such withholding taxes. In the event that the Grantee makes, and the Committee permits, such an election, any Shares so withheld or delivered shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of exercise sufficient to satisfy the applicable withholding taxes.

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11.3   Withholding Required.

Notwithstanding anything contained in the Plan or the Award Agreement to the contrary, the Participant’s satisfaction of any tax-withholding requirements imposed by the Committee shall be a condition precedent to the Company’s obligation as may otherwise be provided hereunder to provide Shares to the Participant and to the release of any restrictions as may otherwise be provided hereunder, as applicable; and the applicable Option, Restricted Stock, Phantom Shares or Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be forfeited upon the failure of the Participant to satisfy such requirements with respect to, as applicable, (i) the exercise of the Option, (ii) the lapsing of restrictions on the Restricted Stock (or other income-recognition event) or (iii) distributions in respect of any Phantom Share or Dividend Equivalent Right.

12.   REGULATIONS AND APPROVALS.

(a) The obligation of the Company to sell Shares with respect to an Award granted under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including all applicable federal and state securities laws, and the obtaining of all such approvals by governmental agencies as may be deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.

(b) The Committee may make such changes to the Plan as may be necessary or appropriate to comply with the rules and regulations of any government authority or to obtain tax benefits applicable to an Award.

(c) Each grant of Options, Restricted Stock, Phantom Shares (or issuance of Shares in respect thereof) or Dividend Equivalent Rights (or issuance of Shares in respect thereof), or other Award under Section 9 (or issuance of Shares in respect thereof), is subject to the requirement that, if at any time the Committee determines, in its discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification of Shares issuable pursuant to the Plan is required by any securities exchange or under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the issuance of Options, Shares of Restricted Stock, Phantom Shares, Dividend Equivalent Rights, other Awards or other Shares, no payment shall be made, or Phantom Shares or Shares issued or grant of Restricted Stock or other Award made, in whole or in part, unless listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval has been effected or obtained free of any conditions in a manner acceptable to the Committee.

(d) In the event that the disposition of stock acquired pursuant to the Plan is not covered by a then current registration statement under the Securities Act, and is not otherwise exempt from such registration, such Shares shall be restricted against transfer to the extent required under the Securities Act, and the Committee may require any individual receiving Shares pursuant to the Plan, as a condition precedent to receipt of such Shares, to represent to the Company in writing that such Shares are acquired for investment only and not with a view to distribution and that such Shares will be disposed of only if registered for sale under the Securities Act or if there is an available exemption for such disposition.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Company shall not be required to take or permit any action under the Plan or any Award Agreement which, in the good-faith determination of the Company, would result in a material risk of a violation by the Company of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

13.   INTERPRETATION AND AMENDMENTS; OTHER RULES.

The Committee may make such rules and regulations and establish such procedures for the administration of the Plan as it deems appropriate. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may (i) determine the extent, if any, to which Options, Phantom Shares or Shares (whether or not Shares of Restricted Stock) or Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be forfeited (whether or not such


forfeiture is expressly contemplated hereunder); (ii) interpret the Plan and the Award Agreements hereunder, with such interpretations to be conclusive and binding on all persons and otherwise accorded the maximum deference permitted by law, provided that the Committee’s interpretation shall not be entitled to deference on and after a Change in Control except to the extent that such interpretations are made exclusively by members of the Committee who are individuals who served as Committee members before the Change in Control; and (iii) take any other actions and make any other determinations or decisions that it deems necessary or appropriate in connection with the Plan or the administration or interpretation thereof. In the event of any dispute or disagreement as to the interpretation of the Plan or of any rule, regulation or procedure, or as to any question, right or obligation arising from or related to the Plan, the decision of the Committee, except as provided in clause (ii) of the foregoing sentence, shall be final and binding upon all persons. The Committee may, in its discretion, delegate the authority and responsibility to act pursuant to the Plan with respect to ministerial administrative matters, which actions shall at all times be subject to the supervision of the Committee, and the actions of such a delegee in accordance with the foregoing shall be considered the actions of the Committee hereunder. Unless otherwise expressly provided hereunder, the Committee, with respect to any grant, may exercise its discretion hereunder at the time of the Award or thereafter. The Board may amend the Plan as it shall deem advisable, except that no amendment may adversely affect a Participant with respect to an Award previously granted unless such amendments are required in order to comply with applicable laws; provided, however, that the Plan may not be amended without shareholder approval in any case in which amendment in the absence of shareholder approval would cause the Plan to fail to comply with any applicable legal requirement or applicable exchange or similar rule.

14.   CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE.

(a) If (i) the Company or its Subsidiaries shall at any time be involved in a merger, consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, reorganization, exchange of shares, sale of all or substantially all of the assets or stock of the Company or its Subsidiaries or a transaction similar thereto, (ii) any stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, stock combination, reclassification, recapitalization or other similar change in the capital structure of the Company or its Subsidiaries, or any distribution to holders of Common Stock other than cash dividends, shall occur or (iii) any other event shall occur which in the judgment of the Committee necessitates action by way of adjusting the terms of the outstanding Awards, then:

(x)  the maximum aggregate number of Shares which may be made subject to Options and Dividend Equivalent Rights under the Plan, the maximum aggregate number and kind of Shares of Restricted Stock that may be granted under the Plan, the maximum aggregate number of Phantom Shares and other Awards which may be granted under the Plan may be appropriately adjusted by the Committee in its discretion; and

(y) the Committee mayshall take any such action as in its discretion shall be necessary to maintain each Participants’ rights hereunder (including under their Award Agreements) with respect to Options, Phantom Shares and Dividend Equivalent Rights (and, as appropriate, other Awards under Section 9), so that they are substantially proportionate to the rights existing in such Options, Phantom Shares and Dividend Equivalent Rights (and other Awards under Section 9) prior to such event, including, without limitation, adjustments in (A) the number of Options, Phantom Shares and Dividend Equivalent Rights (and other Awards under Section 9) granted, (B) the number and kind of shares or other property to be distributed in respect of Options, Phantom Shares and Dividend Equivalent Rights (and other Awards under Section 9 as applicable), (C) the Option Price and Phantom Share Value, and (D) performance-based criteria established in connection with Awards; provided that, in the discretion of the Committee, the foregoing clause (D) may also be applied in the case of any event relating to a Subsidiary if the event would have been covered under this Section 14(a) had the event related to the Company.


To the extent that such action shall include an increase or decrease in the number of Shares (or units of other property then available) subject to all outstanding Awards, the number of Shares (or units) available under Section 4 shall be increased or decreased, as the case may be, proportionately, as may be determined by the Committee in its discretion.

(b) Any Shares or other securities distributed to a Grantee with respect to Restricted Stock or otherwise issued in substitution of Restricted Stock shall be subject to the restrictions and requirements imposed by Section 6, including depositing the certificates therefor with the Company together with a stock power and bearing a legend as provided in Section 6.2(a).

(c) If the Company shall be consolidated or merged with another corporation or other entity, each Grantee who has received Restricted Stock that is then subject to restrictions imposed by Section 6.3(a) may be required to deposit with the successor corporation the certificates, if any, for the stock or securities or the other property that the Grantee is entitled to receive by reason of ownership of Restricted Stock in a manner consistent with Section 6.2(b), and such stock, securities or other property shall become subject to the restrictions and requirements imposed by Section 6.3(a), and the certificates therefor or other evidence thereof shall bear a legend similar in form and substance to the legend set forth in Section 6.2(a).

(d) If a Change in Control shall occur, then the Committee, as constituted immediately before the Change in Control, may make such adjustments as it, in its discretion, determines are necessary or appropriate in light of the Change in Control, provided that the Committee determines that such adjustments do not have an adverse economic impact on the Participant as determined at the time of the adjustments.

(e) The judgment of the Committee with respect to any matter referred to in this Section 13 shall be conclusive and binding upon each Participant without the need for any amendment to the Plan.

15.   MISCELLANEOUS.

15.1   No Rights to Employment or Other Service.

Nothing in the Plan or in any grant made pursuant to the Plan shall confer on any individual any right to continue in the employ or other service of the Company or its Subsidiaries or interfere in any way with the right of the Company or its Subsidiaries and its shareholders to terminate the individual’s employment or other service at any time.

15.2   Right of First Refusal; Right of Repurchase.

At the time of grant, the Committee may provide in connection with any grant made under the Plan that Shares received hereunder shall be subject to a right of first refusal pursuant to which the Company shall be entitled to purchase such Shares in the event of a prospective sale of the Shares, subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may specify at the time of grant or (if permitted by the Award Agreement) thereafter, and to a right of repurchase, pursuant to which the Company shall be entitled to purchase such Shares at a price determined by, or under a formula set by, the Committee at the time of grant or (if permitted by the Award Agreement) thereafter.

15.3   No Fiduciary Relationship.

Nothing contained in the Plan (including without limitation Sections 7.5(c) and 8.4), and no action taken pursuant to the provisions of the Plan, shall create or shall be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or its Subsidiaries, or their officers or the Committee, on the one hand, and the Participant, the Company, its Subsidiaries or any other person or entity, on the other.


15.4   No Fund Created.

Any and all payments hereunder to any Participant under the Plan shall be made from the general funds of the Company (or, if applicable, a Participating Company), no special or separate fund shall be established or other segregation of assets made to assure such payments, and the Phantom Shares (including for purposes of this Section 15.4 any accounts established to facilitate the implementation of Section 7.4(c)) and any other similar devices issued hereunder to account for Plan obligations do not constitute Common Stock and shall not be treated as (or as giving rise to) property or as a trust fund of any kind; provided, however, that the Company may establish a mere bookkeeping reserve to meet its obligations hereunder or a trust or other funding vehicle that would not cause the Plan to be deemed to be funded for tax purposes or for purposes of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended. The obligations of the Company under the Plan are unsecured and constitute a mere promise by the Company to make benefit payments in the future and, to the extent that any person acquires a right to receive payments under the Plan from the Company, such right shall be no greater than the right of a general unsecured creditor of the Company. (If any affiliate of the Company is or is made responsible with respect to any Awards, the foregoing sentence shall apply with respect to such affiliate.)  Without limiting the foregoing, Phantom Shares and any other similar devices issued hereunder to account for Plan obligations are solely a device for the measurement and determination of the amounts to be paid to a Grantee under the Plan, and each Grantee’s right in the Phantom Shares and any such other devices is limited to the right to receive payment, if any, as may herein be provided.

15.5   Notices.

All notices under the Plan shall be in writing, and if to the Company, shall be delivered to the Board or mailed to its principal office, addressed to the attention of the Board; and if to the Participant, shall be delivered personally, sent by facsimile transmission or mailed to the Participant at the address appearing in the records of the Company. Such addresses may be changed at any time by written notice to the other party given in accordance with this Section 15.5.

15.6   Exculpation and Indemnification.

The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless the members of the Board and the members of the Committee from and against any and all liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by such persons as a result of any act or omission to act in connection with the performance of such person’s duties, responsibilities and obligations under the Plan, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

15.7   Captions.

The use of captions in this Plan is for convenience. The captions are not intended to provide substantive rights.

15.8   Governing Law.

THE PLAN SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF MARYLAND WITHOUT REFERENCE TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS.

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EXHIBIT A

PERFORMANCE GOALS

(i) 7% FFO growth.

(ii) 10% total return to shareholders.

(iii) Total return to shareholders in the top one-third of the “peer group”.

For purposes of this Exhibit A, “peer group” shall be a group of approximately 20 to 25 office REITs as determined by the Board at the time an Award is grantedAlexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc., American Financial Realty Trust, Boston Properties, Inc., Brandywine Realty Trust, Corporate Office Properties Trust, Crescent Real Estate Equities Company, Douglas Emmett, Duke Realty Corporation, Highwoods Properties, Inc., HRPT Properties, Kilroy Realty Corporation, Liberty Property Trust, Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, Maguire Properties, Parkway Properties, SL Green Realty Corp., and Washington REIT. Such “peer group” may not change with respect to any particular Award.

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EXHIBIT B

PERFORMANCE GOALS

Performance-Based Awards intended to qualify as “performance based” compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, may be payable upon the attainment of objective performance goals that are established by the Committee and relate to one or more Performance Criteria, in each case on specified date or over any period, up to 10 years, as determined by the Committee. Performance Criteria may (but need not) be based on the achievement of the specified levels of performance under one or more of the measures set out below relative to the performance of one or more other corporations or indices.

“Performance Criteria” means the following business criteria (or any combination thereof) with respect to one or more of the Company, any Subsidiary or any division or operating unit thereof:

(i)

pre-tax income,

(ii)

after-tax income,

(iii)

net income (meaning net income as reflected in the Company’s financial reports for the applicable period, on an aggregate, diluted and/or per share basis),

(iv)

operating income,

(v)

cash flow,

(vi)

earnings per share,

(vii)

return on equity,

(viii)

return on invested capital or assets,

(ix)

cash and/or funds available for distribution,

(x)

appreciation in the fair market value of the Common Stock,

(xi)

return on investment,

(xii)

total return to shareholders,

(xiii)

net earnings growth,

(xiv)

stock appreciation (meaning an increase in the price or value of the Common Stock after the date of grant of an award and during the applicable period),

(xv)

related return ratios,

(xvi)

increase in revenues,

(xvii)

net earnings,

(xviii)

changes (or the absence of changes) in the per share or aggregate market price of the Company’s Common Stock,

(xix)

number of securities sold,

(xx)

earnings before any one or more of the following items: interest, taxes, depreciation or amortization for the applicable period, as reflected in the Company’s financial reports for the applicable period,


(xxi)

total revenue growth (meaning the increase in total revenues after the date of grant of an award and during the applicable period, as reflected in the Company’s financial reports for the applicable period),

(xxii)

the Company’s published ranking against its peer group of real estate investment trusts based on total shareholder return, and

(xxiii)

FFO.

Performance Goals may be absolute amounts or percentages of amounts or may be relative to the performance of other companies or of indexes.

Except as otherwise expressly provided, all financial terms are used as defined under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) and all determinations shall be made in accordance with GAAP, as applied by the Company in the preparation of its periodic reports to shareholders.

To the extent permitted by Section 162(m) of the Code, unless the Committee provides otherwise at the time of establishing the Performance Goals, for each fiscal year of the Company, the Committee may provide for objectively determinable adjustments, as determined in accordance with GAAP, to any of the Performance Criteria described above for one or more of the items of gain, loss, profit or expense: (A) determined to be extraordinary or unusual in nature or infrequent in occurrence, (B) related to the disposal of a segment of a business, (C) related to a change in accounting principle under GAAP, (D) related to discontinued operations that do not qualify as a segment of a business under GAAP, and (E) attributable to the business operations of any entity acquired by the Company during the fiscal year.

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APPENDIX B

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT

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ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

OF

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT

ARTICLE I
INCORPORATOR

The undersigned, James O’Connor, whose address is c/o Brown & Wood LLP, One World Trade Center, New York, New York 10048, being at least 18 years of age, does hereby form a corporation under the general laws of the State of Maryland.

FIRST:  SL Green Realty Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby certifies to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “Department”) that:

FIRST: The Corporation desires to, and does hereby, amend and restate itsthe charter (the “Charter”)of the Corporation as currently in effect, and as hereinafter amended.

SECOND:  The following provisions are allconsisting of Articles of Restatement filed with the provisionsDepartment on July11,2014 (the “Charter”), pursuant to Sections2-601 et seq. of the Charter currently in effect and as hereinafter amended.Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”).

SECONDARTICLE IARTICLE II

NAME

: The nameCharter of the corporation (the “Corporation”) is:

SL Green Realty Corp.

ARTICLE IIARTICLE III

PURPOSE

The purposes for which the Corporation is formed are to engagehereby amended by deleting therefrom in any lawful act or activity (including, without limitation or obligation, engagingits entirety the existing Section1 of Article IV, and inserting in business as a real estate investment trust underlieu thereof the Internal Revenue Codefollowing new Section1 of 1986, as amended, or any successor statute (the “Code”)) for which corporations may be organized under the general laws of the State of Maryland is now or hereafter in force. For purposes of these Articles, “REIT” means a real estate investment trust under sections 856 through 860 of the Code.

ARTICLE IIIARTICLE IV

PRINCIPAL OFFICE IN STATE AND RESIDENT AGENT

The address of the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is c/o The Corporation Trust Incorporated, 32 South300 East Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The name of the resident agent of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is The Corporation Trust Incorporated, whose post address is 32 South300 East Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The resident agent is a corporation of and resident of the State of Maryland.Article IV:

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.ARTICLE IVARTICLE V

PROVISIONS FOR DEFINING, LIMITING
AND REGULATING CERTAIN POWERS OF THE
CORPORATION AND OF THE STOCKHOLDERS AND DIRECTORS

Section 1.     Number and Classification of Directors. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”). The number of directors of the Corporation initiallyshall be threefivenine (9), which number may be increased or decreased pursuant to the Bylaws of the Corporation but shall never be less than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law. The names of the nine (9) current directors who shall serve until the firstdirectorsexpiration of the Corporation are divided into three class, designated “Class I,” “Class II,” and “Class III,” respectively. At each annual meeting of stockholders, the successor to the class of directors whose term expires at such meeting shall berespective terms for which they were elected, to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of the their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualify. The namesqualified, and the year in which the current term of the directors currently in officeeach such director shall expire are:

Stephen L. Green
Benjamin P. Feldman
Steven H. Klein

Name

Class

Year of Expiration

John H. Alschuler

2018
Stephen L. Green

III

2018

Marc Holliday

Lauren B. Dillard

II

2018

Edwin T.Thomas Burton III

I

2019

Craig M. Hatkoff

2019
Andrew W. Mathias2019
Marc Holliday2020
John S. Levy

II

2020

John H. Alschuler, Jr.

Betsy Atkins

III

2020

These directors may increaseEach director shall serve for the numberterm of directorsoffice for which he or she is elected, and may fill any vacancy, whether resulting from an increase in the number of directorsuntil his or otherwise, on the Board of Directors prior to the firsther successor is duly elected and qualifies. At each annual meeting of stockholders incommencing with the manner provided in the Bylaws.

At any meeting of stockholders, the directors may be classified, with respect to the terms for which they severally hold office, into three classes, one class to hold office initially for a term expiring at the next succeeding annual meeting of stockholders another classheld in2018, the successors to hold office initially for athe directors whose term expiringexpires at the second succeedingsuch annual meeting of stockholders and another classshall be elected to hold office initially for a term expiring atuntil the third succeedingnext annual meeting of stockholders with the members of each class to hold officeand until their successors are duly elected and qualify. At each annual meeting of the stockholders, the successorsqualified.

THIRD: The foregoing amendment to the class of directors whose term expires at such meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election.

Section 2.     Authorization by Board of Stock Issuance.   The Board of Directors may authorize the issuance from time to time of shares of stock of the Corporation of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, or securities or rights convertible into shares of its stock of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, for such consideration as the Board of Directors may deem advisable, subject to such restrictions or limitations, if any, as may be set forth in the charter or the Bylaws.

Section 3.     Preemptive Rights.   Except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of classified or reclassified shares of stock pursuant to Article VIV, Section 4, no holder of shares of stock of the Corporation shall, as such holder, have any preemptive right to purchase or subscribe for any additional shares of stock of the Corporation or any other security of the Corporation which it may issue or sell.

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Section 4.     Indemnification.   The Corporation shall have the power, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to obligate itself to indemnify, and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to, (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation or (b) any individual who, while a director or officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner or trustee of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise from and against any claim or liability to which such person may become subject or which such person may incur by reason of his status as a present or former director or officer of the Corporationservice in such capacity. The corporation shall have the power, with the approval of its Board of Directors, to provide such indemnification and advancement of expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation.

Section 5.     Determinations by Board.   The determination as to any of the following matters, made in good faith by or pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors consistent with the charter and in the absence of actual receipt of an improper benefit in money, property or services or active and deliberate dishonesty established by a court, shall be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Corporation and every holder of shares of its stock: the amount of the net income of the Corporation for any period and the amount of assets at any time legally available for the payment of dividends, redemption of its stock or the payment of other distributions on its stock; the amount of paid-in surplus, net assets, other surplus, annual or other cash flow, funds from operations, net profit, net assets in excess of capital, undivided profits or excess of profits over losses on sales of assets; the amount, purpose, time of creation, increase or decrease, alteration or cancellation of any reserves or charges and the propriety thereof (whether or not any obligation or liability for which such reserves or charges shall have been created shall have been paid or discharged); any interpretation of the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers or rights, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of any class or series of stock of the Corporation; the fair value, or any sale, bid or asked price to be applied in determining the fair value, of any asset owned or held by the Corporation; and or of any shares of stock of the Corporation; the number of shares of stock of any class of the Corporation; any matters relating to the acquisition, holding and disposition of any assets by the Corporation; or any other matter relating to the business and affairs of the Corporation or required or permitted by applicable law, the Charter or Bylaws of the Corporation or otherwise to be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 6.     REIT Qualification.   If the Corporation elects to qualify for federal income tax treatment as a REIT, the Board of Directors shall use its reasonable best efforts to take such actions as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the statue of the Corporation as a REIT; however, if the Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Corporation to continue to be qualified as a REIT, the Board of Directors may revoke or otherwise terminate the Corporation’s REIT election pursuant to Section 856(g) of the Code.

Section 7.     Removal of Directors.   Any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time, for cause only, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast for the election of directors. The Board of Directors also may determine that compliance with any restriction or limitation on stock ownership and transfers set forth in Article VI is no longer required for REIT qualification. For the purposes of this paragraph, “cause” shall mean, with respect to any particular director, conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such director caused demonstrable, material harm to the Corporation through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty.

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ARTICLE VARTICLE VI

STOCK

Section 1.     Authorized Shares.   The Corporation has the authority to issue a total of [    ]260,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of 100,000,000160,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”), 25,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”), and 75,000,000 shares of Excess Stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Excess Stock”). The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $2,000,000.2,600,000. If shares of one class of stock are classified or reclassified into shares of another class or series of stock pursuant to Sections 2, 3 or 4 of this Article V, the number of authorized shares of the former class or series shall be automatically decreased and the number of shares of the latter class or series shall be automatically increased, in each case by the number of shares so classified or reclassified, so that the aggregate number of shares of stock of all classes and series that the Corporation has authority to issue shall not be more than the total number of shares of stock set forth in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Section 2.     Common Stock.   Subject to the provisions of Article VIIVI and except as otherwise may be specified in the terms of any class or series of Common Stock, each share of Common Stock shall entitle the holier thereof to one vote. The Board of Directors may reclassify any unissued shares of Common Stock from time to time in one or more classes or series of stock.

Section 3.     Preferred Stock.   The Board of Directors may classify any unissued shares of Preferred Stock and reclassify any previously classified but unissued shares of Preferred Stock of any series from time to time, in one or more series of stock.

Section 4.     Classified or Reclassified Shares.   Prior to issuance of classified or reclassified shares of any class or series, the Board of Directors by resolution shall: (a) designate that class or series to distinguish it from all other classes and series of stock of the Corporation; (b) specify the number of shares to be included in the class or series; (c) set, subject to the provisions of Article VIIVI and subject to the express terms of any class or series of stock of the Corporation outstanding at the time, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations and restrictions on ownership, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series; (d) cause the Corporation to file articles supplementary with State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (“SDAT”). Any of the terms of any class or series of stock set pursuant to clause (c) of this Section 4 may be made dependent upon facts or events ascertainable outside the charter (including determinations by the Board of Directors or other facts or events within the control of the Corporation) and may vary among holders thereof, provided that the manner in which such facts, events or variations shall operate upon the terms of such class or series of stock is clearly and expressly set forth in the articles supplementary filed with the SDAT.

Section 5.     Charter and Bylaws.   All persons who shall acquire stock in the Corporation shall acquire suchThe rights of all stockholders and the terms of all stock are subject to the provision of the charter and the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VIARTICLE VII

RESTRICTION ON TRANSFER,
ACQUISITION AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES

Section 1.     Definitions.   For purposes of this Article VIIVI, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

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“Beneficial Ownership” shall mean ownership of shares of Equity Stock by a Person who is or would be an actual owner, for Federal income tax purposes, of such shares of Equity Stock or who is or would be treated as a constructive owner of such shares of Equity Stock under Section 542(a)(2) of the Code either directly or constructively through the application of Section 544 of the Code, as modified by Sections 856(h)(1)(B) and 856(h)(3) of the Code. For purposes of determining the percentage ownership of Common Stock by any Person, shares of Common Stock that may be acquired upon conversion, exchange or exercise of any securities of the Corporation or any debt securities of SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P. directly or constructively held by such Person, but not Common Stock issuable with respect to the conversion, exchange or exercise of securities of the Corporation or debt securities of SL Green Operating Partnership, L.P. held by other Persons, shall be deemed to be outstanding prior to such conversion, exchange or exercise. The terms “Beneficial Owner,” “Beneficially Owns,” “Beneficially Own.” And “Beneficially Owned” shall have the correlative meanings.

“Charitable Beneficiary’” shall mean a beneficiary of the Trust as determined pursuant to Section 14 of the Article VIIVI.

“Effective Date” shall mean the date as of which the Corporation’s registration statement on form S-11 (File No. 33-84324) is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Equity Stock” shall mean stock that is either Common Stock or Preferred Stock.

“Market Price” as to any date shall mean the average of the last sales price reported on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (“NYSE”) of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, as the case may be, on the ten trading days immediately preceding the relevant date, or if not then traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the average of the last reported sales price of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock, as the case may be, on the ten trading days immediately preceding the relevant date as reported on any exchange or quotation system over which the Common Stock or Preferred Stock, as the case may be, may be traded, or if not then traded over any exchange or quotation system, then the market price of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock, as the case may be, on the relevant date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors.

“Ownership Limit” shall initially mean 9.0%, of the lesser of the aggregate number or value of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation and, after any adjustment as set forth in Section 9these Articles of this Article VIIVI, shall mean such percentage as so adjusted. The Corporation may, in Articles Supplementary, determine a limit on the ownership of one or more classes or series of its Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock Limit”). From and after such determination, references to the Ownership Limit herein will include the Preferred Stock Limit, as applicable. The number and value of shares of the Equity Stock of the Corporation shall be determined by the Board of Directors in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive for all purposes hereof.

“Person” shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, estate, trust (including a trust qualified under Section 401(a) or 501(c)(17) of the Code), a portion of a trust permanently set aside for or to be used exclusively for the purposes described in Section 642(c) of the Code, association, private foundation within the meaning of Section 509(a) of the Code, joint stock company or other entity and also includes a group as that term is used for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; but does not include an underwriter which participated in a public offering of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock for a period of 30 days following the purchase by such underwriter of shares of the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

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“Purported Beneficial Transferee” shall mean, with respect to any purported Transfer which results in Excess Stock as described below in Section 3 of this Article VIIVI, the purported beneficial transferee for whom the Purported Record Transferee would have acquired shares of Equity Stock, if such Transfer had notAmendment has been void under Section 2 of this Article VIIVI.

“Purported Record Transferee” shall mean, with respect to any purported Transfer, which results in Excess Stock as described below in Section 3 of this Article VIIVI, the record holder of the Equity Stock if such Transfer had not been void under Section 2 of this Article VIIVI.

“Restriction Termination Date” shall mean the first day after the Effective Date on which the Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Corporation to attempt to, or continue to, qualify as a REIT.

“Transfer” shall mean any issuance, sale, transfer, gift, assignment, devise or other disposition of Equity Stock (including (i) the granting of any option or entering into any agreement for the sale, transfer or other disposition of Equity Stock or (ii) the sale, transfer, assignment or other disposition of any securities or rights convertible into or exchangeable for Equity Stock), whether voluntary or involuntary, whether of record or beneficially and whether by operation of law or otherwise. The terms “Transfers” and “Transferred” shall have the correlative meanings.

“Trust” shall mean the trust created pursuant to Section 14 of this Article VIIVI.

“Trustee” shall mean the Person that is appointed by the Corporation pursuant to Section 14 of this Article VIIVI to serve as trustee of the Trust, and any successor thereto.

Section 2.   Ownership Limitation   (i)  Except as provided in Section 11 of this Article VIIVI, from the Effective Date and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, no Person shall Beneficially Own shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock in excess of the Ownership Limit.

(ii)   Except as provided in Section 11 of this Article VIIVI, from the Effective Date and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, any Transfer that, if effective, would result in any Person Beneficially Owning Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock in excess of the Ownership Limit shall be void ab initio as to the Transfer of such shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock which would be otherwise Beneficially Owned by such Person in excess of the Ownership Limit; and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

(iii) From the Effective Date and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, any Transfer that, if effective, would result in the Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock being Beneficially Owned by less than 100 Persons (determined without reference to any rules of attribution) shall be void ab initio as to the Transfer of such shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock which would be otherwise Beneficially Owned by the transferee; and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

(iv)  From the Effective Date and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, any Transfer that, if effective, would result in the Corporation being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code shall be void ab initio as to the Transfer of the shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock which would cause the Corporation to be “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856 (h) of the Code; and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock.

Section 3.   Excess Stock.   (i)  If, notwithstanding the other provisions contained in this Article VIIVI, at any time after the date of the Effective rate and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, there is a purported Transfer or other change in the capital structure of the Corporation such that any Person would Beneficially Own Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock in excess of the applicable Ownership Limit, then, except as otherwise provided in Section 11, such shares of Common Stock and/or


Preferred Stock in excess of such Ownership Limit (rounded up to the nearest whole share) shall be converted into Excess Stock and be treated as provided in this Article VIIVI. Such conversion and treatment shall be effective as of the close of business on the business day prior to the date of the purported Transfer or change in capital structure.

(ii)   If, notwithstanding the other provisions contained in this Article VIIVI, at any time after the date of the Effective Date and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, there is a purported Transfer or other change in the capital structure of the Corporation which, if effective, would cause the Corporation to become “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code, then the shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock being Transferred which would cause the corporation to be “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code (rounded up to the nearest whole share) shall be converted into Excess Stock and be treated as provided in this Article VIIVI. Such conversion and treatment shall be effective as of the close of business on the business day prior to the date of the purported Transfer or change in capital structure.

Section 4.   Prevention of Transfer.If the Board of Directors or its designee shall at anytime determine in good faith that a Transfer has taken place in violation of Section 2 of this Article VIIVI or that a Person intends to acquire or has attempted to acquire beneficial ownership (determined without reference to any rules of attribution) or Beneficial Ownership of any shares of stock of the Corporation in violation of Section 2 of this Article VIIVI, the Board of Directors or its designee shall take such action as it deems advisable to refuse to give effect to or to prevent such Transfer, including, but not limited to, refusing to give effect to such Transfer on the books of the Corporation or instituting proceedings to enjoin or rescind such Transfer; provided, however, that any Transfers or attempted Transfers in violation of subparagraphs Section 2 (ii) and (iv) of the Article VIIVI shall automatically result in the conversion and treatment described in Section 3, irrespective of any action (or non-action) by the Board of Directors.

Section 5.   Notice to Corporation.Any Person who acquires or attempts to acquire shares in violation of Section 2 of this Article VIIVI, or any Person who is or attempts to become a transferee such that Excess Stock results under Section 3 of this Article VIIVI, shall immediately give written notice or, in the event of a proposed or attempted Transfer, give at least 15 days prior written notice to the Corporation of such event and shall provide to the Corporation such other information as the Corporation may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such Transfer or attempted Transfer on the Corporation’s status as a REIT.

Section 6.   Information for Corporation.   From the date of the Effective Date and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, each Person who is a Beneficial Owner of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock and each Person (including the stockholder of record) who is holding Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock for a Beneficial owner shall upon demand provide in writing to the Corporation any information with respect to the direct, indirect and constructive ownership of Equity Stock of the Corporation as the Board of Directors deems necessary to comply with the provisions of the Code applicable to REITs, to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental agency or to determine any such compliance.

Section 7.   Other Action by Board.Subject to the provisions of Section 19 of this Article VIIVI, nothing contained in this Article VIIVI shall limit the authority of the Board of Directors to take such other action as it deems necessary or advisable to protect the Corporation and the interests of its stockholders by preservation of the Corporation’s status as a REIT.

Section 8.   Ambiguities.   In the case of an ambiguity in the application of any of the provisions of this Article VIIVI, including any definition contained in Section 1, the Board of Directors shall have the power to determine the application of the provisions of this Article VIIVI with respect to any situation based on the facts known to it.


Section 9.   Increase in Ownership Limit.   Subject to the limitations provided in Section 10 of this Article VIIVI, the Board of Directors may from time to time increase the Ownership Limit.

Section 10.   Limitations on Changes in Ownership Limit.   (i)  The Ownership Limit for a class or series of Equity Stock may not be increased if, after giving effect to such increase, five or fewer Beneficial Owners of Equity Stock would Beneficially Own, in the aggregate, more than 50.0% in value of the outstanding shares of Equity Stock.

(ii)   Prior to any modification of the Ownership Limit pursuant to Section 9 of this Article VIIVI, the Board of Directors may require such opinions of counsel, affidavits, undertakings or agreements as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to determine or ensure the Corporation’s status as a REIT.

Section 11.   Exemptions by Board.   The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, prospectively or retroactively, waive the Ownership Limit with respect to any particular Person or Persons if evidence satisfactory to the Board of Directors and the Corporation’s tax counsel is presented that the changes in ownership pursuant to such waiver will not cause the Corporation not to continue to be qualified as a REIT and are not reasonably likely to cause the Corporation not to continue to be qualified as a REIT in the future and the Board of Directors otherwise decides that such action is in the best interest of the Corporation.

Section 12.   Legend.   (i)  In addition to any other legend required by applicable law, each certificate for shares of Common Stock shall bear substantially the following legend:

The securities represented by this certificate are subject to restrictions on transfer for the purpose of the Corporation’s maintenance of its status as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Except as otherwise provided pursuant to the charter of the Corporation, no Person may Beneficially Own shares of Common Stock in excess of 9.0% (or such greater percentage as may be determinedduly advised by the Board of Directors of the Corporation) of the aggregate number or value of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation. Any Person who acquires or attempts to acquire shares of Common Stock in excess of the aforementioned limitation, or any Person who is or attempts to become a transferee such that Excess Stock results under the provisions of the charter, shall immediately give written notice or, in the event of a proposed or attempted Transfer, give at least 15 days prior written notice to the Corporation of such event and shall provide to the Corporation such other information as it may request in order to determine the effect of any such Transfer on the Corporation’s status as a REIT. All capitalized terms in this legend have the meanings defined in the charter of the Corporation, a copy of which, including the restrictions on transfer, will be sent to any stockholder on request and without charge. If the restrictions on transfer are violated, the securities represented hereby will be converted into and treated as shares of Excess Stock that will be transferred, by operation of law, to the trustee of a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable organizations.

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(ii)   In addition to any other legend required by applicable law, each certificate for shares of Preferred Stock shall bear such legend as may be set forth in the Articles Supplementary with respect to the transferability of such Preferred Stock.

Section 13.   Severability.If any provision of this Article VIIVI or any application of any such provision is determined to be void, invalid or unenforceable by virtue of any legal decision, statute, rule or regulation, then the Purported Record Transferee may be deemed, at the option of the Corporation, to have acted as an agent of the Corporation in acquiring such shares of Excess Stock and to hold such shares of Excess Stock on behalf of the Corporation and the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected and other applications of such provision shall be affected only to the extent necessary to comply with the determination of such court.

Section 14.   Trust for Excess Stock.   Upon any purported Transfer that results in Excess Stock pursuant to Section 3 of this Article VIIVI, such Excess Stock shall be deemed to have been transferred by operation of law to the Trustee of a trust (the “Trust”) for the exclusive benefit of one or more Charitable Beneficiaries. The Trustee shall be appointed by the Corporation, and shall be a Person unaffiliated with the Corporation, any Purported Beneficial Transferee or any Purported Record Transferee. By written notice to the Trustee, the Corporation shall designate one or more non-profit organizations to be the Charitable Beneficiary(ies) of the interest in the Trust representing the Excess Stock such that (a) the shares of Equity Stock, from which the shares of Excess Stock held in the Trust were so converted, would not violate the restrictions set forth in Section 2 of this Article VIIVI in the hands of such Charitable Beneficiary and (b) each Charitable Beneficiary is an organization described in Sections 170(b)(1)(a), 170(c)(2) and 501(c)(3) of the Code. The Trustee of the Trust will be deemed to own the Excess Stock for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary on the date of the purported Transfer that result in Excess Stock pursuant to Section 3 of this Article VIIVI. Shares of Excess Stock so held in trust shall be issued and outstanding stock of the Corporation. The Purported Record Transferee shall have no rights in such Excess Stock except as expressly providedfor in the this Article VIIVI.

Section 15.   Dividends on Excess Stock.   Shares of Excess Stock will be entitled to dividends and distributions authorized and declared with respect to the class or series of Equity Stock from which the Excess Stock was converted and will be payable to the Trustee of the Trust in which such Excess Stock is held, for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary. Dividends and distributions will be authorized and declared with respect to each share of Excess Stock in an amount equal to the dividends and distributions authorized and declared on each share of stock of the class or series of Equity Stock from which the Excess Stock was converted. Any dividend or distribution paid to a Purported Record Transferee of Excess Stock prior to the discovery by the Corporation that Equity Stock has been transferred in violation of the provisions of the Charter shall be repaid by the Purported Record Transferee to the Trustee upon demand. The Corporation shall rescind any dividend or distribution authorized and declared but unpaid as void ab initio with respect to the Purported Record Transferee, and the Corporation shall pay such dividend or distribution when due to the Trustee of the trust for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary.

  Section 16.   Liquidation Distributions for Excess Stock.   Subject to the preferential rights of the Preferred Stock, if any, as may be determined by the Board of Directors, in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of, or any other distribution of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, each holder of shares of Excess Stock shall be entitled to receive, in the case of Excess Stock converted from Preferred Stock, ratably with each other holder of Preferred Stock and Excess Stock converted from Preferred Stock and having the same rights to payment upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up as such Preferred Stock and, in the case of Excess Stock converted from Common Stock, ratably with each other holder of Common Stock and Excess Stock converted from Common Stock, that portion of the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders as the number of shares of the Excess Stock held by such holder bears to the total number of shares of (i) Preferred Stock and Excess Stock thee outstanding (in the case of Excess Stock converted from


Preferred Stock) and (ii) Common Stock and Excess Stock then outstanding (in the case of Excess Stock converted from Common Stock).

Any liquidation distributions to be distributed with respect to Excess Stock shall be distributed in the same manner as proceeds from the sale of Excess Stock are distributed as set forth in Section 18 of this Article VIIVI.

Section 17.   Voting Rights for Excess Stock.   Any vote cast by a Purported Record Transferee of Excess Stock prior to the discovery by the Corporation that Equity Stock has been transferred in violation of the provisions of the Charter shall be void ab initio. While the Excess Stock is held in trust, the Purported Record Transferee will be deemed to have given an irrevocable proxy to the Trustee to vote the shares of Equity Stock which have been converted into shares of Excess Stock for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary.

Section 18.   Non-Transferability of Excess Stock.   Excess Stock shall not be transferable. In its sole discretion, the Trustee of the Trust may transfer the interest in the Trust representing shares of Excess Stock to any Person if the shares of Excess Stock would not be Excess Stock in the hands of such Person. If such transfer is made, the interest of the Charitable Beneficiary in the Excess Stock shall terminate and the proceeds of the sale shall be payable by the Trustee to the Purported Record Transferee and to the Charitable Beneficiary as herein set forth. The Purported Record Transferee shall receive from the Trustee the lesser of (i) the price paid by the Purported Record Transferee for its shares of Equity Stock that were converted into Excess Stock or, if the Purported Record Transferee did not give value for such shares (e.g., the stock was received through a gift, devise or other transaction), the average closing price for the class of shares from which such shares of Excess Stock were converted for the ten trading days immediately preceding such sale or gift, and (ii) the price received by the Trustee from the sale or other disposition of the Excess Stock held in trust. The Trustee may reduce the amount payable to the Purported Record Transferee by the amount of dividends and distributions which have been paid to the Purported Record Transferee and are owed by the Purported Record transferee to the Trustee pursuant to Section 15 of this Article VIIVI. Any proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the Purported Record Transferee shall be paid by the Trustee to the Charitable Beneficiary. Upon such transfer of an interest in the Trust, the corresponding shares of Excess Stock in the Trust shall be automatically exchanged for an equal number of shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, as applicable, and such shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stocks applicable, shall be transferred of record to the transferee of the interest in the Trust if such shares of Common Stock and/or Preferred Stock, as applicable, would not be Excess Stock in the hands of such transferee. Prior to any transfer of any interest in the Trust, the Corporation must have waived in writing its purchase rights under Section 20 of this Article VIIVI.

Section 19.   NYSE Transactions.   Nothing in this Article VIIVI shall preclude the settlement of any transaction entered into through the facilities of the NYSE. The fact that the settlement of any transaction may occur shall not negate the effect of any other provision of this Article VIIVI and any transferee in such a transaction shall be subject to all of the provisions and limitations set forth in this Article VIIVI.

Section 20.   Call by Corporation on Excess Stock.   Shares of Excess Stock shall be deemed to have been offered for sale to the Corporation, or its designee, at a price per share payable to the Purported Record Transferee equal to the leaser of (i) the price per share in the transaction that created such Excess Stock (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the Market Price at the time of such devise or gift) and (ii) the Market Price of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock from which such Excess Stock was converted on the date the Corporation, or its designee, accepts such offer. The Corporation may reduce the amount payable to the Purported Record Transferee by the amount of dividends and distributions which have been paid to the Purported Record Transferee and are owed by the Purported Record Transferee to the Trustee pursuant to Section 15 of this Article VIIVI. The Corporation may pay the amount of such reductions to the Trustee for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary. The Corporation shall have the right to accept


such offer for a period of 90 days after the later of (i) the date of the Corporation’s receipt of notice pursuant to Section 5 of this Article VIIVI and (ii) if the Corporation does not receive a notice of such Transfer pursuant to Section 5 of this Article VIIVI, the date that the Board of Directors determines in good faith that a Transfer resulting in Excess Stock has occurred, but in no event later than a permitted Transfer pursuant to and in compliance with the terms of Section 18 of this Article VIIVI.

Section 21.   Enforcement.   The Corporation is authorized specifically to seek equitable relief, including injunctive relief, to enforce the provisions of this Article VIIVI.

Section 22.   Non-waiver.   No delay or failure on the part of the Corporation or the Board of Directors in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any right of the Corporation or the Board of Directors, as the case may be, except to the extent specifically waived in writing.

ARTICLE VIIARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENTS

The Corporation reserves the right from time to time to make any amendment to its charter, now or hereafter authorized by law, including any amendment altering the terms or contract rights, as expressly set forth in this charter, of any shares of outstanding stock. All rights and powers conferred by the charter on stockholders, directors and officers are granted subject to this reservation. Any amendment to the charter shall be valid only if approved by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

ARTICLE VIIIARTICLE IX

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent that Maryland law in effect from time to time permits limitation of the liability of directors and officers of a corporation, no present or former director or officer of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for money damages. Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article IXVIII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the charter or Bylaws inconsistent with this Article IXVIII, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding sentence with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

THIRD:  The foregoing amendment to and restatement of the Charter has been approved by a majority of the Board of Directors and approved by the stockholders of the Corporation as required by law.

FOURTHFOURTH:  The current address: These Articles of Amendment shall be effective upon filing with the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amended and restated Charter.Department.

FIFTHFIFTH:  The name and address of the Corporation’s current resident agent are as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amended and restated Charter.

SIXTH:  The number of directors of the Corporation and the names of those currently in office are as set forth in Article IV of the foregoing amended and restated Charter.

SEVENTH:  The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation had authority to issue immediately prior to this amendment and restatement and has authority to issue pursuant to the foregoing is 200,000,000, consisting of 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, 25,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share and 75,000,000 shares of Excess Stock, $0.01 par value per share. The aggregate par value of all shares of stock having par value is $2,000,000.


EIGHTH:: The undersigned Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation acknowledges these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be the corporate act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned Chief Executive Officer acknowledges that to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I2017 Proxy Statement  B-1



Table of Contents

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
420 LEXINGTON AVE.
NEW YORK, NY 10170

AUTHORIZE YOUR PROXY BY INTERNET -www.proxyvote.com
Use the Internet to transmit your voting instructions and for electronic delivery of information up until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you access the web site 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 until 11:59 P.M. Eastern Time the day before the cut-off date or meeting date. Have your proxy card in hand when you call and then follow the instructions.

AUTHORIZE YOUR PROXY BY MAIL
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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:

E24792-P88412      

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DETACH AND RETURN THIS PORTION ONLY

THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following:
1.Election of Directors
Nominees:ForAgainstAbstain
1a.Betsy Atkins
1b.Marc Holliday
1c.John S. Levy
The Board of Directors recommends you vote FOR the following proposals:
2.To approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, our executive compensation.
3.To approve the amendment of our Articles of Restatement to effect the declassification of our Board of Directors.
4.To ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017.






The Board of Directors recommends you vote 1 YEAR on the following proposal:1 Year2 Years3 YearsAbstain
5.To recommend, by a non-binding advisory vote, whether an advisory vote on our executive compensation should be held every one, two or three years.
The Board of Directors recommends you vote AGAINST the following proposal:ForAgainstAbstain
6.To consider and act upon a stockholder proposal regarding setting target amounts of CEO compensation.
7.To consider and act upon any other matters that may properly be brought before the Annual Meeting and at any adjournments or postponements thereof.


The undersigned hereby acknowledge(s) receipt of the Notice of the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference, and revoke(s) any proxy or proxies heretofore given with respect to the Annual Meeting. This proxy may be revoked at any time prior to the time voting is declared closed by giving the corporate secretary of SL Green Realty Corp. written notice of revocation or by a subsequently dated proxy, or by casting a ballot at the Annual Meeting.

This solicitation of proxies is made by and on behalf of the Board. The validity of this proxy is governed by the Maryland General Corporation Law and applicable federal securities laws. This proxy does not revoke any prior powers of attorney except for prior proxies given in connection with the Annual Meeting.

Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) hereon. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, or other fiduciary, 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]DateSignature (Joint Owners)Date



Table of Contents











Important Notice Regarding the Corporation has caused
these ArticlesAvailability of IncorporationProxy Materials for the Annual Meeting:
The Notice and acknowledgeProxy Statement and Annual Report are available at www.proxyvote.com.













E24793-P88412          



SL GREEN REALTY CORP.
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The undersigned stockholder(s) hereby appoint(s) Stephen L. Green and Andrew S. Levine, or either of them, as proxies, each with the samepower to appoint his substitute and hereby authorize(s) them to represent and to vote as designated on the reverse side of this ballot all of the shares of Common Stock of SL GREEN REALTY CORP. that the stockholder(s) is/are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be my actheld at The Grand Hyatt New York, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, New York at 10:00 A.M., local time on this 9th day ofThursday, June 1997.Amendment1, 2017 and Restatementany adjournment or postponement thereof.

THIS PROXY, WHEN PROPERLY EXECUTED, WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED BY THE STOCKHOLDER(S) AND IN THE DISCRETION OF THE PROXYHOLDER ON ANY OTHER MATTER PROPERLY BROUGHT BEFORE THE MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENT OR POSTPONEMENT THEREOF. IF NO SUCH DIRECTIONS ARE MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS' NOMINEES LISTED ON THE REVERSE SIDE HEREOF, FOR PROPOSALS 2, 3 AND 4, 1 YEAR ON PROPOSAL 5 AND AGAINST PROPOSAL 6.

PLEASE MARK, SIGN AND DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED REPLY ENVELOPE.





Continued and to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its Chief Executive Officer and attested to by its Secretary on this [    ] day of May, 2007.
reverse side

James O’Connor

ATTEST:

SL GREEN REALTY CORP.

By:

(SEAL)

Andrew S. Levine

Marc Holliday

Secretary

Chief Executive Officer

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