Cbeyond Communications, Inc. Shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share Form of Underwriting Agreement

Exhibit 1.1

Cbeyond Communications, Inc.

Shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Form of Underwriting Agreement

, 2005

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

As Representative of the

several Underwriters listed

in Schedule 1 hereto

c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0^xx Xxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Cbeyond Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”), an aggregate of shares of Common Stock, par value $ 0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Underwritten Shares”) and, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Option Shares”). The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares (to the extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein referred to as the “Public Shares”.

The Company will also enter into agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) providing for the sale by the Company (the “Concurrent Offering”) of a total of $3.0 million of shares of Common Stock (the “Concurrent Shares”) to D. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx (collectively, the “Participating Stockholders”) at the initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus (as defined below). The Company is offering the Concurrent Shares directly to the Participating Stockholders. The Underwriters will receive no underwriting discounts or commissions on the Concurrent Shares. The Company acknowledges and agrees with the Underwriters that as between the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other, the Company is the sole beneficiary of the Concurrent Offering and that none of the Underwriters has provided any services to the Company as to the structure or implementation of the Concurrent Offering.

The Public Shares and the Concurrent Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares”. The shares of Common Stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are herein referred to as the “Stock”.

The Representative has agreed to reserve up to of the Public Shares to be purchased by them under this Agreement for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and business associates and other parties related to the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Prospectus (as defined below) under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”). The Public Shares to be sold by the

Representative and its affiliates pursuant to the Directed Share Program are referred to hereinafter as the “Directed Shares.” Any Directed Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participant by the end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Public Shares, as follows:

1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement (File No. 333-124971) including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments or supplements thereto) before it becomes effective, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430A Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

2. Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters. (a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Public Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto at a price per share (the “Purchase Price”) of $ .

In addition, the Company agrees to sell the Option Shares to the several Underwriters and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company at the Purchase Price that portion of the number of Option Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Option Shares by a fraction the numerator of which is the maximum number of Option Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Option Shares which all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase the Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of this Agreement, by written notice from the Representative to the Company. Such notice shall set

forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 9 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein. The option with respect to the Option Shares granted hereunder may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Underwritten Shares by the Underwriters.

(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Public Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representative is advisable, and initially to offer the Public Shares on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Public Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Public Shares purchased by it to or through any Underwriter. The Underwritten Shares are to be initially offered to the public at the initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representative may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling terms.

The Company further understands that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. will act as the Representative for the Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Public Shares in accordance with a Master Agreement Among Underwriters entered into by the Representative and the several other Underwriters.

(c) Payment for the Public Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representative (i) in the case of the Underwritten Shares, at the offices of Cravath, Swaine & Xxxxx LLP at 10:00 A.M. New York City time on , 2005, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing or (ii) in the case of the Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representative in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares are referred to herein as the “Closing Date” and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, are herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date”.

Payment for the Public Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Public Shares to be purchased on such date in definitive form registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall request in writing not later than two full business days prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Public Shares duly paid by the Company. The certificates for the Shares will be made available for inspection and packaging by the Representative at the office of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

(d) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Public Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person.

3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:

(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus.

(b) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and 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 in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the applicable filing date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.

(c) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), as applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and the supporting

schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby.

(d) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(e) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.

(f) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; the form of certificates for the Shares conforms to the corporate law of the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description

thereof contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party, other than those created by the Collateral Documents listed in Schedule 1 to Exhibit D to the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement among the Company, Cbeyond Communications, LLC and Cisco Systems Capital Corporation dated November 1, 2002.

(g) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.

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

(i) Concurrent Offering. The Company has full right, power and authority to make the Concurrent Offering, to execute and deliver the Subscription Agreements and to perform its obligations thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization of the Concurrent Offering and the due and proper execution and delivery by it of the Subscription Agreements and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated thereby has been duly and validly taken. The Concurrent Offering conforms, and will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act.

(j) The Shares. The Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

(k) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(l) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements, the issuance and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the

terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach or violation that would not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.

(m) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements, the issuance and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company hereunder or thereunder and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements, except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws or the rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Public Shares by the Underwriters.

(n) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements; no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, to the best knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Prospectus that are not so described and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so filed or described.

(o) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(p) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and

imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service xxxx registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) (collectively “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any written or oral notice of any claim of infringement or conflict with any such rights of others. The Company has taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure interests in such Intellectual Property from its contractors. There are no outstanding options, licenses or agreements of any kind relating to the Intellectual Property that are required to be described in the Prospectus and are not described in all material respects. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the intellectual property of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Prospectus and are not described in all material respects. None of the technology employed by the Company or its subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or any of its subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons. The Company knows of no infringement by others of Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries.

(r) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described.

(s) Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, “Investment Company Act”).

(t) Public Utility Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a “holding company” or a “subsidiary company” of a holding company or an “affiliate” thereof within the meaning of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended.

(u) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of

their respective properties or assets. All tax liabilities have been adequately provided for in the financial statements of the Company, and the Company does not know of any actual or proposed additional material tax assessments.

(v) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.

(w) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened.

(x) Compliance With Environmental Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except in any such case for any such failure to comply, or failure to receive required permits, licenses or approvals, or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(y) Compliance With ERISA. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and its affiliates has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, (A) no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and (B) the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions; (iv) no “reportable event” within the meaning of ERISA has occurred with respect to any “pension plan” within the meaning of

ERISA for which the Company and its affiliates would have any liability; and (v) the Company and its affiliates have not incurred and do not expect to incur liability under (A) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “pension plan” or (B) Sections 412 or 4971 of the Code. Each “pension plan” for which the Company or its affiliates would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.

(z) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(aa) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.

(bb) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

(cc) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

(dd) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any

Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.

(ee) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Shares.

(ff) No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Stock on the Nasdaq National Market in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

(gg) Business With Cuba. The Company has complied with all provisions of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes (Chapter 92-198, Laws of Florida) relating to doing business with the Government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba.

(hh) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.

(ii) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(jj) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

(kk) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. 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 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.

(ll) NASD Affiliations. To the Company’s knowledge, there are no affiliations or associations between any member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. and any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders, except as set forth in the Registration Statement.

(mm) Directed Share Program Consents. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency, other than those obtained, is required in connection with the offering of the Directed Shares in any jurisdiction where the Directed Shares are being offered.

(nn) No Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered, or caused the Representative or its affiliates to offer, Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company or any of its affiliates to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any of its affiliates or their services.

4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

(a) Effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A under the Securities Act and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representative may reasonably request.

(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representative, five signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits), (B) as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus as the Representative may reasonably request and (C) during the Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto as the Representative may reasonably request). As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.

(c) Amendments or Supplements. Before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed amendment or supplement for review and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably objects.

(d) Notice to the Representative. The Company will advise the Representative promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose; (vi) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include 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 existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

(e) Ongoing Compliance of the Prospectus. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law.

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

(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representative as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.

(h) Clear Market. For the period specified below (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representative, other than the Shares to be sold hereunder or pursuant to

the Subscription Agreements, any options granted under existing employee stock option plans and any shares of Stock of the Company issued upon the exercise of any such options or upon the conversion of convertible securities, or the exercise of warrants or options, in each case outstanding on the date hereof. The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Agreement and continue for 180 days after the date of the initial public offering of the Underwritten Shares or such earlier date that the Representative consents to in writing; provided, however, that for purposes of allowing the Underwriters to comply with
Rule 2711(f)(4) of the National Association of Securities Dealers and Rule 472(f)(4) of the New York Stock Exchange, if (i) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the materials news or material event, as applicable, unless the Representative waives, in writing, such extension.

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds”. The Company will not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

(j) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.

(k) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations National Market (the “Nasdaq National Market”).

(l) Reports. So long as the Shares are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Representative, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system.

(m) Filings. The Company will file with the Commission such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

(n) Compliance with Securities Act and Exchange Act. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus.

(o) Interim Financial Statements. Prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company will furnish to Underwriters, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial

statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(p) Transfer Agent. The Company will maintain a transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Stock.

(q) Directed Share Program. The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.

(r) Compliance of Concurrent Offering. The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Concurrent Shares are offered in connection with the Concurrent Offering.

(s) Subscription Agreements. Concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, the Company and the Participating Stockholders will execute and deliver the Subscription Agreements. The Subscription Agreements will be in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.

(t) Continuation of Concurrent Offering. The Company will not terminate the Concurrent Offering without the prior written consent of the Representative.

(u) Enforcement of Existing Lock-Up Agreements. During the period commencing on the date of this Agreement and continuing for 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Existing Lock-Up Period”), the Company will enforce all existing agreements between the Company and any of its security holders that prohibit the public sale or distribution of the Company’s securities, including the restrictions contained in Section 3.1 of the Third Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement, dated December 29, 2004, among the Company and the other signatories thereto. During the Existing Lock-Up Period, the Company will not waive or amend any Existing Lock-Up Agreement or otherwise release any party from its obligations under an Existing Lock-Up Agreement without the prior written consent of the Representative. In addition, the Company will instruct the Transfer Agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any securities of the Company that are subject to the Existing Lock-Up Agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated by such agreements.

5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be as provided herein, is subject to the performance by the Company of its respective covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. The Registration Statement (or if a post-effective amendment thereto is required to be filed under the Securities Act, such post-effective amendment) shall have become effective, and the Representative shall have received notice thereof, not later than 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date hereof; no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representative; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a Federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, which would prevent the issuance of the Shares.

(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, no event or condition of a type described in Section 3(d) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus.

(d) Officer’s Certificate. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representative (A) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and, to the best knowledge of such officers, the representation set forth in Section 3(b) hereof is true and correct, (B) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (C) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a) and (c) above.

(e) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, Ernst & Young LLP shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

(f) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect set forth in Annex A hereto.

(g) Opinion of Regulatory Counsel for the Company. Xxxxxxx Berlin LLP, special Federal regulatory counsel to the Company, shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect set forth in Annex B hereto.

(h) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and statement of Cravath, Swaine & Xxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representative may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such

documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(i) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares.

(j) Good Standing. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate Governmental Authorities of such jurisdictions.

(k) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq National Market, subject to official notice of issuance.

(l) Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between the Representative and certain stockholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to the Representative on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

(m) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative such further certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request.

All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

If any of the conditions provided in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representative by notifying the Company of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be. In such event, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 6 and 10 hereof).

6. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred, whether or not such Underwriter or controlling person is a party to any such action or proceeding), joint or several, that (i) arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Preliminary Prospectus, (ii) are caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iii) are related to or arise out of the Concurrent Offering or (iv) are caused by any act or failure to act, or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Shares or the offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon matters covered by clause (i) or (ii) above, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below, provided, that with respect to any such untrue statement in or omission from any Preliminary Prospectus, the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph (a) shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter to the extent that the sale to the person asserting any such loss, claim, damage or liability of or with respect to such Underwriter results from the fact that both (i) to the extent required by applicable law, a copy of the Prospectus was not sent or given to such person at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Shares to such person and (ii) the untrue statement in or omission from such Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the Prospectus unless, in either case, such failure to deliver the Prospectus was a result of non-compliance by the Company with the provisions of Section 4 hereof.

(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting”.

(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a), (b) or (d) of this Section 6, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under this Section 6 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under this Section 6. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 6 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person 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 Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such

Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

(d) Directed Share Program. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Representative and its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls either of the Representative or its affiliates within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant has agreed to purchase; or (iii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of the Representative.

(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a), (b) or (d) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided, however, that in the case of subsection (iii) of paragraph (a) of this Section 6, the Company shall contribute the entire amount by which such indemnification is unavailable or insufficient, it being understood that as between the Company and the Underwriters, the Company is the sole beneficiary of the Concurrent Offering. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the

Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

(f) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (e) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to in paragraph (e) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 6 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

(g) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

(h) Consent to Jurisdiction. In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 6 hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any court having jurisdiction over any other contributing party, agrees that process issuing from such court may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.

7. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the later of (i) the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto and (ii) receipt by the Company and the Representative of notice of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (or, if applicable, any post-effective amendment thereto).

8. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representative, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a

general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; (iv) any court or other governmental authority enacts, publishes, decrees or promulgates any statute, regulation, rule or order of any court or other governmental authority that in the judgment of the Representative materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; (v) any governmental body or agency takes any action in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs that in the judgment of the Representative has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States; (vi) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any material adverse change occurs or any development arises involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (vii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus.

9. Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Public Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Public Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Public Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Public Shares on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Public Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule I hereto that, pursuant to this Section 9, purchases Public Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Public Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Public Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Public Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Public Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Public Shares that such Underwriter

agreed to purchase on such date) of the Public Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Public Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Public Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Public Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Public Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 10 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 6 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

10. Payment of Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (v) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.; (viii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors, including any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and one-half of the costs of the rental of any aircraft used by the Representative and the Company’s officers; and (ix) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq National Market.

(b) If (i) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or the Participating Stockholders or (ii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.

11. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to in Section 6 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.

12. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters. A successor to any Underwriter, or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Agreement.

13. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

14. Miscellaneous. (a) Authority of the Representative. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. shall be binding upon the Underwriters.

(b) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representative c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0^xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax (000) 000-0000); Attention: Equity Capital Markets Syndicate Desk, with a copy to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0^xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax (000) 000-0000); Attention: General Counsel. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at 000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000, (fax: (000) 000-0000); Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx.

(c) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

(e) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

(f) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.


Very truly yours, CBEYOND COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

By:
		Name
		Title:

Accepted: , 2005

DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.

For themselves and on behalf of the

several Underwriters listed

in Schedule I hereto.



By:
		Authorized Signatory



By:
		Authorized Signatory

Schedule I


Underwriter		Number of Shares
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Associates, Inc.
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Partners LLC
ThinkEquity Partners LLC
	Total

Annex A

Form of Opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP

1. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is a corporation under the DGCL. The Company has corporate power and authority to own its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. Based on certificates from public officials, we confirm that the Company is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and that Cbeyond Communications, LLC is qualified to do business in the following States: Colorado, Georgia, Illinois and Texas.

2. With your consent, based solely upon a review on , 2005 of certificates representing outstanding capital stock of, and stock transfer records for, the Subsidiaries, all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Subsidiaries were owned of record on that date by the Company or a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

3. The Offered Securities to be issued and sold by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and the Subscription Agreements (the “Company Securities”) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when issued to and paid for by you and the other Underwriters in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and by the Participating Stockholders in accordance with the terms of the Subscription Agreements, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of preemptive rights arising from the Company’s Governing Documents.

4. With your consent based solely on a certificate as to factual matters, the Company is not and, immediately after giving effect to the sale of the Company Securities in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement and the Subscription Agreements and the application of the proceeds as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” will not be required to be registered as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

5. The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement and the Subscription Agreements have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Underwriting Agreement and the Subscription Agreements have been duly executed and delivered by the Company.

6. The execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement and the Subscription Agreements and the issuance and sale of the Company Securities to you and the other Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and to the Participating Stockholders in accordance with the terms of the Subscription Agreements on the date hereof do not:

(i) violate the Governing Documents of the Company or the Subsidiaries; or

(ii) result in the breach of or a default under any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or bound and that is listed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; or

(iii) violate the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or any federal or New York statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or the Subsidiaries; or

(iv) require any consents, approvals, or authorizations to be obtained by the Company from, or any registrations, declarations or filings to be made by the Company with, any governmental authority under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or any federal or New York statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company on or prior to the date hereof that have not been obtained or made.

7. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act. To the best of our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Act and no proceedings therefor have been initiated by the Commission. Any required filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act has been made in accordance with Rule 424 and Rule 430A under the Act.

8. The Registration Statement, as of the date it was declared effective, and the Prospectus, as of its date, appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements for registration statements on Form S-1 under the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; it being understood, however, that we express no opinion with respect to Regulation S-T or the financial statements, schedules, or other financial data, included in, or omitted from, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. For purposes of this paragraph, we have assumed that the statements made in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are correct and complete.

9. The statements in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock,” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Common Stock, and under the caption “United States Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders,” insofar as they purport to describe or summarize certain provisions of the agreements, statutes, regulations, or the subject legal proceedings referred to therein, are accurate descriptions or summaries in all material respects.

10. To the best of our knowledge, there are no contracts or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed.

Whether in this opinion or in a separate letter, counsel shall also state that they have participated in conferences with representatives of the Company and with representatives of its independent accountants and counsel at which conferences the contents of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto and related matters were discussed and, although such counsel assume no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto (except as expressly provided above), nothing has come to the attention of such counsel to cause such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement, at the time of its effective date (including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A to be part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto as of its date and the Closing Date contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which

they were made, not misleading (other than the financial statements and other financial information contained therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief).

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials that are furnished to the Underwriters.

The opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP described above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

Annex B

Form of Opinion of Xxxxxxx Berlin LLP

1. No prior consent, waiver, approval, authorization, license, qualification or order of or registration with the Federal Communications Commission (the “FCC”) is required for the due authorization, execution or delivery by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement or the Subscription Agreements or the performance by the Company of the transactions related to the sale of the shares of stock of the Company contemplated under the Prospectus, the Underwriting Agreement and the Subscription Agreements.

2. The statements in the Prospectus under the captions “Government regulation,” “Risk factors—Risks related to our business—We are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, state public service commissions, and local regulating governmental bodies. Changes in regulation could result in price increases on the circuits that we lease from the local telephone companies or in our losing the right to lease these circuits from them” and “Industry overview—Competitive carriers,” insofar as the statements under such captions constitute summaries of matters arising under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 or regulatory documents or proceedings of the FCC, fairly summarize in all material respects the regulatory matters, documents, and proceedings referred to therein.

Exhibit A

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

, 2005

DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.

As Representative of

the several Underwriters listed in

Schedule I to the Underwriting

Agreement referred to below

c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0^xx Xxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Re:	CBEYOND COMMUNICATIONS, INC.— Public Offering

Ladies and Gentlemen:

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

In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), (1) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock, $0.01 per share par value, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant) or (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, provided, that the restrictions in the foregoing clauses (1) and (2) shall not apply to Common Stock acquired by the undersigned in the open market; provided further, that the undersigned may transfer Common Stock (or any securities convertible thereinto or exercisable or exchangeable therefor) to any of the following transferees who agree to be bound in writing by the terms of this Letter Agreement prior to such

transfer and who receive such Common Stock in a transfer not involving a disposition for value: (i) any donee(s) of one or more bona fide gifts of Common Stock; (ii) any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or of any familial relation thereof not more remote than first cousin, whether by blood, marriage or adoption; (iii) any beneficiary of the undersigned pursuant to a will or other testamentary document or applicable laws of descent; and/or (iv) if the undersigned is an investment fund entity that is a limited partnership, limited liability company or equivalent foreign entity (a “Fund Entity”), to any other Fund Entity under the control of the undersigned or under the control of the general partner or managing member of the undersigned. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.

The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Letter Agreement and continue for 180 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”); provided, however, that for purposes of allowing the Underwriters to comply with Rule 2711(f)(4) of the National Association of Securities Dealers and Rule 472(f)(4) of the New York Stock Exchange, if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the materials news or material event, as applicable, unless the Representative waives, in writing, such extension.

The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that written notice of any extension of the Lock-Up Period pursuant to the previous paragraph will be delivered by the Representative to the Company (in accordance with Section 14(b) of the Underwriting Agreement) and that any such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have given to, and received by, the undersigned. The undersigned further agrees that, prior to engaging in any transaction or taking any other action that is subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement during the period from the date of this Letter Agreement to and including the 34th day following the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, it will give notice thereof to the Company and will not consummate such transaction or take any such action unless it has received written confirmation from the Company that the Lock-Up Period (as may have been extended pursuant to the previous paragraph) has expired.

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

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

The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement.

The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.

This lock-up agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.


Very truly yours, [NAME OF STOCKHOLDER]

By:
		Name
		Title:

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Cbeyond Communications, Inc. Shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share Form of Underwriting Agreement

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