110,461,782 Shares CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

110,461,782 Shares

CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.

COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

October 29, 2015

Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.

000 Xxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC

000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx

Incorporated

Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

as Underwriters

Ladies and Gentlemen:

RBSG International Holdings Limited (the “Selling Shareholder”), a shareholder of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (the “Company”), proposes to sell to Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC and Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated (the “Underwriters” or the “Representatives”) an aggregate of 110,461,782 shares of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Shares”).

The shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company are hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.” To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule II other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including a prospectus, on Form S-3 (File No. 333-207668), relating to the securities (the “Shelf Securities”), including the Shares, to be offered and sold from time to time by the Company or any selling securityholder. The registration statement as amended to the date of this Agreement, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”, and the related prospectus

covering the Shelf Securities dated October 29, 2015 in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Base Prospectus.” The Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act), is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” and the term “preliminary prospectus” means any preliminary form of the Prospectus. For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus dated October 29, 2015 together with the documents and pricing information set forth in Section A of Schedule II hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “Base Prospectus,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein. The terms “supplement,” “amendment,” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or free writing prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.

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

(a) The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act and initially became effective within three years of the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or threatened by the Commission; and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company.

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

(c) (i) Each document filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or

will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) the Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain, and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iv) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 5), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (v) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (vi) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

(d) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

(e) The Company and each of its significant subsidiaries as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act (each a “Significant Subsidiary”) (i) has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing (to the extent that such concept is applicable) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and (ii) is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing (to the extent that such concept is applicable) in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, and has all power and authority

necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, except where the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing (to the extent such concept is applicable) or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), business, properties, management, stockholders’ equity, prospects or results of operations, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

(f) The Company has no Significant Subsidiaries other than those listed on Schedule III hereto.

(g) (i) The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Bank Holding Company Act”) and the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) and has made an effective election to become a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act and the Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation Y; (ii) Citizens Bank, N.A. is validly existing as a national banking association under the laws of the United States of America and (iii) Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is validly existing as a state chartered bank under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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

(i) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; the shares of Common Stock outstanding (including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder) have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

(j) The statements relating to legal matters, documents or proceedings included in (A) the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock,” (B) the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 under the caption “Part I, Item 1—Business—Regulation and Supervision” and “Part I, Item 3—Legal Proceedings”, (C) the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2015 under the caption “Part II, Item 1—Legal Proceedings” and (D) the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the six months ended June 30, 2015 under the caption “Part II, Item 1—Legal Proceedings” (except as disclosed elsewhere in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Registration Statement, as applicable), in each case insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the legal matters, document or proceedings referred to therein, fairly summarize in all material respects such matters, documents or proceedings, and the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus under the heading

“Material U.S. Federal Tax Considerations”, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain federal income tax laws of the United States, constitute a fair summary of the principal U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Shares.

(k) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene any provision of (i) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, (ii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) any applicable law or judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

(l) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders or qualifications as have been obtained or may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and applicable state securities laws and foreign securities laws in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

(m) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, management or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(n) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending or threatened or, to the best knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or by others, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; and (ii) there are no current or pending Actions or statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be described in or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or filed with the Registration Statement.

(o) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(p) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(q) The Company and its subsidiaries are not subject to any claim in connection with their respective businesses, operations or properties, alleging liability or responsibility for violation of any Federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, regulation, ordinance, rule, judgment, order, decree, permit, concession, grant, franchise, license, agreement or governmental restriction relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including those related to hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems, except for claims which, if adversely determined, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(r) Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, 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 Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.

(s) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates under the control of the Company (“controlled affiliates”), nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or controlled affiliates or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or controlled affiliates, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity, (ii) taken any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign or domestic “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage, (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulations implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law, or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries and controlled affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and have instituted policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.

(t) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, commonly known as the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(u) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee, agent, controlled affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:

(A) the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”)), the U.S. Department of State (including, without limitation, through designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), or Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”) (collectively, “Sanctions”), or

(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions (currently, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and, except to the extent authorized by OFAC or otherwise authorized under applicable law, Crimea).

(ii) For the past 5 years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or target of Sanctions.

(v) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in each case as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, respectively.

(w) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(x) The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement, misappropriation or violation of the asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(y) No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of the Company’s or any of the Company’s subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(z) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable laws administrated by the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), the Department of Banking of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the “PA Banking Department”), and any other federal, non-U.S. or state bank regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over the Company and its subsidiaries (together with the Federal Reserve Board, the OCC, the FDIC, the CFPB and the PA Banking Department, “Bank Regulatory Authorities”) and securities, commodities and other financial regulatory authorities with jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except to the extent that noncompliance would not have, and would not be reasonably expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect. The deposit accounts that are eligible for FDIC insurance of each of the depository institution subsidiaries of the Company are insured to the fullest extent permitted by law and the rules and regulations of the FDIC and there are no proceedings for the termination or revocation of such insurance pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise subject to any consent decree, memorandum of understanding, cease and desist order, order of prohibition or suspension, written commitment, supervisory agreement, or written agreement or other written statement as described under 12 U.S.C. 1818(u) (a

“Regulatory Order”) with any of the Bank Regulatory Authorities nor have the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) been advised in writing by any of the Bank Regulatory Authorities or (ii) to the knowledge of the Company been advised other than in writing by any of the Bank Regulatory Authorities that it is contemplating issuing or requesting any of the foregoing, in each case except as described in the Registration Statement and the Time of Sale Prospectus (provided that in the case of any agreement that the Company is prohibited from disclosing, such description in the Registration Statement and the Time of Sale Prospectus may be limited to the material effects of such agreement).

(aa) The Company and each of its depository institution subsidiaries is “well capitalized,” as defined under the applicable Federal Reserve Board, OCC and FDIC regulations. Each of Citizens Bank, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania has a Community Reinvestment Act rating of at least “Satisfactory.”

(bb) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries 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 have a Material Adverse Effect.

(cc) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(dd) The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance 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 generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (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. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(ee) The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. Non-GAAP financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, if any, complies with the requirements of Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus under the Securities Act or the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(ff) Deloitte & Touche LLP, who has audited the Company’s consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is an independent auditor with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act (and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

(gg) Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of Common Stock during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.

(hh) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a material adverse effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which has (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax

deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which would reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect.

(ii) The Company has filed all reports and other materials required to be filed by Sections 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the period that it has been required to do so.

(jj) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the 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.

2. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Shareholder.

(a) The Selling Shareholder represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

(i) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder.

(ii) The execution and delivery by the Selling Shareholder of, and the performance by the Selling Shareholder of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene any provision of (i) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Selling Shareholder, (ii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Selling Shareholder or (iii) any applicable law or judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Selling Shareholder, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on the power or ability of the Selling Shareholder to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

(iii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Selling Shareholder of its obligations under this Agreement, except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders or qualifications as have been obtained or may be required by FINRA and applicable state securities laws and foreign securities laws in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

(iv) The Selling Shareholder has, and on the Closing Date will have, valid title to, or a valid “security entitlement” within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code in respect of, the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder or a security entitlement in respect of such Shares.

(v) Upon payment for the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Shares, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Shares on the books of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “UCC”)) to such Shares), (A) DTC shall be a “protected purchaser” of such Shares within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the UCC, (B) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Shares and (C) no action based on any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Shares may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, the Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Shares will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC and (z) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC.

(vi) The Selling Shareholder is familiar with the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and has no knowledge of any material fact, condition or information not disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that has had, or may have, a Material Adverse Effect. The Selling Shareholder is not prompted by any material information concerning the Company or its subsidiaries which is not set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus to sell its Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

(vii) (i) Solely to the extent that any statements in, or omissions from, the Registration Statement are made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by the Selling Shareholder expressly for use therein, the Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) solely to the extent that any statements in, or omissions from, the Time of Sale Prospectus are made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by the Selling Shareholder expressly for use therein, the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (iii) solely to the

extent that any statements in, or omissions from, the Prospectus are made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by the Selling Shareholder expressly for use therein, the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph 2(a)(vii) do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

(viii) Having made reasonable inquiry, the Selling Shareholder is not aware of any facts that would cause the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 to not be true and correct in all material respects.

3. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Selling Shareholder hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Selling Shareholder at $23.38 a share (the “Purchase Price”) the number of Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as you may determine) that bears the same proportion to the number of Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder as the number of Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Shares.

The Company hereby agrees that, subject to the paragraph below, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 30 days after the date of the Prospectus, (the “Restricted Period”), (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, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) or any other securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, 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) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.

The restrictions contained in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to (a) the issuance, delivery, transfer or sale by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of any option, stock appreciation right or warrant or upon the conversion, exchange, vesting or settlement of any securities outstanding on or before the Closing Date of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing or which are outstanding

under any equity compensation, share, option or incentive plan described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, (b) the conversion of equity-based awards held by the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ current or former service providers as applicable in the form of securities of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc (or American Depositary Shares or Receipts representing such securities) into securities or equity-based awards of the Company, (c) the establishment of any trading plan 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 shares of Common Stock during the Restricted Period (d) the filing with the Commission of one or more registration statements on Form S-8 registering securities issuable, outstanding, exercisable or available for issuance under any equity compensation, share, option or incentive plan, which is described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, (e) any issuance or transfer of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock by the Company as consideration for a merger, acquisition, asset transfer or similar transaction, provided that the aggregate amount represented by the securities that the Company may issue or transfer or agree to issue or transfer pursuant to this clause e) shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately following the completion of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and provided further, that the Company shall cause the recipient of such securities to execute and deliver to you, on or prior to the issuance of such securities, a Lock-Up Agreement, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto; provided that any filing or announcement by the Company relating to a transfer or distribution under clause (c) of this Section 3 shall briefly note the applicable circumstances that cause such clause to apply and explain that the filing or announcement relates solely to transfers or distributions falling within the category described in such clause (including a statement to the effect that no transfer of shares of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period).

4. Terms of Public Offering. The Selling Shareholder is advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Selling Shareholder is further advised by you that the Shares are to be offered to the public upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.

5. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder shall be made to the Selling Shareholder in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City Time, on November 3, 2015, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as may be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”

The Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date. The Shares shall be delivered to you on the Closing Date for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters. The Purchase Price payable by the Underwriters shall be reduced by any withholding required by law.

6. Conditions to Obligations. The obligation of the Selling Shareholder to sell the Shares to the Underwriters and the several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares on the Closing Date are subject to the following conditions:

(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission.

(b) The representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, and each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall have complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.

(i) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change (other than a notice of a possible upgrading), in the rating accorded any of the securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act; and

(ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, management or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 6(c)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Selling Shareholder, to

the effect that the representations and warranties of the Selling Shareholder contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Selling Shareholder has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

(f) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date (i) an opinion and 10b-5 statement of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, outside counsel for the Company and the Selling Shareholder and (ii) CMS Xxxxxxx XxXxxxx LLP, special Scottish counsel for the Selling Shareholder, in each case dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters and in such form as is reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives. The opinions of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP and CMS Xxxxxxx XxXxxxx LLP described in this Section 6(f) shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company or the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, and shall so state therein.

(g) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer of the Company, with respect to such matters and in such form as is reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(h) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters and in such form as is reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, and the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(i) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

(j) The Lock-Up Agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between you and the officers and directors of the Company listed on Schedule IV hereto relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.

(k) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a certificate, dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, and signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company with respect to such matters and in such form as is reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(l) The Underwriters shall have received such other documents as you may reasonably request with respect to other matters related to the sale of the Shares.

7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) To furnish to you, without charge, 4 signed copies of the Registration Statement (excluding exhibits thereto) and to furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 7(e) or 7(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

(c) To furnish to you a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to (i) make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus or (ii) use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus, in each case without your prior consent.

(d) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

(e) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if during such time any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(f) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which Shares may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(g) To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under state or foreign securities laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request, provided that in connection therewith, the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

(h) To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the Company’s option, Rule 158 under the Securities Act).

(i) If the Selling Shareholder is not a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company will deliver to the Selling Shareholder, on or before the Closing Date, (i) a certificate with respect to the Company’s status as a “United States real property holding corporation,” dated not more than thirty (30) days prior to the Closing Date, as described in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.897-2(h) and 1.1445-2(c)(3), and (ii) proof of delivery to the IRS of the required notice, as described in Treasury Regulations 1.897-2(h)(2), and the Selling Shareholder shall, on or before the Closing Date, deliver a copy of such certificate and a copy of such proof of delivery to the Representatives.

(j) If the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement occurs before all the Shares have been sold by the Underwriters, prior to the third anniversary to file a new shelf registration statement and to take any other action necessary to permit the public offering of the Shares to continue without interruption; references herein to the Registration Statement shall include the new registration statement declared effective by the Commission;

(k) If, before all the Shares have been sold by the Underwriters , the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Underwriters, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Shares in such form as is reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable, and (iv) promptly notify the Underwriters of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Shares 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.

8. Covenants of the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder covenants with each Underwriter it will deliver to the Representatives, prior to or at the Closing Date, a properly completed and executed Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form W-9 or an IRS Form W-8, as appropriate, together with all required attachments to such form.

9. Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel, the Company’s accountants and counsel for the Selling Shareholder in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including the filing fees payable to the Commission relating to the Shares (within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act, if applicable), all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or World Sky memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under state or foreign jurisdictions’ securities laws as provided in Section 7(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in an amount not to exceed $15,000, in the aggregate, connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or World Sky memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in an amount (in the case of reimbursable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) not to exceed $35,000 in the aggregate, incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by FINRA, (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or

depositary, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, provided, however, that 50% of the cost of any aircraft chartered or used in connection with the road show shall be paid by the Underwriters, (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. In connection with the preceding sentence, the Underwriters agree to timely and properly pay the New York state stock transfer tax, and the Selling Shareholder agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not rebated on the day of payment and for any portion of such tax payment not rebated. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 11 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last paragraph of Section 13 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make. The Selling Shareholder agrees to pay or cause to be paid all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Selling Shareholder hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section.

The provisions of this Section shall not supersede or otherwise affect any other agreement that the Company and the Selling Shareholder may otherwise have for the allocation of such expenses among themselves.

10. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

11. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and directors, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any “road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

(b) The Selling Shareholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and directors, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent (and only to the extent) that such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission was made in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by the Selling Shareholder expressly for use therein; and except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein. The liability of the Selling Shareholder under the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall be limited to an amount equal to the net proceeds received by the Selling Shareholder from the sale of its Shares under this Agreement.

(c) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Selling Shareholder, the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Selling Shareholder within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements

therein not misleading, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.

(d) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 11(a), 11(b) or 11(c), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in such proceeding and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and, except as provided in the following sentence, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, (iii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party or (iv) the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Underwriters and all persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or who are affiliates of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, (ii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either such Section and (iii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Selling Shareholder and all persons, if any, who control the Selling Shareholder within the meaning of either such Section, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. In the case of any such separate firm for the Underwriters and such control persons and affiliates of any Underwriters, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. In the case of any such separate firm for the Company, and such directors, officers and control persons of the Company, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Company. In the case of any such separate firm for the

Selling Shareholder and such control persons of the Selling Shareholder, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Selling Shareholder. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding 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 (x) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or admission of fault, culpability or failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(e) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 11(a), 11(b) or 11(c) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 11(e)(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 11(e)(i) above but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and of the indemnified party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Shareholder and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price (as defined in Section A of Schedule II hereto) of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand 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 Selling Shareholder or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to

information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 11 are several in proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not joint. The liability of the Selling Shareholder under the contribution agreement in this paragraph shall be limited to an amount equal to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Shares sold by the Selling Shareholder under this Agreement.

(f) The Company and the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 11 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 that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 11(e). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 11(e) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 11, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that 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 Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 11 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

(g) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 11 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter, the Selling Shareholder or any person controlling the Selling Shareholder, or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.

12. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by you to the Company and the Selling Shareholder, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Global Market, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any national exchange, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal, New York State or Commonwealth of Pennsylvania authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets, or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and

which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the Representatives’ judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

13. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 13 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares and the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you, the Company and the Selling Shareholder for the purchase of such Shares are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or the Selling Shareholder. In any such case, either you or the Selling Shareholder shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company or the Selling Shareholder to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company or the Selling Shareholder shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement which, for the purposes of this Section 13, shall not include termination by the Underwriters under clauses (i), (iii), (iv) or (v) of Section 12, the Company and the Selling Shareholder will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

14. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Shares, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Shares.

(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Shares.

15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

16. 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 internal laws of the State of New York.

17. Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service. The Selling Shareholder hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the offering of the Shares or any transactions contemplated hereby. The Selling Shareholder irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the offering of the Shares or any transactions contemplated hereby in a New York Court, 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. The Selling Shareholder irrevocably appoints RBS CBFM North America Corp., located at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process in any manner permitted by applicable law upon such agent shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Selling Shareholder in any such suit or proceeding. The Selling Shareholder further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of ten years from the date of this Agreement. The Company and the Selling Shareholder and

each Underwriter irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

18. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.

19. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to you in care of Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000, Attention: Registration Department; Citigroup Global Markets Inc., 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 Attention: General Counsel, facsimile number 0-000-000-0000; X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (Fax: (212) 622-358), Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk; Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated, 00 Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx, XX0-000-00-00, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: High Grade Debt Capital Markets Transaction Management/Legal, fax: (000) 000-0000 and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to Law Department, 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: General Counsel, if to the Selling Shareholder shall be delivered, mailed or sent to Business House G, First Floor, RBS Gogarburn, XX Xxx 0000, Xxxxxxxxx XX00 0XX, Xxxxxxxx, Attention: Group General Counsel.


Very truly yours,

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

By:	/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
	Name:	Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
	Title:	General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer


RBSG International Holdings Limited

By:	/s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
	Name:	Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
	Title:	Director, RBS Strategy & Corporate Development

Accepted as of the date hereof


By:	Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.

By:	/s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxx
	Name:	Xxxxxxx Xxxx
	Title:	Managing Director


By:	Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

By:	/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx
	Name:	Xxxxxx Xxxxx
	Title:	Managing Director


By:	X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC

By:	/s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
	Name:	Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
	Title:	Vice President



By:		Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated



By:	/s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
	Name:	Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
	Title:	Managing Director

Schedule I


Underwriter	Number of Shares To Be Purchased
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.		27,615,447
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.		27,615,445
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC		27,615,445
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated		27,615,445

Total:		110,461,782

Sch I-1

SCHEDULE II

A. Time of Sale Prospectus

1.	Preliminary Prospectus dated October 29, 2015

2.	Price per share:

(i) The Public Offering Price per Share is, as to each investor, the price paid by such investor.

B. Free Writing Prospectus

Sch II-1

SCHEDULE III

Significant Subsidiaries

Citizens Bank, N.A.

Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania

PA Investment Corp. I

Sch III-1

SCHEDULE IV

Officers and Directors

Xxxxx Xxx Xxxx

Xxxx Xxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx

Xxxxxxx Xx Xxxxx

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx III

Xxx X. Xxxxxx, Xx.

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx

Xxxxxx X. Xxxx

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx

Xxxx Xxxxx

Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx

Xxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxxxx XxXxxx

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx

Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Sch IV-1

EXHIBIT A

[FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER]

October 29, 2015

Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.

000 Xxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC

000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx

Incorporated

Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC and Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated (the “Underwriters” or the “Representatives”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and the Selling Shareholder (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the Underwriters of 110,461,782 shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock, par value $0.01 per share of the Company (the “Common Stock”).

To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 30 days after the date of the final prospectus (the “Restricted Period)” 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, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), by the undersigned or any other securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for

Ex A-1

shares of Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, (b) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business entity, a disposition, transfer or distribution of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchange or exercisable for shares of Common Stock to its affiliates, limited or general partners, members, shareholders or other equity holders of the undersigned, (c) if the undersigned is an individual, transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock by gift to immediate family members of the undersigned or to a trust the beneficiaries of which are exclusively the undersigned or immediate family members of the undersigned or as a bona fide gift, (d) if the undersigned is an individual, transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchange or exercisable for shares of Common Stock by will or intestacy, (e) transfers to the Company, as permitted or required under any benefit plans or the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws in connection with the repurchase or forfeiture of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any benefit plans as in effect on the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering or pursuant to the agreements pursuant to which such shares of Common Stock were issued, as in effect in all material respects on the date the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering, (f) the exercise of options, stock appreciation rights or warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock or the vesting, conversion, exchange, settlement or delivery of shares of Common Stock in connection with any other equity-based awards pursuant to any benefit plans on the terms of such plans as described in the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering, (g) one or more sales of shares of Common Stock, or net share settlement, to satisfy tax withholding or similar obligations in connection with the vesting of any equity-based awards vesting within or within 30 days before the Restricted Period, or (h) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer, sale or any other disposition of shares of Common Stock; provided that (A) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (b) and (c) above, each donee, distribute or pledgee shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this letter, (B) in the case of clause (f) above, that any shares of Common Stock received upon such exercise, vesting, conversion, exchange or settlement shall be subject to all of the restrictions set forth in this agreement, (C) in the case of clause (h) above such plan does not provide for the transfer of shares of Common Stock during the Restricted Period (other than as permitted under clause (g) above) and, (D) any filing or announcement by the Company or the undersigned relating to a transfer or distribution under clauses (a), (b), (c), (g) or (h) above shall briefly note the applicable circumstances that cause such clause to apply and explain that the filing or announcement relates solely to transfers or distributions falling within the category described in the relevant clause (including, in the case of clause (h) a statement to the effect that no transfer of shares of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period (other than as permitted under clause (g) above). In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any

Ex A-2

security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock that is publicly disclosed (or required to be publicly disclosed) by the undersigned or any of its affiliates prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing sentence shall not be taken to prohibit the preparation, execution or filing of registration statement(s) on Form(s) S-8 to register shares issued or issuable pursuant to the Company’s compensation and/or equity plans.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the undersigned shall be permitted to make transfers, sales, tenders or other dispositions of undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock to a bona-fide third party pursuant to (x) a tender or exchange offer for securities of the Company or (y) another transaction, including, without limitation, a merger, consolidation or other business combination, in each case (under clause (x) or (y)) that results in a change in control (including, without limitation, entering into any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchange or exercisable for shares of Common Stock in connection with any such transaction, or vote any of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchange or exercisable for shares of Common Stock in favor of any such transaction), provided that all of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchange or exercisable for shares of Common Stock subject to this agreement that are not so transferred, sold, tendered or otherwise disposed of remain subject to this agreement; and provided, further, that it shall be a condition of transfer, sale, tender or other disposition that if such tender offer or other transaction is not completed, any of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exchange or exercisable for shares of Common Stock subject to this agreement shall remain subject to the restrictions herein and (ii) nothing in this agreement shall prevent the undersigned from making a demand for, or exercising any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock, except for any such demand or any such exercise that is publicly disclosed (or required to be publicly disclosed) by the undersigned or any of its affiliates prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period; provided that in no event shall the Company be required or permitted to file a registration statement pursuant to such demand or such exercise prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters.

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this agreement shall be of no further force or effect and the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this agreement if (i) the closing of the Public Offering has not occurred on or prior to 5:00 p.m. New York City

Ex A-3

time on November 30, 2015, (ii) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement by the parties thereto, either the Representatives, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, notifies the other(s) in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Public Offering, or (iii) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the shares of Common Stock to be sold thereunder.

Ex A-4

This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Very truly yours,

(Name)

(Address)

Ex A-5

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Table of Contents

110,461,782 Shares CITIZENS FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

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