UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1

LASALLE HOTEL PROPERTIES

(a Maryland real estate investment trust)

3,000,000 Common Shares*

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Dated: December 6, 2005

Table of Contents

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LASALLE HOTEL PROPERTIES

(a Maryland real estate investment trust)

Common Shares of Beneficial Interest

(Par Value $.01 Per Share)

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

December 6, 2005

Banc of America Securities LLC

9 West 57th Street

New York, New York 10019

Ladies and Gentlemen:

LaSalle Hotel Properties, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Banc of America Securities LLC (“Banc of America”) with respect to the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase by Banc of America of 3,000,000 of the Company’s common shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per share (“Common Shares”), and with respect to the grant by the Company to Banc of America of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 450,000 additional Common Shares. The aforesaid 3,000,000 Common Shares (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by Banc of America and all or any part of the 450,000 Common Shares subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are hereinafter collectively called the “Securities.”

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-125057, which also constitutes a post-effective amendment to a previous registration statement No. 333-104054 pursuant to Rule 429 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act Regulations”)) covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the 1933 Act Regulations and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. Any information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information.” Each prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted Rule 430B Information is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” Such registration statement, at any given time, including the amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at such time and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by 1933 Act Regulations, and the Rule 430B Information is herein called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of

the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The final prospectus in the form first furnished to Banc of America for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at the time of the execution of this Agreement and the base prospectus dated August 19, 2005 that forms a part thereof (the “Base Prospectus”), is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

The Company will contribute the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities to LaSalle Hotel Operating Partnership, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), and in exchange therefor, at the Closing Time (as defined in Section 2(c)) or Date of Delivery (as defined in Section 2(b)), as applicable, the Operating Partnership will issue to the Company common units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership (“Units”).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

The term “Subsidiary” means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity, a majority of the outstanding voting or capital stock, partnership, membership or other voting or equity interests or general partnership interests, as the case may be, of which is owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company, the Operating Partnership, or by one or more other Subsidiaries of the Company or the Operating Partnership.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties .

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company and the Operating Partnership. Each of the Company and the Operating Partnership represents and warrants to Banc of America as of the date hereof, the Initial Sale Time referred to in Section 1(a)(i) hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of the Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with Banc of America, as follows:

(i) Compliance with Registration Requirements . The Company and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for use of Form S-3

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under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective, at the deemed effective date with respect to Banc of America pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

The Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued, at the date hereof, at the time of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to Banc of America for use in connection with this offering were identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

As of the Initial Sale Time (as defined below) the Base Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) identified on Schedule I hereto and the information included on Schedule II hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “Disclosure Package”), did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

The representations and warranties in the preceding four paragraphs shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto, or the Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to

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Banc of America furnished to the Company in writing by Banc of America expressly for use in the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, or the Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by Banc of America consists of the information described as such in Section 3(o) hereof.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

“Initial Sale Time” means 9:00 am (Eastern time) on December 6, 2005 or such other time as agreed by the Company and Banc of America.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

(ii) Incorporated Documents . The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations or 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), as applicable, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, (a) at the time the Registration Statement became effective, (b) at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was first used and the date and time of the first contract of sale of Securities in this offering and (c) at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(iii) Company Not Ineligible Issuer . As of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

(iv) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses . Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus attached to Schedule I hereto, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date of which the Company notified or notifies Banc of America as described in Section 3(A)(d), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will

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conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by Banc of America specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by Banc of America consists of the information described as such in Section 3(o) hereof.

(v) Independent Accountants . The accounting firm that certified the financial statements and supporting schedules incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

(vi) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures . The financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries set forth in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates and for the periods specified, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, set forth in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. Any selected historical operating and financial data set forth in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with the books and records of the Company and that of the audited financial statements set forth in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and Prospectus. In addition, any pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto set forth in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the basis described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein; other than as set forth therein, the Company is not required to include any proforma financial statement in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or any document required to be filed with the Commission under the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable.

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(vii) No Material Adverse Change in Business . Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package: (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the properties, earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise and (C) except for regular monthly dividends on the Common Shares, in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, regular quarterly distributions on the Company’s 10  ¹ / 4 % Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of Beneficial Interest (liquidation preference $25 per share), par value $.01 per share, regular quarterly distributions on the Company’s 8.375% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of Beneficial Interest (liquidation preference $25 per share), par value $.01 per share, regular quarterly distributions on the Company’s 7.25% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of Beneficial Interest (liquidation preference $25 per share), par value $.01 per share, if any, regular quarterly distributions on the Company’s 7.5% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Shares of Beneficial Interest (liquidation preference $25 per share), par value $.01 per share and regular monthly and quarterly distributions on the Units, the series A preferred units of limited partnership in the Operating Partnership (the “Series A Units”), the series B preferred units of limited partnership in the Operating Partnership (the “Series B Units”), the series C preferred units of limited partnership in the Operating Partnership (the “Series C Units”) and the series D preferred units of limited partnership in the Operating Partnership (the “Series D Units”), there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital shares or any distribution by the Operating Partnership with respect to any of its limited partnership interests.

(viii) Good Standing of the Company . The Company is a real estate investment trust duly formed and validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland, with full trust power and authority to own and lease its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified or registered as a foreign real estate investment trust and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification or registration is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(ix) Good Standing of the Operating Partnership . The Operating Partnership has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited partnership in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has the partnership power and partnership authority under the Operating Partnership Agreement (as defined below) and the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct the business in which it is engaged as described in the Disclosure Package and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.

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The Operating Partnership is duly qualified or registered as a foreign partnership to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification or registration is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or register would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and holds such number and/or percentage of Units, Series A Units, Series B Units and Series D Units as disclosed in the Disclosure Package as of the dates set forth therein, free and clear of any perfected security interest or any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances. The Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership, dated as of April 29, 1998, as amended by the First Amendment thereto, dated as of March 6, 2002 and the Second Amendment thereto, dated as of September 30, 2003 (collectively, the “Operating Partnership Agreement”), is in full force and effect.

(x) Good Standing of Subsidiaries . The only Subsidiaries of the Company are (i) the Subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21 to the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, (ii) LHO Backstreets Lessee, L.L.C., (iii) LHO Backstreets, L.L.C. and (iv) Westban Hotel Investors, LLC. Each of the Subsidiaries of the Company or the Operating Partnership has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited partnership, general partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is chartered or organized and has the requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package, and is duly qualified or registered as a foreign corporation, limited partnership, general partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, and is in good standing in the jurisdiction in which such qualification or registration is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or register would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. All the outstanding shares of capital stock, partnership interests, limited liability company interests or other equivalent equity interests of each such Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock, partnership interests, limited liability company interests or other equivalent equity interest of the Subsidiaries are owned by the Company or the Operating Partnership either directly or through wholly-owned Subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest or any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances.

(xi) Capitalization . If the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus contains a “Capitalization” section, the authorized, issued and outstanding capital shares of the Company are as set forth in the column entitled “Actual” under such section (except for subsequent issuances thereof, if any, contemplated under this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The issued and outstanding capital shares have been duly authorized and validly issued by the Company and are fully paid and non-assessable, and none of the outstanding capital shares was issued in violation of preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

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(xii) Authorization of Units and Preferred Units . All issued and outstanding Units, Series A Units, Series B Units, Series C Units and Series D Units have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and have been offered and sold or exchanged by the Operating Partnership in compliance with applicable laws. The Units to be issued to the Company in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Operating Partnership to the Company in exchange for the net proceeds of the offering, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Units will not be subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder or partner of the Operating Partnership.

(xiii) Authorization and Description of Securities . The Securities to be purchased by Banc of America from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to Banc of America pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The Securities conform to all statements relating thereto contained in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. No holder of the Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder. The issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The form of certificate used to evidence the Securities will be in substantially the form to be filed or incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and such form complies with all applicable statutory requirements, requirements of the Company’s Articles of Amendment and Restatement of Declaration of Trust, dated as of April 24, 1998, as amended and supplemented (the “Declaration of Trust”), and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) and requirements of the New York Stock Exchange.

(xiv) Authorization of Agreement . This Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein have been duly authorized by the Company and the Operating Partnership, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Operating Partnership and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company and the Operating Partnership enforceable in accordance with its terms except to the extent that the indemnification provisions hereof may be limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in respect thereof and except as enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity.

(xv) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts . None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary is (A) in violation of its declaration of trust, partnership agreement, charter, by-laws or other governing instrument (“Governing Instruments”) or (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) or

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(C) in violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations (“Laws”), except for such violations or defaults of any Agreements and Instruments or Laws that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in each of the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company and the Operating Partnership with their respective obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments or Laws (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Governing Instruments of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary or of any Laws except for such violations that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a material portion of such indebtedness by the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary.

(xvi) Absence of Labor Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Operating Partnership, is imminent, and the Company and the Operating Partnership are not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of their or any Subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xvii) Absence of Proceedings . There is no action, arbitration, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any arbitrator or court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Operating Partnership, threatened, against or affecting the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or which might materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company or the Operating Partnership of their respective obligations hereunder. The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

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(xviii) Accuracy of Exhibits . There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.

(xix) REIT Qualification . Commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 1998, the Company has been, and upon the sale of the Securities, the Company will continue to be organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the Company’s present and proposed method of operation as described in the Disclosure Package will enable it to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code. The Operating Partnership will be taxed as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

(xx) Investment Company Act . None of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary is, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(xxi) Possession of Intellectual Property . The Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary has received any written notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any Subsidiary therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) Absence of Further Requirements . No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company or the Operating Partnership of their respective obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have already been obtained or will be obtained under the 1933 Act or as required under state securities laws or the rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.

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(xxiii) Possession of Licenses and Permits . Each of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the Subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them except where failure to possess any such Governmental Licenses would not result, singly or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Effect; the Company, the Operating Partnership and their Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and none of the Company, the Operating Partnership or any of the Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental