You are cordially invited to the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Equity Commonwealth. The Board of Trustees will hold the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in a virtual-only format in lieu of an in-person meeting to prioritize the health and well-being of meeting participants.

At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to (i) elect the 8 trustees named in our proxy materials to the Board of Trustees, (ii) approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers, (iii) ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021, and (iv) transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting. The accompanying Notice of the Annual Meeting describes these matters.

We have elected to provide access to our proxy materials on the Internet under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s “notice and access” rules, instead of mailing printed copies of those materials to each shareholder. Our proxy materials are available at www.proxyvote.com. We have sent to our shareholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials that provides instructions on how to access our proxy materials on the Internet. Please read the enclosed information carefully before submitting your proxy.

The Board of Trustees appreciates and encourages your participation in the Annual Meeting. Regardless of whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, it is important that your shares be represented. Accordingly, please vote your shares by following the instructions contained in our proxy materials. If you do attend the Annual Meeting, you may withdraw your proxy and vote at the Annual Meeting.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and any adjournments or postponements thereof (the “Annual Meeting”), of Equity Commonwealth, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Company”), will be held in a virtual-only format on June 23, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., Central Time. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting, vote your shares electronically and submit your questions during the live webcast of the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EQC2021 and entering your control number included in the notice containing instructions on how to access Annual Meeting materials or your proxy card. The Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes:

The Board of Trustees will hold the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in virtual-only format in lieu of an in-person meeting to prioritize the health and well-being of meeting participants. Broadridge, a global proxy services firm, will host the virtual-only Annual Meeting. In order to participate in the virtual-only Annual Meeting, vote during the Annual Meeting and submit questions, please log into the meeting platform at: www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/EQC2021. The virtual-only Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, on June 23, 2021. Online access will begin at 8:45 a.m. Central Time. We encourage you to access the virtual-only Annual Meeting prior to the start time. Broadridge will have personnel ready to assist you with any technical difficulties you may have accessing the virtual-only Annual Meeting. Shareholders who hold their shares in “street name” through a broker or other financial institution or are registered shareholders may use the 16-digit control number and the instructions previously distributed to them to join the virtual-only Annual Meeting. We know of no other matters to come before the Annual Meeting. Only holders of record of common shares at the close of business on April 15, 2021 are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting or at any adjournments or postponements thereof.

Regardless of the number of shares you hold, as a shareholder your role is very important, and the Board strongly encourages you to exercise your right to vote. Pursuant to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s “notice and access” rules, our Proxy Statement, proxy card and 2020 Annual Report to Shareholders are available online at www.proxyvote.com.

We encourage you to contact the firm assisting us in the solicitation of proxies, D.F. King & Co., Inc. (“D.F. King”), if you have any questions or need assistance in voting your shares. Banks and brokers may call D.F. King collect at (212) 269-5550. Shareholders may call D.F. King toll-free at (877) 783-5524.

This Proxy Statement is furnished by the Board of Equity Commonwealth, a Maryland real estate investment trust, in connection with the Board’s solicitation of proxies for the Annual Meeting, and any adjournments or postponements thereof, to be held in a virtual-only format on June 23, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., Central Time. This Proxy Statement is first being made available to shareholders on or about April 27, 2021. Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this Proxy Statement to “Equity Commonwealth,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” refer to Equity Commonwealth, together with its consolidated subsidiaries.

Pursuant to rules adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we have elected to provide access to our proxy materials via the Internet. Accordingly, rather than paper copies of our proxy materials, we are sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Proxy Notice”) to our shareholders.

The Proxy Notice includes instructions on how to access our proxy materials over the Internet at www.proxyvote.com and how to request a printed set of the proxy materials by mail or an electronic set of materials by e-mail.

In addition, shareholders may request to receive future proxy materials in printed form by mail or electronically by e-mail on an ongoing basis. Choosing to receive future proxy materials by e-mail will save us the cost of printing and mailing documents to you and will reduce the environmental impact of our annual meetings. If you choose to receive future proxy materials by e-mail, you will receive an e-mail next year with instructions containing a link to those materials and the proxy voting site. Your election to receive future proxy materials by e-mail will remain in effect until you terminate it.

You are being asked to vote on the following proposals:

Our Board knows of no other matters to be brought before the Annual Meeting.

The Board recommends that you vote as follows:

The close of business on April 15, 2021 has been fixed as the record date (the “Record Date”) for the Annual Meeting. Only shareholders of record of our common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Shares”), at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to notice of, to attend, and to vote at the Annual Meeting. On April 15, 2021, we had approximately 121,921,850 Common Shares outstanding.

Each Common Share is entitled to one vote on each matter to be voted on.

If your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, you are considered the shareholder of record with respect to those shares and the Proxy Notice was sent directly to you by us. In that case, you may instruct the proxy holders named in the proxy card (the “Proxy Agents”) how to vote your Common Shares in one of the following ways:

Proxies submitted over the Internet, by telephone or by mail must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on June 22, 2021.

If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name,” and the Proxy Notice was forwarded to you by that organization. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to instruct that organization on how to vote the shares held in your account. You should instruct your broker or nominee how to vote your shares by following the voting instructions provided by your broker or nominee.

Proxies submitted properly via one of the methods discussed above will be voted in accordance with the instructions contained therein. If the proxy is submitted but voting instructions are not made, the proxy will be voted “FOR” each of the 8 trustee nominees, “FOR” approval, on a non-binding advisory basis, of the compensation of our named executive officers and “FOR” the ratification of the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021, and in such manner as the Proxy Agents, in their discretion, determine upon such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting. If the proxy is submitted and voting instructions are made for some, but not all, of the proposals, as to matters in which instructions are given, the proxy will be voted in accordance with those instructions, and for all other proposals, the proxy will be voted as described in the prior sentence.

If your Common Shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or other similar organization, under applicable rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) (the exchange on which our Common Shares are traded), the brokers will vote your shares according to the specific instructions they receive from you. If brokers that hold Common Shares for a beneficial owner do not receive voting instructions from that owner at least 10 days prior to the Annual Meeting, the broker may vote only on the proposal if it is considered a “routine” matter under the NYSE’s rules. On non-routine matters, nominees do not have discretionary voting power and cannot vote without instructions from the beneficial owners, resulting in a so-called “broker non-vote.” Pursuant to the rules of the NYSE, the election of trustees and the approval of the compensation of our named executive officers are each a “non-routine” matter and brokerage firms may not vote without instructions from their client on these matters, resulting in a broker non-vote. In contrast, ratification of the appointment of an independent registered public accounting firm is considered a “routine” matter under NYSE’s rules, which means that brokers have discretionary voting authority to the extent they have not received voting instructions from their client on the matter.

The proposals to be voted on at the Annual Meeting have the following voting requirements:

A quorum of shareholders is required for shareholders to take action at the Annual Meeting, except that the Annual Meeting may be adjourned if less than a quorum is present. The presence, through the virtual meeting platform or by proxy, of holders of Common Shares entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at the Annual Meeting on any matter will constitute a quorum. Shares that are voted “FOR,” “AGAINST,” “WITHHOLD” or “ABSTAIN” will be treated as being present at the Annual Meeting for purposes of establishing a quorum. Accordingly, if you have returned a valid proxy or attend the Annual Meeting through the virtual meeting platform, your shares will be counted for the purpose of determining whether there is a quorum, even if you wish to abstain from voting on some or all matters. Broker non-votes will also be counted as present for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum.

Only shareholders as of the Record Date, or their duly appointed proxies, may attend the Annual Meeting. Shareholders may be asked to provide proof of stock ownership as of the Record Date. If you are not a shareholder of record but hold shares through a broker or nominee (i.e., in street name), you should provide proof of beneficial ownership on the Record Date, such as your most recent account statement, a copy of the voting instruction card provided by your broker, trustee or nominee or other similar evidence of ownership.

Yes. Voting in advance does not affect your right to attend the virtual-only Annual Meeting. If you send in your proxy card and also attend the Annual Meeting, you do not need to vote again at the Annual Meeting unless you want to change your vote. Ballots will be available at the meeting for shareholders of record. If you are not

a shareholder of record but hold shares through a broker or nominee (i.e., in street name), you may vote your shares at the Annual Meeting only if you obtain a legal proxy from the broker, trustee or nominee that holds your shares giving you the right to vote the shares. Even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we recommend that you also submit your proxy or voting instructions prior to the meeting as described above so that your vote will be counted if you later decide not to attend the Annual Meeting.

The proposals set forth in this Proxy Statement constitute the only business that the Board intends to present at the Annual Meeting. The proxy does, however, confer discretionary authority upon the Proxy Agents or their substitutes to vote on any other business that may properly come before the meeting. If the Annual Meeting is postponed or adjourned, the Proxy Agents can vote your shares on the new meeting date as well, unless you have revoked your proxy.

You may revoke your proxy at any time prior to its use by (i) delivering a written notice of revocation to our Secretary at Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 2100, Chicago, Illinois 60606, (ii) filing a duly executed proxy bearing a later date with us or (iii) attending and voting at the Annual Meeting. If your Common Shares are held by a broker, bank or any other persons holding Common Shares on your behalf, you must contact that institution to revoke a previously authorized proxy.

The enclosed proxy for the Annual Meeting is being solicited by the Board. Proxies also may be solicited, without additional compensation, by our trustees and officers by mail, telephone or other electronic means or in person. We are paying the costs of this solicitation, including the preparation, printing, mailing and website hosting of proxy materials. We will request banks, brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to forward proxy materials to the beneficial owners of our Common Shares and to obtain their voting instructions. We will reimburse those firms for their expenses. In addition, we have retained D.F. King & Co., Inc. (“D.F. King”) to assist in the solicitation of proxies, for which we will pay a fee of $8,000 plus reimbursement of expenses. We have agreed to indemnify D.F. King against certain liabilities arising out of our agreement with D.F. King.

No person is authorized to give any information or to make any representation not contained in this Proxy Statement, and, if given or made, you should not rely on that information or representation as having been authorized by us. The delivery of this Proxy Statement does not imply that the information herein has remained unchanged since the date of this Proxy Statement.

Please call the firm assisting us in the solicitation of proxies, D.F. King, if you have any questions or need assistance in voting your shares. Banks and brokers may call D.F. King collect at (212) 269-5550. Shareholders may call D.F. King toll-free at (877) 783-5524.

The Board has set the number of trustees at 8. The 8 individuals named below, each of whom currently serves on our Board, have been recommended by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and nominated by our Board to serve on the Board until our 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their respective successors are elected and qualify. Based on its review of the relationships between the trustee nominees and the Company, the Board has determined that all of our trustees, other than Sam Zell and David Helfand, are independent under applicable SEC and NYSE rules.

The Board has no reason to believe that any of the persons named below as a nominee for our Board will be unable, or will decline, to serve as a member of the Board if elected. If any nominee is unavailable for election or service, the Board may designate a substitute nominee and the persons designated as proxy holders on the proxy card will vote for the substitute nominee recommended by the Board. Under these circumstances, the Board also may, as permitted by our bylaws, decrease the size of the Board.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has set forth in a written policy minimum qualifications that a trustee candidate must possess. See “Corporate Governance and Board Matters—Trustee Nominee Selection Process.”

The table below sets forth the names and ages of the trustees nominated for election at the Annual Meeting, as well as the positions and offices held.

Set forth below is certain biographical information of our trustee nominees.

Sam Zell has been our trustee and Chairman of the Board since May 2014. Mr. Zell is also the founder and has served as the Chairman of Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR), a multifamily real estate investment trust, and Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE: ELS), a real estate investment trust focused on manufactured home communities, since 1993. Mr. Zell is also the Chairman of Equity Group Investments (“EGI”), a private entrepreneurial investment firm he founded more than 50 years ago. He is also founder and Chairman of Equity International, a private investment firm focused on real estate-related companies outside the U.S., which introduced the first Brazilian and Mexican real estate companies, respectively, to NYSE. Mr. Zell has also served as Chairman of the Board of Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE: CVA) since 2005, and Chairman of the Board of Equity Distribution Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: EQD) since 2020. Previously, Mr. Zell founded and served as Chairman of Equity Office Properties Trust (“EOP”), which was sold in February 2007 for $39 billion in the largest private equity transaction at the time. Mr. Zell also previously served as Chairman of Anixter International Inc., a leading global provider of communications, security, and wire and cable products, from 1985 to 2020. Through the Zell Family Foundation, he has led the sponsorship of several leading entrepreneurship programs, including the Zell/Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, the Zell Fellows Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and the Zell Entrepreneurship Center at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC). The Zell Global Entrepreneur Network (ZGEN) unites the students and alumni of these programs and actively provides them with connections, opportunities, mentorship and support. Mr. Zell also sponsors the Samuel Zell/Robert Lurie Real Estate Center at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Real Estate Center. Mr. Zell was recognized in 2017 by Forbes as one of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. He holds a J.D. and a B.A. from the University of Michigan.

Our Board determined that Mr. Zell should serve on our Board based on his experience of over 40 years as a chairman, director and executive of various companies, his management of billions of dollars in global investments, his strong track record of stewarding companies towards the maximization of their potential and being recognized as a founder of the modern real estate investment trust (“REIT”) industry and a leading driver for increased transparency and disclosure by public companies.

Ellen-Blair Chube became a trustee in September 2020. Ms. Chube has served as a Partner, Managing Director and Client Service Officer for the Investment Bank for William Blair since 2015. Ms. Chube is responsible for high-level engagement with clients, including the development of a global client service platform to obtain insights and feedback from the firm’s clients on their individual and collective interactions. Prior to joining William Blair, Ms. Chube was Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO at Ariel Investments. In that role, she was responsible for providing strategic and operational support, as well as translating the firm’s short and long-term vision into actionable strategies. Before Ariel, Ms. Chube spent nearly a decade in Washington, DC working on financial services policy in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. She served as the Staff Director for the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Security, International Trade and Finance, and Senator Evan Bayh's chief adviser on all Banking Committee and economic issues. She was responsible for his legislative priorities (specifically on corporate governance) in the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform bill enacted in July 2010. Ms. Chube serves on the board of Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE:ODC), where she serves as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee. She is a trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago (Chair, Audit Committee; Finance, Executive Committee) and is on the board of the Chicago Children’s Choir (Chair, Development Committee; Executive Committee). Ms. Chube holds a JD from Georgetown University Law Center and a BA in political science from Northwestern University.

Our Board determined that Ms. Chube should serve on our Board based on her leadership experience in investment management, her extensive knowledge and background in financial regulation and policymaking and her significant experience serving on the boards of public and private companies.

Martin L. Edelman has been our trustee since July 2014. Mr. Edelman has served as Of Counsel in the Real Estate practice of Paul Hastings LLP, an international law firm, since 2000. Mr. Edelman has been a real estate advisor to Grove Investors and is a partner at Fisher Brothers, a real estate partnership. Mr. Edelman is a Director of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE: BXMT) and Aldar Properties PJSC (ADX: ALDAR). He served as a Director of Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) from 2014 to 2015, as a Director of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: CAR) from 1997 to 2013, as a Director of Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) from 2003 to 2014 and also served on the Board of Directors of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE: AMD) from 2012 to 2017. He also currently serves on the boards of various nongovernmental organizations. Mr. Edelman has more than 40 years of experience and concentrates his practice on real estate and corporate mergers and acquisitions transactions. The focus of Mr. Edelman’s practice has been large, complex transactions, including cross-border transactions. He has been involved in all stages of legal development of pioneering financial structures, including participating debt instruments, institutional joint ventures in real estate, and joint ventures between U.S. financial sources and European real estate companies. He has also done extensive work in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the Middle East, and Latin America. Mr. Edelman holds an A.B. from Princeton University and an LL.B. from Columbia Law School.

Our Board determined that Mr. Edelman should serve on our Board based on his experience advising companies in complex real estate and corporate transactions, his extensive legal and financial background with over 40 years of experience in the legal profession and his considerable experience in complex negotiations involving acquisitions, dispositions and financing.

David A. Helfand has been our trustee, President and Chief Executive Officer since May 2014. Mr. Helfand serves as an Advisor to EGI, a private investment firm, where he previously served as Co-President, overseeing EGI real estate activities. Prior to EGI, Mr. Helfand was Founder and President of Helix Funds LLC (“Helix Funds”), a private real estate investment management company, where he oversaw the acquisition, management and disposition of more than $2.2 billion of real estate assets. While at Helix Funds, he also served as Chief Executive Officer for American Residential Communities LLC (“ARC”), a Helix Funds portfolio company. Before founding Helix Funds, Mr. Helfand served as Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer for EOP, the largest REIT in the U.S. at the time, where he led approximately $12 billion of mergers and acquisitions activity. Prior to working with EOP, Mr. Helfand served as a Managing Director and participated in

the formation of Equity International, a private investment firm focused on real estate-related companies outside the U.S. He was also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Equity LifeStyle Properties (NYSE: ELS), an operator of manufactured home communities, and served as Chairman of the board’s audit committee. His earlier career included investment activity in a variety of asset classes, including retail, office, parking and multifamily. Since August 2019, he has served as a Director of Alpine Energy Capital, a private and independent oil and gas company. In February 2021, Mr. Helfand joined the board of Jaws Mustang (NYSE: JWSM), a special purpose acquisition company focused on non-real estate investments in leading companies across a variety of industries with all or a substantial portion of activities in North America and/or Europe. He also serves as a Director of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, as a Director of Start Early, as a Commissioner for the Chicago Park District, on the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit) Advisory Board of Governors, on the Executive Committee of the Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, on the Executive Committee of the Kellogg Real Estate Center at Northwestern University, and on the Board of Visitors at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. Mr. Helfand holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and a B.A. from Northwestern University.

Mr. Helfand has been an employee of or otherwise involved in the operation of EGI and Helix Funds and is expected to have limited involvement in their activities.

Our Board determined that Mr. Helfand should serve on our Board based on his over 25 years of extensive experience managing real estate investments and his executive leadership of domestic and international real estate-related companies in the residential and commercial space.

Dr. Peter Linneman has been our trustee since May 2014. Dr. Linneman has been the Founding Principal of Linneman Associates, a real estate advisory firm, since 1979. Dr. Linneman has served as the Chief Executive Officer of American Land Funds and KL Realty Fund, private real estate acquisition firms, since 2010. Dr. Linneman previously served as Senior Managing Director of Equity International, a private investment firm focused on real estate-related companies outside the U.S., from 1998 to1999, and Vice Chairman of Amerimar Realty, a private real estate investment company, from 1996 to 1997. Dr. Linneman has served on over 20 public and private company boards, including having served as Chairman of the Board of Rockefeller Center Properties, Inc., a real estate investment trust, where he led the successful restructuring and sale of Rockefeller Center in the mid-1990s, and having served on the Board of Directors of Atrium European Real Estate, a public European real estate company. Dr. Linneman currently serves on the Board of Directors of Regency Centers Corporation (NASDAQ: REG), AG Mortgage Investment Trust, Inc. (NYSE: MITT) and Paramount Group Inc. (NYSE: PGRE), each of which is a public real estate investment trust. He has experience as a financial consultant and has served on numerous audit committees. He is the author of the Linneman Letter, Real Estate Finance and Investments: Risks and Opportunities and over 100 scholarly publications. Dr. Linneman is also the Emeritus Albert Sussman Professor of Real Estate, Finance and Public Policy at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a professor of Real Estate, Finance and Public Policy from 1979 to 2011 and was the founding co-editor of The Wharton Real Estate Review. He also served as the Director of Wharton’s Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Real Estate Center for 13 years. Dr. Linneman holds both Master’s and Doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Chicago and a B.A. from Ashland University.

Our Board determined that Dr. Linneman should serve on our Board based on his active involvement in real estate investment, strategy and operation for nearly 40 years and his extensive experience serving on the boards of public companies.

Mary Jane Robertson has been our trustee since July 2014. Ms. Robertson was the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Crum & Forster Holdings Corp. (“C&F”), an insurance holding company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (TSX: FFH), from 1999 to 2014. C&F was an SEC reporting company from 2004 to 2010. Prior to joining C&F, from 1998 to 1999, Ms. Robertson was Managing Principal, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Global Markets Access Ltd. (Bermuda), a company that was formed to act as a financial guaranty reinsurer. Ms. Robertson also served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Capsure Holdings Corp. (“Capsure”), a former NYSE-traded insurance holding company, from 1993 to 1997 and was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of United Capitol Insurance Company, a specialty excess and surplus lines insurer in Atlanta acquired by Capsure in 2010, from its founding in 1986 to 1993. She is a Certified Public Accountant with 10 years of public accounting experience at Coopers & Lybrand. From 2009 to 2014, Ms. Robertson served as a

Director of C&F and, from 1999 to 2014, she served as a Director of substantially all of C&F’s direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Ms. Robertson previously served on the Board of Directors of Russell Corporation, a former NYSE-listed public company, from July 2000 to August 2006 and was Chair of its audit committee from 2002 to 2006. Ms. Robertson holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto. She is currently engaged in charitable activities and serves on not-for-profit boards.

Our Board determined that Ms. Robertson should serve on our Board based on her 30 years of experience as Chief Financial Officer of public and private companies and her accounting background.

Gerald A. Spector has been our trustee since July 2014. From June 1993 through June 2019, Mr. Spector served on the Board of Trustees of Equity Residential, a real estate investment and management company focusing on apartment communities, including as the Vice Chairman from 2007 through June 2019 and as a member of the audit committee. Mr. Spector was the Chief Operating Officer of the Tribune Company from December 2009 through December 2010, and served as its Chief Administrative Officer from December 2007 through December 2009, following the Tribune’s 2008 Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Mr. Spector was Executive Vice President of Equity Residential from March 1993 and was Chief Operating Officer of Equity Residential from February 1995 until his retirement in December 2007. He began his real estate career in the early 1970s and has extensive prior public and private board experience as well. Mr. Spector holds a B.S.B.A. from Roosevelt University. Mr. Spector is a Certified Public Accountant.

Our Board determined that Mr. Spector should serve on our Board based on his extensive management and financial experience acquired through more than 45 years of managing and operating real estate companies through various business cycles, his experience in driving operational excellence and development of strategic changes in portfolio focus and his demonstrated leadership skills at the corporate board and executive levels.

James A. Star has been our trustee since July 2014. Mr. Star is Executive Chairman (previously having served, since 2003, as President and Chief Executive Officer) of Longview Asset Management (“Longview”), a multi-strategy investment firm which assesses, implements and oversees a wide variety of publicly traded and private equity investments across multiple industries and countries, for which he had been a portfolio manager since 1998. He has also served since 1994 as a Vice President of Henry Crown and Company, a private family investment firm affiliated with Longview. Mr. Star began his investment career in 1991 as a securities analyst after practicing corporate and securities law as a member of the Illinois bar. Mr. Star has been a member of the investment committees for the retirement plans of Henry Crown and Company since 1995, Great Dane Limited Partnership since 1997 and, since 2014, Gillig LLC, Provisur Technologies, Inc. and Trail King Industries, Inc. He has also served as a manager of Longview Trust Company since 2006. Mr. Star is a Director of Teaching Strategies, a software company focused on the education market and, since May 2019, has served on the Board of Directors of Chewy, Inc. (NYSE: CHWY), a leading online retailer of pet food and products. Mr. Star also served on the Boards of Directors of the parent company of PetSmart, a leading retailer of pet supplies and services, from 2014 to 2019, and, from May 2016 to May 2018, Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ALSN). He is a non-executive chairman of Atreides Management, a technology-focused investment firm, a director of a private company focused on ESG-rated securities, and serves on advisory boards related to Paragon Biosciences (a drug discovery company), Valor Equity Partners (a growth capital firm) and Kabouter Management (an international equities manager). Mr. Star received a B.A. from Harvard University and holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and a Masters of Management from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Our Board determined that Mr. Star should serve on our Board based on his significant investment management experience and his experience serving on boards of trustees.

Trustees are elected by a majority of votes cast in an uncontested election (meaning an election in which the number of nominees for election equals or is less than the number of trustees to be elected). The current election is uncontested and therefore, a majority of votes cast for each trustee nominee is required to elect a trustee nominee. For purposes of this proposal, “a majority of votes cast” means that the number of shares voted “FOR” a trustee’s election exceeds 50% of the total number of votes cast with respect to that trustee’s election, and votes “cast” means votes “FOR” and “WITHHOLD.” There is no cumulative voting in the election of trustees. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the result of the vote.

In accordance with the requirements of Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), we are presenting this proposal, commonly known as a “say-on-pay” proposal, to provide shareholders the opportunity to vote to approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers as described in this Proxy Statement.

We believe our executive compensation policies and procedures are centered on pay-for-performance principles and are closely aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders. As described under the heading “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” our executive compensation program is designed to attract and retain effective executives, to reward them for superior performance and to ensure that compensation provided to them remains competitive. We seek to align the interests of our executives and shareholders by tying compensation to the achievement of key operating objectives that we believe enhance shareholder value over the long term and by encouraging executive share ownership so that a portion of each executive’s compensation is tied directly to shareholder value.

For these reasons, we are recommending that our shareholders vote “FOR” the following resolution:

While the vote on this resolution is advisory in nature and therefore will not bind us to take any particular action, our Board of Trustees intends to carefully consider the shareholder vote resulting from the proposal in making future decisions regarding the compensation of our named executive officers.

The affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting with respect to the matter is required to endorse (on a non-binding advisory basis) the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers. For purposes of the vote on this proposal, abstentions and other shares not voted (whether by broker non-vote or otherwise) will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the result of the vote.

The Audit Committee of the Board is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention and oversight of the independent registered public accounting firm selected to audit our consolidated financial statements. The Audit Committee has selected and appointed Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm to audit our consolidated financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2021. Ernst & Young LLP has been engaged as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm since 1986.

In order to ensure continuing auditor independence, the Audit Committee periodically considers whether there should be a regular rotation of our independent registered public accounting firm. In selecting Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021, the Audit Committee carefully considered Ernst & Young LLP’s qualifications, including the firm’s performance as independent registered public accountants for the Company in prior years and its reputation for integrity and competence in the fields of accounting and auditing. Further, the Audit Committee and its chairman were directly involved in the selection of Ernst & Young LLP’s lead engagement partner. The members of the Audit Committee and the Board believe that the continued retention of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Although shareholder approval is not required, we desire to obtain from our shareholders an indication of their approval of the Audit Committee’s selection of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2021. Even if the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm is ratified, the Audit Committee may, in its discretion, change that appointment at any time during the year should it determine such a change would be in our and our shareholders’ best interests. If our shareholders do not ratify this appointment, the Audit Committee may consider the appointment of another independent registered public accounting firm, but will not be required to appoint a different firm.

A representative of Ernst & Young LLP will not be making a statement at the Annual Meeting but will be present and available to respond to appropriate questions.

The affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast at the Annual Meeting is required to ratify the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. Therefore, for purposes of this proposal, abstentions and other shares not voted will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the result of the vote, although abstentions will count toward the presence of a quorum.

Ernst & Young LLP acted as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2020 and 2019. The fees and expenses for services provided by Ernst & Young LLP to us for the last two fiscal years are listed in the table below:

The Audit Committee has established policies and procedures to review and approve the engagement of the Company’s independent auditor to provide any audit or non-audit services to the Company, either pursuant to the Audit Committee’s Policy Regarding Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services (the “Pre-Approval Policy”) or through a separate pre-approval by the Audit Committee, which policies and procedures are intended to control the services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm and to monitor their continuing independence.

Under these policies and procedures, no services may be undertaken by the independent registered public accounting firm unless the engagement is specifically approved by the Audit Committee or the services are included within a category that has been pre-approved in the Pre-Approval Policy. The maximum charge for services is established by the Pre-Approval Policy or by the Audit Committee when the specific engagement or the category of services is approved.

All services for which we engaged our independent registered public accounting firm in 2020 and 2019 were approved by the Audit Committee. The total fees for audit and non-audit services provided by Ernst & Young LLP in 2020 and 2019 are set forth above. The Audit Committee approved the engagement of Ernst & Young LLP to provide the non-audit services because it determined that Ernst & Young LLP providing these services would not compromise its independence and that its familiarity with our record keeping and accounting systems would permit it to provide these services with equal or higher quality, more quickly and at a lower cost than we could obtain these services from other providers.

The Audit Committee is currently composed of Ms. Robertson and Messrs. Glickman and Linneman. The members of the Audit Committee are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the Board. All members of the Audit Committee are independent under applicable NYSE and SEC rules.

One of the principal purposes of the Audit Committee is to assist the Board in the oversight of the integrity of the Company’s financial statements. The Company’s management team has the primary responsibility for the financial statements and the reporting process, including the Company’s accounting policies, internal audit function, system of internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities, the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 with our management.

The Audit Committee also is responsible for assisting the Board in the oversight of the qualification, independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditors. The Company’s independent auditor is currently Ernst & Young LLP. The Audit Committee reviewed the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 with the independent auditors, which are responsible for expressing an opinion on the conformity of those audited financial statements with generally accepted accounting principles, their judgments as to the quality, not just the acceptability, of the Company’s accounting principles and such other matters as are required to be discussed with the Audit Committee under generally accepted auditing standards and those matters required to be discussed by applicable standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) Auditing Standard No. 16, Communications with Audit Committees, and SEC rules and regulations, including Rule 2-07, Communication with Audit Committees, of Regulation S-X.

The independent auditors have provided to the Audit Committee the written disclosures regarding the independent auditor’s independence required by PCAOB Ethics and Independence Rule 3526, Communication with Audit Committees Concerning Independence, and the Audit Committee has discussed with the independent auditors their independence.

In reliance on the review and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board the inclusion of the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, for filing with the SEC.

Our corporate governance is structured in a manner that the Board believes closely aligns our interests with those of our shareholders. Some notable features of our corporate governance structure include the following:

Our Charter and bylaws provide that the number of trustees constituting the Board may be increased or decreased by a majority vote of the entire Board, provided the number of trustees may not be greater than 13 and may not be decreased to fewer than three.

There are no family relationships among our executive officers and trustees. The Board has affirmatively determined that all of our trustee nominees except Mr. Zell, the Chairman of the Board, and Mr. Helfand, our President and Chief Executive Officer, are independent under applicable NYSE and SEC rules.

Sam Zell has served as Chairman of the Board and David Helfand has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer since May 2014. The Board does not have a policy requiring the separation of the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. However, it evaluated the combined role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and the Board has determined that, based on Messrs. Zell and Helfand’s combined experience, it is in the best interests of our shareholders at this time to separate the roles.

To strengthen the role of our independent trustees and encourage independent Board leadership, the Board has established the position of lead independent trustee. Currently, Mr. Linneman serves as our lead independent trustee. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the responsibilities of the lead independent trustee include, among others:

Our lead independent trustee will be selected on an annual basis by a majority of the independent trustees then serving on the Board.

Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the NYSE listing standards, our Board devotes a portion of each regularly scheduled board meeting to executive sessions without management participation to promote open discussion among non-management trustees. In addition, our Corporate Governance Guidelines provide that if the group of non-management trustees includes trustees who are not independent, as defined in the NYSE’s listing standards, at least one such executive session convened per year shall include only independent trustees, at which the lead trustee presides.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, our Board held six meetings and took six actions by unanimous written consent. In 2020, each trustee attended 75% or more of the aggregate of all meetings of the Board and the committees on which he or she served. All 11 of our then-current trustees attended our 2020 annual meeting of shareholders. In accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, the Company’s policy is for trustees to attend board meetings, meetings of committees on which they serve and the annual meeting of shareholders.

Our Board has a standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of these committees must be comprised entirely of independent trustees, as that term is defined in the NYSE listing standards, and have at least three members. Our Board may from time to time establish other committees to facilitate the management of our Company.

The table below provides membership information for each of the Board committees as of the date of this Proxy Statement:

The Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee each operate under written charters adopted by the Board. These charters are available on our website at www.eqcre.com.

As of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Audit Committee consists of Ms. Robertson and Messrs. Glickman and Linneman, with Ms. Robertson serving as its Chairman. The Audit Committee Charter requires that all members of the committee meet the independence, experience and financial literacy and expertise requirements of the NYSE, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Exchange Act and applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. Our Board has determined that all of the members of the Audit Committee meet the foregoing requirements. The Board also has determined that Ms. Robertson, Mr. Glickman and Mr. Linneman each qualify as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined by the applicable SEC regulations and NYSE corporate governance listing standards. Following the conclusion of the Annual Meeting, the Board will appoint additional members to the Audit Committee as required to ensure continued compliance with such regulations and standards.

The Audit Committee Charter sets forth the principal functions of the Audit Committee, which include overseeing:

The Audit Committee also is responsible for engaging an independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the plans and results of the audit engagement, approving professional services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, including all audit

and non-audit services, reviewing the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm, considering the range of audit and non-audit fees and reviewing the adequacy of our internal accounting controls. The Audit Committee also approves the audit committee report required by SEC regulations to be included in our annual proxy statement.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, our Audit Committee held nine meetings.

As of the date of this Proxy Statement, the Compensation Committee consists of Messrs. Shea, Lozier and Spector, with Mr. Shea serving as its Chairman. The Compensation Committee Charter requires that all members of the committee meet the independence requirements of the NYSE, applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and any other applicable rules relating to independence, qualify as a “non-employee director” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and qualify as an “outside director” for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Our Board has determined that all of the current members of the Compensation Committee meet the foregoing requirements. Following the conclusion of the Annual Meeting, the Board will appoint additional members to the Compensation Committee as required to ensure continued compliance with the foregoing requirements.

The Compensation Committee Charter sets forth the principal functions of the Compensation Committee, which include:

The Compensation Committee Charter permits the committee to delegate its authority to its members as the committee deems appropriate, provided that any delegate must report any actions taken by the delegate to the full committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The Compensation Committee has not delegated its authority to any member of the committee.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, our Compensation Committee held six meetings and took two actions by unanimous written consent.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consists of Messrs. Star and Edelman and Ms. Chube, with Mr. Star serving as its Chairman. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter requires that all members of the committee meet the independence requirements of the NYSE, applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and any other applicable rules relating to independence. Our Board has determined that all of the members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee meet the foregoing requirements.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter sets forth the principal functions of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, which include:

During the year ended December 31, 2020, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held four meetings.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines set forth minimum qualifications that trustee candidates must possess. At a minimum, a trustee candidate must possess:

We believe that the culture we foster at EQC is an important contributor to our success. As a part of our culture, we seek differing perspectives in order to effectively manage risk and create value. Diversity of all types brings varying perspectives, and we will continue to seek out talented individuals of varying backgrounds to serve as trustees of the Company. While the Board does not have a formal policy specifying how diversity should be applied in identifying or evaluating trustee candidates, each trustee candidate’s background and personal experience will be significant in the Board’s candidate identification and evaluation process to help ensure that the Board is well situated to pursue our business objectives.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will seek to identify trustee candidates based on input provided by a number of sources, including (a) members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, (b) our trustees and (c) our shareholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also has the authority to consult with or retain advisors or search firms to assist in the identification of qualified trustee candidates; however, we do not currently employ a search firm, or pay a fee to any other third party, to locate qualified trustee candidates.

As part of the candidate identification process, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will evaluate the skills, expertise and diversity possessed by the current Board, and whether there are additional skills, expertise or diversity that should be added to complement the composition of the existing Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also will take into account whether existing trustees have indicated a willingness to continue to serve as trustees if re-nominated. Once trustee candidates have been identified, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee then will evaluate each candidate in light of his or her qualifications and credentials, and any additional factors that the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee deems necessary or appropriate. Existing trustees who are being considered for re-nomination will be re-evaluated as part of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s process of recommending trustee

candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates the performance of each current trustee and considers the results of such evaluation when determining whether to recommend the nomination of such trustee for an additional term. Pursuant to our Corporate Governance Guidelines, all trustee candidates submitted by shareholders will be evaluated in the same manner as all other trustee candidates, provided that the advance notice and other requirements and procedures set forth in our bylaws have been followed. At an appropriate time prior to each annual meeting at which trustees are to be elected or re-elected, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recommends to the Board for nomination by the Board such candidates as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, in the exercise of its judgment, has found to be well-qualified and willing and available to serve.

After a vacancy arises on the Board or a trustee advises the Board of his or her intention to resign, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will recommend to the Board for election by the Board to fill such vacancy such prospective member of the Board as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, in the exercise of its judgment, has found to be well-qualified and willing and available to serve. In determining whether a prospective member is qualified to serve, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider the factors listed above.

Pursuant to our bylaws, any nominee for trustee that is not elected by the vote required by our bylaws and who is an incumbent trustee will promptly tender his or her resignation to the Board for consideration. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will recommend to the Board whether to accept or reject the resignation, or whether other action should be taken.

Set forth below is a snapshot of the composition of our Board immediately following the Annual Meeting if the 8 trustee nominees are re-elected:

One of the key functions of our Board is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our Board will administer this oversight function directly, with support from its three standing committees, the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, each of which addresses risks specific to their respective areas of oversight as follows:

The Board believes that the composition of its committees and the distribution of the particular expertise of each committee’s members make this an appropriate structure to effectively monitor the risks discussed above.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines reflect the Board’s commitment to monitoring the effectiveness of decision-making at the Board and management level and ensuring adherence to good corporate governance principles, all with the goal of enhancing shareholder value over the long term. The Corporate Governance Guidelines address, among other things:

A copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines is available on our website at www.eqcre.com.

Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applies to trustees, officers and employees as well as the Company’s relationships with its vendors, suppliers and consultants. Among other matters, the code is intended to deter wrongdoing and promote:

Any waiver of any provision of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for our executive officers or trustees may be made only by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee or another committee of our Board comprised solely of independent trustees or a majority of our independent trustees. Any such waiver

for our executive officers or trustee will be disclosed to shareholders within four business days of such waiver. We intend to disclose any changes in or waivers from the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics by posting such information on our website.

A copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our website at www.eqcre.com.

Our Company is dedicated to cultivating sustainability and social responsibility in our business. We seek to operate our properties efficiently from both an economic and environmental perspective. Of the four properties in our portfolio as of December 31, 2020, two of our properties have been certified with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star label, and one of these properties have also achieved LEED certification from the U.S. Green Buildings Council. We look to implement socially responsible measures throughout our business and recognize that doing so is good for our community and integral to measuring our overall success. We believe in a shared commitment to sustainability and social responsibility and that such a commitment facilitates value creation for our stakeholders. In 2020, we became a member of GRESB, the environmental, social and governance benchmark for real assets, and participated in the 2020 GRESB Real Estate Assessment.

For further information on our Company’s efforts with respect to sustainability and social responsibility, please visit our sustainability page in the investor relations section of our website at www.eqcre.com.

As described in our Corporate Governance Guidelines, shareholders and other interested parties may communicate with the Board by communicating directly with our lead independent trustee by sending written correspondence to the “Lead Trustee” c/o the Chief Financial Officer of Equity Commonwealth, Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 2100, Chicago, Illinois 60606, who will then directly forward such correspondence to the lead independent trustee. The lead independent trustee will decide what action should be taken with respect to the communication, including whether such communication should be reported to the full Board.

No member of the Compensation Committee is or has ever been an officer or employee of the Company, and no member of the Compensation Committee had any relationships requiring disclosure by us under the SEC’s rules requiring disclosure of certain relationships and related party transactions. No executive officer serves as a member of a board of directors or compensation committee, or other committee serving an equivalent function, of any other entity that has one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of the Board or Compensation Committee. Accordingly, during 2020 there were no interlocks with other companies within the meaning of the SEC’s proxy rules.

The following are the ages, positions and offices held by our executive officers. The business address of each of our executive officers is c/o Equity Commonwealth, Two North Riverside Plaza, Suite 2100, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

Our executive officers serve at the discretion of the Board. Please see “Proposal 1: Election of Trustees—Biographies of Trustee Nominees” for the biography of David Helfand.

David S. Weinberg has been our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since May 2014. Prior to joining us, Mr. Weinberg served as the Chief Investment Officer of EQX Real Estate Partners, L.P., a private investment firm (“EQX”), from January 2014 and worked on real estate and real estate-related investments for EGI from January 2012 to December 2013. Prior to joining EGI, from 2007 through 2011, Mr. Weinberg was responsible for investments in the multifamily and office sectors at Helix Funds and oversaw Helix Funds’ dispositions for ARC. Mr. Weinberg also served as Vice President of Investments and Asset Management at EOP where he worked from 2003 to 2007. In this role, he participated in over $6 billion of investment activity and oversaw EOP’s 16 million-square-foot office portfolio in Southern California. Earlier in his career, Mr. Weinberg was Vice President of Acquisitions at LaSalle Investment Management and an attorney at the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP. Mr. Weinberg received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and graduated with highest honors with a B.S. from the University of Illinois.

Orrin S. Shifrin has been our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since May 2014. Prior to joining us, Mr. Shifrin served as General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer of EQX from January 2014 and handled legal matters for EGI’s real estate investment activity. Mr. Shifrin currently serves as the General Counsel and Secretary for Helix Funds where he participated in the acquisition, management and disposition of over $2.2 billion in real estate assets. Mr. Shifrin also previously served as the General Counsel for ARC. Prior to joining Helix Funds, Mr. Shifrin served as a Principal at Terrapin Properties, LLC, a privately-held real estate investment and development company, where he worked from October 2002 to April 2005 and where his role involved general counsel duties, business development and operations. While there, Mr. Shifrin was involved in over $200 million of residential and commercial real estate-related transactions. Prior to that, Mr. Shifrin was a Partner at the law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman, where he worked for over 10 years. Mr. Shifrin received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and graduated with highest honors with a B.S. from the University of Illinois.

William H. (Bill) Griffiths has been our Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since April 2021, before which time Mr. Griffiths served as our Senior Vice President - Capital Markets since June 2014. Prior to joining EQC, Mr. Griffiths served in a similar role as part of the asset management and investment teams at EQX and EGI from January 2014. Prior to his tenure at EGI, Mr. Griffiths had similar responsibilities for Helix Funds, where he financed over $2.2 billion in real estate assets and participated in the acquisition, management and disposition of those assets. Prior to joining Helix Funds, Mr. Griffiths worked at EOP, where he served as Director of Business Development and was actively involved in more than $12 billion of investment activity that included EOP’s mergers with Cornerstone and Spieker. Earlier in his career, Mr. Griffiths was an Associate in the Real Estate Investment Banking group at J.P. Morgan in New York, where he was involved in a wide variety of M&A, equity and debt financing, and asset sale assignments. Mr. Griffiths holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and B.A. in both Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics from Northwestern University.

Messrs. Weinberg, Shifrin and Griffiths have each been an employee of or otherwise involved in the operation of EGI and Helix Funds and are expected to have limited involvement in their activities.

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis provides a detailed description of the Company’s executive compensation philosophy and programs, the compensation decisions the Compensation Committee has made under those programs and the factors considered in making those decisions. This Compensation Discussion and Analysis discusses the compensation of the following individuals, who were the Company’s named executive officers for 2020:

EQC continued to make meaningful progress in 2020. Despite the difficult circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to create value by reshaping our portfolio, strengthening our balance sheet, improving leasing and operations, and fostering a cohesive culture to serve as the foundation for value creation for our shareholders. While managing the circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we placed an emphasis on tenant and employee safety and productivity, and accomplished the following:

We have created meaningful value for our shareholders. Our Company’s total return for the five years ended December 31, 2020 was 34.4% (versus the FTSE Nareit Office Index (“Nareit Office Index”) return of 9.2% and the Morgan Stanley REIT Index (“RMS”) return of 26.7%), our total return for the three years ended December 31, 2020 was 22.1% (versus the Nareit Office Index return of -8.4% and the RMS return of 11.0%) and our total return in 2020 was -6.0% (versus the Nareit Office Index return of -18.4% and the RMS return of -7.6%):

Based on total annual shareholder return, EQC was one of the top-performing multi-tenant office REITs for 2020 at -6.0% versus an average of -24.1%.

Since we took over responsibility for EQC in 2014 through year-end 2020, we have created $1.4 billion of total shareholder value. Our share price increased from $26.30 to $27.28, we distributed $1.2 billion, or $9.50 per Common Share, to common shareholders, the market value of our equity increased $0.2 billion, we repaid debt and preferred equity balances of $3.3 billion, and we increased our cash balance to $3 billion, or over $24.00 per Common Share:

Through year-end 2020, we reduced our portfolio to four office buildings in three cities, exiting 116 cities, 28 states and Australia. Our year-end 2020 portfolio totaled 1.5 million square feet and was 85.7% leased. We now have a portfolio of high-quality properties in better markets and have created substantial value. We have generated a significant amount of cash through asset dispositions, which we are looking to deploy through acquisitions and/or investments in a range of property types, in an effort to create long-term value. Alternatively, we may determine to sell, liquidate or otherwise exit our business if we believe doing so will maximize shareholder value.

Our compensation program, as approved by the Compensation Committee for 2020, is designed to accomplish four key objectives:

Our compensation program has the following components: (1) base salary, (2) annual cash incentive compensation, (3) long-term, at-risk time and performance-based equity compensation, and (4) health and welfare benefits that are made available to all of our employees.

We maintain an ongoing dialogue with investors and are open to investor feedback on executive compensation.

We believe that the structure of our executive compensation program, as outlined above, is both aligned with the interests of our shareholders and serves to attract and retain talented executives. With a majority of each executive’s compensation opportunity “at risk,” we believe the interests of the executives are appropriately linked to Company performance.

For 2020, the following charts illustrate the target mix of compensation components for our Chief Executive Officer and the average target mix of our other named executive officers.

For our Chief Executive Officer and other named executive officers:

The following chart illustrates that, with respect to our Long-Term Incentive Compensation Program (the “LTIC Program”), a significant portion is subject to future performance based on relative total shareholder return vs. our peers while a limited portion is based solely on continued employment by the Company. The allocation of performance-based and time-based awards is consistent between our Chief Executive Officer and other named executive officers.

We believe this structure encourages performance and promotes retention during a period in which we are undergoing significant change at our organization.

The table below highlights certain practices that we have utilized and others that we have avoided because we believe doing so is in the best interests of our shareholders:

The Compensation Committee reviews and approves the corporate goals and objectives with respect to the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers on an annual basis. The Compensation Committee evaluates the performance of each named executive officer in light of these goals and objectives and, on the basis of such evaluation, determines and approves the compensation for each named executive officer. Our Chief Executive Officer makes recommendations to the Compensation Committee regarding the compensation of the named executive officers other than the Chief Executive Officer.

In determining the appropriate compensation for the Company’s named executive officers, the Compensation Committee considers the Company’s performance and shareholder return, the amount of compensation payable, including incentive awards, to similarly-situated officers at comparable companies, our shareholder vote on compensation and any other factors the Compensation Committee deems necessary or appropriate in its discretion. The Compensation Committee seeks to ensure that our compensation plans are designed with an appropriate balance of risk and reward in relation to the Company’s overall business objectives and do not encourage excessive or unnecessary risk taking. In addition, the Compensation Committee seeks to ensure that our programs attract and retain talented executives, encourage high performance, promote accountability and align our named executive officers’ interests with those of our shareholders.

Our shareholders overwhelmingly approved the compensation of our named executive officers in the non-binding advisory vote that we conducted at the 2020 annual meeting of shareholders, with approximately 96.6% of the votes cast in favor of this proposal. The Compensation Committee considered the voting result as supportive of our executive compensation philosophy.

Under its charter, the Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain and terminate outside legal or other advisors to the Compensation Committee as it deems necessary and appropriate in its sole discretion, including compensation consultants. The Compensation Committee has engaged FPL Associates L.P. (“FPL”) to advise it on matters related to the compensation of our executive officers and our compensation plans. FPL is engaged by, and reports directly to, the Compensation Committee, which has the sole authority to retain or terminate FPL and to approve the consultant’s fees and other retention terms. FPL provides no other services to the Company. The Compensation Committee has reviewed the independence of FPL in light of SEC rules and NYSE listing standards regarding compensation consultants, and the Compensation Committee has concluded that FPL’s work is independent and does not raise any conflict of interest.

The Compensation Committee has retained FPL to, among other things: (1) assist in benchmarking our executive compensation against our peers’; (2) analyze trends in compensation in the marketplace generally and compensation program design changes among our peers specifically; (3) provide updates with respect to new legislative matters related to compensation; and (4) provide general guidance with respect to appropriate compensation levels and structures.

The Compensation Committee uses peer group data as one tool in assessing and determining pay for our executive officers. Competitive market data is intended to provide a framework for current market pay practices, trends, best practices, and overall industry performance.

Each year, the Company reviews its peer group to determine the appropriateness of each peer company, as well as the peer group in totality. In connection with these efforts, a variety of factors were utilized to determine our peer group’s members, including: (1) REITs that are comparable to us based on size, (2) REITs that are comparable to us based on asset class (office), (3) REITs with a higher degree of complexity and management intensive operations and (4) peer group continuity.

The Compensation Committee utilized the 2019 peer group to make compensation decisions in early 2020 related to the 2020 fiscal year. As part of its ongoing compensation program review process, in September 2020,

the Compensation Committee reviewed the 2019 peer group and determined that Liberty Property Trust needed to be removed from the peer group following its acquisition in 2020. Based on feedback from FPL, the peer group was also adjusted to add Paramount Group, Inc. whose size and office asset class are both comparable to the Company.

The following table contains the name of each company within both peer groups. As noted above, in light of the timing of Paramount Group, Inc. being added to the peer group, it will be included in the Company’s peer group for purposes of compensation-related decisions going forward, but it was not included for purposes of compensation-related decisions made in early 2020.

For fiscal year 2020, the total target compensation for our Chief Executive Officer is allocated 40% to cash compensation and 60% to long-term equity incentive compensation, and the average total target compensation for our other named executive officers is allocated 47% to cash compensation and 53% to long-term equity incentive compensation. On January 27, 2020, based on the Company’s performance and the contribution of each named executive officer, the Compensation Committee approved a 3.0% increase in each named executive officer’s targeted total compensation for fiscal year 2020, which the Company considers the proper metric to use in analyzing pay increases.

We pay our named executive officers base salaries to provide them with a predictable and stable source of cash income in order to compensate them for performing the requirements of their respective positions and to retain and motivate them.

The Compensation Committee reviews each named executive officer’s annual base salary on an annual basis, and any adjustments to an executive’s base salary are based on the Compensation Committee’s evaluation of the executive’s performance in light of the corporate goals and objectives established by the Compensation Committee each year with respect to the compensation of the executive officers. In determining the appropriate annual base salary for each named executive officer, the Compensation Committee also considers the executive’s contribution to the Company, the Company’s performance and shareholder return, the amount of compensation payable to similarly-situated executives at comparable companies (including any increases in such compensation), any shareholder vote on compensation and any other factors that the Compensation Committee deems necessary or appropriate in its discretion.

Following no increase in base salary for our named executive officers for the 2019 fiscal year, on January 27, 2020, the Compensation Committee approved a 3% increase in the annual base salary for each of its named executive officers for the 2020 fiscal year, as set forth in the table below. The Compensation Committee approved these increases based on the factors discussed above in the preceding paragraph.

The Company’s named executive officers are eligible to receive annual cash bonuses under the Company’s Short-Term Annual Incentive Program (the “STIP”) based on the achievement of certain performance criteria for the applicable fiscal year, as determined annually by the Compensation Committee based on the Company’s then-applicable business objectives. The purpose of the STIP is to encourage outstanding Company and individual performance by motivating the Company’s executives to achieve short-term Company and individual goals by rewarding performance measured against key annual objectives. STIP bonuses are paid 100% in cash.

In January 2020, the Compensation Committee approved corporate and individual performance goals for determining the amount of cash bonuses to be awarded to our named executive officers for the 2020 fiscal year under the STIP. In setting these goals, the Compensation Committee determined that it was appropriate that (i) 67% of the annual bonus under the 2020 STIP be based upon achievement of the corporate performance metrics listed below (with threshold, target and maximum values established by the Compensation Committee at what it believed to be appropriately rigorous and challenging levels for each metric) and (ii) 33% be based upon achievement of individual objectives.

The Compensation Committee identified the following corporate performance metrics:

The Compensation Committee selected these metrics, as they believed that they are key indicators of whether we are successfully executing our business objectives. The Compensation Committee established the threshold, target and maximum values for each metric listed below, which it believed to be appropriately rigorous and challenging levels for each metric. Notwithstanding the unforeseen and negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the ability of our named executive officers to achieve the pre-established corporate performance goals, the Company did not make any adjustments to the approved metrics.

Accordingly, the Company only exceeded the maximum value for one metric but fell short of threshold for the other two metrics:

As shown in the table above, for fiscal year 2020, the Company achieved the Volume of Property Dispositions metric in excess of the maximum value established by the Compensation Committee for such metric, and therefore the Compensation Committee awarded maximum credit for such metric for purposes of determining the bonus payouts. The Company achieved below threshold for the Same Property Leased Occupancy and Same Property Cash NOI metrics established by the Compensation Committee for each such metric, and therefore did not award any credit for these metrics for purposes of determining the bonus payouts.

The Company exceeded the maximum value of the Volume of Property Dispositions metric by such a large margin because the Company was ultimately successful in selling all three properties it contemplated selling when setting the target and range for this goal.

The Company was below the 2020 threshold for Same Property Leased Occupancy and Same Property Cash NOI metrics by such a large margin because of several factors: (i) the Company’s significant disposition activity in 2020 resulted in a substantial change to the same property portfolio; (ii) the 2020 portfolio was subject to significantly more performance volatility given its smaller size; and (iii) the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant business disruptions throughout the economy, including for the tenants at the Company’s properties.

The threshold, target and maximum annual bonus amounts for our named executive officers under the STIP for fiscal year 2020, as a percentage of their respective annual base salaries, were as follows:

On January 25, 2021, the Compensation Committee approved the following cash bonus awards under the STIP for the named executive officers for fiscal year 2020:

The actual bonus payout was calculated as follows: (1) for and based upon a review of the individual goals, the Compensation Committee determined that achievement at 100% of maximum was appropriate for Messrs. Helfand, Weinberg and Shifrin and approximately 80% for Mr. Markman; and (2) for the corporate goals, a composite total of 33% of maximum was achieved, based on the following: (a) for the Volume of Property Dispositions metric, achievement above maximum, resulting in 100% maximum payout, and (b) for the Same Store Property Leased Occupancy and Same Property Cash Net Operating Income metrics, achievement below threshold resulting in no payout for those metrics.

The bonus amount awarded to each of our named executive officers is between the threshold and target bonus amounts that were established for the executive. The Compensation Committee determined the bonus amounts based on the level of achievement of the applicable corporate performance metrics (with each metric weighted equally) and its assessment of each executive’s achievement of the applicable individual performance goals. The Compensation Committee reached these determinations based on a review of each executive officers’ accomplishments relative to their individual goals for the year, including their management of the Company, its properties and its employees during the difficult circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Company’s success as one of the top-performing multi-tenant office REITs for 2020 based on total annual shareholder return of -6.0% versus an average of -24.1%. In 2020, our named executive officers experienced an average decrease of 40% in cash bonus payouts versus the prior year.

For 2020, the Company’s named executive officers were eligible to receive annual equity awards with time-based vesting requirements and annual equity awards with a combination of time and performance-based vesting requirements, in each case under the LTIC Program. The purpose of the LTIC Program is to attract and retain talented executives and key employees, to motivate future performance and to link compensation to performance of the Company’s stock over a multi-year period. The Compensation Committee believes that it is appropriate to use a combination of time and performance-based awards in order to attract and retain talented executives and key employees, and to link compensation to performance of the Company’s stock over a multi-year period. The Compensation Committee grants LTIC Program awards to our named executive officers in January of each fiscal year. The amount of awards granted to each executive is determined based on his performance and the Company’s performance during the prior fiscal year. We grant equity awards under the Equity Commonwealth 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2015 Omnibus Plan”).

The Company’s named executive officers (and other employees who are eligible to receive long term incentive compensation as part of their annual compensation package) were given the option to elect to receive their 2019 LTIC Program awards (which were granted in 2020) in the form of (x) restricted shares with time-based vesting requirements (“LTIC Shares”) and restricted share units with both time-based and performance-based vesting requirements (“LTIC RSUs”), or (y) time-based and performance-based LTIP Units, which are discussed in more detail in the next paragraph.

LTIP Units are a special class of interests in EQC Operating Trust (the “Operating Trust”) that may be issued to employees, officers or trustees of the Operating Trust, the Company or their subsidiaries (“LTIP Units”). The Operating Trust is the entity through which we now conduct our business following our conversion to an UPREIT in 2016. LTIP Units are structured to qualify as “profits interests” for tax purposes. Each LTIP Unit will convert automatically into an OP Unit on a one-for-one basis when the LTIP Unit becomes vested and upon equalization of its capital account with the per-unit capital account of the OP Units (such equalization referred to as, a “Book-Up Event”). Holders of OP Units (other than the Company) generally have the right, commencing six months from the date of issuance of such OP Units, to cause the Operating Trust to redeem their OP Units in exchange for cash or, at the option of the Company, Common Shares on a one-for-one basis.

Each of the named executive officers elected to receive their 2019 LTIC Program awards in the form of LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs, which were granted on January 27, 2020.

The following illustrations show the performance periods and vesting schedules for the LTIC Program awards. The duration of the LTIC Program awards is four years from start to finish including performance criteria and further vesting.

Time-Based Awards. For each of our named executive officers, 33% of his target LTIC Program award for 2020 consisted of time-based LTIC Shares. In January 2020, the Compensation Committee granted the following LTIC Shares to each of our named executive officers which, based on the closing price per share of our Common Shares of $32.81 on January 27, 2020, had the following value on the grant date:

The LTIC Shares will vest 25% on the “Measurement Date” (as defined below) in February of the calendar year during which the second anniversary of the grant date occurs, 25% on the Measurement Date in February of the calendar year during which the third anniversary of the grant date occurs and 50% on the Measurement Date in February of the calendar year during which the fourth anniversary of the grant date occurs, subject to the executive’s continued employment with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The term “Measurement Date” means either (x) the date in February of the applicable calendar year on which the Compensation Committee meets to determine the level of achievement of the performance criteria with respect to any performance-based awards or, (y) if there are no such awards for which performance is required to be measured during the applicable calendar year, the first date in February of such calendar year on which the Compensation Committee meets or takes an action by unanimous written consent. Each LTIC Share entitles the named executive officer to receive any dividends declared on the Common Shares beginning on the grant date of the LTIC Share.

Performance-Based Awards. For each of our named executive officers, the other 67% of his target LTIC Program award for 2020 consisted of LTIC RSUs, which have time-based and performance-based vesting requirements. Each LTIC RSU represents the right to receive one Common Share. In January 2020, the Compensation Committee granted the following LTIC RSUs to our named executive officers, reflecting the number of LTIC RSUs that each executive will earn if the applicable performance measure is achieved at the target level, which, based on the closing price per Common Share of $32.81 on January 27, 2020, had the following values on the grant date:

The actual number of LTIC RSUs that each executive will earn will be between 0% and 249.25% of the number of units granted to him, depending on the achievement of the applicable performance criteria. Since the number of LTIC RSUs that will be earned, if any, will not be determined until the end of the three-year performance period, the actual value of the LTIC RSUs could be higher or lower than the foregoing target levels, depending on the Company’s achievement of the applicable performance criteria.

The performance measure for the LTIC RSUs is the TSR of the Common Shares over a three-year performance period relative to the TSRs of the companies that comprise the Nareit Office Index over the same period of time, provided that only companies that are public throughout the entire performance period will be included for purposes of calculating the relative TSR comparison. After the Company’s TSR percentile is determined, the number of LTIC RSUs that will be earned by an executive will be determined by multiplying the number of units that was granted to the executive by the applicable percentage listed in the following table.

If the Company’s total TSR for the performance period is negative, any LTIC RSUs deemed earned based on the table above will be reduced by 25%. To the extent performance falls between two levels in the table above, linear interpolation will apply in determining the percentage of the LTIC RSUs that are earned. Any LTIC RSUs that do not become earned at the end of the performance period will be forfeited.

The LTIC RSUs will vest, if at all, as follows: (i) 50% following the conclusion of the performance period on the date that the Compensation Committee determines whether and to what extent the performance criteria have been achieved, and (ii) 50% on the Measurement Date in February of the calendar year during which the fourth anniversary of the grant date occurs, subject in each case to the executive’s continued employment with the Company through such date. Earned LTIC RSUs will generally be paid out as soon as practicable following the applicable vesting date. The Compensation Committee believes that subjecting 50% of any earned LTIC RSUs to an additional one-year vesting period further serves to help retain our named executive officers.

The named executive officers will not be entitled to receive any dividends with respect to the Common Shares underlying the LTIC RSUs unless and until the LTIC RSUs are earned, at which time each executive will be entitled to receive an amount in cash equal to the aggregate amount of dividends that would have been paid in respect of the Common Shares underlying the executive’s earned LTIC RSUs had such Common Shares been issued to the executive on the first day of the performance period. Following the performance period, each executive will be entitled to receive, in respect of each earned LTIC RSU held by the executive, whether or not vested, an amount in cash equal to the per share amount of any dividend paid by the Company to the shareholders, which amount will be paid to the executive within 60 days following the date that the dividend is paid to the shareholders.

To the extent a named executive officer elects to receive his award under the LTIC Program in the form of LTIP Units, the named executive officer would receive an award consisting of (i) LTIP Units (equal to 33% of the target value of the LTIC award) subject to time-vesting requirements generally consistent with the vesting terms applicable to LTIC Shares (the “Time-Based LTIP Units”) and (ii) LTIP Units (equal to 67% of the target value of the LTIC award) subject to time-vesting and performance-vesting requirements generally consistent with the vesting terms applicable to LTIC RSUs (the “Performance-Based LTIP Units”). A Time-Based LTIP Unit generally entitles the holder thereof to receive the same per unit distributions as the other OP Units of the Operating Trust. A holder of Performance-Based LTIP Units will not be entitled to participate in distributions with respect to his Performance-Based LTIP Units until expiration of the applicable performance period, at which time he generally will become entitled to receive a special catch-up distribution in respect of his earned Performance-Based LTIP Units, if any, for the periods prior to such time.

Achievement of Performance-Based Awards. The chart below illustrates the performance for the outstanding LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units as of December 31, 2020 that were granted to our named executive officers from 2014 through 2020, compared to the grant date fair value of such awards. The target fair

value amounts represent the grant date fair value of the performance-based awards based on the Monte Carlo simulation model conducted at the times the awards were granted. With respect to the LTIC RSUs granted to our named executive officers in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, the chart shows the value of such LTIC RSUs that were earned in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 based on actual performance measured at the end of their respective three-year performance periods. With respect to the LTIC RSUs granted to our named executive officers in 2018, 2019 and 2020, the chart shows the value of each such grant that would be earned assuming a performance measurement date of, and the share price at, December 31, 2020. The actual number of LTIC RSUs in each such grant that will become earned will be determined at the end of the applicable performance period using relative TSR compared to our peers, and therefore the chart is not representative of the actual amount to be earned. The use of the relative TSR metric for a significant portion of our long-term incentive compensation ensures that our compensation is aligned with the interests of our shareholders.

The target fair value amounts shown in the chart above represent the total accounting expense for each grant, which we recognize ratably over the applicable vesting period. We do not adjust this recorded expense either during the performance period or based on actual value received at the end of such period. Through December 31, 2020, the value of the awards that have completed their performance period is greater than the target fair value reported as an expense for such awards. Similarly, as shown in the chart above, assuming a performance measurement date of December 31, 2020 for the awards that have not completed their performance period as of December 31, 2020, the value of the awards would be more than the target fair value recorded as an expense for such awards. The ultimate value of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 awards will be determined at their actual measurement date in the future, which may result in a value different than shown above. As discussed below, the performance of the 2018 awards was determined by the Compensation Committee on February 9, 2021.

Calculation of Three-Year Measurement for January 24, 2017 Performance-Based Awards. On February 7, 2020, the Compensation Committee approved the level of achievement of the performance measure with respect to the performance-based awards that were granted to our named executive officers on January 24, 2017. The Compensation Committee determined that the TSR of the Common Shares over the three-year performance period commencing on January 24, 2017 and ending on January 24, 2020, relative to the TSRs of the companies that comprised the Nareit Office Index over the same period of time, was in the 79^th percentile. Accordingly, approximately 207.9% of the target performance-based awards granted to each executive became earned (141,352 RSUs for Mr. Helfand, 59,276 Performance-Based LTIP Units for Mr. Markman, 70,342 RSUs for Mr. Weinberg and 45,598 RSUs for Mr. Shifrin). 50% of such earned performance-based awards vested on February 7, 2020, when the Compensation Committee approved the performance measurement, and 50% vested on February 9, 2021.

Calculation of Three-Year Measurement for January 29, 2018 Performance-Based Awards. On February 9, 2021, the Compensation Committee approved the level of achievement of the performance measure with respect to the performance-based awards that were granted to our named executive officers on January 29, 2018. The Compensation Committee determined that the TSR of the Common Shares over the three-year performance period commencing on January 29, 2018 and ending on January 29, 2021, relative to the TSRs of the companies that comprised the Nareit Office Index over the same period of time, was in the 90^th percentile. Accordingly,

approximately 249.25% of the target performance-based awards granted to each executive became earned (184,425, 77,340, 91,776 and 59,491 RSUs for Messrs. Helfand, Markman, Weinberg and Shifrin, respectively). 50% of such earned performance-based awards vested on February 9, 2021, when the Compensation Committee approved the performance measurement, and 50% are scheduled to vest on the Measurement Date in February of 2022, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable award agreements.

The treatment of the LTIC Shares, Time-Based LTIP Units, LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units upon a termination of the executive’s employment and/or a change in control of the Company is described below in the section entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.”

Each of our named executive officers is party to a Change in Control Agreement as described below in the section entitled “Change in Control Agreements.” The Company does not have any other employment agreements or severance arrangements with any of our named executive officers, other than the acceleration of all or a portion of their outstanding equity awards upon certain terminations of employment or in connection with a change in control of the Company, as described below in the section entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.”

We provide to all our employees, including our named executive officers, broad-based health and welfare benefits that are intended to help attract and retain employees. Our named executive officers are eligible to receive the same benefits, including life and health benefits and vacation, holiday and sick time, that are available to all employees. We do not provide executive perquisites to our named executive officers.

We believe that equity ownership by our officers helps align their interests with our shareholders’ interests. To that end, we have adopted formal stock ownership guidelines applicable to all of our named executive officers with the following key terms:

All of our named executive officers are in compliance with our stock ownership guidelines as of the date of this Proxy Statement. See the section below entitled “Trustee Compensation – Stock Ownership Guidelines” for a discussions of the stock ownership guidelines applicable to non-employee trustees.

The Board has adopted restrictions on hedging and pledging securities issued by the Company pursuant to the Company’s Policy on Inside Information and Insider Trading. With respect to hedging, our trustees, employees (including executive officers) and their family members who reside with them are prohibited from trading in any interest relating to the future price of the Company’s securities, such as a put, call or short sale. With respect to pledging, trustees, employees (including executive officers) and their family members who reside with them are prohibited from holding securities issued by the Company in a margin account or pledging these securities as collateral for a loan. The Board may grant exceptions to this anti-pledging policy for trustees and executive officers and the company’s Compliance Officer may grant such exceptions to other employees. No such exceptions have been granted for trustees, executive officers or their family members since the implementation of the policy on July 31, 2014.

Under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, a publicly held corporation generally is limited to a $1 million annual tax deduction for compensation paid to each of its “covered employees.” Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“TCJA”), the Internal Revenue Service issued a series of private letter rulings that indicated that compensation paid by an operating partnership to executive officers of a real estate investment trust that serves as its general partner was not subject to limitation under Section 162(m) to the extent such compensation is attributable to services rendered to the operating partnership. As a result of our conversion to an UPREIT in November 2016, substantially all of the services rendered by our executive officers are performed on behalf of the Operating Trust, for which the Company serves as the sole trustee, and therefore, while we did not obtain a ruling from the IRS, absent other guidance on this issue, we historically took the position that the same conclusion would apply to us.

However, following the issuance of proposed regulations issued on December 20, 2019, on December 18, 2020, the Treasury Department released final regulations under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the TCJA (the “Final Regulations”) that include provisions that reverse the result of the above-mentioned private letter rulings previously granted to certain UPREITs. Under the Final Regulations, a real estate investment trust’s distributive share of any compensation deduction paid to its “covered employees” by its related operating partnership is subject to the Section 162(m) limitation at the real estate investment trust level, unless the compensation is “grand-fathered” under special transition rules for compensation paid in 2020 or that is paid pursuant to a written binding contract that is in effect on December 20, 2019, which is not materially modified or renewed or cancelable by the company after that date.

By virtue of the Final Regulations, our equity awards granted through 2019 will qualify as grand-fathered awards, but compensation related to equity awards granted in 2020 and related to future equity awards, along with cash starting in 2021, paid to those of our employees considered “covered employees” will be subject to the compensation deduction limitations under Section 162(m). Going forward, while the Compensation Committee will consider the impact of Section 162(m) on its compensation arrangements, it is only one of many factors, and it is anticipated that Compensation Committee will in its discretion and when it deems appropriate, enter into compensation arrangements with those employees considered “covered employees” under which payments may not be fully deductible under Section 162(m).

The Compensation Committee adopted a clawback policy in 2014, pursuant to which, if the Company is required to restate its financial results due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws as a result of misconduct, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer must reimburse the Company for (i) any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation received during the 12 months following the public issuance of the non-compliant document, and (ii) any profits realized from the sale of its securities during those 12 months. In March 2017, the Compensation Committee modified the clawback policy so that it now applies to all of our named executive officers. In connection with the requirement under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 that we implement a policy providing for the recovery of incentive-based compensation subject to recoupment following a required accounting restatement, we intend to revise our clawback policy after final rules are issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission to conform to such rules.

On January 25, 2021, the Compensation Committee determined that base salaries for our named executive officers for fiscal year 2021 would remain unchanged from fiscal year 2020, as set forth below.

Also on January 25, 2021, the Compensation Committee determined that, consistent with fiscal years 2018-2020, 67% of award determinations under the STIP for fiscal year 2021 will be based on the achievement of corporate performance metrics, and 33% of award determinations under the STIP for fiscal year 2021 will be based on the achievement of individual performance goals. The threshold, target and maximum annual bonus amounts for our named executive officers under the STIP for fiscal year 2021, as a percentage of their respective annual base salaries, remained the same as the corresponding amounts for fiscal year 2020, as follows: 75%, 150% and 225%, respectively, for Mr. Helfand; and 50%, 100% and 150%, respectively, for each of Messrs. Markman, Weinberg and Shifrin.

Since the current Board of Trustees and management team took over in 2014, the Company has adopted an annual LTIC Program that has remained relatively unchanged. On January 25, 2021, the Compensation Committee approved the grant of equity awards to our named executive officers for fiscal year 2020 performance and to motivate future performance and further align the interests of our executive officers and our shareholders pursuant to the LTIC Program. The named executive officers (and other employees who are eligible to receive long-term incentive compensation as part of their annual compensation package) were given the option to elect to receive their 2020 LTIC Program awards in the form of (x) LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs or (y) LTIP Units. Each of our named executive officers elected to receive his 2020 LTIC Program awards in the form of LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs.

For each of our named executive officers, 33% of the executive’s target LTIC Program award consists of LTIC Shares and 67% consists of LTIC RSUs. The table below lists the 2020 LTIC Program awards that were granted by the Compensation Committee to each named executive officer in January 2021, which were all granted under the 2015 Omnibus Plan.

LTIC Shares. Based on the closing price per Common Share of $28.25 on January 25, 2021, the LTIC Shares granted to Messrs. Helfand, Markman, Weinberg and Shifrin had a grant date value of $1,037,029, $447,198, $549,463 and $335,243, respectively.

LTIC RSUs. Based on the closing price per Common Share of $28.25 on January 25, 2021, the number of LTIC RSUs that will be earned by the executives if the Company’s performance is at the target level had a value on the grant date of $2,105,444, $907,955, $1,115,593 and $680,627 for Messrs. Helfand, Markman, Weinberg and Shifrin, respectively. The actual number of LTIC RSUs that each executive will earn will be between 0% and 249.25% of the number of LTIC RSUs granted to him, depending on the achievement of the applicable performance criteria. Since the number of LTIC RSUs that will be earned, if any, will not be determined until the end of the three-year performance period, the actual value of the LTIC RSUs could be higher or lower than the foregoing target levels, depending on the Company’s achievement of the applicable performance criteria.

The LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs granted in 2021 have the same terms and conditions as the LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs granted in 2020, as described above in the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Elements of Compensation – Long-Term Equity Compensation.” The treatment of the LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs granted in 2020 upon a termination of the executive’s employment and/or a change in control of the Company is the same as the treatment of the LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs granted in 2020 in such circumstances, as described below in the section entitled “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.”

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis required by Item 402(b) of Regulation S-K with management. Based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s proxy statement for the Company’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, and incorporated by reference into the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The following Summary Compensation Table includes the 2018, 2019, and 2020 compensation data for our named executive officers.

The following table sets forth information with respect to grants of plan-based awards to the named executive officers during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

The Company provides long-term equity compensation to certain employees, trustees and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries pursuant to the 2015 Omnibus Plan. The purpose of the 2015 Omnibus Plan is to provide eligible persons with an incentive to contribute to the success of the Company and to operate and manage the Company’s business in a manner that will provide for the Company’s long-term growth and

profitability to benefit its shareholders and other important stakeholders, including its employees and customers, and provide a means of obtaining, rewarding and retaining key personnel. The 2015 Omnibus Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee, which has the authority to select persons to whom awards will be granted and to determine the terms and conditions of such awards. The following types of awards may be granted under the 2015 Omnibus Plan, subject to the limitations set forth in the 2015 Omnibus Plan: stock options; stock appreciation rights; restricted stock; stock units; unrestricted stock; dividend equivalent rights; performance shares and other performance-based awards; limited partnership interests in the partnership entity through which the Company conducts its business; other equity-based awards; and cash bonus awards.

The key terms of the LTIC Shares and LTIC RSUs granted to the named executive officers on January 27, 2020, which were granted under the 2015 Omnibus Plan, are described above in the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Elements of Compensation – Long-Term Equity Compensation.”

The following table sets forth information with respect to each of the named executive officers’ outstanding equity awards at December 31, 2020.

The following table sets forth information with respect to the stock vested for each of the named executive officers during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. We do not have any outstanding options.

The LTIC Program awards granted to the named executive officers, the key terms of which are described above in the section entitled “Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Elements of Compensation – Long-Term Equity Compensation,” provide for the accelerated vesting of the awards in the event of certain terminations of employment or a change in control of the Company, as described below. In April 2019, the Company entered into Change in Control Agreements with each of its named executive officers, which are described below in the section entitled “Change in Control Agreements.” As of December 31, 2020, the named executive officers were not entitled to receive any other severance payments or benefits upon a termination of employment or a change in control of the Company.

If a named executive officer’s employment with the Company is terminated (i) by the Company without “Cause,” (ii) by the executive for “Good Reason,” (iii) due to the executive’s “Retirement,” or (iv) due to the executive’s death or “Disability” (as such terms are defined in the equity award agreements) (any such termination, a “Qualified Termination”), then the executive’s unvested LTIC Shares and Time-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, will vest as of the date of termination on a pro rata basis, determined based on the number of days that the executive was employed by the Company during the four-year vesting period. If the executive’s Qualified Termination occurs within twelve months after a “Change in Control” (as such term is defined in the equity awards agreements), in which the LTIC Shares and Time-Based LTIP Units are assumed by the acquirer or surviving entity in the Change in Control transaction, then the executive’s unvested LTIC Shares and Time-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, will become fully vested on the date of termination.

If a Change in Control occurs prior to the fourth anniversary of the grant date and while the executive is an employee of the Company, and the LTIC Shares and Time-Based LTIP Units are not assumed by the acquirer or surviving entity in the Change in Control transaction, then the executive’s unvested LTIC Shares and Time-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, will become fully vested as of the date of the Change in Control.

Each Time-Based LTIP Unit and earned Performance-Based LTIP Unit will convert automatically into an OP Unit on a one for one basis when the LTIP Unit becomes vested and upon a Book-Up Event. Holders of OP Units (other than the Company) generally have the right, commencing six months from the date of issuance of such OP Units, to cause the Operating Trust to redeem their OP Units in exchange for cash or, at the option of the Company, Common Shares on a one for one basis.

If, during the performance period, the named executive officer’s employment with the Company is terminated as a result of a Qualified Termination, then the number of LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, that are earned by the executive will be determined at the end of the three-year performance period based on the achievement of the performance criteria. The executive’s earned LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units, as applicable and if any, will become vested as of the date that the Compensation Committee determines the achievement of the performance criteria on a pro rata basis, determined based on the number of days that the executive was employed by the Company during the four-year period commencing on the first day of the performance period. If the executive’s Qualified Termination occurs during the performance period and within twelve months after a Change in Control in which the LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units are assumed by the acquirer or surviving entity in the Change in Control transaction, then any LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units that become earned after the end of the three-year performance period will become fully vested as of the date the Compensation Committee determines the achievement of the performance criteria. With respect to any earned LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, held by the named executive officer for which the performance period is complete but for which the additional vesting period is incomplete prior to the executive’s Qualified Termination, such earned LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, will become fully vested as of the date of the executive’s Qualified Termination. The named executive officer will be issued one Common Share for each earned LTIC RSU that vests in accordance with the provisions described above, less applicable withholding taxes, as soon as practicable following the applicable vesting date (but in no event later than 60 days after such vesting date).

If, during the performance period, a Change in Control occurs while the named executive officer is an employee of the Company and the LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units are not assumed by the acquirer or the surviving entity in the Change in Control transaction, then the executive’s LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, will be deemed earned based on the actual level of achievement of the performance criteria measured as of the date of the Change in Control, as determined by the Compensation Committee based on the 40-day trailing average price per Common Share. Any such earned LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units will be fully vested. With respect to any earned LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, held by the executive for which the performance period is complete but for which the additional vesting period is incomplete, such earned LTIC RSUs and Performance-Based LTIP Units, as applicable, will become fully vested as of the date of the Change in Control. The named executive officer will be issued one Common Share for each earned LTIC RSU that vests in accordance with the provisions described above, less applicable withholding taxes, on the date of the Change in Control.

Effective April 24, 2019, following the Board’s prior approval, the Company and Equity Commonwealth Management LLC entered into Change in Control Agreements (the “CIC Agreements”) with each of our named executive officers. The Company adopted the CIC Agreements because it believes that they will serve as an effective retentive measure to provide the named executive officers with certain assurances regarding the benefits that will be payable if a Change in Control (as defined in the 2015 Omnibus Plan) occurs and their employment is terminated upon certain termination scenarios, as described below.

Under the CIC Agreements, upon a termination by the Company without Cause or by the named executive officer for Good Reason (as such defined terms are set forth below, and consistent with the definitions of such terms in the 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan and the equity award agreements issued under such plan) that occurs (i) within the six-month period prior to or two-year period following a Change in Control; or (ii) at any time, if in connection with or in anticipation of a Change in Control (each, a “Qualifying Termination”), the named executive officer will be entitled to, subject to his execution and delivery of an irrevocable release of claims against the Company: (i) a lump sum payment equal to three times the sum of (x) the named executive officer’s annual base salary (at the rate in effect as of the date of termination, or, if greater, as of the date of the Change in Control (as applicable)), and (y) the two-year average of the most recently earned STIP awards; (ii) a lump sum payment equal to the most recently earned STIP award multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days the named executive officer is employed by the Company during the year in which termination occurs and the denominator of which is 365; and (iii) a lump sum payment equal to the amount that

would have been payable by the Company for the cost of continued family coverage under the Company’s medical plan for a specified period following the date of termination (36 months for Mr. Helfand and 24 months for the other named executive officers). The named executive officer will also be entitled to receive any accrued benefits (which will not be subject to a release), including, without limitation, any unpaid STIP award for the year prior to the year in which termination occurs, in the amount approved or to be approved by the Compensation Committee, payable in a lump sum at the time the Company pays STIP bonuses to active employees.

In addition, the CIC Agreements provide that, in the event a named executive officer experiences a Qualifying Termination in connection with or in anticipation of, or within the two-year period following, a Change in Control in which the then-outstanding equity awards are assumed, the awards will be treated as follows: (i) any awards subject to solely time vesting (“Time-Based Awards”) will become fully vested as of the date of termination; and (ii) any awards subject to performance vesting (“Performance-Based Awards”) will remain outstanding and eligible to become earned at the end of the applicable performance period based on achievement of the applicable performance criteria, as determined by the Compensation Committee, with any such earned awards becoming fully vested as of the date of such determination and settled in accordance with the terms of the applicable award agreements. The CIC Agreements also provide that, in the event that a named executive officer experiences a Qualifying Termination within the six-month period prior to a Change in Control in which the awards are assumed: (i) the unvested portion of any Time-Based Awards that would otherwise be forfeited by the named executive officer upon his termination of employment will remain outstanding and become fully vested as of the date of the Change in Control; and (ii) any Performance-Based Awards will become fully vested, to the extent earned based on achievement of the applicable performance criteria, upon the later of the date of the Change in Control and the date of the Compensation Committee’s determination of achievement of the applicable performance criteria. Pursuant to the applicable equity award agreements of the named executive officers, if a Change in Control occurs in which the awards are not assumed, then the awards will become fully vested as of the date of the Change in Control, subject, in the case of Performance-Based Awards, to the achievement of the applicable performance criteria measured as of the Change in Control.

Pursuant to the CIC Agreements, a “best-net” cutback provision will be applied if any payment made to a named executive officer in connection with a Change in Control, including but not limited to any payment under the CIC Agreement, would result in an excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code, meaning that the named executive officer will either: (i) receive all the payments and benefits to which he is entitled, subject to the excise tax; or (ii) have such payments and benefits reduced by the minimum amount necessary so that the excise tax would not apply, if such reduction would result in a greater net after-tax benefit to the named executive officer. In addition, the CIC Agreements provide that the named executive officer is subject to a perpetual confidentiality covenant.

For purposes of the CIC Agreements, “Cause” means: (a) the named executive officer’s conviction of, or plea of guilty or no contest to, a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude or the commission of any other act by him involving willful malfeasance or material fiduciary breach with respect to the Company or an affiliate of the Company; (b) the named executive officer’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with the performance of his duties to the Company; (c) a material breach by the named executive officer of any term of any employment, consulting or other services, confidentiality, intellectual property or non-competition agreements, if any, between him and the Company or an affiliate of the Company; or (d) a material violation by the named executive officer of state or federal securities laws. For purposes of the CIC Agreements, “Good Reason” means the occurrence of one or more of the following without the named executive officer’s express written consent, which circumstances are not remedied by the Company within 30 days of its receipt of a written notice from the named executive officer describing the applicable circumstances giving rise to Good Reason (which notice must be provided by the named executive officer within 90 days of the named executive officer’s knowledge of the applicable circumstances); provided, however, that in order for the named executive officer to terminate his employment for Good Reason, the named executive officer must terminate employment within 60 days following the end of the Company’s cure period if the circumstances giving rise to Good Reason have not been cured: (i) any material, adverse change in the named executive officer’s duties, responsibilities, authority, title, status or reporting structure; (ii) a material reduction in the named executive officer’s base salary or bonus opportunity; or (iii) a geographical relocation of the named executive officer’s principal office location by more than 50 miles.

The following table sets forth quantitative information with respect to potential payments to each of the named executive officers or their beneficiaries upon a termination of employment and/or a change in control of the Company in various circumstances as described above, assuming a termination of employment and/or a change in control of the Company occurred, in each case, on December 31, 2020, which was the last business day of fiscal year 2020. The amounts reported are based on the closing market price of our common stock as of December 31, 2020 ($27.28). The amounts included in the table below do not include amounts otherwise due and owing to each applicable named executive officer, such as salary, the prior year’s annual bonus, or payments or benefits generally available to all salaried employees of the Company.