NTELOS HOLDINGS CORP. 14,375,000 Shares of Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

NTELOS HOLDINGS CORP.

14,375,000 Shares of Common Stock

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

, 2006

Xxxxxx Brothers Inc.

Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc.

As Representatives of the several

Underwriters named in Schedule 1 attached hereto,

c/x Xxxxxx Brothers Inc.

000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx

Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

NTELOS Holdings Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to sell an aggregate of 14,375,000 shares (the “Firm Stock”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). In addition, the Company proposes to grant to the underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named in Schedule 1 attached to this agreement (this “Agreement”) options to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,156,250 shares of the Common Stock on the terms set forth in Section 2 (the “Option Stock”). The Firm Stock and the Option Stock, if purchased, are hereinafter collectively called the “Stock.” This is to confirm the agreement concerning the purchase of the Stock from the Company by the Underwriters.

1. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Company. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that:

(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 with respect to the Stock has (i) been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder; (ii) been filed with the Commission under the Securities Act; and (iii) become effective under the Securities Act. Copies of such registration statement and any amendment thereto have been delivered by the Company to you as the representatives (the “Representatives”) of the Underwriters. As used in this Agreement:

(i) “Applicable Time” means [ ] [a.m.][p.m.] (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement;

(ii) “Effective Date” means the date and time as of which such registration statement, or the most recent post-effective amendment thereto, was declared effective by the Commission;

(iii) “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means each “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations) prepared by or, to the knowledge of the Company, on behalf of the Company or used or referred to by the Company in connection with the offering of the Stock;

(iv) “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus relating to the Stock included in such registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;

(v) “Oral Pricing Information” means the pricing information set forth on Exhibit D that the Underwriters have or will orally provide to prospective purchasers prior to confirming sales;

(vi) “Pricing Disclosure Package” means, as of the Applicable Time, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, together with the Oral Pricing Information and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed by the Company on or before the Applicable Time;

(vii) “Prospectus” means the final prospectus relating to the Stock, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations;

(viii) “Registration Statement” means such registration statement, as amended as of the Effective Date, including any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus and all exhibits to such registration statement; and

(ix) “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Stock as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Stock is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with the sale of the Stock by any Underwriter or dealer.

Any reference to the “most recent Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) on or prior to the date hereof. The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceeding or examination for such purpose has been instituted or threatened by the Commission.

(b) The Company was not at the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement and at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Rules and Regulations) of the Stock, is not on the date hereof and will not be on the applicable Delivery Date an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405).

(c) The Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects on the Effective Date and on the applicable Delivery Date, and any amendment to the Registration Statement filed after the date hereof will conform in all material respects when filed, to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations. The most recent Preliminary Prospectus conformed, and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects when filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the applicable Delivery Date to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations.

(d) The Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e).

(e) The Prospectus will not, as of its date and on the applicable Delivery Date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e).

(f) The Pricing Disclosure Package did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the price of the Stock and disclosures directly relating thereto and derived therefrom will be included in all relevant portions of the Prospectus; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e).

(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including, without limitation, any road show that is a free writing prospectus under Rule 433), when considered together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the price of the Stock and disclosures directly relating thereto and derived therefrom will be included in all relevant portions of the Prospectus.

(h) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations on the date of first use, and the Company has complied with all prospectus delivery and any filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Rules and Regulations. The Company has not made any offer relating to the Stock that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior consent of the

Representatives. The Company has retained in accordance with the Rules and Regulations all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations. The Company has taken all actions necessary so that any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations) in connection with the offering of the Stock will not be required to be filed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations.

(i) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, conform to the description thereof contained in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and not in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right. All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, conform to the description thereof contained in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. All of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for such liens, encumbrances, equities or claims as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(j) The shares of the Stock to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly authorized and, upon payment and delivery in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will conform to the description thereof contained in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, will be issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and will be free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights.

(k) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(l) Except for the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and applicable state or foreign securities laws in connection with the purchase and sale of the Stock by the Underwriters, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Stock as described under “Use of Proceeds” in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(m) Except as identified in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act.

(n) The Company has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Stock contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the Securities Act, the Rules and Regulations or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

(o) The historical financial statements (including the related notes and supporting schedules) included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and present fairly the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the entities purported to be shown thereby at the dates and for the periods indicated and have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved.

(p) The pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus include assumptions that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions and events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma adjustments reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the historical financial statement amounts in the pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. The pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X under the Act.

(q) There are no legal or governmental proceedings or contracts or other documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or, in the case of documents, to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that are not described and filed as required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has knowledge that any other party to any such contract, agreement or arrangement has any intention not to render full performance as contemplated by the terms thereof; and that statements made in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus under the captions “Regulation” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of statutes, rules or regulations, legal or governmental proceedings or contracts and other documents, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such statutes, rules and regulations, legal and governmental proceedings and contracts and other documents in all material respects.

(r) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, 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, that is required to be described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus which is not so described.

(s) (i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have established and maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act), (ii) such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Company and its subsidiaries in the reports they file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management of the Company and its subsidiaries, including their respective principal executive officers and principal financial officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure to be made and (iii) such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.

(t) Since the date of the most recent balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries reviewed or audited by KPMG LLP and the audit committee of the board of directors of the Company, (i) the Company has not been advised of (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that could adversely affect the ability of the Company and each of its subsidiaries to record, process, summarize and report financial data, or any material weaknesses in internal controls and (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal controls of the Company and each of its subsidiaries, and (ii) there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

(u) No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

(v) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of any Delivery Date and completion of the distribution of the Stock, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to which the Representatives have consented in accordance with Section 1(h) or 5(a)(vi).

(w) The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the shares of the Stock.

(x) The Stock has been approved for inclusion, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution, in The NASDAQ National Market.

(y) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Company has not declared, paid or made any dividends or other distributions of any kind on or in respect of its capital stock and there has been no material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the capital stock or the long-term debt, or material increase in the short-term debt, of the Company or any subsidiary from that set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, in or affecting (i) the business, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the sale of the Stock or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby.

(z) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization. Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as it is currently being conducted and as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, and to own, lease and operate its respective properties.

(aa) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries is duly qualified and authorized to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company in each jurisdiction in which the character or location of its properties (owned, leased or licensed) or the nature or conduct of its business requires such qualification, except for those failures to be so qualified or in good standing which (individually or in the aggregate) could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on (A) the properties, business, results of operations, condition (financial or otherwise), stockholders’ equity, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (B) the long-term debt or capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (C) the issuance or marketability of the Stock or (D) the validity of this Agreement or the transactions described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds” (any such effect being a “Material Adverse Effect”).

(bb) The subsidiaries listed on Exhibit B are the only subsidiaries of the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act. Except for these subsidiaries, the Company holds no ownership or other interest, nominal or beneficial, direct or indirect, in any corporation, partnership, joint venture or other business entity. All of the issued shares of capital stock of or other ownership interests in each subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company (except in the case of Valley Network Partnership, Virginia Independent Telephone Alliance and Virginia PCS Alliance, L.C.), free and clear of any lien, charge, mortgage, pledge, security interest, claim, limitation on voting rights, equity, trust or other encumbrance, preferential arrangement, defect or restriction of any kind whatsoever (any “Lien”), except for any such security interest, claim, lien, limitation on voting rights or encumbrance pursuant to the first and second lien Credit Facilities, dated as of February 24, 2005, by and among NTELOS Inc., the guarantors party thereto, the lenders party thereto and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Senior Funding, Inc., as administrative agent (the “Credit Facilities”).

(cc) Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has outstanding subscriptions, rights, warrants, calls, commitments of sale or options to acquire, or any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any capital stock or other equity interest in, the Company or its subsidiaries.

(dd) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws, certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents, (ii) in default under, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both or otherwise, would constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon, any of its property or assets pursuant to, any bond, debenture, note, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, or (iii) in violation of any law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body (including, without limitation, environmental laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, judgments or court decrees, the Federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the “Communications Act”), rules or regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), applicable state public utility and telecommunications regulations and the rules and regulations of state public utilities commissions in which the Company and its subsidiaries conducts business), foreign or domestic, except (in the case clauses (ii) and (iii) above) defaults or violations that could not (individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except (in the case of clause (ii) alone) for any Lien disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

(ee) None of (i) the execution, delivery, and performance by the Company of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) the issuance and sale of the Stock, or (iii) consummation by the Company of the transactions described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” (A) violates or will violate, conflicts with or will conflict with, requires or will require consent under, or results or will result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitutes or will constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, or results or will result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any properties or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or an acceleration of any indebtedness of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to (1) any provision of the certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws, certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (2) any bond, debenture, note, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement, instrument, franchise, license or permit to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiary or their

respective properties, operations or assets is or may be bound, (3) or any statute, law, ordinance, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, the Communications Act, the rules and regulations of the FCC, applicable state public utility and telecommunications regulations and the rules and regulations of state public utilities commissions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business) applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets or (4) any directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body (including, without limitation, the FCC and state public utilities commissions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business), domestic or foreign, except (in the case of clauses (2), (3) and (4) above) as could not (individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ff) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations, qualifications, licenses, filings and permits of, with and from all judicial, regulatory and other legal or governmental agencies, bodies or administrative agencies (including, without limitation, the FCC and state public utilities commissions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business), and all third parties, foreign and domestic (collectively, the “Consents”), necessary to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as it is now being conducted and as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except where the failure to obtain such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations, qualifications and permits and to make such filings could not (individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and each such Consent is valid and in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any investigation or proceedings which, if decided adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to result in the revocation of, or imposition of a restriction on, any Consent that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries is in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, directives, judgments, decrees and orders, foreign and domestic, except where failure to be in compliance could not (individually or in the aggregate) reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No Consent contains a materially burdensome restriction not adequately disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

(gg) Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there is (i) no judicial, regulatory, arbitral or other legal or governmental action, suit, investigation or proceeding or other litigation or arbitration before or by any court, arbitrator or governmental agency, body or official (including, without limitation, the FCC and state public utilities commissions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business), domestic or foreign, pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or of which the business, property, operations or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be subject, (ii) no statute, rule, regulation or order that has been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency (including, without limitation, the FCC and state public utilities commissions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business) or that has been proposed by any governmental body, and (iii) no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a federal or state court or foreign court of competent jurisdiction to which

the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be subject or to which the business, property, operations or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be subject, that, (individually or in the aggregate), if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceeding, litigation or arbitration is threatened or contemplated; and the defense of all such proceedings, litigation and arbitration against or involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(hh) There exists as of the date hereof (after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Prospectus) no event or condition that would constitute a default or an event of default (in each case as defined in the offering documents) under any of the offering documents that would result in a Material Adverse Effect or materially adversely affect the ability of the Company to consummate the sale of the Stock and the other transactions contemplated by the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

(ii) No action has been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order has been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency (including, without limitation, the FCC and state public utilities commissions in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business) that prevents the sale of the Stock or prevents or suspends the use of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus; no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction has been issued that prevents the sale of the Stock or prevents or suspends the sale of the Stock in any jurisdiction referred to in Section 1(z) hereof; and every request of any securities authority or agency of any jurisdiction for additional information has been complied with in all material respects.

(jj) There is (i) no significant unfair labor practice complaint pending against the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any of them, before the National Labor Relations Board, any state or local labor relations board or any foreign labor relations board, and no significant grievance or significant arbitration proceeding arising out of or under any collective bargaining agreement is so pending against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any of them, (ii) no significant strike, labor dispute, slowdown, or stoppage pending against the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any of them, (iii) no labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, no such disturbance is imminent and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbances by the employees of any of its respective, or any subsidiary’s, principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors that, in any such case (individually or in the aggregate), could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (iv) no union representation question existing (to the knowledge of the Company) with respect to the employees of the Company of any of its subsidiaries. To the knowledge of the Company, no collective bargaining organizing activities are taking place with respect to the Company. None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has violated (i) any federal, state or local law or foreign law relating to discrimination in hiring, promotion or pay of employees or (ii) any applicable wage or hour laws, except those violations that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(kk) No non-exempt “prohibited transaction” (as defined in either Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the rules, regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”) or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)), “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or other event of the kind described in Section 4043(b) of ERISA (other than events with respect to which the 30-day notice requirement under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred with respect to any employee benefit plan for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries would have any liability that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; each employee benefit plan for which the Company or any of its subsidiaries would have any liability has been administered in compliance with applicable law, including (without limitation) ERISA and the Code, except where the failure to be in compliance could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company has not incurred and does not reasonably expect to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from any “pension plan”; and each plan for which the Company would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received an IRS determination letter that it is so qualified and, to the Company’s knowledge, nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which could cause the loss of such qualification. The sale of the Stock will not involve any prohibited transaction within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.

(ll) There has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company is or may be liable) upon any property now or previously owned or leased by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or upon any other property, which would be a violation by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of or give rise to any liability on the part of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Law”), except where the storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission or other release could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, there has been no disposal discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property of any toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has agreed to assume, undertake or provide indemnification for any liability of any other person under any Environmental Law, including any obligation for cleanup or remedial action. There is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial action, claim or notice of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(mm) There is no alleged liability, or to the knowledge of the Company, potential liability (including, without limitation, alleged or potential liability or investigatory costs, cleanup costs, governmental response costs, natural resource damages, property damages, personal injuries or penalties) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries arising out of, based on or resulting from (i) the presence or release into the environment of any Hazardous Material (as defined) at any location, whether or not owned by the Company or such subsidiary, as the case may be, or (ii) any violation or alleged violation of any Environmental Law that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The term “Hazardous Material” means (i) any “hazardous substance” as defined by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (ii) any “hazardous waste” as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended, (iii) any petroleum or petroleum product, (iv) any polychlorinated biphenyl, and (v) any pollutant or contaminant or hazardous, dangerous or toxic chemical, material, waste or substance regulated under or within the meaning of any other law relating to protection of human health or the environment or imposing liability or standards of conduct concerning any such chemical material, waste or substance.

(nn) The Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or leases all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its business as presently operated and as proposed to be operated as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. The Company and its subsidiaries have (i) good and marketable title in fee simple to all of real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all Liens or such as do not (individually or in the aggregate) materially affect the value of such property or interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries); (ii) peaceful and undisturbed possession of any real property and buildings held under lease or sublease by the Company and its subsidiaries and such leased or subleased real property and buildings are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases and no default exists thereunder, (including, to the knowledge of the Company, defaults by the landlord) with such exceptions as are not material to, and do not materially interfere with, the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries; (iii) all licenses, certificates, permits, authorizations, approvals, franchises and other rights from, and have made all declarations and filings with, all federal, state and local authorities, all self-regulatory authorities and all courts and other tribunals (each, an “Authorization”) necessary to engage in the business conducted by any of them in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except where the failure to obtain such Authorizations could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) no reason to believe that any governmental body or agency is considering limiting, suspending or revoking any such Authorization. All such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and the Company and each of its subsidiaries is in compliance in all material respects with the terms and conditions of all such Authorizations and with the rules and regulations of the regulatory authorities having jurisdiction with respect thereto, except where the failure of such Authorizations

to be valid and in full force and effect or where the failure to be in compliance with the terms and conditions of such Authorizations could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of any claim adverse to its ownership of any real or personal property or of any claim against the continued possession of any real property, whether owned or held under lease or sublease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except for such claims that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(oo) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) owns or possesses adequate right to use all patents, patent applications, patent rights, licenses, formulae, customer lists, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, software, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service xxxx registrations, computer programs, technical data and information, and know-how and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as presently being conducted and as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except where the failure to own or possess such rights could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) have no reason to believe that the conduct of their respective businesses does or will conflict with, any such right of others and have not received any notice of any claim of conflict with any such rights of others, except for such conflicts that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (except for such right, or claimed right pursuant to the Credit Facilities). To the knowledge of the Company, all material technical information developed by and belonging to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which has not been patented, has been kept confidential. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has granted or assigned to any other person or entity any right to manufacture, have manufactured, assemble or sell the current products and services of the Company and its subsidiaries other than those products and services described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. To the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; 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 Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and 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 or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company are unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim, except for such actions, suits, proceedings or claims that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(pp) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has timely filed (including in accordance with applicable extensions) all material tax returns required to be filed by it and has paid or made provision (to the extent required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”)) for the payment of all taxes, assessments,

governmental or other similar charges, including without limitation, all sales and use taxes and all taxes that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties, with respect to the periods covered by such tax returns (whether or not such amounts are shown as due on any tax return). Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, no material deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ federal, state, local or foreign taxes is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no material proposed additional tax assessments against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or the assets or property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The accruals and reserves on the books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries in respect of tax liabilities for any taxable period not finally determined are adequate (in accordance with GAAP) to meet any assessments and related liabilities for any such period and, since December 31, 2004, the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any liability for taxes other than in the ordinary course of its business. There is no tax Lien, whether imposed by any federal, state, foreign or other taxing authority, outstanding against the assets, properties or business of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except for any tax not yet due and payable.

(qq) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) make and keep accurate books and records and (ii) maintain a system of effective internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 accounting for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(rr) The Company and its subsidiaries maintain insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably considers adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries, all of which insurance is in full force and effect, except where the failure to maintain such insurance could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no material claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause. The Company reasonably believes that it will be able to renew its existing insurance as and when such coverage expires or will be able to obtain replacement insurance adequate for the conduct of the business and the value of its properties at a cost that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that substantial capital improvements or other expenditures will have to be made in order to continue such insurance.

(ss) Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any director, officer, stockholder, customer or supplier of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any affiliate of the Company, on the other hand, required by the Act to be described in the most recent Preliminary or the Prospectus. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any of their respective family members. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any of its subsidiaries, extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or executive officer of the Company.

(tt) The Company and each of its subsidiaries is not now and, after sale of the Stock, as contemplated hereunder and application of the net proceeds of such sale as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” will not be, an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

(uu) KPMG LLP and Ernst & Young LLP who have certified or will certify the financial statements and supporting schedules and information of the Company and its subsidiaries that are included or to be included as part of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and who have delivered the initial letter referred to in Section 9(h) hereof, are independent registered public accounting firms as required by the Act and the Exchange Act.

(vv) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.

(ww) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, nor will any of them be, after giving effect to the execution, delivery and performance of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, (i) left with unreasonably small capital with which to carry on their respective businesses as proposed to be conducted; (ii) unable to pay their debts (contingent or otherwise) as they mature; or (iii) insolvent. The fair value and present fair saleable value of the assets of the Company exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of its existing debts and other liabilities (including contingent liabilities) as they become absolute and matured. The assets of the Company and its subsidiaries do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry out its business as conducted or as proposed to be conducted. Immediately after the consummation of the sale of the Stock, (i) the fair value and present fair saleable value of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries will exceed the sum of their stated liabilities and identified contingent liabilities as they become absolute and matured, and (ii) the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries will not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry out its business as now conducted, including the capital needs of the Company, taking into account the projected capital requirements and capital availability.

(xx) Except pursuant to this Agreement, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between or among the Company and its subsidiaries, and any other person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Representatives for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock.

(yy) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in default under any of the contracts described in the Prospectus, has received a notice or claim of any such default or has knowledge of any breach of such contracts by the other party or parties thereto, except such defaults or breaches as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(zz) Neither the Company, any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its employees or agents has at any time during the last five years (i) made any unlawful contribution to any candidate for foreign office, or failed to disclose fully any contribution in violation of law, or (ii) made any payment to any federal or state governmental officer or official, or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duties, other than payments required or permitted by the laws of the United States of any jurisdiction thereof.

(aaa) The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation–Critical Accounting Policies” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus accurately and fully describes, in all material respects, (i) accounting policies which the Company reasonably believes are the most important in the portrayal of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and which require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); (ii) judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (iii) explanation of the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions.

(bbb) The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus accurately and fully describes (i) all material trends, demands, commitments, events, uncertainties and risks, and the potential effects thereof, that the Company reasonably believes would materially affect liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur; and (ii) all off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on the financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

(ccc) To the knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, the minute books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries relating to all proceedings of their respective stockholders, boards of directors, and committees of their respective boards of

directors made available to Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Representatives, are their original minute books and records or are true, correct and complete copies thereof, with respect to all proceedings of said stockholders, boards of directors and committees since December 31, 2000 through the date hereof. In the event that definitive minutes have not been prepared with respect to any proceedings of such stockholders, boards of directors or committees, the Company has provided Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP with originals or true, correct and complete copies of draft minutes or written agendas relating thereto, which drafts and agendas, if any, reflect all events that occurred in connection with such proceedings. To the knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, all material instruments, records, agreements and other documents requested in Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP’s document request letter dated September 2, 2005 have been provided to, or made available for inspection by, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP.

(ddd) The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Stock pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the offering price of the Stock and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction, between the Company, on the one hand, and the Representatives, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Representative is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) no Representative has assumed or will assume 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 such Representative has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters), and no Representative has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Representatives and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Representatives have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Stock shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

2. Purchase of the Stock by the Underwriters. On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, this Agreement, the Company agrees to sell 14,375,000 shares of the Firm Stock to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite that Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto. Each Underwriter shall be obligated to purchase from the Company that number of shares of the Firm Stock that represents the same proportion of the number of shares of the Firm Stock to be sold by the Company as the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 represents of the total number of shares of the Firm Stock to be purchased by all of the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. The respective purchase obligations of the Underwriters with respect to the Firm Stock shall be rounded among the Underwriters to avoid fractional shares, as the Representatives may determine.

In addition, the Company grants to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to 2,156,250 shares of Option Stock. Such options are exercisable in the event that the Underwriters sell more shares of Common Stock than the number of Firm Stock in the offering and as set forth in Section 4 hereof. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of shares of Option Stock (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of shares of Option Stock to be sold on such Delivery Date as the number of shares of Firm Stock set forth in Schedule 1 hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of shares of Firm Stock.

The price of both the Firm Stock and any Option Stock purchased by the Underwriters shall be $· per share.

The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any of the Firm Stock or Option Stock to be delivered on the applicable Delivery Date, except upon payment for all such Stock to be purchased on such Delivery Date as provided herein.

3. Offering of Stock by the Underwriters. Upon authorization by Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. of the release of the Firm Stock, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Stock for sale upon the terms and conditions to be set forth in the Prospectus.

4. Delivery of and Payment for the Stock. Delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the [third] full business day following the date of this Agreement or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between the Representatives and the Company. This date and time are sometimes referred to as the “Initial Delivery Date.” Delivery of the Firm Stock shall be made to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Firm Stock being sold by the Company to or upon the order of the Company of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Company. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter hereunder. Delivery of the Firm Stock shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. shall otherwise instruct.

The option granted in Section 2 will expire 30 days after the date of this Agreement and may be exercised in whole or from time to time in part by written notice being given to the Company by Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc.; provided that if such date falls on a day that is not a business day, the option granted in Section 2 will expire on the next succeeding business day. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of shares of Option Stock as to which the option is being exercised, the names in which the shares of Option Stock are to be registered, the denominations in which the shares of Option Stock are to be issued and the date and time, as determined by Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co.

Inc., when the shares of Option Stock are to be delivered; provided, however, that this date and time shall not be earlier than the Initial Delivery Date nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the fifth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. Each date and time the shares of Option Stock are delivered is sometimes referred to as an “Option Stock Delivery Date,” and the Initial Delivery Date and any Option Stock Delivery Date are sometimes each referred to as a “Delivery Date.”

Delivery of the Option Stock by the Company and payment for the Option Stock by the several Underwriters through the Representatives shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in the preceding paragraph or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. and the Company. On the Option Stock Delivery Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered the Option Stock to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Option Stock being sold by the Company to or upon the order of the Company of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Company. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter hereunder. The Company shall deliver the Option Stock through the facilities of DTC unless Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. shall otherwise instruct.

5. Further Agreements of the Company and the Underwriters. (a) The Company agrees:

(i) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives 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; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Delivery Date except as provided herein; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Stock for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding or examination for any such purpose or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its best efforts to obtain its withdrawal;

(ii) To furnish promptly to each of the Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith;

(iii) To deliver promptly to the Representatives such number of the following documents as the Representatives shall reasonably request: (A) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and each amendment thereto (in each case excluding exhibits other than this Agreement and the computation of per share earnings), (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amended or supplemented Prospectus and (C) during the Prospectus Delivery Period, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus; and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time after the date hereof in connection with the offering or sale of the Stock or any other securities relating thereto and if at such time any events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act, to notify the Representatives and, upon their request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance;

(iv) To file promptly with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that may, in the judgment of the Company or Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc., be required by the Securities Act or requested by the Commission;

(v) Prior to filing with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or to the Prospectus or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to furnish a copy thereof to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters and obtain the consent of the Representatives to the filing;

(vi) Not to make any offer relating to the Stock that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representatives.

(vii) To retain in accordance with the Rules and Regulations all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not required to be filed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations; and if at any time after the date hereof any events shall have occurred as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus 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 under which they were made, not misleading, or,

if for any other reason it shall be necessary to amend or supplement any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to notify the Representatives and, upon their request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that will correct such conflict, statement or omission or effect such compliance;

(viii) As soon as practicable after the Effective Date (it being understood that the Company shall have until at least 410 or, if the fourth quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes the Effective Date is the last fiscal quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, 455 days after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter), to make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to deliver to the Representatives an earnings 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);

(ix) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Stock for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives 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 Stock; provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be subject;

(x) For a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 180th day after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), provided, however, that the undersigned shall be permitted to file a registration statement (and publicly disclose the same) as described in clause (3) below beginning on the 141^st day of the Lock-Up Period (in any event, however, the shares of Common Stock registered pursuant to any such registration statement shall remain subject to the prohibitions of this section for the entire Lock-Up Period), not to, directly or indirectly, (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the Stock and shares issued pursuant to the Class B shares convertible into shares of Common Stock which are issued and outstanding on the Initial Delivery Date or pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof or pursuant to currently outstanding options, warrants or rights), or sell or grant options, rights or warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the grant of options pursuant to option plans existing on the date hereof), (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or

otherwise, (3) file or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments, with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock or any other securities of the Company or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, in each case without the prior written consent of Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc., as joint book-running managers (the “Joint Book Runners”) on behalf of the Underwriters, and to cause each officer, director and stockholder of the Company set forth on Schedule 3 hereto to furnish to the Representatives, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreements”); notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the Lock-Up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or announces material news or a material event relating to the Company or (2) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, then the restrictions imposed in the preceding paragraph shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of issuance of the earnings release or the announcement of the material news or the occurrence of the material event, unless the Joint Book Runners, on behalf of the Underwriters, waive such extension in writing; and

(xi) To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Stock being sold by the Company as set forth in the Prospectus.

(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees that:

(i) It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) any filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus prepared pursuant to Section 5(a)(v) above, or (ii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and consented to by the Company in advance, including any such free writing prospectus that is consented to by the Company in advance that contains “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the most Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clause (ii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus,” and any such “issuer information” referred to in clause (ii) with respect to whose use the Company has given its consent, “Permitted Issuer Information”); and

(ii) It will retain copies of each free writing prospectus used or referred to by it to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act.

6. Expenses. The Company agrees, whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes incident to and in connection with (a) the authorization, issuance, sale and

delivery of the Stock and any stamp duties or other taxes payable in that connection, and the preparation and printing of certificates for the Stock; (b) the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto; (c) the distribution of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, all as provided in this Agreement; (d) the production and distribution of this Agreement, any supplemental agreement among Underwriters and any other related documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Stock; (e) any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the “NASD”) of the terms of sale of the Stock (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters); (f) the listing of the Stock on The NASDAQ National Market and/or any other exchange; (g) the qualification of the Stock under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 5(a)(ix) and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters); (i) the investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Stock, including, without limitation, expenses associated with any electronic roadshow, travel and lodging expenses of the affiliates and officers of the Company (provided that the Company and the Underwriters shall share equally the costs of any aircraft chartered in connection with the roadshow); and (j) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement; provided that, except as provided in this Section 6 and in Section 11, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the costs and expenses of their counsel, any transfer taxes on the Stock which they may sell and the expenses of advertising any offering of the Stock made by the Underwriters.

7. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The respective obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on each Delivery Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

(a) The Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission in accordance with Section 5(a)(i); no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding or examination for such purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and any request of the Commission for inclusion of additional information in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise shall have been complied with.

(b) No Underwriter shall have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to such Delivery Date that the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, is material or omits to state a fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(c) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of this Agreement, the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriters, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(d) Hunton & Xxxxxxxx LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion and its disclosure letter, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C-1(a) and Exhibit C-1(b), respectively.

(e) Xxxxx Xxxx & Fielding LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C-2.

(f) Xxxx XxXxxxxxx, Esq., general counsel to the Counsel, shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C-3.

(g) The Representatives shall have received from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Delivery Date, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(h) At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, and (ii) stating, as of the date hereof (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, as of a date not more than three days prior to the date hereof), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.

(i) With respect to the letter of KPMG LLP referred to in Section 7(h) and delivered to the Representatives concurrently with the execution of this Agreement (the “initial letter”), the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter (the “bring-down letter”) of such accountants, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, (ii) stating, as of the date of the bring-down letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Prospectus, as of a date not more than three days prior to the date of the bring-down letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by the initial letter and (iii) confirming in all material respects the conclusions and findings set forth in the initial letter.

(j) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated such Delivery Date, of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer stating that:

(i) The representations, warranties and agreements of the Company in Section 1 are true and correct on and as of such Delivery Date, and the Company has complied with all its agreements contained herein and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Delivery Date;

(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, and no proceedings or examination for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of such officers, threatened; and

(iii) They have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, in their opinion, (A) (1) the Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date, and (2) the Prospectus, as of its date and on the applicable Delivery Date, or (3) the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (except in the case of the Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, except, in the case of the Pricing Disclosure Package, that the price of the Stock and disclosures directly relating thereto and derived therefrom are included in the relevant portions of the Prospectus, and (B) since the Effective Date, no event has occurred that should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that has not been so set forth.

(k) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary 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 or (ii) since such date there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, in the judgment of Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc., so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

(l) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) of the Rules and Regulations, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities.

(m) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the American Stock Exchange or in the over-the-counter market, or trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited or the settlement of such trading generally shall have been materially disrupted or minimum prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or state authorities, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such), as to make it, in the judgment of Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc., impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

(n) The NASDAQ National Market, Inc. shall have approved the Stock for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution.

(o) The Lock-Up Agreements between the Representatives and the officers, directors and stockholders of the Company set forth on Schedule 2, delivered to the Representatives on or before the date of this Agreement, shall be in full force and effect on such Delivery Date.

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

8. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof (including, but not limited to, any loss, claim, damage, liability or action relating to purchases and sales of Stock), to which that Underwriter, director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (A) the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, (C) any Permitted Issuer Information used or referred to in any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) used or referred to by any Underwriter, (D) any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433) made to potential investors by the Company not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (a “Non-Prospectus Road Show”) or (E) any Blue Sky application or other document prepared or executed by the Company (or based upon any written information furnished by the Company for use therein) specifically for the purpose of qualifying any or all of the Stock under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction (any such application, document or information being hereinafter called a “Blue Sky Application”), (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Non-Prospectus Road Show or any Blue Sky Application, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) any act or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Stock or the offering contemplated hereby, and which is arising out of or based upon matters covered by clause (i) or (ii) above (provided that the Company shall not be liable under this clause (iii) to the extent that it is determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such loss, claim, damage, liability or action resulted directly from any such acts or failures to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by such Underwriter through its gross negligence or willful misconduct), and shall, subject to Section 8(c), reimburse each Underwriter and each such director, officer, employee or controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter, director, officer, employee or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action 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, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing

Prospectus or in any such amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Non-Prospectus Road Show or any Blue Sky Application, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information consists solely of the information specified in Section 8(e) or (ii) any free writing prospectus prepared or made by the Underwriters without the consent of the Company. The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have to any Underwriter or to any director, officer, employee or controlling person of that Underwriter.

(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company), officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof, to which the Company or any such director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any Non-Prospectus Road Show or Blue Sky Application, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any Non-Prospectus Road Show or Blue Sky Application, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of that Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is limited to the information set forth in Section 8(e). The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability that any Underwriter may otherwise have to the Company or any such director, officer, employee or controlling person.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the claim or the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 8 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced by such failure and, provided, further, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 8. If any such claim or action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. After

notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such claim or action, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation; provided, however, that Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. shall have the right to employ one counsel (in each relevant jurisdiction) to represent jointly the Representatives and those other Underwriters and their respective directors, officers, employees and controlling persons who may be subject to liability arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the Underwriters against the Company under this Section 8 if (i) the Company and the Underwriters shall have so mutually agreed; (ii) the Company has failed within a reasonable time to retain one counsel (in each relevant jurisdiction) reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters; (iii) the Underwriters and their respective directors, officers, employees and controlling persons shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to them that are different from or in addition to those available to the Company; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Underwriters or their respective directors, officers, employees or controlling persons, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, and representation of both sets of parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate under the applicable rules of professional conduct due to actual or potential differing interests between them, and in any such event the fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be paid by the Company. No indemnifying party shall (i) without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and does not include any findings of fact or admissions of fault or culpability as to the indemnified party, or (ii) be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), but if settled with the consent of the indemnifying party or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a) or 8(b) in respect of any loss, claim, damage or liability, or any action in respect thereof, referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Stock or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative

benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Stock purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the shares of the Stock purchased under this Agreement, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the other hand. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 8(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 8(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds of the Stock underwritten by it exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise paid or become liable to pay by reason of any untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute as provided in this Section 8(d) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

(e) The Underwriters severally confirm and the Company acknowledges and agrees that the statements regarding delivery of shares by the Underwriters set forth on the cover page of, and the concession and reallowance figures and the paragraphs relating to stabilization, short positions and penalty bids, discretionary shares and electronic distributions by the Underwriters appearing under the caption “Underwriting” in, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials.

9. Defaulting Underwriters. If, on any Delivery Date, any Underwriter defaults in the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, the remaining non-defaulting

Underwriters shall be obligated to purchase the Stock that the defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase on such Delivery Date in the respective proportions which the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite the name of each remaining non-defaulting Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto bears to the total number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite the names of all the remaining non-defaulting Underwriters in Schedule 1 hereto; provided, however, that the remaining non-defaulting Underwriters shall not be obligated to purchase any of the Stock on such Delivery Date if the total number of shares of the Stock that the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such date exceeds 9.09% of the total number of shares of the Stock to be purchased on such Delivery Date, and any remaining non-defaulting Underwriter shall not be obligated to purchase more than 110% of the number of shares of the Stock that it agreed to purchase on such Delivery Date pursuant to the terms of Section 2. If the foregoing maximums are exceeded, the remaining non-defaulting Underwriters, or those other underwriters satisfactory to Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. who so agree, shall have the right, but shall not be obligated, to purchase, in such proportion as may be agreed upon among them, all the Stock to be purchased on such Delivery Date. If the remaining Underwriters or other underwriters satisfactory to Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. do not elect to purchase the shares that the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Delivery Date, this Agreement (or, with respect to any Option Stock Delivery Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase, and of the Company to sell, the Option Stock) shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses to the extent set forth in Sections 6 and 11. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context requires otherwise, any party not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 9, purchases Stock that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company for damages caused by its default. If other Underwriters are obligated or agree to purchase the Stock of a defaulting or withdrawing Underwriter, either Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. or the Company may postpone the Delivery Date for up to seven full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement.

10. Termination. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc. by notice given to and received by the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 7(k), 7(l) and 7(m) shall have occurred or if the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement.

11. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If (a) the Company fails to tender the Stock for delivery to the Underwriters by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform any agreement on its part to be performed, or because any other condition (other than Section 7(m)) to the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder required to be fulfilled by the Company is not fulfilled for any reason or (b) the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement (other than as permitted under Section 7(m)), the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable out-of-pocket

expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Stock, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representatives. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9 by reason of the default of one or more Underwriters, the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter on account of those expenses.

12. Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

13. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company acknowledges and agrees that in connection with this offering, sale of the Stock or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder, notwithstanding any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by the Underwriters: (i) no fiduciary or agency relationship between the Company and any other person, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, exists; (ii) the Underwriters are not acting as advisors, expert or otherwise, to the Company, including, without limitation, with respect to the determination of the public offering price of the Stock, and such relationship between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, is entirely and solely commercial, based on arms-length negotiations; (iii) any duties and obligations that the Underwriters may have to the Company shall be limited to those duties and obligations specifically stated herein; and (iv) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company hereby waives any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the Offering.

14. Notices, Etc. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:

(a) if to the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to Xxxxxx Brothers Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: 000-000-0000), with a copy, in the case of any notice pursuant to Section 8(d), to the Director of Litigation, Office of the

General Counsel, Xxxxxx Brothers Inc., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00^xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (Fax: 000-000-0000);

(b) 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: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx (Fax: 000-000-0000); and

provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(d) shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter care of the Representatives at the following address: Xxxxxx Brothers Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: 000-000-0000), with a copy to the Director of Litigation, Office of the General Counsel, Xxxxxx Brothers Inc., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00^xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (Fax: 000-000-0000). Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof. The Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any request, consent, notice or agreement given or made on behalf of the Representatives by Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. and Bear, Xxxxxxx & Co. Inc.

15. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. This Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof are for the sole benefit of only those persons, except that (A) the representations, warranties, indemnities and agreements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors, officers and employees of the Underwriters and each person or persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and (B) the indemnity agreement of the Underwriters contained in Section 8(b) of this Agreement shall be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who have signed the Registration Statement and any person controlling the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons referred to in this Section 15, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.

16. Survival. The respective indemnities, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Stock and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any of them or any person controlling any of them.

17. Definition of the Terms “Business Day” and “Subsidiary”. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close and (b) “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.

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

19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

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

If the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among the Company and the Underwriters, please indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.


Very truly yours,

NTELOS HOLDINGS CORP.

By:
Name:
Title:

Accepted:

XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.

BEAR, XXXXXXX & CO. INC.

For themselves and as Representatives

of the several Underwriters named

in Schedule 1 hereto

By XXXXXX BROTHERS INC.


By:
		Authorized Representative

By BEAR, XXXXXXX & CO. INC.

By:
		Authorized Representative

Document Metadata

Table of Contents

NTELOS HOLDINGS CORP. 14,375,000 Shares of Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Document Metadata