The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. [Title of Debt Securities] [Form of] Underwriting Agreement

Exhibit 1.4

The ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Group, Inc.

[Title of Debt Securities]

[Form of]

Underwriting Agreement

		, 20

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.,

     As representatives of the several Underwriters
     named in Schedule I hereto,

▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     The ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of $                     principal amount of the [Title of Debt Securities] specified above (the “Securities”), which are further described in Schedule III hereto.

     The Company acknowledges and agrees that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. may use the Prospectus (as defined below) in connection with offers and sales of the Securities as contemplated in the Prospectus under the caption “Plan of Distribution — Market-Making Resales by Affiliates” (“Secondary Market Transactions”). The Company further acknowledges and agrees that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. is under no obligation to effect any Secondary Market Transactions and, if it does so, it may discontinue effecting such transactions at any time without providing any notice to the Company. The term “Underwriter”, whenever used in this Agreement, shall include ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., whether acting in its capacity as an Underwriter or acting in connection with a Secondary Market Transaction, except as may be specifically provided otherwise herein.

     1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

     (a) An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. [     ]) in respect of the Securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) not earlier

than three years prior to the date hereof; such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, became effective on filing; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company (the base prospectus filed as part of such registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus”; any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto but excluding Form T-1 and including any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) hereof), is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; the form of the final prospectus relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to the Base Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such prospectus; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Base Prospectus, such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement);

     (b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined

in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Securities (an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and 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; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. expressly for use therein;

     (c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is ___:___m (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement; the Pricing Prospectus together with the statements under the caption [“Specific Terms of the Notes”] in, and the information in the [table on the] front cover of, the Prospectus (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”) as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a) hereto (if any) does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;

     (d) The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; any further documents so filed and

incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and 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, in 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 furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule II(b) hereto;

     (e) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, 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, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;

     (f) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries that are listed in the Company’s latest annual report on Form 10-K pursuant to the requirements of Form 10-K and Item 601(b)(21) of the Commission’s Regulation S-K and are “significant subsidiaries” as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of the Commission’s Regulation S-X (the “Significant Subsidiaries”) has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been any material

adverse change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse 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 Pricing Prospectus;

     (g) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus;

     (h) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable;

     (i) The Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered pursuant to this Agreement, will have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture dated as of May 19, 1999, as amended (the “1999 Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly known as The Bank of New York), as Trustee (including any successor trustee, the “Trustee”), under which they are to be issued; the 1999 Indenture has been duly authorized and duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles; and the Securities and the 1999 Indenture will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus;

     (j) The issue and sale of the Securities, the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Securities, the 1999 Indenture and this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or

governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Securities by the Company or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the 1999 Indenture except such as have been obtained under the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters;

     (k) Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is in violation of its organizational documents or in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound;

     (l) The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Specific Terms of the Notes”, “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer”, “Considerations Relating to Securities Issued in Bearer Form” and “Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and under the captions “United States Taxation” and “Plan of Distribution”, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair;

     (m) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries; and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

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

     (o) (A) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of

complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 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), and (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; and (B) at the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Securities, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;

     (p) The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries possess all authorizations issued by the appropriate Federal, state and foreign governments, governmental or regulatory authorities, self-regulatory organizations and all courts or other tribunals, and are members in good standing of each Federal, state or foreign exchange, board of trade, clearing house or association and self-regulatory or similar organization necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Pricing Prospectus, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the prospects, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries;

     (q) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, and audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, are an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

     (r) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting; and

     (s) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that

comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

     2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of                     % of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest, if any, from                                         , 20                     to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) hereunder, the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.

     3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Securities, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

     4. (a) The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder will be represented by one or more definitive global Securities in book-entry form which will be deposited by or on behalf of the Company with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its designated custodian. The Company will deliver the Securities to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., for the account of each Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance, by causing DTC to credit the Securities to the account of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. at DTC. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Securities to be made available to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. for checking prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “Designated Office”). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on                     , 20                     or at such other place and time and date as ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date are herein called the “Time of Delivery”.

     (b) The documents to be delivered at the Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross-receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(i) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (the “Closing Location”), and the Securities will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at the Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at                      p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding the Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents

to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

     5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

     (a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the date of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; if requested by you prior to the Applicable Time, to prepare a final term sheet, containing solely a description of the Securities, in the form set forth in Schedule III hereto and to file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act within the time required by such Rule; to file promptly all other material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities (including, in the case of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., in any Secondary Market Transactions during the Secondary Transactions Period as defined in Section 5A hereof), and during such same period to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed with the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Securities, of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the

Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any such stop order or of any such order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Securities or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order; and in the event of any such issuance of a notice of objection, promptly to take such steps including, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new registration statement, at its own expense, as may be necessary to permit offers and sales of the Securities by the Underwriters (references herein to the Registration Statement shall include any such amendment or new registration statement);

     (b) If required by Rule 430B(h) under the Act, to prepare a form of prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such form of prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than may be required by Rule 424(b) under the Act; and to make no further amendment or supplement to such form of prospectus which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof;

     (c) If by the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to you. If at the Renewal Deadline the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to you and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be;

     (d) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you 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 Securities (including, in the case of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., in any Secondary Market Transactions during the Secondary Transactions Period), provided that in connection therewith the Company

shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;

     (e) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities (or, in the case of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., in connection with any Secondary Market Transactions during the Secondary Transactions Period, whether before or after such expiration) and if at such time any event 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 (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Securities at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (it being understood, however, that the preceding clause, rather than this clause, shall apply with respect to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. in connection with any Secondary Market Transactions during the Secondary Transactions Period); provided, however, that the Company may elect, upon notice to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., not to comply with this paragraph (d) with respect to any Secondary Market Transaction, but only for a period or periods that the Company reasonably determines are necessary in order to avoid premature disclosure of material, non-public information, unless, notwithstanding such election, such disclosure would otherwise be required under this

Agreement; and provided, further, that no such period or periods described in the preceding proviso shall exceed 90 days in the aggregate during any period of 12 consecutive calendar months. Upon receipt of any such notice, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. shall cease using the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto in connection with Secondary Market Transactions until it receives notice from the Company that it may resume using such document (or such document as it may be amended or supplemented);

     (f) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

     (g) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the later of (i) the termination of trading restrictions for the Securities as notified to the Company by you and (ii) the Time of Delivery, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any debt securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Securities, without your prior written consent;

     (h) To pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act; and

     (i) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”.

     5A. The Company agrees with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., with respect to the issuance of the Securities:

     (a) To make no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus during the Secondary Transactions Period which shall be disapproved by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. promptly after reasonable notice thereof. The “Secondary Transactions Period” means the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing for as long as may be required under applicable law, in the reasonable judgment of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. after consultation with the Company, in order to offer and sell any such Securities in Secondary Market Transactions as contemplated by the Pricing Prospectus;

     (b) During the Secondary Transactions Period, to furnish to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders generally, and to deliver to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which the Securities or any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders generally or to the Commission); and

     (c) Each time the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented during the Secondary Transactions Period, to furnish or cause to be furnished to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., upon its request, written opinions of counsel for the Company, a letter from the independent accountants who have certified the financial statements included in the Registration Statement as then amended and certificates of officers of the Company, in each case in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., all to the effect specified in subsections (c), (d) and (i), respectively, of Section 8 hereof (as modified to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented).

     Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the Company may elect, upon notice to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co., not to comply with this Section 5A with respect to any Secondary Market Transaction, but only for a period or periods that the Company reasonably determines are necessary in order to avoid premature disclosure of material, non-public information, unless, notwithstanding such election, such disclosure would otherwise be required under this Agreement; and provided, further, that no such period or periods described in the preceding proviso shall exceed 90 days in the aggregate during any period of 12 consecutive calendar months. Upon receipt of any such notice, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. shall cease using the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto in connection with Secondary Market Transactions until it receives notice from the Company that it may resume using such document (or such document as it may be amended or supplemented).

     6. (a) (i) The Company and each Underwriter agree that the Underwriters may prepare and use one or more preliminary or final term sheets relating to the Securities containing customary information;

     (ii) Each Underwriter represents that, other than as permitted under subparagraph (a)(i) above, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act without the prior consent

of the Company and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. and that Schedule II(a) hereto is a complete list of any free writing prospectus for which the Underwriters have received such consent; and

     (iii) The Company represents and agrees that it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. and that Schedule II(a) hereto is a complete list of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses for which the Company has received such consent;

     (b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and

     (c) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing 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 then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. and, if requested by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter (or, in the case of any Secondary Market Transaction, to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.) an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. expressly for use therein.

     7. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the 1999 Indenture, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of

the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(d) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) any fees charged by securities rating services for rating the Securities; (v) any filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (vi) the cost of preparing the Securities; (vii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any agent of the Trustee and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the 1999 Indenture and the Securities; and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, the cost of preparing and distributing any term sheet prepared by any Underwriter, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

     8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject, in your discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of the Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

     (a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; any final term sheet contemplated by Section 5(a) hereof, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act shall have been received; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

     (b) Counsel for the Underwriters shall have furnished to you a written opinion and letter, dated the Time of Delivery, to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto;

     (c) A General Counsel or Associate General Counsel for the Company shall have furnished to you his or her written opinion, dated the Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in Annex II hereto;

     (d) On the date hereof at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement and at the Time of Delivery for such Designated Securities, the independent accountants shall have furnished to you a letter, dated the date hereof, and a letter, dated such Time of Delivery, respectively, to the effect set forth in Annex III hereto, and with respect to such letter dated such Time of Delivery, as to such other matters as you may reasonably request, and in form and substance satisfactory to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.;

     (e) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Significant 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 Significant Subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

     (f) On or after the Applicable Time (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) under the Act, 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;

     (g) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material

limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the judgment of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

     (h) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(e) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement; and

     (i) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at the Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such time, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such time, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.

     9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in

reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. expressly for use therein.

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

     (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment

with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

     (d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) 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 above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no

Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

     (e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

     10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Securities which it has agreed to purchase hereunder, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.

     (b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the

aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

     (c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

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

     . Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the indemnity agreement of the Company in subsection (a) of Section 9 hereof, the representations and warranties in subsections (b) and (c) of Section 1 hereof and any representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the Registration Statement or any Prospectus contained in any certificate furnished by the Company pursuant to Section 8 hereof, insofar as they may constitute a basis for indemnification for liabilities (other than payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) arising under the Act, shall not extend to the extent of any interest therein of a controlling person or partner of an Underwriter who is a director or officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement or a controlling person of the Company when the Registration Statement has become effective, except in each case to the extent that an interest of such character shall have been determined by a court of appropriate jurisdiction as not against public policy as expressed in

the Act. Unless in the opinion of counsel for the Company the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, the Company will, if a claim for such indemnification is asserted, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether such interest is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

     13. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, the Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

     14. In all dealings hereunder, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. (and only ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.) shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters (including with respect to any determination as to whether any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters has been satisfied, any representation or agreement of the Company has been complied with or any such condition, representation or agreement may be waived), and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.

     All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. as the representatives at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Registration Department; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

     . This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall

acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

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

     17. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

     18. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

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

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

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

     22. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any

limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us four counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

Accepted as of the date hereof:
(▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters

SCHEDULE I

		Principal
		Amount of
		Securities
		to be
		Purchased
Underwriters
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
[Names of other Underwriters]
Total

SCHEDULE II

(a)

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses:

•

Final term sheet in the form set forth in Schedule III hereto, but only if the Company is obligated to prepare and file such term sheet pursuant to Section 5(a) hereof.

(b)

Additional Documents Incorporated by Reference:

SCHEDULE III

The ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Sachs Group, Inc.

     [To be modified as appropriate and completed prior to execution of this Agreement]

Title of Securities:

Aggregate Principal Amount to be Offered:

Price to Public:

Settlement Date:

Managing Underwriters:

Purchase Price by Underwriters:

Maturity Date:

Interest Rate:

Interest Payment Dates:

Interest Reset Dates:

Redemption Provisions:

[Other Provisions:]

The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting ▇▇▇▇▇ on the SEC Web site at ▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇. Alternately, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling toll-free ▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇.

ANNEX I

Form of Opinion of Counsel to the Underwriters

[date]

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.,
  As Representatives of the
  Several Underwriters,
    c/o Goldman, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.,
     ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
      ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     In connection with the several purchases today by you and the other Underwriters named in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement, dated •, 20... (the “Underwriting Agreement”), between The ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Sachs Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), of $.. principal amount of the Company’s [...%][Floating Rate] Notes due (the “Securities”) issued pursuant to the Indenture, dated as of May 19, 1999 (the “1999 Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly known as The Bank of New York), as Trustee (the “Trustee”), we, as counsel for the several Underwriters, have examined such corporate records, certificates and other documents, and such questions of law, as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion. Upon the basis of such examination, we advise you that, in our opinion:

     (1) The Company has been duly incorporated and is an existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

     (2) All regulatory consents, authorizations, approvals and filings required to be obtained or made by the Company under the Federal laws of the United States, the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware for the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities by the Company to the Underwriters have been obtained or made.

     (3) The issuance of the Securities in accordance with the 1999 Indenture and the sale of the Securities by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement do not, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Securities, the 1999 Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement and the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated, in each case with respect to the Securities, will not, (a) violate the

Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Company, (b) result in a default under or breach of the agreements filed as exhibits nos. • through •, inclusive, to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended •, 20.. [and exhibits nos. • through •, inclusive, to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended •, 20..][and exhibit[s] no[s]. • to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed •, 20..] or (c) violate any Federal law of the United States or law of the State of New York applicable to the Company; provided, however, that for the purposes of this paragraph (3), we express no opinion with respect to Federal or state securities laws, fraudulent transfer laws, other antifraud laws and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and related laws; and provided, further, that insofar as the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Securities, the 1999 Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement is concerned, we express no opinion as to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights.

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

     (5) The 1999 Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939; the Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered; and the 1999 Indenture and the Securities constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.

     (6) The Company is not, and immediately after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities will not be, an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.

[Use the following if the Securities are denominated in a non-U.S. dollar currency — We note that, as of the date of this opinion, a judgment for money in an action based on Securities denominated in foreign currencies or currency units in a Federal or state court in the United States ordinarily would be enforced in the United States only in U.S. dollars. The date used to determine the rate of conversion of the foreign currency or currency unit in which a particular Security is denominated into U.S. dollars will depend upon various factors, including which court renders the judgment. In the case of a Security denominated in a foreign currency, a state court in the State of New York rendering a judgment on such Security would be required under Section 27 of the New York Judiciary Law to render such judgment in the foreign currency in which the Security is denominated, and such judgment would be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing on the date of entry of the judgment.]

     The foregoing opinion is limited to the Federal laws of the United States, the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and we are expressing no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

     We have relied as to certain matters upon information obtained from public officials, officers of the Company and other sources believed by us to be responsible, and we have assumed that the 1999 Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee, that the Securities conform to the specimen thereof examined by us, that the Trustee’s certificates of authentication of the Securities have been manually signed by one of the Trustee’s authorized officers, and that the signatures on all documents examined by us are genuine, assumptions which we have not independently verified.

[date]

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.,
  As Representatives of the
  Several Underwriters,
   c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
    ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
     ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     This is with reference to the registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and offering of $.... aggregate principal amount of [...%] Notes due [....] (the “Securities”) of The ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Group, Inc. (the “Company”). The Registration Statement relating to the Securities (File No. [ ]) was filed on Form S-3 in accordance with procedures of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) permitting a delayed or continuous offering of securities pursuant thereto and, if appropriate, a post-effective amendment or prospectus supplement that provides information relating to the terms of the securities and the manner of their distribution.

     The Securities have been offered by the Prospectus dated October 10, 2008 (the “Base Prospectus”), as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement dated....., ... (the “Prospectus Supplement”), which updates or supplements certain information contained in the Base Prospectus. The Base Prospectus, as so supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, does not necessarily contain a current description of the Company’s business and affairs since, pursuant to Form S-3, it incorporates by reference certain documents filed with the Commission that contain information as of various dates.

     In accordance with our understanding with you as to the scope of our services under the circumstances applicable to the offering of the Securities, we reviewed the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement and the documents listed in Schedule A hereto (those documents, taken together with the Base Prospectus, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”), participated in discussions with your representatives and those of the Company, its counsel and its accountants and advised you as to the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder. Between the date of the Prospectus Supplement and the time of delivery of this letter, we participated in further discussions with your representatives and those of the Company, its counsel and its accountants concerning certain matters relating to the Company and reviewed certificates of certain officers of the Company, an opinion of [a][an Associate] General Counsel of the Company and a letter from the Company’s

independent accountants delivered to you in connection with the offering of the Securities.

     On the basis of the information that we gained in the course of the performance of the services referred to above, considered in the light of our understanding of the applicable law (including the requirements of Form S-3 and the character of the prospectus contemplated thereby) and the experience we have gained through our practice under the Securities Act, we advised you and now confirm that, in our opinion, each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, and the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement, appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive, in all material respects relevant to the offering of the Securities, to the requirements of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Further, nothing that came to our attention in the course of such review has caused us to believe that, insofar as relevant to the offering of the Securities,

     (a) any part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or

     (b) the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of [___:00] [A/P].M. on ... , .... (which you have informed us is a time prior to the time of the first sale of the Securities by any Underwriter), when considered together with the statements made under the caption [“Specific Terms of the Notes"] in, and the information [in the table] on the front cover of, the Prospectus Supplement, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or

     (c) the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

     We also advise you that nothing that came to our attention in the course of the procedures described in the second sentence of the prior paragraph has caused us to believe that, insofar as relevant to the offering of the Securities, the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, as of the time of delivery of this letter, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

     In addition, we do not know of any litigation or any governmental proceeding instituted or threatened against the Company that would be required to be disclosed in the Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, and is not so disclosed. We call to your attention, however, the fact that the Company has an internal legal department and that, while we represent the Company on a regular basis, our engagement has been limited to specific matters as to which we were consulted by the Company and, accordingly, our knowledge with respect to litigation and governmental proceedings instituted or threatened against the Company is similarly limited. Also, insofar as the offering of the Securities is concerned, we do not know of any documents that, as of the date and time of delivery of this letter, are required to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement and are not so filed.

     The limitations inherent in the independent verification of factual matters and the character of determinations involved in the registration process are such, however, that we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, except for those made under the captions [“Description of Debt Securities We May Offer”, “Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance” and “Plan of Distribution"] in the Base Prospectus and [“Specific Terms of the Notes” and “Underwriting"] in the Prospectus Supplement, in each case insofar as they relate to provisions, therein described, of the Securities, the 1999 Indenture under which the Securities are being issued and the Underwriting Agreement relating to the Securities. Also, we do not express any opinion or belief as to the financial statements or other financial data derived from accounting records contained in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, or as to the report of management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting or the auditor’s attestation report thereon, each as included in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, or as to the statement of the eligibility and qualification of the Trustee under the 1999 Indenture under which the Securities are being issued.

     This letter is furnished by us, as counsel to the Underwriters, to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, solely for the benefit of the Underwriters in their capacity as such, and may not be relied upon by any other person. This letter may not be quoted, referred to or furnished to any purchaser or prospective purchaser of the Securities and may not be used in furtherance of any offer or sale of the Securities.

Schedule A

     [List documents other than the Base Prospectus that are included in the Pricing Disclosure Package.]

ANNEX II

Form of Opinion of General Counsel or Associate General Counsel

     (1) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware;

     (2) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

     (3) The Securities have been duly authorized, executed, issued and delivered; and

     (4) The 1999 Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that such counsel expresses no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Federal laws of the United States, the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware; that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, such counsel has relied upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials and other sources believed by such counsel to be responsible; and that such counsel has assumed that the 1999 Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trustee, that the Securities conform to the forms thereof examined by such counsel (or members of the Company’s legal department acting under such counsel’s supervision), that the Trustee’s certificates of authentication of the Securities have been manually signed by one of the Trustee’s authorized signatories and that the signatures on all documents examined by such counsel (or members of the Company’s legal department acting under such counsel’s supervision) are genuine, assumptions that such counsel has not independently verified. In addition, such counsel may state that such counsel has examined, or has caused members of the Company’s legal department to examine, such corporate and partnership records, certificates and other documents, and such questions of law, as such counsel has considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of such opinion.

ANNEX III

     Pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:

     (i) They are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”);

     (ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable, financial forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) audited or examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the related published rules and regulations thereunder; and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance with standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the consolidated interim financial statements, selected financial data, pro forma financial information, financial forecasts and/or condensed financial statements derived from audited financial statements of the Company for the periods specified in such letter, as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have been furnished to the Underwriters;

     (iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included in the Company’s Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q covering periods after the latest full fiscal year and incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their reports thereon copies of which have been furnished to the Underwriters; and on the basis of specified procedures including inquiries of officials of the Company, who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations;

     (iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years which were included or incorporated by reference in the Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K for such fiscal years;

     (v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus under selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and on the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to believe that this information does not conform in all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302 and 503(d), respectively, of Regulation S-K;

     (vi) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that:

     (A) (i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by reference in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, or (ii) any material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by reference in the Company’s Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;

     (B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated financial statements from which such data and items were derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;

     (C) the unaudited financial statements which were not included in the Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited condensed financial statements referred to in clause (A) and any unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in the Prospectus as most recently amended or supplemented and referred to in clause (B) were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;

     (D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements;

     (E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of such letter, there have been any changes in the consolidated capital stock (other than issuances or forfeitures of restricted stock units issued under the company’s Stock Incentive Plan and repurchases of common stock in accordance with the Company’s common stock repurchase program or issuances of stock associated with the Company’s employee stock option plans) or any increase in the consolidated long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any decreases in consolidated total assets or stockholders’ equity or other items specified by the Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the Representatives, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and

     (F) for the period from the date of the latest financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus to the specified date referred to in clause (E) there were any decreases in consolidated total revenues or consolidated revenues, net of interest expense, pre-tax earnings or net earnings or other items specified by the Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the Representatives, in each case as compared with the comparable items in the comparable period of the preceding year and with any other period of corresponding length specified by the Representatives, except in each case for increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter [insert if applicable — and except that, because no final consolidated income statement information was available for that period, the accountants are unable to provide an opinion as to whether there have been any such decreases or increases]; and

     (vii) In addition to the audit referred to in their report(s) included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the Representatives which are derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries which appear in the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference), or in Part II of, or in exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Representatives or in documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by the Representatives, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages and financial information with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement.