STORAGENETWORKS INC
S-1/A, EX-1.1, 2000-11-02
BUSINESS SERVICES, NEC
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                                                                     Exhibit 1.1
                                                                     -----------
                             StorageNetworks, Inc.

                                  Common Stock

                             Underwriting Agreement
                             ----------------------


                                                              November ___, 2000


Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Chase Securities Inc.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
Thomas Weisel Partners LLC
  As representatives of the several Underwriters
   named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York  10004

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     StorageNetworks, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes,
subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of
5,502,726 shares, and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to 1,350,000
additional shares, of Common Stock, $.01 par value ("Stock"), of the Company;
and the stockholders of the Company named in Schedule II hereto (the "Selling
Stockholders") propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to
sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 3,497,274 shares of Stock.  The
aggregate of 9,000,000 shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders is herein called the "Firm Shares" and the 1,350,000 additional
shares to be sold by the Company is herein called the "Optional Shares".  The
Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase
pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the "Shares".

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

       (i) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-48530) (the
"Initial Registration Statement") in respect of the Shares has been filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); the Initial
Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the
form heretofore delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits thereto, to you for
each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission
in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size
of the offering (a "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), filed pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), which became
effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial
Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement,
any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,
if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or
threatened by
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the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration
Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and
regulations of the Commission under the Act is hereinafter called a "Preliminary
Prospectus"; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the
Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and
including the information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section
5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of the
Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective, each as
amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became
effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became
or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called the
"Registration Statement"; and such final prospectus, in the form first filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the "Prospectus";

       (ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus,
at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty
shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of the representatives
expressly for use therein or by a Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the
preparation of the answers therein to Items 7 and 11(l) of Form S-1;

       (iii) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any
further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will
not, as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement and
any amendment thereto, and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus
and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that
this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions
made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to
the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of the
representatives expressly for use therein or by a Selling Stockholder expressly
for use in the preparation of the answers therein to Items 7 and 11(l) of Form
S-1;

       (iv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since
the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Prospectus
any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood
or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor
dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of
which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any
development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the
general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders' equity or results
of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Prospectus;

                                      -2-
<PAGE>

       (v) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in
fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal
property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances
and defects except such as are described in the Prospectus or such as do not
materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use
made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its
subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the
Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere
with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the
Company and its subsidiaries;

       (vi) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of Delaware, with power and
authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business
as described in the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign
corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the
laws of each other jurisdiction in which the failure to be in good standing
would have a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated
financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company
and its subsidiaries (a "Material Adverse Effect"); and each subsidiary of the
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation;

       (vii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have
been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable
and conform to the description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus; and all
of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have
been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable
and (except for directors' qualifying shares) are owned directly or indirectly
by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

       (viii) The unissued Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the
Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued
and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and
validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the
description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus;

       (ix) The issue and sale of the Shares by the Company and the compliance
by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation
of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a
breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a
party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which
any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
subject, other than conflicts, breaches or violations that would not reasonably
be likely to have a Material Adverse Effect and would not adversely affect the
validity of the Shares, nor will such action result in any violation of the
provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any
statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or
body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of
their properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration
or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is
required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company
of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration
under the Act of the Shares and such consents, approvals, authorizations,
registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or
Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by
the Underwriters;

                                      -3-
<PAGE>

       (x) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of
its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or in default in the performance or
observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition
contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or
other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of
its properties may be bound;

       (xi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of Capital Stock," insofar as they purport to constitute a summary
of the terms of the Stock and under the caption "Underwriting," insofar as they
purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to
therein, are accurate, complete and fair;

       (xii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse
Effect; and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are
threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

       (xiii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
sale of the Shares, will not be an "investment company," as such term is defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company
Act");

       (xiv) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company and its
subsidiaries own or have the right to use pursuant to license, sublicense,
agreement, or permission all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service
marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, confidential information,
proprietary rights and processes ("Intellectual Property") necessary for the
operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as described in
the Prospectus and have taken all steps reasonably necessary to secure
assignments of such Intellectual Property from its employees and contractors; to
the Company's knowledge, none of the technology employed by the Company or its
subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its
subsidiaries in violation of any contractual or fiduciary obligation binding on
the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their respective directors or executive
officers or any of their respective employees or consultants; and the Company
and its subsidiaries have taken and will maintain reasonable measures to prevent
the unauthorized dissemination or publication of its confidential information.

       (xv) To the Company's knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries have interfered with, infringed upon, or misappropriated any
Intellectual Property rights of third parties in a manner which would have a
Material Adverse Effect, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received
any charge, complaint, claim, demand, or notice alleging any such interference,
infringement, misappropriation, or violation (including any claim that the
Company or any of its subsidiaries must license or refrain from using any
intellectual property rights of any third party) which, if the subject of any
unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Material Adverse Effect; and

       (xvi) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements
of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants as
required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

       (b) Each of the Selling Stockholders severally represents and warrants
to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters and the Company that:

                                      -4-
<PAGE>

       (i) Such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and delivered a Power of
Attorney and a Custody Agreement and such agreements constitute valid and
binding agreements of such Selling Stockholder in accordance with their terms.

       (ii) All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the
execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and the
Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement hereinafter referred to, and for the
sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling Stockholder has full right,
power and authority to enter into this Agreement, the Power-of-Attorney and the
Custody Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be
sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder;

       (iii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder and the compliance by such Selling Stockholder with all of the
provisions of this Agreement, the Power of Attorney and the Custody Agreement
and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will
not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute, indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which such
Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or
to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject,
nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the
Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws, Partnership Agreement, Limited
Liability Company Agreement or similar governing instrument, as applicable, of
such Selling Stockholder or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any
court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling
Stockholder or the property of such Selling Stockholder;

       (iv) Such Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to the each Time
of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) such Selling Stockholder will have,
good and valid title to the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; and,
upon delivery of such Shares and payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and
valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities
or claims and any restrictions on transfer imposed by the Company, will pass to
the several Underwriters;

       (v) Such Selling Stockholder has entered into a binding agreement with
you in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A;

       (vi) Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly
or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which
might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation
of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of
the Shares;

       (vii) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder
expressly for use therein, such Preliminary Prospectus and the Registration
Statement did, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they become effective or are
filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

                                      -5-
<PAGE>

       (viii) In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the
reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility
Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling
Stockholder will deliver to you prior to or at the First Time of Delivery (as
hereinafter defined) a properly completed and executed United States Treasury
Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury
Department regulations in lieu thereof);

       (ix) Certificates in negotiable form representing, or stock option
agreements currently exercisable for, all of the Shares to be sold by such
Selling Stockholder hereunder have been placed in custody under a Custody
Agreement, in the form heretofore furnished to you (the "Custody Agreement"),
duly executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder to American Stock
Transfer & Trust Company, as custodian (the "Custodian"), and such Selling
Stockholder has duly executed and delivered a Power of Attorney, in the form
heretofore furnished to you (the "Power of Attorney"), appointing the persons
indicated in Schedule II hereto, and each of them, as such Selling Stockholder's
attorneys-in-fact (the "Attorneys-in-Fact") with authority to execute and
deliver this Agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, to determine the
purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters to the Selling Stockholders as
provided in Section 2 hereof, to authorize the delivery of the Shares to be sold
by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and otherwise to act on behalf of such
Selling Stockholder in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement and the Custody Agreement; and

       (x) The Shares represented by the certificates and stock option
agreements held in custody for such Selling Stockholder under the Custody
Agreement are subject to the interests of the Underwriters hereunder; the
arrangements made by such Selling Stockholder for such custody, and the
appointment by such Selling Stockholder of the Attorneys-in-Fact by the Power of
Attorney, are to that extent irrevocable; the obligations of the Selling
Stockholders hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by
the death or incapacity of any individual Selling Stockholder or, in the case of
an estate or trust, by the death or incapacity of any executor or trustee or the
termination of such estate or trust, or in the case of a partnership or
corporation, by the dissolution of such partnership or corporation, or by the
occurrence of any other event; if any individual Selling Stockholder or any such
executor or trustee should die or become incapacitated, or if any such estate or
trust should be terminated, or if any such partnership or corporation should be
dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before the delivery of the
Shares hereunder, certificates or stock option agreements representing the
Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholders in
accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and of the Custody
Agreements; and actions taken by the Attorneys-in-Fact pursuant to the Powers of
Attorney shall be as valid as if such death, incapacity, termination,
dissolution or other event had not occurred, regardless of whether or not the
Custodian, the Attorneys-in-Fact, or any of them, shall have received notice of
such death, incapacity, termination, dissolution or other event.

    2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company and
each of the Selling Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to
each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not
jointly, to purchase from the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, at a
purchase price per share of $____, the number of Firm Shares (to be adjusted by
you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the
aggregate number of Shares to be sold by the Company and each of the Selling
Stockholders as set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II hereto
by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to
be purchased by such Underwriter set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter
in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of
Firm Shares to be purchased by all of the Underwriters from the Company and all
of the Selling Stockholders hereunder

                                      -6-
<PAGE>

and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the
election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company agrees to
sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally
and not jointly, to purchase from the Company at the purchase price per share
set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of
Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be
adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying
such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the
maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase
as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the
denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the
Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

     The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at
their election up to 1,350,000 Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share
set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of
shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares.  Any such election to purchase
Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Company,
given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement,
setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the
date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you but
in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4
hereof) or, unless you and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than
two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

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

     4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in
definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such
names as Goldman, Sachs & Co. may request upon at least forty-eight hours' prior
notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be delivered by or on
behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholders to Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") for the account
of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the
purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the
account specified by the Company and the Custodian, as their interests may
appear, to Goldman, Sachs & Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance. The
Company will cause the certificates representing the Shares to be made available
for checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of
Delivery (as defined below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its
designated custodian (the "Designated Office"). The time and date of such
delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New
York City time, on __________, 2000 or such other time and date as Goldman,
Sachs & Co., the Company and the Selling Stockholders may agree upon in writing,
and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date
specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the written notice given by Goldman, Sachs
& Co. of the Underwriters' election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such
other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in
writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the
"First Time of Delivery", such time and date for delivery of the Optional
Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the "Second Time of
Delivery," and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a "Time of
Delivery."

     (b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf
of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross receipt
for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters
pursuant to Section 7 hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Hale and Dorr,
LLP, 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 (the "Closing Location"), and
the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of
Delivery.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 2:00 p.m., New York
City time, on the New York Business Day next

                                      -7-
<PAGE>

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

    5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

       (a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such
Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission's
close of business on the second business day following the execution and
delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be
required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any
supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus which shall be
disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you,
promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the
Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to
the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with
copies thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the
issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus, of the
suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any
jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such
purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing
of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; and,
in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any
such qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of
such order;

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

       (c) Prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the New York Business Day
next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the
Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York
City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a
prospectus is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after
the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of
the Shares and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of
which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if
for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or
supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, to notify you and
upon your request to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and
to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may
from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to
the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such
compliance, and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in
connection with sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after
the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of
such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and
electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus
complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

                                      -8-
<PAGE>

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

       (e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to
and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to offer,
sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder,
any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares,
including but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or
exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such
substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to stock option or stock
purchase plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or
exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement and filed
with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement), without your
prior written consent; provided, that the Company may issue shares in exchange
for all of the equity or substantially all of the equity or assets of a company
in connection with a merger or acquisition by the Company, so long as prior to
any such issuance the recipients of such shares shall have agreed with Goldman,
Sachs & Co. in writing to be bound by the terms of the lock-up agreement in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit A for a period of 90 days after the date of the
Prospectus;

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

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

       (h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares
pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Prospectus under the
caption "Use of Proceeds";

       (i) To use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on the
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations National Market
System ("NASDAQ");

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

       (k) Upon request of any Underwriter to furnish, or cause to be furnished,
to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company's trademarks,
servicemarks and corporate logo for

                                      -9-
<PAGE>

use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of
facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the "License"); provided,
however, that the license shall be used solely for the purpose described above,
is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.

       6. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders covenant and agree
with one another and with the several Underwriters that (a) the Company will pay
or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of
the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the
Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation,
printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus
and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and
delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of
printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue
Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any
other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of
the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the
Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section
5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the
Blue Sky survey (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares
on the NASDAQ; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements
of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, securing any required review
by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale
of the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the cost and
charges of any transfer agent or registrar; (viii) all other costs and expenses
incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section and (ix) the Selling Stockholders'
fees and expenses of the Attorneys-in-Fact and the Custodian; and (b) such
Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid (in accordance with any
agreement with the Company or otherwise) all costs and expenses incident to the
performance of such Selling Stockholder's obligations hereunder which are not
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section including (i) any fees and
expenses of counsel for such Selling Stockholders; and (ii) all expenses and
taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling
Stockholders to the Underwriters hereunder. In connection with clause (b) of the
preceding sentence, Goldman, Sachs & Co. agrees to pay the New York State stock
transfer tax and the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse Goldman, Sachs &
Co. for associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not rebated on the day
of payment and for any portion of such tax payment not rebated. It is
understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8
and 10 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses,
including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of
the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they
may make.

       7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be
delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to
the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of
the Company and of the Selling Stockholders herein are, at and as of such Time
of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore
to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

          (a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant
to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by
the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a)
hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington,
D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been
issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or
threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional

                                      -10-
<PAGE>

information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your
reasonable satisfaction;

          (b) Ropes & Gray, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished
to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, with
respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (ii), (vi), (ix) and (xi) of
subsection (c) below as well as such other related matters as you may reasonably
request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as
they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

          (c) Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished
to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance
satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

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

             (ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in
       the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
       Company (including the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery)
       have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and
       non-assessable; and the Shares conform to the description of the Stock
       contained in the Prospectus;

             (iii) The Company has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation
       for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of
       the states of California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland,
       Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas,
       Virginia and Washington, which are, to our knowledge, all of the states
       in which the Company owns or leases real property (such counsel being
       entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions
       of local counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of
       officers of the Company, provided that such counsel shall state that they
       believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such
       opinions and certificates);

             (iv) Each domestic subsidiary of the Company has been duly
       incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
       under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation; and all of the
       issued shares of capital stock of each such subsidiary have been duly and
       validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and, to
       our knowledge, are owned of record (except for directors' qualifying
       shares) beneficially by the Company, free and clear of all liens,
       encumbrances, equities or claims (such counsel being entitled to rely in
       respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and
       in respect to matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the
       Company or its subsidiaries, provided that such counsel shall state that
       they believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such
       opinions and certificates);

             (v) To such counsel's knowledge and other than as set forth in the
       Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to
       which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any
       property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which
       would be reasonably expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a
       Material Adverse Effect; and, to such counsel's knowledge, no such
       proceedings are threatened by governmental authorities or threatened by
       others;

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

                                      -11-
<PAGE>

             (vii) The issue and sale of the Shares being delivered at such Time
       of Delivery to be sold by the Company and the compliance by the Company
       with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the
       transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a
       breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a
       default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or
       other agreement or instrument filed with the Commission as an exhibit to
       the Registration Statement, nor will such action result in any violation
       of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the
       Company, or any statute, or any order specifically naming the Company, or
       any rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental
       agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its
       subsidiaries or any of their properties;

             (viii) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
       qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is
       required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the
       Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the
       registration under the Act of the Shares, and such consents, approvals,
       authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under
       state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and
       distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

             (ix) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
       "Description of Capital Stock," insofar as they purport to constitute a
       summary of the terms of the Stock and under the caption "Underwriting,"
       insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and
       documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all
       material respects;

             (x) The Company is not an "investment company," as such term is
       defined in the Investment Company Act;

             (xi) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any further
       amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior to such Time
       of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules
       therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to
       form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the
       rules and regulations thereunder; such counsel's opinion shall also state
       that, although they do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy,
       completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration
       Statement or the Prospectus, except for those referred to in the opinion
       in subsection (ix) of this section 7(c), nothing has come to the
       attention of such counsel leading it to believe that, as of its effective
       date, the Registration Statement or any further amendment thereto made by
       the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
       statements and related schedules and other financial data contained
       therein, as to which such counsel need express no belief) contained an
       untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
       required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
       not misleading or that, as of its date, the Prospectus or any further
       amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of
       Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules and
       other financial data contained therein, as to which such counsel need
       express no belief) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or
       omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
       therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made,
       not misleading or that, as of such Time of Delivery, the Prospectus or
       any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to
       such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related
       schedules and other financial data contained therein, as to which such
       counsel need express no belief) contains an untrue statement of a
       material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the
       statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
       were made, not misleading; and they do not know of any amendment to the
       Registration Statement required to be filed or of any contracts or other
       documents of a character required

                                      -12-
<PAGE>

       to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be
       described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which are not
       filed or described as required;

           (d) Dean J. Breda, general counsel for the Company, shall have
furnished to you his written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and
substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that the issue and sale of the
Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery by the Company and the
compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or
result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, except to the extent that any
such conflicts, breaches or violations would not reasonably be likely to have a
Material Adverse Effect and would not adversely affect the validity of the
Shares;

           (e) The respective counsel for each of the Selling Stockholders
identified as a "Principal Seller" in Schedule II hereto, each shall have
furnished to you their written opinion with respect to each of the Selling
Stockholders for whom they are acting as counsel dated the First Time of
Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

             (i) A Power-of-Attorney and a Custody Agreement have been duly
       executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and constitute valid
       and binding agreements of such Selling Stockholder in accordance with
       their terms;

             (ii) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by or on
       behalf of such Selling Stockholder; and the sale of the Shares to be sold
       by such Selling Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by such Selling
       Stockholder with all of the provisions of this Agreement, the Power-of-
       Attorney and the Custody Agreement and the consummation of the
       transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or
       result in a breach or violation of any terms or provisions of, or
       constitute a default under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of
       trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such
       counsel to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such
       Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of
       such Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such action result in any
       violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-
       laws, Partnership Agreement, Limited Liability Agreement or similar
       governing instrument, as applicable, of such Selling Stockholder or any
       order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or
       governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling
       Stockholder or the property of such Selling Stockholder;

             (iii) To such counsel's knowledge, no consent, approval,
       authorization or order of any court or governmental agency or body is
       required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
       Agreement in connection with the Shares to be sold by such Selling
       Stockholder hereunder, except such as have been obtained under the Act
       and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
       connection with the purchase and distribution of such Shares by the
       Underwriters;

             (iv) To such counsel's knowledge, immediately prior to the First
       Time of Delivery, such Selling Stockholder had good and valid title to
       the Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery by such Selling
       Stockholder under this Agreement, free and clear of all liens,
       encumbrances, equities or claims, and full right, power and authority to
       sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling
       Stockholder hereunder; and

                                      -13-
<PAGE>

             (v) Upon the Underwriters obtaining control of the Shares to be
       sold by such Selling Stockholder and assuming the Underwriters purchased
       such Shares for value and without notice of any adverse claim to such
       Shares within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the Uniform Commercial Code
       as in effect in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Underwriters will
       have acquired all rights of such Selling Stockholders in such Shares free
       of any adverse claim and, based solely on an examination of the
       certificate(s) representing the Shares and representations made by such
       Selling Stockholders, any restrictions on transfer imposed by the
       Company.

In rendering the opinion in paragraph (iv), such counsel may rely upon a
certificate of such Selling Stockholder in respect of matters of fact as to
ownership of, and liens, encumbrances, equities or claims on, the Shares sold by
such Selling Stockholder, provided that such counsel shall state that they
believe that both you and they are justified in relying upon such certificate;

           (f) Hale and Dorr LLP, as special counsel for each of the Selling
Stockholders other than the Principal Sellers, shall have furnished to you their
written opinion, dated the First Time of Delivery, in form and substance
satisfactory to you, to the effect that, upon the Underwriters obtaining control
of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholders and assuming the
Underwriters purchased such Shares for value and without notice of any adverse
claim to such Shares within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the Uniform
Commercial Code as in effect in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the
Underwriters will have acquired all rights of the Selling Stockholders in such
Shares free of any adverse claim and, based solely on an examination of the
certificate(s) representing the Shares and representations made by such Selling
Stockholders, any restrictions on transfer imposed by the Company.

           (g) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of
this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the
date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, Ernst & Young LLP
shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of
delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set
forth in Annex I hereto;

           (h) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in
the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion,
flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor
dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as
of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not have been any
change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change,
in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position,
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, the
effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the
judgment of the Representatives so material and adverse as to make it
impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery
of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

           (i) If the Company has outstanding debt securities rated by any
"nationally recognized statistical rating organization", as that term is defined
by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, (i) no
downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded such debt securities, and
(ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under
surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any
of the Company's debt securities;

                                      -14-
<PAGE>

           (j) On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of
the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities
generally on the New York Stock Exchange or on NASDAQ; (ii) a suspension or
material limitation in trading in the Company's securities on NASDAQ; (iii) a
general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal
or New York or Massachusetts State authorities; or (iv) the outbreak or
escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the
United States of a national emergency or war, if the effect of any such event
specified in this clause (iv) in the judgment of the Representatives makes it
impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery
of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

           (k) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been
duly listed for quotation on NASDAQ;

           (l) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
executed copies of an agreement from each of the directors, executive officers
and Selling Stockholders in form and substance previously agreed to by you and
attached hereto as Exhibit A;

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

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

       8. (a) The Company and Paul C. Flanagan (the "Selling Executive"),
jointly and severally, will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such
Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are
incurred; provided, however, that the Company and such Selling Executive shall
not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage
or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment
or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. on
behalf of the representatives expressly for use therein; and provided, further,
that the liability of the Selling Executive shall not exceed the product of the
number of Shares sold by such Selling Executive and the public offering price of
the Shares as set forth in the Prospectus.

     (b) Each of the Selling Stockholders other than the Selling Executives will
severally indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint

                                      -15-
<PAGE>

or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in
respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement
thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to
the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon
and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such
Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein; and will reimburse each
Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such
Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or
claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that such Selling
Stockholder shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such
loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any
such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs &
Co. expressly for use therein; and provided, further, that the liability of a
Selling Stockholder shall not exceed the product of the number of Shares sold by
such Selling Stockholder and the public offering price of the Shares as set
forth in the Prospectus.

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

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

                                      -16-
<PAGE>

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

     (e) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable to
or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b)
or (c) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party
shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a
result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits
received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares.  If, however, the
allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by
applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required
under subsection (d) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to
such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative
fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which
resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative
benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion
as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received
by the Company and the Selling Stockholders bear to the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set
forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.  The relative fault
shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission
to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the
Selling Stockholders on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The Company, each of the Selling
Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable
if contributions pursuant to this subsection (e) were determined by pro rata
allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (e).  The amount
paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this
subsection (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending
any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection
(e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the
amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and
distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any
damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of
such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No
person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section
11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not
guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters' obligations in
this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective
underwriting obligations and not joint.

     (f) The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under this
Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the
respective Selling Stockholders may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the
same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter
within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under

                                      -17-
<PAGE>

this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective
Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and
conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if
any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of
the Act.

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

     (b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and
the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate
number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of
the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery,
then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to require
each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of shares which such
Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in
addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata
share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase
hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for
which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.


     (c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and
the Selling Stockholders as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate
number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the
aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or
if the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not exercise the right
described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to
purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement
(or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Optional Shares) shall
thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter or the Company or the Selling Stockholders, except for the expenses
to be borne by the Company and the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters as
provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in
Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from
liability for its default.

        10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the several
Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect,
regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof)
made

                                      -18-
<PAGE>

by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter,
or the Company, or any of the Selling Stockholders or any officer or director or
controlling person of the Company, or any controlling person of any Selling
Stockholder and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

     Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the indemnity agreement of
the Company in subsection (a) of Section 8 hereof, the representations and
warranties in subsections (a)(ii) and (a)(iii) of Section 1 hereof and any
representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus contained in any certificate furnished by the Company pursuant to
Section 7 hereof, insofar as they may constitute a basis for indemnification for
liabilities (other than payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid in
the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) arising under the Act,
shall not extend to the extent of any interest therein of a controlling person
or partner of an Underwriter who is a director, officer or controlling person of
the Company when the Registration Statement has become effective, except in each
case to the extent that an interest of such character shall have been determined
by a court of appropriate jurisdiction as not against public policy as expressed
in the Act.  Unless in the opinion of counsel for the Company the matter has
been settled by controlling precedent, the Company will, if a claim for such
indemnification is asserted, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the
question of whether such interest is against public policy as expressed in the
Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

     The Selling Executive's liability under Section 8(a) shall not include
reimbursement of any Underwriter's legal or other expenses incurred by such
Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any claim or action
that becomes an Unsuccessful Claim (as defined below).  An "Unsuccessful Claim"
means any action or claim in which such Underwriter becomes involved that does
not result in a settlement or compromise with, or judgment, decree or order in
favor of, the party or parties initiating such claim or action.

        11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders shall then be under any
liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but,
if for any other reason, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided herein, the Company will
reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved
in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably
incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and
delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Company and the Selling
Stockholders shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter with
respect to the Shares not so delivered except as provided in Sections 6 and 8
hereof.

        12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of you as the
representatives; and in all dealings with any Selling Stockholder hereunder, you
and the Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request,
notice or agreement on behalf of such Selling Stockholder made or given by any
or all of the Attorneys in Fact for such Selling Stockholder.

     All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Goldman, Sachs &
Co., 1 Liberty Plaza, 7th Floor, New York, New York  10005, Attention:
Registration Department, Don Hansen; if to any Selling Stockholder shall be
delivered or sent by mail, telex, or facsimile transmission to counsel for such
Selling Stockholder at its address set forth in Schedule II hereto and if to the
Company shall be delivered or sent by mail to the

                                      -19-
<PAGE>

address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention:
Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to
Section 8(d) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters'
Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be
supplied to the Company or the Selling Stockholders by you upon request. Any
such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt
thereof.

           13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the
benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders and, to
the extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of
the Company and each person who controls the Company, any Selling Stockholder or
any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators,
successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any
Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such
purchase.

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

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

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



                            (continued on next page)

                                      -20-
<PAGE>

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


                                    Very truly yours,

                                    StorageNetworks, Inc.



                                    By:__________________________
                                      Name:  Paul C. Flanagan
                                      Title: CFO



                                    The Selling Stockholders listed on
                                    Schedule II



                                    By:__________________________
                                      Name:
                                      Title:
                                      As Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of
                                      each of the Selling Stockholders named in
                                      Schedule II to this Agreement

Accepted as of the date hereof:

Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Chase Securities Inc.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
Thomas Weisel Partners LLC


By: _________________________
   (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)

  On behalf of each of the Underwriters

                                      -21-
<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE I




<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                          NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
                                                                                             SHARES TO BE
                                                                 TOTAL NUMBER OF             PURCHASED IF
                                                                   FIRM SHARES              MAXIMUM OPTION
                        UNDERWRITER                              TO BE PURCHASED               EXERCISED
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<S>                                                          <C>                      <C>
Goldman, Sachs & Co........................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chase Securities Inc.......................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Salomon Smith Barney Inc...................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Weisel Partners LLC.................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Others]...................................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Total...............................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                                      -22-


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