Ameriprise 2015 Annual Report Download - page 62

standards and securities and insurance rating agency processes and standards applicable to our businesses and the
financial services industry; and (vi) changes in general economic or market conditions.
Stock markets in general have experienced volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of a
particular company. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and of Delaware law may prevent or delay an
acquisition of our company, which could decrease the market value of our common stock.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions intended to deter coercive takeover
practices and inadequate takeover bids by making them unacceptably expensive to the raider and to encourage
prospective acquirers to negotiate with our board of directors rather than to attempt a hostile takeover. These provisions
include, among others: (i) elimination of the right of our shareholders to act by written consent; (ii) rules regarding how
shareholders may present proposals or nominate directors for election at shareholder meetings, either directly or through
proxies; (iii) the right of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without shareholder approval; and (iv) limitations on
the rights of shareholders to remove directors.
Delaware law also imposes some restrictions on mergers and other business combinations between us and any
holder of 15% or more of our outstanding common stock.
We believe these provisions protect our shareholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by requiring
potential acquirers to negotiate with our board of directors and by providing our board of directors time to assess any
acquisition proposal. They are not intended to make our company immune from takeovers. However, these provisions apply
even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some shareholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition that our
board of directors determines is not in the best interests of our company and our shareholders.
The issuance of additional shares of our common stock or other equity securities may result in a dilution of
interest or adversely affect the price of our common stock.
Our certificate of incorporation allows our directors to authorize the issuance of additional shares of our common stock, as
well as other forms of equity or securities that may be converted into equity securities, without shareholder approval. We
have in the past and may in the future issue additional equity or convertible securities in order to raise capital, in
connection with acquisitions or for other purposes. Any such issuance may result in a significant dilution in the interests of
our current shareholders and adversely impact the market price of our common stock.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
We operate our business from two principal locations, both of which are located in Minneapolis, Minnesota: the Ameriprise
Financial Center, an 848,000 square foot building that we lease, and our 885,000 square foot Client Service Center,
which we own. Our lease term for the Ameriprise Financial Center began in November 2000 and extends for 20 years, with
several options to extend the term. Our aggregate annual rent for the Ameriprise Financial Center is $15 million.
Ameriprise Financial, Inc. also: (i) owns the 171,000 square foot Oak Ridge Conference Center, a training facility and
conference center in Chaska, Minnesota, which can also serve as a disaster recovery site, if necessary; and (ii) owns a
99,000 square foot service center in Las Vegas, Nevada that houses certain Ameriprise Advisor Center, Ameriprise Auto &
Home Insurance, service delivery, technology and human resources employees.
Ameriprise Auto and Home Insurance leases approximately 132,000 square feet at its corporate headquarters in DePere,
Wisconsin, a suburb of Green Bay. The lease has a twenty-year term expiring in 2024 with an option to renew the lease for
up to six renewal terms of five years each. Ameriprise Auto and Home Insurance also leases a 34,000 square foot office
space in Phoenix, Arizona with a lease term expiring in 2019.
Threadneedle moved to new office space in London in early 2015 where it occupies approximately 65,000 square feet of
a shared building under a lease expiring in 2029. In addition, Threadneedle also leases an office in Swindon, UK where it
occupies approximately 8,000 square feet. Threadneedle also leases property in a number of other cities to support its
global operations, including in Chile, Denmark, Dubai, France, Germany, Geneva, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and South Korea.
Columbia Management leases offices in Boston containing approximately 156,000 square feet under a lease that expires
in 2021 and facilities in New York City containing approximately 90,000 square feet under a lease expiring in 2019. In
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