Underwriting Agreement

Exhibit 1.1

Helicos BioSciences Corporation

6,400,000 Shares

Warrants to Purchase 4,160,000 Shares

Common Stock

Underwriting Agreement

December 15, 2009

Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Partners LLC

Xxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000

Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Helicos BioSciences Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriter named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriter”) an aggregate of 6,400,000 units (the “Units”), with each Unit consisting of (i) one share of the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”), and (ii) one warrant to purchase 0.65 shares of Common Stock (the “Warrants”).  Units will not be issued or certificated.  The shares of Common Stock to be issued in the offering contemplated hereby (the “Shares”) and the Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately.  The terms and conditions of the Warrants are set forth in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.

1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Underwriter that:

(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-163011), and such amendments to such registration statement as may have been required to the date of this Agreement, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission thereunder.  Such registration statement, at any given time, including any amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act at such time and the documents and information otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by Rule 430B under the Securities Act (the “Rule 430B Information”) or otherwise pursuant to the Rules and Regulations at such time, is herein called the “Registration Statement.”  The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the “Initial Registration Statement.”  Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and, from and after the date and time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the term “Registration Statement” shall include any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.

The prospectus in the form in which it appeared in the Initial Registration Statement is herein called the “Base Prospectus.”  Each preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented) that described the Units and the offering thereof, that omitted the Rule 430B Information and that was used prior to the filing of the final prospectus supplement referred to in the following sentence is herein called a “Preliminary Prospectus.”  Promptly after the execution and delivery of this

Agreement, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus relating to the Units and the offering thereof in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B and Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations.  Such final supplemental form of prospectus (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented), in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is herein called the “Prospectus.”  Any reference herein to the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act as of the date of such prospectus.

For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”).  All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is “described,” “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the Rules and Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the subsequent filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and which is deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed by the Rules and Regulations to be a part thereof.

(b) At the time of the filing of the Initial Registration Statement with the Commission, the conditions for use of Form S-3, set forth in the General Instructions thereto, were satisfied.  The Initial Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act on November 18, 2009.  The Company has complied with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information.  No other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued, and, to the Company’s knowledge, no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission.

(c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.  The Disclosure Package (as defined below) at the Applicable Time complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any 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.  The preceding sentence does not apply to statements or omissions from the Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 10(f).

(d) Each part of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time that such part became effective (including each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriter pursuant to Rule 430B or otherwise under the Securities Act), at all other subsequent times until the expiration of the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), and at the Time of Delivery (as defined below), complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable

requirements and provisions of the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations and the Exchange 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 to make the statements therein not misleading.  The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date, or the time of first use within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations, at all subsequent times until the expiration of the Prospectus Delivery Period, and at the Time of Delivery complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements and provisions of the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations and the Exchange Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 10(f).

(e) Neither (i) any Issuer General Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and set forth on Schedule II, the information set forth on Schedule III and the Statutory Prospectus at the Applicable Time, all considered together (collectively, the “Disclosure Package”); nor (ii) any individual Issuer Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the Disclosure Package, includes or included as of the Applicable Time any untrue statement of a material fact or omits or omitted as of the Applicable Time to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The representations and warranties set forth in the immediately preceding sentence do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 10(f).  As used in this paragraph and elsewhere in this Agreement:

(i) “Statutory Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof.  For purposes of this definition, Rule 430B Information contained in a form of prospectus that is deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.

(ii) “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act, relating to the Units that (A) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company; or (B) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) under the Securities Act because it contains a description of the Units or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, or is a “bona fide electronic roadshow,” as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Securities Act.

(iii) “Issuer General Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule II hereto.

(iv) “Issuer Limited-Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Free Writing Prospectus.

(f) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Underwriter as described in Section 7(c), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus.  The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 10(f).

(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus satisfied, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the Prospectus Delivery Period, all other conditions to use thereof as set forth in Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act.

(h) The documents incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and were filed on a timely basis with the Commission, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction.  Complete and correct copies of the charter and bylaws of the Company and all amendments thereto have been made available to the Underwriter, and no changes therein will be made on or after the Applicable Time through and including the Time of Delivery.

(j) The Company has no subsidiaries (as defined under the Securities Act) other than the subsidiaries set forth in Exhibit 21 to the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”).  The Company owns all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries.  Other than the capital stock of the Subsidiaries, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity.  Complete and correct copies of the charters and bylaws of each Subsidiary and all amendments thereto have been made available to the Underwriter, and no changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof through and including the Time of Delivery.  Each Subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and

operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where failure to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, prospects, operations, assets, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).  Each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in material compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right and, except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are owned by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims.  No options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.  The Company has no “significant subsidiary,” as that term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Act.

(k) The Company has the authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities that have not been waived in writing (a copy of which has been delivered to counsel to the Underwriter) and conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  Except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s charter, bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Units as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company that have not been fully complied with or previously waived.  Except as described or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company any shares of the capital stock of the Company.  The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

(l) The Shares and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants (the “Warrant Shares”) have been duly authorized, and the Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, and the Warrant Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefore as provided in the Warrants, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights and of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Company’s charter or bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party.  The

Shares and the Warrant Shares will conform to the description of thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(m) The issuance and sale of the Units to be sold by the Company pursuant hereto, the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (including the separation of the Units) will not conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (nor constitute any event which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under), or result in the creation or imposition of a lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, any material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, license, contract 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, except for such breaches or violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, nor will such action result in any violation of (i) the provisions of the charter or bylaws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court, arbitrator, governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their properties or any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of NASDAQ), except, in the case of clause (ii), for such violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(n) Each consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification, permit, license, exemption, filing or notice (each, an “Authorization”) of, from, with or to any court, government, governmental or regulatory authority, self-regulatory organization or body (each, a “Regulatory Body”) required for the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or the issuance and sale of the Units by the Company, except (i) the registration of the Units under the Securities Act; (ii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Units by the Underwriter; and (iii) such other Authorizations the absence of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, has been obtained or made; and no event has occurred that allows or results in, or after notice or lapse of time or both would allow or result in, revocation, suspension, termination or invalidation of any such Authorization or any other impairment of the rights of the holder or maker of any such Authorization, except for such revocations, suspensions, terminations, invalidations or impairments which would not, individually or in the aggregate, (A) materially adversely impair the Company’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or (B) have a Material Adverse Effect.

(o) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification or contribution hereunder may be limited by applicable law or the public policy underlying such law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(p) The Company has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, the authorization, issuance and sale of the Units as contemplated by this Agreement.  All corporate actions (including those of

stockholders) necessary for the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated in this Agreement have been obtained and are in effect.  Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no approval of the Company (including the approval of its stockholders) is required under the rules and regulations of any trading market for the Company to issue and deliver to the Underwriter the Units.

(q) The conditions for use of Form S-3, set forth in the General Instructions thereto, have been satisfied.

(r) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (i) its charter or bylaws or other organizational documents; (ii) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, lease, license, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or affected; (iii) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, including, without limitation, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; (iv) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of NASDAQ); or (v) any decree, judgment or order applicable to it or any of its properties, except for such defaults specified under subparagraphs (ii) through (v) herein that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(s) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for such loss or interference as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement) or short-term or long-term debt, or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase capital stock (other than issuances of options under the Company’s existing stock option plans), of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any material adverse change in or affecting the business, operations, assets, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries taken as a whole, other than as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock.

(t) The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as being owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid and binding

leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries.

(u) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries holds, and is operating in compliance in all material respects with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates and orders (each, a “Permit”) of any Regulatory Body required for the conduct of its business; all such Permits are valid and in full force and effect; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation, suspension or modification of any such Permit or has reason to believe that any such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course of business.

(v) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns, possesses or believes it can acquire on reasonable terms all Intellectual Property (as defined below) necessary for the conduct of its business as now conducted or as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to be conducted, except for such failure to own, possess, or ability to acquire such rights as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement, misappropriation or violation by third parties of any such Intellectual Property, except for such infringement, misappropriation or violation as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ rights in or to any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iii) the Intellectual Property owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property licensed to the Company and its Subsidiaries has not been adjudged invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts that would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property or other proprietary rights of others, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice of such claim and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (v) to the Company’s knowledge, no employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is in or has ever been in violation of any term of any employment contract, patent disclosure agreement, invention assignment agreement, non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, nondisclosure agreement or any restrictive covenant to or with a former employer where the basis of such violation relates to such employee’s employment with the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or actions undertaken by the employee while employed with the Company or such Subsidiary, except as such violation would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.  “Intellectual Property” shall mean all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service xxxx registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property.

(w) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) is in material 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) has received and is in material compliance with all Permits required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business; and (iii) has 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, failure to receive required Permits or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(x) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (i) is in compliance, in all material respects, with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, treaties, statutes and codes promulgated by any and all governmental authorities (including pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act) relating to the protection of human health and safety in the workplace (“Occupational Laws”); (ii) has received all material Permits required of it under applicable Occupational Laws to conduct its business as currently conducted; and (iii) is in compliance, in all material respects, with all terms and conditions of such Permit.  No action, proceeding, revocation proceeding, writ, injunction or claim is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries relating to Occupational Laws, and the Company does not have knowledge of any facts, circumstances or developments relating to its operations or cost accounting practices that could reasonably be expected to form the basis for or give rise to such actions, suits, investigations or proceedings.

(y) 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 or any of its Subsidiaries has been maintained in material 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”).  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; and for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and 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.

(z) To the Company’s knowledge, no labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or is threatened or imminent, except for such problems or disputes which would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(aa) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or otherwise in the ordinary course of business, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has granted rights to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products to any other person, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is bound by any agreement that affects the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ exclusive right to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products.

(bb) 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, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

(cc) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries carries, or is covered by, insurance issued by insurers of nationally recognized financial responsibility in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes is adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as

the Company reasonably believes is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been notified that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or has reason to believe that it will not be able to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.

(dd) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has filed all federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed and are not in default in the payment of any material taxes which were payable pursuant to said returns or any assessments with respect thereto, other than any that the Company or such Subsidiary is contesting in good faith.  There is no pending dispute with any taxing authority relating to any of such returns, and the Company has no knowledge of any proposed liability for any tax to be imposed upon the properties or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

(ee) Other than as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.

(ff) There are no statutes, regulations, contracts or documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations that have not been so described or filed.

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

(hh) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Units and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 (without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer), nor an “excluded issuer” as defined in Rule 164 under the Securities Act.

(ii) The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Units other than the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or other materials permitted by the Securities Act to be distributed by the Company; provided, however, that, except as set forth on Schedule II, the Company has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(a) of this Agreement.

(jj) The Common Stock of the Company is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “HLCS.”  The Company has

taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from NASDAQ nor has the Company received any notice that it is not in material compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of NASDAQ.  Except as otherwise set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company believes that it is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in material compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.  A registration statement relating to the Common Stock on Form 8-A or other applicable form under the Exchange Act has become effective.

(kk) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries filed as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations; (ii) a registered public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act); and (iii) in the performance of its work for the Company, not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(ll) The financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including all notes and schedules thereto) set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its Subsidiaries for the periods specified in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved; and the summary and selected financial data included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus presents fairly the information shown therein as at the respective dates and for the respective periods specified and are derived from the consolidated financial statements set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and other accounting records of the Company.  No other schedules or financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.  Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons, that could reasonably be expected to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or capital resources.  All non-GAAP financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus complies in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

(mm) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (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 existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective.  The Company’s board of directors has, subject to the exceptions, cure periods and the phase in periods specified in the applicable stock exchange rules (“Exchange Rules”), validly appointed an audit committee to oversee internal accounting controls whose composition satisfies the

applicable requirements of the Exchange Rules and the Company’s board of directors and/or the audit committee has adopted a charter that satisfies the requirements of the Exchange Rules.

(nn) Neither the Company’s board of directors nor the audit committee has been informed, nor is any director of the Company or the Company aware, of (i) during the past 36 months, any “significant deficiencies” or “material weaknesses” (each as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board) in the design or operation of the Company’s internal controls that could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data; or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees of the Company who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls.

(oo) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements of the Company included in the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (other than as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).

(pp) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) and such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its Subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities in a timely manner, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.  The Company has utilized such controls and procedures in preparing and evaluating the disclosures in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(qq) No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company, on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and which is not so described.  There are no outstanding loans, advances or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the executive officers or directors of the Company in violation of applicable laws, including Section 402 of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.

(rr) To the knowledge of the Company, no person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company, including without limitation any director, officer, agent or employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries has, directly or indirectly, while acting on behalf of the Company or its Subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds; (iii) violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or (iv) made any other unlawful payment;

(ss) Except as contemplated by this Agreement and as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no person is entitled to receive from the Company a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated herein.

(tt) The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any security of the Company, and has not

effected any sales of securities which are required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act which have not been so disclosed in the Registration Statement.

(uu) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or controlled affiliates does business with the government of, or with any person located in any country in a manner that violates in any material respect any of the economic sanctions programs or similar sanctions-related measures of the United States as administered by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control; and the net proceeds from this offering will not be used to fund any operations in, finance any investments in or make any payments to any country, or to make any payments to any person, in a manner that violates any of the economic sanctions of the United States administered by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

(vv) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or controlled affiliates does business with the government of Cuba or with any person located in Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes.

(ww) The Company and its board of directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s charter documents or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could reasonably be expected to become applicable to the Underwriter as a result of the Underwriter and the Company fulfilling their respective obligations or exercising their respective rights under this Agreement, including, without limitation, the Company’s issuance of the Units and the Underwriter’s ownership of the Units.

2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriter, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per Unit of $0.935, the number of Units set forth opposite the name of the Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.

3. Upon the authorization by the Underwriter of the release of the Units, the Underwriter proposes to offer the Units for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriter hereunder will be represented in book-entry form, and will be deposited by or on behalf of the Company with the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its designated custodian.  The Company will deliver the Shares to the Underwriter, for the account of the Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Underwriter, by causing DTC to credit the Shares to the account of the Underwriter at DTC.  The Warrants shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Underwriter in physical, certificated form.  The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Units, 10:00 a.m., New York time, on December 21, 2009, or such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon in writing.  Such time and date for delivery of the Units is herein called the “Time of Delivery.”

(b) The documents to be delivered at the Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 9 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Units and any additional documents requested by the Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(o) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Paul, Hastings, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP at 0000 X. Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000 (the “Closing Location”), and the Shares will be delivered at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “Designated Office”), all

at the Time of Delivery.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding the Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto.  For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

5. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Units pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction the Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) the Underwriter has not assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, and (iv)  the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.  The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty, to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriter with respect to the subject matter hereof.

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

6. The Company agrees with the Underwriter:

(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Underwriter and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Securities Act; during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the Time of Delivery and the date, as determined in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, that the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered (assuming the absence of Rule 172 of the Securities Act) in connection with the sales by an underwriter or a dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), to furnish to the Underwriter for review a copy of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus; to make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus during the Prospectus Delivery Period to which the Underwriter or its counsel reasonably objects; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Disclosure Package or Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Underwriter with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Units for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any

such purpose or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for additional information; to use its best efforts to prevent and to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any such order.

(b) During the Prospectus Delivery Period, to comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act and by the Rules and Regulations and by the Exchange Act so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Shares, Warrants, Warrant Shares or Units as contemplated by the provisions of this Agreement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; if, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Disclosure Package) would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Disclosure Package) to comply with the Securities Act or to file under the Exchange Act any document which would be deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, to promptly notify the Underwriter and to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Disclosure Package) or file such document (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance;

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

(d) To furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter copies of the Registration Statement, and to the Underwriter and any dealer the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as the Underwriter may from time to time reasonably request;

(e) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earning statement of the Company and its Subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

(f) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Common Stock, including but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, the Common Stock or any such substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exercise of convertible or exercisable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without the Underwriter’s prior written consent; provided, however, that if (i) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period, the Company releases or

publishes financial results or results from operations or announces material news or a material event, or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release or publish financial results or results from operations during the 15-day period following the last day of the Lock-Up Period, then, in each case, the Lock-Up Period will be automatically extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release or publication of the financial results or results from operations or the announcement of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless the Underwriter waives, in writing, such extension; the Company will provide the Underwriter with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period;

(g) To issue stop transfer instructions to the transfer agent for the Common Stock with respect to any transaction or contemplated transaction that would constitute a breach of or default under the agreements required by Section 9(j);

(h) Unless otherwise publicly available in electronic format on the website of the Company or the Commission, to furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its Subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail;

(i) During a period of five years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, unless otherwise publicly available in electronic format on the website of the Company or the Commission, to furnish to the Underwriter copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to the Underwriter (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission, FINRA or any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as the Underwriter may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders generally or to the Commission);

(j) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Units pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”;

(k) Not to take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any securities of the Company, and not to effect any sales of any securities of the Company which are required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act which have not been so disclosed in the Registration Statement;

(l) Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, not to incur any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby;

(m) During the Prospectus Delivery Period, to file with the Commission such periodic and special reports as required by the Rules and Regulations;

(n) To maintain such controls and other procedures, including, without limitation, those required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the applicable regulations thereunder, that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including, without limitation, its principal executive officer and its principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure, to ensure that material information relating to the Company is made known to them by others within those entities;

(o) To comply with all applicable provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act;

(p) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, to file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and, at the time of filing, either to pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Securities Act; and

(q) Upon request of the Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by the Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Units (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.

7. (a) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Underwriter, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; the Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Underwriter is listed on Schedule II hereto.

(b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including, without limitation, timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and the Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under the Securities Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.

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

to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 10(f).

8. The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriter that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is prevented from becoming effective or is terminated:  (a) all expenses (including, without limitation, transfer taxes allocated to the respective transferees) in connection with the delivery to the Underwriter of the Units and the separation of the Units; (b) all expenses (including, without limitation, the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants) in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction, filing, delivery and shipping of the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and amendments and supplements thereto, and the mailing and delivery of copies thereof to the Underwriter and dealers; (c) the cost of printing or producing, delivery and shipping of this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including, without limitation, any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Units; (d) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Units for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(c) hereof, including, without limitation, the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (e) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares and the Warrant Shares on the NASDAQ; (f) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with, securing any required review by the FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Units; (g) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (h) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (i) costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations or any “roadshow” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Units; (j) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the Company’s obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 8; and (k) all other costs and expenses of the Underwriter (including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel) incident to the performance of the Underwriter’s obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 8.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Company be obligated to reimburse the Underwriter pursuant to this Section 8 in an amount in excess of $96,000 in the aggregate without the Company’s prior written consent (the “Expense Reimbursement Cap”).

9. The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder, as to the Shares and Warrants to be delivered at the Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in the Underwriter’s discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of the Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

(a) If filing of the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, is required under the Securities Act or the Rules and Regulations, the Company shall have filed the Prospectus (or such amendment or supplement) or such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus with the Commission in the manner and within the time period so required (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or Rule 164(b)); the Registration Statement shall remain effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any amendment thereto shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Underwriter’s reasonable satisfaction;

(b) The Underwriter shall not have advised the Company that (i) the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a material fact which, in the opinion of the Underwriter, is material or omits to state a material fact which, in the opinion of the Underwriter, is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus contains an untrue statement of fact which, in the opinion of the Underwriter, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in the opinion of the Underwriter, is material and is required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

(c) Paul, Hastings, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, shall have furnished to the Underwriter such written opinion or opinions, dated the Time of Delivery, with respect to the offering of the Units as the Underwriter may reasonably require;

(d) Xxxxxxx Procter LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriter their written opinion and letter, dated the Time of Delivery, substantially in the forms attached as Annex I hereto;

(e) On the date of this Agreement and at the Time of Delivery, Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP shall have furnished to the Underwriter a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, to the effect set forth in Annex II hereto (the executed copy of the letter delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex II(a) hereto and a draft of the form of letter to be delivered on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement and as of the Time of Delivery is attached as Annex II(b) hereto);

(f) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package, the Company shall not have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, entered into any material transactions or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock; there shall not have been any change in the capital stock (other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the conversion, exercise or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement in accordance with their terms) or short-term or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and there shall not have been any change, in or affecting the business, operations, assets, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of operations of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the Underwriter so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares and Warrants being delivered at the Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

(g) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the NYSE or on NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on NASDAQ; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a

material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares and Warrants being delivered at the Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus;

(h) The Shares and the Warrant Shares shall have been duly listed for quotation on NASDAQ;

(i) The Underwriter shall not have received any unresolved objection from FINRA as to the fairness and reasonableness of the amount of compensation allowable or payable to the Underwriter in connection with the issuance and sale of the Units;

(j) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriter executed copies of an agreement from the officers and directors of the Company listed on Annex III(a) hereto, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex IV(a) hereto, and from the stockholders of the Company listed on Annex III(b) hereto, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex IV(b) hereto;

(k) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 6(d) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement;

(l) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Underwriter at the Time of Delivery certificates of the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company satisfactory to the Underwriter (a) to the effect that: (i) the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company in this Agreement were true and correct when made and are true and correct as of the Time of Delivery; (ii) the Company has performed all covenants and agreements and satisfied all conditions contained herein required to be performed or satisfied by the Company; and (iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and, to their knowledge, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending under the Securities Act; and (b) as to the matters set forth in subsections (f) of this Section 9;

(m) The Underwriter shall have received on the date of the Time of Delivery a certificate of the Secretary of the Company, attaching the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and the resolutions of the Company’s board of directors, and committees thereof, with respect to the offering of the Units, and certifying as to the incumbency of the officers signing this Agreement and the related documents;

(n) At the Time of Delivery, counsel for the Underwriter shall have been furnished with such information, certificates and documents as it may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Units as contemplated herein and related proceedings, or to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained, or otherwise in connection with the offering of the Units contemplated hereby; and

(o) The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter such additional documents, certificates and evidence as the Underwriter may have reasonably requested.

All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents mentioned above and elsewhere in this Agreement will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriter and its counsel.  The Company will furnish the Underwriter with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as the Underwriter shall reasonably request.

10. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which the Underwriter may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, including the 430B Information and any other information deemed to be part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to the Rules and Regulations, if applicable, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any materials or information provided to investors by, or at the instruction of, the Company in connection with the marketing or the offering of the Units (the “Marketing Materials”), including, without limitation, any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse the Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Marketing Materials, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 10(f); and will reimburse the Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(b) The Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of information described as such in Section 10(f); and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party except to the extent that such indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced by such failure.  In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.  No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim; and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 10 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other from the offering of the Units.  If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriter on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d).  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection

with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Units underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which the 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.

(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 10 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act; and the obligations of the Underwriter under this Section 10 shall be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company), to each officer of the Company who has signed the Registration Statement and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act.

(f) The Underwriter confirms and the Company acknowledges that the statements with respect to the public offering of the Shares by the Underwriter set forth in the fourth and fifth paragraphs, the second sentence of the seventh paragraph, and the twelfth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning the Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

11. The Underwriter shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving notice to the Company as hereinafter specified at any time at or prior to the Time of Delivery, if (a) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable, at or prior to such closing date, to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder, or (b) any other condition of the Underwriter’s obligations hereunder is not fulfilled.  Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 10 hereof shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.  If the Underwriter elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 11, the Company shall be notified promptly by the Underwriter by telephone, confirmed by letter.

12. [Intentionally omitted.]

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

14. If for any reason any Units are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, then, in addition to the payment of amounts in accordance with Section 8, the Company will reimburse the Underwriter for all out-of-pocket expenses, including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Units not so delivered in such amount that, when added together with the amount due and payable in

accordance with Section 8, shall not exceed the Expense Reimbursement Cap, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to the Underwriter in respect of the Units not so delivered, except as provided in Sections 10 and 14 hereof.

15. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriter shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to: Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Partners LLC, Xxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: General Counsel; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary.  Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

16. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriter and the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 10 and 13 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company, each person who controls the Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.  No purchaser of any of the Units from the Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

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

18. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.  The Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

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

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

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

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us one for the Company plus one for counsel of any counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by the Underwriter, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between the Underwriter and the Company.

				Very truly yours,
				Helicos BioSciences Corporation
				By:	/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
					Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxx
					Title: Chief Executive Officer
Accepted as of the date hereof at San Francisco, California
	Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Partners LLC
	By:	/s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx
		Name: Xxxx Xxxxxx
		Title: General Counsel

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF WARRANT

SCHEDULE I

Underwriter		Total Number of Units to be Purchased
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Partners LLC		6,400,000
Total		6,400,000

SCHEDULE II

ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

None.

SCHEDULE III

PRICING INFORMATION

Number of Units to be Issued:  6,400,000

Unit:  One Share and One Warrant to purchase 0.65 of a share of Common Stock

Warrant Exercise Price:  $1.4385 per share

Offering Price:  $1.00 per Unit

Underwriting Discounts and Commissions:  6.5%

ANNEX I

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY COUNSEL

ANNEX II(a)

COMFORT LETTER

ANNEX II(b)

FORM OF COMFORT LETTER

ANNEX III(a)

LIST OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS EXECUTING

LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS IN FORM OF ANNEX IV(a)

Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx PhD
Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx PhD
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx PhD
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxx Xxxxx-Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
J. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx PhD
Xxxx X. Xxxxxx

ANNEX III(b)

LIST OF CERTAIN STOCKHOLDERS EXECUTING

LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS IN FORM OF ANNEX IV(b)

Atlas Venture
Flagship Ventures
Highland Capital
Versant Ventures

ANNEX IV(a)

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT FOR DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

ANNEX IV(b)

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT FOR CERTAIN STOCKHOLDERS