4,000,000 SHARES BRISTOW GROUP INC. MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT 1

4,000,000 SHARES

XXXXXXX GROUP INC.

MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

September , 2006

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters,
c/o            Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,
                 Eleven Madison Avenue,
                 New York, N.Y. 10010-3629

Dear Sirs:

1. Introductory. Xxxxxxx Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Company”), agrees with the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (“Underwriters”) to issue and sell to the several Underwriters 4,000,000 shares (“Firm Securities”) of its % mandatory convertible preferred stock, par value $.01 per share (“Securities”), and also proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than 600,000 additional shares (“Optional Securities”) of its Securities as set forth below. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities”.

2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:

(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-136743) covering the registration of the Offered Securities and the Underlying Shares under the Act, including a related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses. At any particular time, this initial registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including all information contained in the registration statement (if any) pursuant to Rule 462(b) and then deemed to be a part of the initial registration statement, and all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Initial Registration Statement”. The Company may also have filed, or may file with the Commission, a Rule 462(b) registration statement covering the registration of Offered Securities and the Underlying Shares into which the Securities are convertible. At any particular time, this Rule 462(b) registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including the contents of the Initial Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein and including all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in

any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Additional Registration Statement”.

As of the time of execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Initial Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act and is not proposed to be amended. Any Additional Registration Statement has or will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) and is not proposed to be amended. The Offered Securities and such Underlying Shares all have been or will be duly registered under the Act pursuant to the Initial Registration Statement and, if applicable, the Additional Registration Statement.

For purposes of this Agreement:

“430A Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus and retroactively deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A(b).

“430C Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430C.

“Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

“Applicable Time” means :00 [a/p]m (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.

“Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 3 hereof.

“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Effective Date” with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or the Additional Registration Statement (if any) means the date of the Effective Time thereof.

“Effective Time” with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or, if filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission or has become effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(c). If an Additional Registration Statement has not been filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement but the Company has advised the Representatives that it proposes to file one, “Effective Time” with respect to such Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement is filed and becomes effective pursuant to Rule 462(b).

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

“Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the public offering price, other 430A Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.

“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being so specified in Schedule B to this Agreement.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

The Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement are referred to collectively as the “Registration Statements” and individually as a “Registration Statement”. A “Registration Statement” with reference to a particular time means the Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement as of such time. A “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such Registration Statement as of its Effective Time. For purposes of the foregoing definitions, 430A Information with respect to a Registration Statement shall be considered to be included in such Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430A.

“Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.

“Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market (“Exchange Rules”).

“Statutory Prospectus” with reference to a particular time means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any 430A Information or 430C Information with respect to such Registration Statement. For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430A Information shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Rule 462(c) and not retroactively.

Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.

“Underlying Shares” shall mean shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company issuable upon conversion of the Securities.

(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (i) (A) On their respective Effective Dates, (B) on the date of this Agreement and (C) on each Closing Date, each of the Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement (if any) conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and

the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (ii) on its date, at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required) at the Effective Date of the Additional Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus is included, and on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(c) Ineligible Issuer Status. (i) At the time of initial filing of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (x) the Company or any subsidiary of the Company in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and (y) the Company in the preceding three years not having been the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, all as described in Rule 405.

(d) Preliminary Prospectus. Each preliminary prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;

(e) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the preliminary prospectus, dated ___, 2006 (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally) and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule B to this Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding

sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(g) Good standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), business, properties or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).

(h) Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Item 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) of the Company has been duly incorporated or otherwise organized and is an existing corporation, limited liability company or other business entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with power and authority (corporate, limited liability company and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and each significant subsidiary of the Company is duly qualified to do business

as a foreign corporation or other business entity in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity securities of each significant subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and, in the case of corporate subsidiaries, nonassessable; and the capital stock or other equity securities of each significant subsidiary owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, are owned free from liens, encumbrances and defects, except to the extent such capital stock or other equity securities are subject to a lien or encumbrance in connection with the Revolving Credit Agreement dated August 3, 2006 among the Company and certain lenders, including SunTrust Bank as administrative agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association as syndication agent, and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association as documentation agent and a Letter of Credit Facility Agreement dated August 3, 2006 among the Company and certain lenders, including Suntrust Bank as administrative agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as issuing bank and as syndication agent, and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, as documentation agent as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

(i) Offered Securities. The Offered Securities and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and, when the Offered Securities have been delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will have been validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will conform in all material respects to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Final Prospectus; the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Securities; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are or will have been issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any security holder; and the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package.

(j) Underlying Shares. When the Offered Securities are delivered and paid for pursuant to this Agreement on each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will be convertible into the Underlying Shares of the Company in accordance with their terms; the Underlying Shares initially issuable upon conversion of such Offered Securities have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance upon such conversion, conform in all material respects to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Underlying Shares contained in the Final Prospectus; when issued upon conversion of the Offered Securities, the Underlying Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; and the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Underlying Shares.

(k) No Finder’s Fee. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.

(l) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to a Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act (collectively, “registration rights”) that have not been validly waived or satisfied prior to the date hereof.

(m) Listing. The Offered Securities and Underlying Shares have been approved for listing on The New York Stock Exchange, subject to notice of issuance.

(n) Subsidiaries. The entities listed on Schedule Z hereto include every direct and indirect subsidiary of the Company that is a significant subsidiary.

(o) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and Underlying Shares by the Company, except such as have been obtained, or made and such as may be required under state securities laws, provided, however, that a filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) may be made after the date hereof so long as such filing is made within the time period specified in the applicable provision of such rule in accordance with terms of this Agreement.

(p) Title to Property. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects that would affect the value thereof or interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them and (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries hold any leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no terms or provisions that would interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them, except, in each case, for such liens, charges, encumbrances, defects and exceptions that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and Underlying Shares and compliance with the terms and provisions thereof will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws or similar constitutive document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or (iii) any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any

of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), where any such breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

(r) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its respective charter or by-laws or similar constitutive document or in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is subject, except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(s) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(t) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, adequate certificates, authorizations, franchises, licenses and permits (“Licenses”) necessary or material to the conduct of their respective businesses now conducted or proposed in the General Disclosure Package to be conducted by them, except where the lack thereof would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Licenses that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.

(u) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that, in any such case, is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate trademarks, trade names and other rights to inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, confidential information and other intellectual property (collectively, “intellectual property rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently employed by them, except where the failure to own, possess or acquire such intellectual property rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and have not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any

intellectual property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.

(w) Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “environmental laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any environmental laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which is reasonably expected to lead to such a claim.

(x) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Internal Review, Restatement, Governmental Investigations and Internal Control,” “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Internal Review, Governmental Investigations and Internal Control,” “Business—Legal Proceedings,” “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” “Description of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock” and “Description of Capital Stock,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are, in all material respects, accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.

(y) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included in a Registration Statement, a Statutory Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.

(z) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company, its subsidiaries and its directors (in their capacities as such) are in compliance with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx and all applicable Exchange Rules. The Company maintains a system of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting, an internal audit function and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”) that comply with the Securities Laws and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. General Accepted Accounting Principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action

is taken with respect to any differences and (v) the Company has adopted and applies corporate governance guidelines. The Internal Controls are overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or the Board, and the Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report to the Audit Committee or the Board within the next 90 days, a significant deficiency, material weakness or change in Internal Controls of the Company, or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls (each, an “Internal Control Event”), other than those described in the General Disclosure Package or which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(aa) Absence of Accounting Issues. To the best of the knowledge of the executive officers of the Company with reasonable diligence, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Audit Committee is not reviewing or investigating, and neither the Company’s independent auditors nor its internal auditors have recommended that the Audit Committee review or investigate, (i) adding to, deleting, changing the application of, or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies, in each case in any material respect; (ii) any matter which is reasonably expected to result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current or prior three fiscal years; or (iii) any Internal Control Event.

(bb) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are threatened or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated.

(cc) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in each Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis.

(dd) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package (i) there has been no change, nor any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that is material and adverse, (ii) except as

disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock and (iii) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and its subsidiaries.

(ee) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”).

(ff) Ratings. No “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2)(i) has imposed (or has informed the Company that it is considering imposing) any condition (financial or otherwise) on the Company’s retaining any rating assigned to the Company or any securities of the Company or (ii) except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, has informed the Company that it is considering any of the actions described in Section 7(c)(ii) hereof.

3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, (a) the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such underwriter in Schedule A hereto multiplied by the Non-Caledonia Proportion at a purchase price of $ per share plus accumulated dividends from to the First Closing Date and (b) the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A hereto multiplied by the Caledonia Proportion at a purchase price of $ per share plus accumulated dividends from to the First Closing Date. “Caledonia Proportion” means a fraction of which the numerator is the number of Firm Securities being purchased by Caledonia Investments plc (300,000) and the denominator is the total number of Firm Securities (4,000,000). “Non-Caledonia Proportion” means the fraction that results from subtracting the Caledonia Proportion from one.

The Company will deliver the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by official bank check or checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company at the office of Xxxxx Xxxxx L.L.P. (“Xxxxx Xxxxx”), 000 Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, at A.M., New York time, on , or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date”. For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to the offering. The Firm Securities so to be delivered or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the above office of at least 24 hours prior to the First Closing Date.

In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the purchase price per Security (including any accumulated dividends thereon to the related Optional Closing Date) to be paid for the Firm Securities in clause (a) of this Section 3. The Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the number of shares of Optional Securities specified in such notice and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase such Optional Securities. Such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of shares of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions) and may be purchased by the Underwriters only for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the sale of the Firm Securities. No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company.

Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred to as an “Optional Closing Date”, which may be the First Closing Date (the First Closing Date and each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”), shall be determined by the Representatives but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given. The Company will deliver the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by official bank check or checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company, at the above office of Xxxxx Xxxxx. The Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date or evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at the above office of at a reasonable time in advance of such Optional Closing Date.

4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.

5. Certain Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

(a) Additional Filings. Unless filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) as part of the Additional Registration Statement in accordance with the next sentence, the Company will file the Final Prospectus, in a form approved by the Representatives, with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with subparagraph (1) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the Representatives, subparagraph (4)) of Rule 424(b) not later than the earlier of (A) the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or (B) the fifteenth business day after the Effective Date of the Initial Registration Statement. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of any such filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and provide satisfactory evidence to the

Representatives of such timely filing. If an Additional Registration Statement is necessary to register a portion of the Offered Securities under the Act but the Effective Time thereof has not occurred as of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will file the additional registration statement or, if filed, will file a post-effective amendment thereto with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 462(b) on or prior to 10:00 P.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, on or prior to the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or will make such filing at such later date as shall have been consented to by the Representatives.

(b) Filing of Amendments; Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement at any time the Initial Registration Statement, any Additional Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus and will not effect such amendment or supplementation without the Representatives’ consent; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the effectiveness of any Additional Registration Statement (if its Effective Time is subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (ii) any amendment or supplementation of a Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus, (iii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to any Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of a Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (v) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. If any such amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Final Prospectus is required to be filed or delivered at any time during the nine months immediately following the date that the Final Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), the costs of preparing and filing such amendment or supplement, and the other costs incidental thereto, shall be at the Company’s expense; if any such amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Final Prospectus is required to be filed or delivered at any time later than nine months immediately following

the date that the Final Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), the costs of preparing and filing such amendment or supplement, and the other costs incidental thereto, shall be at the Underwriters’ expense. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7 hereof.

(d) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), the Company will make generally available to its securityholders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the Effective Date of the Initial Registration Statement (or, if later, the Effective Date of the Additional Registration Statement) which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes such Effective Date on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-Q for such fiscal quarter except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-K for such fiscal year.

(e) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of each Registration Statement (two of which will be signed and will include all exhibits), each related Statutory Prospectus, and, so long as a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case in such quantities as the Representatives reasonably request. The Final Prospectus shall be so furnished on or prior to 5:00 P.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All other documents shall be so furnished as soon as available. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company shall arrange to qualify the Offered Securities for sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and shall continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to qualify or register as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

(g) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to stockholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to stockholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other publicly available information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either

Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”), it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.

(h) Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to any filing fees and other expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) incurred in connection with qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and the preparation and printing of memoranda relating thereto, the filing fee incident to the review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the Offered Securities, costs and expenses relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities including, without limitation, any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company including the chartering of airplanes, fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, NASDAQ Stock Market and other national and foreign exchanges, fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Offered Securities under the Exchange Act, and expenses incurred in distributing preliminary prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters and for expenses incurred for preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors, but not including travel and lodging expenses of the Underwriters.

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received in connection with this offering in the manner described in the “Use of Proceeds” section of the General Disclosure Package and, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

(j) Absence of Manipulation. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

(k) Restriction on Sale of Securities. For the period specified below (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, take any of the following actions with respect to its Securities, the Underlying Shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of its Securities or Underlying Shares (“Lock-Up Securities”): (i) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of Lock-Up Securities, (ii) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, contract to purchase or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase Lock-Up Securities, (iii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of Lock-Up Securities, (iv) establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position in Lock-Up Securities within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (v) file with the

Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to Lock-Up Securities (other than a registration statement on Form S-8 or any successor form in connection with the registration of securities pursuant to any employee benefit plan in effect on the date hereof), or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action, without the prior written consent of the Representatives except issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities or the exercise of warrants or options, in each case outstanding on the date hereof, grants of employee stock options pursuant to the terms of a plan in effect on the date hereof, issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the exercise of such options, the sale of any shares of Offered Securities to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, any private sales of up to 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such shares in connection with acquisitions in which the purchaser agrees to be bound by the restrictions described in this Section. The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue for 90 days after the date of the commencement of the public offering of the Offered Securities or such earlier date that the Representatives consent to in writing; provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the materials news or material event, as applicable, unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension. The Company will provide the Representatives with notice of any announcement described in clause (2) of the preceding sentence that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.

6. Free Writing Prospectuses. (a) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping.

(b) Term Sheets. The Company will prepare a final term sheet relating to the Offered Securities, containing only information that describes the final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise in a form consented to by the Representatives, and will file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) following the later of date such final terms have been established for the Offered Securities and the date of first use. Any such final term sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and a

Permitted Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement. The Company also consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that contains only (i)(x) information describing the preliminary terms of the Offered Securities or their offering or (y) information that describes the final terms of the Offered Securities or their offering and that is included in the final term sheet of the Company contemplated in the first sentence of this subsection or (ii) other information that is not “issuer information,” as defined in Rule 433, it being understood that any such free writing prospectus referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above shall not be an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement.

7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein (as though made on such Closing Date), to the accuracy of the statements of Company officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of KPMG LLP confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Laws and substantially in the form of Schedule C hereto (except that, in any letter dated a Closing Date, the specified date referred to in Schedule C hereto shall be a date no more than three days prior to such Closing Date).

(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. If the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement (if any) is not prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, such Effective Time shall have occurred not later than 10:00 P.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or shall have occurred at such later time as shall have been consented to by the Representatives. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 5(a) hereof. Prior to such Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Representatives, shall be contemplated by the Commission.

(c) No Material Adverse Change. On or after the Applicable Time, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package, which, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities; (ii) any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities or preferred stock of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of

any debt securities or preferred stock of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating); (iii) any change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impractical to market or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iv) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (v) or any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (vi) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal or New York authorities; (vii) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment, or clearance services in the United States or any other country where such securities are listed or (viii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.

(d) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of Xxxxx Xxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Company, to the effect that:

(i) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in the State of Texas.

(ii) Offered Securities; Capitalization. The Offered Securities delivered on such Closing Date have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable, conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the General Disclosure Package and in Final Prospectus; the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package; and the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Securities under the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, the Delaware General Corporation Law or, to the knowledge of such counsel, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party, with respect to the Offered Securities;

(iii) Underlying Shares. The Offered Securities delivered on such Closing Date are convertible into the Underlying Shares of the Company in accordance with their terms; the Underlying Shares initially issuable upon conversion of such Offered Securities have been duly authorized and reserved for

issuance upon such conversion, conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the General Disclosure Package and in the Final Prospectus; the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Underlying Shares under the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company, the Delaware General Corporation Law or, to the knowledge of such counsel, any other agreements or instrument to which the Company is a party, with respect to the Offered Securities; and when issued upon conversion the Underlying Shares will be, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable;

(iv) Registration Rights. To the knowledge of such counsel, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person registration rights that have not been validly waived or satisfied prior to the date hereof;

(v) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act;

(vi) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any governmental agency or body or any court is required to be obtained or made by the Company for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and Underlying Shares by the Company, except such as have been obtained or made and such as may be required by the NASD or under state securities laws;

(vii) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and Underlying Shares and compliance by the Company with the terms and provisions thereof will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to (i) the charter or by-laws or similar constitutive document of the Company or of its significant subsidiaries, (ii) any statute, rule, regulation or order known to such counsel of any governmental agency or body or any court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties (provided however, that such counsel need express no opinion with respect to compliance with any state securities or other federal or state anti-fraud statues, rules or regulations), or (iii) any agreement or instrument that is an exhibit to the Registration Statement except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), where any such breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(viii) Compliance with Registration Requirements; Effectiveness. The Initial Registration Statement was declared effective under the Act as of the date and time specified in such opinion, the Additional Registration Statement (if any) was filed and became effective under the Act as of the date and time (if determinable) specified in such opinion, the Final Prospectus was filed with the Commission pursuant to the subparagraph of Rule 424(b) specified in such opinion (or, if stated in such opinion, pursuant to Rule 462(c)) on the date specified therein, and, to the best of the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or contemplated by the Commission under the Act;

(ix) Description of Securities and Offering. The statements in the Registration Statements, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus under the captions “Description of Mandatory Convertible Preferred Stock,” “Description of Capital Stock” and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” of legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings are accurate summaries thereof in all material respects; and such counsel do not know of any legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body required to be described in a Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus which are not described as required or of any contracts or documents of a character required to be described in a Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to a Registration Statement which are not described and filed as required; and

(x) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

Such counsel shall also include, in a separate paragraph of its opinion, statements to the following effect: such counsel has participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, with representatives of the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, with other counsel for the Company and with representatives of and counsel for the Underwriters, at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package (documents included in the General Disclosure Package to be specified in a schedule to such counsel’s opinion) and related matters were discussed, and although such counsel did not independently verify such information, and is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package (except to the extent stated in Sections 7(d)(ix)), on the basis of the foregoing, no facts have come to such counsel’s attention that lead such counsel to believe that (A) the Registration Statement (other than (i) the financial statements and schedules contained therein, including the notes thereto and the independent registered public accounting firm’s reports thereon, (ii) the other financial or accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom, and (iii) the exhibits thereto, as to which such counsel has not been asked to comment), as of its effective date, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (B) that the Final Prospectus (other than (i) the financial statements and schedules contained therein,

including the notes thereto and the independent registered public accounting firm’s reports thereon, and (ii) the other financial or accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom), as of its date or as of such Closing Date, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (C) that the General Disclosure Package (consisting collectively of the documents specified in a schedule to such counsel’s opinion) (other than (i) the financial statements and schedules contained therein, including the notes thereto and the independent registered public accounting firm’s reports thereon, and (ii) the other financial or accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom), as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(e) Opinion of General Counsel of the Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, to the effect that:

(i) Good Standing of the Company. The Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(ii) Subsidiaries. Each significant subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or otherwise organized and is an existing corporation, limited liability company or other business entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with power and authority (corporate, limited liability company and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and each subsidiary of the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation or other business entity in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity securities of each significant subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and, in the case of corporate subsidiaries, nonassessable; and the capital stock or other equity securities of each significant subsidiary owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, are owned free from liens, encumbrances and defects, except to the extent such capital stock or other equity securities are subject to a lien or encumbrance in connection with the Revolving Credit Agreement dated August 3, 2006 among the Company and certain lenders, including SunTrust Bank as administrative agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association as syndication agent, and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association as documentation agent and a Letter of Credit Facility Agreement dated August 3, 2006 among the Company and certain lenders, including Suntrust Bank as administrative agent, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as

issuing bank and as syndication agent, and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, as documentation agent as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus;

(iii) Title to Property. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, (A) the Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects that would materially affect the value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them and (B) the Company and its subsidiaries hold any leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no terms or provisions that would materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them, except, in each case, for such liens, charges, encumbrances, defects and exceptions that would not have a Material Adverse Effect;

(iv) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar constitutive document and (B) to the best of such counsel’s knowledge, no default (or event which, with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be a default) has occurred in the due performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in a Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package or filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to a Registration Statement, except, in the case of clause (B), for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(v) SEC Investigation and DOJ. The statements in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Internal Review, Restatement, Governmental Investigations and Internal Control,” “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Internal Review, Governmental Investigations and Internal Control” and “Business—Legal Proceedings,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries in all material respects of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings and present the information required to be shown; and

(vi) Shares of the Company. All outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(f) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(g) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers shall state that: the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, are contemplated by the Commission; the Additional Registration Statement (if any) satisfying the requirements of subparagraphs (1) and (3) of Rule 462(b) was timely filed pursuant to Rule 462(b), including payment of the applicable filing fee in accordance with Rule 111(a) or (b) of Regulation S-T of the Commission; and, subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package or as described in such certificate.

(h) Lock-up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received lockup letters substantially in the form set forth on Schedule D from each of the executive officers and directors of the Company and Caledonia Investments plc.

The Company will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives reasonably request. The Representatives may in its sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an Optional Closing Date or otherwise.

8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or

commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.

(b) Indemnification of Company. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the fifth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and the information contained in the twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” related to stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under subsection (a) or (b) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the

extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.

(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(d) were determined

by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 8(d).

(e) Control Persons. The obligations of the Company under this Section shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each director of the Company, to each officer of the Company who has signed a Registration Statement and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

9. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First or any Optional Closing Date and the aggregate number of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except as provided in Section 10 (provided that if such default occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

10. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, and the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 hereof shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have

been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 5 shall also remain in effect.

11. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to the Representatives, c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010-3629, Attention: LCD-IBD, or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it at 0000 X. Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxx. X., Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8 will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter.

12. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 8, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

13. Representation of Underwriters. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with this financing, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives jointly will be binding upon all the Underwriters.

14. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

15. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Representatives has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or is advising the Company on other matters;

(b) Arms’ Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms’ length negotiations with the Representatives and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company has been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

(d) Waiver. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to

any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

16. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

The Company hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

[Signature page follows.]

If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement between the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.


		Very truly yours,

			XXXXXXX GROUP INC.

			By:

				[Insert title]

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

By:

	Name:
	Title:

XXXXXXX, SACHS & CO.

By:

	(Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.)

Acting on behalf of themselves and as the Representatives of the several Underwriters.

Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement

Document Metadata

Table of Contents

4,000,000 SHARES BRISTOW GROUP INC. MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Document Metadata