Exhibit 5.1
[LETTERHEAD OF BALLARD SPAHR ANDREWS & INGERSOLL, LLP]
February 23, 2007
AMB Property Corporation
Pier 1, Bay 1
San Francisco, California 94111
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Re: |
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AMB Property Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the Company) Registration
Statement on Form S-3 pertaining to an indeterminate aggregate initial offering price
or number of shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the
Common Stock) and shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the
Company (the Preferred Stock) |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as Maryland corporate counsel to the Company in connection with the registration
of the shares of Common Stock and shares of Preferred Stock (each a Security and collectively,
the Securities) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act), by the Company on Form
S-3, filed or to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) on or
about February 23, 2007, and any amendments thereto (the Registration Statement), if any are to
be filed with the Commission subsequent to the date hereof. You have requested our opinion with
respect to the matters set forth below.
In our capacity as Maryland corporate counsel to the Company and for the purposes of this
opinion, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our
satisfaction, of the following documents (collectively, the Documents):
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(i) |
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the corporate charter of the Company (the Charter),
represented by Articles of Incorporation filed with the Maryland State
Department of Assessments and Taxation (the Department) on November 24, 1997,
Articles Supplementary filed with the Department on July 23, 1998 (the July
1998 Articles Supplementary), Articles Supplementary filed with the Department
on November 12, 1998, Articles Supplementary filed with the Department on
November 25, 1998, Certificate of Correction filed with the Department on March
18, 1999 correcting the July 1998 Articles Supplementary, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on May 5, 1999, Articles Supplementary
filed with the Department on August 31, |
BALLARD SPAHR ANDREWS & INGERSOLL, LLP
AMB Property Corporation
February 23, 2007
Page 2
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1999, Articles Supplementary filed with the Department on March 23, 2000,
Articles Supplementary filed with the Department on August 30, 2000,
Articles Supplementary filed with the Department on September 1, 2000,
Articles Supplementary filed with the Department on March 21, 2001, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on September 24, 2001, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on December 6, 2001, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on April 17, 2002, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on August 7, 2002, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on June 20, 2003, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on November 24, 2003, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on December 8, 2003, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on December 12, 2005, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on February 17, 2006, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on March 22, 2006, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on August 24, 2006, Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on October 3, 2006 and Articles
Supplementary filed with the Department on February 22, 2007; |
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(ii) |
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the Bylaws of the Company, as adopted as of November 24, 1997
and as amended and restated pursuant to the First Amended and Restated Bylaws
of the Company, on or as of March 5, 1999, the Second Amended and Restated
Bylaws of the Company, on or as of February 27, 2001, the Third Amended and
Restated Bylaws of the Company, on or as of May 15, 2003, the Fourth Amended
and Restated Bylaws of the Company, on or as of August 16, 2004, and the Fifth
Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, on or as of February 16, 2007 (the
Bylaws); |
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(iii) |
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the Written Organizational Action of the Board of Directors of
the Company dated as of November 24, 1997 (the Organizational Minutes); |
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(iv) |
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resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company
(the Board of Directors) on December 7, 2006 and February 16, 2007
(collectively, the Directors Resolutions); |
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(v) |
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a certificate of Michael A. Coke, Assistant Secretary of the
Company, dated as of the date hereof (the Officers Certificate), to the
effect that, among other things, the Charter, the Bylaws, the Organizational
Minutes and the Directors Resolutions are true, correct and complete, have not
been rescinded or modified and are in full force and effect on the date of the
Officers Certificate; |
BALLARD SPAHR ANDREWS & INGERSOLL, LLP
AMB Property Corporation
February 23, 2007
Page 3
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(vi) |
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the Registration Statement and the related form of prospectus
included therein (the Prospectus), in substantially the form filed or to be
filed with the Commission pursuant to the Act; |
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(vii) |
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a status certificate of the Department, dated as of a recent
date, to the effect that the Company is duly incorporated and existing under
the laws of the State of Maryland; and |
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(viii) |
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such other laws, records, documents, certificates, opinions and instruments
as we have deemed necessary to render this opinion, subject to the limitations,
assumptions and qualifications noted below. |
In reaching the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the following:
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(a) |
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each person executing any instrument, document or agreement on
behalf of any party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so; |
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(b) |
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each natural person executing any instrument, document or
agreement is legally competent to do so; |
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(c) |
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any of the Documents submitted to us as originals are
authentic; the form and content of any Documents submitted to us as unexecuted
drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and
content of such documents as executed and delivered; any of the Documents
submitted to us as certified, facsimile or photostatic copies conform to the
original Documents; all signatures on all of the Documents are genuine; all
public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and
complete; all statements and information contained in the Documents are true
and complete; there has been no modification of, or amendment to, any of the
Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the
Documents by action or omission of the parties or otherwise; |
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(d) |
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the resolutions to be adopted subsequent to the date hereof,
and the actions to be taken by the Board of Directors subsequent to the date
hereof, including, but not limited to, the adoption of all resolutions and the
taking of all actions necessary to authorize the issuance and sale of the
Securities in accordance with the procedures set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2
below, will occur at duly called meetings at which a quorum of the incumbent
directors of the Company is present and acting throughout, or by unanimous
written consent of all incumbent directors, all in accordance with the Charter
and Bylaws of the Company and applicable law; |
BALLARD SPAHR ANDREWS & INGERSOLL, LLP
AMB Property Corporation
February 23, 2007
Page 4
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(e) |
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the number of shares of Preferred Stock of each class and the
number of shares of Common Stock to be offered and sold subsequent to the date
hereof as Securities under the Registration Statement, together with the number
of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion or exchange of shares of
Preferred Stock of each class subsequent to the date hereof, will not, in the
aggregate, exceed the number of shares of Preferred Stock of such class, and
the number of shares of Common Stock, respectively, authorized in the Charter
of the Company, less the number of shares of Preferred Stock of such class and
the number of shares of Common Stock, respectively, authorized and reserved for
issuance and/or issued and outstanding on the date subsequent to the date
hereof on which the Securities are authorized, the date subsequent to the date
hereof on which the Securities are issued and delivered, and the date
subsequent to the date hereof on which any shares of Common Stock are issued
pursuant to the conversion or exchange of shares of Preferred Stock of such
class; |
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(f) |
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none of the terms of any Security to be established subsequent
to the date hereof, nor the issuance and delivery of such Security containing
such terms established subsequent to the date hereof, nor the compliance by the
Company with the terms of such Security established subsequent to the date
hereof, nor the form of certificate evidencing such Security approved
subsequent to the date hereof, will violate any applicable law or will conflict
with, or result in a breach or violation of, the Charter or Bylaws of the
Company, any instrument or agreement to which the Company is a party or by
which the Company is bound or any order or decree of any court, administrative
or governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; |
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(g) |
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the form of certificate representing the Securities approved
subsequent to the date hereof will conform in all respects to the requirements
applicable under Maryland law; and |
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(h) |
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none of the Securities to be offered and sold subsequent to the
date hereof, and none of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the
conversion or exchange of shares of Preferred Stock of any class subsequent to
the date hereof, (i) will be issued in violation of the provisions of the
Charter of the Company imposing restrictions on ownership and transfer of
shares of stock of the Company, or (ii) will be issued or sold to an Interested
Stockholder of the Company or any Affiliate thereof, as each such term is
defined in Subtitle 6 of Title 3 of the Maryland General Corporation Law
(the MGCL), in violation of Section 3-602 of the MGCL. |
BALLARD SPAHR ANDREWS & INGERSOLL, LLP
AMB Property Corporation
February 23, 2007
Page 5
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions and qualifications set forth herein, it
is our opinion that:
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1. |
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Upon due authorization by the Board of Directors of a
designated number of shares of Common Stock for issuance at a minimum price or
value of consideration to be set by the Board of Directors, all necessary
corporate action on the part of the Company will have been taken to authorize
the issuance and sale of such shares of Common Stock, and when such shares of
Common Stock are issued and delivered against payment of the consideration
therefor as set by the Board of Directors, whether upon original issue or upon
conversion or exchange of duly authorized and validly issued shares of
Preferred Stock, such shares of Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid
and non-assessable. |
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2. |
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Upon: (a) designation by the Board of Directors of one or more
classes of Preferred Stock to distinguish each such class from any other
outstanding classes of Preferred Stock; (b) setting by the Board of Directors
of the number of shares of Preferred Stock to be included in such class; (c)
establishment by the Board of Directors of the preferences, conversion and
other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends,
qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption of such class of
Preferred Stock; (d) filing by the Company with the Department of articles
supplementary setting forth a description of such class of Preferred Stock,
including the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers,
restrictions, limitations as to dividends, qualifications and terms and
conditions of redemption as set by the Board of Directors and a statement that
such class of the Preferred Stock has been classified by the Board of Directors
under the authority contained in the Charter, and the acceptance for record by
the Department of such articles supplementary; and (e) due authorization by the
Board of Directors of a designated number of shares of such class of Preferred
Stock for issuance at a minimum price or value of consideration to be set by
the Board of Directors, all necessary corporate action on the part of the
Company will have been taken to authorize the issuance and sale of the shares
of such class of Preferred Stock, and when such shares of such class of
Preferred Stock are issued and delivered against payment of the consideration
therefor as set by the Board of Directors, such shares of such class of Preferred
Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
BALLARD SPAHR ANDREWS & INGERSOLL, LLP
AMB Property Corporation
February 23, 2007
Page 6
The foregoing opinion is limited to the substantive laws of the State of Maryland, and we do
not express any opinion herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to the
applicability or effect of any federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of
the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers. To the
extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by any
jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter.
This opinion letter is issued as of the date hereof and is necessarily limited to laws now in
effect and facts and circumstances presently existing and brought to our attention. We assume no
obligation to supplement this opinion letter if any applicable laws change after the date hereof,
or if we become aware of any facts or circumstances that now exist or that occur or arise in the
future and may change the opinions expressed herein after the date hereof.
We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and further
consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the applications to securities commissioners
for the various states of the United States for registration of the Securities. We also consent to
the identification of our firm as Maryland counsel to the Company in the section of the
Registration Statement entitled Legal Matters. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we
are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Act.
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Very truly yours, |
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/s/ Ballard Spahr
Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP |