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8-K - 8-K - Physicians Realty Trusta14-19299_28k.htm
EX-5.1 - EX-5.1 - Physicians Realty Trusta14-19299_2ex5d1.htm

Exhibit 8.1

 

Baker & McKenzie LLP

 

300 East Randolph Street, Suite 5000

Chicago, IL 60601

United States

 

Tel: +1 312 861 8000

Fax: +1 312 861 2899

www.bakermckenzie.com

 

Asia Pacific

Europe, Middle East & Africa

Latin America

North America

Bangkok

Abu Dhabi

Bogota

Chicago

Beijing

Almaty

Brasilia*

Dallas

Hanoi

Amsterdam

Buenos Aires

Houston

Ho Chi Minh City

Antwerp

Caracas

Miami

Hong Kong

Bahrain

Guadalajara

New York

Jakarta*

Baku

Juarez

Palo Alto

Kuala Lumpur*

Barcelona

Mexico City

San Francisco

Manila*

Berlin

Monterrey

Toronto

Melbourne

Brussels

Porto Alegre*

Washington, DC

Shanghai

Budapest

Rio de Janeiro*

 

Singapore

Cairo

Santiago

 

Sydney

Casablanca

Sao Paulo*

 

Taipei

Doha

Tijuana

 

Tokyo

Dusseldorf

Valencia

 

 

Frankfurt/Main
Geneva

 

 

 

 

 

Istanbul

 

 

 

Johannesburg

 

 

 

Kyiv

 

 

 

London

 

 

 

Luxembourg

 

 

 

Madrid

 

 

 

Milan

 

 

 

Moscow

 

 

 

Munich

 

 

 

Paris

 

 

 

Prague

 

 

 

Riyadh

 

 

 

Rome

 

 

 

St. Petersburg

 

 

 

Stockholm

 

 

 

Vienna

 

 

 

Warsaw

 

 

 

Zurich

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


* Associated Firm

 

August 19, 2014

 

 

 

Physicians Realty Trust

 

735 N. Water Street

 

Suite 1000

 

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

 

RE:                          Physicians Realty Trust
Qualification as Real Estate Investment Trust

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as U.S. federal income tax counsel for Physicians Realty Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale of up to 124,913 of the Company’s common shares, par value of $0.01 per share (the “Offering”), pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-197842), as amended through the date hereof (the “Registration Statement”), that was filed on behalf of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  You have requested our opinion regarding certain U.S. federal income tax matters.

 

In connection with the opinions rendered below, we have examined the following:

 

1)                                     the Company’s Declaration of Trust;

 

2)                                     the Company’s Bylaws;

 

3)                                     the Registration Statement;

 

4)                                     the prospectus dated August 19, 2014 relating to the offering of common shares of the Company that forms a part of and is included in the Registration Statement (the “Base Prospectus”) as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated August 19, 2014 relating to the issuance and sale of up to 124,913 of the Company’s common shares (the “Prospectus Supplement,” and the Base Prospectus together with the Prospectus Supplement, the “Prospectus”); and

 

5)                                     such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion.

 

In connection with the opinions rendered below, we have assumed generally that:

 

Baker & McKenzie LLP is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Swiss Verein.

 



 

1)                                     Each of the documents referred to above has been duly authorized, executed and delivered; is authentic, if an original, or is accurate, if a copy; and has not been amended.

 

2)                                     During the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and subsequent fiscal years, the Company, the partnerships and the corporations in which the Company owns an interest (respectively, the “Partnerships” and “Corporations”) have operated and will continue to operate in such a manner that makes and will continue to make the factual representations contained in a certificate, dated as of the date hereof and executed by a duly appointed officer of the Company (the “Officer’s Certificate”), true for such years.

 

3)                                     No amendments to the organizational documents of the Company, the Partnerships and the Corporations will be made after the date of this opinion that would affect the Company’s qualification as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) for any taxable year.

 

4)                                     No action will be taken by the Company, the Partnerships or the Corporations after the date hereof that would have the effect of altering the facts upon which the opinions set forth below are based.

 

In connection with the opinions rendered below, we also have relied upon the correctness of the factual representations contained in the Officer’s Certificate.  After reasonable inquiry, we are not aware of any facts inconsistent with the factual representations set forth in the Officer’s Certificate.

 

Based on the documents and assumptions set forth above, the representations set forth in the Officer’s Certificate, the factual matters in the discussion in the Prospectus under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” (which discussion is incorporated herein by reference), we are of the opinion that:

 

a)                                     the Company qualified to be taxed as a REIT pursuant to sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, and the Company’s organization and current method of operation will enable it to continue to qualify to be taxed as a REIT for its current fiscal year ending December 31, 2014 and in the future;

 

b)                                     the statements contained in the Prospectus under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” insofar as such statements

 

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constitute matters of law, summaries of legal matters, or legal conclusions, have been reviewed by us and fairly present and summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.

 

We will not review on a continuing basis the Company’s compliance with the documents or assumptions set forth above, or the representations set forth in the Officer’s Certificate.  Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of the Company’s operations for its fiscal year ending December 31, 2014, and subsequent fiscal years will satisfy the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.

 

We also note that the tax consequences addressed herein depend upon the actual occurrence of events in the future, which events may or may not be consistent with any representations or covenants made to us for purposes of this opinion.  In particular, the qualification and taxation of the Company as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes depend upon the Company’s ability to meet on a continuing basis certain distribution levels, diversity of stock ownership, and the various qualification tests imposed by the Code.  To the extent that the facts differ from those represented to or assumed by us herein, our opinion should not be relied upon.

 

Our opinion is based on existing law as contained in the Code, final and temporary Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative pronouncements of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) and court decisions as of the date hereof.  The provisions of the Code and the Treasury Regulations, IRS administrative pronouncements and case law upon which this opinion is based could change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect.  In addition, some of the issues under existing law that could significantly affect our opinion have not yet been authoritatively addressed by the IRS or the courts, and our opinion is not binding on the IRS or the courts.  Hence, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge, or that the courts will agree, with our conclusions.

 

We have acted as U.S. federal income tax counsel to the Company with respect to the Offering.  The foregoing opinions are limited to the U.S. federal income tax matters addressed herein, and no other opinions are rendered with respect to other U.S. federal tax matters or to any issues arising under the tax laws of any other country, or any state or locality.  We have also not considered any non-tax matters.  We undertake no obligation to update the opinions expressed herein after the date of this letter.

 

This opinion is furnished to you solely for use in connection with the Registration

 

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Statement and the Prospectus.  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.  We also consent to the reference to our firm name in the Prospectus under the captions “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and “Legal Matters.”  In giving this consent, we do not admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder, nor do we hereby admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the Registration Statement within the meaning of the term “experts” as used in the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

/s/ Baker & McKenzie LLP

 

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