Edgar Filing: ISTAR FINANCIAL INC

Ownership Submission

FORM 4

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:

3235-0287

Expires:

January 31, 2005

Estimated average burden hours per response...

0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

MCDONALD JOHN G

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
ISTAR FINANCIAL INC [SFI]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

__X__ Director	_____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below)	_____ Other (specify below)

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

GSB STANFORD UNIVERSITY, 518 MEMORIAL WY

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/06/2009

(Street)

STANFORD, CA 94305-5015

4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock, par value $.001 per share	01/06/2009		J		18,368 ⁽¹⁾	A	$ 0	50,818 ⁽²⁾	I	Trustee of Family Trust

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
MCDONALD JOHN G GSB STANFORD UNIVERSITY, 518 MEMORIAL WY STANFORD, CA 94305-5015	X

Signatures

s/ John G. McDonald		01/08/2009
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	The Reporting Person has acquired 18,368 shares of common stock of iStar Financial Inc. in settlement of vested common stock equivalent ("CSE") awards received by the Reporting Person, pursuant to the iStar Financial Inc. Non-Employee Directors' Deferral Plan ("Plan"). Under the Plan, the Reporting Person has received annual CSE awards effective as of the date of each annual meeting of shareholders beginning with the 2003 annual meeting. In addition, the Reporting Person has elected to have additional CSEs credited to his account in respect of dividend equivalent payments on his CSEs. In accordance with the Plan, the Reporting Person has elected to receive a distribution of his vested CSEs in the form of shares of iStar common stock.
(2)	Following this transaction, the Reporting Person beneficially owns a total of 68,368 shares of iStar common stock, consisting of 17,550 shares owned indirectly in an individual retirement account established by the Reporting Person and 50,818 shares owned indirectly as trustee of a family trust.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.