Corporate Office Properties Trust Appoints Randall M. Griffin Chief Executive Officer

Business Wire, Feb 25, 2005

COLUMBIA, Md. -- The Board of Trustees of Corporate Office Properties Trust (NYSE:OFC) announced today the retirement of its current Chief Executive Officer, Clay W. Hamlin, III and the simultaneous appointment of Randall M. Griffin as President and Chief Executive Officer, both effective April 1, 2005. Mr. Griffin was also named as a Trustee of the Company, effective immediately.

Mr. Hamlin was appointed Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, effective April 1, 2005. Mr. Hamlin has served as Trustee of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since October 1997. Mr. Hamlin will have a three year consulting agreement to assist the Company with acquisitions and strategic initiatives. Mr. Griffin has served as President and Chief Operating Officer since September 1998.

"I am pleased to have been involved in the Company's growth over the past seven years, and look forward to supporting the Company in my role as Vice Chairman. Rand has assembled a strong management team with excellent experience and has demonstrated strong leadership that will serve him well in his expanded role," stated Clay W. Hamlin, III, Chief Executive Officer for Corporate Office Properties Trust.

Company Information

Corporate Office Properties Trust is a fully integrated, self-managed, real estate investment trust which focuses on the ownership, management, leasing, acquisition and development of suburban office properties located in select Mid-Atlantic submarkets. The Company also pursues selective expansion outside of our core markets to meet anticipated current tenant demand. The Company currently owns 145 office properties totaling 12.0 million rentable square feet, including two properties held through joint ventures. Corporate Development Services provides a wide range of development and construction management services. In addition, Corporate Office Services provides land planning, design/build services, consulting and merchant development to third party entities. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol OFC. More information on Corporate Office Properties Trust can be found on the Internet at www.copt.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements, as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on the Company's current expectations, estimates and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the Company. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "estimate" or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which the Company cannot predict with accuracy and some of which the Company might not even anticipate. Accordingly, the Company can give no assurance that these expectations, estimates and projections will be achieved. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors that may affect these expectations, estimates, and projections include, but are not limited to:

--the Company's ability to borrow on favorable terms;

--general economic and business conditions, which will, among other things, affect office property demand and rents, tenant creditworthiness, interest rates and financing availability;

--adverse changes in the real estate markets including, among other things, increased competition with other companies;

--risk of real estate acquisition and development, including, among other things, risks that development projects may not be completed on schedule, that tenants may not take occupancy or pay rent or that development or operating costs may be greater than anticipated;

--risks of investing through joint venture structures, including risks that the Company's joint venture partners may not fulfill their financial obligations as investors or may take actions that are inconsistent with the Company's objectives;

--governmental actions and initiatives; and

--environmental requirements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements. For further information, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Item 1 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003.