September 15, 2022
Page 2
and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor trustee (the “Trustee”), as amended and supplemented by a supplemental indenture, dated as of July 5, 2011 (the “Supplemental Indenture”). The Base Indenture, as amended and supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture, is hereinafter referred to as the “Indenture.” The Depositary Shares may be issued under one or more deposit agreements (each, a “Deposit Agreement”) by and between the Company and a financial institution identified therein as the depositary (each, a “Depositary”). The Warrants may be issued under one or more warrant agreements (each, a “Warrant Agreement”) between the Company and a third party to be identified therein as warrant agent (each, a “Warrant Agent”). The Indenture, the Deposit Agreements and the Warrant Agreements are herein collectively referred to as the “Agreements.” The Debt Securities, Guarantees, Depositary Shares and Warrants are herein collectively referred to as the “Securities.”
As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company, the Operating Partnership and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the internal laws of the State of New York and the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, and we express no opinion with respect to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the laws of any other jurisdiction or, in the case of Delaware, any other laws, or as to any matters of municipal law or the laws of any local agencies within any state. Various matters concerning laws of the State of Maryland are addressed in the opinion of Ballard Spahr LLP, separately provided to you. We express no opinion with respect to those matters, and to the extent elements of those opinions are necessary to the conclusions expressed herein, we have, with your consent, assumed such matters.
Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof:
(1) When (i) the specific terms of a particular Debt Security have been duly established in accordance with the Indenture and authorized by all necessary limited partnership action of the Operating Partnership, and (ii) such Debt Security has been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the Indenture and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and/or the applicable Prospectus Supplement and by such limited partnership action, then such Debt Security will be a legally valid and binding obligation of the Operating Partnership, enforceable against the Operating Partnership in accordance with its terms.
(2) When (i) the specific terms of the Guarantees of a particular Debt Security and such Debt Security have been duly established in accordance with the Indenture, (ii) the Guarantees have been authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and such Debt Security has been authorized by all necessary limited partnership action of the Operating Partnership, (iii) such Guarantees have been duly executed, issued and delivered in accordance with the Indenture and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and/or the applicable Prospectus Supplement and by such corporate action, and (iv) such Debt Security has been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the Indenture and in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and/or the applicable Prospectus Supplement and by such limited partnership action, then such Guarantees will be legally valid and binding obligations of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with their terms.