CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS INC
8-K, 1998-10-13
PREPACKAGED SOFTWARE
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D. C. 20549

                                 ---------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

      Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 30, 1998

                          CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                    DELAWARE
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

      1-10606                                          77-0148231
(Commission File No.)                       (IRS Employer Identification No.)

                 2655 SEELY ROAD, BUILDING 5, SAN JOSE, CA 95134
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (408) 943-1234

                                 ---------------

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Item 2.  ACQUISITION OR DISPOSITION OF ASSETS.

         On September 30, 1998, Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a Delaware 
corporation (the "Registrant"), acquired all of the outstanding capital stock 
of Ambit Design Systems, Inc., a California corporation ("Ambit"), in 
exchange for $260 million in cash from the Registrant's working capital (the 
"Acquisition"). A portion of the funds used to finance the Acquisition may 
derive from the Registrant's credit facility governed by that certain Credit 
Agreement, dated as of September 29, 1998, by and among the Registrant, ABN 
AMRO Bank N.V., as agent, and certain banks described therein. The 
Acquisition was effected by means of a reverse triangular merger pursuant to 
which a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant merged with and into Ambit, 
with Ambit as the surviving company. As a result of such merger, Ambit became 
a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant. The consideration paid by the 
Registrant for Ambit's outstanding capital stock was negotiated at arm's 
length between the parties on the basis of the Registrant's assessment of the 
value of Ambit and its capital stock, following an investigation of, and 
discussions with Ambit and its representatives concerning Ambit and its 
business and prospects. To the Registrant's knowledge, there is no material 
relationship between any of the former shareholders of Ambit and the 
Registrant or any of its affiliates, any director or officer of the 
Registrant, or any associate of any such director or officer.

                                       2

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Item 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

(a)      Financial Statements of Business Acquired.

         None of the required financial statements are currently available. 
Pursuant to paragraph (a)(4) of Item 7, the required financial statements 
will be filed as soon as practicable, but not later than December 14, 1998, 
unless waived.

(b)      Pro Forma Financial Information.

         None of the required pro forma financial information is currently 
available. Pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of Item 7, the required PRO FORMA 
financial information will be filed as soon as practicable, but not later 
than December 14, 1998, unless waived.

(c)      Exhibits.

2.01 Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated September 3, 1998, by and 
among the Registrant, Ambit and Adirondack Transaction Corp.

99.1     Press Release, dated September 30, 1998.


                                       3

<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the 
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                            CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.

Dated:  October 9, 1998     By: /s/ R.L. Smith McKeithen
                               ----------------------------------------
                            R.L. SMITH MCKEITHEN
                            Senior Vice President, General Counsel and 
                            Secretary


                                       4

<PAGE>

                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT    DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT

2.01       Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated September 3, 1998, by
           and among the Registrant, Ambit and Adirondack Transaction Corp.

99.1       Press Release, dated September 30, 1998.


                                       5


<PAGE>

                      AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

         THIS AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION (this "AGREEMENT") is made 
and entered into as of September 3, 1998 (the "AGREEMENT DATE") by and among 
CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC., a Delaware corporation ("CADENCE"), ADIRONDACK 
TRANSACTION CORP., a Delaware corporation that is a wholly-owned subsidiary 
of Cadence ("SUB"), AMBIT DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC., a California corporation (the 
"COMPANY").

                                    RECITALS

         A. The parties intend that, subject to the terms and conditions of 
this Agreement, Sub will be merged with and into the Company in a reverse 
triangular merger, with the Company to be the surviving corporation of such 
merger, all pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and 
applicable law.

         B. Upon the effectiveness of such merger (i) the common stock and 
preferred stock of the Company that is outstanding immediately prior to the 
effectiveness of such merger will be converted into the right to receive 
payments of cash as provided herein, (ii) the options to purchase shares of 
the Company's common stock that are Company Options (as defined in Article I 
below) that are outstanding and unexercised immediately prior to the 
effectiveness of such merger will be assumed by Cadence and converted into 
options to purchase shares of Cadence common stock as provided herein and 
(iii) Sub will be merged with and into the Company, all as provided in this 
Agreement.

         C. Concurrently with the execution hereof, (i) LSI Logic Corporation 
("LSI") and the Company have executed and delivered a Waiver and Amendment 
Agreement, in the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT A (the "LSI AMENDMENT"), 
to, among other things, waive and terminate (a) any right of first refusal or 
other right held by LSI to acquire, or negotiate to acquire, the Company or 
any part of its business or assets, and (b) any rights LSI may have to 
terminate the Company's license or other rights under that certain Joint 
Development and Marketing Alliance Agreement between LSI and the Company 
dated on or about February 25, 1997 as a result of the merger; (ii) the 
Company has executed and delivered to Cadence a Company Option Agreement in 
the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT B (the "COMPANY OPTION AGREEMENT") 
granting the Company an option to purchase a number of newly-issued shares of 
Common Stock equal to fifteen percent (15%) of the Fully Diluted Company 
Shares (as defined herein) upon certain events, at a price per share equal to 
the sum of the Common Preference Amount plus the Participation Amount (as 
such terms are defined herein); (iii) certain shareholders of the Company 
have executed and delivered Voting Agreements and Irrevocable Proxies in the 
form attached hereto as EXHIBIT C; and (iv) certain key employees of the 
Company (the "KEY EMPLOYEES") identified in the letter agreement dated of 
even date herewith between the Company and Cadence (the "LETTER AGREEMENT") 
have executed and delivered employment agreements (the "EMPLOYMENT 
AGREEMENTS") and non-competition agreements (the "NON-COMPETITION 
AGREEMENTS") dated the date hereof.

<PAGE>

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual 
promises, covenants and conditions contained herein, the parties hereby agree 
as follows:

                                    ARTICLE 1
                               CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

         As used in this Agreement, the following terms will have the 
meanings set forth below:

         1.1 The "MERGER" means the statutory merger of Sub with and into the 
Company to be effected pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

         1.2 The "EFFECTIVE TIME" means the time and date on which the Merger 
first becomes legally effective under the laws of the States of California 
and Delaware as a result of: (i) the filing with the California Secretary of 
State of an Agreement of Merger between Sub and the Company in substantially 
the form of EXHIBIT D (the "AGREEMENT OF MERGER") and any required officers' 
certificates; and (ii) the filing with the Delaware Secretary of State of the 
Agreement of Merger and any required officers' certificates or in lieu 
thereof, at Cadence's option, a Certificate of Merger regarding the Merger 
(the "CERTIFICATE OF MERGER"), conforming to the requirements of Section 252 
of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

         1.3 "COMPANY COMMON STOCK" means the Company's Common Stock.

         1.4 "COMPANY PREFERRED STOCK" means the Company's Preferred Stock of 
any series, including but not limited to the Company's Series A, Series C, 
Series D, Series E, Series F, Series G, Series H and Series I Preferred Stock.

         1.5 "COMPANY OPTIONS" means, collectively, (a) options to purchase 
shares of Company Common Stock granted by the Company to Company employees or 
directors of the Company or to consultants or contractors who provide 
services to the Company under the Company's Incentive Stock Option Plan that 
was initially adopted by the Company's Board of Directors on December 1, 
1994, as amended (the "1994 OPTION PLAN") or the Company's 1996 Incentive 
Stock Option Plan that was initially adopted by the Company's Board of 
Directors on June 24, 1996, as amended (the "1996 OPTION PLAN") and (b) 
non-qualified options to purchase shares of Company Common Stock granted by 
the Company outside the 1994 Option Plan and the 1996 Option Plan to 
employees or directors of the Company or to consultants or contractors who 
provide services to the Company ("NON-PLAN OPTIONS"). The 1994 Option Plan 
and the 1996 Option Plan are collectively referred to herein as the "COMPANY 
OPTION PLANS" and each individually as a "COMPANY OPTION PLAN".

         1.6 "OTHER COMPANY SECURITIES" means, collectively: (a) any warrant, 
option, right or other security (other than any Company Option) that entitles 
the holder thereof to purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of the capital 
stock of the Company (collectively, "COMPANY STOCK RIGHTS"); (b) any note, 
evidence of indebtedness, stock or other security of the Company (other than 
Company Preferred Stock) that is convertible into or exchangeable for any 
shares of the capital stock of the Company or any Company Stock Rights 
("COMPANY CONVERTIBLE SECURITY"); and (c) any warrant, option, right, note, 
evidence of indebtedness, stock or other security that entitles the holder 
thereof to purchase or otherwise acquire any Company Stock Rights or any 


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<PAGE>

Company Convertible Security. The term "Other Company Securities" does not 
include any of the Company Options or any shares of Company Preferred Stock.

         1.7 "FULLY DILUTED COMPANY SHARES" means that number of shares of 
Company Common Stock that is equal to the sum of: (a) the total number of 
shares of Company Common Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately 
prior to the Effective Time; plus (b) the total number of shares of Company 
Common Stock that are issuable upon the conversion in full of all shares of 
Company Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to 
the Effective Time; plus (c) the total number of shares of Company Common 
Stock that, immediately prior to the Effective Time, are, directly or 
indirectly, ultimately or potentially issuable by the Company upon the 
exercise, conversion or exchange of all Other Company Securities (if any) 
that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time.

         1.8 "COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS" means, collectively, those persons and 
entities (each being individually referred to herein as a "COMPANY 
STOCKHOLDER") who, immediately prior to the Effective Time, hold the shares 
of the Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock that are outstanding 
immediately prior to the Effective Time; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that for purposes 
of Sections 1.19 and 2.3 and Article 11, the term "Company Stockholders" 
means only those Company Stockholders (as defined above in this Section) who 
are entitled to receive payments of cash pursuant to Section 2.1.2.

         1.9 "COMPANY DISSENTING SHARES" means any shares of any capital 
stock of the Company that (i) are outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time and qualify fully as "dissenting shares" within the meaning of 
Section 1300(b) of the California Corporations Code and (ii) with respect to 
which dissenter's rights to require the purchase of such dissenting shares 
for cash at their fair market value in accordance with Chapter 13 of the 
California Corporations Code have been duly and properly exercised and 
perfected in connection with the Merger.

         1.10 "CADENCE COMMON STOCK" means Cadence's Common Stock, $0.01 par 
value per share.

         1.11 "CADENCE AVERAGE PRICE PER SHARE" means the average of the 
closing prices per share of Cadence Common Stock as quoted on the New York 
Stock Exchange and reported in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL for the five (5) 
successive trading days immediately preceding, but not including, the Closing 
Date.

         1.12 "CONVERSION RATE" means the quotient obtained in dividing (a) 
the sum of (i) the Common Preference Amount plus (ii) the Preliminary 
Participation Amount by (b) the Cadence Average Price Per Share.

         1.13 "PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means any one or more of the following 
preference amounts: (a) "SERIES A PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means $0.1333 per share 
of the Company's Series A Preferred Stock; (b) "SERIES C PREFERENCE AMOUNT" 
means $0.4567 per share of the Company's Series C Preferred Stock; (c) 
"SERIES D PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means $0.8333 per share of the Company's Series 
D Preferred Stock; (d) "SERIES E PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means $0.95 per share of 
the Company's Series E Preferred Stock; (e) "SERIES F PREFERENCE AMOUNT" 
means $0.95 per share of the Company's Series F Preferred Stock; (f) "SERIES 
G PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means 


                                    -3-
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$3.0722928 per share of the Company's Series G Preferred Stock; (g) "SERIES H 
PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means $4.00 per share of the Company's Series H Preferred 
Stock; and (h) "SERIES I PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means, with respect to a share of 
the Company's Series I Preferred Stock, the sum of $4.00 plus the amount of 
simple interest that would accrue on the principal sum of $4.00 at the rate 
of seven percent (7%) per annum from the date of issuance of such share of 
the Company's Series I Preferred Stock to the Effective Time; and (i) "COMMON 
PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means $0.0333 per share of the Company's Common Stock.

         1.14 "AGGREGATE PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means that dollar amount equal to 
the sum of: (a) the Series A Preference Amount multiplied by the number of 
shares of the Company's Series A Preferred Stock that are issued and 
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time; plus (b) the Series C 
Preference Amount multiplied by the number of shares of the Company's Series 
C Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time; plus (c) the Series D Preference Amount multiplied by the 
number of shares of the Company's Series D Preferred Stock that are issued 
and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time; plus (d) the Series 
E Preference Amount multiplied by the number of shares of the Company's 
Series E Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to 
the Effective Time; plus (e) the Series F Preference Amount multiplied by the 
number of shares of the Company's Series F Preferred Stock that are issued 
and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time; plus (f) the Series 
G Preference Amount multiplied by the number of shares of the Company's 
Series G Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to 
the Effective Time; plus (g) the Series H Preference Amount multiplied by the 
number of shares of the Company's Series H Preferred Stock that are issued 
and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time; plus (h) the Series 
I Preference Amount multiplied by the number of shares of the Company's 
Series I Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to 
the Effective Time; plus (i) the Common Preference Amount multiplied by the 
number of shares of the Company's Common Stock that are issued and 
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time.

         1.15 "PRELIMINARY PARTICIPATION AMOUNT" means that dollar amount 
equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (a) Two Hundred Sixty Million 
Dollars ($260,000,000) minus the Aggregate Preference Amount and the Deemed 
Option Preference Amount; by (b) the sum of (1) the number of the Fully 
Diluted Company Shares determined as of immediately prior to the Effective 
Time plus (2) the maximum number of shares of the Company's Common Stock that 
are potentially issuable (without regard to vesting) pursuant to the exercise 
in full of all Company Options that are outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time.

         1.16 "DEEMED OPTION PREFERENCE AMOUNT" means the product of (a) the 
Common Preference Amount multiplied by (b) the maximum number of shares of 
the Company's Common Stock that are potentially issuable (without regard to 
vesting) pursuant to the exercise in full of all Company Options that are 
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time.

         1.17 "PARTICIPATION AMOUNT" means the dollar amount equal to the 
quotient obtained by dividing: (a) Two Hundred Sixty Million Dollars 
($260,000,000) minus the sum of (i) the Aggregate Preference Amount plus (ii) 
the Assumed Option Value, by (b) the number of Fully Diluted Company Shares 
(determined as of immediately prior to the Effective Time).


                                     -4-
<PAGE>

         1.18 "ASSUMED OPTION VALUE" means the product obtained by 
multiplying (a) the total number of shares of Company Common Stock that are 
subject to and potentially issuable (without regard to vesting) under all 
Company Options that are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time by (b) the sum of (1) the Preliminary Participation Amount 
plus (2) the Common Preference Amount.

         1.19 "ESCROW CONTRIBUTION" means, with respect to each Company 
Stockholder, the product obtained by multiplying (a) Twenty-Five Million 
Dollars ($25,000,000), by (b) a fraction (i) whose numerator is the total 
amount of cash payable to such Company Stockholder pursuant to the provisions 
of Section 2.1.2 (inclusive of such Company Stockholder's Escrow 
Contribution) and (ii) whose denominator is the total amount of cash payable 
to all Company Stockholders in the aggregate pursuant to the provisions of 
Section 2.1.2 (inclusive of all Company Stockholders' Escrow Contributions). 
The total amount of Escrow Contributions of all Company Stockholders shall 
accordingly equal Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000).

         1.20 "COMPANY ANCILLARY AGREEMENTS" means, collectively, the 
Agreement of Merger, the Company Option Agreement, the LSI Amendment, the 
Non-Competition Agreements and each other agreement, certificate or document 
(other than this Agreement) which the Company is to enter into as a party 
thereto, pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement.

         1.21 "CADENCE ANCILLARY AGREEMENTS" means, collectively, the Escrow 
Agreement, the Agreement of Merger, the Company Option Agreement, the 
Employment Agreements, the Non-Competition Agreements and each other 
agreement, certificate or document (other than this Agreement) which Cadence 
is to enter into as a party thereto pursuant to or in connection with this 
Agreement.

         1.22 "SUB ANCILLARY AGREEMENTS" means, collectively, the Agreement 
of Merger and each other agreement, certificate or document (other than this 
Agreement) which Sub is to enter into as a party thereto pursuant to or in 
connection with this Agreement.

         1.23 "KNOWLEDGE" when used with reference to a party, means the 
actual knowledge, after reasonable inquiry, of the officers and directors of 
such party.

         1.24 "MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT" when used with reference to any 
entity or group of entities, means any event, change or effect that is (or 
with the passage of time is reasonably likely to be) materially adverse to 
the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, liabilities, 
business, operations or results of operations of such entity and its 
subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

         1.25 "PROXY STATEMENT" means the Proxy Statement or information 
statement that the Company distributes and sends to its stockholders in 
connection with the special meeting of the Company Stockholders to be called 
and held by the Company, or solicitation of written stockholder consents by 
the Company, in order to seek the approval of the Merger, this Agreement and 
the Agreement of Merger and the transactions contemplated thereby by the 
Company Stockholders (the "COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS' MEETING").

         1.26 "TERMINATION DATE" means November 15, 1998; PROVIDED that if, 
following the filing by Cadence and the Company of pre-merger notification 
and report forms under the 


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<PAGE>

Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the 
regulations thereunder (the "HSR ACT"), the Company or Cadence shall receive 
a formal request from the U.S. Department of Justice or Federal Trade 
Commission for additional information (i.e., a "SECOND REQUEST") delivered 
under the HSR Act, then the Termination Date shall mean the earlier of (i) 
March 31, 1999 and (ii) the date sixty (60) days after Cadence and the 
Company each deliver a response that substantially complies with any such 
"second request."

         Other capitalized terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement and not 
defined in this Article I will have the meanings assigned to such terms in 
this Agreement.

                                    ARTICLE 2
                             PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

         2.1  CONVERSION OF SHARES.

              2.1.1 CONVERSION OF SUB STOCK. At the Effective Time, each 
share of the Common Stock of Sub that is issued and outstanding immediately 
prior to the Effective Time will, by virtue of the Merger and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into and become one (1) share of Company Common Stock that is issued and 
outstanding immediately after the Effective Time, and such shares of Company 
Common Stock will be the only shares of capital stock of the Company that are 
issued and outstanding immediately after the Effective Time.

              2.1.2  CONVERSION OF COMPANY STOCK. Subject to all of the 
provisions of this Article 2, at the Effective Time:

         (a) COMMON STOCK. Each share of the Company's Common Stock that is 
issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (OTHER THAN 
any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares as provided in Section 
2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the need for any further 
action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted into the right to 
receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to the sum of (1) the 
Common Preference Amount, plus (2) the Participation Amount.

         (b) SERIES A PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series A 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series A Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.

         (c) SERIES C PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series C 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series C Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.


                                     -6-
<PAGE>

         (d) SERIES D PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series D 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series D Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.

         (e) SERIES E PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series E 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series E Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.

         (f) SERIES F PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series F 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series F Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.

         (g) SERIES G PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series G 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series G Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.

         (h) SERIES H PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series H 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series H Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.

         (i) SERIES I PREFERRED STOCK. Each share of the Company's Series I 
Preferred Stock that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time (OTHER THAN any such shares that are Company Dissenting Shares 
as provided in Section 2.1.3) will, by virtue of the Merger, and without the 
need for any further action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted 
into the right to receive payment from Cadence of an amount of cash equal to 
the sum of (1) the Series I Preference Amount plus (2) the Participation 
Amount.

         All amounts of cash into which shares of Company Common Stock and 
Company Preferred Stock will become convertible as provided in this Section 
will be paid and issued as provided in Article 7 of this Agreement, subject 
to Sections 2.1.5, 2.1.6 and 2.3.


                                     -7-
<PAGE>

              2.1.3 COMPANY DISSENTING SHARES. Holders of Company Dissenting 
Shares (if any) will be entitled to their appraisal rights under Chapter 13 
of the California Corporations Code with respect to such Company Dissenting 
Shares and such Company Dissenting Shares will NOT be converted into the 
right to receive payments of cash as provided in Section 2.1.2; PROVIDED, 
HOWEVER, that nothing in this Section 2.1.3 is intended to remove, release, 
waive, alter or affect any of the conditions to Cadence's and Sub's 
obligations to consummate the Merger set forth in Section 9.7, or any other 
provision of this Agreement relating to Company Dissenting Shares. Shares of 
the capital stock of the Company that are outstanding immediately prior to 
the Effective Time of the Merger and with respect to which dissenting 
stockholders' rights of appraisal under the California Corporations Code have 
NOT been properly perfected will, when such dissenting stockholders' rights 
can no longer be legally exercised under the California Corporations Code, be 
converted as provided in Section 2.1.2 (unless surrendered prior to such time 
pursuant to Section 7.2) and the holders of such shares shall thereupon be 
deemed to be Company Stockholders for all purpose of this Agreement, 
including without limitation for purposes of Sections 1.19 and 2.3 and 
Article 11.

              2.1.4 CADENCE-OWNED SHARES. Notwithstanding anything in Section 
2.1.2 or anywhere else in this Agreement to the contrary, at and upon the 
Effective Time, any shares of Company Common Stock and/or Company Preferred 
Stock that (a) are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective 
Time and (b) are owned by Cadence or any wholly-owned subsidiary of Cadence 
immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be canceled without the 
payment of any consideration to Cadence (or such subsidiary) therefor.

              2.1.5 CONTINUATION OF VESTING AND REPURCHASE RIGHTS. If any 
shares of Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock outstanding 
immediately prior to the Effective Time are unvested or are subject to a 
repurchase option or right, risk of forfeiture or other condition (other than 
a right of first refusal) under any applicable restricted stock purchase 
agreement or other agreement with the Company that does not by its terms 
lapse upon consummation of the Merger, then, notwithstanding anything herein 
to the contrary, the cash to be paid in exchange for such shares of Company 
Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock pursuant to this Article 2 shall not 
be paid by Cadence unless and until the events or conditions that would have 
caused such repurchase option, risk of forfeiture or other condition to have 
lapsed shall have occurred and the holder of such shares shall have so 
notified Cadence.

              2.1.6 OFFSET FOR LIABILITIES DUE TO COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS. 
Cadence may withhold, offset and reduce the amount of cash payable to any 
Company Stockholder pursuant to this Article 2 by the entire amount of any 
liability or debt of such Company Stockholder to the Company (or any 
subsidiary thereof) that is outstanding as of the Effective Time, together 
with any interest accrued thereon as of the Effective Time, regardless of 
when such liability or debt, or accrued interest, is otherwise due and 
payable to the Company or such subsidiary.

         2.2  ASSUMPTION AND CONVERSION OF COMPANY OPTIONS.

              2.2.1 ASSUMPTION BY CADENCE. Each Company Option that is 
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will, by virtue of the 
Merger and at the Effective Time and without the need for any further action 
on the part of any holder thereof, be assumed by Cadence and converted into 
an option (a "CADENCE OPTION") to purchase that number of shares of 


                                      -8-
<PAGE>

Cadence Common Stock determined by multiplying the number of shares of 
Company Common Stock subject to such Company Option immediately prior to the 
Effective Time by the Conversion Rate, at an exercise price per share of 
Cadence Common Stock equal to the exercise price per share of Company Common 
Stock that was in effect for such Company Option immediately prior to the 
Effective Time divided by the Conversion Rate; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the 
foregoing calculation would result in an assumed and converted Company Option 
being converted into an Cadence Option that, after aggregating all the shares 
of Cadence Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of such Cadence Option, 
would be exercisable for a fraction of a share of Cadence Common Stock, then 
the number of shares of Cadence Common Stock subject to such Cadence Option 
will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of shares of Cadence Common 
Stock. The terms, exercisability, vesting schedule, status as an "incentive 
stock option" under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as 
amended (the "CODE") (if applicable) or as a nonqualified stock option, and 
all other terms and conditions of each Company Option (including without 
limitation the provisions of the applicable Company Option Plan that form 
part of the terms and conditions of such Company Option) that is converted 
into an Cadence Option in the Merger will (except as otherwise provided in 
the terms of such Company Options), to the extent permitted by law and 
otherwise reasonably practicable, be unchanged and continue in effect after 
the Merger. Pre-Merger employment service with the Company will be credited 
to such holder for purposes of applying any vesting schedule contained in the 
Cadence Option issued to such holder upon the conversion of such Company 
Option in the Merger in order to determine the number of shares of Cadence 
Common Stock that are exercisable under such Cadence Option at any point in 
time. This Section 2.2.1 is intended to meet the requirements of Section 
424(a) of the Code and shall be interpreted consistent with such intent.

              2.2.2 REGISTRATION. Cadence will file, and will use its 
reasonable efforts to cause the shares of Cadence Common Stock that are 
subject to issuance upon exercise of the Cadence Options that are issued upon 
the conversion of the Company Options under Section 2.2.1 to be registered 
on, a registration statement (or to be issued pursuant to a then-effective 
registration statement) on, Form S-8 (or successor form) promulgated by the 
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Securities Act of 1933, 
as amended (the "1933 ACT"), as soon as reasonably practicable after the 
Effective Time. In any event Cadence will file such Form S-8 Registration 
Statement within twenty (20) business days after the Effective Time, and will 
use its reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such Form S-8 
registration statement or registration statements for so long as such Cadence 
Options remain outstanding and Cadence Common Stock is registered under the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 ACT").

              2.2.3 ADJUSTMENTS FOR CAPITAL CHANGES. Notwithstanding the 
provisions of Section 2.2, if at any time after the Agreement Date and prior 
to the Effective Time, Cadence recapitalizes, either through a subdivision 
(or stock split) of any of its outstanding shares into a greater number of 
shares, or a combination (or reverse stock split) of any of its outstanding 
shares into a lesser number of shares, or reorganizes, reclassifies or 
otherwise changes its outstanding shares into the same or a different number 
of shares of other classes (other than through a subdivision or combination 
of shares provided for in the preceding clause), or declares a dividend on 
its outstanding shares payable in shares of Cadence Common Stock or in shares 
or securities convertible into shares of Cadence Common Stock (each, a 
"CAPITAL CHANGE"), then the Cadence 


                                     -9-
<PAGE>

Average Price Per Share and the resultant Conversion Rate will each be 
proportionally and equitably adjusted.

         2.3  ESCROW.

              2.3.1 ESCROW AND ESCROW AGREEMENT. At the Closing (as that term 
is defined in Section 7.1) of the Merger, Cadence will withhold Twenty-Five 
Million Dollars ($25,000,000) of the cash payable to the Company Stockholders 
in the Merger pursuant to Section 2.1.2 (such withheld amount of cash being 
hereinafter referred to as the "ESCROW PROPERTY"), and will deliver such 
amount of cash to State Street Bank and Trust Company, N.A. pursuant to the 
provisions of an escrow agreement in substantially the form of EXHIBIT E (the 
"ESCROW AGREEMENT") to be entered into at the Closing by Cadence, the Escrow 
Agent, and the Representative (as defined below). The Escrow Property shall 
held by the Escrow Agent during that time period commencing on the Effective 
Time and ending on the first (1st) anniversary of the Effective Time or on 
such later date as may be provided in the Escrow Agreement with respect to 
claims that may not be finally resolved at such first anniversary date (the 
"ESCROW PERIOD"). The amount of Escrow Property withheld by Cadence from the 
amounts payable to each Company Stockholder pursuant to Section 2.1.2 shall 
be an amount equal to such Company Stockholder's Escrow Contribution. The 
withholding of Escrow Property pursuant to this Section 2.3.1 and the Escrow 
Agreement shall be in addition to any withholding of cash pursuant to 
Sections 2.1.5 or 2.1.6.

              2.3.2 EFFECT OF COMPANY STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL; REPRESENTATIVE. 
By the approval of the Merger by the Company's Stockholders, each Company 
Stockholder will be conclusively deemed to have consented to, approved and 
agreed to be personally bound by: (i) the indemnification provisions of 
Article 11; (ii) the Escrow Agreement; and (iii) the appointment of such 
person as may be designated prior to the Closing Date by the Company's Board 
of Directors, (or, if no such designation shall be made by the Company's 
Board of Directors, such person as may be designated by Cadence (who shall be 
a then-current member of the Company's Board of Directors if any such member 
shall be willing to so serve and shall so advise Cadence in writing prior to 
the Closing Date, and otherwise shall be such person as may be designated by 
Cadence in its sole discretion)) as the representative of the Company 
Stockholders (the "REPRESENTATIVE") under the Escrow Agreement and as the 
attorney-in-fact and agent for and on behalf of each Company Stockholder as 
provided herein and in the Escrow Agreement; and (iv) the taking by the 
Representative of any and all actions and the making of any decisions 
required or permitted to be taken by the Representative under this Agreement 
and the Escrow Agreement, including, without limitation, the exercise of the 
power to: (a) authorize delivery to Cadence of Escrow Property in 
satisfaction of indemnity claims by Cadence or any other Indemnified Person 
(as defined herein) pursuant to Article 11 and/or the Escrow Agreement; (b) 
agree to, negotiate, enter into settlements and compromises of, demand 
arbitration of, and comply with orders of courts and awards of arbitrators 
with respect to, such claims; (c) arbitrate, resolve, settle or compromise 
any claim for indemnity made pursuant to Article 11; and (d) take all actions 
necessary in the judgment of the Representative for the accomplishment of the 
foregoing. Cadence shall be entitled to condition the payment of any cash to 
any Company Stockholder pursuant to Section 2.1.2 of this Agreement on the 
receipt by Cadence of an instrument, in form reasonably acceptable to 
Cadence, acknowledging and agreeing to the foregoing. The Representative will 
have authority and power to act on behalf of each Company Stockholder with 
respect to the Escrow Agreement and the disposition, settlement or other 
handling of all claims governed by the Escrow Agreement, and all 


                                     -10-
<PAGE>

rights or obligations arising under the Escrow Agreement so long as all 
Company Stockholders are treated in the same manner. The Company Stockholders 
will be bound by all actions taken and documents executed by the 
Representative in connection with the Escrow Agreement, and Cadence will be 
entitled to rely on any action or decision of the Representative. In 
performing the functions specified in this Agreement and the Escrow 
Agreement, the Representative will not be liable to any Company Stockholder 
in the absence of willful misconduct on the part of the Representative. Any 
out-of-pocket costs and expenses reasonably incurred by the Representative in 
connection with actions taken pursuant to the terms of the Escrow Agreement 
will be paid out of the Escrow Property to the extent that any such Escrow 
Property shall remain following the Escrow Period and satisfaction of all 
claims by Cadence under the Escrow Agreement. To the extent that such Escrow 
Property shall be insufficient for such purpose, such fees and expenses will 
be paid by the Company Stockholders to the Representative pro rata in 
proportion to their respective Escrow Contributions.

         2.4  EFFECTS OF THE MERGER.  At and upon the Effective Time of the 
Merger:

              (a) the separate existence of Sub will cease and Sub will be 
merged with and into the Company, and the Company will be the surviving 
corporation of the Merger (sometimes hereinafter referred to as the 
"SURVIVING CORPORATION") pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the 
Agreement of Merger;

              (b) the Articles of Incorporation of the Company will be 
amended to read as set forth in EXHIBIT F attached hereto, which will be the 
Articles of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation immediately after the 
Effective Time;

              (c) the Bylaws of the Company will be amended to read as set 
forth in the Bylaws attached as EXHIBIT G hereto, which will be the Bylaws of 
the Surviving Corporation immediately after the Effective Time;

              (d) each share of Company Common Stock and each share of 
Company Preferred Stock that is outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time, and each Company Option that is outstanding immediately prior 
to the Effective Time, will be converted as provided in this Article 2 and in 
the Agreement of Merger;

              (e) each share of Sub Common Stock that is outstanding 
immediately prior to the Effective Time will be converted into one (1) share 
of Company Common Stock as provided in Section 2.1.1 and in the Agreement of 
Merger;

              (f) the officers of the Surviving Corporation immediately after 
the Effective Time will be the individuals who are the officers of Sub 
immediately prior to the Effective Time, and each such individual shall, 
immediately after the Effective Time, hold the same office or offices of the 
Surviving Corporation as the office or offices that such individual held with 
Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time;

              (g) the members of the Board of Directors of the Surviving 
Corporation immediately after the Effective Time will be the individuals who 
are the members of the Board of Directors of Sub immediately prior to the 
Effective Time; and


                                     -11-

<PAGE>

              (h) the Merger will, from and after the Effective Time, have 
all of the effects provided by applicable law.

         2.5 TAX STATUS. The parties acknowledge that the Merger will NOT 
qualify as a tax-free reorganization within the meaning of Section 368 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "CODE"). Cadence makes no 
representations or warranty to the Company or to any stockholder of the 
Company regarding the tax ramifications of the Merger.

                                   ARTICLE 3
                  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

         The Company hereby represents and warrants to Cadence that, except 
as set forth in the letter addressed to Cadence from the Company and dated as 
of the Agreement Date (including all schedules thereto) which has been 
delivered to Cadence by the Company concurrently with execution and delivery 
of this Agreement (the "COMPANY DISCLOSURE LETTER;" for all purposes of this 
Agreement (including without limitation Articles 9 and 11), the statements 
contained in the Company Disclosure Letter and its schedules shall also be 
deemed to be representations and warranties made and given by the Company 
under this Agreement), each of the following representations, warranties and 
statements in this Article 3 is true and correct as of the Agreement Date and 
will be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date:

         3.1 ORGANIZATION AND GOOD STANDING. The Company is a corporation 
duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the 
State of California. The Company has the corporate power and authority to 
own, operate and lease its properties and to carry on its business as now 
conducted and as proposed to be conducted, and is qualified to transact 
business, and is in good standing, in each jurisdiction in which its failure 
to be so qualified would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company. The 
Company has delivered to Cadence true and correct copies of the currently 
effective Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws or other charter documents, as 
applicable, of the Company and each of its subsidiaries (if any), each as 
amended to date. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in 
violation of its Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other charter documents.

         3.2 SUBSIDIARIES. Except as expressly disclosed in SCHEDULE 3.2 of 
the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company does not have any subsidiary or 
any equity or ownership interest, whether direct or indirect, in any 
corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or other 
business entity. Any subsidiary of the Company that is disclosed in SCHEDULE 
3.2 of the Company Disclosure Letter is a corporation duly organized, validly 
existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of 
organization, has the corporate power and authority to own, operate and lease 
its properties and to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed 
to be conducted, and is qualified to transact business, and is in good 
standing, in each jurisdiction in which its failure to be so qualified would 
have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company. The Company is the sole 
beneficial and record owner of all of the issued and outstanding shares of 
capital stock and other securities of each of its subsidiaries; all such 
shares and other securities of its subsidiaries are duly authorized, validly 
issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and all of the outstanding shares of 
capital stock and other securities of each such subsidiary are owned by the 
Company free and clear of all liens, charges, claims or encumbrances or 
rights of others. No subsidiary of the Company owns any material assets, or 
owns assets with an aggregate book value 


                                     -12-
<PAGE>

of in excess of $1,000,000 (determined in accordance with U.S. generally 
accepted accounting principles.) There are no outstanding subscriptions, 
options, warrants, calls, rights, convertible securities or other commitments 
or agreements of any kind under which any third party has any existing or 
potential right to purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of capital stock 
or other securities of any such subsidiary, whether from the Company or such 
subsidiary.

         3.3  POWER, AUTHORIZATION AND VALIDITY.

              3.3.1 POWER AND AUTHORITY. The Company has all requisite 
corporate power, capacity and authority to enter into, execute, deliver, and 
perform its obligations under, this Agreement and all the Company Ancillary 
Agreements, and (subject to the approval of the principal terms of this 
Agreement and the Agreement of Merger by the Company's stockholders as 
required by applicable law and the Company's Articles of Incorporation and 
Bylaws, each as amended) to consummate the Merger. The execution, delivery 
and performance by the Company of this Agreement and each of the Company 
Ancillary Agreements have been duly and validly approved and authorized by 
all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company's Board of 
Directors in compliance with applicable law and the Company's Articles of 
Incorporation and Bylaws, each as amended.

              3.3.2 NO CONSENTS. No consent, approval, order or authorization 
of, or registration, declaration or filing with, any court, administrative 
agency, commission or other governmental authority ("GOVERNMENTAL 
AUTHORITY"), or any other person or entity, governmental or otherwise, is 
necessary or required to be made or obtained by the Company to enable the 
Company to lawfully enter into, and to perform its obligations under, this 
Agreement and each of the Company Ancillary Agreements, and to consummate the 
Merger, except for: (a) the approval of the principal terms of this Agreement 
and the Agreement of Merger by the stockholders of the Company in compliance 
with the requirements of applicable law and the Company's Articles of 
Incorporation and Bylaws, each as amended; (b) the filing of the Agreement of 
Merger (or the Certificate of Merger) with the Delaware Secretary of State 
and the filing of the Agreement of Merger (and related officers' 
certificates) with the California Secretary of State; and (c) such filings 
and notifications as may be required to be made by the Company and/or any 
stockholder of the Company in connection with the Merger under the HSR Act 
(as defined in Section 1.24).

              3.3.3 ENFORCEABILITY. This Agreement and each of the Company 
Ancillary Agreements are, or when executed by the Company will be, valid and 
binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in 
accordance with their respective terms, subject only to the effect of (a) 
applicable bankruptcy and other similar laws affecting the rights of 
creditors generally and (b) rules of law and equity governing specific 
performance, injunctive relief and other equitable remedies.

         3.4  CAPITALIZATION OF THE COMPANY.

              3.4.1 OUTSTANDING STOCK. As of the Agreement Date, the 
authorized capital stock of the Company consists entirely of: (i) 25,000,000 
shares of Common Stock, no par value, of which a total of 9,557,242 shares 
are issued and outstanding and (ii) 15,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, no 
par value, of which (a) 1,800,000 shares have been designated Series A 
Preferred Stock, 1,423,338 shares have been designated Series C Preferred 
Stock, 2,520,000 shares 


                                     -13-
<PAGE>

have been designated Series D Preferred Stock, 2,026,033 shares have been 
designated Series E Preferred Stock, 530,000 shares have been designated 
Series F Preferred Stock, 1,700,000 shares have been designated Series G 
Preferred Stock, 2,000,000 shares have been designated Series H Preferred 
Stock and 3,000,000 shares have been designated Series I Preferred Stock, and 
(b) there are issued and outstanding a total of 1,368,000 shares of Series A 
Preferred Stock, 1,423,338 shares of Series C Preferred Stock; 1,715,001 
shares of Series D Preferred Stock, 1,571,033 shares of Series E Preferred 
Stock, 529,991 shares of Series F Preferred Stock, 1,631,166 shares of Series 
G Preferred Stock, 1,132,968 shares of Series H Preferred Stock and 2,704,460 
shares of Series I Preferred Stock. As of the Closing Date, there will have 
been no change in such authorized and outstanding capital stock other than 
changes that are otherwise permitted by this Agreement that are disclosed in 
writing to Cadence prior to the Closing Date. Except as expressly described 
above in this Section 3.4.1, no other shares of any capital stock of the 
Company are authorized, issued or outstanding. No fractional shares of Common 
Stock of the Company are issued or outstanding, except for fractional shares 
issued after the Agreement Date that are disclosed in writing to Cadence 
prior to the Closing Date. All issued and outstanding shares of the Company's 
capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid 
and nonassessable, are not subject to any claim, lien, preemptive right, 
right of first refusal, right of first offer or right of rescission, and have 
been offered, issued, sold and delivered by the Company in compliance with 
all registration or qualification requirements (or applicable exemptions 
therefrom) of all applicable federal and state securities laws. Each share of 
Company Preferred Stock is convertible into one (1) share of Company Common 
Stock. A list of all holders of the Company's outstanding capital stock, and 
the total number of shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred 
Stock (and the number of shares of each series of Company Preferred Stock) 
owned by each such holder as of the Agreement Date, a description of any 
rights of the Company to repurchase such shares, the dates on which such 
repurchase rights would terminate or lapse, and a description of any 
conditions or events which would result in the lapse or termination of any 
such repurchase rights, is set forth in SCHEDULE 3.4.1 to the Company 
Disclosure Letter, and as of the Closing Date, there have been no changes in 
such holders, the shares held by them, or the existence and terms of such 
repurchase rights other than changes that are otherwise permitted by this 
Agreement that are disclosed in writing to Cadence prior to the Closing Date. 
Except as disclosed in SCHEDULE 3.4.1, neither the consummation of the Merger 
or any other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any of the other 
Company Ancillary Agreements, nor any action taken by the Company in 
connection with such agreements or transactions, or the assumption of any 
Company Options by Cadence, will result in any lapse or termination of any 
repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to any Company Common 
Stock or Company Preferred Stock, or the inability of Cadence or the Company 
after the Effective Time to exercise any right or benefit held by the Company 
prior to the Effective Time with respect to any Company Common Stock issued 
at or before the Effective Time. During the two (2) year period immediately 
prior to the Agreement Date, the Company has not redeemed, repurchased or 
otherwise reacquired any shares of its capital stock from any stockholder of 
the Company. The Company has no liability to any stockholder for any 
dividends that have been declared or accrued.

              3.4.2 OPTIONS, WARRANTS OR RIGHTS. Except for Company Options 
to purchase an aggregate total of 2,259,544 shares of Company Common Stock 
that are outstanding on the Agreement Date (2,009,861 of which Company 
Options were granted under the Company Option Plans) and warrants held by 
Needham & Company to purchase an aggregate of 84,089 shares of 


                                     -14-
<PAGE>

Common Stock (the "COMPANY WARRANTS") that are outstanding on the Agreement 
Date, there are no options, warrants, convertible securities or other 
securities, calls, commitments, conversion privileges, preemptive rights, 
rights of first refusal, rights of first offer or other rights or agreements 
outstanding to purchase or otherwise acquire (whether directly or indirectly) 
any shares of the Company's authorized but unissued capital stock or any 
securities convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of the Company's 
capital stock or obligating the Company to grant, issue, extend, or enter 
into any such option, warrant, convertible security or other security, call, 
commitment, conversion privilege, preemptive right, right of first refusal, 
right of first offer or other right or agreement. To the Company's knowledge, 
no person or entity has any option, warrant or other right to acquire any 
issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company from any 
holder of shares of the capital stock of the Company. A total of 3,000,000 
shares of Company Common Stock are reserved for issuance under the 1994 
Option Plan, and a total of 2,400,000 shares of Company Common Stock are 
reserved for issuance under the 1996 Option Plan and a total of 1,100,000 
shares of Company Common Stock are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of 
outstanding Non-Plan Options. Except for issuances of Company Common Stock 
pursuant to exercises of Company Options and Company Warrants that occur 
after the Agreement Date and which have been disclosed in writing to Cadence 
and to Cadence's counsel prior to the Closing Date, a total of 2,817,115 
shares of Company Common Stock have been issued under the Company Option 
Plans, of which a total of 2,413,483 shares were issued under the 1994 Option 
Plan (of which 104,783 shares have been repurchased) and a total of 403,632 
shares were issued under the 1996 Option Plan (of which 3,149 shares have 
been repurchased). A total of 495,000 shares of Company Common Stock are 
potentially issuable upon the exercise of all options granted under the 1994 
Option Plan that are outstanding on the Agreement Date and a total of 
1,514,811 shares of Company Common Stock are potentially issuable upon the 
exercise of all options granted under the 1996 Option Plan that are 
outstanding on the Agreement Date. Attached as SCHEDULE 3.4.2 to the Company 
Disclosure Letter is a true and complete list of all holders of all Company 
Options that are outstanding on the Agreement Date, the number of Company 
Options held by each such holder as of such date, the exercise price and 
vesting schedule of each Company Option held by each such person, and any 
conditions or events which would accelerate the vesting of any such Company 
Option or the shares purchased pursuant to such Company Option, or the lapse 
or termination of any repurchase right on such shares. The right to exercise 
any Company Options granted after July 21, 1998 will vest over a four year 
period (or a three year period beginning on the first anniversary of the date 
of the grant of such option), on a linear monthly or quarterly basis, and no 
Company Options granted after July 21, 1998 provide (or will provide) for (i) 
any acceleration of vesting in favor of the optionee or any lapse or 
termination of any repurchase right held by the Company with respect to any 
shares issued or issuable under any such Company Option (other than by reason 
of the lapse of time during which the optionee is employed by or provides 
services to the Company or any of its subsidiaries consistent with the 
foregoing provisions of this sentence); (ii) any additional benefits for the 
optionee under any such Company Option; (iii) the inability of Cadence after 
the Effective Time to exercise (with respect to any Cadence Option issued in 
the Merger or any shares of Cadence Common Stock issuable upon exercise 
thereof) any right or benefit held by the Company prior to the Effective Time 
with respect to any Company Option which was converted into such Cadence 
Option in the Merger or with respect to the shares issuable upon exercise 
such Company Option, including, without limitation, the right to repurchase 
an optionee's unvested shares on termination of the optionee's or 
shareholder's employment, service or other relationship with the Company. 


                                     -15-
<PAGE>

Except as may be expressly required by the terms of any Company Option Plan, 
the Company has not authorized or provided for, or taken any action to 
authorize or provide for, the acceleration of the time during which any 
holder of any option, warrant or other right to purchase or acquire any share 
of capital stock of the Company may exercise such option, warrant or right 
upon the occurrence of any condition or otherwise or upon which any right of 
the Company to repurchase shares issued or issuable upon exercise of such 
option, warrant or the rights would lapse or terminate. Except as disclosed 
in SCHEDULE 3.4.2, neither the consummation of the Merger or any other 
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any of the other Company 
Ancillary Agreements, nor any action taken by the Company in connection with 
such agreements or transactions, or the assumption of any Company Options by 
Cadence, will result in (i) any acceleration of vesting in favor of any 
optionee under any Company Option or any lapse or termination of any 
repurchase right held by the Company with respect to any shares issued or 
issuable under any Company Option; (ii) any additional benefits for any 
optionee under any Company Option; (iii) the inability of Cadence after the 
Effective Time to exercise any right or benefit held by the Company prior to 
the Effective Time with respect to any Company Option assumed by Cadence or 
with respect to the shares issuable upon exercise thereof, including, without 
limitation, the right to repurchase an optionee's unvested shares on 
termination of the optionee's or shareholder's employment, service or other 
relationship with the Company; or (iv) a breach of any Company Option Plan or 
Company Option or any agreement entered into in connection therewith. The 
Company Option Plans (and any change in (a) the number of shares reserved 
under either such Company Option Plan or (b) the eligible participants under 
such Company Option Plan) have each been duly and validly approved (i) by the 
Company's Board of Directors and (ii) by the Company's stockholders, and with 
respect to each of the Company Option Plans (or any such change) such 
stockholder approval was obtained within one (1) year of the date on which 
such Company Option Plan was approved by the Company's Board of Directors.

              3.4.3 NO VOTING ARRANGEMENTS OR REGISTRATION RIGHTS. There are 
no voting agreements, voting trusts, proxies, preemptive rights, rights of 
first refusal, rights of first offer or other restrictions (other than normal 
restrictions on transfer under applicable federal and state securities laws) 
applicable to any of the Company's outstanding securities or to the 
conversion of any shares of the Company's capital stock in the Merger 
pursuant to any agreement or obligation to which the Company is a party or, 
to the knowledge of the Company, pursuant to any other agreement or 
obligation, except for the Voting Agreements (and related Irrevocable 
Proxies) referred to in Section 3.23. The Company is not under any obligation 
to register under the 1933 Act any of its presently outstanding shares of 
stock or other securities or any stock or other securities that may be 
subsequently issued.

         3.5 NO CONFLICT. Neither the execution and delivery of this 
Agreement nor any of the Company Ancillary Agreements by the Company, nor the 
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, will 
conflict with, or (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) result 
in a termination, breach, impairment or violation of: (i) any provision of 
the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws or other charter documents of the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any) as currently in effect; (ii) any 
federal, state, local or foreign judgment, writ, decree, order, statute, rule 
or regulation applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any) 
or any of their respective assets or properties; or (iii) any Company 
Material Agreement (as defined in 


                                     -16-
<PAGE>

Section 3.12) or any other material undertaking, understanding, letter of 
intent, memorandum of understanding or commitment (whether verbal or in 
writing) to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any) is a party 
or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any) or any of their 
respective assets or properties are bound.

         3.6 LITIGATION. There is no action, suit, arbitration, mediation, 
litigation, proceeding, claim or investigation pending against the Company or 
any of its subsidiaries (or against any officer, director, employee or agent 
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in their capacity as such or 
relating to their employment, services or relationship with the Company or 
such subsidiary) before any court, administrative agency or arbitrator, nor, 
to the Company's knowledge, has any such action, suit, proceeding, 
arbitration, mediation, claim or investigation been threatened in writing to 
the Company or any of its subsidiaries since its inception, or otherwise 
overtly threatened since June 30, 1997 (other than actions, suits, 
arbitrations, mediations, litigations, proceedings, claims or investigations 
commenced or threatened, respectively, after the Agreement Date which could 
not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company 
and that could not prevent, enjoin, or materially alter or delay the 
consummation of the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this 
Agreement or any Company Ancillary Agreement). There is no judgment, decree, 
injunction, rule or order of any governmental entity or agency, court or 
arbitrator outstanding against the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other 
than judgments, decrees, injunctions, rules or orders first rendered or 
entered against the Company after the Agreement Date which could not 
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and 
that could not prevent, enjoin, or materially alter or delay the consummation 
of the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement or any 
Company Ancillary Agreement). To the Company's knowledge, there is no basis 
for any person, firm, corporation or other entity to assert a claim against 
the Company based upon: (a) the Company's entering into this Agreement or any 
Company Ancillary Agreement or consummating the Merger or any of the 
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Company Ancillary 
Agreement; (b) a disputed claim of ownership of any shares of the capital 
stock of the Company, or of any option, warrant or other right to acquire 
ownership of any shares of the capital stock of the Company or (c) any rights 
as a Company stockholder, including any option, warrant or preemptive rights 
or rights to notice or to vote.

         3.7  TAXES.

              3.7.1 The Company and each of its subsidiaries have timely 
filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed 
by it, has timely paid all taxes required to be paid by it in respect of all 
periods for which returns have been filed, has established an adequate 
accrual or reserve for the payment of all taxes payable in respect of the 
periods subsequent to the periods covered by the most recent applicable tax 
returns (which accrual or reserve as of the Balance Sheet Date (as defined in 
Section 3.8 below) is fully reflected on the Balance Sheet (as defined in 
Section 3.8 below)), has made all necessary estimated tax payments, and has 
no material liability for taxes in excess of the amount so paid or accruals 
or reserves so established. Neither the Company any of its subsidiaries is 
delinquent in the payment of any tax or in the filing of any tax returns, and 
no deficiencies for any tax of the Company or any of its subsidiaries have 
been threatened, claimed, proposed or assessed against the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, employees or agents in 
their capacity as such. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have 
received any notification that any material issues have been raised by 


                                     -17-
<PAGE>

(or are currently pending) before the Internal Revenue Service or any other 
taxing authority (including but not limited to any sales or use tax 
authority) regarding the Company or any of its subsidiaries and no tax return 
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has ever been audited by the 
Internal Revenue Service or any state or local taxing agency or authority. No 
tax liens have been filed against any assets of the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries. The Company and its subsidiaries have each withheld with 
respect to each of its employees and independent contractors all taxes, 
including but not limited to federal and state income taxes, FICA, Medicare, 
FUTA and other taxes, required to be withheld, and paid such withheld amounts 
to the appropriate tax authority within the time prescribed by law.

              3.7.2 The Company has provided to Cadence true and complete 
copies of all tax returns, including foreign, federal and state income or 
franchise tax returns and state sales and use tax returns with respect to the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective assets or 
operations, for all periods since (or beginning on) January 1, 1995.

              3.7.3 For the purposes of this Section, (a) the terms "TAX" and 
"TAXES" include all federal, state, local and foreign income, alternative or 
add-on minimum income, gains, franchise, excise, property, property transfer, 
sales, use, employment, license, payroll, ad valorem, payroll, documentary, 
stamp, occupation, recording, value added or transfer taxes, and other 
governmental charges, fees, customs duties, levies or assessments of a nature 
similar to taxes (whether payable directly or by withholding) and, with 
respect to any such taxes, any estimated tax, interest, fines and penalties 
or additions to tax and interest on such fines, penalties and additions to 
tax and (b) the term "RETURNS" shall mean all reports, estimates, 
declarations of estimated tax, information statements and returns relating 
to, or required to be filed with connection with, any taxes, including 
information returns or reports with respect to backup withholding and other 
payments to third parties.

         3.8  COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

              3.8.1 The Company has delivered to Cadence the Company's 
audited consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 1996, 1997 and 1998 and 
the Company's audited consolidated statements of income, statements of cash 
flows and statements of stockholders' equity for each of the years ended June 
30, 1996, 1997 and 1998 (all such financial statements of the Company and its 
subsidiaries the notes thereto are hereinafter collectively referred to as 
the "COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS"). The Company Financial Statements (a) are 
derived from and in accordance with the books and records of the Company and 
its subsidiaries, (b) fairly present the consolidated financial condition of 
the Company at the dates therein indicated and the results of operations for 
the periods therein specified and (c) have been prepared in accordance with 
generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis consistent with 
prior periods (except as otherwise noted in the notes thereto).

              3.8.2 The Company and its subsidiaries have no material debt, 
liability or obligation of any nature, whether accrued, absolute, contingent 
or otherwise, and whether due or to become due, except for (i) those shown on 
the Company's audited consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 1998 (the 
"BALANCE SHEET"), (ii) those disclosed in the Company Disclosure Letter and 
not required by generally accepted accounting principles to be shown on the 
Balance Sheet, and (iii) those that may have been incurred after June 30, 
1998, the date of the Balance Sheet (the 


                                     -18-
<PAGE>

"BALANCE SHEET DATE") in the ordinary course of the Company's business 
consistent with its past practices (other than liabilities for Transaction 
Expenses (as defined in Section 12.7)). All reserves established by the 
Company and set forth in or reflected in the Balance Sheet were established 
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently 
applied. At the Balance Sheet Date, there were no material loss contingencies 
(as such term is used in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 5 
issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in March 1975) which are 
not adequately provided for in the Balance Sheet as required by said 
Statement No. 5. SCHEDULE 3.8 to the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth all 
liabilities and debts to the Company or any subsidiary thereof from any 
holder of Company Preferred Stock, Company Common Stock or Company Options, 
including, the dollar amount of each such liability, the date or dates on 
which such amounts are due and payable and the rate of interest, if any, on 
such liability or debt.

         3.9 TITLE TO PROPERTIES. The Company and each of its subsidiaries 
have good and marketable title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all of 
their respective assets and properties (including but not limited to those 
shown on the Balance Sheet), free and clear of all mortgages, deeds of trust, 
security interests, pledges, liens, title retention devices, collateral 
assignments, claims, charges, restrictions or other encumbrances of any kind, 
other than (a) liens for current taxes that are not yet due and payable and 
(b) imperfections of title and liens, restrictions and encumbrances that do 
not materially interfere with the use of any material assets or properties by 
the Company or such subsidiary in the ordinary course of business and that do 
not secure material obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. 
All material machinery, vehicles, equipment and other tangible personal 
property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries or used in its 
business are in reasonably good operating condition and repair, normal wear 
and tear excepted, and all leases of real or material personal property to 
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party are fully effective 
and afford the Company or its subsidiary, as applicable, peaceful and 
undisturbed leasehold possession of the real or personal property that is the 
subject of the lease. Neither the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in 
violation of any zoning, building, safety or environmental ordinance, 
regulation or requirement or other law or regulation applicable to the 
operation of its owned or leased properties (the violation of which would 
result in a Material Adverse Effect on the Company), nor has the Company 
received any notice of violation of law with which it has not complied.
Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns any real property.

         3.10 ABSENCE OF CERTAIN CHANGES. Since the Balance Sheet Date, there 
has not been with respect to the Company or any of its subsidiaries any:

              (a) material adverse change, or occurrence of any event or 
condition that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse 
change in the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, 
liabilities, businesses, operations or results of operations of the Company 
or any of its subsidiaries;

              (b) amendment or change in the Articles of Incorporation or 
Bylaws of the Company;

              (c) incurrence, creation or assumption by the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries of (i) any mortgage, deed of trust, security interest, 
pledge, lien, title retention device, 


                                     -19-
<PAGE>

collateral assignment, claim, charge, restriction or other encumbrance of any 
kind on any of the assets or properties of the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries or (ii) any obligation or liability in respect of any 
indebtedness for borrowed money (other than borrowings after November 15, 
1998 of not more than $50,000 in any calendar month (net of any repayments of 
any indebtedness for borrowed money made in such month);

              (d) issuance or sale of any debt or equity securities of the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than the issuance of shares of 
Company Common Stock upon the exercise of Company Options granted under a 
Company Option Plan or from the 1,100,000 reserve of shares of Company Common 
Stock reserved for Non-Plan Options described in Section 3.4.2 or upon the 
exercise of Company Warrants) or any options, warrants or other rights to 
acquire from the Company or any of its subsidiaries, directly or indirectly, 
any debt or equity securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries 
(other than grants of Company Options disclosed in SCHEDULE 3.4.1 to the 
Company Disclosure Letter); except that after November 15, 1998, the Company 
may grant options to purchase up to an aggregate of 200,000 shares of Company 
Common Stock to employees under a Company Option Plan, PROVIDED THAT (i) no 
one employee may be granted options to purchase more than an aggregate of 
25,000 shares of Common Stock; (ii) any such options shall provide for 
vesting of the right to exercise such option over a four year period (or a 
three year period beginning on the first anniversary of the date of the grant 
of such option), on a linear monthly or quarterly basis, and (iii) such 
option shall not provide for acceleration of vesting or for the lapse or 
termination of any restrictions, or rights of the Company, upon the Closing, 
the Effective Time or any other event.

              (e) payment or discharge by the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries of any security interest, lien, claim, or encumbrance of any 
kind on any asset or property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or 
the payment or discharge of any liability that was not either shown on the 
Balance Sheet or incurred in the ordinary course of the Company's business 
after the Balance Sheet Date in an amount not in excess of $50,000 for any 
single liability to a particular creditor;

              (f) purchase, license, sale, assignment or other disposition or 
transfer (or any agreement or other arrangement for the purchase, license, 
sale, assignment or other disposition or transfer), of any of the assets, 
properties or goodwill of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than a 
non-exclusive license of any product or products of the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries made in the ordinary course of the Company's business consistent 
with its past practices and other than purchases in the ordinary course of 
business of assets having a purchase price of less than $4,000 on an 
individual basis and less than $40,000 in aggregate;

              (g) damage, destruction or loss of any property or asset, 
whether or not covered by insurance, having (or reasonably likely with the 
passage of time to have) a Material Adverse Effect on the Company;

              (h) declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend on, 
or the making of any other distribution in respect of, any shares of the 
capital stock of the Company, any split, combination or recapitalization of 
the capital stock of the Company or any direct or indirect redemption, 
purchase or other acquisition of any shares of the capital stock of the 
Company or any change in any rights, preferences, privileges or restrictions 
of any outstanding stock or other security of the Company;


                                     -20-
<PAGE>

              (i) change or increase in the compensation payable or to become 
payable to any of the officers, directors, or employees of the Company or any 
of its subsidiaries, or any bonus or pension, insurance or other benefit 
payment or arrangement (including without limitation stock awards, stock 
appreciation rights or stock option grants) made to or with any of such 
officers, employees or agents except in connection with normal employee 
salary or performance reviews or otherwise in the ordinary course of the 
Company's business;

              (j) change in the composition of the management, supervisory 
or other key personnel of the Company;

              (k) obligation or liability incurred by the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries to any of its officers, directors or stockholders except for 
normal and customary compensation and expense allowances payable to officers 
in the ordinary course of the Company's business consistent with its past 
practices;

              (l) making by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any 
loan, advance or capital contribution to, or any investment in, any officer, 
director or stockholder of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, 
any firm or business enterprise in which any such person had a direct or 
indirect material interest at the time of such loan, advance, capital 
contribution or investment;

              (m) entering into, amendment of, relinquishment, termination or 
non-renewal by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any contract, lease, 
transaction, commitment or other right or obligation other than in the 
ordinary course of its business, consistent with past practices, or the 
receipt by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any written or oral 
indication or assertion by the other party thereto of problems of a material 
nature with the Company's products, services or performance under such 
contract, lease, transaction, commitment or other right or obligation or its 
desire to amend, relinquish, terminate or not renew any such contract, lease, 
transaction, commitment or other right or obligation;

              (n) material change in the manner in which the Company or any 
of its subsidiaries extends discounts or credits to customers or otherwise 
deals with its customers;

              (o) entering into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of 
any transaction, contract or agreement that by its terms requires or 
contemplates a current and/or future financial commitment, expense or 
obligation on the part of the Company or any of its subsidiaries involving in 
excess of $50,000 or that is not entered into in the ordinary course of the 
Company's business consistent with its past practices, or the conduct of any 
business or operations other than in the ordinary course of the Company's 
business consistent with its past practices;

              (p) any license, transfer or grant of a right under any Company 
IP Rights (as defined in Section 3.13 below), other than those licensed, 
transferred or granted in the ordinary course of the Company's business 
consistent with its past practices; or

              (q) any agreement or arrangement made by the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries to take any action which, if taken prior to the Agreement 
Date, would have made any 


                                     -21-

<PAGE>

representation or warranty of the Company set forth in Article 3 of this 
Agreement untrue or incorrect as of the date when made.

         3.11 CONTRACTS AND COMMITMENTS. SCHEDULE 3.11 to the Company 
Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of each of the following written or oral 
contracts, agreements, commitments or other instruments to which the Company 
or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries or any of their respective assets or properties is bound:

              (a) any distributor, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), VAR 
(Value Added Reseller), sales representative or similar agreement under which 
any third party is authorized to sell, sublicense, lease, distribute, market 
or take orders for, any product or technology of the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries or marketed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries;

              (b) any continuing contract for the future purchase, sale, 
license, provision or manufacture of products, material, supplies, equipment 
or services requiring payment to or from the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries in an amount in excess of $50,000 per annum which is not 
terminable on ninety (90) days' or less notice without cost or other 
liability to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than non-exclusive 
licenses granted by the Company in the ordinary course of business consistent 
with past practices, on terms consistent in all material respects (other than 
the dollar amount of license fees and royalties) with the forms of license 
agreements provided to counsel to Cadence prior to the Agreement Date);

              (c) any contract or commitment in which the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries has granted or received manufacturing rights, most favored 
customer pricing provisions or exclusive marketing rights relating to any 
product or service, any group of products or services or any territory;

              (d) any contract providing for the development of software, 
semiconductor designs or other technology or intellectual property for the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries, or the license of any software, 
semiconductor designs, other technology or intellectual property to the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries, which software, semiconductor designs, 
other technology or intellectual property is used or incorporated in any 
product currently sold, licensed, leased, distributed or marketed by the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any service currently provided or 
marketed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or is contemplated to be 
used or incorporated in any products to be sold, licensed, leased, 
distributed or marketed or services to be provided or marketed by the Company 
or any of its subsidiaries (OTHER THAN software marketed to, and generally 
available to, the public at a per copy license fee of less than $10,000 per 
copy);

              (e) any joint venture or partnership contract or agreement or 
other agreement which has involved or is reasonably expected to involve a 
sharing of profits or losses with any other party;

              (f) any contract or commitment for or relating to the 
employment of any officer, employee or consultant of the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries or any other type of contract or understanding with any 
officer, employee or consultant of the Company or any of its subsidiaries 
that is not immediately terminable by the Company (or such subsidiary, as the 
case 


                                     -22-
<PAGE>

may be) without cost or other liability, and any contract or understanding 
with any independent contractor or consultant providing services in 
connection with any Company IP Rights (as defined in Section 3.13) or the 
development of any product, or feature or component thereof, by or for the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries;

              (g) any indenture, mortgage, trust deed, promissory note, loan 
agreement, security agreement, guarantee or other agreement or commitment for 
the borrowing of money, for a line of credit or for a leasing transaction of 
a type required to be capitalized in accordance with Statement of Financial 
Accounting Standards No. 13 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board;

              (h) any lease or other agreement under which the Company or any 
of its subsidiaries is lessee of or holds or operates any items of tangible 
personal property or real property owned by any third party and under which 
payments to such third party exceed $50,000 per annum;

              (i) any agreement or arrangement for the sale of any assets, 
properties, services or rights having a value in excess of $50,000, other 
than in the ordinary course of the Company's business consistent with its 
past practices;

              (j) any agreement that restricts or prohibits the Company or 
any of its subsidiaries from freely engaging in any aspect of its business, 
from participating or competing in any line of business or that restricts the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries from engaging in any business in any 
geographic area;

              (k) any Company IP Rights Agreement (as defined in Section 
3.13);

              (l) any agreement relating to the sale, issuance, grant, 
exercise, award, purchase, repurchase or redemption of any shares of capital 
stock or other securities of the Company or any options, warrants or other 
rights to purchase or otherwise acquire any such shares of stock, other 
securities or options, warrants or other rights therefor;

              (m) consulting or similar agreement under which the Company or 
any of its subsidiaries provides any advice or services to a customer of the 
Company for an annual compensation to the Company (or such subsidiary, as the 
case may be) of $50,000 per year or more;

              (n) any contract with or commitment to any labor union;

              (o) any contract or arrangement under which the Company or any 
of its subsidiaries has made any commitment to develop any new technology, to 
deliver any software currently under development or to enhance or customize 
any software (other than agreements to deliver updates or upgrades on terms 
and conditions described in SCHEDULE 3.11 to the Company Disclosure Letter); 
or

              (p) any other agreement, contract, commitment (whether verbal 
or in writing) or instrument that is material to the business of the Company 
or that involves a future commitment by the Company in excess of $50,000.


                                     -23-
<PAGE>

              A copy of each agreement or document required by this Section 
to be listed on SCHEDULE 3.11 to the Company Disclosure Letter (such 
agreements and documents being hereinafter collectively referred to as the 
"COMPANY MATERIAL AGREEMENTS") has been delivered to Cadence's counsel.

         3.12 NO DEFAULT; NO CONSENT REQUIRED; NO RESTRICTIONS. Neither the 
Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in breach or default under any Company 
Material Agreement (except for breaches and defaults that in the aggregate 
have not had, and would not reasonably be expected to have, a Material 
Adverse Effect on the Company). Neither the Company nor any of its 
subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or arrangement which has 
had, or, to the knowledge of the Company, could reasonably be expected to 
have, a Material Adverse Effect on the Company. Neither the Company nor any 
of its subsidiaries has any material liability for renegotiation of 
government contracts or subcontracts, if any. No consent or approval of any 
third party is required to ensure that, following the Effective Time, any 
Company Material Agreement will continue to be in full force and effect 
without any breach or violation thereof caused by virtue of the Merger or by 
any other transaction called for by this Agreement, the Agreement of Merger 
or any Company Ancillary Agreement. Neither the Company's entering into this 
Agreement nor the consummation of the Merger will give rise to, or trigger 
the application of, any material rights of any party to any Company Material 
Agreement. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to, and 
no asset or property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or 
affected by, any judgment, injunction, order, decree, contract, covenant or 
agreement (noncompete or otherwise) that restricts or prohibits (or purports 
to restrict or prohibit) the Company or any of its subsidiaries from freely 
engaging in any business now conducted by any of them or from competing 
anywhere in the world (including without limitation any contracts, covenants 
or agreements restricting the geographic area in which the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries may sell, license, market, distribute or support any 
products or technology or provide services, or restricting the markets, 
customers or industries that the Company or any of its subsidiaries may 
address in operating their respective businesses), or includes any grants of 
exclusive licenses. No event has occurred, and no circumstance or condition 
exists, that (with or without notice or lapse of time) will, or would 
reasonably be expected to, (a) result in a violation or breach by the Company 
or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company's knowledge, any other party, 
of any of the provisions of any Company Material Agreement, (b) give any 
third party (i) the right to declare a default or exercise any remedy under 
any Company Material Agreement, (ii) the right to a rebate, chargeback, 
penalty or change in delivery schedule under any Company Material Agreement, 
(iii) the right to accelerate the maturity or performance of any obligation 
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Company Material 
Agreement, or (iv) the right to cancel, terminate or modify any Company 
Material Agreement, except in each such case for violations, breaches, 
defaults, acceleration rights, termination rights and other rights that in 
the aggregate have not had, and could not reasonably be expected to have, a 
Material Adverse Effect on the Company. Since June 30, 1998 and prior to the 
date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company 
has received any written communication or notice or, to the Company's 
knowledge, any other communication, regarding any actual or possible material 
violation or material breach of, or default under, any Company Material 
Agreement.


                                     -24-
<PAGE>

         3.13  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

              3.13.1 The Company and its subsidiaries own, or have the valid 
right or license to use, possess, sell or license, all Intellectual Property 
Rights (as defined below) necessary or required for the conduct of the 
business of the Company and its subsidiaries as presently conducted, and such 
rights to use, possess, sell or license are sufficient for such conduct of 
such business. As used herein: (i) the term "INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS" 
means, collectively, all worldwide industrial and intellectual property 
rights, including, without limitation, patents, patent applications, patent 
rights, trademarks, service marks, trademark and service mark registrations 
and applications therefor, trade dress rights, trade names, copyrights, 
copyright registrations and applications therefor, mask work rights, mask 
work registrations and applications therefor, franchises, licenses, 
inventions, trade secrets, know-how, customer lists, supplier lists, 
proprietary processes and formulae, software source and object code, 
algorithms, net lists, architectures, structures, screen displays, layouts, 
inventions, development tools, designs, blueprints, specifications, technical 
drawings (or similar information in electronic format) and all documentation 
and media constituting, describing or relating to the above, including, 
without limitation, manuals, programmers' notes, memoranda and records; and 
(ii) the term "COMPANY IP RIGHTS" means the Intellectual Property Rights that 
the Company or any of its subsidiaries own or have the right or license to 
use, possess, sell or license.

              3.13.2 The execution, delivery and performance of this 
Agreement, the Agreement of Merger and the consummation of the Merger and the 
other transactions contemplated hereby and/or by the Company Ancillary 
Agreements will not constitute a material breach of or default under any 
instrument, contract, license or other agreement governing any Company IP 
Right to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party 
(collectively, the "COMPANY IP RIGHTS AGREEMENTS"), will not cause the 
forfeiture or termination of, or give rise to a right of forfeiture or 
termination of, any Company IP Right or materially impair the right of the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Surviving Corporation to use, 
possess, sell or license any Company IP Right or portion thereof. There are 
no royalties, honoraria, fees or other payments payable by the Company to any 
third person by reason of the ownership, use, possession, license, sale or 
disposition of any Company IP Rights by the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries.

              3.13.3 Neither the manufacture, marketing, license, sale, 
furnishing or intended use of any product or service currently licensed, 
marketed, utilized, sold, provided or furnished by the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries or currently under development by the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries violates any license or agreement between the Company and any 
third party or infringes or misappropriates any Intellectual Property Right 
of any other party. There is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, 
threatened claim or litigation contesting the validity, ownership or right of 
the Company or any of its subsidiaries to use, possess, sell, license or 
dispose of any Company IP Right or any other Intellectual Property Rights 
used or embodied in any product marketed or licensed, or under development, 
by the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is there any basis for 
any such claim, nor has the Company received any notice asserting that any 
Company IP Right or the proposed use, sale, license or disposition thereof, 
or of any other Intellectual Property Rights used or embodied in any product 
marketed or licensed, or under development, by the Company, conflicts or will 
conflict with the rights of any other party, nor, to the knowledge of the 
Company, is there any basis for any such assertion.


                                     -25-
<PAGE>

              3.13.4 The Company has taken all measures customary and 
standard in its industry to protect, preserve and maintain the secrecy and 
confidentiality of the Company IP Rights and all the Company's proprietary 
rights therein. All officers, employees and consultants of the Company and 
its subsidiaries having access to proprietary information have executed and 
delivered to the Company an agreement regarding the protection of such 
proprietary information and the assignment of inventions to the Company; and 
copies of the form of all such agreements have been delivered to Cadence's 
counsel. The Company has secured valid written assignments from all 
consultants and employees who were involved in, or who contributed to, the 
creation or development of any Company IP Rights, or any other Intellectual 
Property Rights used or embodied in any product marketed or licensed, or 
under development, by the Company, of the rights to such contributions that 
the Company does not already own by operation of law. No current or former 
employee, officer, director, consultant or independent contractor of the 
Company or any subsidiary of the Company has any right, license, claim or 
interest whatsoever in or with respect to any Company IP Rights.

              3.13.5 SCHEDULE 3.13.5 to the Company Disclosure Letter 
contains a complete list of: (i) all worldwide registrations of any patents, 
copyrights, mask works, trademarks and service marks with any governmental 
authority; (ii) all applications, registrations, filings and other formal 
actions made or taken pursuant to federal, state and foreign laws by the 
Company to secure, perfect or protect its interest in any Company IP Rights, 
including without limitation all patent applications, copyright applications, 
and applications for registration of trademarks and service marks; and (iii) 
all unregistered copyrights, trademarks and service marks. All patents and 
all registered trademarks, service marks and copyrights held by the Company 
or its subsidiaries are valid, enforceable and subsisting.

              3.13.6 SCHEDULE 3.13.6 to the Company Disclosure Letter 
contains a complete list of: (i) all licenses, sublicenses and other 
agreements as to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party and 
pursuant to which any person is authorized to use any Company IP Rights, and 
(ii) all licenses, sublicenses and other agreements to which the Company or 
any of its subsidiaries is a party and pursuant to which the Company or any 
of its subsidiaries is authorized to use any third party Intellectual 
Property Rights, including software ("THIRD PARTY IP RIGHTS") which would be 
infringed by, embody or are incorporated in, or form a part of, any product 
or service sold, licensed, distributed or marketed by the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries.

              3.13.7 To the Company's knowledge, there is no unauthorized 
use, disclosure, infringement or misappropriation of any Company IP Rights or 
any Intellectual Property Right of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by 
any third party, including any employee or former employee of the Company or 
any of its subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has 
agreed to indemnify any person for any infringement of any Intellectual 
Property Rights of any third party by any product or service that has been 
sold, licensed, leased, supplied or provided by the Company.

              3.13.8 Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to 
the knowledge of the Company, any other party acting on its or their behalf, 
has disclosed or delivered to any party, or permitted the disclosure or 
delivery to any escrow agent or other party of any Company Source Code (as 
defined below). No event has occurred, and no circumstance or condition 
exists, that (with or without notice or lapse of time) will, or would 
reasonably be expected to, result in the 


                                     -26-
<PAGE>

disclosure or delivery to any party of any Company Source Code. SCHEDULE 
3.13.8 of the Company Disclosure Letter identifies each contract, agreement 
and instrument (written or oral) pursuant to which the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries has deposited, or is or may be required to deposit, with an 
escrowholder or any other party, any Company Source Code and further 
describes whether the execution of this Agreement or the consummation of the 
Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby, in and of 
itself, would reasonably be expected to result in the release from escrow of 
any Company Source Code. As used in this Section 3.13.8, "COMPANY SOURCE 
CODE" means, collectively, any source code, or any material portion or aspect 
of the source code, or any material proprietary information or algorithm 
contained in or relating to any source code, of any Company IP Rights or any 
other product marketed or licensed, or under development, by the Company or 
any of its subsidiaries.

              3.13.9 To the Company's knowledge, all software licensed by the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries and all other products manufactured, sold, 
licensed, leased or delivered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries and 
all services provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries to customers 
conform in all material respects to applicable contractual commitments, 
express and implied warranties, product specifications and product 
documentation and to any representations provided to customers regarding such 
software, products or services and neither the Company nor any of its 
subsidiaries has any material liability (and, to the Company's knowledge, 
there is no basis for any present or future action, suit, proceeding, 
hearing, investigation, charge, complaint, claim or demand against the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries giving rise to any liability that could 
have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company) for replacement or repair 
thereof or other damages in connection therewith in excess of any reserves 
therefor reflected on the Balance Sheet. Except as expressly set forth in 
SCHEDULE 3.13.9 to the Company Disclosure Letter, no software licensed by the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries or any product manufactured, sold, leased 
or delivered by the Company or any of its subsidiaries and no service 
provided by the Company or any of its subsidiaries to customers is subject to 
any guaranty, warranty or other indemnity or rights of return or exchange. 
All sales and licenses by the Company (or any subsidiary thereof) of software 
or products have been made on the terms set forth in the forms of licenses 
and other agreements provided to Cadence and its counsel prior to the 
Agreement Date, and there are no material terms of such sale and licenses 
(other than terms implied by law in all such licenses) that are not set forth 
in such forms. Since January 1, 1998, neither the Company nor any of its 
subsidiaries has had any of its respective products returned by a purchaser 
thereof except for normal warranty returns consistent with past history and 
those returns that would not result in a reversal of any material amount of 
revenue recognized by the Company on any of its financial statements from 
such purchases. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is under any 
liability or obligation, and no such outstanding claim has been made, with 
respect to the return of inventory or products in the possession of 
customers, licensees, distributors, retailers, or end-users, except such 
liabilities, obligations and claims as, in the aggregate, do not exceed 
$100,000.

              3.13.10 All of the software products developed, owned, licensed 
and/or marketed or distributed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are 
Year 2000 Compliant (as defined below). "YEAR 2000 COMPLIANT" means, as 
applied to a software product, that: (i) such software product will operate 
and correctly store, represent and process (including sort) all dates 
(including single and multi-century formulas and leap year calculations), 
such that errors will not occur when 


                                     -27-
<PAGE>

the date being used is in the Year 2000, or in a year preceding or following 
the Year 2000; (ii) such software product has been written and tested to 
support numeric and date transitions from the twentieth century to the 
twenty-first century, and back (including without limitation all 
calculations, aging, reporting, printing, displays, reversals, disaster and 
vital records recoveries) without error, corruption or impact to current 
and/or future operations; and (iii) such software product will function 
without error or interruption related to any date information, specifically 
including errors or interruptions from functions which may involve date 
information from more than one century, in each case except where the same 
could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the 
Company. The Company will not be required to incur any material expense to 
make any one or more of its products Year 2000 Complaint.

         3.14 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS. The Company and each subsidiary of the 
Company has complied, and is now and at the Closing Date will be in 
compliance, in all material respects with all applicable federal, state, 
local or foreign laws, ordinances, regulations, and rules, and all orders, 
writs, injunctions, awards, judgments, and decrees applicable to it or to its 
assets, properties, and business. The Company and each subsidiary of the 
Company holds all permits, licenses and approvals from, and has made all 
filings with, government agencies and authorities, that are necessary in 
connection with its present business ("GOVERNMENTAL PERMITS") and all such 
Governmental Permits are in full force and effect, except where the failure 
to hold any such Governmental Permit or make such filings has not had, and 
could not reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect on the 
Company. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any 
notice or other communication from any Governmental Authority regarding (a) 
any actual or possible violation of law or any Governmental Permit or any 
failure to comply with any term or requirement of any Governmental Permit, or 
(b) any actual or possible revocation, withdrawal, suspension, cancellation, 
termination or modification of any Governmental Permit. Neither the Company 
nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director, officer, agent or employee of 
the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries, has, for or on behalf of the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries, (i) used any funds for unlawful 
contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to 
political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic 
government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political parties 
or campaigns or violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 
of 1977, as amended, or (iii) made any other unlawful payment.

         3.15 CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS AND AGREEMENTS. To the knowledge of the 
Company, (i) none of the officers, directors, employees or stockholders of 
the Company, nor any member of their immediate families, has any direct or 
indirect ownership interest in any firm or corporation that competes with, or 
does business with, or has any contractual arrangement with, the Company 
(except with respect to any interest in less than one percent (1%) of the 
stock of any corporation whose stock is publicly traded); (ii) none of said 
officers, directors, employees or stockholders or any member of their 
immediate families, is directly or indirectly a party to, or otherwise 
interested in, any contract or informal arrangement with the Company, except 
for normal compensation for services as an officer, director or employee 
thereof that have been disclosed to Cadence and except for agreements related 
to the purchase of the stock of the Company by, or the grant of Company 
Options to, such persons; and (iii) none of said officers, directors, 
employees or stockholders or family members has any interest in any property, 
real or personal, tangible or intangible (including but not limited to any 
the Company IP Rights or any other Intellectual Property Rights) that is 


                                     -28-
<PAGE>

used in or that pertains to the business of the Company, except for the 
normal rights of a stockholder.

         3.16  EMPLOYEES, ERISA AND OTHER COMPLIANCE.

              3.16.1 The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance in 
all material respects with all applicable laws, agreements and contracts 
relating to employment, employment practices, wages, hours, and terms and 
conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, employee 
compensation matters. A list of all employees, officers, consultants and 
independent contractors of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the date of 
this Agreement and their then-current title and/or job description and 
compensation is set forth on SCHEDULE 3.16.1 to the Company Disclosure 
Letter. The Company and its subsidiaries do not have any employment contracts 
or consulting agreements currently in effect that are not terminable at will 
(other than agreements with the sole purpose of providing for the 
confidentiality of proprietary information or assignment of inventions). All 
independent contractors have been properly classified as independent 
contractors for the purposes of federal and applicable state tax laws, laws 
applicable to employee benefits and other applicable law.

              3.16.2 Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) now 
is, nor has ever been, subject to a union organizing effort, (ii) is subject 
to any collective bargaining agreement with respect to any of its employees, 
(iii) is subject to any other contract, written or oral, with any trade or 
labor union, employees' association or similar organization or (iv) has any 
current labor disputes. The Company and its subsidiaries have good labor 
relations, and the Company has no knowledge of any facts indicating that the 
consummation of the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated 
hereby will have a material adverse effect on such labor relations. As of the 
date of this Agreement, the Company has no knowledge that any of its or any 
of its subsidiaries' key employees intends to leave their employ. There are 
no controversies pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries, threatened, between the Company or any of its subsidiaries (on 
the one hand) and any of their respective employees (on the other hand), 
which controversies have or could reasonably be expected to have a Material 
Adverse Effect on the Company. All of the employees of the Company and its 
subsidiaries are legally permitted to be employed by the Company or its 
subsidiaries in the United States of America.

              3.16.3 Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any 
pension plan which constitutes, or has since the enactment of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA") constituted, a 
"multiemployer plan" as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA. No pension plan of 
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject to Title IV of ERISA.

              3.16.4 SCHEDULE 3.16.4 to the Company Disclosure Letter lists 
each employment, severance or other similar contract, arrangement or policy, 
each "employee benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and each 
plan or arrangement (written or oral) providing for insurance coverage 
(including any self-insured arrangements), workers' benefits, vacation 
benefits, severance benefits, disability benefits, death benefits, 
hospitalization benefits, retirement benefits, deferred compensation, 
profit-sharing, bonuses, stock options, stock purchase, phantom stock, stock 
appreciation or other forms of incentive compensation or post-retirement 
insurance, compensation or benefits for employees, consultants or directors 
which is entered into, maintained or contributed to by the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries and covers any employee or former 


                                     -29-
<PAGE>

employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Such contracts, plans and 
arrangements as are described in this Section 3.16.4 are hereinafter 
collectively referred to as COMPANY BENEFIT ARRANGEMENTS." Each Company 
Benefit Arrangement has been maintained in compliance in all material 
respects with its terms and with the requirements prescribed by any and all 
statutes, orders, rules and regulations that are applicable to such Company 
Benefit Arrangement, and each such Company Benefit Arrangement that is an 
"employee pension benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA which is 
intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable 
determination letter that such plan satisfied the requirements of the Tax 
Reform Act of 1986 (a copy of which letter(s), if any, have been delivered to 
Cadence and its counsel). The Company has delivered to Cadence or its counsel 
a complete and correct copy and description of each Company Benefit 
Arrangement. The Company has timely filed and delivered to Cadence and its 
counsel the most recent annual report (Form 5500) for each Company Benefit 
Arrangement that is an "employee benefit plan" as defined under ERISA. The 
Company has never been a participant in any "prohibited transaction", within 
the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA with respect to any employee pension 
benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) which the Company sponsors 
as employer or in which Company participates as an employer, which was not 
otherwise exempt pursuant to Section 408 of ERISA (including any individual 
exemption granted under Section 408(a) of ERISA), or which could result in an 
excise tax under the Code. All contributions due from the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries as of the Balance Sheet Date with respect to any of the 
Company Benefit Arrangements have been made or have been accrued on the 
Balance Sheet and no further contributions will be due or will have accrued 
thereunder as of the Closing Date other than amounts consistent with the 
amounts paid or accrued in the periods reflected on the Company Financial 
Statements. All individuals who, pursuant to the terms of any Company Benefit 
Arrangement, are entitled to participate in any such Company Benefit 
Arrangement, are currently participating in such Company Benefit Arrangement 
or have been offered an opportunity to do so and have declined.

              3.16.5 There has been no amendment to, written interpretation 
or announcement (whether or not written) by the Company or any of its 
subsidiaries relating to, or change in employee participation or coverage 
under, any Company Benefit Arrangement that would increase materially the 
expense of maintaining such Company Benefit Arrangement above the level of 
the expense incurred in respect thereof for the Company's fiscal year ended 
June 30, 1998.

              3.16.6 The group health plans (as defined in Section 4980B(g) 
of the Code) that benefit employees of the Company are in compliance, in all 
material respects, with the continuation coverage requirements of Section 
4980B of the Code as such requirements affect the Company and its employees. 
As of the Closing Date, there will be no material outstanding, uncorrected 
violations under the Consolidation Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, 
as amended ("COBRA"), with respect to any of the Company Benefit 
Arrangements, covered employees, or qualified beneficiaries that could result 
in a Material Adverse Effect on the Company, or in a Material Adverse Effect 
on Cadence after the Effective Time.

              3.16.7 No benefit payable or which may become payable by the 
Company pursuant to any Company Benefit Arrangement or as a result of or 
arising under this Agreement or the Agreement of Merger will constitute an 
"excess parachute payment" (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code) 
which is subject to the imposition of an excise Tax under Section 4999 of the 
Code or which would not be deductible by reason of Section 280G of the 

                                     -30-
<PAGE>

Code. The Company is not a party to any: (a) agreement with any executive 
officer or other key employee thereof (i) the benefits of which are 
contingent, or the terms of which are materially altered, upon the occurrence 
of a transaction involving the Company in the nature of the Merger or any of 
the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Agreement of 
Merger or any Company Ancillary Agreement, (ii) providing any term of 
employment or compensation guarantee, or (iii) providing severance benefits 
or other benefits after the termination of employment of such employee 
regardless of the reason for such termination of employment; or (b) agreement 
or plan, including, without limitation, any stock option plan, stock 
appreciation rights plan or stock purchase plan, any of the benefits of which 
will be increased, or the vesting of benefits of which will be accelerated, 
by the occurrence of the Merger or any of the other transactions contemplated 
by this Agreement, the Agreement of Merger or any Company Ancillary 
Agreement, or the value of any of the benefits of which will be calculated on 
the basis of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the 
Agreement of Merger or any Company Ancillary Agreement.

              3.16.8 To the Company's knowledge, no employee, consultant or 
independent contractor of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company: (a) 
is in material violation of any term or covenant of any employment contract, 
patent disclosure agreement, noncompetition agreement or any other contract 
or agreement with, or obligation to, any other party by virtue of such 
employee's, consultant's, or independent contractor's being employed by, or 
performing services for, the Company or such subsidiary or using trade 
secrets or proprietary information of others, or that would be likely to have 
a Material Adverse Effect on the Company: or (b) has developed any 
technology, software or other copyrightable, patentable, or otherwise 
proprietary work for the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is subject 
to any agreement under which such employee, consultant or independent 
contractor has assigned or otherwise granted to any third party any rights 
(including without limitation Intellectual Property Rights) in such 
technology, software or other copyrightable, patentable or otherwise 
proprietary work. To the Company's knowledge, the employment of any employee 
of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company does not subject the Company 
or any such subsidiary to any liability to any third party.

              3.16.9 There are no material pending claims against the Company 
or any of its subsidiaries under any workers' compensation plan or policy or 
for long-term disability.

         3.17 CORPORATE DOCUMENTS. The Company has made available to Cadence 
for examination all documents and information listed in the Company 
Disclosure Letter or in any schedule thereto or in any other exhibit or 
schedule called for by this Agreement which have been requested by Cadence's 
legal counsel, including, without limitation, the following: (a) copies of 
the Company's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws as currently in effect; 
(b) the Company's Minute Book containing all records of all proceedings, 
consents, actions, and meetings of the Company's Stockholders, board of 
directors and any committees thereof; (c) the Company's stock ledger and 
journal reflecting all stock issuances and transfers; (d) all material 
permits, orders, and consents issued by any regulatory agency with respect to 
the Company, or any securities of the Company, and all applications for such 
permits, orders, and consents; (e) copies of any directors and officers 
insurance policies, or similar policies for the benefit of any director or 
officer, in effect on the Agreement Date (the "D&O POLICIES"); and (f) all 
Company Material Agreements.


                                     -31-

<PAGE>

         3.18 NO BROKERS. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the 
Company is obligated for the payment of any fees or expenses of any 
investment banker, broker, finder or similar party (other than fees payable 
to Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, in the amount and on the terms set 
forth in the letter dated June 17, 1998, a copy of which has been provided to 
Cadence and its counsel) in connection with the origin, negotiation or 
execution of this Agreement or the Agreement of Merger or in connection with 
the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this Agreement, and 
Cadence will incur no liability to any such investment banker, broker, finder 
or similar party in the event the Merger is not consummated or as a result of 
any act or omission (other than the consummation of the transactions 
contemplated by this Agreement) of the Company, any of its employees, 
officers, directors, stockholders, agents or affiliates.

         3.19 BOOKS AND RECORDS.

              3.19.1 The books, records and accounts of the Company and its 
subsidiaries (a) are in all material respects true, complete and correct, (b) 
have been maintained in accordance with good business practices on a basis 
consistent with prior years, (c) are stated in reasonable detail and 
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets 
of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (d) accurately and fairly reflect 
the basis for the Company Financial Statements.

              3.19.2 The Company has devised and maintains a system of 
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances 
that: (a) transactions are executed in accordance with management's general 
or specific authorization; (b) transactions are recorded as necessary (i) to 
permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally 
accepted accounting principles or any other criteria applicable to such 
statements, and (ii) to maintain accountability for assets; and (c) the 
amount recorded for assets on the books and records of the Company is 
compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate 
action is taken with respect to any differences.

         3.20 INSURANCE. During the prior two years, the Company and its 
subsidiaries have maintained, and now maintain, policies of insurance and 
bonds of the type and in amounts that it reasonably believes to be adequate 
for its business. There is no material claim pending under any of such 
policies or bonds as to which coverage has been questioned, denied or 
disputed by the underwriters of such policies or bonds. All premiums due and 
payable under all such policies and bonds have been paid and the Company and 
its subsidiaries are otherwise in compliance with the terms of such policies 
and bonds. The Company has no knowledge of any threatened termination of, or 
material premium increase with respect to, any of such policies.

         3.21 ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS.

              3.21.1 The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with 
all applicable Environmental Laws (as defined below), which compliance 
includes the possession by the Company and its subsidiaries of all permits 
and other governmental authorizations required under applicable Environmental 
Laws, and compliance with the terms and conditions thereof, except where 
non-compliance has not had, and could not reasonably be expected to have, a 
Material Adverse Effect on the Company. Neither the Company nor any of its 
subsidiaries has received any notice or other communication (in writing or 
otherwise) from a Governmental Authority that 


                                     -32-
<PAGE>

alleges that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is not in compliance with 
any Environmental Law, and there are no circumstances that could reasonably 
be expected to prevent or materially interfere with the compliance by the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries with any current Environmental Law in the 
future. To the Company's knowledge, no Materials of Environmental Concern are 
located in, on or about, or in the subsoil or groundwater of, any property 
owned, leased, occupied, operated, or controlled by the Company or any 
improvements situated thereon. All governmental authorizations currently held 
by the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to any Environmental Law 
(if any) are identified in SCHEDULE 3.21 of the Company Disclosure Letter.

              3.21.2  For purposes of this Section 3.21: (i) "ENVIRONMENTAL 
LAW" means any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law regulation or 
other legal requirement relating to pollution or protection of human health 
or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, ground water, land 
surface or subsurface strata), including any law or regulation relating to 
emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of Materials of 
Environmental Concern, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, 
distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of 
Materials of Environmental Concern; and (ii) "MATERIAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL 
CONCERN" means chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, 
petroleum and petroleum products and any other substance that is currently 
regulated by an Environmental Law or that is otherwise a danger to health, 
reproduction or the environment.

         3.22 ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE. Subject to any reserves set forth in the 
Balance Sheet, the accounts receivable shown on the Balance Sheet represent 
bona fide claims against debtors for sales and other charges, and are not 
subject to any right of offset or to any discount except for normal cash and 
immaterial trade discounts.

         3.23 VOTING AGREEMENT; IRREVOCABLE PROXIES. All of the directors of 
the Company, and the holders of at least (a) a majority of the issued and 
outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, (b) a majority of the issued and 
outstanding shares of Company Preferred Stock, (c) a majority of the issued 
and outstanding shares of the Company's Series A and Series C Preferred 
Stock, taken together, and (d) a majority of the issued and outstanding 
shares of each series of the Series D, Series E, Series G and Series I 
Preferred Stock of the Company, have agreed in writing to vote for approval 
of the Merger pursuant to voting agreements attached hereto as EXHIBIT C 
("VOTING AGREEMENTS"), and pursuant to Irrevocable Proxies attached as 
Exhibit A thereto ("IRREVOCABLE PROXIES").

         3.24 VOTE REQUIRED. The affirmative votes of the holders of: (a) a 
majority of the shares of Company Common Stock that are issued and 
outstanding on the Record Date (as defined below), plus (b) a majority of the 
shares of Company Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding on the 
Record Date, plus (c) a majority of the shares of the Company's Series A and 
Series C Preferred Stock that are issued and outstanding on the Record Date, 
voting together as a single class, plus (d) a majority of the shares of each 
series of the Series D, Series E, Series G, Series H and Series I Preferred 
Stock of the Company that are issued and outstanding on the Record Date, 
voting in each case as a separate series, are the only votes of the holders 
of any of the shares of the Company's capital stock necessary to approve this 
Agreement, the Merger, the Agreement of Merger and the other transactions 
contemplated by this Agreement. As used in this 


                                     -33-
<PAGE>

Section 3.24, the term "RECORD DATE" means the record date for determining 
those stockholders of the Company who are entitled to vote at the Company 
Stockholders' Meeting or at any action take by written consent of the 
Company's Stockholders without a meeting under applicable law.

         3.25 BOARD APPROVAL. The Board of Directors of the Company has 
unanimously (i) approved this Agreement, the Agreement of Merger, all Company 
Ancillary Agreements and the Merger, and (ii) determined that such agreements 
and the Merger are in the best interests of the stockholders of the Company 
and are on terms that are fair to such stockholders.

         3.26 NO EXISTING DISCUSSIONS. Neither the Company, nor any director 
or officer of the Company, nor any other person acting on behalf of the 
Company, is engaged, directly or indirectly, in any discussions or 
negotiations with any third party relating to any Alternative Transaction (as 
defined in Section 5.9).

         3.27 LSI AMENDMENT. LSI and the Company have executed and delivered 
the LSI Amendment in the form set forth in EXHIBIT A, and the LSI Amendment 
is in full force and effect, has not been modified or amended, and is 
enforceable against the Company (and, to the Company's knowledge, LSI) in 
accordance with its terms.

         3.28 DISCLOSURE.

              3.28.1 Neither this Agreement, its exhibits and schedules and 
the Company Disclosure Letter, nor any of the certificates or documents to be 
delivered by the Company to Cadence under this Agreement, taken together, 
contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any 
material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained herein and 
therein, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, 
not misleading.

              3.28.2 The Proxy Statement, as of the date it is first mailed 
or delivered to stockholders of the Company and at the time of the Company 
Stockholder Vote, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements 
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not 
misleading.

                                    ARTICLE 4
                REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF CADENCE AND SUB

         Cadence and Sub hereby represent and warrant to the Company that, 
except as set forth in the letter addressed to the Company from Cadence and 
dated as of the Agreement Date which has been delivered by Cadence to the 
Company concurrently herewith (the "CADENCE DISCLOSURE LETTER"), each of the 
following representations, warranties and statements in this Article 4 is 
true and correct as of the Agreement Date and will be true and correct on and 
as of the Closing Date:

         4.1 ORGANIZATION AND GOOD STANDING. Cadence is a corporation duly 
organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State 
of Delaware. Sub is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in 
good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. Cadence owns all of 
the issued and outstanding stock and other securities of Sub.


                                     -34-
<PAGE>

         4.2  POWER, AUTHORIZATION AND VALIDITY.

              4.2.1 POWER AND AUTHORITY. Cadence has all requisite corporate 
power, capacity and authority to enter into, execute, deliver and perform its 
obligations under, this Agreement and all the Cadence Ancillary Agreements. 
The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and each of the 
Cadence Ancillary Agreements by Cadence have been duly and validly approved 
and authorized by all necessary corporate action of Cadence's Board of 
Directors in compliance with applicable law and Cadence's Certificate of 
Incorporation and Bylaws, each as amended. Sub has all requisite corporate 
power, capacity and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations 
under, this Agreement and all the Sub Ancillary Agreements and to consummate 
the Merger. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and 
each of the Sub Ancillary Agreements by Sub have been duly and validly 
approved and authorized by all necessary corporate action of Sub's Board of 
Directors and sole stockholder in compliance with applicable law and Sub's 
Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws, each as amended.

              4.2.2 NO CONSENTS. No consent, approval, order or authorization 
of, or registration, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Authority, 
or any other person or entity, governmental or otherwise, is necessary or 
required to be made or obtained by Cadence or Sub to enable Cadence and Sub 
to enter into, and to perform their respective obligations under, this 
Agreement, the Cadence Ancillary Agreements or the Sub Ancillary Agreements, 
respectively, and for Sub to consummate the Merger, except for: (a) the 
filing by Cadence of such reports and information with the SEC under the 1934 
Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder, as may 
be required in connection with this Agreement, the Agreement of Merger, the 
Merger, the assumption of outstanding Company Options pursuant to Section 2.2 
and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (b) the filing of 
the Agreement of Merger (or the Certificate of Merger) with the Delaware 
Secretary of State and the filing of the Agreement of Merger (and related 
officers' certificates) with the California Secretary of State; (c) such 
filings and notifications as may be required to be made by the Company in 
connection with the Merger under the HSR Act; and (d) such other filings as 
may be required by the New York Stock Exchange with respect to the assumption 
by Cadence of outstanding Company Options pursuant to Section 2.2.

              4.2.3 ENFORCEABILITY. This Agreement and each of the Cadence 
Ancillary Agreements are, or when executed by Cadence will be, valid and 
binding obligations of Cadence, enforceable against Cadence in accordance 
with their respective terms, subject only to the effect of (a) applicable 
bankruptcy and other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally 
and (b) rules of law and equity governing specific performance, injunctive 
relief and other equitable remedies. This Agreement and each of the Sub 
Ancillary Agreements are, or when executed by Sub will be, valid and binding 
obligations of Sub, enforceable against Sub in accordance with their 
respective terms, subject only to the effect of (a) applicable bankruptcy and 
other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and (b) rules 
of law and equity governing specific performance, injunctive relief and other 
equitable remedies.

         4.3 NO CONFLICT. Neither the execution and delivery of this 
Agreement nor any of the Cadence Ancillary Agreements or Sub Ancillary 
Agreements by Cadence or Sub, nor the consummation of the transactions 
contemplated hereby or thereby, will conflict with, or (with or without 
notice or lapse of time, or both) result in a termination, breach, impairment 
or violation of: 


                                     -35-
<PAGE>

(i) any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or other 
charter documents of Cadence or Sub as currently in effect; (ii) any federal, 
state, local or foreign judgment, writ, decree, order, statute, rule or 
regulation applicable to Cadence or Sub or any of their respective assets or 
properties; or (iii) any material instrument, agreement or contract to which 
the Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any) is a party or by which the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries (if any) or any of their respective assets 
or properties are bound that has been filed by the Company with the SEC as an 
exhibit (whether incorporated by reference or filed separately) to (a) the 
Company's report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended January 3, 1998 or 
(b) in any other Cadence document filed by Cadence with the SEC under the 
1933 Act or the 1934 Act after April 1, 1998 and prior to the Agreement Date.

         4.4 LITIGATION. There is no action, claim, suit, arbitration, 
mediation, proceeding, claim or investigation pending against Cadence or any 
of its subsidiaries (or to Cadence's knowledge, against any officer, 
director, employee or agent of Cadence or any of its subsidiaries in their 
capacity as such or relating to their employment, services or relationship 
with Cadence or such subsidiary) before any court, administrative agency or 
arbitrator that could prevent, enjoin or materially alter or delay the 
consummation of the Merger or any other transaction contemplated by this 
Agreement or any Cadence Ancillary Agreement, nor, to Cadence's knowledge, 
has any such action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, mediation, claim or 
investigation been threatened.

         4.5 FINANCIAL RESOURCES. Cadence has, or will prior to the Effective 
Time have, sufficient cash or cash equivalent funds available to consummate 
the Merger and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                                    ARTICLE 5
                      PRE-CLOSING COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

         During the time period from the Agreement Date until the earlier to 
occur of (i) the Effective Time or (ii) the termination of this Agreement in 
accordance with Article 10, the Company covenants and agrees with Cadence as 
follows:

         5.1 ADVICE OF CHANGES. The Company will promptly advise Cadence in 
writing of any event occurring subsequent to the Agreement Date and known to 
the Company that would render any representation or warranty of the Company 
contained in Article 3 of this Agreement, if made on or as of the date of 
such event or the Closing Date, untrue or inaccurate in any material respect. 
The Company will deliver to Cadence within fifteen (15) days after the end of 
each monthly accounting period ending after the Agreement Date and before the 
Closing Date (as defined in Section 7.1), an unaudited balance sheet and 
statement of operations, which financial statements will be prepared in the 
ordinary course of the Company's business, consistent with its past practices 
in accordance with the Company's books and records and generally accepted 
accounting principles (other than the required footnotes).

         5.2 MAINTENANCE OF BUSINESS. The Company will carry on and use its 
reasonable and diligent commercial efforts to preserve its business and its 
relationships with customers, suppliers, employees and others in 
substantially the same manner as it has prior to the Agreement Date. If the 
Company becomes aware of a material deterioration in the relationship with 
any key customer, key supplier or key employee, it will promptly bring such 
information to the attention of Cadence 


                                     -36-
<PAGE>

in writing and, if requested by Cadence, will exert reasonable commercial 
efforts to promptly restore the relationship.

         5.3 CONDUCT OF BUSINESS. The Company will continue to conduct its 
business and use its reasonable and diligent commercial efforts to maintain 
its business relationships in the ordinary and usual course and neither the 
Company nor any of its subsidiaries will, without the prior written consent 
and approval (which may be given verbally to be promptly followed by written 
confirmation, and which will not be unreasonably withheld) of the President 
or Chief Financial Officer of Cadence:

              (a) Except to the extent permitted by Section 3.10(c), borrow 
or lend any money, other than reasonable advances to employees for bona fide 
travel and expenses that are incurred in the ordinary course of the Company's 
business consistent with the Company's past practices;

              (b) enter into any transaction or agreement not in the ordinary 
course of the Company's business consistent with its past practices;

              (c) grant any lien, security interest or other encumbrance on 
any of its assets;

              (d) sell, transfer or dispose of any of its assets except in 
the ordinary course of the Company's business consistent with its past 
practices;

              (e) enter into any material lease or contract for the purchase 
or sale of any property, whether real or personal, tangible or intangible for 
more than $50,000;

              (f) pay any bonus, increased salary or special remuneration to 
any officer, director, employee or consultant (except for normal salary 
increases consistent with the Company's past practices and not to exceed 5% 
of such officer's, employee's or consultant's base annual compensation, and 
except pursuant to existing arrangements identified in the Company Disclosure 
Letter) or enter into any new employment or consulting agreement with any 
such person;

              (g) change any of its accounting methods;

              (h) declare, set aside or pay any cash or stock dividend or 
other distribution in respect of its capital stock, redeem, repurchase or 
otherwise acquire any of its capital stock or other securities, pay or 
distribute any cash or property to any stockholder or securityholder of the 
Company or make any other cash payment to any stockholder or securityholder 
of the Company (in their capacities as such);

              (i) amend or terminate any contract, agreement or license to 
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party except those amended 
or terminated in the ordinary course of the Company's business, consistent 
with its past practices, and which are not material in amount or effect;

              (j) guarantee or act as a surety for any obligation of any 
third party;


                                     -37-
<PAGE>

              (k) waive or release any material right or claim except in the 
ordinary course of the Company's business, consistent with the Company's past 
practices;

              (l) issue, sell, create or authorize any shares of its capital 
stock of any class or series or any other of its securities, or issue, grant 
or create any warrants, obligations, subscriptions, options, convertible 
securities, or other commitments to issue shares of its capital stock or 
securities ultimately exchangeable for, or convertible into, shares of its 
capital stock; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the 
Company may issue shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise 
of the Company Options and Company Warrants that are outstanding on the 
Agreement Date in accordance with their terms as now in effect, and (ii) the 
Company may grant options under Company Option Plans to the extent permitted 
by Section 3.10(d);

              (m) subdivide or split or combine or reverse split the 
outstanding shares of its capital stock of any class or enter into any 
recapitalization affecting the number of outstanding shares of its capital 
stock of any class or affecting any other of its securities;

              (n) merge, consolidate or reorganize with, or acquire, any 
corporation, partnership, limited liability company or any other entity or 
enter into any negotiations, discussions or agreement for such purpose;

              (o) amend its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws;

              (p) license any of its technology or Intellectual Property 
Rights except for non-exclusive licenses of products made in the ordinary 
course of the Company's business consistent with its past practices, or 
acquire any Intellectual Property Rights (or any license thereto) from any 
third party except for any such license obtained in the ordinary course of 
the Company's business consistent with its past practices;

              (q) materially change any insurance coverage or issue any 
certificates of insurance;

              (r) agree to any audit assessment by any tax authority, or file 
any federal or state income or franchise tax return unless copies of such 
returns have first been delivered to Cadence for its review (but not 
approval) prior to filing;

              (s) modify or change the exercise or conversion rights or 
exercise or purchase prices of any capital stock of the Company, any Company 
stock options, warrants or other Company securities, or accelerate or 
otherwise modify (i) the right to exercise any option, warrant or other right 
to purchase any capital stock or other securities of the Company or (ii) the 
vesting or release of any shares of capital stock or other securities of the 
Company from any repurchase options or rights of refusal held by the Company 
or any other party or any other restrictions unless such 
accelerations/modifications are expressly required and mandated by the terms 
of a formal written agreement or plan that was entered into prior to the 
execution of this Agreement by Cadence and the Company;


                                     -38-
<PAGE>

              (t) purchase or otherwise acquire, or sell or otherwise dispose 
of: (i) any shares of Cadence Common Stock or other Cadence securities or 
(ii) any securities whose value is derived from or determined with reference 
to, in whole or in part, the value of Cadence stock or other Cadence 
securities; or

              (u) agree to do any of the things described in the preceding 
clauses 5.3(a) through 5.3(t).

         5.4 APPROVAL OF THE COMPANY'S STOCKHOLDERS. The Company will hold 
the Company Stockholders' Meeting or will solicit the written consent of its 
stockholders at the earliest practicable date after the execution of this 
Agreement, to submit this Agreement, the Agreement of Merger, the Merger and 
related matters for the consideration and approval of the stockholders of the 
Company, which approval will be recommended by the Company's Board of 
Directors (the vote taken at such Company Stockholders' meeting or by the 
solicitation of such written consent of the stockholders of the Company is 
hereinafter referred to as the "COMPANY STOCKHOLDER VOTE"). Such Company's 
Stockholders' Meeting or action by written consent will be called, held and 
conducted, and any proxies or written consents will be solicited, in 
compliance with the Company's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and with 
applicable California law.

         5.5 PROXY STATEMENT. The Company will prepare the Proxy Statement as 
soon as reasonably practicable, in form and substance reasonably acceptable 
to Cadence, and will distribute the Proxy Statement to its shareholders 
within ten (10) days after the Agreement Date. The Proxy Statement will 
include the recommendation of the Board of Directors of the Company in favor 
of adoption and approval of this Agreement and approval of the Merger. The 
Company will be solely responsible for any statement, information or omission 
in the Proxy Statement (other than information regarding Cadence that may be 
supplied by Cadence in writing specifically for inclusion in the Proxy 
Statement).

         5.6 REGULATORY APPROVALS. The Company will promptly execute and 
file, or join in the execution and filing, of any application, notification 
(including without limitation any notification or provision of information, 
if any, that may be required under the HSR Act) or any other document that 
may be necessary in order to obtain the authorization, approval or consent of 
any Governmental Authority, whether federal, state, local or foreign, which 
may be reasonably required, or which Cadence may reasonably request, in 
connection with the consummation of the Merger or any other transactions 
contemplated by this Agreement or any Company Ancillary Agreement. The 
Company will use all commercially reasonable efforts to obtain, and to 
cooperate with Cadence to promptly obtain, all such authorizations, approvals 
and consents.

         5.7 NECESSARY CONSENTS. The Company will timely give such notices to 
third parties, and will use all commercially reasonable efforts to obtain 
such written consents and authorizations of third parties, and take such 
other actions, as may be necessary or appropriate in addition to those set 
forth in the foregoing Sections of this Article 5 to allow the consummation 
of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement, to 
allow Cadence to exercise its rights under the Company Option Agreement 
without conflict with the rights of any Company Stockholder, and to allow 
Cadence to carry on the Company's business after the Effective Time.


                                     -39-
<PAGE>

         5.8 LITIGATION. The Company will notify Cadence in writing promptly 
after learning of any claim, action, suit, arbitration, mediation, proceeding 
or investigation by or before any court, arbitrator or arbitration panel, 
board or governmental agency, initiated by or against it, or known by it to 
be threatened against it.

         5.9 NO OTHER NEGOTIATIONS. During the time period commencing on the 
Agreement Date and ending on the earlier to occur of (a) termination of this 
Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Article 10 or (b) consummation 
of the Merger, the Company will not, and the Company will not authorize, 
encourage or permit any officer, director, employee, stockholder or affiliate 
of the Company or any other person on the Company's or their behalf to, 
directly or indirectly: (i) solicit, initiate, encourage or induce the 
making, submission or announcement of, any offer or proposal from any party 
concerning any Alternative Transaction (as defined below) or take any other 
action that could reasonably be expected to lead to an Alternative 
Transaction or a proposal therefor; (ii) furnish any information regarding 
the Company to any person or entity in connection with or in response to any 
inquiry, offer or proposal for or regarding any Alternative Transaction; 
(iii) participate in any discussions or negotiations with any person or 
entity with respect to any Alternative Transaction; (iv) otherwise cooperate 
with, facilitate or encourage any effort or attempt by any person or entity 
(other than Cadence) to effect any Alternative Transaction; or (v) execute, 
enter into or become bound by any letter of intent, agreement or commitment 
between the Company and any third party that is related to, provides for or 
concerns any Alternative Transaction. As used herein, the term "ALTERNATIVE 
TRANSACTION" means any commitment, agreement or transaction involving or 
providing for the possible disposition of all or any substantial portion of 
the business, assets or capital stock of the Company or any successor entity, 
whether by way of merger, consolidation, sale of assets, sale of stock, 
tender offer and/or any other form of business combination, and any initial 
public offering of capital stock or other securities of the Company or any 
successor entity. The Company will promptly notify Cadence orally and in 
writing of any inquiries or proposals received regarding any Alternative 
Transaction and the identity of any party making such inquiry or proposal. 
The Company shall be permitted to disclose the terms of this Section 5.9 to 
any third party making, or proposing to make, a proposal for an Alternative 
Transaction, after prior written notice to Cadence of its intention to make 
such disclosure.

         5.10 ACCESS TO INFORMATION. Until the Closing, the Company will 
allow Cadence and its agents reasonable access during normal business hours 
to the files, books, records, personnel and offices of the Company, 
including, without limitation, any and all information relating to the 
Company's taxes, commitments, contracts, leases, licenses, and real, personal 
and intangible property and financial condition, subject to the terms of the 
Non-Disclosure Agreement between the Company and Cadence dated as of June 26, 
1998 (the "CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT"). The Company will cause its 
accountants to cooperate with Cadence and its agents in making available all 
financial information reasonably requested by Cadence, including without 
limitation the right to examine all working papers pertaining to all 
financial statements prepared or audited by such accountants.

         5.11 SATISFACTION OF CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. The Company will use all 
commercially reasonable efforts to satisfy or cause to be satisfied all the 
conditions precedent which are set forth in Articles 8 and 9, and the Company 
will use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the transactions 
contemplated by this Agreement to be consummated in accordance with this 


                                     -40-
<PAGE>

Agreement. In particular, the Company will use all commercially reasonable 
efforts to cause the Merger to become effective in accordance with this 
Agreement by November 14, 1998.

         5.12 COMPANY DISSENTING SHARES. As promptly as practicable after the 
date of the Company Stockholder Vote and prior to the Closing Date, the 
Company will furnish Cadence with the name and address of each holder (or 
potential holder) of any Company Dissenting Shares (if any) and the number of 
Company Dissenting Shares (or potential Company Dissenting Shares) owned by 
each such holder.

         5.13 TERMINATION OF REGISTRATION AND VOTING RIGHTS. The Company 
shall take, and cause to be taken, such action as shall be necessary to cause 
all registration rights agreements, information rights agreements, and voting 
agreements and proxies applicable to or affecting any outstanding shares or 
other securities of the Company (other than the Voting Agreement and the 
related Irrevocable Proxies referred to in Section 3.23) to be duly 
terminated and canceled, effective no later than immediately prior to the 
Effective Time.

         5.14 INVENTION ASSIGNMENT AND CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS. The 
Company will use all commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from each 
employee and consultant of the Company who has had access to any software, 
technology or copyrightable, patentable or other proprietary works owned or 
developed by the Company, or to any other confidential or proprietary 
information of the Company or its clients, and who has not executed and 
delivered an invention assignment and confidentiality agreement to the 
Company prior to the Agreement Date that is in substantially the form 
provided to counsel to Cadence, an invention assignment and confidentiality 
agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to Cadence, duly executed by such 
employee or consultant and delivered to the Company.

         5.15 COMPANY EMPLOYEE PLANS AND BENEFIT ARRANGEMENTS. The Company 
shall terminate any Benefit Plan immediately prior to the Effective Time upon 
the request of Cadence.

         5.16 EXERCISE OF WARRANTS. The Company shall use all commercially 
reasonable efforts to cause each and every holder of any outstanding warrants 
(including without limitation the Company Warrants) to purchase shares of its 
capital stock to exercise such warrants in full in accordance with their 
terms prior to the Effective Time so that such warrants are not outstanding 
immediately prior to the Effective Time.

         5.17 NOTICES. The Company will promptly give to its stockholders and 
other Stockholders all notices regarding the Merger that are required under 
the Company's Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, each as amended, under any 
agreement or under any applicable law.

         5.18 BANK ACCOUNTS AND INSURANCE. At least two weeks before the 
Effective Time, the Company shall deliver to Cadence a true and complete 
written list of (a) the names and locations of all banks, trusts, companies, 
savings and loan associations, and other financial institutions at which the 
Company maintains accounts of any nature, the names of all persons then 
authorized to draw thereon or make withdrawals therefrom and the amount of 
funds then on deposit therein and amount of debt, if any, owing thereto by 
the Company, and (b) all policies of insurance held by the Company or any of 
its subsidiaries, together with the name of the insurer under each policy, 
the 


                                     -41-

<PAGE>

policy coverage amount and next renewal date, and the Company shall promptly 
advise Cadence in writing of any changes to the information set forth therein.

         5.19 CLOSING OF MERGER. The Company will not refuse to effect the 
Merger if, on or before the Closing Date, all the conditions precedent to the 
Company's obligations to effect the Merger under Article 8 hereof have been 
satisfied or have been waived by the Company.

         5.20 OEM AGREEMENT. Within ten (10) days of the Agreement Date, 
Cadence and the Company will agree upon the form of a definitive OEM 
Distribution Agreement between the Company and Cadence under which Cadence 
would be authorized to distribute the Company's products (including 
BuildGates) on commercially reasonable terms (the "OEM AGREEMENT"). The OEM 
Agreement shall guarantee gross revenue of at least $4,000,000 per quarter 
for the Company during the term of the OEM Agreement and shall become 
effective for all purposes on or before December 15, 1998.

                                    ARTICLE 6
                                CADENCE COVENANTS

         During the time period from the Agreement Date until the earlier to 
occur of (i) the Effective Time or (ii) the termination of this Agreement in 
accordance with Article 10, Cadence covenants and agrees with the Company as 
follows:

         6.1 ADVICE OF CHANGES. Cadence will promptly advise the Company in 
writing of any event occurring subsequent to the date of this Agreement that 
would render any representation or warranty of Cadence contained in Article 4 
of this Agreement, if made on or as of the date of such event or the Closing 
Date, to be untrue or inaccurate in any material respect.

         6.2 REGULATORY APPROVALS. Cadence will promptly execute and file, or 
join in the execution and filing, of any application, notification (including 
without limitation any notification or provision of information, if any, that 
may be required under the HSR Act) or other document that may be necessary in 
order to obtain the authorization, approval or consent of any Governmental 
Authority, whether federal, state, local or foreign, which may be reasonably 
required in connection with the consummation of the Merger and the other 
transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Cadence Ancillary 
Agreement or Sub Ancillary Agreement. Cadence will use all commercially 
reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, approvals and consents.

         6.3 SATISFACTION OF CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. Cadence will use all 
commercially reasonable efforts to satisfy or cause to be satisfied all of 
the conditions precedent which are set forth in Article 8, and Cadence will 
use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause the transactions 
contemplated by this Agreement to be consummated in accordance with the terms 
of this Agreement. In particular, Cadence will use all commercially 
reasonable efforts to cause the Merger to become effective in accordance with 
this Agreement by November 14, 1998.

         6.4 LISTING OF ADDITIONAL SHARES. Cadence will use all commercially 
reasonable efforts to cause the shares of Cadence Common Stock issuable upon 
exercise of any Company Options 


                                       -42-

<PAGE>

assumed by Cadence pursuant to Section 2.2 to be approved for listing 
(subject to notice of issuance) on the New York Stock Exchange.

         6.5 BENEFIT PLANS. Provided that the Company terminates any Company 
Benefit Arrangement at Cadence's request as provided in Section 5.17, Cadence 
shall provide the same or a comparable benefit or plan to each employee of 
Company as is provided to Cadence's employees who are similarly situated (it 
being understood that this Section shall not obligate Cadence to grant 
options to purchase, or sell, any particular number of shares of Cadence 
Common Stock or other equity securities to any employee of the Company). The 
Cadence benefit plans shall give full credit for each participant's period of 
service with the Company prior to the Effective Time for all purposes for 
which such service was recognized under Cadence's benefit plans prior to the 
Effective Time.

         6.6 EMPLOYMENT OFFERS. Cadence shall, on a date selected by Cadence 
prior to the Closing Date, offer to execute an employment offer letter with 
each person who is an employee of the Company on such date, providing for the 
continued employment of such person by the Company after the Effective Time, 
on an "at will" basis, (i) at a level of annual cash compensation at least 
equal to that set forth in SCHEDULE 3.16.1 to the Company Disclosure Letter 
(ii) with Cadence stock option grants on terms and conditions substantially 
equivalent to similarly situated employees of Cadence, (iii) with other 
benefits consistent with the requirements of Section 6.5, and (iv) without 
any severance pay or similar obligations on the part of Cadence or the 
Surviving Corporation in excess of those in effect at the Agreement Date.

         6.7  INDEMNIFICATION.

              6.7.1 Cadence and the Surviving Corporation agree that the 
obligations set forth in the Company's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws 
to indemnify its directors and officers for liabilities, costs and expenses 
incurred in their capacity as directors and officers, in each case as in 
effect as of the Agreement Date, shall survive the Merger, and any rights to 
such indemnification thereunder on the part of any such director or officer 
shall not be adversely affected by any amendment, repeal or other 
modification thereto after the Effective Time. From and after the Effective 
Time, such obligations shall be the joint and several obligations of Cadence 
and the Surviving Corporation.

              6.7.2 Subject to the provisions of Section 6.7.4, the Surviving 
Corporation and Cadence shall honor and fulfill in all respects the 
obligations of the Company pursuant to indemnification agreements with the 
Company's current directors and officers (but only with respect to 
liabilities, costs and expenses incurred by such directors and officers in 
their capacity as such, or as a result of claims against them in their 
capacity as such) that were existing at or before the Agreement Date and are 
disclosed on SCHEDULE 3.11 to the Company Disclosure Letter.

              6.7.3 Subject to the provisions of Section 6.7.4, Cadence shall 
cause the Surviving Corporation to maintain in effect, for three (3) years 
from and after the Effective Time, directors' and officers' liability 
insurance policies covering the persons who are directors and officers of the 
Company on the Agreement Date, with respect to costs, expenses and 
liabilities incurred in their capacities as such, on terms not materially 
less favorable than the insurance coverage provided as of the Agreement Date 
under the Company's D&O Policies that are in 


                                       -43-

<PAGE>

existence on the Agreement Date, with respect to matters occurring prior to 
the Effective Time; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no event shall the Surviving 
Corporation be required to expend pursuant to this Section 6.7.3 more than an 
amount per year equal to 150% of current annual premiums paid by the Company 
for such D&O Policies; PROVIDED, FURTHER that if such annual premiums exceed 
such amount, then Cadence shall only be obligated to cause the Surviving 
Corporation to obtain a policy with the greatest coverage reasonably 
available for a cost not exceeding such amount.

              6.7.4 Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 6.7.2 and 
6.7.3, Cadence and the Surviving Corporation shall not be obligated to 
indemnify, or provide insurance to, any person with respect to any amounts 
paid from the Escrow Property pursuant to Article 11 hereof.

              6.7.5 This Section 6.7 shall survive the consummation of the 
Merger, is intended to benefit the Company, the Surviving Corporation and 
each indemnified party, shall be binding, jointly and severally, on all 
successors and assigns of the Surviving Corporation and Cadence, and shall be 
enforceable by the indemnified parties.

         6.8 CLOSING OF MERGER. Cadence will not refuse to effect the Merger 
if, on or before the Closing Date, all the conditions precedent to Cadence's 
obligations to effect the Merger under Article 9 hereof have been satisfied 
or have been waived by Cadence.

         6.9 OEM AGREEMENT. Within ten (10) days of the Agreement Date, 
Cadence and the Company will agree upon the form a definitive OEM Agreement 
(as defined in Section 5.20). The OEM Agreement shall guarantee gross revenue 
of at least $4,000,000 per quarter for the Company during the term of the OEM 
Agreement and shall become effective for all purposes on or before December 
15, 1998.

                                    ARTICLE 7
                                 CLOSING MATTERS

         7.1 THE CLOSING. Subject to termination of this Agreement as 
provided in Article 10 below, the closing of the transactions to consummate 
the Merger (the "CLOSING") will take place at the offices of Fenwick & West 
LLP, Two Palo Alto Square, Palo Alto, California 94306 at 10:00 a.m., Pacific 
time on the second business day after all of the conditions to Closing set 
forth in Sections 8 and 9 hereof have been satisfied and/or waived in 
accordance with this Agreement, or on such other day as Cadence and the 
Company may mutually agree on (the "CLOSING DATE"). Concurrently with the 
Closing, the Agreement of Merger (or the Certificate of Merger) will be filed 
with the Delaware Secretary of State, and the Agreement of Merger (and 
related officers' certificates) will be filed with the California Secretary 
of State.

         7.2  SURRENDER OF CERTIFICATES.

              7.2.1 At or after the Closing, each holder of shares of Company 
Common Stock and/or Company Preferred Stock will surrender the certificate(s) 
for all such shares (each a "COMPANY CERTIFICATE"), duly endorsed to Cadence 
for cancellation as of the Effective Time, together with a duly executed and 
completed letter of transmittal in such form as may be reasonably specified 
by Cadence (which letter of transmittal shall include or be accompanied by 


                                       -44-

<PAGE>

the agreement and acknowledgment contemplated by the second sentence of 
Section 2.3.2). Promptly after the Effective Time and receipt of all of a 
tendering holder's Company Certificates and such agreement and 
acknowledgment, and subject to Sections 2.1.5, 2.1.6 and 2.3, Cadence or its 
transfer agent will issue to such tendering holder a check for the amount of 
cash payable to such holder upon the conversion of such holders' shares of 
Company Common Stock and/or Company Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 2.1.2 
(LESS any amounts by which such cash shall be reduced pursuant to Sections 
2.1.5 and 2.1.6 and the amount of cash representing the Escrow Contribution 
of such holder that is to be placed in escrow pursuant to Section 2.3 and the 
Escrow Agreement). At the Closing, Cadence will deliver the Escrow Property 
to the Escrow Agent pursuant to the Escrow Agreement. No holder of Company 
Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock will be entitled to interest on any 
amounts payable to such holder under this Section 7.2 and Section 2.1.

              7.2.2 After the Effective Time there will be no further 
registration of transfers on the stock transfer books of the Company or its 
transfer agent of the Company Stock that was outstanding immediately prior to 
the Effective Time. If, after the Effective Time, Company Certificates are 
presented for any reason, they will be canceled and exchanged as provided in 
this Section 7.2.

              7.2.3 Until Company Certificates representing shares of Company 
Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock outstanding immediately prior to the 
Effective Time are surrendered pursuant to Section 7.2.1 above, such Company 
Certificates will be deemed, for all purposes, to evidence ownership of the 
right to cash payment into which such shares of Company Common Stock or 
Company Preferred Stock will have been converted pursuant to Section 2.1.2 
and the Agreement of Merger.

                                    ARTICLE 8
                    CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY

         The Company's obligations hereunder are subject to the fulfillment 
or satisfaction, on and as of the Closing, of each of the following 
conditions (any one or more of which may be waived by the Company, but only 
in a writing signed by the Company):

         8.1 ACCURACY OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The representations 
and warranties of Cadence set forth in Article 4 (as qualified by the Cadence 
Disclosure Letter) will be true and accurate in every material respect on and 
as of the Closing with the same force and effect as if they had been made at 
the Closing, and the Company will have received a certificate to such effect 
executed by an executive officer of Cadence.

         8.2 COVENANTS. Cadence will have performed and complied in all 
material respects with all of its covenants contained in Article 6 required 
to be performed or complied with on or before the Closing, and the Company 
will have received a certificate to such effect signed by an executive 
officer of Cadence.

         8.3 REQUISITE APPROVALS. The Merger and the principal terms of this 
Agreement and the Agreement of Merger will have been duly and validly 
approved and adopted, as required by applicable law and the Company's 
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, by (a) the valid and affirmative vote 
of not less than a majority of the shares of Company Common Stock that are 


                                       -45-

<PAGE>

issued and outstanding on the Record Date, and (b) the valid and affirmative 
vote of not less than a majority of the shares of Company Preferred Stock 
that are issued and outstanding on the Record Date, and (c) by the valid and 
affirmative vote of at least a majority of the shares of the Company's Series 
A and Series C Preferred Stock that are outstanding on the Record Date, 
voting together as a single class, and (d) by the valid and affirmative vote 
of at least a majority of the shares of each series of the Series D, Series 
E, Series G, Series H and Series I Preferred Stock of the Company that are 
outstanding on the Record Date, voting in each case as a separate series.

         8.4 COMPLIANCE WITH LAW; NO LEGAL RESTRAINTS; NO LITIGATION. No 
litigation or proceeding will be pending with any party, or threatened in 
writing by any Governmental Authority, for the purpose or with the probable 
effect of enjoining or preventing the consummation of the Merger or any of 
the other material transactions contemplated by this Agreement. There will 
not be issued or enacted or adopted, or threatened in writing by any 
Governmental Authority, any order, decree, temporary, preliminary or 
permanent injunction, legislative enactment, statute, regulation, action, 
proceeding or any judgment or ruling by any court, arbitrator, governmental 
agency, authority or entity, that, directly or indirectly, challenges, 
prohibits, enjoins, restrains, suspends, delays, conditions or renders 
illegal or imposes limitations on the Merger or any other material 
transaction contemplated by this Agreement or any Cadence Ancillary Agreement.

         8.5 GOVERNMENT CONSENTS; HSR ACT COMPLIANCE. There will have been 
obtained at or prior to the Closing Date such permits or authorizations, and 
there will have been taken all such other actions as may be required by any 
governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the parties to 
lawfully consummate the Merger and the other actions herein proposed to be 
taken,. All applicable waiting periods under the HSR Act shall have expired 
or early termination of such waiting periods shall have been granted.

         8.6 NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE LISTING. The shares of Cadence Common 
Stock issuable upon the exercise of Company Options assumed by Cadence 
pursuant to Section 2.2 shall be authorized for listing on the New York Stock 
Exchange (subject to notice of issuance).

         8.7 ESCROW AGREEMENT. The Company shall have received a fully 
executed copy of the Escrow Agreement in substantially the form of EXHIBIT E 
executed by the Escrow Agent and Cadence.

         8.8 OPINION OF CADENCE'S COUNSEL. The Company shall have received 
from Fenwick & West LLP, special counsel to Cadence, a favorable opinion as 
to the matters identified in EXHIBIT H.

         8.9 EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS. The Employment Agreements and Non-Compete 
Agreements with each of the Key Employees shall remain in full force and 
effect, and Cadence shall not have taken any action to terminate the 
employment of any Key Employee pursuant to any Employment Agreement.


                                       -46-

<PAGE>

                                   ARTICLE 9
                      CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS OF CADENCE

         The obligations of Cadence hereunder are subject to the fulfillment 
or satisfaction on, and as of the Closing, of each of the following 
conditions (any one or more of which may be waived by Cadence, but only in a 
writing signed by Cadence):

         9.1 ACCURACY OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The representations 
and warranties of the Company set forth in Article 3 (other than the 
representations and warranties in Sections 3.6, 3.13 and clause (a) of 
Section 3.10) will be true and accurate in all material respects on and as of 
the Closing Date with the same force and effect as if they had been made at 
the Closing; the representation and warranty of the Company set forth in 
clause (a) of Section 3.10 hereof shall be true and accurate in all respects 
on and as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as if it had 
been made at the Closing (except for any failure to be true and accurate 
solely as a result of the occurrence of any of the facts or circumstances set 
forth in SCHEDULE 9.1); the representations and warranties set forth in 
Sections 3.6 and 3.13 shall be true and accurate in all respects on and as of 
the Closing Date with the same force and effect as if they had been made at 
the Closing (except for any failure to be true and accurate solely as a 
result of the occurrence of any facts or circumstances that could not 
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company); and 
Cadence will have received a certificate to the foregoing effect executed by 
the Company's President.

         9.2 COVENANTS. The Company will have performed and complied in all 
material respects with all of its covenants contained in Article 5 required 
to be performed or complied with on or before the Closing, and Cadence will 
have received a certificate to such effect signed by the Company's President.

         9.3 NO LITIGATION. No action, claim, suit, arbitration, mediation, 
litigation, proceeding or investigation will be pending against the Company 
or any of its subsidiaries (or against any officer, director, employee or 
agent of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in their capacity as such or 
relating to their employment, services or relationship with the Company or 
such subsidiary) with any party, or threatened in writing by any Governmental 
Authority, for the purpose or with the probable effect of enjoining or 
preventing the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this 
Agreement, or which asserts that the Company's or Cadence's negotiations 
regarding this Agreement, Cadence's or the Company's entering into this 
Agreement or the Company's or Cadence's consummation of the Merger or any 
other material transaction contemplated by this Agreement, any Cadence 
Ancillary Agreement or any Company Ancillary Agreement, breaches or violates 
any Company Material Agreement or constitutes tortious conduct on the part of 
Cadence or the Company or calling for the disposition or divestiture of any 
product or other asset of the Company by Cadence or the Company or materially 
limiting the exercise by Cadence of its control of the Company following the 
Merger.

         9.4 GOVERNMENT CONSENTS; HSR ACT COMPLIANCE. There will have been 
obtained, at or prior to the Closing Date, such permits or authorizations, 
and there will have been taken all such other actions, as may be required by 
any governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the parties 
to lawfully consummate the Merger and the other actions herein proposed to be 
taken. All applicable waiting periods under the HSR Act shall have expired or 
early termination 


                                       -47-

<PAGE>

of such waiting periods shall have been granted without any condition or 
requirement requiring or calling for the disposition or divestiture of any 
product or other asset of the Company by Cadence or the Company.

         9.5 OPINION OF COMPANY'S COUNSEL. Cadence will have received from 
Venture Law Group, A Professional Corporation, special counsel to the 
Company, a favorable opinion as to the matters identified in EXHIBIT I, and 
from Cooley Godward, counsel to the Company, a favorable opinion as to the 
matters identified in EXHIBIT J.

         9.6 REQUISITE APPROVALS. The Merger and the principal terms of this 
Agreement and the Agreement of Merger will have been duly and validly 
approved and adopted, as required by applicable law and the Company's 
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, by (a) the valid and affirmative vote 
of not less than a majority of the shares of Company Common Stock that are 
issued and outstanding on the Record Date, and (b) the valid and affirmative 
vote of not less than a majority of the shares of Company Preferred Stock 
that are issued and outstanding on the Record Date, and (c) by the valid and 
affirmative vote of at least a majority of the shares of the Company's Series 
A and Series C Preferred Stock that are outstanding on the Record Date, 
voting together as a single class, and (d) by the valid and affirmative vote 
of at least a majority of the shares of each series of the Series D, Series 
E, Series G, Series H and Series I Preferred Stock of the Company that are 
outstanding on the Record Date, voting in each case as a separate series.

         9.7 NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENTS AND EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS. The 
Employment Agreements and Non-Competition Agreements shall remain in full 
force and effect, and none of the Key Employees shall have taken any action 
to terminate their employment thereunder; and each Key Employee shall have 
exercised in full any Company Option held by such Key Employee prior to the 
Effective Time.

         9.8 ESCROW AGREEMENT. Cadence will have received a fully executed 
copy of the Escrow Agreement in substantially the form of EXHIBIT E executed 
by the Escrow Agent and the Representative.

         9.9 RESIGNATION OF DIRECTORS. The directors of the Company in office 
immediately prior to the Effective Time of the Merger (OTHER THAN any such 
director who is designated in Section 2.4(g) to be a director of the Company 
immediately after the Effective Time) will have resigned as directors of the 
Surviving Corporation effective as of the Effective Time.

         9.10 NO OTHER COMPANY SECURITIES. All Other Company Securities 
(including without limitation all Company Warrants), if any, will have been 
exercised in full and thereby converted into shares of Company Common Stock 
in accordance with their current terms and conditions, so that no Other 
Company Securities will be outstanding immediately prior to the Effective 
Time.

         9.11 LSI AMENDMENT. The LSI Amendment shall be in full force and 
effect in the form attached hereto as EXHIBIT A without any amendments or 
modifications thereto.

         9.12 AGREEMENT TO OFFSET. Cadence shall have received the written 
agreement of each holder of Company Preferred Stock or Company Common Stock 
or any Company Option that shall have any outstanding debt or liability to 
the Company (or any subsidiary thereof) that the 


                                       -48-

<PAGE>

amount payable to such holder pursuant to Section 2.1 may be reduced by the 
amount of such debt or liability outstanding at the Effective Time, as 
contemplated by Section 2.1.6 (including any interest accrued pursuant to the 
terms of such debt or liability).

         9.13 ACCEPTANCE OF CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT. At least seventy-five 
percent (75%) of the employees of the Company that are primarily engaged as 
engineers or software developers, and to whom Cadence shall have offered to 
enter into employment offer letters as provided in Section 6.6, shall have 
executed such employment offer letters.

         9.14 TERMINATION OF REGISTRATION, INFORMATION AND VOTING RIGHTS. All 
registration rights agreements, information rights agreements and voting 
agreements and proxies applicable to or affecting any outstanding shares or 
other securities of the Company (other than the Voting Agreement and the 
related Irrevocable Proxies referred to in Section 3.23) will be duly 
terminated and canceled, effective no later than immediately prior to the 
Effective Time, and any rights of any Company Stockholder to prior notice of 
the Merger or any action of the Company or its Board of Directors relating to 
the Merger or this Agreement shall have been satisfied or duly waived.

         9.15 DESIGNATION OF REPRESENTATIVE. The Board of Directors of the 
Company shall have designated the Representative and not revoked such 
designation. The Representative shall have accepted such designation in 
writing, and the Company shall have advised Cadence in writing of the 
identity of the Representative.

                                    ARTICLE 10
                            TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT

         10.1 TERMINATION BY MUTUAL CONSENT. This Agreement may be terminated 
at any time prior to the Effective Time by the mutual written consent of 
Cadence and the Company.

         10.2 UNILATERAL TERMINATION.

              10.2.1 Either Cadence or the Company, by giving written notice 
to the other, may terminate this Agreement if a court of competent 
jurisdiction or other Governmental Authority shall have issued a 
nonappealable final order, decree or ruling or taken any other action, in 
each case having the effect of permanently restraining, enjoining or 
otherwise prohibiting the Merger.

              10.2.2 Either Cadence or the Company, by giving written notice 
to the other, may terminate this Agreement if the Merger shall not have been 
consummated by midnight Pacific time on the Termination Date; PROVIDED, 
HOWEVER, that the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 
10.2.2 shall not be available to any party whose failure to perform in any 
material respect any of its obligations under this Agreement results in the 
failure of any condition set forth in Article 8 or Article 9 to be satisfied, 
or if the failure of such condition results from facts or circumstances that 
constitute a material breach of a representation or warranty under this 
Agreement by such party, if the other party has performed in all material 
respects its obligations under this Agreement and if the representations and 
warranties of such other party to this Agreement are true and correct such 
that the closing conditions contemplated by Sections 8.1 and 9.1 (whichever 
is applicable) would be satisfied.


                                       -49-

<PAGE>

              10.2.3 Either Cadence or the Company may terminate this 
Agreement at any time prior to the Closing if the other has committed a 
material breach of (a) any of its representations and warranties under 
Article 3 or Article 4 of this Agreement, as applicable, such that the 
closing conditions contemplated by Sections 9.1 and 8.1, respectively, would 
fail to be satisfied; or (b) any of its covenants under Article 5 or Article 
6 of this Agreement, as applicable, and has not cured such material breach 
within thirty (30) days after the party seeking to terminate this Agreement 
has given the other party written notice of the material breach and its 
intention to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10.2.3.

         10.3 NO LIABILITY. Any termination of this Agreement in accordance 
with this Article 10 will be without further obligation or liability upon any 
party in favor of any other party hereto other than the obligations provided 
in the Confidentiality Agreement; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that nothing herein will 
limit the obligation of the Company and Cadence to use all commercially 
reasonable efforts to cause the Merger to be consummated, as set forth in 
Sections 5.11 and 6.3, respectively.

                                    ARTICLE 11
                  SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS, INDEMNIFICATION
                       AND REMEDIES, CONTINUING COVENANTS

         11.1 SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS. All representations, warranties 
and covenants of the Company contained in this Agreement will remain 
operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made 
by or on behalf of Cadence, until that date (the "ESCROW RELEASE DATE") which 
is the earlier of (i) the termination of this Agreement or (ii) the first 
(1st) anniversary of the Effective Time.

         11.2 AGREEMENT TO INDEMNIFY. The Company Stockholders will jointly 
and severally indemnify and hold harmless Cadence and the Surviving 
Corporation and their respective officers, directors, agents, stockholders 
and employees, and each person, if any, who controls or may control Cadence 
or the Surviving Corporation within the meaning of the 1933 Act (each 
hereinafter referred to individually as an "INDEMNIFIED PERSON" and 
collectively as "INDEMNIFIED PERSONS") from and against any and all claims, 
demands, suits, actions, causes of actions, losses, costs, demonstrable 
damages, liabilities and expenses including, without limitation, reasonable 
attorneys' fees, other professionals' and experts' reasonable fees and court 
or arbitration costs (hereinafter collectively referred to as "DAMAGES") 
directly or indirectly incurred, resulting or and arising out of: (a) any 
inaccuracy, misrepresentation, breach of, or default in (1) any of the 
representations or warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement (as 
such may be expressly qualified by the Company Disclosure Letter), or in any 
certificate delivered by or on behalf of the Company in satisfaction of any 
of the conditions set forth in Article 9, or (2) any of the covenants given 
or made by the Company in this Agreement (if such inaccuracy, 
misrepresentation, breach or default existed at the Closing Date); or (b) any 
Excess Transaction Expenses (as defined in Section 12.7). Any claim of 
indemnity made by an Indemnified Person under this Section 11.2 must be 
raised in a writing delivered to the Escrow Agent by no later than the Escrow 
Release Date and, if raised by such date, such claim shall survive the Escrow 
Release Date until final resolution thereof.


                                       -50-

<PAGE>

         11.3 LIMITATION. In seeking indemnification for Damages under 
Section 11.2, the Indemnified Persons will exercise their remedies solely 
with respect to the Escrow Property and any other assets deposited in escrow 
pursuant to the Escrow Agreement, and no Company Stockholder will have any 
liability to an Indemnified Person under Section 11.2 of this Agreement 
except to the extent of such Company Stockholder's portion of the Escrow 
Property and any other assets deposited under the Escrow Agreement. The 
remedies set forth in this Section 11.3 will be the exclusive remedies of 
Cadence and the other Indemnified Persons under Section 11.2 of this 
Agreement against any Company Stockholder for any inaccuracy, 
misrepresentation, breach of, or default in (1) any of the representations or 
warranties given or made by the Company in this Agreement (as such may be 
expressly qualified by the Company Disclosure Letter or in any certificate, 
document or instrument delivered by or on behalf of the Company in 
satisfaction of any of the conditions set forth in Article 9, or (2) any of 
the covenants given or made by the Company in this Agreement. In addition, 
the indemnification provided for in Section 11.2 shall not apply unless and 
until the aggregate Damages for which one or more Indemnified Persons seeks 
or has sought indemnification hereunder exceeds a cumulative aggregate of Two 
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) (the "BASKET"), in which event the 
Company Stockholders shall, subject to the foregoing limitations, be liable 
to indemnify the Indemnified Persons for all Damages; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that 
the Basket shall not apply to any indemnification claim for Damages for 
Excess Transaction Expenses. Nothing contained in this Section 11.3 shall be 
construed to limit any rights of Cadence against (a) any person with respect 
to fraudulent conduct or omissions by such person or (b) any Company 
Stockholder, with respect to the failure by such Company Stockholder to have 
good, valid and marketable title to any issued and outstanding shares of 
Company Common Stock or Company Preferred Stock, or to any Unexercised 
Company Option, held (or asserted in the Company Disclosure Letter to have 
been held) by such Company Stockholder, free and clear of all liens, claims 
and encumbrances, or to have the full right, capacity and authority to vote 
all of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred 
Stock held by such Company Stockholder in favor of the Merger and any other 
transaction contemplated by this Agreement.

         11.4 NOTICE; DEFENSE OF CLAIMS. Promptly after Cadence becomes aware 
of the existence of any potential claim by an Indemnified Person for 
indemnity from the Company Stockholders under Section 11.2, Cadence will 
notify the Representative and the Escrow Agent of such potential claim. 
Failure of Cadence to give such notice will not affect any rights or remedies 
of an Indemnified Party hereunder with respect to indemnification for Damages 
except to the extent the Company Stockholders are materially prejudiced 
thereby. If any suit, action, claim, liability or obligation (a "PROCEEDING") 
shall be brought or asserted by any third party which, if adversely 
determined, would entitle the Indemnified Person to indemnity against any 
liability, damages and expenses claimed or reasonably likely to be incurred 
in or as a result of such Proceeding pursuant to Section 11.2 and the 
reasonably anticipated amount of the claim which is the basis of such 
Proceeding could not reasonably be expected to exceed the amount of the 
Escrow Property then subject to the escrow described in Section 2.3, less the 
amount of any other then-pending indemnification claims against the Escrow 
Property pursuant to Section 11.2, then the Representative, if it so elects, 
shall be entitled to assume and control the defense of such Proceeding (and 
shall consult with the Indemnified Person with respect thereto), including 
the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person 
and the payment of expenses. If the Representative elects to assume and 
control the defense of a Proceeding, it will 


                                       -51-

<PAGE>

provide notice thereof within 30 days after the Indemnified Person has given 
notice of the matter and the Indemnified Person shall have the right to 
employ counsel separate from counsel employed by the Representative in any 
such action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and 
expenses of such counsel employed by the Indemnified Person shall be at the 
expense of the Indemnified Person unless (a) the employment thereof has been 
specifically authorized by the Representative in writing, (b) the 
Representative shall have failed to assume the defense and retain counsel or 
(c) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that 
representation by counsel employed by the Representative would be 
inappropriate as a result of any conflict of interest. Prior to the 
settlement of any claim for which Cadence seeks indemnity from a Company 
Stockholder, Cadence will provide the Representative with the terms of the 
proposed settlement and a reasonable opportunity to comment on such terms in 
accordance with the Escrow Agreement. Cadence shall have the right in its 
sole discretion to settle any such claim; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that Cadence 
shall not be entitled to indemnification for any amount paid in settlement of 
a claim if Cadence shall not have received the prior consent of the 
Representative to such settlement, unless such consent shall have been 
unreasonably delayed or withheld. In the event that the Representative shall 
have consented to any such settlement, the Representative shall have no power 
or authority to object to any claim by Cadence for indemnity for the amount 
of such settlement.

                                    ARTICLE 12
                                  MISCELLANEOUS

         12.1 GOVERNING LAW. The internal laws of the State of California 
(irrespective of its choice of law principles) will govern the validity of 
this Agreement, the construction of its terms, and the interpretation and 
enforcement of the rights and duties of the parties hereto.

         12.2 ASSIGNMENT; BINDING UPON SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. Neither party 
hereto may assign any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the 
prior written consent of the other party hereto. This Agreement will be 
binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their 
respective successors and permitted assigns.

         12.3 SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement, or the 
application thereof, will for any reason and to any extent be invalid or 
unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement and application of such 
provision to other persons or circumstances will be interpreted so as 
reasonably to effect the intent of the parties hereto. The parties further 
agree to replace such void or unenforceable provision of this Agreement with 
a valid and enforceable provision that will achieve, to the extent possible, 
the economic, business and other purposes of the void or unenforceable 
provision.

         12.4 COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of 
counterparts, each of which will be an original as regards any party whose 
signature appears thereon and all of which together will constitute one and 
the same instrument. This Agreement will become binding when one or more 
counterparts hereof, individually or taken together, will bear the signatures 
of both parties reflected hereon as signatories.

         12.5 OTHER REMEDIES. Except as otherwise provided herein, any and 
all remedies herein expressly conferred upon a party will be deemed 
cumulative with and not exclusive of any other 


                                       -52-

<PAGE>

remedy conferred hereby or by law on such party, and the exercise of any one 
remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other.

         12.6 AMENDMENT AND WAIVERS. Any term or provision of this Agreement 
may be amended, and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be 
waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either retroactively 
or prospectively) only by a writing signed by the party to be bound thereby. 
The waiver by a party of any breach hereof or default in the performance 
hereof will not be deemed to constitute a waiver of any other default or any 
succeeding breach or default. The Agreement may be amended by the parties 
hereto at any time before or after approval of the stockholders of the 
Company, but, after such approval, no amendment will be made which by 
applicable law requires the further approval of the stockholders of the 
Company without obtaining such further approval. At any time prior to the 
Effective Time, each of the Company and Cadence, by action taken by its Board 
of Directors, may, to the extent legally allowed, (i) extend the time for the 
performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other; (ii) waive 
any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties made to it contained 
herein or in any document delivered pursuant hereto; and (iii) waive 
compliance with any of the agreements or conditions for its benefit contained 
herein. No such waiver or extension will be effective unless signed in 
writing by the party against whom such waiver or extension is asserted. The 
failure of any party to enforce any of the provisions hereof will not be 
construed to be a waiver of the right of such party thereafter to enforce 
such provisions.

         12.7 EXPENSES. Each party will bear its respective legal and 
auditors' fees and expenses ("TRANSACTION EXPENSES") and its other expenses 
incurred with respect to this Agreement, the Merger and the transactions 
contemplated hereby; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if the Merger is successfully 
consummated, then up to a maximum of $300,000 of the Company's verified 
Transaction Expenses (plus the reasonable fees and expenses of Cooley 
Godward) will be paid by Cadence, and Cadence shall be entitled to 
indemnification from the Escrow Property in accordance with Section 11.2 for 
an amount equal to the amount (if any) by which the Company's Transaction 
Expenses exceed $300,000 plus the reasonable fees and expenses of Cooley 
Godward (such excess being hereinafter called the "EXCESS TRANSACTION 
EXPENSES"), and such indemnification shall not be subject to the Basket; and 
PROVIDED FURTHER, that in the event that the Company or Cadence receives a 
second request (as defined in Section 1.26) delivered under the HSR Act, then 
the amount by which the Transaction Expenses exceed $300,000 plus the 
reasonable fees and expenses of Cooley Godward shall NOT be considered Excess 
Transaction Expenses and Cadence shall not be entitled to indemnification 
therefor.

         12.8 ATTORNEYS' FEES. Should suit be brought to enforce or interpret 
any part of this Agreement, the prevailing party will be entitled to recover, 
as an element of the costs of suit and not as damages, reasonable attorneys' 
fees to be fixed by the court (including without limitation, costs, expenses 
and fees on any appeal). The prevailing party will be entitled to recover its 
costs of suit, regardless of whether such suit proceeds to final judgment.

         12.9 NOTICES. All notices and other communications required or 
permitted under this Agreement will be in writing and will be either hand 
delivered in person, sent by telecopier, sent by certified or registered 
first class mail, postage pre-paid, or sent by nationally recognized express 
courier service. Such notices and other communications will be effective upon 
receipt if hand delivered or sent by telecopier, five (5) days after mailing 
if sent by mail, and one (l) day after 


                                     -53-
<PAGE>

dispatch if sent by express courier, to the following addresses, or such 
other addresses as any party may notify the other parties in accordance with 
this Section:

                  If to Cadence:

                           Cadence Design Systems Inc.
                           General Counsel
                           2655 Seely Road, Building 5, MS 5B1
                           San Jose, CA 95134
                           Attention:  General Counsel
                           Fax Number:  (408) 944-6855

                  with a copy to:

                           Fenwick & West, LLP
                           Two Palo Alto Square, Suite 800
                           Palo Alto, CA  94306
                           Attention:  Gordon K. Davidson, Esq.
                           Fax Number:  (650) 494-1417

                  If to the Company:

                           Ambit Design Systems, Inc.
                           2500 Augustine Drive, Suite 200
                           Santa Clara, CA 95054
                           Attention:  President
                           Fax Number:  (408) 966-1043

                  with a copy to:

                           Venture Law Group
                           A Professional Corporation
                           2800 Sand Hill Road
                           Menlo Park, CA 94025
                           Attention: Steven Tonsfeldt, Esq.
                           Fax Number:  (650) 233-8386

or to such other address as a party may have furnished to the other parties 
in writing pursuant to this Section 12.9.

         12.10 CONSTRUCTION OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement has been negotiated 
by the respective parties hereto and their attorneys and the language hereof 
will not be construed for or against either party. A reference to a Section 
or an exhibit will mean a Section in, or exhibit to, this Agreement unless 
otherwise explicitly set forth. The titles and headings herein are for 
reference purposes only and will not in any manner limit the construction of 
this Agreement which will be considered as a whole.

         12.11 NO JOINT VENTURE. Nothing contained in this Agreement will be 
deemed or construed as creating a joint venture or partnership between any of 
the parties hereto. No party is 


                                     -54-
<PAGE>

by virtue of this Agreement authorized as an agent, employee or legal 
representative of any other party. No party will have the power to control 
the activities and operations of any other and their status is, and at all 
times will continue to be, that of independent contractors with respect to 
each other. No party will have any power or authority to bind or commit any 
other. No party will hold itself out as having any authority or relationship 
in contravention of this Section.

         12.12 FURTHER ASSURANCES. Each party agrees to cooperate fully with 
the other parties and to execute such further instruments, documents and 
agreements and to give such further written assurances as may be reasonably 
requested by any other party to evidence and reflect the transactions 
described herein and contemplated hereby and to carry into effect the intents 
and purposes of this Agreement.

         12.13 ABSENCE OF THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY RIGHTS. Except as otherwise 
contemplated by Section 6.6, no provisions of this Agreement are intended, 
nor will be interpreted, to provide or create any third party beneficiary 
rights or any other rights of any kind in any client, customer, affiliate, 
stockholder, partner or any party hereto or any other person or entity unless 
specifically provided otherwise herein, and, except as so provided, all 
provisions hereof will be personal solely between the parties to this 
Agreement.

         12.14 PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT. Upon execution of this Agreement, Cadence 
and the Company will issue a press release approved by both parties 
announcing the Merger. Thereafter, Cadence may issue such press releases, and 
make such other disclosures regarding the Merger, as it determines are 
required under applicable securities laws or regulatory rules, and the 
Company shall be permitted to make such disclosure to its stockholders 
regarding this Agreement and the Merger as it shall reasonably determine is 
necessary in connection with the solicitation of consents to the Merger from 
its stockholders, as contemplated by Section 5.4, and furthermore shall be 
permitted to make the disclosure permitted by Section 5.9. Prior to the 
publication of any such press release, neither party will make any public 
announcement relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated 
hereby (except as may be required by law) and the Company will use its 
reasonable efforts to prevent any trading in Cadence Common Stock by its 
officers, directors, employees, stockholders and agents.

         12.15 DISCLOSURE LETTER. The Company Disclosure Letter shall be 
arranged in separate parts corresponding to the numbered and lettered 
sections contained in Article 3, and the information disclosed in any 
numbered or lettered part shall be deemed to relate to and to qualify only 
the particular representation or warranty set forth in the corresponding 
numbered or lettered Section in Article 3, and shall not be deemed to relate 
to or to qualify any other representation or warranty (UNLESS it is reasonably 
apparent from the information set forth in the Company Disclosure Schedule, 
that such information qualifies another representation or warranty of the 
Company in Article 3).

         12.16 CONFIDENTIALITY. the Company and Cadence each confirm that 
they have entered into the Confidentiality Agreement and that they are each 
bound by, and will abide by, the provisions of such Confidentiality Agreement 
(except that Cadence will cease to be bound by the Confidentiality Agreement 
after the Merger becomes effective). If this Agreement is terminated, all 
copies of documents containing confidential information of a disclosing party 
will be returned 


                                     -55-
<PAGE>

by the receiving party to the disclosing party or be destroyed, as provided 
in the Confidentiality Agreement.

         12.17 ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement, the exhibits hereto and that 
certain letter agreement dated of even date herewith between Cadence and the 
Company constitute the entire understanding and agreement of the parties 
hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior and 
contemporaneous agreements or understandings, inducements or conditions, 
express or implied, written or oral, between the parties with respect hereto 
other than the Confidentiality Agreement. The express terms hereof control 
and supersede any course of performance or usage of the trade inconsistent 
with any of the terms hereof. To the extent that any of the terms of this 
Agreement are inconsistent with any of the terms of the Escrow Agreement, the 
terms of this Agreement shall govern.

                  [Remainder of page intentionally left blank]


                                     -56-
<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement 
as of the date first above written.

CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.           AMBIT DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC.

By:                                    By:
   ----------------------------------     ------------------------------------
      Jack Harding, President                 Prakash Bhalerao, President

ADIRONDACK TRANSACTION CORP.

By:
   ----------------------------------
       Jack Harding, President


           [SIGNATURE PAGE TO AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION]


<PAGE>

                                LIST OF EXHIBITS

Exhibit A                  LSI Amendment
Exhibit B                  Company Option Agreement
Exhibit C                  Voting Agreement
Exhibit D                  Agreement of Merger
Exhibit E                  Escrow Agreement
Exhibit F                  Restated Articles of Incorporation of Surviving 
                             Corporation
Exhibit G                  Bylaws of Surviving Corporation
Exhibit H                  Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Fenwick & 
                             West LLP
Exhibit I                  Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Venture Law 
                             Group
Exhibit J                  Matters to be Covered in the Opinion of Cooley 
                             Godward LLP

Schedule 9.1               Certain Matters
Schedule 9.6               Third-Party Consents


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT A

                                  LSI AMENDMENT


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT B

                            COMPANY OPTION AGREEMENT


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT C

                                VOTING AGREEMENT


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT D

                               AGREEMENT OF MERGER


    [PURSUANT TO AGREEMENT OF THE PARTIES, THE AGREEMENT OF MERGER WILL BE 
       REVISED TO CONFORM TO THE AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION.]


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT E

                                ESCROW AGREEMENT


    [PURSUANT TO AGREEMENT OF THE PARTIES THE ESCROW AGREEMENT WILL BE 
                           FINALIZED PRIOR TO CLOSING.]


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT F

                       RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                              SURVIVING CORPORATION


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT G

                         BYLAWS OF SURVIVING CORPORATION


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT H

                          MATTERS TO BE COVERED IN THE
                          OPINION OF FENWICK & WEST LLP


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT I

                          MATTERS TO BE COVERED IN THE
                          OPINION OF VENTURE LAW GROUP


<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBIT J

                          MATTERS TO BE COVERED IN THE
                          OPINION OF COOLEY GODWARD LLP


<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE 9.1

                                       TO

                      AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF REORGANIZATION

                                 CERTAIN MATTERS

                 [SEE SECTION 9.1 OF COMPANY DISCLOSURE LETTER]


<PAGE>

For Immediate Release

Cadence Moves Forward with Ambit Merger

Combination Capitalizes on Critical Technologies for SOC Design Flow

San Jose, CA -- September 30, 1998 -- Cadence Design Systems, Inc. announced 
today the consummation of its merger with Ambit Design Systems, Inc. in a 
move that immediately results in the first complete front-to-back flow for 
system-on-a-chip (SOC) design. The merger will address one of the most 
critical aspects of next-generation electronic product design: integration of 
advanced logic synthesis technology with physical design software, which 
enables the accurate implementation of very large, complex devices using the 
latest deep submicron process technologies.

With the completion of the merger, the two companies can immediately focus on 
enhancing the interoperability between their respective market-leading tools. 
These tools fit within a fully integrated flow beginning at the architectural 
level of design using the Cadence system design tools and continuing down 
through the last physical steps of place-and-route and verification.

"SOC design is not about point tools, and it mandates some fundamental 
re-tooling of electronic design automation technology to deal with unique 
and, in many cases, unprecedented requirements," said Jack Harding, president 
and CEO of Cadence. "With the integration of Ambit into the Cadence software 
and services portfolio, we've got all the pieces assembled and the know-how 
to put together world-class SOC flows for our customers."

Ambit has been working with Cadence since last November both as an OEM 
partner and as a supplier of technology to the Cadence Design Services Group. 
"We have gained an appreciation of the potential benefits of this merger. The 
technical and cultural synergies between Cadence and Ambit provide a very 
solid foundation for developing the best solutions for SOC design today and 
tomorrow," said Prakash Bhalerao, president and CEO of Ambit. "I am confident 
that the Cadence/Ambit merger will have an immediate, positive impact on the 
productivity of designers, particularly those transitioning to new deep 
submicron technologies."

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice granted early 
termination on September 23, 1998 under the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust 
Improvements Act. Pursuant to the merger agreement, Cadence will pay $260 
million in cash and the transaction will be accounted for under the purchase 
method of accounting. As a result of the merger, Ambit will be a wholly-owned 
subsidiary of Cadence.

The matters discussed in this news release involve forward looking 
statements, and actual results may differ materially from those discussed. 
Additional information concerning factors that could cause such a difference 
can be found in the Company's SEC reports, including the reports on Form 10-K 
for the year ended January 3, 1998 and Form 10-Q for the periods ended April 
4, and July 4, 1998.

About Cadence

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. provides comprehensive services and software for 
the product development requirements of the world's leading electronics 
companies. Cadence is the largest supplier of software products, consulting 
services, and design services used to accelerate and manage the design of 
semiconductors, computer systems, networking and telecommunications 
equipment, consumer electronics, and a variety of other electronic-based 
products. With more than 4,400 employees and 1997 annual sales of $916 
million, Cadence has sales offices, design centers, and research facilities 
around the world. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. and traded 
on the New York Stock Exchange 

<PAGE>

under the symbol CDN. More information about the company, its products and 
services may be obtained from the World Wide Web at http://www.cadence.com.

Cadence is a registered trademark, and the Cadence logo is a trademark of 
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All others are of their holders.

For more information, contact:

Laurel (Laurie) Stanley
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
408-428-5019
[email protected]



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