Becton, Dickinson and Company Debt Securities Underwriting Agreement

Execution Copy

Becton, Xxxxxxxxx and Company

Debt Securities

Underwriting Agreement

May 11, 2009

Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.,
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
As representatives of the several Underwriters
     named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Becton, Xxxxxxxxx and Company, a New Jersey corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of $500,000,000 principal amount of the 5.00% Notes due May 15, 2019 (the “2019 Securities”) and $250,000,000 principal amount of the 6.00% Notes due May 15, 2039 (the “2039 Securities”) of the Company, specified above (collectively, the “Securities”).

     1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

          (a) An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-159102) in respect of the Securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, became effective on filing; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company (the base prospectus filed as part of such registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with

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the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Basic Prospectus”; any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto but excluding Form T-1 and including any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) hereof), is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; the form of the final prospectus relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such prospectus; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Basic Prospectus, such Preliminary Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Securities is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”);

          (b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture 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

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information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for use therein;

          (c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 2:00 pm (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement; the Pricing Prospectus as supplemented by the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(a) hereof, taken together (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”) as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit 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; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a) hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit 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; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for use therein;

          (d) The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents 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; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will 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 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 expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule II(b) hereto;

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          (e) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, 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 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 expressly for use therein;

          (f) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, which event is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the repurchase of shares pursuant to Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act and the issuance of shares under the Company’s employee benefit or stock purchase plans or upon conversion of outstanding convertible debt of the Company) or long term obligations of the Company and its subsidiaries which are material taken as a whole or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

          (g) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New Jersey, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties, or conducts any business, so as to require such qualification; and each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in

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which it owns or leases properties, or conducts any business, so as to require such qualification, except in those instances with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries where failure to be so qualified would not have a material adverse effect on the business or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole;

          (h) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors’ qualifying shares and minority interests reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements included or incorporated in the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

          (i) The Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement, will have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits provided by the indenture dated as of March 1, 1997 (the “Indenture”) between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (as successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.) as Trustee (the “Trustee”), under which they are to be issued, which is substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or such other form as shall have previously been agreed to by you; the Indenture has been duly authorized and duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles; and the Securities and the Indenture will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

          (j) The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Securities, the Indenture and this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other 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 property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or Bylaws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any

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court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Securities or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Indenture except such as have been obtained under the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters;

          (k) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Notes” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and under the caption “Underwriting”, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair;

          (l) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

          (m) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be an “investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

          (n) (A) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), and (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; and (B) at the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)

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under the Act) of the Securities, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;

          (o) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

          (p) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Company believes its internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting;

          (q) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;

          (r) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective;

          (s) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, has taken or will take any action on behalf of the Company in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage in favor of the Company; and the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted

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their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein, except in each case, as would not be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole;

          (t) To the Company’s knowledge, the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened; and

          (u) (i) The Company represents that neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Entity”) or, to the knowledge of the Entity, any director or officer of the Entity, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:

          (A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor

          (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria);

               (ii) The Entity represents and covenants that, except pursuant to appropriate government authorization or as exempted from such regulation, it will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:

          (A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or

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          (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise);

               (iii) The Entity represents and covenants that, except pursuant to appropriate government authorization or as exempted from such regulation, for the past three (3) years, it has not knowingly engaged in, is not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

     2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, 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, at a purchase price of 98.698% of the principal amount thereof for the 2019 Securities and 98.109% of the principal amount thereof for the 2039 Securities, plus accrued interest, if any, from May 15, 2009 to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) hereunder, the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.

     3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Securities, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

     4. (a) The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder will be represented by one or more definitive global Securities in book-entry form which will be deposited by or on behalf of the Company with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its designated custodian. The Company will deliver the Securities to Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., for the account of each Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance, by causing DTC to credit the Securities to the account of Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. at DTC. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Securities to be made available to Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. for checking at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “Designated Office”). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on May 15, 2009 or such other time and date as Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date are herein called the “Time of Delivery”.

     (b) The documents to be delivered at the Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross-receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the

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Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(h) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (the “Closing Location”), and the Securities will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at the Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding the Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

     5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

     (a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the date of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to prepare final term sheets, containing solely a description of the Securities, in a form approved by you and to file such term sheets pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act within the time required by such Rule; to file promptly all other material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Securities, of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best

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efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order; and in the event of any such issuance of a notice of objection, promptly to take such steps including, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new registration statement, at its own expense, as may be necessary to permit offers and sales of the Securities by the Underwriters (references herein to the Registration Statement shall include any such amendment or new registration statement);

     (b) If required by Rule 430B(h) under the Act, to prepare a form of prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such form of prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than may be required by Rule 424(b) under the Act; and to make no further amendment or supplement to such form of prospectus which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice therereof;

     (c) If by the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to you. If at the Renewal Deadline the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to you and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be;

     (d) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Securities, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;

     (e) To furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in such quantities as you may from time to time reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a

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result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Securities at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

     (f) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158 under the Act);

     (g) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the later of the Time of Delivery and such earlier time as you may notify the Company, not to offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose, except as provided hereunder, of any debt securities of the Company which mature more than one year after such Time of Delivery and which are substantially similar to the Securities;

     (h) To pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act; and

     (i) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”.

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     6.

     (a) (i) The Company represents and agrees that, other than the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(a) hereof, without the prior consent of Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;

          (ii) each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co., other than one or more term sheets relating to the Securities containing customary information and conveyed to purchasers of Securities, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus; and

          (iii) any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. (including the final term sheets prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(a) hereof) is listed on Schedule II(a) hereto;

     (b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and

     (c) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. and, if requested by Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter expressly for use therein.

     7. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, and filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and

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supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing this Agreement, the Indenture, the Blue Sky Memorandum and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(d) hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) any fees charged by securities rating services for rating the Securities; (v) the cost of preparing the Securities; (vi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any agent of the Trustee and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Securities; and (vii) all other costs and expenses incident to the Company’s performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

     8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of the Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

     (a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; the final term sheets contemplated by Section 5(a) hereof, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act shall have been received; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

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     (b) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to you such opinion or opinions, dated the Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to the incorporation of the Company, the validity of the Indenture, the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and other related matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

     (c) The General Counsel for the Company and Special Counsel for the Company satisfactory to the representatives shall have furnished to you their respective written opinions (the content of which is set forth in Annex I(a) and Annex I(b) hereto, respectively), dated the Time of Delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you;

     (d) At the Time of Delivery, Ernst & Young LLP shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in Annex II hereto;

     (e) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock (other than the repurchases of shares pursuant to Rule 10(b)-18 of the Exchange Act and the issuance of shares under the Company’s employee benefit or stock purchase plans or upon conversion of outstanding convertible debt of the Company) or long term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

     (f) On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities;

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     (g) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; or (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, if the effect of any such event specified in this clause (iv) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus; and

     (h) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at the Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company reasonably satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such time, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such time, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.

     9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, 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 to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall 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 or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use therein.

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     (b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein 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 the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

     (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party) provided that in the event of such assumption the action may not be compromised or settled by the indemnifying party without the consent of the indemnified party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. After notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. The indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party pursuant to the provisions of this Section 9 in respect of any action compromised or settled by the indemnifying party, unless the written consent of the indemnifying party shall

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have been obtained to such compromise or settlement (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld).

     (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) 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. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits 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 (or actions in respect thereof), 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, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. 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 on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (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 above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in 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 such action or claim. 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

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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.

     (e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 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 each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 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 officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

     10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Securities which it has agreed to purchase hereunder, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.

     (b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata

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share (based on the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

     (c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate if so decided by the Company upon notice to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 13 hereunder, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default

     11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.

     12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, the Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out of pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

     13. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of the Underwriter made or given by Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. on behalf of you as the representatives.

     All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or

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facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co., 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Registration Department and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated, 0000 Xxxxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Investment Banking Division (Fax: 000-000-0000); and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

     14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

     15. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

     16. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

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     17. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

     18. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

     19. The Company and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

     20. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

     21. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

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     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us four counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

	Very truly yours, Becton, Xxxxxxxxx & Company
	By:	/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
		Name:	Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
		Title:	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page to the Underwriting Agreement]

Accepted as of the date hereof:

XXXXXXX, SACHS & CO.
XXXXXX XXXXXXX & CO. INCORPORATED

By: XXXXXXX, SACHS & CO.

/s/ Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.  

(Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.) 

XXXXXX XXXXXXX & CO. INCORPORATED
 

/s/ Yurij Slyz  

(Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated) 

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SCHEDULE I

		Principal				Principal
		Amount of				Amount of
		2019				2039
		Securities to				Securities to
Underwriter		be Purchased				be Purchased
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.		$	225,000,000			$	112,500,000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated			150,000,000				75,000,000
Banc of America Securities LLC			14,250,000				7,125,000
Banca IMI S.p.A.			4,500,000				2,250,000
BBVA Securities Inc.			9,000,000				4,500,000
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.			9,000,000				4,500,000
BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC			9,000,000				4,500,000
Calyon Securities (USA) Inc.			4,500,000				2,250,000
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.			19,000,000				9,500,000
ING Financial Markets LLC			4,500,000				2,250,000
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.			14,250,000				7,125,000
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA), Inc.			19,000,000				9,500,000
Mizuho Securities USA Inc.			9,000,000				4,500,000
Standard Chartered Bank			4,500,000				2,250,000
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC			4,500,000				2,250,000
Total		$	500,000,000			$	250,000,000

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SCHEDULE II

     (a) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package:

     (b) Additional Documents Incorporated by Reference:

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ANNEX I(a)

CONTENT OF LETTER TO BE PROVIDED BY XXXXXXX X. XXXXXXX,
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL FOR BECTON,
XXXXXXXXX AND COMPANY

     1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New Jersey, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;

     2. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus;

     3. The Company has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification and where the failure to so qualify would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (such counsel being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company, provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);

     4. Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties, or conducts any business, so as to require such qualification and where the failure to so qualify would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary (except for directors’ qualifying shares and minority interests reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements included or incorporated in the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for such liens, encumbrances, equities or claims that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (such counsel being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiaries, provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);

     5. To the best of such counsel’s knowledge and other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and, to the best of such

A-I(a)-1

counsel’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

     6. The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

     7. The Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered;

     8. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

     9. The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Securities and the Indenture and this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel 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 property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such actions result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or Bylaws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties; and

     10. The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules or other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and such counsel has no reason to believe that any of such documents, when such documents became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement which became effective under the Act, 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, or, in the case of other documents which were filed under the Act or the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such documents were so filed, not misleading.

A-I(a)-2

ANNEX I(b)

CONTENT OF LETTER TO BE PROVIDED BY XXXXX XXXX & XXXXXXXX,
SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR BECTON, XXXXXXXXX AND COMPANY

     1. The Registration Statement became effective under the Act and the Indenture qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, upon the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e).

     2. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, provided that such counsel need express no opinion as to the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or stay law.

     3. The Securities when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture pursuant to which such Securities are to be issued, provided that such counsel need express no opinion as to the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or stay law.

     4. The Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.

     5. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency under the laws of the State of New York or any federal law of the United States of America that in such counsel’s experience is normally applicable to general business corporations in relation to transactions of the type contemplated by the Indenture, the Securities and the Underwriting Agreement (collectively, the “Documents”) is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of its obligations under the Documents, except such as may be required under federal or state securities or Blue Sky laws as to which such counsel need express no opinion.

     6. Such counsel shall have considered the statements included in the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of Notes” insofar as they summarize provisions of the Indenture and the Securities. In such counsel’s opinion, such statements fairly summarize these provisions in all materials respects.

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     7. (i) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and (ii) nothing has come to such counsel’s attention that causes such counsel to believe that, insofar as relevant to the offering of the Securities: (a) on the date of the Underwriting Agreement, the Registration Statement contained any 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) at the Applicable Time, the Pricing Disclosure Package contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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, or (c) the Prospectus as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement or as of the closing date contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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.

     In rendering the opinions in paragraphs (2) through (4) above, such counsel may assume that each party to the Documents has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. In addition, such counsel may assume that (i) the execution, delivery and performance by each party thereto of each Document to which it is a party, (a) are within its corporate powers, (b) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws or other constitutive documents of such party, (c) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (d) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon such party, and (ii) each Document (other than the Underwriting Agreement) is a valid, binding and enforceable agreement of each party thereto, (other than as expressly covered above in respect of the Company).

     Insofar as the foregoing opinions involve matters governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, such counsel may rely, without independent investigation, on the opinion of the General Counsel for the Company delivered pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Underwriting Agreement.

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ANNEX II

DESCRIPTION OF COMFORT LETTER
FOR REGISTRATION STATEMENTS ON FORM S-3

     Pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:

In connection with the Registration Statement:

1.		We are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB).
2.		In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule audited by us and incorporated by reference in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K at September 30, 2008 and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC.
3.		We have not audited any financial statements of the Company as of any date or for any period subsequent to September 30, 2008. We also have not audited the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of any date subsequent to September 30, 2008. The purpose (and therefore the scope) of our audit for the year ended September 30, 2008 was to enable us to express our opinion on (i) the consolidated financial statements at September 30, 2008 and for the year then ended, but not on the financial statements for any interim period within such year, and (ii) the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, as of September 30, 2008, but not on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of any date or for any period within the year ended September 30, 2008. Therefore, we are unable to express and do not express an opinion on: the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2008 and March 31, 2009, the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income for the three-month periods ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 and March 31, 2009 and 2008, and the six-month periods ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, or the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the three-month periods ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 and the six-month periods ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, all incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement from the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended December 31, 2008 and March 31, 2009; or on the financial position, results

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of operations or cash flows as of an date or for any period subsequent to September 30, 2008; or on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of any date or for any period within the year ended September 30, 2008 or subsequent to September 30, 2008.

4. For purposes of this letter, we have read the 2009 minutes of meetings of the shareholders and the Board of Directors of the Company and its subsidiaries as set forth in the minute books through May 8, 2009, officials of the Company having advised us that the minutes of all such meetings through that date were set forth therein, and have carried out other procedures to May 8, 2009 as follows (our work did not extend to the period from May 9, 2009 to May 11, 2009 inclusive):

a. With respect to the three-month periods ended December 31, 2008 and 2007 and the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, we have:

	(1)		performed the procedures specified by the PCAOB for a review of interim financial information as described in XX 000, Xxxxxxx Financial Information, on the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for these periods, described in 3. above, included in the Company’s quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended December 31, 2008 and March 31, 2009 incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and
	(2)		inquired of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters as to whether the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to under a.(1) comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC.

b. With respect to periods after March 31, 2009, we have inquired of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters as to the availability of consolidated financial statements of the Company after March 31, 2009, officials of the Company having advised us that no such financial statements as of any date or for any period subsequent to March 31, 2009 were available.

The foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Also, they would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments in the following paragraph. Accordingly, we make no representations as to the sufficiency of the foregoing procedures for your purposes.

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5. Nothing came to our attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused us to believe that:

	a.		any material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements described in 3 above, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, for them to be in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles;
	b.		the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements discussed in 3 above do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC.

6.		As mentioned under 4.b. above, Company officials have advised us that no consolidated financial statements as of any date or for any period subsequent to March 31, 2009 are available; accordingly, the procedures carried out by us with respect to changes in financial statement items after March 31, 2009 have, of necessity, been even more limited than those with respect to the periods referred to in 4. above. We have inquired of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters as to whether: (i) at May 8, 2009 there was any change in the capital stock, increase in long-term debt or any decreases in consolidated net current assets or shareholders’ equity of the consolidated companies as compared with the amounts shown on the March 31, 2009 unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheet included in the Registration Statement, or (ii) for the period from April 1, 2009 to May 8, 2009, there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year, in consolidated net sales or consolidated income before extraordinary items or of consolidated net income. As discussed above, Company officials have advised us that no consolidated financial statements as of any date or for any period subsequent to March 31, 2009 are available. Therefore, management did not have the information to respond to our inquiries about changes, increases, or decreases, except as to whether there have been any increases in long-term debt. On the basis of these inquiries and our reading of the minutes as described in 4. above, nothing came to our attention that caused us to believe that there was any increase in long-term debt, except in all instances for increases that the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur.
7.		At your request, we have also read the items identified by you on the attached copy of certain pages of 1.) the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2008, 2.) the Company’s definitive proxy statement on Form 14A filed with the SEC on December 23, 2008, and 3.) the Company’s quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended December 31, 2008 and March 31, 2009, and have performed the

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following procedures, which were applied as indicated with respect to the capital letters explained below:

A.		Compared the dollar and other amounts either to the amounts in the audited financial statements described in the introductory paragraph of this letter or, for prior years, included in the Company’s annual reports to shareholders for the years 2005, 2004, 2003, and 2002, or to amounts in the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements described in 4.a.(1) above, to the extent such amounts are included or can be derived from such statements and found them to be in agreement.
B.		Compared the dollar and other amounts not derived directly from audited or unaudited financial statements to amounts in the Company’s accounting records to the extent such amounts could be so compared directly and found them to be in agreement.
C.		Compared the dollar and other amounts not derived directly from audited or unaudited financial statements, or that could not be compared directly to the Company’s accounting records, to amounts in analyses prepared from the Company’s accounting records and found them to be in agreement.
D.		Proved the arithmetic accuracy of the percentages or amounts based on the data in the above-mentioned audited or unaudited financial statements, accounting records and analyses.

We make no comment as to the appropriateness or completeness of the Company’s determination of the Regulation S-K requirements for quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risks nor with respect to the reasonableness of the assumptions underlying the disclosures.

We make no comment as to the definition or completeness of sales of safety-engineered devices.

We make no representation as to whether the transaction will take place or the principal amount of debt securities to be sold in the transaction. We make no legal representations as to questions of legal interpretation regarding the completeness or appropriateness of the Company’s determination of what constitutes executive compensation for purposes of the SEC disclosure requirements on executive compensation.

8.  Our audits of the consolidated financial statements for the periods referred to in the introductory paragraph of this letter were comprised of audit tests and procedures deemed necessary for the purpose of expressing an opinion on such financial statements taken as a whole. For neither the periods referred

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to therein nor any other period did we perform audit tests for the purpose of expressing an opinion on individual balances of accounts or summaries of selected transactions such as those enumerated above and, accordingly, we do not express an opinion thereon.

9.		It should be understood that we make no representations as to questions of legal interpretation or as to the sufficiency for your purposes of the procedures enumerated in paragraph 7. above; also, such procedures would not necessarily reveal any material misstatement of the information identified in paragraph 7. above. Further, we have addressed ourselves solely to the foregoing data as incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and make no representations as to the adequacy of disclosure or as to whether any material facts have been omitted.
10.		Certain amounts included in this letter and in the various tables, schedules and paragraphs indicated in the Registration Statement have been rounded as deemed appropriate by the Company. In all instances in 7. above, agreement of such amounts and numbers is after giving consideration to such rounding. Certain amounts included in this letter with respect to salary in the summary compensation table in the Company’s definitive proxy statement have been compared to amounts in the Company’s accounting records and found to be in agreement within a tolerance of $15,000 or less per each executive officer.
11.		This letter is solely for the information of the addressees and to assist the underwriters in conducting and documenting their investigation of the affairs of the Company in connection with the offering of the securities covered by the Registration Statement, and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to within or without the underwriting group for any other purpose, including, but not limited to, the registration, purchase, or sale of securities, nor is it to be filed with or referred to in whole or in part in the Registration Statement or any other document, except that reference may be made to it in the underwriting agreement or any list of closing documents pertaining to the offering of the securities covered by the Registration Statement.

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