OTTER TAIL CORPORATION

EXHIBIT 1.1

OTTER TAIL CORPORATION

$100,000,000

9.000% Notes due 2016

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

December 1, 0000

Xxxx xx Xxxxxxx Securities LLC
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.

Underwriting Agreement

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Introductory. Otter Tail Corporation, a Minnesota corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”), acting severally and not jointly, the respective amounts set forth in such Schedule A of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 9.000% Notes due 2016 (the “Notes”). Banc of America Securities LLC (“BAS”) and X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. have agreed to act as representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes.

The Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as of November 1, 1997, as amended by a first supplemental indenture dated as of July 1, 2009 (collectively, the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association (formerly First Trust National Association), as trustee (the “Trustee”). Certain terms of the Notes will be established pursuant to an Officer’s Certificate, as contemplated by the Indenture. The Notes will be issued in book-entry form in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”), pursuant to a Letter of Representations, to be dated on or before the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2 below) (the “DTC Agreement”), among the Company, the Trustee and the Depositary.

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-159137), as amended by post-effective amendment no. 1 thereto, which contains a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of debt securities, including the Notes, and other securities of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities Act. Such registration statement, as so amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act, including any required information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” The term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Notes, together with the

Base Prospectus, that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed (the “Execution Time”) by the parties hereto. The term “Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Notes, together with the Base Prospectus, that is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents that are or are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act prior to 1:15 p.m., New York City time, on December 1, 2009 (the “Initial Sale Time”). All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be, after the Initial Sale Time.

The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as follows:

Section 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company

The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Initial Sale Time and as of the Closing Date (in each case, a “Representation Date”), as follows:

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. In addition, the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Trust Indenture Act”).

At the respective times the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and at each Representation Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (i) complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements

of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and (ii) did not and 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. At the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date, neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by any of the Underwriters through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

Each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time each was filed with the SEC, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Notes will, at the time of such delivery, be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(b) Disclosure Package. The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus dated November 30, 2009, (ii) the issuer free writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, identified in Annex I hereto and (iii) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package. As of the Initial Sale Time, the Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(c) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (i) at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and (ii) when read together with the other information in the Disclosure Package, at the Initial Sale Time, and when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date, did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(d) Company is a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 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), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the Securities Act, and (iv) as of the Execution Time, the Company was and is a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, that automatically became effective not more than three years prior to the Execution Time; the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form and the Company has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration form.

(e) Company is not an Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering of Notes under this Agreement or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(g) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Notes, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the

Representatives and included in Annex I hereto or any electronic road show or other written communications reviewed and consented to by the Representatives and listed on Annex II hereto (collectively, “Company Additional Written Communication”). Each such Company Additional Written Communication, when taken together with the Disclosure Package, did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Company Additional Written Communication based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(h) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

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

(j) Authorization of the Indenture. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(k) Authorization of the Notes. The Notes to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company are in the form contemplated by the Indenture, have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

(l) Description of the Notes and the Indenture. The Notes and the Indenture conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(m) Accuracy of Statements in Prospectus. The statements in each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of the Notes,” “Description of Debt Securities” and “Material United States Federal Tax Consequences,” in each case insofar as

such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present and summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.

(n) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree and (ii) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, management, business, properties or results of operations, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”).

(o) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the Company’s audited financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2008, December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2006 incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and are an independent registered public accounting firm with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(p) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements together with the related notes thereto incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements comply as to form with the accounting requirements of the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. No other financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, if any, present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. In addition, if any pro forma financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the related notes thereto is included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, such pro forma financial statements and related notes present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein.

(q) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Minnesota and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

(r) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Subsidiaries. The only direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Schedule B hereto (each a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). Each Subsidiary identified with a “*” on Schedule B is referred to herein as a “Significant Subsidiary,” and there is no Subsidiary that would constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, but is not identified as a Significant Subsidiary on Schedule B hereto. Each Significant Subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation or other legal entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or other power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other legal entity to transact business and is in good standing, in each case in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of each such Significant Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of any Significant Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or other similar rights of any security holder of such Subsidiary.

(s) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of options referred to in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).

(t) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries are in violation of its charter, by-laws or other governing documents, or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or

any Subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Change; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Notes and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and under the Indenture have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Change), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar governing documents of the Company or any Subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any Subsidiary.

(u) No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Notes hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the Securities Act or state or foreign securities laws.

(v) No Material Actions or Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the Indenture or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder or thereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not result in a Material Adverse Change.

(w) Labor Matters. Except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change, (i) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries

is engaged in any unfair labor practice; (ii) there is (a) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending or threatened, (b) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and (c) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and (iii) to the Company’s knowledge (a) no union organizing activities are currently taking place concerning the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and (b) there has been no violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, any applicable wage or hour laws or any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder concerning the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

(x) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries own, or have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, or other rights to use, the inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them or which are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses (collectively, “Intellectual Property”), except where the failure to own, license or have such rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change. Except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change, (i) there are no third parties who have or, to the Company’s knowledge after due inquiry, will be able to establish rights to any Intellectual Property, except for the ownership rights of the owners of the Intellectual Property which is licensed to the Company; (ii) there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s rights in or to any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (v) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (vi) there is no patent or patent application that contains claims that interfere with the issued or pending claims of any of the Intellectual Property; and (vii) there is no prior art that may render any patent application owned by the Company of the Intellectual Property unpatentable that has not been disclosed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

(y) All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and its Subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change; the Company and its

Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Change.

(z) Title to Properties. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries holds properties described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease, except for such claims as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change.

(aa) Tax Law Compliance. All material United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its Subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all material taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The United States federal income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 have been settled and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all other material tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not result in a Material Adverse Change, and has paid all material taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its Subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

(bb) Company Not an Investment Company. The Company is not required, and after receipt of payment for the Notes and the application of the net proceeds thereof as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

(cc) Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiary will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any Subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

(dd) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee or affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any director, officer, employee or affiliate of the Company take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes.

(ee) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in the furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(ff) No Conflict with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “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 with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(gg) No Conflict with OFAC Laws. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

(hh) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change, (A) to the knowledge of the Company, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (D) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws, and (E) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has entered into any agreement relating to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law or any actual or alleged release or threatened release or clean-up at any location of any Hazardous Materials.

(ii) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Compliance. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(jj) Internal Controls and Procedures. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (1) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (3) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (4) 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 Disclosure Package and the 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. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors have been advised of: (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; and (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls.

The Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

(kk) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no proceedings, affiliate transactions, off-balance sheet transactions, contracts, licenses, agreements, leases or documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required. The Company has not sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or filed as exhibits thereto, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement.

(ll) Pending Proceedings and Examinations. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Securities Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Notes.

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

(nn) Business Disruption. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the last audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus any loss or interference with its respective business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any or court or governmental action, order or decree, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change.

Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters set forth therein.

Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Notes.

(a) The Notes. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, severally and not jointly, all of the Notes upon the terms herein set forth. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their names on Schedule A at a purchase price of 98.744% of the principal amount of the Notes, payable on the Closing Date.

(b) The Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Notes in global form to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representatives) at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on December 4, 2009, or such other time and date as the Underwriters and the Company shall mutually agree (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”).

(c) Public Offering of the Notes. The Representatives hereby advise the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Notes as soon after the Execution Time as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.

(d) Payment for the Notes. Payment for the Notes shall be made at the Closing Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.

It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for their own accounts and for the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Notes that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. The Representatives may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representatives by the

Closing Date for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

(e) Delivery of the Notes. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters certificates for the Notes at the Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The certificates for the Notes shall be in such denominations and registered in such names and denominations as the Representatives shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the Closing Date and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the Closing Date at a location in New York City, as the Representatives may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.

Section 3. Covenants of the Company.

The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B of the Securities Act, and will promptly notify the Representatives, and confirm the notice in writing, of (i) the effectiveness during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below) of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of any supplement or amendment to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, (ii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission during the Prospectus Delivery Period, (iii) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or for additional information, and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Notes for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424 and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424 was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such document. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(b) Filing of Amendments. During such period beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date as, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Notes by an Underwriter or dealer, including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 of the Securities Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act), or any amendment, supplement or revision to the Disclosure Package or the

Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company will deliver to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of the Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter may reasonably request, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, such number of copies of the Prospectus as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Notes as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the Initial Sale Time or at the time it is delivered or conveyed to a purchaser, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of either such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of any law, the Company will (1) notify the Representatives of any such event, development or condition and (2) promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such law, and

the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Notes for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Representatives, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Notes. The Company shall not be required to qualify to transact business or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign business. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Notes for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(g) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Notes sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(h) Depositary. The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its best efforts to permit the Notes to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of the Depositary.

(i) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the NASDAQ Global Select Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

(j) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of the Representatives), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any debt securities of the Company similar to the Notes or securities exchangeable for or convertible into debt securities similar to the Notes (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Notes).

(k) Final Term Sheet. The Company will prepare a final term sheet containing only a description of the Notes, in a form approved by the Underwriters and attached as Exhibit B hereto, and will file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act within the time required by such rule (such term sheet, the “Final Term Sheet”). Any such Final Term Sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement.

(l) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make, any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act; provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives shall be deemed to have been given in respect of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Annex I to this Agreement. Any such free writing prospectus consented to or deemed to be consented to by the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433, and (b) contains only (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Notes or their offering, (ii) information permitted by Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (iii) information that describes the final terms of the Notes or their offering and that is included in the Final Term Sheet of the Company contemplated in Section 3(k).

(m) Registration Statement Renewal Deadline. If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will prior to the Renewal Deadline file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives. If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 60 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Notes. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.

(n) Notice of Inability to Use Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Form. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes 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.

(o) Filing Fees. The Company agrees to pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Notes within the time required by and in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1) and 457(r) of the Securities Act.

(p) Compliance with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act, and use its best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.

(q) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes.

The Representatives, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in their sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.

Section 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Notes (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors to the Company, (iv) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, the Indenture, the DTC Agreement and the Notes, (v) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Notes for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, and, if requested by the Representatives, preparing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vi) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review, if any, by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (the “FINRA”) of the terms of the sale of the Notes, (vii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the

Indenture and the Notes, (viii) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Notes with the ratings agencies, (ix) all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) of the Company in connection with approval of the Notes by the Depositary for “book-entry” transfer, (x) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement, and (xi) all other fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. Except as provided in this Section 4 and Sections 6, 8 and 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.

Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Notes as provided herein on the Closing Date shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof, as of the Initial Sale Time, and as of the Closing Date as though then made and to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending or threatened by the Commission, any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters and the Company shall not have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b) (or any required post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).

(b) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(c) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.

(d) No Objection. If the Registration Statement and/or the offering of the Notes has been filed with the FINRA for review, the FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(e) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

(i) in the judgment of the Representatives there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change;

(ii) there shall not have been any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (c) of this Section 5 which is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Notes as contemplated by the Prospectus; and

(iii) 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 that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.

(f) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion of (i) Xxxxxx & Whitney LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A-1 and (ii) Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, General Counsel of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A-2.

(g) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as may be reasonably requested by the Underwriters.

(h) Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer or a Senior Vice President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect that:

(i) the Company has received no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or, to such officers’ knowledge, threatened by the Commission;

(ii) the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form;

(iii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such Closing Date; and

(iv) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.

(i) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Notes as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Sections 4, 6, 8, 9 and 17 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

Section 6. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 5, Section 11(i) (solely with respect to the first part of Section 11(i) relating to trading in any securities of the Company) or Section 11(iv), or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Notes on the Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Notes, including but not limited to reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

Section 7. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not become effective until the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto.

Section 8. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, its directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a

material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Company Additional Written Communication, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by BAS) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Company Additional Written Communication, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Company Additional Written Communication, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Company Additional Written Communication, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or

controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Company Additional Written Communication, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are (i) the statements set forth in the first paragraph under the caption “Underwriting—Commissions and Discounts,” (ii) the statements set forth in the first and second paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting—Short Positions,” (iii) the first clause of the third sentence under the caption “Risk Factors—An active trading market for the notes may not develop.” and (iv) the third sentence under the caption “Underwriting—New Issue of Notes” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 8 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, such indemnified party shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party, unless: (i) the employment of such counsel has been specifically authorized in writing by the indemnifying party; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; or (iii) the named parties to any such action (including any impleaded parties) include both such indemnified party and the indemnifying party or any affiliate of the indemnifying party, and such indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that either (x) there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party or such affiliate of the indemnifying party or (y) a conflict may exist between such indemnified party and the indemnifying party or such affiliate of the indemnifying party (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to a single firm of local counsel) for all such indemnified parties, which firm shall be designated in writing by BAS and that all such reasonable fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred). Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such

indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence, in which case the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 8 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 against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense 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 Section 8(c) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into, (ii) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (iii) 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, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

Section 9. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting

expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Notes as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 8(c), any reasonable legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public. 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 Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 9, each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

Section 10. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Notes that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Notes, which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportion to the aggregate principal amounts of such Notes set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate principal amount of such Notes set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase such Notes which such

defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase such Notes and the aggregate principal amount of such Notes with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Notes are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 4, 6, 8, 9 and 17 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case, either the Representatives or the Company 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, to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 10. Any action taken under this Section 10 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

Section 11. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or the NASDAQ Global Select Market, or trading in securities generally on either the NASDAQ Global Select Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the FINRA; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal or New York authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity involving the United States, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes in the manner and on the terms described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representatives there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) there shall have occurred a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services. Any termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 4 and 6 hereof, and provided further that Sections 4, 6, 8, 9 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

Section 12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Notes and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company or its affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate; and (vi) any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.

This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the several Underwriters with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.

Section 13. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement (i) will remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (A) investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the officers or employees of any Underwriter, or any person controlling the Underwriter, the Company, the officers or employees of the Company, or any person controlling the Company, as the case may be or (B) acceptance of the Notes and payment for them hereunder and (ii) will survive delivery of and payment for the Notes sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

Section 14. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

If to the Representatives:

Banc of America Securities LLC
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
XX0-000-00-00
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal

and

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: High Grade Syndicate Desk

with a copy to:

Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP
000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxxx

If to the Company:

Otter Tail Corporation
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx 000
Xxxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx

with a copy to:

Xxxxxx & Whitney LLP
Suite 1500
00 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: 000-000-0000
Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxx

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

Section 15. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 10 hereof, and to the benefit of the directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Sections 8 and 9, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Notes as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

Section 16. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

Section 17. Governing Law Provisions. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN THAT STATE.

Section 18. General Provisions. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 8 and the contribution provisions of Section 9, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.


Very truly yours, OTTER TAIL CORPORATION
By:	/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
	Name:	Xxxxx X. Xxxx
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

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


BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES INC. Acting as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in the attached Schedule A. Banc of America Securities LLC
By:	/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
	Name:	Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
	Title:	Managing Director

X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
By:	/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
	Name:	Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
	Title:	Vice President

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

SCHEDULE A


	Aggregate
	Principal
	Amount of
	Notes to be
Underwriters	Purchased
Banc of America Securities LLC	$	40,000,000
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.		40,000,000
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.		10,000,000
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.		4,000,000
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.		3,000,000
Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC		3,000,000
Total	$	100,000,000

Sch A-1

SCHEDULE B

Subsidiaries


Company		State of Organization
AC Equipment, Inc.		Minnesota
AWI Acquisition Company Limited		Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Island, Canada
Aerial Contractors, Inc.		North Dakota
Aevenia, Inc.		Minnesota
AgraWest Investments Limited		Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Island, Canada
Aviva Sports, Inc.		Minnesota
BTD Manufacturing, Inc.*		Minnesota
DMI Industries, Inc.		North Dakota
DMI Canada, Inc.		Canada
DMS Health Technologies, Inc.		North Dakota
DMS Imaging, Inc.		North Dakota
DMS Leasing Corporation		North Dakota
DMS Health Technologies — Canada, Inc.		North Dakota
X. X. Xxxxx Corporation		North Dakota
Xxxxx Company		Missouri
Galva Foam Marine Industries, Inc.		Missouri
Green Hills Energy, LLC		Minnesota
Idaho Pacific Holdings, Inc.		Delaware
Idaho-Pacific Corporation		Idaho
Idaho-Pacific Colorado Corporation		Delaware
Lynk3 Technologies, Inc.		Minnesota
Xxxxxx Welding & Iron Works, Inc.		Minnesota
Xxxxxxxx Electric, Inc.		Minnesota
Northern Pipe Products, Inc.		North Dakota
Otter Tail Assurance Limited		Cayman Islands
Otter Tail Energy Services Company, Inc.		Minnesota
Otter Tail Power Company*		Minnesota
Overland Mechanical Services, Inc.		Minnesota
Sheridan Ridge I, LLC		Minnesota
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx XX, LLC		Minnesota
Shoreline Industries, Inc.		Minnesota
ShoreMaster, Inc.		Minnesota
ShoreMaster Costa Rica SRL		Costa Rica
T.O. Plastics, Inc.		Minnesota
Varistar Corporation*		Minnesota
Ventus Energy Systems, Inc.		Minnesota
Vinyltech Corporation		Arizona


*		Significant Subsidiary

Sch B-1

ANNEX I

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

Final Term Sheet dated December 1, 2009

Annex-1

ANNEX II

Company Additional Written Communication

Electronic (Netroadshow) road show of the Company relating to the offering of the Notes dated November 30, 2009.

Annex-2

EXHIBIT A-1

Form of Opinion of Xxxxxx & Whitney LLP, Issuer’s Counsel

(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Minnesota.

(ii) The Company has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement.

(iii) The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

(iv) The authorized capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(v) The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(vi) The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee) constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

(vii) The Notes are in the form contemplated by the Indenture, have been duly authorized and executed and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price as specified in this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

(viii) The Notes and the Indenture conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(ix) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act; any required filing of each prospectus relating to the Notes (including the Prospectus) pursuant to Rule 424(b) has been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without

A-1-1

reference to Rule 424(b)(8)); any required filing of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 has been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 433(d); and, to our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened by the Commission.

(x) The Registration Statement, including without limitation the information required under Rule 430B of the Securities Act, the Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, as of their respective effective or issue dates (including without limitation each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act), other than the financial statements and supporting schedules and other financial data included therein or omitted therefrom and the Trustee’s Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 (the “Form T-1”), as to which we need express no opinion, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.

(xi) The documents incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules and other financial data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need express no opinion), as of the dates they were filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

(xii) The statements in each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of the Notes,” “Description of Debt Securities” and “Material United States Federal Tax Consequences,” in each case insofar as such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present and summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.

(xiii) The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Notes and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use Of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event under or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other agreement or instrument, known to us, to which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not have a Material Adverse Change), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company, or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree (other than any federal, state or foreign securities or blue sky laws, statutes, rules or regulations) known to us, of any government, government instrumentality or court,

A-1-2

domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its respective properties, assets or operations.

(xiv) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign (other than (a) under the Securities Act, which have been obtained, or (b) as may be required under the securities or blue sky laws of the various states or foreign jurisdictions or under the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., as to which we need express no opinion) is necessary or required in connection with the due authorization, execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or for the offering, issuance, sale or delivery of the Notes.

(xv) The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Notes and the application of the net proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act.

Nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom and the Form T-1, as to which we need make no statement), at the time such Registration Statement or any such amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; that the Registration Statement, including the information required under Rule 430B of the Securities Act (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom and the Form T-1, as to which we need make no statement), at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need make no statement), at the time the Prospectus was issued, at the time any such amended or supplemented prospectus was issued or at the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. In addition, nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that the Disclosure Package, other than the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need make no statement, as of the Initial Sale Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Prior to the Initial Sale Time, with respect to statements contained in the Disclosure Package, any statement contained in any of the constituent documents shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that any information contained in subsequent constituent documents modifies or replaces such statement.

A-1-3

Our opinions expressed above are limited to the laws of the States of Minnesota and New York and the federal laws of the United States of America.

This opinion is being furnished to you solely for your benefit and may not be relied upon by, nor may copies be delivered to, any other person without our prior written consent.

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. Such opinion shall not state that it is to be governed or qualified by, or that it is otherwise subject to, any treatise, written policy or other document relating to legal opinions, including, without limitation, the Legal Opinion Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991).

X-0-0

XXXXXXX X-0

Form of Opinion of Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Issuer’s General Counsel

(i) Each Significant Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Change; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, to my knowledge, are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; and to my knowledge, none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Significant Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of such Significant Subsidiary.

(ii) To the best of my knowledge, except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is not pending or threatened any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party, or to which the property of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject, before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement or the Indenture or the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder.

(iii) All descriptions in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of contracts and other documents to which the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries are a party are accurate in all material respects; to my knowledge, there are no franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases or other instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or to the documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus other than those described or referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto.

(iv) The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Notes and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Notes as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use Of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event under or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary pursuant

A-2-1

to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other agreement or instrument, known to me, to which the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is subject (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not have a Material Adverse Change), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree (other than any federal, state or foreign securities or blue sky laws, statutes, rules or regulations) known to me, of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or any of their respective properties, assets or operations.

Nothing has come to my attention that would lead me to believe that the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom and the Form T-1, as to which I make no statement), at the time such Registration Statement or any such amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; that the Registration Statement, including the information required under Rule 430B of the Securities Act (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom and the Form T-1, as to which I make no statement), at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which I make no statement), at the time the Prospectus was issued, at the time any such amended or supplemented prospectus was issued or at the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. In addition, nothing has come to my attention that would lead me to believe that the Disclosure Package, other than the financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which I make no statement, as of the Initial Sale Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Prior to the Initial Sale Time, with respect to statements contained in the Disclosure Package, any statement contained in any of the constituent documents shall be deemed to be modified or superseded to the extent that any information contained in subsequent constituent documents modifies or replaces such statement.

My opinions expressed above are limited to the laws of the States of Minnesota and North Dakota and the federal laws of the United States of America.

This opinion is being furnished to you solely for your benefit and may not be relied upon by, nor may copies be delivered to, any other person without my prior written consent.

A-2-2

EXHIBIT B

OTTER TAIL CORPORATION

Pricing Term Sheet

$100,000,000 9.000% Notes due 2016


Issuer:		Otter Tail Corporation

Size:		$100,000,000

Maturity:		December 15, 2016

Coupon (Interest Rate):		9.000%

Yield to Maturity:		9.000%

Spread to Benchmark Treasury:		T+628.7 bps

Benchmark Treasury:		2.750% due November 30, 2016

Benchmark Treasury Price and Yield:		$100-07+ / 2.713%

Interest Payment Dates:		June 15 and December 15, commencing June 15, 2010

Redemption Provision:		T+50 bps

Price to Public:		99.994%

Settlement Date:		T+3; December 4, 2009

CUSIP / ISIN		000000XX0 / US689648AR49

Ratings*:		Ba1 by Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. BB+ by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services BBB- Fitch Ratings, Inc.

Joint Book-Running Managers		Banc of America Securities LLC X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.

Lead Manager		U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

Co-Managers		BNP Paribas Securities Corp. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC


*		Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

B-1

The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting XXXXX on the SEC Web site at xxx.xxx.xxx. Alternatively, Banc of America Securities LLC and X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. can arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling or e-mailing Banc of America Securities LLC at 1-800-294-1322 or xx.xxxxxxxxxx_xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx or by calling X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. collect at 0-000-000-0000.

B-2

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