SEC Form DEFA14A filed by Veris Residential Inc.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Filed by the Registrant x

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant ¨

Check the appropriate box:

Veris Residential, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

N/A

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

This Schedule 14A relates solely to preliminary communications made prior to furnishing stockholders of Veris Residential, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”) with a definitive proxy statement related to the proposed transaction with AC Residential Acquisition LP, a Delaware limited Partnership (“Parent”), AC Residential REIT LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Merger Sub I”), AC Residential OP LP, a Delaware limited partnership (“Merger Sub II”, together with Merger Sub I, the “Merger Subs”) and Veris Residential, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership and the operating partnership of the Company (the “Company Partnership”) upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 23, 2026, by and among the Company, Parent, Merger Subs and the Company Partnership.

TRANSACTION – PARTNERS / SUPPLIERS / VENDORS LETTER

Dear Valued Partner,

Earlier today, Veris Residential announced a significant development for our business. We have entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by an investor group led by real estate private equity firm Affinius Capital. You can read the full press release regarding the transaction here. Your partnership is important to us and we wanted to make sure you heard from us directly.

This development represents the culmination of a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives following inbound interest in the premier portfolio we have built to date, a testament to our exceptional resident experience and reputation in the market. The investor group brings deep knowledge of the Jersey City market, a proven track record in property management and the ability to deliver immediate value to our residents.

At this time, Veris will continue to operate as usual as we move through the customary regulatory and shareholder approval process, and your existing points of contact will remain the same.

As we proceed toward closing, which we expect will take place in the second quarter of 2026, our focus remains firmly on operating our communities in-line with our best-in-class standards and supporting our residents. This transaction reflects the strength of the Veris platform and portfolio, which would not be possible without the support of partners like you.

While we recognize this news may prompt questions, we are limited in what we can share beyond the press release at this time. Should you have questions, we encourage you to review the full press release, which contains the details we are able to share at this time. Your point of contact remains available for matters related to our day-to-day work together.

Thank you again for the important role you play in supporting our communities. We look forward to our continued partnership.

Sincerely,
[INSERT]

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of such act. Such forward-looking statements relate to, without limitation, the proposed transaction, our future economic performance, plans and objectives for future operations, and projections of revenue and other financial items. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “intend,” “predict,” “would,” “plan,” “potential,” “projected,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “target,” “continue” or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to certain risks, trends, changes in circumstances and uncertainties, many of which we cannot predict with accuracy and some of which we may not anticipate, including, but not limited to: (i) historical financial information may not be representative of future results; (ii) the completion of the proposed transaction on the anticipated terms and timing, or at all, including obtaining stockholder approval, and the satisfaction of other conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction as well as the failure to realize anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction; (iii) there may be significant transaction costs in connection with the proposed transaction and the proposed transaction may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; (iv) there may be liabilities that are not known, probable or estimable at this time or unexpected costs, charges or expenses; (v) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the proposed transaction, including in circumstances requiring the Company to pay a termination fee; (vi) any effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on the Company’s ability to operate its business and retain and hire key personnel and to maintain favorable business relationships; (vii) the proposed transaction may result in the diversion of management’s time and attention from ordinary course business operations to issues relating to the proposed transaction; (viii) certain restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction that may impact the Company’s ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; (ix) unfavorable outcome of legal proceedings related to the proposed transaction; (x) the risk that the Company’s share price may decline significantly if the proposed transaction is not consummated; (xi) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreaks of war or hostilities or public health issues, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xiii) other risks and uncertainties detailed in periodic reports that the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

There can be no assurance that the proposed transaction will be completed, or if it is completed, that it will close within the anticipated time period. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors presented in the proxy statement, in preliminary and definitive form, on Schedule 14A (the “Proxy Statement”) will be, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties and should be read in conjunction with the other forward-looking statements. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made and we undertake no obligation to update, and expressly disclaim any obligation to update, any forward-looking statements, or any other information in this communication, whether resulting from developments, circumstances or events that arise after the date the statements are made, new information, or otherwise. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from what we may have expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements in this communication are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. You should specifically consider the factors identified in this communication that could cause actual results to differ. Furthermore, new risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions at the time made, we can give no assurance that such expectations will be achieved as anticipated or that our results, estimates or assumptions will be correct. Future events and actual results, financial and otherwise, may differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and are advised to consider the factors listed above together with the additional factors under the heading “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as may be supplemented or amended by the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are incorporated herein by reference. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking statements that become untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.

Additional Information and Where to Find It; No Offer or Solicitation;

In connection with the proposed Merger, the Company intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a Proxy Statement. This communication is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or any other document that the Company may file with the SEC or send to its stockholders in connection with the proposed merger. STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE ADVISED TO CAREFULLY READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED OR TO BE FILED BY THE COMPANY WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED MERGERS, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED MERGERS BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, THE PROPOSED MERGERS AND THE BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED AT THE SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS. All such documents, when filed, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov). These documents, once available, and the Company’s other filings with the SEC also will be available free of charge on the Company’s website at https://investors.verisresidential.com/sec-filings.

This communication is also not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.

Participants in the Solicitation

The Company, its directors and certain of its executive officers and employees may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders in connection with the proposed merger. Information regarding the names of the Company’s directors and executive officers and certain other individuals and their respective interests in the Company by security holdings or otherwise is set forth in the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A for its 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 29, 2025 (the “2025 Definitive Proxy”), which is available here, and the Company’s Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on July 23, 2025, which is available here. Please refer to the sections captioned “Directors and Executive Officers,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Executive Compensation” and “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change of Control” in the 2025 Definitive Proxy for more information. To the extent that certain Company participants or their affiliates have acquired or disposed of security holdings since the “as of” date disclosed in the 2025 Definitive Proxy, such transactions have been or will be reflected on Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership on Form 3, Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 or amendments to beneficial ownership reports on Schedules 13D filed with the SEC, which are available at: https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?CIK=0000924901&owner=exclude. Such filings, the 2025 Definitive Proxy and the aforementioned Form 8-K are available free of charge on the Company’s website at https://investors.verisresidential.com/sec-filings or through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Updated information regarding the identity of potential participants, and their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the Company’s proxy statement on Schedule 14A and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed merger.