Shareholders of CommonWealth REIT Elect New Slate of Trustees

CHICAGO, May 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CommonWealth REIT (NYSE: CWH) announced today that its shareholders elected all seven of the nominees for the Board of Trustees put forth by Related Fund Management LLC and Corvex Management LP at a special meeting of shareholders in Boston. The new Trustees are Samuel Zell, James Corl, Edward Glickman, David Helfand, Peter Linneman, Jim Lozier and Kenneth Shea. The independent inspector of elections, IVS Associates, Inc., has certified the results of the special meeting.

The new Board has elected Zell as the company's Chairman of the Board; Helfand as the new Chief Executive Officer, acting Chief Financial Officer, President and acting Treasurer; David Weinberg as the new Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; and Orrin Shifrin as the new Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. The Board accepted the resignations of the company's previous executive officers.

"We are appreciative of the overwhelming support of CommonWealth's shareholders who voted to endorse the vision and experience of this new board and management team," said Zell. "With our team in place, we can get to work executing on our goal to create long-term value for our shareholders."

The company has rescheduled its annual meeting of shareholders from June 13, 2014, to June 30, 2014, at 10 a.m. CDT, which complies with a requirement in the company's Declaration of Trust that the annual meeting be held no later than that date. The meeting will be held at Two North Riverside Plaza, 24th Floor, Chicago, Ill. Once called to order, the company intends to adjourn the annual meeting until Thursday, July 31, 2014, at the same time and location, in order to give the company's shareholders ample opportunity to consider the proposals to be voted upon at the annual meeting. The company intends to distribute proxy materials for the annual meeting in June. The record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting is Monday, June 23, 2014.

About CommonWealth REIT
CommonWealth REIT (NYSE: CWH) is a real estate investment trust, which primarily owns office buildings located in central business districts and suburban locations across the country, with executive offices in Chicago, Ill.

Investor and Media Contact
Allen Samuel, CommonWealth REIT, (312) 646-2801

SOURCE CommonWealth REIT