Exhibit 1.1

6,000,000 Shares

▇▇▇▇▇▇ Resources, Inc.

Common Stock, Par Value $.0001 Per Share

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

December 19, 2005

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & COMPANY, INC.
As Representative of the several Underwriters
c/o JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Introductory.  ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Resources, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 6,000,000 shares (the “Firm Shares”) of its Common Stock, par value $.0001 per share (the “Shares”).  In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 900,000 Shares (the “Optional Shares”), as provided in Section 2.  The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Offered Shares.”  Jefferies & Company, Inc. (“Jefferies”) has agreed to act as representative of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representative”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares.

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-130109), which contains a base prospectus dated December 2, 2005 (the “Base Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares.  Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein and any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), is called the “Registration Statement.”  Any preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below), together with the Base Prospectus, is called a “preliminary prospectus.”  As used herein, the term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Offered Shares and the

offering thereof, together with the Base Prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act.  As used herein, “Applicable Time” is 11:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.  As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus, dated December 9, 2005, as amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, together with any free writing prospectus identified in Schedule B hereto and the pricing and other information set forth in Schedule C hereto.    As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus,” “Base Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein, and the terms “supplement,” “amendment,” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.  All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“▇▇▇▇▇”).

Section 1.                                                                  Representations and Warranties.

The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as follows:

(a)                                  Compliance with Registration Requirements.  At the time of filing the Registration Statement and at any other “determination date” relevant to the offering and sale of the Offered Shares under the Registration Statement, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405, that became effective on December 2, 2005.  The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act objecting to the Company’s use of the automatic shelf registration form.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.

The Company has paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Offered Shares within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act.

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Each preliminary prospectus when filed complied, and the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus when filed will comply, in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇ (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was or will be identical to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares.  Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it first became effective and at any deemed new effective date under Rule 430B(f) under the Securities Act occurring prior to the later of the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2(b) below) or the last Optional Closing Date (as defined in Section 2(c) below), complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  As of the Applicable Time and at the time of each contract for sale of the Offered Shares prior to the availability of the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus did not or will not, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at the First Closing Date and at any Option Closing Date, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to (i) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (“Form T-1”) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act and (ii) statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representative to the Company consists of the information described in Section 9(b) below.  There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Offered Shares and as of the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act.  Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act.  Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the

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public offer and sale of the Offered Shares or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in Section 3(e) below did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts with or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.  The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any free writing prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representative expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representative to the Company consists of the information described in Section 9(b) below.  Except for the free writing prospectuses identified in Schedule B hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

(b)                                 Offering Materials Furnished to Underwriters.  The Company has delivered to the Representative one complete manually signed copy of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits) and preliminary prospectuses, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, and any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representative, in such quantities and at such places as the Representative has reasonably requested for each of the Underwriters.

(c)                                  Distribution of Offering Material By the Company.  The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the several Underwriters in Section 2 and (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representative or the Registration Statement.

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

(e)                                  Authorization of the Offered Shares.  The Offered Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(f)                                    No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights.  There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included

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in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

(g)                                 No Material Adverse Change.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Prospectus: (i)  there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

(h)                                 Independent Accountants.  ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus and Time of Sale Prospectus, are independent public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

(i)                                     Preparation of the Financial Statements.  The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified.  The supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein.  Such financial statements and supporting schedules have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto.  No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, including, without limitation, in connection with the Company’s pending acquisition of certain assets of Global Oil Production, LLC and Wilmington Management, LLC.  The financial data set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Prospectus Supplement Summary — Summary Consolidated

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Historical Financial Data” and “Capitalization” fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement.  The Company’s ratios of earnings to fixed charged and combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends” and in Exhibit 12 to the Registration Statement have been calculated in compliance with Item 503(d) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

(j)                                     Company’s Accounting System.  The Company makes and keeps accurate books and records and maintains a system of accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii)  transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(k)                                  Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and, in the case of the Company, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.  All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interest of each subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim.  The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than (i) the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004 and (ii) such other entities omitted from Exhibit 21 which, when such

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omitted entities are considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, would not constitute a “significant subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X.

(l)                                     Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters.  The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (other than, with respect to issued and outstanding capital stock, for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or upon exercise of outstanding options described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or upon conversion of outstanding convertible debentures described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus).  The Shares (including the Offered Shares) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.  All of the issued and outstanding Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws.  None of the outstanding Shares were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company.  There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those accurately described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.  The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

(m)                               Listing.  The Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are listed on the Nasdaq National Market, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting the Shares from the Nasdaq National Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the Nasdaq National Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

(n)                                 Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or operating agreement or similar organizational document, as applicable, or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of

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the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.  The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or operating agreement or similar organizational document of the Company or any subsidiary, as applicable, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary, except, solely with respect to clause (ii), such conflicts, breaches, Defaults, liens, charges, encumbrances or consents that would not result in a Material Adverse Change.  No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws.  As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

(o)                                 No Material Actions or Proceedings.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) relating to environmental or discrimination matters, where in any such case (A) there is a reasonable possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined adversely to the Company, such subsidiary or such officer or director, (B) any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (C) any such action, suit or proceeding is or would be material in the context of the sale of

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Shares.  No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent.

(p)                                 Intellectual Property Rights.  The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) reasonably necessary to conduct their businesses as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any of such Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse Change.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received, or has any reason to believe that it will receive, any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others.  The Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and are not described therein.  None of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons.

(q)                                 All Necessary Permits, etc.  The Company and each subsidiary possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to possess certificates, authorizations or permits would not result in a Material Adverse Change, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received, or has any reason to believe that it will receive, any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could result in a Material Adverse Change.

(r)                                    Title to Properties.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all of the real and personal property and other assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(i) above, in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse claims and other defects, except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or such subsidiary.  The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real

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property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such subsidiary.

(s)                                  Tax Law Compliance.  The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them, except for any taxes, assessments, fines or penalties being contested in good faith for which reserves in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been provided.  The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(i)  above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

(t)                                    Company Not an “Investment Company”.  The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).  The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act and will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act.

(u)                                 Insurance.  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction and acts of vandalism.  The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change.  Neither of the Company nor any subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied, except for any denial that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.

(v)                                 No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M.  The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any other “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”)) whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise (other than stabilization and other activities that may

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be taken by the Underwriters and which are described under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus), and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.  The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq National Market in accordance with Regulation M.

(w)                               Related Party Transactions.  There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other person required by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus which have not been described as required.

(aa)                            No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(bb)                          Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.  The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)), which (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared; (ii) have been evaluated for effectiveness as of a date within 90 days prior to the earlier of the date that the Company filed its most recent annual or quarterly report with the Commission and the date of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and (iii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.  The Company is not aware of (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.  The Company is not aware of any change in its internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably

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likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(cc)                            Compliance with Environmental Laws.  Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (iii) there are no pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (iv) to the best knowledge of the Company, there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(dd)                          ERISA Compliance.  The Company and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA.  “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company or such subsidiary

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is a member.  No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates.  No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA).  Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code.  Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.

(ee)                            Brokers.  There is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(ff)                                                                                No Outstanding Loans or Other Extensions of Credit.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company and/or such subsidiary except for such extensions of credit as are (i) expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act or (ii) fully repaid, discharged, forgiven or otherwise no longer outstanding or owing in any way on the date of this Agreement.

(gg)                          Compliance with Laws.  The Company has not been advised, and has no reason to believe, that it and each of its subsidiaries are not conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Change.

(hh)                          Dividend Restrictions.  Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying

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to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any property or assets to the Company or to any other subsidiary.

(ii)                                                                                  Certain Operating Agreements.  The participation, joint development, joint operating, farm-out and other agreements relating to rights of the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to the ownership, lease or operation of oil and gas properties or the exploration for development of, or production of oil and gas reserves thereon, constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company and its subsidiaries that are parties thereto and, to the best knowledge of the Company, of the other parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(jj)                                                                                  Independent Petroleum Engineers.  ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Petroleum Consultants, Inc., whose report is referenced in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, was, as of the date of such report, and is, as of the date this Agreement, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries.  The information underlying the estimates of reserves of the Company and its subsidiaries which was supplied by the Company to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Petroleum Consultants, Inc. for purposes of auditing the reserve reports and estimates of the Company and its subsidiaries, including, without limitation, production, costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the dates such estimates were made and such information was supplied and was prepared in accordance with customary industry practices.  Other than normal production of the reserves and intervening spot market product price fluctuations described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in an adverse change in the reserves, or the present value of future net cash flows therefrom, as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, that could result in a Material Adverse Change.  Estimates of such reserves and present values as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Industry Guide 2 under the Securities Act.

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(kk)                            Oil and Gas Data.  The information set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus relating to oil and gas reserves, oil and gas ▇▇▇▇▇ and any other oil and gas related information required to be disclosed in such Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus pursuant to the Securities Act has been prepared by the Company in accordance with methods generally applied in the oil and gas industry and conforms, in all material respects, to the requirements of the Securities Act.

(ll)                                                                                  Statistical and Market-Related Data.  The statistical and market-related data included in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such source

The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

Section 2.                                                                  Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.

(a)                                  The Firm Shares.  The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters the Firm Shares upon the terms herein set forth.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A.  The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be $13.775 per share.

(b)                                 The First Closing Date.  Delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Jefferies, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇  (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative) at 9:00 a.m. New York City time, on December 23, 2005, or at such other time and date as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative, which other time and date shall not be later than 1:30 p.m. New York City time, on January 10, 2006 (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”).

(c)                                  The Optional Shares; Option Closing Date.  In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of 900,000 Optional Shares from the

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Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares.  The option granted hereunder is for use by the Underwriters solely in covering any over-allotments in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares.  The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Representative to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement.  Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option, (ii) the names and denominations in which the certificates for the Optional Shares are to be registered and (iii) the time, date and place at which such certificates will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in such case the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares and such Optional Shares).  Such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date” and shall be determined by the Representative and shall not be earlier than three nor later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise.  If any Optional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representative may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.  The Representative may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.

(d)                                 Public Offering of the Offered Shares.  The Representative hereby advises the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Representative, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.

(e)                                  Payment for the Offered Shares.  Payment for the Offered Shares shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.

It is understood that the Representative has been authorized, for its own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase.  Jefferies, individually and not as the Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representative by the First Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for

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the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

(f)                                    Delivery of the Offered Shares.  The Offered Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder shall be represented by one or more definitive global shares in book-entry form which will deposited by or on behalf of the Company with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) or its designated custodian.  The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Firm Shares to the Representative for the accounts of the several Underwriters at the First Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor, by causing DTC to credit the Firm Shares to the account of the Representative at DTC.  The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, to the Representative for the accounts of the several Underwriters, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor, by causing DTC to credit the Optional Shares to the account of the Representative at DTC.  The certificates for the Offered Shares shall be registered in such names and denominations as the Representative shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) at a location in New York City as the Representative may designate.  Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.

Section 3.                                                                  Additional Covenants.

The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

(a)                                  Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus.  The Company shall furnish to you, without charge, one signed copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the second business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 3(e) or 3(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

(b)                                 Representative’s Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements.  During the period beginning on the Applicable Time and ending on the

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later of the First Closing Date or such date as the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Offered Shares by an Underwriter or dealer, including circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (including any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Representative for review a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Representative’s consent, and the Company shall file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

(c)                                  Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company shall furnish to the Representative for review a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and the Company shall not use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus without the Representative’s consent.

(d)                                 Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses.  The Company shall not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

(e)                                  Amendments to Time of Sale Prospectus.  If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company shall forthwith prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

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(f)                                    Securities Act Compliance.  After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representative in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which it is listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes.  If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order as promptly as practicable Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b) under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.  If, after the date of this Agreement, the Company receives notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act from the Commission or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration form, the Company shall promptly advise the Representative in writing of such notice or ineligibility and, if Offered Shares remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will (i) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Offered Shares, (ii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective by the Commission as soon as practicable and (iii) promptly notify the Representative in writing of such effectiveness.

(g)                                 Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters.  If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the law, the Company agrees to promptly prepare (subject to Section 3(a) hereof), file with the Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with the law.  Neither the Representative’s

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consent to, or delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under this Section 3(i).

(h)                                 Blue Sky Compliance.  The Company shall cooperate with the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Representative, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares.  The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation.  The Company will advise the Representative promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof as promptly as practicable.

(i)                                     Use of Proceeds.  The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.

(j)                                     Transfer Agent.  The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.

(k)                                  Earnings Statement.  As soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the date of this Agreement, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representative an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.

(l)                                     Exchange Act Compliance.  During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act in the manner and within the time periods required by the Exchange Act.

(m)                               Listing.  The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the inclusion and quotation of the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq National Market and to maintain the inclusion and quotation of the Shares on the Nasdaq National Market.

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(n)                                 Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares.  During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 90th day following the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of Jefferies (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of Jefferies), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any Shares, options or warrants to acquire Shares or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares); provided, however, that the Company may issue Shares or options to purchase its Shares, or Shares upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and the Company may issue Shares upon conversion of convertible securities outstanding as of the date hereof described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (i) during the last 17 days of the Lock-up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-up Period, then in each case the Lock-up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, except that such extension will not apply if, within three days prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, the Company delivers to Jefferies & Company, Inc. a certificate, signed by the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certifying on behalf of the Company that the Company’s shares of Common Stock are “actively traded securities” (as defined in Regulation M).  The Company will provide the Representative with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the restricted period.

(o)                                 Future Reports to the Representative.  Unless otherwise publicly available, during the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representative at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇: (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission, the NASD or any securities

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exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company mailed generally to holders of its capital stock.

(p)                                 Investment Limitation.  The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

(q)                                 No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M.  The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.

(r)                                    Existing Lock-Up Agreements.  During the Lock-Up period, the Company will enforce all existing agreements between the Company and any of its security holders that prohibit the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation of any of the Company’s securities.  In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such existing “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements, including, without limitation “lock-up” agreements entered into by the Company’s officers and directors pursuant to Section 6(h).

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

Section 4.                                                                  Payment of Expenses.  The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of)

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all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Representative, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the NASD’s review and approval of the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company (and not of the underwriters) relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic roadshow, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the officers and employees of the Company and any such consultants, and fifty percent of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (ix) the fees and expenses associated with including the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq National Market, and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement.  Except as provided in this Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.

Section 5.                                                                  Covenant of the Underwriters.  Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

Section 6.                                                                  Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters.  The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Shares, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

(a)                                  Accountants’ Comfort Letter.  On the date hereof, the Representative shall have received from ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, (i) a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus, and the Prospectus (and the

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Representative shall have received an additional two conformed copies of such accountants’ letter for each of the several Underwriters), and (ii) confirming that they are (A) independent public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and (B) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.

(b)                                 Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from NASD.  For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date:

(i)                                     the Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including final pricing information and any other information previously omitted pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information previously omitted pursuant to Rule 430B;

(ii)                                  the Company shall not have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act objecting to the Company’s use of the automatic shelf registration form;

(iii)                               no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and

(iv)                              the NASD shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(c)                                  No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change.  For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date:

(i)                                     in the judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and

(ii)                                  there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its

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subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.

(d)                                 Opinion of Counsel for the Company.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representative shall have received the opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A (and the Representative shall have received an additional two conformed copies of such counsel’s legal opinion for each of the several Underwriters).

(e)                                  Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representative shall have received the opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇ Day, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date.

(f)                                    Officers’ Certificate.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representative shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect set forth in subsections (b)(ii) and (iii) of this Section 6, and further to the effect that:

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

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

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

(g)                                 Bring-down Comfort Letter.  On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representative shall have received from ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 6, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be

25

(and the Representative shall have received an additional two conformed copies of such accountants’ letter for each of the several Underwriters).

(h)                                 Lock-Up Agreements from Certain Securityholders of the Company.  On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative an agreement in the form of Exhibit B hereto from each director and officer of the Company, and such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

(i)                                     Additional Documents.  On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section  9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

Section 7.                                                                  Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses.  If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 6, Section 8, Section 11 or Section 12, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof (other than the failure of any of the conditions herein to be satisfied as a result of the breach by the Underwriters of their representations or agreements hereunder), the Company agrees to reimburse the Representative and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representative and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including but not limited to reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11 hereof by reason of the default of one or more Underwriters, the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter on account of those expenses.

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Section 8.                                                                  Effectiveness of this Agreement.  This Agreement shall not become effective until execution of this Agreement by both parties hereto.

Section 9.                                                                  Indemnification.

(a)                                  Indemnification of the Underwriters.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Jefferies) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representative to the Company consists of the information described in subsection (b) below.  The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

27

(b)                                 Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representative expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action.  The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth in the table in the first paragraph and as set forth in the third, tenth and fourteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

(c)                                  Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures.  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in

28

respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 9, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 9 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure.  In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties.  Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party, representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

(d)                                 Settlements.  The indemnifying party under this Section 9 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying

29

party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 9(c) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding.

Section 10.                                                           Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in Section 9 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover.  The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred

30

by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim.  The provisions set forth in Section 9(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(c) for purposes of indemnification.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 10.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A.  For purposes of this Section 10, each officer and employee of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

Section 11.                                                           Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters.  If, on the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, the Representative may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representative with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares and the aggregate number of Offered Shares with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative and the Company for the

31

purchase of such Offered Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.  In any such case either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11.  Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

Section 12.                                                           Termination of this Agreement.  Prior to the First Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice given to the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Nasdaq National Market, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the NASD; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, New York or California authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representative is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representative there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Representative may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured.  Any termination pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to any Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representative and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 7 hereof, (b) any Underwriter to the Company, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

Section 13.                                                           Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of

32

and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

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

If to the Representative:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile:  (▇▇▇)  ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇ 
Attention:  General Counsel

with a copy to:
▇▇▇▇▇ Day
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Facsimile:  (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.

If to the Company:
▇▇▇▇▇▇ Resources, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇:  (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention:  ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.

with a copy to:
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ LLP
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇  ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention:  ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.

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

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Section 15.                                                           Successors.  This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 11 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 and Section 10, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.  The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

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

Section 17.                                                           Governing Law Provisions.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state.  Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding.  Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court.  The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

Section 18.                                                           General Provisions.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.  This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.  The Table of Contents and the Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

34

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions.  Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 9 and 10 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

35

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

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

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & COMPANY, INC.

Acting as Representative of the

several Underwriters named in

the attached Schedule A.

36

SCHEDULE A

SCHEDULE B

Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Time of Sale Prospectus

None.

SCHEDULE C

Price to public:  $14.50 per share

Underwriting discounts and commissions:             $0.725 per share

Net proceeds to the Company, after estimated expenses:  $82.4 million in total ($94.8 million in total if over-allotment option is exercised in full)

Closing date:                        December 23, 2005

EXHIBIT A

The final opinion in draft form should be attached as Exhibit A at the time this Agreement is executed.

Opinion of counsel for the Company to be delivered pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Underwriting Agreement.

References to the Prospectus in this Exhibit A include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

(i)                                     The Company is a corporation duly incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland, with corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement.

(ii)                                  The Company is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland, and is qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in each jurisdiction listed on Exhibit A attached to such opinion (in rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that its opinion that the Company is qualified to do business is based solely upon certificates provided by agencies of those states and is limited to the meaning ascribed to such certificates by such applicable state agency).

(iii)                               Each subsidiary of the Company is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, duly incorporated or organized under the laws of the state of its incorporation or organization, with power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(iv)                              Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or formed, as applicable, and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its incorporation or organization, applicable, and is qualified to do business as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing in each jurisdiction listed on Exhibit B attached to such opinion (in rendering such opinion, such counsel may state that its opinion that the subsidiary is qualified to do business is based solely upon certificates provided by agencies of those states and is limited to the meaning ascribed to such certificates by such applicable state agency).

(v)                                 Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any property or assets to the Company or to any other subsidiary.

(vi)                              All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each subsidiary of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and all of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of such subsidiaries were owned of record on that date by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries.

(vii)                           The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company (including the Shares) conforms to the descriptions thereof set forth or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.  All of the outstanding Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable.  The form of certificate used to evidence the Shares is in due and proper form and complies with all applicable requirements of the charter and by-laws of the Company and the Maryland General Corporation Law.

(viii)                        No stockholder of the Company or any other person has any preemptive right, right of first refusal or other similar right to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company arising (i) by operation of the charter or by-laws of the Company or the Maryland General Corporation Law or (ii) to the best knowledge of such counsel, otherwise.

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

(x)                                   The Offered Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

(xi)                                The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405, that became effective on December 2, 2005.  To the best knowledge of such counsel, the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act objecting to the Company’s use of the automatic shelf registration form.  To the best knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.  Any required filing of the Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required by such Rule 424(b).

(xii)                             Each document filed pursuant to the Exchange Act (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein, as to which no opinion need be rendered) and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus complied when so filed as to form in all material respects with the Exchange Act.

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(xii)                             The Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(xiii)                          The statements (i) in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock” and “Underwriting,” (ii) in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 under the caption “Business — Regulations” and (iii) in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2005, June 30, 2005 and September 30, 2005 under the caption “Legal Proceedings”, insofar as such statements purport to describe certain provisions of the agreements, statutes or regulations or the subject legal proceedings referred to therein, are accurate descriptions or summaries in all material respects.

(xiv)                         There are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge, threatened which are required to be disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, other than those disclosed therein.

(xv)                            There are no Existing Instruments required to be described or referred to in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement other than those described or referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto; and the descriptions thereof and references thereto are accurate in all material respects.

(xvi)                         There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

(xvii)                      The execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement by the Company, the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder (other than performance by the Company of its obligations under the indemnification section of the Underwriting Agreement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) and the issuance and sale of the offered securities (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company; (ii) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or operating agreement or similar organizational document of the Company or any subsidiary, as applicable; (iii) will not constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to any material Existing Instrument known to such counsel; (iv) will not result in any violation of any federal or Maryland or New York law or, to the best knowledge of such counsel any administrative regulation or administrative or court decree, applicable to the Company; or (v) will not require any consents, approvals or authorizations to be obtained by the Company, or any registrations, declarations or filings to be made by the Company, in each case, under any federal or Maryland or New York

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statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company that have not been obtained or made, except, with solely with respect to clause (iii), for such breaches, Defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.

(xviii)                   No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws.

(xix)                           To the best of such counsel’s knowledge, none of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter, by-laws, operating agreement or similar organizational document, as applicable, or in Default under any Existing Instrument, except for such violation or Default as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.

(xx)                              The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act.

In addition, such counsel shall state that they have participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company and representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and any supplements or amendments thereto, and related matters were discussed and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (except as and to the extent set forth in paragraph (xiii) above), nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that causes such counsel to believe that (1) the Registration Statement (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) at its effective date and at any deemed new effective date under Rule 430B(f) under the Securities Act occurring prior to the date of such opinion contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (2) the Time of Sale Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) as of the Applicable Time contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (3) the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) as of its date and as of the Closing Date contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading

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In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than Maryland or New York or the federal law of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion (which shall be dated the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters, shall expressly state that the Underwriters may rely on such opinion as if it were addressed to them and shall be furnished to the Representative) of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; provided, however, that such counsel shall further state that they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinion of other counsel, and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials.

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EXHIBIT B

December      , 2005

Jefferies & Company, Inc.

As Representative of the several

Underwriters named in Schedule I

to the Underwriting Agreement

c/o Jefferies & Company, Inc.

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

RE: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Resources, Inc. (the “Company”)

Ladies & Gentlemen:

The undersigned is an owner of record or beneficially of certain shares of common stock, par value $.0001 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock.  The Company proposes to carry out a public offering of Common Stock (the “Offering”) for which you will act as the representative of the underwriters.  The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will be of benefit to the undersigned and will benefit the Company by, among other things, raising additional capital for its operations.  The undersigned acknowledges that you and the other underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter agreement in carrying out the Offering and in entering into underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.

In consideration of the foregoing, the undersigned hereby agrees that the undersigned will not, (and will cause any spouse or immediate family member of the spouse or the undersigned living in the undersigned’s household not to), without the prior written consent of Jefferies & Company, Inc. (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including without limitation any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire shares of Common Stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) by the undersigned (or such spouse or family member), or publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing, for a period commencing on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement relating to the Offering to which the Company is a party) (the “Lock-up Period”); provided, that if (i) during the last 17 days of the Lock-up Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-up Period, then in each case the Lock-up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless Jefferies & Company, Inc. waives, in

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writing, such extension, except that such extension will not apply if, within three days prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, the Company delivers to Jefferies & Company, Inc. a certificate, signed by the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certifying on behalf of the Company that the Company’s shares of Common Stock are “actively traded securities” (as defined in Regulation M); provided, further, that the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to the transfer of any or all of the shares of Common Stock owned by the undersigned, either during his lifetime or on death, by gift, will or intestate succession to the immediate family of the undersigned or to a trust the beneficiaries of which are exclusively the undersigned and/or a member or members of his immediate family; provided, however, that in any such case it shall be a condition to such transfer that the transferee executes and delivers to Jefferies & Company, Inc. an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the shares of Common Stock subject to the provisions of this letter agreement, and there shall be no further transfer of such shares of Common Stock except in accordance with this letter.   The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that written notice of any extension of the Lock-up Period pursuant to the preceding sentence will be delivered by Jefferies & Company, Inc. to the Company and that any such notice properly delivered will be deemed to have given to, and received by, the undersigned.

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock held by the undersigned except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of any shares of Common Stock owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.

If for any reason the Underwriting Agreement is terminated prior to the First Closing Date (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) pursuant to the provisions thereof, then the agreements set forth herein shall likewise be terminated.

This agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the respective successors, heirs, personal representatives, and assigns of the undersigned.

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