Exhibit 8.1
August 14, 2009
AMB Property Corporation
Pier 1, Bay 1
San Francisco, California 94111
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355 South Grand Avenue |
Los Angeles, California 90071-1560 |
Tel: +1.213.485.1234 Fax: +1.213.891.8763 |
www.lw.com |
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FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES |
Abu Dhabi
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Munich |
Barcelona
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New Jersey |
Brussels
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New York |
Chicago
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Orange County |
Doha
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Paris |
Dubai
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Rome |
Frankfurt
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San Diego |
Hamburg
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San Francisco |
Hong Kong
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Shanghai |
London
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Silicon Valley |
Los Angeles
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Singapore |
Madrid
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Tokyo |
Milan
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Washington, D.C. |
Moscow |
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Re: |
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AMB Property Corporation |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as tax counsel to AMB Property Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the
Company), in connection with the filing by the Company and AMB Property, L.P. of a
registration statement on Form S-3 on August 14, 2009 (together with the documents incorporated
by reference therein, the Registration Statement) with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the Commission) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
Act).
You have requested our opinion concerning certain of the federal income tax considerations
relating to the Company. This opinion is based on various facts and assumptions, including the
facts set forth in the Registration Statement concerning the business, assets and governing
documents of the Company and its subsidiaries. We have also been furnished with, and with your
consent have relied upon, certain representations made by the Company and its subsidiaries with
respect to certain factual matters through a certificate of an officer of the Company, dated as of
the date hereof (the Officers Certificate).
In our capacity as tax counsel to the Company, we have made such legal and factual
examinations and inquiries, including an examination of originals or copies certified or otherwise
identified to our satisfaction of such documents, corporate records and other instruments as we
have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion. For the purposes of our
opinion, we have not made an independent investigation or audit of the facts set forth in the above
referenced documents or in the Officers Certificate. In addition, in rendering this opinion we
have assumed the truth and accuracy of all representations and statements made to us which are
qualified as to knowledge or belief, without regard to such qualification. In our examination, we
have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the genuineness of all
signatures thereon, the legal capacity of natural persons executing such documents and the
conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.
We are opining herein only as to the federal income tax laws of the United States, and we
express no opinion with respect to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of other
federal
August
14, 2009
Page 2
laws, the
laws of any state or other jurisdiction or as to any matters of municipal law or
the laws of any other local agencies within any state.
Based on such facts, assumptions and representations, it is our opinion that the statements
set forth in the Registration Statement under the caption United States Federal Income Tax
Considerations, insofar as they purport to summarize certain provisions of the statutes or
regulations referred to therein, are accurate summaries in all material respects.
No opinion is expressed as to any matter not discussed herein.
This opinion is rendered to you as of the date of this letter, and we undertake no obligation
to update this opinion subsequent to the date hereof. This opinion is based on various statutory
provisions, regulations promulgated thereunder and interpretations thereof by the Internal Revenue
Service and the courts having jurisdiction over such matters, all of which are subject to change
either prospectively or retroactively. Any such change may affect the
conclusions stated herein. Also, any variation or difference in the facts from those set
forth in the Registration Statement or the Officers Certificate may affect the conclusions stated
herein.
This opinion is rendered only to you and is solely for your benefit in connection with the
transaction described above. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or
furnished to, assigned to, quoted to or relied upon by any other person, firm or other entity for
any purpose without our prior written consent, which may be granted or withheld in our discretion,
except that this opinion may be relied upon by persons entitled to rely on it pursuant to
applicable provisions of federal securities law.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement,
and to the reference to our firm name in the Registration Statement under the caption Legal
Matters. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are within the category of
persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules or regulations of the
Commission promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/
Latham & Watkins LLP