THE PMI GROUP, INC. $250,000,000 6.000% Notes due 2016 $150,000,000 6.625% Notes due 2036 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT dated September 13, 2006 Banc of America Securities LLC

Exhibit 1.1

THE PMI GROUP, INC.

$250,000,000 6.000% Notes due 2016

$150,000,000 6.625% Notes due 2036

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

dated September 13, 2006

Banc of America Securities LLC

Underwriting Agreement

September 13, 2006

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

0 Xxxx 00^xx Xxxxxx

New York, NY 10019

As Representative of the several Underwriters

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Introductory. The PMI Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”), acting severally and not jointly, the respective amounts set forth in such Schedule A of $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.000% Notes due 2016 (the “2016 Notes”) and $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6.625% Notes due 2036 (the “2036 Notes” and, together with the 2016 Notes, the “Notes”). Banc of America Securities LLC (“BAS”) has agreed to act as representative of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes.

The Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of November 3, 2003 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company (as successor to The Bank of New York), as trustee (the “Trustee”). Certain terms of the Notes will be established pursuant to an Officers Certificate pursuant to Section 3.01 of the Base Indenture (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). The Notes will be issued in book-entry form in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”) .

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-133095), which contains a base prospectus (the base prospectus, in the form most recently filed with the Commission, the “Base Prospectus”), to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of debt securities, including the Notes, and other securities of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities Act. Such registration statement, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act, as amended by the Company’s amendment to its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Commission on August 8, 2006, including any required information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” The term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Notes, together with the

Base Prospectus, that is filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto. The term “Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Notes, together with the Base Prospectus, that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), as amended and supplemented. The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus at the Initial Sale Time, (ii) the issuer free writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, identified in Schedule B hereto, the Final Term Sheet identified in Exhibit C hereto and (iii) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents that are or are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act prior to 8:00 a.m. EDT on September 14, 2006 (the “Initial Sale Time”). All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”).

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

As used herein, the term “Significant Subsidiaries” has the meaning assigned to it under Rule 405 of the Securities Act and ”Subsidiary” shall mean any entity of which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, at least 50 percent of the voting securities; provided that no entity shall be deemed to be a Significant Subsidiary or a Subsidiary for purposes of this Agreement unless such entity is accounted for as a consolidated entity in the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States.

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

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company

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

a) The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement complies, and any post-effective amendment thereto will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”). The Preliminary Prospectus complies, and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) will comply, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act. The Registration Statement as amended and supplemented by the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any post-effective amendment thereto do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date thereof, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Disclosure Package, as amended or supplemented, as of the Initial Sale Time, and the Prospectus, as of its date, and any further supplements to the Prospectus, as of the applicable filing date as to any such supplement, and as of the Closing Date, do not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No representation and warranty is made as to any statement of eligibility on Form T-1 filed or incorporated by reference as part of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or as to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative.

b) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. Each of the Company and each Subsidiary is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). All of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through Subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim.

c) At the time (i) of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant

to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the Securities Act, and (iv) as of the date and time that this Agreement is executed (the “Execution Time”), the Company was and is a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, that automatically became effective not more than three years prior to the Execution Time; the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form and the Company has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration form.

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

e) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder; this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the other parties thereto, this Agreement will constitute the valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with the its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, subject to general principles of equity and to limitations on availability of equitable relief, including specific performance (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

f) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver the Indenture and perform its obligations thereunder; the Indenture has been duly and

validly authorized and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, subject to general principles of equity and to limitations on availability of equitable relief, including specific performance (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The Indenture conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

g) The Notes have been duly authorized by the Company and, when executed, authenticated and issued in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered pursuant to this Agreement (assuming due authentication of the Notes by the Trustee), will constitute legally valid and binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, subject to general principles of equity and to limitations on availability of equitable relief, including specific performance (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The Notes conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

h) The execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture, this Agreement, and the Notes (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) by the Company, the issuance and sale of the Notes and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Transaction Documents have been authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, except for such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults as would not, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or business of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (such effect, a “Material Adverse Effect”); nor will such action result in any violation of (i) any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any of their assets, properties or operations (except for such violations that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect) or (ii) the provisions of the charter or bylaws of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition that gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary

(or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary.

i) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, except for such violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

j) Except as described in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the Registration Statement.

k) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Transaction Documents, except such as may be required by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states, and as may be required from the NASD.

l) The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; since the date indicated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus or changes occurring in the ordinary course of business, there has been no change in the consolidated capitalization of the Company and its subsidiaries (other than changes in outstanding common stock resulting from employee or director benefit plans, including the Company’s deferred compensation plan, dividend reinvestment and stock purchase or stock option plans, in each case existing on the date hereof (collectively, the “Stock Plans”), as well as any changes in outstanding common stock resulting from the conversion or settlement of any of the Company’s other securities outstanding on the date hereof); all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company has been authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and conforms to the description thereof contained in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and no holder thereof is or will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

m) Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) there are no outstanding securities convertible into or exchangeable for, or warrants, rights or options issued by the Company to purchase, any shares of the capital stock of the Company, (ii) there are no statutory, contractual, preemptive or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase any Notes and (iii) there are no restrictions upon transfer of the Notes pursuant to the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws.

n) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” or an “affiliated person” of, or “promoter” or “principal underwriter” for, an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

o) Each of the Company’s Subsidiaries that is engaged in the business of insurance or reinsurance (each an “Insurance Subsidiary”, collectively the “Insurance Subsidiaries”) is duly licensed to conduct an insurance or a reinsurance business, as the case may be, under the insurance statutes of each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business requires such licensing, except for such jurisdictions in which the failure of the Insurance Subsidiaries to be so licensed would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Insurance Subsidiaries have made all required filings under applicable insurance statutes in each jurisdiction where such filings are required, except for such jurisdictions in which the failure to make such filings would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the Insurance Subsidiaries has all other necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, consents, certificates, permits, registrations and qualifications of and from all insurance regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, except where the failure to have such authorizations, approvals, orders, consents, certificates, permits, registrations or qualifications would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and the Company and each of its Insurance Subsidiaries has not received any notification from any insurance regulatory authority to the effect that any additional authorization, approval, order, consent, certificate, permit, registration or qualification is needed to be obtained by the Company and each of its Insurance Subsidiaries in any case where it could be reasonably expected that (x) the Company and each of its Insurance Subsidiaries would be required either to obtain such additional authorization, approval, order, consent, certificate, permit, registration or qualification or to cease or otherwise limit the writing of certain business and (y) the failure to obtain such additional authorization, approval, order, consent, certificate, permit, registration or qualification or the limiting of the writing of such business would result in a Material Adverse Effect, and no insurance regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Insurance Subsidiaries has issued any order or decree impairing, restricting or prohibiting (i) the payment of dividends by any of the Insurance Subsidiaries to its parent, other than those restrictions applicable to insurance or reinsurance companies generally, or (ii) the continuation of the business of the Company or any of the Insurance Subsidiaries in all material respects as presently conducted.

p) Except as set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the subject which, singularly or in the aggregate, would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, and to the best knowledge of the Company, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others, except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

q) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof and have paid all taxes due thereon except for taxes being contested in good faith for which reserves in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been provided, and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which has had (nor does the Company or any of its Subsidiaries have any knowledge of any tax deficiency which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect.

r) No “prohibited transaction” (as defined in Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), or Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”)) or “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth 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 of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; each such employee benefit plan is in compliance with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code, except where such non-compliance could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and each of its Subsidiaries have not incurred and do not expect to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of, or withdrawal from, any pension plan for which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries would have any liability or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code; and each such pension plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects.

s) Neither the Company, nor to its knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes.

t) Except as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not declared or paid any dividends on its capital stock during the last three years.

u) The consolidated financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company filed with the Commission and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and any amendments or supplements thereto, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the respective dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations and changes in shareholders’ equity of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified, in each case in all material respects in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as indicated in the notes thereto). No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the

Registration Statement. The summary and selected historical financial data of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus fairly present in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the consolidated interim or audited financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

v) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business material to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and, since the date as of which information is given in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has not been (x) any increase, or any development involving a prospective increase, in excess of $30.0 million in the Company’s consolidated reserve for losses and loss adjustment expense, (y) any change in the authorized capital stock of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any increase in excess of $50.0 million in the aggregate in the consolidated short-term or long-term debt of the Company or (z) any Material Adverse Effect.

w) All ceded reinsurance and retrocessional agreements to which the Insurance Subsidiaries are a party are in full force and effect, except where the failure to be in full force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of the Insurance Subsidiaries has received any notice from any of the other parties to such agreements that such other party intends not to perform in any material respect such agreement and none of the Company and such Insurance Subsidiaries has any reason to believe that any of the other parties to such agreements will be unable to perform such agreements, except to the extent that (i) the Company or such Subsidiary has established appropriate reserves on its financial statements or (ii) such nonperformance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor its Insurance Subsidiaries has given effect to such agreements in its underwriting results in its most recently filed statutory financial statements unless such agreements were in conformity with the requirements therefor of the insurance department of the state of domicile of each such Subsidiary in effect at such time of preparation for reinsurance ceded pursuant to such agreements.

x) To the Company’s knowledge, Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

y) The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto become effective, at the Initial Sale Time and the Closing Date, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated

therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by the Representative or its counsel expressly for use in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus.

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

aa) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications, except where failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

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

SECTION 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Shares.

a) The Notes. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, severally and not jointly, all of the Notes upon the terms herein set forth. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their names on Schedule A at a purchase price of (i) 99.299% of the principal amount of the 2016 Notes, in the case of the 2016 Notes, and (ii) 98.328% of the principal amount of the 2036 Notes, in the case of the 2036 Notes, in each case payable on the Closing Date.

b) The Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Notes in global form to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative) at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on September 18, 2006, or such other time and date as the Underwriters and the Company shall mutually agree (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”).

c) Public Offering of the Notes. The Representative hereby advises the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Notes as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Representative, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.

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

It is understood that the Representative has been authorized, for its own account and for the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Notes that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. The Representative may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representative by the Closing Date for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

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

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company.

The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. After the date of this Agreement, to promptly advise the Representative in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (other than any amendment or supplement resulting solely from the incorporation by reference of any report filed under the Exchange Act), (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rule 424(b), as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

b) Filing of Amendments. During such period beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date as, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Notes by an Underwriter or dealer, including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), the Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act), or any amendment, supplement or revision to the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

c) Delivery of Prospectuses. Not later than 12:00 p.m. (New York time) on the second business day following the date the Notes are first released by the Underwriters for sale to the public and from time to time, furnish to the Underwriters and to Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx, counsel to the Underwriters, copies of the Prospectus (and all amendments and supplements thereto) in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as the Underwriters reasonably request for internal use and for distribution to prospective purchasers. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.

d) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Notes as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the Initial Sale Time or at the time it is delivered or conveyed to a purchaser, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of either such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Company will (1) notify the Representative of any such event, development or condition and (2) promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

e) Compliance Matters. The Company will promptly take such action as the Representative may reasonably request from time to time, to qualify the Notes for offering and

sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions in the United States for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Notes; provided that in connection therewith, the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or otherwise subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so qualified or subject.

f) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the proceeds from the sale of the Notes as set forth under “Use of Proceeds” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

g) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will file, on a timely basis, with the Commission all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

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

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

j) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not make, any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act); each Underwriter represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and the Representative, it will not make, any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 (an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”). Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative and the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus” and is included in Schedule B to this Agreement. The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any

Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (b) contains only (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Notes or their offering or (ii) information that describes the final terms of the Notes or their offering and that is included in the Final Term Sheet of the Company contemplated in Section 3(i); provided that each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action without the Company’s consent that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

k) Notice of Inability to Use Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Form. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representative, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representative, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement of post-effective amendment to be declared effective and (iv) promptly notify the Representative of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

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

m) Investment Company Act. The Company agrees to take such steps as shall be necessary to ensure that it shall not become an “investment company” within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act.

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

o) No Manipulation of Price. None of the Company or any of its affiliates will take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to stabilize or manipulate, or which constitutes or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation, of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the Notes.

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

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay: (a) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Notes, and any taxes payable in that connection; (b) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each Preliminary Prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and the Transaction Documents; (c) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (d) any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes to the Underwriters; (e) the fees and expenses of qualifying the Notes under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 3(e); (f) the costs and expenses of the Company and the reasonable expenses of the Underwriters in connection with the marketing and offering of the Notes and the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Notes, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show with the prior approval of the Company; (g) the fees and expenses of the Trustee under the Indenture, (h) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the NASD’s review and approval of the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Notes, if required; (i) all fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement; 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 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the costs and expenses of their counsel.

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

a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending or threatened by the Commission, any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters and the Company shall not have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act

objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b)(1), (2), (3), (4) or (5), as applicable (or any required post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).

b) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representative shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

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

d) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change.

(i) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package or (ii) since the date as of which information is presented in the Disclosure Package, there shall not have been (A) any increase, or any development involving a prospective increase, in excess of $30.0 million in the Company’s consolidated reserve for losses and loss adjustment expense or (B) any change in the capital stock (other than issuances pursuant to a Stock Plan as well as any changes in outstanding common stock resulting from the conversion or settlement of any of the Company’s other securities outstanding on the date hereof), or any change in excess of $50.0 million in the short-term debt 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 general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, in the judgment of the Representative, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the delivery of the Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Disclosure Package (a “Material Adverse Change”);

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

(iii) From and after the date of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities or the financial strength rating of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.

e) Force Majeure. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission, by the New York Stock Exchange or by the Pacific Exchange, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the Pacific Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the NASD; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal or New York authorities; (iii) 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 (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such) as to make it, in each case, in the sole judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Notes on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus.

f) No Untrue Statements. The Underwriters shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company prior to or on the Closing Date that the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto contains any untrue statement of a fact that, in the opinion of counsel to the Underwriters, is material or omits to state any fact that is material and necessary to make the statement there in, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

g) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel to 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.

h) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion and letter of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, forms of which are attached as Exhibit A.

i) Opinion by Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the opinion of Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx, general counsel to the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit B.

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

k) Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer or the Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect that:

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

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

(iii) there has not occurred any downgrading, and the Company has not received any notice of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities or the financial strength rating of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act;

(iv) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to such Closing Date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

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

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

l) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale

of the Notes as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

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 satisfactory to counsel to the Underwriters.

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

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

SECTION 8. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange 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 the Notes), to which the Underwriters or any such affiliate, officer, employee, representative, agent or controlling person may become subject, 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 Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (B) any blue sky application or other document prepared or executed by the Company (or based upon any written information furnished by the Company) filed in any jurisdiction specifically for the purpose of qualifying any or all of the Notes under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction (such application, document or information being hereinafter called a “Blue Sky Application”), or (C) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval in writing of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Notes (“Marketing Materials”), (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or any Free Writing Prospectus, in any Marketing Materials or

in any Blue Sky Application, any material fact 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 the Underwriters in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Notes or the offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon matters covered by clauses (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 judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such loss, claim, damage, liability or action resulted from any such acts or failure to act undertaken or omitted to be taken by an Underwriter through its gross negligence or willful misconduct or from a breach of such Underwriter of its representations herein; and shall reimburse the Underwriters and each such affiliate, officer, employee, representative, agent or controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriters or any such affiliate, officer, employee, representative, agent 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, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or in any such amendment or supplement or Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with the written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters concerning the Underwriters specifically for inclusion therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consists of the following information: the second sentence of the third paragraph, the first and second sentences of the fourth paragraph and the sixth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. The Underwriters, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange 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 affiliate, director, officer, employee, representative, agent or controlling person may become subject, 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 the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any Blue Sky Application, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any Blue Sky Application, any material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with the written information furnished to the Company by the Representative specifically for inclusion therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consists of the information set forth in paragraph (a) above, and shall reimburse the Company and any such director, officer or

controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such affiliate, director, officer, employee, representative, agent 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. The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability which the Underwriters may otherwise have to the Company or any such affiliate, director, officer, employee, representative, agent or controlling person.

(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. 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 6 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, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party (the Representative in the case of Section 8(b), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action). 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, 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 its written consent or if there be a final judgment of the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss of liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.

SECTION 9. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Notes as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

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

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

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Notes distributed by it exceeds the amount of any damages which the Underwriters have otherwise been required to pay. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 9, each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

SECTION 10. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Notes that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Notes, which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes, to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportion to the aggregate principal amounts of such Notes set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate principal amount of such Notes set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representative with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase such Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase such Notes and the aggregate principal amount of such Notes with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative and the Company for the purchase of such Notes are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

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

SECTION 11. Termination of this Agreement. If any condition specified in Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the

Representative by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date. Any termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representative and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof, (b) any Underwriters to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

SECTION 12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Notes and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company or its affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

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

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

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

If to the Representative:

Banc of America Securities LLC

00 Xxxx 00^xx Xxxxxx

New York, NY 10019

Facsimile:

Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal

with a copy to:

Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx

000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx

New York, NY 10017

Facsimile: (000) 000-0000

Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxx, Esq.

If to the Company:

The PMI Group, Inc.

0000 Xxx Xxxx

Walnut Creek, CA 94597

Facsimile: (000) 000-0000

Attention: General Counsel

with a copy to:

Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP

1870 Embarcadero Road

Palo Alto, CA 94303

Facsimile: (000) 000-0000

Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxx, Esq.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Very truly yours,

THE PMI GROUP, INC.

By:		/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, Xx.
Name:		Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, Xx.
Title:		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

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

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

Acting as Representative of the

several Underwriters named in

the attached Schedule A.


By:		Banc of America Securities LLC

By:		/s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Name:		Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title:		Vice President

SCHEDULE A


Underwriters	Aggregate Principal Amount of 2016 Notes to be Purchased		Aggregate Principal Amount of 2036 Notes to be Purchased
Banc of America Securities LLC	$	112,500,000	$	67,500,000
Xxxxxx Brothers Inc.	$	43,750,000	$	26,250,000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.	$	37,500,000	$	22,500,000
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.	$	18,750,000	$	11,250,000
SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc.	$	18,750,000	$	11,250,000
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC	$	18,750,000	$	11,250,000

Total	$	250,000,000	$	150,000,000

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THE PMI GROUP, INC. $250,000,000 6.000% Notes due 2016 $150,000,000 6.625% Notes due 2036 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT dated September 13, 2006 Banc of America Securities LLC

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