35,000,000 Shares AK Steel Holding Corporation Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

35,000,000 Shares

AK Steel Holding Corporation

Common Stock

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

September 10, 2014

XXXXXXX LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX INCORPORATED

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC,

X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC,

As Representatives of the several Underwriters,

c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated

Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx

Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000,

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, N.Y. 10010-3629, and

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC,

000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000

Dear Sirs:

1. Introductory. AK Steel Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Company”), agrees with the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (“Underwriters”) to issue and sell to the several Underwriters 35,000,000 shares (“Firm Securities”) of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Securities”), and also proposes to issue and sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than 5,250,000 additional shares (“Optional Securities”) of its Securities as set forth below. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities”.

The proceeds of the Offered Securities will be used, together with the proceeds of the concurrent offering by AK Steel Corporation of senior notes (the “Senior Notes Offering”), to finance the Company’s acquisition (the “Dearborn Acquisition”) by AK Steel Corporation of Severstal Dearborn, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (together with its subsidiaries, “Dearborn”), pursuant to the Membership Interest Purchase Agreement, dated July 18, 2014, by and among Severstal Columbus Holdings, LLC, Dearborn and AK Steel Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Membership Interest Purchase Agreement”), and the remainder of the net proceeds, if any, to repay outstanding borrowings under AK Steel Corporation’s asset-based revolving credit facility.

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

(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-194078), as amended by Post-Effective Amendment No. 1, each including a related prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, which has become effective. “Registration Statement” at any particular time means such registration statement in the form then filed with the Commission, including any amendment thereto, any document incorporated by reference therein and all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to such registration statement, that in any case has not been superseded or modified. “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the Effective Time. For purposes of this definition, 430B Information shall be considered to be included in the Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430B.

For purposes of this Agreement:

“430B Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(e) or retroactively deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(f).

“430C Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430C.

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

“Applicable Time” means 9:35 P.M. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.

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

“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Effective Time” of the Registration Statement relating to the Offered Securities means the time of the first contract of sale for the Offered Securities.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Subsidiary” means each direct and indirect subsidiary of the Company.

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

(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (i) (A) At the time the Registration Statement initially became effective, (B) at the time of each amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether by post-effective amendment, incorporated report or form of prospectus), (C) at the Effective Time relating to the Offered Securities and (D) on the Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (ii) (A) on its date, (B) at the time of filing the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and (C) on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(c) Automatic Shelf Registration Statement. (i) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer Status. (A) At the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement, (B) 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 (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Offered Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163, the Company was a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405, including not having been an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405.

(ii) Effectiveness of Automatic Shelf Registration Statement. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405, that initially became effective within three years of the date of this Agreement.

(iii) Eligibility to Use Automatic Shelf Registration Form. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. If at any time when Offered Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form and such Underwriters are required to deliver a prospectus for the Offered Securities, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Offered Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable, and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Offered Securities to continue

as contemplated in the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

(iv) Filing Fees. The Company has paid or shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Offered Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r).

(d) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated September 8, 2014 including the base prospectus, dated September 8, 2014 (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally), and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule B to this Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(e) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

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

(g) Subsidiaries. Each Subsidiary, and to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable; and except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, all of the capital stock of each Subsidiary is owned by the Company, directly or indirectly, free from liens, encumbrances and defects.

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

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

(j) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to a Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act (collectively, “registration rights”), and any person to whom the Company has granted registration rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after the expiration of the 90-day period referred to in Section 5 hereof.

(k) Listing. The Offered Securities have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to notice of issuance.

(l) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities by the Company, except (i) such as have been obtained, or made and such as may be required under state securities laws and (ii) for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings or registrations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.

(m) Title to Property. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects except where the failure to have such title or the existence of such lien, charge, encumbrance or defect would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, hold any leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no terms or provisions that would materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them.

(n) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, pursuant to (i) the charter, by-laws or other organizational instrument or document of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, (ii) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, or any of their properties, or (iii) any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is subject, except, in the case of (iii) above, for such conflicts, breaches, violations, liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn.

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

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

(q) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, all adequate certificates, authorizations, franchises, licenses and permits (“Licenses”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed in the General Disclosure Package to be conducted by them and have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Licenses that, if determined adversely to the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or Dearborn, would individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(r) Absence of Labor Dispute. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, no labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(s) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, own, possess or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate trademarks, trade names and other rights to inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, confidential information and other intellectual property (collectively, “intellectual property rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently employed by them, and have not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any intellectual property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, or Dearborn, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (a)(i) none of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, is in violation of, or has any liability under, any federal, state, local or non-U.S. statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, other requirement or rule of law (including common law), or decision or order of any domestic or foreign governmental agency, governmental body or court, relating to pollution, to the use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, discharge, disposal or release of Hazardous Substances, to the protection or restoration of the environment or natural resources (including biota), to health and safety as such relates to exposure to Hazardous Substances, and to natural resource damages (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) none of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, owns, occupies, operates or uses any real property contaminated with Hazardous Substances, (iii) none of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, is conducting or funding any investigation, remediation, remedial action or monitoring of actual or suspected Hazardous Substances in the environment, (iv) none of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, is liable or, to its knowledge, allegedly liable for any release or threatened release of Hazardous Substances, including at any off-site treatment, storage or disposal site, (v) none of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, is subject to any claim by any governmental agency or governmental body or person relating to Environmental Laws or Hazardous Substances, and (vi) the Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, have received and are in compliance with all, and have no liability under any, permits, licenses, authorizations, identification numbers or other approvals required under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, except in each case covered by clauses (i) – (vi) such as would not individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (b) to the knowledge of the Company there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to result in a violation of, liability under, or claim pursuant to, any Environmental Law that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (c) to the knowledge of the Company there are no Environmental Laws or requirements proposed for adoption or implementation under any Environmental Law that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. For purposes of this subsection, “Hazardous Substances” means (A) petroleum and petroleum products, by-products or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls and mold, and (B) any other chemical, material or substance defined or regulated as toxic or hazardous or as a pollutant, contaminant or waste under Environmental Laws.

(u) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the heading “Description of Capital Stock” and “Description of Certain Indebtedness” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings and present the information required to be shown.

(v) Accurate Tax Disclosure. To the extent that the statements set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders” purport to describe certain provisions of the United States federal tax laws referred to therein, such summaries fairly describe, in all material respects, such provisions.

(w) Absence of Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

(x) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package or in the Final Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.

(y) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company, the Subsidiaries and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) are in compliance with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx and all applicable Exchange Rules in all material respects. The Company maintains a system of internal controls over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15-f of the Exchange Act) (collectively, “Internal Controls”) that comply with the Exchange Act and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. General Accepted Accounting Principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. The Internal Controls are overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or the Board, and within the next 90 days the Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report to the Audit Committee or the Board, a significant deficiency, material weakness, change in Internal Controls or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls (each, an “Internal Control Event”), any violation of, or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, or any matter which, if determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(z) Disclosure Controls. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, AK Steel Corporation, the Company and the Subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and the Subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

(aa) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, or Dearborn, would individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and to the Company’s knowledge, no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are threatened or contemplated.

(bb) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(cc) Dearborn Financial Statements. To the best knowledge of the Company, the financial statements of Dearborn and its subsidiaries, together with the related notes, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus present fairly the financial position of Dearborn and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis. To the best knowledge of the Company, the financial statements of Mountain State Carbon, LLC (“MSC”), together with the related notes, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus present fairly the financial position of MSC as of the dates shown and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis.

(dd) Pro forma Financial Statements. The pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included under the captions “Summary—Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Consolidated Financial Information,” “Capitalization,” “Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements,” and elsewhere in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and, to the best knowledge of the Company, with respect to the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto derived from the Dearborn Financial Statements, present fairly in all material respects the information contained therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein.

(ee) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (i) there has been no change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company, the Subsidiaries, or, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, taken as a whole that is material and adverse, (ii) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock and (iii) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company.

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

(gg) Ratings. No “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act (i) has imposed (or has informed the Company that it is considering imposing) any condition (financial or otherwise) on the Company’s retaining any rating assigned to the Company or AK Steel Corporation or any securities of the Company or AK Steel Corporation or (ii) has indicated to the Company that it is considering any of the actions described in Section 7(c)(ii) hereof.

(hh) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any of the Subsidiaries, Dearborn, or their respective directors, officers, agents, employees or affiliates is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the FCPA, including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, the Subsidiaries and affiliates and Dearborn have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have devised or instituted and enforce policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith. In addition, none of the Company or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any of the Subsidiaries, Dearborn, or their respective directors, officers, agents, employees or affiliates is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the U.K. Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000.

(ii) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency, 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 the Subsidiaries with respect to such statutes, rules, regulations and guidelines is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(jj) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company, its Subsidiaries, nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, or any of their respective directors, officers or employees, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company any of its Subsidiaries or Dearborn is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”) or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company, any of its subsidiaries or to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Offered Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and the Subsidiaries, and to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

(kk) Taxes. The Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, have filed all federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax returns that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect); and, except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, have paid all taxes (including any assessments, fines or penalties) required to be paid by them, except for any such taxes, assessments, fines or penalties currently being contested in good faith or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ll) Insurance. The Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, are insured by insurers with appropriately rated claims paying abilities against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary for the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance insuring the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or Dearborn or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company, the Subsidiaries and, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no claims by the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company, by Dearborn, under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; none of the Company, any such Subsidiary, nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and none of the Company, any such Subsidiary, nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $8.595 per share, the respective number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule A hereto.

The Company will deliver the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company at the office of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000 at 9:00 A.M., New York time, on September 16, 2014, or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date”. For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to the offering.

In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the purchase price per Security to be paid for the Firm Securities less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the number of shares of Optional Securities specified in such notice and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase such Optional Securities. Such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of shares of Firm Securities (or such number increased as set forth in Section 9 hereof) (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions) and may be purchased by the Underwriters only for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the sale of the Firm Securities. No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company.

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

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

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

(a) Filing of Prospectuses. The Company has filed or will file each Statutory Prospectus (including the Final Prospectus) pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 424(b)(2) of the Act (or, if applicable and consented to by the Representatives, subparagraph (5)) not later than the second business day following the earlier of the date it is first used or the execution and delivery of this Agreement. The Company has complied and will comply with Rule 433 of the Act.

(b) Filing of Amendments; Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus at any time and will offer the Representatives a reasonable opportunity to comment on any such amendment or supplement; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the filing of any such amendment or supplement, (ii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to the Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (iii) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of the Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act, and (iv) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. (i) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance; and (ii) if at any time prior to the filing of the Final Prospectus, any event occurs as a result of which the General Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the General Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, a supplement that will correct such statement or omission or an amendment that will effect such compliance. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7 hereof.

(d) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than 16 months, after the date of this Agreement, the Company will make generally available to its securityholders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the date of this Agreement and satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.

(e) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of the Registration Statement, including all exhibits, any Statutory Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as the Representatives reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.

(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Offered Securities for offer and sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

(g) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Final Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

(h) Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to (i) any filing fees and other expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) incurred in connection with qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and the preparation and printing of memoranda relating thereto, (ii) the filing fees for FINRA’s review of the offering of the Offered Securities, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with compliance with FINRA’s rules and regulations, (iii) any fees charged by investment rating agencies for the rating of the Offered Securities, (iv) costs and expenses relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities, any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company including the chartering of airplanes, (v) fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (vi) fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Offered Securities under the Exchange Act, and (vii) expenses incurred in distributing preliminary prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters and for expenses incurred for preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in subclauses (i) and (ii) of this clause (h), and Sections 8 and 10 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 and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

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

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

(k) Restriction on Sale of Securities. For a period of 90 days after the date hereof, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in

whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Securities or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Securities or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, other than (w) the Offered Securities to be sold hereunder, (x) any underlying shares of Securities to be exchanged pursuant to AK Steel Corporation’s 5.00% Exchangeable Senior Notes due November 2019 upon the election of a holder of such notes pursuant to their terms, (y) any shares of Securities of the Company, options to purchase such shares of Securities, restricted stock or restricted stock units granted pursuant to the Company’s management incentive plans in effect on the date hereof and (z) shares of Securities of the Company issued upon the exercise of options or vesting of restricted stock or restricted stock units pursuant to the terms of the Company’s management incentive plans in effect on the date hereof.

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

(b) Term Sheets. The Company will prepare a final term sheet relating to the Offered Securities, containing only information that describes the final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise in a form consented to by the Representatives, and will file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) following the date such final terms have been established for all classes of the offering of the Offered Securities. Any such final term sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement. The Company and the Representatives also consent to the use by an Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that contains only (i)(x) information describing the preliminary terms of the Offered Securities or their offering or (y) information that describes the final terms of the Offered Securities or their offering and that is included in the final term sheet of the Company contemplated in the first sentence of this subsection or (ii) other information that is not “issuer information” as defined in Rule 433, it being understood that any such free writing prospectus referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above shall not be an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement.

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

(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of Ernst & Young LLP, Deloitte & Touche LLP and, with respect to Dearborn, KPMG LLP, confirming that they are registered public accounting firms and independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws and substantially in the form agreed to with the Representatives (except that, in any letter dated a Closing Date, the specified date referred to in the letter shall be a date no more than three days prior to such Closing Date).

(b) Filing of Prospectus. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 5(a) hereof. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter, shall be contemplated by the Commission.

(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the Applicable Time, there shall not have occurred (i) any change in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company, the Subsidiaries and Dearborn taken as a whole which, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Offered Securities; (ii) any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities of the Company or AK Steel Corporation by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities of the Company or AK Steel Corporation (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating); (iii) any change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impractical to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iv) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (v) or any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (vi) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal or New York authorities; (vii) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment, or clearance services in the United States or any other country where such securities are listed or (viii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, any declaration of war by the U.S. Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.

(d) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of Weil, Gotshal & Xxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

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

(f) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers shall state that: the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has

been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, are contemplated by the Commission; and, subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company, the Subsidiaries, and to the best knowledge of the Company, Dearborn, taken as a whole except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package or as described in such certificate.

(g) Lock-Up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, between you and the officers and directors of the Company listed on Schedule C hereto relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of the Securities or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be full force and effect on such Closing Date.

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

8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of the Registration Statement at any time, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in each case in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.

(b) Indemnification of Company. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of the Registration Statement at any

time, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in each case in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession figure appearing in the fifth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and the information contained in the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” relating to stabilizing activities.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.

(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to herein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to herein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Offered Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the

same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 8(d).

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

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

Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof, the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 hereof shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 5 shall also remain in effect.

11. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to the Representatives, c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx, Incorporated, Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, X.X., 00000, Xxxxxxxxx: (000) 000-0000, Attention: Syndicate Department, with a copy to: Facsimile: (000) 000-0000, Attention: ECM Legal, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010-3629, Attention: LCD-IBD, and X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000, or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it at AK Steel Holding Corporation, 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: General Counsel; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8 will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter.

12. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(d) Waiver. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Underwriters for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Underwriters shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

17. Applicable Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

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

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


Very truly yours, AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION

By:		/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title:Vice President and General Counsel

[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]

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

XXXXXXX LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX INCORPORATED

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC

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

By XXXXXXX LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX INCORPORATED

By:

/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Name: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Title: Managing Director

By CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

By:

/s/ Xxxxx Matt

Name: Xxxxx Xxxx

Title: Managing Director

By X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC

By:

/s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx

Name: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx

Title: Managing Director

[Signature page to Underwriting Agreement]

SCHEDULE A


Underwriter	Number of Firm Securities
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated		3,829,000
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC		14,381,500
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC		5,624,500
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.		8,316,000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.		1,424,500
Fifth Third Securities, Inc.		1,424,500

Total		35,000,000

A-1

SCHEDULE B

1.	General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package)

“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” includes each of the following documents:

1. None.

2.	Other Information Included in the General Disclosure Package

The following information is also included in the General Disclosure Package:

1. The initial price to the public of the Offered Securities: $9.00 per share.

2. Total number of Firm Securities: 35,000,000 shares.

3. Total number of Optional Securities: 5,250,000 shares.

B-1

SCHEDULE C

Directors and Officers Signing Lock-Up Agreements

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx

Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx

Xxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxx X. Xxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx

Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, III

Xxxxx X. Newport

Xxxx X. Xxxxx

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

EXHIBIT A

Opinion of Xxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP

September 16, 2014

Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated

Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx

Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,

Eleven Madison Avenue,

New York, N.Y. 10010-3629

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC

000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx

XX00000X

Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000

Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.

000 Xxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to AK Steel Holding Corporation (the “Company”) in connection with the preparation, authorization, execution and delivery of, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by, an underwriting agreement, dated September 10, 2014 (the “Agreement”), by and among the Company and X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated, as representatives of the underwriters named therein, relating to the issuance by the Company of 35,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Securities”). This opinion is being rendered to you pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Agreement. Capitalized terms defined in the Agreement and used (but not otherwise defined) herein are used herein as so defined.

In so acting, we have examined originals or copies (certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction) of (i) the Agreement; (ii) the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-194078), filed on February 21, 2014 (as amended by Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on September 8, 2014, “Registration Statement”); (iii) the Prospectus, dated September 8, 2014, which forms a part of the Registration Statement (the “Base Prospectus”); (iv) the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, dated September 8, 2014 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”); (v) the Pricing Disclosure Package (as defined below); (v) the Prospectus Supplement, dated September 10, 2014 (the “Prospectus Supplement”); (vi) the restated certificate of incorporation of the Company (the “Certificate of Incorporation”); (vii) the amended and restated by-laws of the Company (the “By-laws”); and (viii) such corporate records, agreements, documents and other instruments, and such certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company, and have made such inquiries of such officers and representatives, as we have deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinions hereinafter set forth. We refer to the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, and taken together with the information listed on Schedule A hereto, as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.” We refer to the Base Prospectus as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement as the “Prospectus.”

In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed or photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. As to all questions of fact material to these opinions that have not been independently established, we have relied upon certificates or comparable documents of officers and representatives of the Company and upon the representations and warranties of the Company contained in the Agreement. As used herein, “to our knowledge,” “of which we are aware” and “we are not aware” mean the conscious awareness of facts or other information by any lawyer in our firm actively involved in the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, after consultation with such other lawyers in our firm as each such actively involved lawyer has deemed appropriate.

Based on the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications stated herein, we are of the opinion that:

1. The Company is a corporation validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has all requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted.

2. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package.

3. The Securities to be issued pursuant to the Agreement have been duly authorized and, when issued as contemplated by the Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

4. The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver the Agreement and to perform its obligations thereunder. The execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement by the Company have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company. The Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company.

5. The execution and delivery by the Company of the Agreement and the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder will not conflict with, constitute a breach of or default under or violate (i) any of the terms, conditions or provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company; (ii) any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any document, agreement or other instrument listed on Schedule B hereto; (iii) Delaware corporate, New York or federal law (other than federal and state securities or blue sky laws, as to which we express no opinion in this paragraph); or (iv) any judgment, writ, injunction, decree, order or ruling of any court or governmental authority binding on the Company of which we are aware.

6. No consent, approval, waiver, license or authorization or other action by or filing with any Delaware corporate, New York or federal governmental authority is required in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of the Agreement, the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated thereby or the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder, except for federal and state securities or blue sky laws, as to which we express no opinion in this paragraph, and those already obtained.

7. To our knowledge, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or overtly threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein and are not so described.

8. The statements (A) in the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package under the caption “Description of Capital Stock” and (B) in the Registration Statement in response to the requirements of Item 9 of Form S-3, in each case insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present the information called for with respect to such legal matters, documents and proceedings and fairly summarize the matters referred to therein in all material respects.

9. The statements in the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders,” insofar as they constitute statements of United States federal income tax law or legal conclusions with respect thereto, and subject to the limitations set forth therein, fairly summarize the matters referred to therein in all material respects.

10. The Company is not, and immediately after giving effect to the sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

11. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and, based solely on a telephone confirmation by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), we are not aware of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use. To our knowledge, no proceedings therefor have been initiated or overtly threatened by the Commission and any required filing of the Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required by such Rule.

The opinions expressed herein are limited to the laws of the State of New York, the corporate laws of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States, and we express no opinion as to the effect on the matters covered by this letter of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

The opinions expressed herein are rendered solely for your benefit in connection with the transactions described herein. Those opinions may not be used or relied upon by any other person, nor may this letter or any copies hereof be furnished to a third party, filed with a governmental agency, quoted, cited or otherwise referred to without our prior written consent.

Very truly yours,

Schedule A

Pricing Information Provided Orally by Underwriters

1. The initial price to the public of the Offered Securities: $9.00 per share.

2. Total number of Firm Securities: 35,000,000 shares.

3. Total number of Optional Securities: 5,250,000 shares.

Schedule B

1.	Indenture dated as of May 11, 2010, among AK Steel Corporation, as issuer, AK Steel Holding Corporation, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee

2.	First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of May 11, 2010, among AK Steel Corporation, as issuer, AK Steel Holding Corporation, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee

3.	Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 22, 2012, among AK Steel Corporation, as issuer, AK Steel Holding Corporation, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee

4.	Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of November 20, 2012, among AK Steel Corporation, as issuer, AK Steel Holding Corporation, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank, National Association, as trustee.

5.	Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 29, 2014 among AK Steel Corporation, AK Steel Holding Corporation, as parent guarantor, AK Tube LLC and AK Steel Properties, Inc., as subsidiary guarantors, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee.

6.	Indenture, dated as of November 20, 2012, among AK Steel Corporation, as issuer, AK Steel Holding Corporation, as guarantor, and U.S. Bank, National Association, as trustee and collateral agent.

Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2014, among AK Steel, as Borrower, certain financial institutions, as Lenders, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, XX Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank, N.A. and Xxxxx Fargo Capital Finance, LLC, as Co-Syndication Agents, Citibank, N.A., Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Fifth Third Bank, Regions Bank, and U.S. Bank National Association, as Co-Documentation Agents, PNC Bank National Association, as Managing Agent, and Bank of America, N.A., X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC and Xxxxx Fargo Capital Finance, LLC, as Joint Lead Arrangers and Co-Book Managers

8.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Xxxxx Fargo Capital Finance, LLC.

9.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

10.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company.

11.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Citibank, N.A.

12.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and PNC Bank, National Association.

13.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Bank, N.A.

14.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and UBS Loan Finance LLC.

15.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Bank of America, N.A.

16.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Fifth Third Bank.

17.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch.

18.	Increased Commitment Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2011 by and among AK Steel Corporation, as Borrower, Bank of America, N.A., as Agent, and Xxxxxxx Sachs Bank USA.

19.	Air Quality Facilities Loan Agreement dated as of February 1, 2012 between AK Steel Corporation and the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority—$36,000,000 Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2012-A.

20.	Loan Agreement dated as of February 1, 2012 between AK Steel Corporation and the City of Rockport, Indiana—$30,000,000 Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2012-A.

21.	Loan Agreement dated as of February 1, 2012 between AK Steel Corporation and the Xxxxxx County Industrial Development Authority—$7,300,000 Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2012-A.

22.	First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of November 12, 2012, among AK Steel Corporation, as borrower, Bank of America, N.A. as agent for the lenders, and the lenders party thereto.

23.	Security Agreement dated as of November 20, 2012, among the AK Steel Corporation and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and collateral agent.

24.	Collateral Trust Agreement dated as of November 20, 2012, among AK Steel and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee and collateral agent.

10b-5 Letter of Xxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP

September 16, 2014

Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated

Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx

Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,

Eleven Madison Avenue,

New York, N.Y. 10010-3629

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC

000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx

XX00000X

Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000

Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.

000 Xxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Reference is made to (i) the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-194078), filed by AK Steel Holding Corporation (“AK Holding”) and AK Steel Corporation (the “Company” and together with AK Holding, the “Companies”) on February 21, 2014 (as amended by Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 filed on September 8, 2014, the “Registration Statement”), (ii) the Prospectus, dated as of February 21, 2014 (the “Base Prospectus”), which forms a part of the Registration Statement, (iii) the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, dated September 8, 2014 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) and (iv) the Prospectus Supplement, dated September 10, 2014 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), in each case relating to the common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Securities”) of AK Holding, as to which we have acted as counsel to the Companies. We refer to the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, and taken together with the term sheet and other documents listed on Schedule A hereto as the “Pricing Disclosure Package.” We refer to the Base Prospectus as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement as the “Prospectus.” We refer to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the term sheet and other documents listed on Schedule A hereto, and the Prospectus Supplement as the “Offering Documents.” This letter is furnished to you pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of September 10, 2014, among the Company and the underwriters named therein (the “Agreement”). Capitalized terms defined in the Agreement and used (but not otherwise defined) herein are used herein as so defined.

The primary purpose of our professional engagement was not to establish or confirm factual matters or financial or quantitative information, and many determinations involved in the preparation of the Offering Documents are of a non-legal character. In addition, we have not undertaken any obligation to verify independently any of the factual matters set forth in the Offering Documents or in the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”).

Consequently, we are not passing upon and do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained or incorporated by reference in the Offering Documents (other than as stated in paragraphs 8 and 9 of our opinion of even date herewith). Also, we do not make any statement herein with respect to any of the financial statements and related notes thereto, the financial statement schedules or the financial or accounting data contained or incorporated by reference in the Offering Documents or Exhibit 25 to the Registration Statement.

We have reviewed the Offering Documents (including the Incorporated Documents) and we have participated in conferences with representatives of the Company, its independent public accountants, you and your counsel, at which conferences the contents of the Offering Documents, the Incorporated Documents and related matters were discussed. However, we did not participate in the preparation of the Incorporated Documents.

Subject to the foregoing, we confirm to you that, on the basis of the information we gained in the course of performing the services referred to above, (a) the Registration Statement (including the Incorporated Documents), as of its most recent effective date (which for purposes of this letter is understood to be the date of the Agreement), and the Prospectus (including the Incorporated Documents), as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement, appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive, in all material respects relevant to the offering of the Securities, to the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, and (b) no facts have come to our attention which cause us to believe that (i) the Registration Statement (including the Incorporated Documents), as of its most recent effective date (which for purposes of this letter is understood to be the date of the Agreement), 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, (ii) the Pricing Disclosure Package (including the Incorporated Documents), as of 9:35 PM on September 10, 2014 contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (iii) the Prospectus (including the Incorporated Documents), as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement or as of the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

The statements made herein are set forth solely for your benefit and are addressed to you solely in your capacity as the underwriters of the Securities. Neither this letter nor any of such statements may be used or relied upon by, or assigned to, any other person (including any subsequent purchaser or transferee of the Securities), and neither this letter nor any copies hereof may be furnished to any other person, filed with a governmental agency, quoted, cited or otherwise referred to without our prior written consent.

Very truly yours,

Schedule A

Pricing Information Provided Orally by Underwriters

1. The initial price to the public of the Offered Securities: $9.00 per share.

2. Total number of Firm Securities: 35,000,000 shares.

3. Total number of Optional Securities: 5,250,000 shares.

EXHIBIT B

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

September [—], 2014

XXXXXXX LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX INCORPORATED

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC,

X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC,

As Representatives of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement referred to below

c/o

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated

Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx

Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000,

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, N.Y. 10010-3629, and

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC

000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, X.X. 00000

Re: AK Steel Holding Corporation — Public Offering

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with AK Steel Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of common stock, $0.01 per share par value of the Company (the “Common Stock”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Common Stock, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period ending 90 days after the date of the prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in

part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, in each case other than (A) the Common Stock to be sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, (B) transfers of shares of Common Stock as a bona fide gift or gifts, (C) transfers to any immediate family, trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned or any of their successors upon death, or any partnerships or limited liability company, the partners or members of which consist of the undersigned and/or immediate family members of the undersigned, and in each case such transfer does not involve a disposition for value (for purposes of this lock-up agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin), (D) distributions of shares of Common Stock to members, limited or general partners, stockholders or affiliates of the undersigned, (E) transfers of Common Stock to any beneficiary of the undersigned pursuant to a will, other testamentary document or applicable laws of descent, (F) transfers to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned, (G) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, and (H) the transfer of any shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of options to purchase Common Stock or the vesting, delivery or settlement of restricted shares, restricted stock units or other awards to provide for any withholding taxes on the exercise, vesting, delivery or settlement thereof or to pay the exercise price thereof; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (B) through (F), each donee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this paragraph; and provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (B) through (H), no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the 90-day period referred to above). In addition, the foregoing paragraph shall not apply to the establishment of a trading plan by the undersigned pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the 90-day period referred to above and no filing under the Exchange Act, or other public announcement (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the 90-day period referred to above), shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with the establishment of such plan until after the expiration of the 90-day period referred to above.

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.

The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement has not been entered into within 60 days of the date hereof, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from, all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.

This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.


Very truly yours,

By:
		Name:
		Title:

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35,000,000 Shares AK Steel Holding Corporation Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

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