FTI CONSULTING INC
S-2/A, EX-1.1, 2000-09-25
MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES
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                                                                     EXHIBIT 1.1

                             FTI CONSULTING, INC.


                            4,450,000 Common Shares

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


                            UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT


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


                                                              New York, New York
                                                                October __, 2000

ING Barings LLC
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
  As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
       Named in Schedule I Attached Hereto
55 East 52/nd/ Street
New York, New York 10055

Dear Sirs:

         FTI Consulting, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), and the
Company's stockholders who are listed in the Company's Registration Statement
(defined below) as selling stockholders (the "Selling Stockholders") propose to
issue and sell an aggregate of 4,450,000 shares of common stock of the Company
to ING Barings LLC and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (the "Representatives") and
the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (collectively with the
Representatives, the "Underwriters" and individually, an "Underwriter," which
terms shall also include any Underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in
Section 11). The shares of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share,
are hereinafter referred to as the "Common Shares," and the 4,450,000 Common
Shares to be issued and sold to the Underwriters by the Company and Selling
Stockholders are hereinafter referred to as the "Offered Shares." The public
offering price per Offered Share (the "Offering Price") and the purchase price
per Offered Share for the Offered Shares to be paid by the several Underwriters
shall be agreed upon by the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the
Representatives, acting on behalf of the several Underwriters, and such
agreement shall be set forth in a separate written instrument substantially in
the form of Exhibit A hereto (the "Price Determination Agreement"). The Price
Determination Agreement may take the form of an exchange of any standard form of

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written telecommunication among the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the
Representatives and shall specify such applicable information as is indicated in
Exhibit A hereto. The offering of the Offered Shares will be governed by this
Agreement, as supplemented by the Price Determination Agreement. From and after
the date of execution and delivery of the Price Determination Agreement, this
Agreement shall be deemed to incorporate, and, unless the context otherwise
indicates, all references contained herein to "this Agreement" and to the
phrases "herein" and "hereof" shall be deemed to include the Price Determination
Agreement.

         In addition, the Underwriters, in order to cover over-allotments in the
sale of the Offered Shares, may purchase from the Company and the Selling
Stockholders within 30 business days after the Effective Date (as hereinafter
defined), for their own account for offering to the public at the Offering
Price, up to 667,500 additional Common Shares (the "Optional Shares"), upon the
terms and conditions set forth in Section 4 hereof. Certain of the Selling
Stockholders have executed and delivered a Power of Attorney and a Custody
Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (collectively, the "Agreement
and Power of Attorney") pursuant to which those Selling Stockholders have placed
their portion of the Offered Shares and Optional Shares in custody and appointed
the person or persons designated therein with authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement on behalf of the Selling Stockholders and to take certain other
actions with respect thereto and hereto. The Offered Shares and the Optional
Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Shares." The Company and
the Selling Stockholders, intending to be legally bound hereby, confirm their
respective agreements with each of the Underwriters as follows:

         1.  Representations and Warranties.

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


                 (i) The Company has prepared in conformity with the
             requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"),
             and the rules, regulations, releases and instructions (the
             "Regulations") of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
             "SEC") under the Act in effect at all applicable times and has
             filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-2 (File No.
             333-45278) and one or more amendments thereto registering the
             Shares under the Act. If the Company elects to rely on Rule 462(b)
             of the Regulations to register a portion of the Shares, a
             registration statement on Form S-2 relating to the Shares (the
             "Rule 462 registration statement") has been or will be prepared by
             the Company under the Act and the Regulations and has been or will
             be filed with the SEC. Any preliminary prospectus included in such
             registration statement or filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule
             424(a) of the Regulations is hereinafter called a "Preliminary
             Prospectus." The various parts of such initial registration
             statement, including all exhibits thereto and the information
             contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the SEC
             pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Regulations in

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             accordance with Section 5(a) of this Agreement and deemed by virtue
             of Rule 430A of the Regulations to be part of the registration
             statement at the time it was declared effective, each as amended at
             the time the registration statement became effective, and any Rule
             462 registration statement at the time it becomes or became
             effective, are hereinafter collectively called the "Registration
             Statement." The final prospectus in the form included in the
             Registration Statement and any Rule 462 registration statement or
             first filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Regulations
             and any amendments or supplements thereto is hereinafter
             collectively called the "Prospectus."

                 (ii)  The Registration Statement and any Rule 462 registration
             statement have become effective under the Act as of their
             respective Effective Date (as defined below), and the SEC has not
             issued any stop order suspending the effectiveness of such
             Registration Statement or Rule 462 registration statement or
             preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus nor,
             to the knowledge of the Company, has the SEC instituted,
             contemplated or threatened to institute proceedings with respect to
             such an order. No stop order suspending the sale of the Shares in
             any jurisdiction designated by the Representatives has been issued,
             and no proceedings for that purpose, to the knowledge of the
             Company, have been instituted or are contemplated or threatened.
             The Company has complied in all material respects with any request
             of the SEC, or any state securities commission in a state
             designated by the Representatives for additional information to be
             included in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or otherwise.
             Each Preliminary Prospectus conformed to the Act and the
             Regulations as of its date in all material respects and did not as
             of its date contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
             to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
             to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
             which they were made, not misleading, except the foregoing shall
             not apply to statements in or omissions from any Preliminary
             Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information
             furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any
             Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
             The Registration Statement and any Rule 462 registration statement
             on the date on which it is declared effective by the SEC (the
             "Effective Date") conformed, and any post-effective amendment
             thereof on the date it shall become effective, and the Prospectus
             at the time it is filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on
             the Closing Date (as defined in Section 3 hereof) and any Option
             Closing Date (as defined in Section 4(b) hereof), will conform in
             all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the
             Regulations, and neither the Registration Statement, any Rule 462
             registration statement, any post-effective amendment thereof nor
             the Prospectus will, on any of such respective dates, contain any
             untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material
             fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
             statements therein not misleading, except that this representation
             and warranty

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             does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration
             Statement, any Rule 462 registration statement or the Prospectus
             made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
             to the Company in writing by or on behalf of any Underwriter
             through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

                 (iii) Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined
             herein) is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
             good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation
             with all necessary power and authority, corporate and other, and
             all required licenses, permits, certifications, registrations,
             approvals, consents and franchises, to own or lease and operate its
             properties and to conduct its business as described in the
             Prospectus. The Company has full power and authority, corporate and
             other, to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement. Each of the
             Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to do business as a
             foreign corporation and is in good standing in all jurisdictions in
             which such qualification is required, except where the failure so
             to qualify would not have a material adverse effect on the general
             affairs, material properties, condition (financial or otherwise),
             results of operations, stockholders' equity, business or prospects
             of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole. The Company
             does not own any stock or other equity interest in any corporation,
             partnership, joint venture or other entity other than as listed on
             Exhibit 21.0 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
             fiscal year end of December 31, 1999 (each a "Subsidiary" and
             collectively, the "Subsidiaries"). Except as set forth in the
             Credit Agreement dated February 4, 2000, and amended April 19,
             2000, and the Investment and Loan Agreement dated February 4, 2000,
             no Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from
             paying any dividends to the Company, from making other
             distributions on such Subsidiary's capital stock, from repaying to
             the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary or from
             transferring any of such Subsidiary's property or assets to the
             Company or any other Subsidiary.

                 (iv)  All of the issued shares of capital stock of each of the
             Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are
             fully paid and non-assessable and are owned beneficially, by the
             Company free and clear of all liens, security interests, pledges,
             charges, encumbrances, stockholders' agreements, voting trusts,
             equities or claims of any nature whatsoever except for the security
             interests created under the Credit Agreement dated as of February
             4, 2000, by and among the Company and its subsidiaries named
             therein and the agents and lenders named therein, as amended, and
             any documents or instruments executed in connection therewith
             (collectively, the "Loan Documents").

                 (v)   This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
             delivered by the Company and, assuming due execution by the
             Representatives, constitutes the legal, valid and binding
             obligation of the Company, enforceable against the

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             Company in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement,
             to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and moratorium laws and other
             laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights
             generally and to general equitable principles and except as the
             enforceability of rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder
             may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of
             public policy underlying such laws.

                 (vi)  The issue and sale of the Shares to be issued and sold by
             the Company and the execution, delivery and performance of this
             Agreement by the Company does not and will not, with or without the
             giving of notice or the lapse of time, or both, (A) conflict with
             any terms or provisions of the Charter or By-laws, as amended to
             the date hereof of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries; (B)
             result in a breach of, constitute a default under, result in the
             termination or modification of or result in the creation or
             imposition of any lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance
             upon any of the material properties of the Company or any of the
             Subsidiaries pursuant to any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
             contract, commitment or other agreement or instrument to which the
             Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by which any of
             the properties of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries are bound
             or affected; (C) violate any law, rule, regulation, judgment, order
             or decree of any government or governmental agency, instrumentality
             or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company
             or any of the Subsidiaries or any of the material properties or
             business of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or (D) result in
             a breach, termination or lapse of the power and authority of the
             Company or any of the Subsidiaries to own or lease and operate its
             material properties and conduct its business as described in the
             Prospectus.

                 (vii) At the date or dates indicated in the Prospectus, the
             Company had, based on the assumptions stated and footnotes included
             in the Prospectus, the capitalization set forth under the caption
             "Capitalization" in the Prospectus and will have the pro forma as
             adjusted capitalization set forth under the caption
             "Capitalization" in the Prospectus. On the Effective Date, the
             Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, there will be no options
             or warrants for the purchase of, other outstanding rights to
             purchase, agreements or obligations to issue or agreements or other
             rights to convert or exchange any obligation or security into,
             capital stock of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or
             securities convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock of
             the Company or any such Subsidiary, except as described in the
             Registration Statement or the Prospectus with respect to the (A)
             options and awards that have been granted or are available for
             grant to employees, directors and certain others to purchase Common
             Shares (the "Employee Options"); (B) the Over-allotment Option
             granted hereunder; and (C) warrants described in the Registration
             Statement (the "Warrants").

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                 (viii) The outstanding Common Shares have been duly authorized
             and are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and the
             Employee Options and Warrants have been duly authorized and validly
             issued and are legal, valid and binding obligations enforceable
             against the Company in accordance with the terms thereof, except as
             the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
             insolvency, reorganization or other laws affecting the enforcement
             of creditors' rights or contractual obligations generally. The
             Common Shares issuable pursuant to the Employee Options and
             Warrants when issued in accordance with the terms thereof, will be
             duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. None
             of such outstanding Common Shares, Employee Options, Warrants or
             shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary were, and none of such
             issuable Common Shares will be, issued in violation of any
             preemptive rights of any security holder of the Company or any
             Subsidiary that have not been waived. The Company has reserved a
             sufficient number of Common Shares for issuance pursuant to the
             Employee Options and Warrants. The holders of the outstanding
             Common Shares are not subject to personal liability solely by
             reason of being such holders, and the holders of the Common Shares
             issuable pursuant to the Employee Options or Warrants will not be
             subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such
             holders. The offers and sales of the outstanding Common Shares,
             Employee Options, Warrants and the shares of capital stock of each
             Subsidiary were, and the issuance of the Common Shares pursuant to
             the Employee Options and Warrants will be, made in conformity with
             applicable registration requirements or exemptions therefrom under
             federal and applicable state securities laws.

                 (ix)   The issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company have
             been duly authorized and, when the Shares have been duly delivered
             against payment therefor as contemplated by this Agreement, the
             Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and
             the holders thereof will not be subject to personal liability
             solely by reason of being such holders. None of the Shares will be
             issued in violation of any preemptive rights of any stockholder of
             the Company. The certificates representing the Shares are in proper
             legal form under, and conform in all respects to the requirements
             of, the Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended (the "MGCL").
             Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering
             or sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement gives any
             security holder of the Company, other than the Selling Stockholders
             with regard to the Common Shares included in the Registration
             Statement, any rights, other than those which have been waived, for
             or relating to the registration of any Common Shares or other
             security of the Company.

                 (x)    No consent, approval, authorization, order,
             registration, license or permit of any court, government,
             governmental agency, instrumentality or other

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             regulatory body or official is required for the valid
             authorization, issuance, sale and delivery by the Company of any of
             the Shares, or for the execution, delivery or performance by the
             Company of this Agreement, except such as may be required for the
             registration of the Shares under the Act, the Regulations and the
             Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"),
             which consent, approval and authorization have been obtained, and
             for compliance with the applicable state securities or Blue Sky
             laws, or the By-laws, rules and other pronouncements of the
             National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD"). Upon the
             effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Common Shares will
             be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and
             will be listed on the American Stock Exchange ("ASE"). The Company
             has taken no action designed to, or likely to, have the effect of
             terminating the registration of the Common Shares from the ASE, nor
             has the Company received any notification that the SEC or the NASD
             is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

                 (xi)   The statements in the Registration Statement and the
             Prospectus, insofar as they are descriptions of or references to
             statutes, legal and governmental proceedings or contracts,
             agreements or other documents, are accurate in all material
             respects and present or summarize fairly, in all material respects,
             the information required to be disclosed under the Act or the
             Regulations, and there are no contracts, agreements or other
             documents required to be described or referred to in the
             Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits
             to the Registration Statement under the Act or the Regulations that
             have not been so described, referred to or filed, as required.

                 (xii)  The consolidated financial statements of the Company,
             its consolidated subsidiaries and Policano & Manzo, LLC ("P&M")
             (including the notes thereto) filed as part of the Preliminary
             Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement present
             fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the
             Company, its consolidated subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis,
             and P&M, as of the respective dates thereof, and the results of
             operations and cash flows of the Company, its consolidated
             subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, and P&M, for the respective
             periods indicated therein, all in conformity with generally
             accepted accounting principles consistently applied. The supporting
             schedules included in the Registration Statement fairly state in
             all material respects the information required to be stated therein
             in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole. The
             financial information included in the Prospectus under the captions
             "Summary" and "Selected Financial Data" presents fairly the
             information shown therein and has been compiled on a basis
             consistent with that of the audited financial statements included
             in the Registration Statement. No other financial statements or
             schedules of any Subsidiary are required by the Act or the
             Regulations to be included in the Registration Statement or the
             Prospectus.

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                 (xiii) Since the respective dates as of which information is
             given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as
             otherwise stated therein, there has not been (A) any material
             adverse change, including, whether or not insured against, any
             material loss or damage to any material assets, or development
             involving a prospective material adverse change, in the general
             affairs, properties, assets, management, condition (financial or
             otherwise), results of operations, stockholders' equity, business
             or prospects of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries taken as a
             whole, (B) any transaction entered into other than in the ordinary
             course of business consistent with past practice by the Company or
             any of the Subsidiaries that is material to the Company and the
             Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (C) any dividend or distribution of
             any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or any of the
             Subsidiaries on their respective capital stock, (D) any liabilities
             or obligations, direct or indirect, incurred by the Company or any
             of the Subsidiaries that are material to the Company and the
             Subsidiaries other than liabilities incurred in the ordinary course
             of the Company's business consistent with past practice or (E) any
             material change in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the
             Company or any of the Subsidiaries. Neither the Company nor any of
             the Subsidiaries has any contingent liabilities or obligations that
             are material and that are not disclosed in the Prospectus.

                 (xiv)  The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later
             to occur of the Closing Date, the Option Closing Date or the
             completion of the distribution of the Shares, will not distribute
             any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of
             the Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary
             Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted
             by the Act and the Regulations.

                 (xv)   The Company and each of the Subsidiaries has filed with
             the appropriate federal state and local governmental agencies, and
             all foreign countries and political subdivisions thereof, all
             material tax returns that are required to be filed or has duly
             obtained extensions of time for the filing thereof and has paid all
             taxes shown on such returns and all material assessments received
             by it to the extent that the same have become due. The Company and
             each of the Subsidiaries has not executed or filed with any taxing
             authority, foreign or domestic, any agreement extending the period
             for assessment or collection of any income or other taxes, is not a
             party to any pending action or proceeding by any foreign or
             domestic governmental agencies for the assessment or collection of
             taxes, and no claims for assessment or collection of taxes have
             been asserted against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries that
             would materially adversely affect the general affairs, assets,
             material properties, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
             operations, stockholders' equity, business or prospects of the
             Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

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                 (xvi)   To the best of the Company's knowledge, Ernst & Young
             LLP, which has certified certain financial statements of the
             Company, its consolidated subsidiaries and P&M, included in the
             Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are independent public
             accountants as required by the Act, the Exchange Act and the
             Regulations. The statements included in the Registration Statement
             with respect to Ernst & Young LLP pursuant to Rule 509 of
             Regulation S-K are true and correct in all material respects.

                 (xvii)  Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is, or
             with the giving of notice or the passage of time or both would be,
             in violation of, or in default under, any of the terms or
             provisions of (A) its Charter or By-laws, as amended to the date
             hereof, or (B) except to the extent such action would not have a
             material adverse effect on the general affairs, material
             properties, assets, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
             operations, stockholders' equity, business or prospects of the
             Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, (1) any indenture,
             mortgage, deed of trust, contract, loan agreement, commitment or
             other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it
             or any of its material properties is bound or affected; (2) any
             law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any government
             or governmental agency, instrumentality or court, domestic or
             foreign, having jurisdiction over it or any of its material
             properties or business or (3) any license, permit, certification,
             registration, approval, consent or franchise referred to in
             subsection (iii) of this Section 1(a).

                 (xviii) Other than as disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no
             material claims, actions, suits, proceedings, arbitrations,
             investigations or inquiries pending before or, to the knowledge of
             the Company, threatened or contemplated by, any governmental
             agency, instrumentality, court or tribunal, domestic or foreign, or
             before any private arbitration tribunal, relating to or affecting
             the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective
             material properties or business that might affect the issuance or
             validity of any of the Shares or the validity of any of the
             outstanding Common Shares, or that, if determined adversely to the
             Company, would, in any case or in the aggregate, result in any
             material adverse change in the general affairs, material
             properties, assets, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
             operations, stockholders' equity, business or prospects of the
             Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole; nor, to the
             knowledge of the Company, is there any reasonable basis for any
             such material claim, action, suit, proceeding, arbitration,
             investigation or inquiry. Other than as disclosed in the
             Prospectus, there are no outstanding orders, judgments or decrees
             of any court, governmental agency, instrumentality or other
             tribunal enjoining the Company or any Subsidiary from, or requiring
             the Company to take or refrain from taking, any action, or to which
             the Company or

                                      -9-
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             any Subsidiary, or their respective material properties, assets or
             business is bound or subject.

                 (xix) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company and
             each of the Subsidiaries owns, or possesses adequate rights to use,
             all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark
             registrations, applications for trademark registration, trade
             names, service marks, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how
             (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable
             proprietary or confidential technology, information, systems,
             design methodologies and devices or procedures developed or derived
             from the Company's or a Subsidiary's business), trade secrets,
             confidential information, processes and formulations necessary for
             or used in the conduct of its business as described in the
             Prospectus (collectively, the "Intellectual Property") that, if not
             so owned, or if rights to use were not so possessed, would
             materially adversely affect the general affairs, material
             properties, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
             operations, stockholders' equity, business or prospects of the
             Company and the Subsidiaries; neither the Company nor any of the
             Subsidiaries has knowingly infringed, is infringing or has received
             any notice of conflict with the asserted rights of others with
             respect to the Intellectual Property that, individually or in the
             aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or
             finding, would materially adversely affect the general affairs,
             material properties, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
             operations, stockholders' equity, business or prospects of the
             Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole; and, to the
             knowledge of the Company, no others have infringed upon or are in
             conflict with its Intellectual Property.

                 (xx)  The Company and each of the Subsidiaries has good and
             marketable title to all personal property (tangible and intangible)
             described in the Prospectus as being owned by it, free and clear of
             all liens, security interests, charges or encumbrances, except (A)
             those as are described in the Prospectus, (B) liens arising in the
             ordinary course of the Company's business consistent with past
             practice since the date of the latest balance sheet in the
             Prospectus, (C) purchase money security interests, conditional sale
             contracts, capitalized leases and other title retention or deferred
             purchase devices arising in the ordinary course of the Company's
             business consistent with past practice, (D) deposits or pledges
             made in connection with workers' compensation or unemployment
             insurance, (E) liens arising by operation of law to secure
             landlords and lessors under lease agreements, (F) liens to secure
             claims for labor, material or supplies to the extent payment
             therefor shall not at the time be required to be made, (G) liens
             for current taxes not yet due or for taxes being contested in good
             faith and (H) those as do not materially affect the value or the
             transferability of such property and do not interfere in any
             material respect with the use made, or proposed to be made, of such
             property by the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company and each of
             the

                                      -10-
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     Subsidiaries has adequately insured with insurers of recognized financial
     responsibility its personal property against loss or damage by fire or
     other casualty and maintains, in adequate amounts, insurance against such
     other risks as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they
     are engaged. The Company does not own any real property, and all real
     property used or leased by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, as
     described in the Prospectus (collectively, the "Premises"), is held by the
     Company or such Subsidiary under a valid, subsisting and enforceable lease,
     except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
     insolvency, reorganization or other laws affecting the enforcement of
     creditors' rights or contractual obligations generally. To the knowledge of
     the Company, the Premises, and all operations conducted thereon, are now
     and, since the Company or such Subsidiary began to use such Premises,
     always have been in compliance in all material respects with all federal,
     state and local statutes, ordinances, regulations, rules, standards and
     requirements of common law concerning or relating to industrial hygiene and
     the protection of health and the environment (collectively, "the
     Environmental Laws"), except to the extent that any failure to be in such
     compliance would not materially adversely affect the general affairs,
     material properties, assets, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
     operations, stockholders' equity, business or prospects of the Company and
     the Subsidiaries taken as a whole. To the knowledge of the Company, there
     have been no releases of hazardous substances on, beneath or arising from
     the Premises since the Company or such Subsidiary began to use such
     Premises that would give rise to liability, the imposition of a statutory
     lien or require a "Response," "Removal" or "Remedial Action," as defined
     herein, under any of the Environmental Laws, and that would materially
     adversely affect the general affairs, material properties, assets,
     condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders'
     equity, business or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as
     a whole. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has received
     written notice, and does not have actual knowledge, of any claim,
     investigation, regulatory action, suit or other action instituted or
     threatened against it or the Premises relating to any of the Environmental
     Laws. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has received any
     notice of material violation, citation, complaint, order, directive,
     request for information or response thereto, notice letter, demand letter
     or compliance schedule to or from any governmental or regulatory agency
     arising out of or in connection with Hazardous Substances (as defined by
     applicable Environmental Laws) on, beneath, arising from or generated at
     the Premises. As used in this subsection, the terms "Response," "Removal"
     and "Remedial Action" shall have the respective meanings assigned to such
     terms under Sections 101 (23)-101 (25) of the Comprehensive Environmental
     Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as amended by the Superfund
     Amendments and Reauthorization Act.

                                      -11-
<PAGE>

          (xxi)     Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries 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 in
     order to permit preparation of the Company's consolidated financial
     statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
     to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted
     only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and
     (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets
     at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
     differences.

          (xxii)    All offers and sales of the Company's capital stock prior to
     the date hereof were at all relevant times duly registered under the Act or
     exempt from the registration requirements of the Act and were duly
     registered or the subject of an available exemption from the registration
     requirements of applicable state securities or blue sky laws.

          (xxiii)   Each material contract or other material instrument (however
     characterized or described) to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries
     is a party or by which any of its properties or business is bound or
     affected and to which reference has been made in the Prospectus or which
     has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement has been duly
     and validly executed by the Company or such Subsidiary and, to the
     knowledge of the Company, by the other parties thereto. Except as described
     in the Prospectus, each such contract or other instrument is in full force
     and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the parties
     thereto in all material respects in accordance with its terms, except as
     the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
     reorganization or other laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights
     or contractual obligations generally, and neither the Company nor such
     Subsidiary is and, to the knowledge of the Company, no other party is in
     material default thereunder and no event has occurred that, with the lapse
     of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a material
     default thereunder.

          (xxiv)    All employee benefit plan, profit sharing plan, employee
     pension benefit plan or employee welfare benefit plan or deferred
     compensation arrangements (collectively, "Plans") that are subject to the
     provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
     amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder ("ERISA") are and have
     been at all times since their establishment, in compliance with ERISA in
     all material respects and, to the extent required by the Internal Revenue
     Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), in compliance with the Code in all
     material respects. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has sponsored any
     employee pension benefit plan that is subject to Part 3 of Subtitle B of
     Title I of ERISA or any defined benefit plan or

                                      -12-
<PAGE>

     multiemployer plan. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has maintained
     retired life and retired health insurance plans that are employee welfare
     benefit plans providing for continuing benefit or coverage for any employee
     or any beneficiary of any employee after such employee's termination of
     employment, except as required by Section 4980B of the Code. To the
     knowledge of the Company, no fiduciary or other party in interest with
     respect to any of the Plans has caused any of such Plans to engage in a
     prohibited transaction as defined in Section 406 of ERISA. As used in this
     subsection, the terms "defined benefit plan," "employee benefit plan,"
     "employee pension benefit plan," "employee welfare benefit plan,"
     "fiduciary" and "multiemployer plan" shall have the respective meanings
     assigned to such terms in Section 3 of ERISA.

          (xxv)     No material labor dispute exists with the employees of the
     Company or any of the Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, no
     such labor dispute is imminent.

          (xxvi)    Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company has not
     incurred any liability for any finder's fees or similar payments in
     connection with the transactions contemplated herein.

          (xxvii)   Except as described in the Prospectus or as entered into in
     the ordinary course of the Company's business consistent with past
     practice, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to, nor is it
     bound by, any agreement pursuant to which royalties, honoraria or fees are
     payable by the Company or such Subsidiary to any person by reason of the
     ownership or use of any Intellectual Property that is material to the
     business of the Company or such Subsidiary.

          (xxviii)  The Company is familiar with the Investment Company Act of
     1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and the rules and regulations
     thereunder, and has in the past conducted, and intends in the future to
     continue to conduct, its affairs in such a manner to ensure that it will
     not become an "investment company" within the meaning of the 1940 Act and
     such rules and regulations.

          (xxix)    Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company,
     any of its officers, directors or affiliates has (A) taken, directly or
     indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has
     constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the
     stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company
     to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or (B) since the filing of
     the Registration Statement (1) sold, bid for, purchased or paid anyone any
     compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares or (2) paid or agreed
     to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase
     any other securities of the Company.

                                      -13-
<PAGE>

          (xxx)     The Company has obtained for the benefit of the Company and
     the Underwriters from the Selling Stockholders and each of the Company's
     directors and executive officers listed on Schedule II hereto a written
     agreement ("lock-up agreement"), in the form of Exhibit C hereto, that for
     a period of 90 days from the Effective Date such Selling Stockholders,
     director or executive officer will not, without the prior written consent
     of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, grant any option for
     the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of
     Common Stock.

          (xxxi)    Neither the Company, any of the Subsidiaries, nor, to the
     knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee or other person
     associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary has,
     directly or indirectly: used any corporate funds for unlawful
     contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to
     political activity; made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic
     government officials or employees or to foreign or domestic political
     parties or campaigns from corporate funds; violated any provision of the
     Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended; or made any bribe,
     rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

          (xxxii)   The Company has registered with Network Solutions, Inc. the
     Internet domain names www.fticonsulting.com and www.ftiwarroom.net and has
                           ---------------------
     administrative control over these sites. The Company has no knowledge of a
     registered trademark held by a third party that may be used to prevent the
     Company from using these domain names.

          (xxxiii)  The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are insured by
     recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in
     such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are
     generally deemed adequate and customary for their business including, but
     not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or
     leased by the Company and the Subsidiaries against theft, damage,
     destruction, acts of vandalism and earthquakes, general liability and
     directors and officers liability, all of which insurance is in full force
     and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or the
     Subsidiaries will not be able to (i) renew their existing insurance
     coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) obtain comparable
     coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to
     conduct their business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result
     in a material adverse effect on the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a
     whole or adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its
     obligations under this Agreement. Neither of the Company nor any of the
     Subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or
     for which it has applied.

                                      -14-
<PAGE>

     Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company in such capacity and
delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to
this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to
the several Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

     (b)  Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders. Each of
the Selling Stockholders severally represents and warrants to each of the
several Underwriters and the Company that:

          (i)    Each of the Selling Stockholders that is a business entity is
     duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its
     jurisdiction of organization with all necessary power and authority,
     corporate and otherwise, and all required licenses, permits,
     certifications, registrations, approvals, consents and franchises, to
     conduct its business and enter into this Agreement.

          (ii)   Such Selling Stockholder has full right, power (corporate and
     other) and authority to enter into this Agreement and the Agreement and
     Power of Attorney and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver to the
     Underwriters the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder;
     and the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Agreement and
     Power of Attorney have been duly authorized by all necessary action of the
     Selling Stockholder.

          (iii)  Such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and delivered this
     Agreement and the Agreement and Power of Attorney and, assuming due
     execution of this Agreement by the Representatives of the Underwriters,
     this Agreement and the Agreement and Power of Attorney constitute the valid
     and binding agreements of the Selling Stockholder enforceable against the
     Selling Stockholder in accordance with its terms, subject, as to
     enforcement, to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and
     moratorium laws and other laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of
     creditors' rights generally and to general equitable principles and, with
     respect to this Agreement and the Agreement and Power of Attorney, except
     as the enforceability of rights to indemnity and contribution under this
     Agreement may be limited under applicable securities laws or the public
     policy underlying such laws.

          (iv)   No consent, approval, authorization, order or declaration of or
     form, or registration, qualification or filing with, any court or
     governmental agency or body is required for the sale of the Shares to be
     sold by such Selling Stockholder or the consummation of the transactions
     contemplated by this Agreement and the Agreement and Power of Attorney,
     except the registration of such Shares under the Act (which, if the
     Registration Statement is not effective as of the time of execution hereof,
     shall be obtained as provided in this Agreement)

                                      -15-
<PAGE>

     and such as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
     connection with the offer, sale and distribution of such Shares by the
     Underwriters.

          (v)    The sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder
     and the performance of this Agreement and the Agreement and the Power of
     Attorney and the consummation of the transactions therein and herein
     contemplated will not conflict with, or, with or without the giving of
     notice or the passage of time or both, result in a breach or violation of
     any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any
     material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other
     agreement or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder (or any of its
     subsidiaries if the Selling Stockholder is a business entity) is a party or
     to which any of their respective material properties or assets is subject,
     nor will such action conflict with or violate: (i) any provision of the
     charter documents or by-laws of the Selling Stockholder or governing
     instruments of any of its subsidiaries if the Selling Stockholder is a
     business entity; or (ii) any statute, rule or regulation or any order,
     judgement or decree of any court or governmental agency or body having
     jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or any of the Selling
     Stockholder's material properties or assets.

          (vi)   Such Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to the
     Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be (as defined in
     Section 4 hereof), the Selling Stockholder will have, good and valid title
     to the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and
     clear of all liens, security interests, pledges, charges, encumbrances,
     defects, shareholders' agreements, voting trusts, equities or claims of any
     nature whatsoever (other than pursuant to this Agreement and the Agreement
     and Power of Attorney); and, upon delivery of such Shares against payment
     therefor as provided herein, good and valid title to such Shares, free and
     clear of all liens, security interests, pledges, charges, encumbrances,
     defects, stockholders' agreements, voting trusts, equities or claims of any
     nature whatsoever, will pass to the several Underwriters.

          (vii)  Neither such Selling Stockholder nor any of its officers or
     directors (if applicable) or affiliates has (A) taken, directly or
     indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has
     constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the
     stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company
     to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or (B) since the filing of
     the Registration Statement (1) sold, bid for, purchased or paid anyone any
     compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares or (2) paid or agreed
     to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase
     any other securities of the Company.

          (viii) Certificates in negotiable form for the Shares to be sold
     hereunder and warrants to be exercised by such Selling Stockholder have
     been placed in

                                      -16-
<PAGE>

          custody, for the purpose of making delivery of such Shares under this
          Agreement, under the Agreement and Power of Attorney which appoints
          Theodore I. Pincus as custodian (the "Custodian") for the Selling
          Stockholder. Such Selling Stockholder agrees that the Shares
          represented by the certificates and warrants held in custody for it
          under the Agreement and Power of Attorney are for the benefit of and
          coupled with and subject to the interest hereunder of the Custodian,
          the Underwriters and the Company, that the arrangements made by the
          Selling Stockholder for such custody and the appointment of the
          Custodian by the Selling Stockholder are irrevocable, and that the
          obligations of the Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be
          terminated by operation of law, the liquidation of the Selling
          Stockholder or any other event, and after any such liquidation or
          event, certificates for the Shares shall be delivered by the Custodian
          in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement and any
          actions taken by the Custodian pursuant to the Agreement and Power of
          Attorney shall be as valid as if such liquidation or other event had
          not occurred, regardless of whether or not the Custodian shall have
          received notice thereof.

          In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the reporting
     and withholding provisions of the Code, with respect to the transactions
     herein contemplated, such Selling Stockholder agrees to deliver to the
     Representatives prior to or at the Closing Date, a properly completed and
     executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8 or other applicable
     form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu
     thereof.

     2.   Purchase and Sale of Offered Shares. On the basis of the
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements herein contained, but
subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and Selling
Stockholders shall sell the Offered Shares to the several Underwriters at the
Offering Price less the underwriting discount shown on the cover page of the
Prospectus (the "Underwriting Discount"), and the Underwriters, severally and
not jointly, shall purchase from the Company on a firm commitment basis, at the
Offering Price less the Underwriting Discount, the respective Offered Shares set
forth opposite their names on Schedule I hereto. In making this Agreement, each
Underwriter is contracting severally, and not jointly, and except as provided in
Sections 4 and 11 hereof, the agreement of each Underwriter is to purchase only
that number of Offered Shares specified with respect to that Underwriter in
Schedule I. The Underwriters shall offer the Offered Shares to the public as set
forth in the Prospectus.

     3.   Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Offered Shares shall be made to
the Company and the Custodian by certified or official bank check payable to
order in New York Clearing House funds, at the offices of ING Barings LLC, 55
East 52/nd/ Street, New York, New York, 10055, or at such other location as
shall be agreed upon by the Company, the Custodian and the Representatives, or
in immediately available funds wired to such account as the Company and the
Custodian may specify with all costs and expenses incurred by the

                                      -17-
<PAGE>

Underwriters in connection with such settlement in immediately available funds
(including, but not limited to, interest or cost of funds expenses) to be borne
by the Company and Selling Shareholders, against delivery of the Offered Shares
to the Representatives at the offices of The Depository Trust Company, 55 Water
Street, New York, New York 10041, for the respective accounts of the
Underwriters. Such payment and delivery will be made at 10:00 A.M., New York
time, on the third (or, if the Offered Shares are priced, as contemplated by
Rule 15c6-1(c) under the Exchange Act after 4:30 P.M. New York time, the fourth)
business day after the date of this Agreement or at such other time and date not
later than five business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company
shall agree upon. Such time and date are referred to herein as the "Closing
Date." The certificates representing the Offered Shares to be sold and delivered
will be in such denominations and registered in such names as the
Representatives request not less than two full business days prior to the
Closing Date, and will be made available to the Representatives for inspection,
checking and packaging at the office of The Depository Trust Company in New
York, New York or at such other location in New York, New York as is specified
by the Representatives, not less than one full business day prior to the Closing
Date.

     4.   Option to Purchase Optional Shares.

          (a)  For the purposes of covering any over-allotments in connection
     with the distribution and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated by the
     Prospectus, subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the
     several Underwriters are hereby granted an option by the Company and
     Selling Stockholders to purchase all or any part of the Optional Shares
     from the Company and Selling Stockholders (the "Over-allotment Option") as
     set forth in the Registration Statement and as enumerated on Schedule III
     attached hereto. The purchase price to be paid for the Optional Shares
     shall be the Offering Price less the Underwriting Discount. The Over-
     allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the Representatives on
     behalf of the several Underwriters as to all or any part of the Optional
     Shares at any time (but not more than once) within 30 business days after
     the Effective Date. No Underwriter shall be under any obligation to
     purchase any Optional Shares prior to an exercise of the Over-allotment
     Option. In the event that the several Underwriters purchase less than all
     of the Optional Shares, the number of Optional Shares purchased shall be
     divided pro rata among those entities listed on Schedule III.

          (b)  The Over-allotment Option granted hereby may be exercised by the
     Representatives on behalf of the several Underwriters by giving notice to
     the Company by a letter sent by registered or certified mail, postage
     prepaid, telex, telegraph, telegram or facsimile (such notice to be
     effective when sent), addressed as provided in Section 13 hereof, setting
     forth the number of Optional Shares to be purchased, the date and time for
     delivery of and payment for the Optional Shares and stating that the
     Optional Shares referred to therein are to be used for the purpose of
     covering over-allotments in connection with the distribution and sale of
     the Offered Shares. If such notice is given prior to the Closing Date, the
     date set forth therein for such delivery and payment shall

                                      -18-
<PAGE>

     not be earlier than either five full business days thereafter or the
     Closing Date, whichever occurs later. If such notice is given on or after
     the Closing Date, the date set forth therein for such delivery and payment
     shall be a date selected by the Representatives that is not earlier than
     three or later than five full business days after the exercise of the Over-
     allotment Option. The date and time set forth in such a notice is referred
     to herein as an "Option Closing Date," and a closing held pursuant to such
     a notice is referred to herein as an "Option Closing." The number of
     Optional Shares to be sold to each Underwriter pursuant to each exercise of
     the Over-allotment Option shall be the number that bears the same ratio to
     the aggregate number of Optional Shares being purchased through such Over-
     allotment Option exercise as the number of Offered Shares opposite the name
     of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto bears to the total number of all
     Offered Shares; subject, however, to such adjustment as the Representatives
     may approve to eliminate fractional shares and subject to the provisions
     for the allocation of Optional Shares purchased for the purpose of covering
     over-allotments set forth in of the Agreement Among Underwriters. Upon the
     exercise of the Over-allotment Option, the Company and Selling Stockholders
     shall become obligated to issue and sell to the Representatives for the
     respective accounts of the Underwriters, and on the basis of the
     representations, warranties, covenants and agreements herein contained, but
     subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the several
     Underwriters shall become severally but not jointly obligated to purchase
     from the Company and Selling Stockholders, the number of Optional Shares
     specified in the notice of exercise of the Over-allotment Option.

          (c)  Payment for the Optional Shares shall be made by certified or
     official bank check payable to order in New York Clearing House funds, at
     the offices of ING Barings LLC, 55 East 52/nd/ Street, New York, New York,
     or such other location as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the
     Representatives, or in immediately available funds wired to such account as
     the Company may specify (with all costs and expenses incurred by the
     Underwriters in connection with such settlement in immediately available
     funds (including, but not limited to, interest or cost of funds expenses)
     to be borne by the Company, against delivery of the Optional Shares to the
     Representatives at the offices of The Depository Trust Company, 55 Water
     Street, New York, New York 10041, for the respective accounts of the
     Underwriters. The certificates representing the Optional Shares to be
     issued and delivered will be in such denominations and registered in such
     names as the Representatives request not less than two full business days
     prior to the Option Closing Date, and will be made available to the
     Representatives for inspection, checking and packaging at the office of The
     Depository Trust Company in New York, New York or at such other location in
     New York, New York as is specified by the Representatives not less than one
     full business day prior to the Option Closing Date.

                                      -19-
<PAGE>

     5.   Certain Covenants and Agreements of the Company and the Selling
Stockholders.

          (a)  Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with
     the several Underwriters as follows:

               (i)    If Rule 430A of the Regulations is employed, the Company
          will timely file the Prospectus pursuant to and in compliance with
          Rule 424(b) of the Regulations and will advise the Representatives of
          the time and manner of such filing.

               (ii)   The Company will not at any time, whether before or after
          the Registration Statement shall have become effective, during such
          period as, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the
          Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales
          by the Underwriters or a dealer, file or publish any amendment or
          supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus of which
          the Representatives have not been previously advised and furnished a
          copy, or which is not in compliance with the Regulations, or, during
          the period before the distribution of the Offered Shares and the
          Optional Shares is completed, file or publish any amendment or
          supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus to which
          the Representatives reasonably object in writing.

               (iii)  The Company will use its best efforts to cause the
          Registration Statement, if not effective at the time and date that
          this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto, to
          become effective and will advise the Representatives immediately, and
          confirm such advice in writing, (A) when the Registration Statement,
          or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, is
          filed with the SEC, (B) of the receipt of any comments from the SEC,
          (C) when the Registration Statement has become effective and when any
          post-effective amendment thereto becomes effective, or when any
          supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed,
          (D) of any request of the SEC for amendment or supplementation of the
          Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information,
          (E) during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered
          under the Act and Regulations, of the happening of any event which in
          the Company's judgment makes any material statement in the
          Registration Statement or the Prospectus untrue or which requires any
          changes to be made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus in
          order to make any material statements therein not misleading and (F)
          of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the
          effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing
          or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus,
          the suspension of the qualification of any of the Shares for offering
          or sale in any jurisdiction in which the Underwriters intend to make
          such offers or sales, or of the initiation or threatening of any
          proceedings for

                                      -20-
<PAGE>

               any of such purposes. The Company will use its best efforts to
               prevent the issuance of any such stop order or of any order
               preventing or suspending such use and, if any such order is
               issued, to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof.

                    (iv) The Company has delivered to the Representatives,
               without charge, and will continue to deliver from time to time
               until the Effective Date, as many copies of each Preliminary
               Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The
               Company will deliver to the Representatives, without charge, as
               soon as possible after the Effective Date, and thereafter from
               time to time during the period when delivery of the Prospectus is
               required under the Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus
               (as supplemented or amended, if the Company makes any supplements
               or amendments to the Prospectus) as the Representatives may
               reasonably request. The Company hereby consents to the use of
               such copies of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus for
               the purposes permitted by the Act, the Regulations and the
               securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the
               Shares are offered by the several Underwriters and by all dealers
               to whom Shares may be sold, both in connection with the offering
               and sale of the Shares and for such period of time thereafter as
               the Prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered in
               connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer. The Company
               has furnished or will furnish to the Representatives two signed
               copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of
               all amendments thereto, whether filed before or after the
               Effective Date, two copies of all exhibits filed therewith and
               two signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts,
               and will deliver to the Representatives such number of conformed
               copies of the Registration Statement, including financial
               statements and exhibits, and all amendments thereto, as the
               Representatives may reasonably request.

                    (v)  The Company will comply with the Act, the Regulations,
               the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder so as
               to permit the continuance of sales of and dealings in the Shares
               for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of
               the Shares as contemplated hereby. The Company will comply with
               all of the provisions of any undertakings contained in the
               Registration Statement.

                    (vi) Subject to subsection (ii) of this Section 5(a), in
               case of any event, at any time within the period during which, in
               the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, a prospectus is
               required to be delivered under the Act and the Regulations, as a
               result of which event any Preliminary Prospectus or the
               Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would contain in the
               judgment of the Company or in the opinion of counsel for the
               Underwriters an untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to
               state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
               therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were

                                      -21-
<PAGE>

               made, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend
               any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus to comply with the
               Act and the Regulations or any applicable securities or Blue Sky
               laws, the Company promptly will prepare and file with the SEC,
               and any applicable state securities commission, an amendment or
               supplement that will correct such statement or omission or an
               amendment that will effect such compliance and will furnish to
               the Representatives such number of copies of such amendment or
               amendments or supplement or supplements to the Prospectus, in
               form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and
               counsel for the Underwriters, as the Representatives may
               reasonably request. For purposes of this subsection, the Company
               will furnish such information to the Representatives, the
               Underwriters' counsel and counsel to the Company as shall be
               necessary to enable such persons to consult with the Company with
               respect to the need to amend or supplement the Prospectus, and
               shall furnish to the Representatives and the Underwriters'
               counsel such further information as each may from time to time
               reasonably request. If the Company and the Representatives agree
               that the Prospectus should be amended or supplemented, the
               Company, if requested by the Representatives, will, if and to the
               extent required by law, promptly issue a press release announcing
               or disclosing the matters to be covered by the proposed amendment
               or supplement.

                    (vii)     For a period of five years from the Effective
               Date, the Company will deliver to the Representatives: (i) a copy
               of each report or document, including, without limitation,
               reports on Forms 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K (or such similar forms as may
               be designated by the SEC), registration statements and any
               exhibits thereto, filed or furnished to the SEC or any securities
               exchange or the NASD, on the date each such report or document is
               so filed or furnished; (ii) as soon as practicable, copies of any
               reports or communications (financial or other) of the Company
               mailed to its security holders and (iii) every material press
               release in respect of the Company or its affairs that was
               released or prepared by the Company.

                    (viii)    The Company will not (A) take, directly or
               indirectly, prior to the termination of the underwriting
               syndicate contemplated by this Agreement, any action designed to
               cause or to result in, or that might reasonably be expected to
               constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any
               security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the
               Shares, (B) sell, bid for, purchase or pay anyone any
               compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares or (C) pay
               or agree to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting
               another to purchase any other securities of the Company.

                    (ix)      In connection with the lock-up agreements,
               appropriate stop transfer instructions with respect to any Common
               Shares held by such person will be issued by the Company to the
               transfer agent for such Common Shares.

                                      -22-
<PAGE>

                    (x)       The Company will not sell, issue, contract to sell
               offer to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Shares, options
               to purchase Common Shares or any other security convertible into
               or exchangeable for Common Shares, from the date of the Effective
               Date through the period ending 90 days after the Effective Date,
               without the prior written consent of the Representatives, which
               consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, except for (i) the
               sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement and the
               granting of options, (ii) the grant of options or awards under,
               or the issuance of Common Shares upon the exercise of options or
               awards granted under, the Company's 1992 Stock Option Plan or the
               Company's 1997 Stock Option Plan described in the Prospectus,
               (iii) the issuance of shares as consideration for future
               acquisitions if the terms of such issuance provide that such
               Common Shares shall not be sold prior to the expiration of the
               90-day period referenced under the lock-up agreements, and (iv)
               issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding Warrants.

                    (xi)      The Company will cooperate with the
               Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters in connection
               with the filings requested to be made by Representatives with the
               NASD and will pay the fee of the NASD in connection with its
               review of the offering of the Shares.

                    (xii)     The Company shall, at its sole cost and expense,
               supply and deliver to the Representatives and the Underwriters'
               counsel, within a reasonable period from the Closing Date, three
               transaction binders, each of which shall include the Registration
               Statement, as amended or supplemented, the Prospectus, and any
               supplement thereto and all other underwriting and closing
               documents.

                    (xiii)    The Company will use the net proceeds from the
               sale of the Shares to be sold by it hereunder substantially in
               accordance with the description set forth in the Prospectus and
               shall file such reports with the SEC with respect to the sale of
               such Shares and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may
               be required in accordance with Rule 463 under the Act.

                    (xiv)     The Company shall cause to be prepared and
               delivered, at its expense, within one business day from the date
               hereof, to the Underwriters an "electronic Prospectus" to be used
               by the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of
               the Shares. As used herein, the term "electronic Prospectus"
               means a form of Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement
               thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it
               shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the
               Underwriters, that may be transmitted electronically by the
               Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Shares for at
               least during the period when, in the opinion of counsel to the
               Underwriters, the Prospectus is required to be delivered under
               the Act or the Exchange Act; (ii) it shall disclose

                                      -23-
<PAGE>

               the same information as the paper Prospectus and Prospectus filed
               pursuant to the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval
               System of the SEC ("EDGAR"), except to the extent that graphic
               and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in
               which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in
               the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative
               description or tabular representation of such material, as
               appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper
               format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the
               Representatives, that will allow investors to store and have
               continuously ready access to the Prospectus at any future time,
               without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for
               subscription to the system as a whole and for on-line time). The
               Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in
               the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the
               Commission and in the Registration Statement at the effective
               date of the Registration Statement an undertaking that, upon
               receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative
               during the period when, in the opinion of counsel to the
               Underwriters, delivery of a Prospectus by an Underwriter or
               dealer may be required by the Act, the Company shall transmit or
               cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of
               the Prospectus.

               (b)  Covenants of the Selling Stockholders. Each of the Selling
          Stockholders covenants and agrees with each of the Underwriters:


                    (i)       Such Selling Stockholder will execute a lock-up
               agreement, which lock-up agreement shall be in form of Exhibit C
               hereto, and shall deliver such agreement to the Representatives
               prior to the Effective Date. Appropriate stop transfer
               instructions with respect to the Common Shares held by such
               Selling Stockholder, other than the Shares to be sold by such
               Selling Stockholder hereunder, will be issued by the Company to
               the transfer agent for the Common Shares.

                    (ii)      Neither such Selling Stockholder nor any of its
               officers, directors (if applicable) or affiliates will (A) take,
               directly or indirectly, prior to the termination of the
               underwriting syndicate contemplated by this Agreement, any action
               designed to cause or to result in, or that might reasonably be
               expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the
               price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or
               resale of any of the Shares, (B) sell, bid for, purchase or pay
               anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Shares
               or (C) pay to or agree to pay any person any compensation for
               soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the
               Company.

                    (iii)     Such Selling Stockholder will not, without the
               prior written consent of the Representatives, make any bid for or
               purchase any Common Shares during the 90-day period following the
               date hereof.

                                      -24-
<PAGE>

          6.   Payment of Expenses.


               (a)  Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this
          Agreement are consummated and regardless of the reason this Agreement
          is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid, and bear or
          cause to be borne, all costs and expenses incident to the performance
          of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under
          this Agreement, including: (i) the fees and expenses of the
          accountants and counsel for the Company incurred in the preparation of
          the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto
          (including financial statements and exhibits), the Preliminary
          Prospectuses and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements
          thereto; (ii) printing and delivery expenses associated with the
          Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, the
          Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and related documents and any
          supplement thereto; (iii) the costs (other than fees and expenses of
          the Underwriters' counsel) incident to the authentication, issuance,
          sale and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters; (iv) all taxes,
          if any, on the issuance, delivery and transfer of the Shares to be
          sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders; (v) the fees,
          expenses and other costs of, or incident to, securing any review or
          approvals by or from the NASD including the fees, disbursements and
          other charges of the Underwriters' counsel in connection therewith;
          (vi) the filing fees of the SEC; (vii) the cost of furnishing to the
          Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary
          Prospectuses and the Prospectuses as herein provided; (viii) the
          Company's travel expenses in connection with meetings with the
          brokerage community and institutional investors; (ix) the costs and
          expenses associated with settlement in same day funds (including, but
          not limited to, interest or cost of funds expenses), if desired by the
          Company or the Selling Stockholders; (x) the fees for listing the
          Shares on the ASE; (xi) the cost of printing certificates for the
          Shares; (xii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or custodian;
          (xiii) all costs and expenses incident to Company travel for "road
          show" presentations to be made to prospective investors; and (xiv) all
          other costs and expenses reasonably incident to the performance of
          their respective obligations hereunder that are not otherwise
          specifically provided for in this Section 6, provided that except as
          specifically set forth in subsection (c) of this Section 6 the
          Underwriters shall be responsible for their out-of-pocket expenses,
          including those associated with meetings with the brokerage community
          and institutional investors, other than the Company's travel expenses,
          and the fees and expenses of their counsel.

               (b)  If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Company or if
          for any reason the Company shall fail to perform its obligations
          hereunder, if any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set
          forth in Section 7 hereof is not satisfied or if the sale to the
          Underwriters of the Shares on the Closing Date is not consummated
          because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the
          Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any
          provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives
          and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated
          this

                                      -25-
<PAGE>

          Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all
          reasonable out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been incurred by the
          Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed
          purchase and the offering and sale of the Shares, including but not
          limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses,
          travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

          7.   Conditions of the Underwriters' Obligations. The obligation of
     each Underwriter to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares that it has
     agreed to purchase hereunder on the Closing Date, and to purchase and pay
     for any Optional Shares as to which it exercises its right to purchase
     under Section 4 on any Option Closing Date, is subject at the date hereof,
     the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date to the continuing accuracy of
     the respective representations and warranties of the Company and of the
     Selling Stockholders set forth herein, to the performance by the Company
     and by the Selling Stockholders of their respective covenants and
     obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

               (a)  The Registration Statement shall have become effective not
          later than 5:30 p.m., New York time, on the date of this Agreement, or
          at such later time or on such later date as the Representatives may
          agree to in writing; if required by the Regulations, the Prospectus
          shall have been filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the
          Regulations within the applicable time period prescribed for such
          filing by the Regulations and in accordance with subsection (a) of
          Section 5 hereof; on or prior to the Closing Date or any Option
          Closing Date, as the case may be, no stop order or other order
          preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
          Statement or the sale of any of the Shares shall have been issued
          under the Act or any state securities law and no proceedings for that
          purpose shall have been initiated or shall be pending or, to the
          Representatives' knowledge or the knowledge of the Company, shall be
          contemplated by the SEC and any request on the part of the SEC for
          additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable
          satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters.

               (b)  All corporate proceedings and other matters incident to the
          authorization, form and validity of this Agreement, the Shares and the
          form of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and all other
          legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions
          contemplated hereby, shall be satisfactory in all respects to counsel
          to the Underwriters; the Company shall have furnished to such counsel
          all documents and information that they may reasonably request to
          enable them to pass upon such matters; and the Representatives shall
          have received from the Underwriters' counsel, Duane, Morris &
          Heckscher LLP, a favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Date and
          any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the
          Representatives individually and as the Representatives of the several
          Underwriters with respect to the due authorization, execution and
          delivery of this Agreement, that the issuance and sale of the Shares
          have been duly authorized by the Company and the Selling Stockholders,
          that when the Offered Shares have been duly delivered against payment
          therefor as

                                      -26-
<PAGE>

          contemplated by this Agreement, they will be validly issued, fully
          paid and nonassessable and that the Registration Statement has become
          effective under the Act.

               (c)  The NASD shall have indicated that it has no objection to
          the underwriting arrangements pertaining to the sale of any of the
          Shares.

               (d)  The Representatives shall have received copies of the lock-
          up agreements described in subsection (x) of Section 5(a) and
          subsection (i) of Section 5(b) signed by those persons set forth on
          Schedule II annexed hereto.

               (e)  On the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, there shall
          have been delivered to the Representatives a signed opinion of Piper
          Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe LLP, counsel for the Company ("Company
          Counsel"), dated as of each such date and addressed to the
          Representatives individually and as the Representatives of the several
          Underwriters to the effect that:

                         (i)     The Company has been incorporated and is
                    validly existing and in good standing under the laws of
                    Maryland, with corporate power and authority to own or lease
                    and operate its properties and to conduct its business as
                    described in the Prospectus and to execute, deliver and
                    perform this Agreement. To the knowledge of Company Counsel,
                    the Company does not own any stock or other equity interest
                    in any corporation, partnership or other entity other than
                    the Subsidiaries.

                         (ii)    Each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated, is
                    validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
                    laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and has the
                    corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties
                    and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus.

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

                         (iv)    The execution, delivery and performance of this
                    Agreement by the Company does not and will not, with or
                    without the giving of notice or the lapse of time, or both,
                    (A) conflict with any terms or provisions of the Charter or
                    By-laws, as amended to the date hereof of each of the
                    Company or the Subsidiaries; (B) to Company Counsel's
                    knowledge result in a material breach of, or constitute a
                    default under, result in the termination or modification of
                    or result in the creation or imposition of any lien,
                    security interest, charge or encumbrance upon any of the
                    material properties of the Company or any Subsidiary
                    pursuant to, any material indenture, mortgage, deed of
                    trust, contract, commitment or other agreement or
                    instrument, known to Company Counsel, to which the Company
                    or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any of the material
                    properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is
                    bound or subject or (C) violate any law, rule or

                                      -27-
<PAGE>

                    regulation applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary, or
                    to Company Counsel's knowledge violate any judgment, order
                    or decree, of any government or governmental agency,
                    instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having
                    jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of
                    the material properties of the Company or any Subsidiary.

                         (v)     The Company has the authorized and outstanding
                    capitalization as set forth in the Prospectus. To the
                    knowledge of Company Counsel there are no options or
                    warrants for the purchase of, other outstanding rights to
                    purchase, agreements or obligations to issue or agreements
                    or other rights to convert or exchange any obligation or
                    security into, capital stock of the Company or securities
                    convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock of the
                    Company, except as described in the Registration Statement
                    or the Prospectus.

                         (vi)    The Common Shares outstanding immediately prior
                    to the Closing Date, including the Common Shares to be sold
                    by the Selling Stockholders, have been duly authorized and
                    are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; the
                    Employee Options have been duly authorized and validly
                    issued; the Common Shares issuable pursuant to the Employee
                    Options, when issued in accordance with the respective terms
                    thereof, will be duly authorized and validly issued, fully-
                    paid and nonassessable; the Company has reserved a
                    sufficient number of Common Shares for issuance pursuant to
                    the Employee Options, and none of such outstanding Common
                    Shares or Employee Options are, and none of such issuable
                    Common Shares will be, issued in violation of any preemptive
                    rights, known to Company Counsel of any security holder of
                    the Company that have not been waived.

                         (vii)   All of the issued shares of capital stock of
                    each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and
                    validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable, and, to
                    the knowledge of Company Counsel, are owned beneficially by
                    the Company free and clear of all liens, security interests,
                    pledges, charges, encumbrances, stockholders agreements,
                    voting trusts, equities or claims of any nature whatsoever
                    except as provided under the Loan Documents.

                         (viii)  The issuance and sale of the Shares by the
                    Company have been duly authorized and, when the Shares have
                    been duly delivered against payment therefor as contemplated
                    by this Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully
                    paid and nonassessable. None of the Shares issued by the
                    Company will be issued in violation of any preemptive rights
                    of any stockholder of the Company pursuant to the Charter or
                    By-laws, as amended to the date hereof, of the Company and,
                    to the knowledge of Company Counsel, there are no
                    contractual preemptive rights that have not been waived that
                    exist with respect to the Shares. The certificates
                    representing the Shares are in proper legal form under, and

                                      -28-
<PAGE>

                    conform in all material respects to the requirements of, the
                    MGCL. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor
                    the offering or sale of the Shares as contemplated by this
                    Agreement gives any security holder of the Company any
                    rights, other than those which have been waived and those of
                    the Selling Stockholders, for or relating to the
                    registration of any Common Shares and there are no
                    contracts, agreements or understandings known to such
                    counsel between the Company and any person granting such
                    person the right to require the Company to file a
                    registration statement under the Act with respect to any
                    securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such
                    person.

                         (ix)    No consent, approval, authorization, order,
                    registration, license or permit of any court, government,
                    governmental agency, instrumentality or other regulatory
                    body or official is required for the valid authorization,
                    issuance, sale and delivery by the Company of any of the
                    Shares or for the execution, delivery or performance by the
                    Company of this Agreement, except such as may be required
                    for the registration of the Shares under the Act, the
                    Regulations or the Exchange Act, or for compliance with the
                    applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws, or the By-
                    laws, rules and other pronouncements of the NASD as to which
                    no opinion shall be required.

                         (x)     To Company Counsel's knowledge except as
                    disclosed in the Registration Statement there are no
                    material claims, actions, suits, proceedings, arbitrations,
                    investigations or inquiries pending before, or threatened or
                    contemplated by, any governmental agency, instrumentality,
                    court or tribunal, domestic or foreign, or before any
                    private arbitration tribunal, to which the Company is a
                    party or is threatened to be made a party that, if
                    determined adversely to the Company, would, in any case or
                    in the aggregate, result in any material adverse change in
                    the general affairs, material properties, condition
                    (financial or otherwise), results of operations,
                    stockholders' equity or business of the Company and the
                    Subsidiaries.

                         (xi)    The Registration Statement has become effective
                    under the Act, as of the Effective Date, and, to Company
                    Counsel's knowledge, the SEC has not issued any stop order
                    suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement,
                    nor has the SEC instituted or threatened to institute
                    proceedings with respect to any such order. Any and all
                    filings required to be made by Rule 424 and Rule 430A under
                    the Act have been made.

                         (xii)   The Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
                    as of the Effective Date, and each amendment or supplement
                    thereto as of its effective or issue date (except for the
                    financial statements and notes thereto, and related
                    schedules, and other financial, statistical, technical or
                    scientific information, included therein or omitted
                    therefrom, as to which Company Counsel need not express an
                    opinion)

                                      -29-
<PAGE>

                    comply as to form in all material respects with the
                    applicable requirements of the Act and Regulations.

                         (xiii)  Assuming application of the net proceeds of the
                    offering in accordance with the Prospectus, the Company is
                    not, and will not be as a result of the consummation of the
                    transactions contemplated by this Agreement, an "investment
                    company" or a company "controlled" by an "investment
                    company" within the meaning of the 1940 Act.

                         In addition to the matters set forth above, such
                    opinion shall also include a statement to the effect that
                    while Company Counsel has participated in the preparation of
                    the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including
                    reviews and discussions of the contents thereof, and while
                    such Counsel has no particular expertise and is not
                    expressing any view with respect to the financial statements
                    and notes thereto and related schedules and the other
                    financial, statistical, technical and scientific information
                    contained in the Prospectus, and is not passing upon the
                    accuracy or completeness of the statements contained in the
                    Registration Statement or the Prospectus, other than those
                    specifically referred to in clause (v) of this subsection
                    (e) of this Section 7, in the course of such reviews and
                    discussions, no facts came to its attention that would cause
                    it to have reason to believe that (A) the Registration
                    Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, on the
                    date it became effective and on the Closing Date or the
                    Option Closing Date, as the case may be, contained any
                    untrue statement of a material fact or omitted any material
                    fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of
                    the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading
                    or that (B) the Prospectus on the Effective Date, on the
                    date it was filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing
                    Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, contained
                    any untrue statement of material fact or omitted any
                    material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in
                    light of the circumstances under which made, not misleading.

                         (xv)    Nothing has come to the attention of Company
                    Counsel that causes it to believe that each of the Company
                    and the Subsidiaries does not have sufficient licenses,
                    permits, certifications, registrations, approvals, consents
                    and franchises (collectively, "Permits") required to conduct
                    its business as described in the Prospectus in all material
                    respects.

                         (xvi)   The Common Shares have been approved for
                    inclusion on the ASE.

                    The foregoing opinion may be limited to the laws of the
          United States and the State of Maryland and Company Counsel may rely
          as to certain legal matters on other counsel to the Company provided
          that, in each case, Company Counsel shall state that

                                      -30-
<PAGE>

     they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in relying on
     such other counsel and shall deliver signed copies of any such opinion to
     the Representatives and as to questions of fact upon the representations of
     the Company set forth in this Agreement and upon certificates of officers
     of the Company and of government officials, all of which certificates must
     be reasonable and satisfactory in form and scope to counsel to the
     Underwriters provided that, in each case, Company Counsel shall deliver
     signed copies of any such certificate to the Representatives. As to matters
     of _________ law relating to the Selling Stockholders included in the
     opinion of__________ delivered concurrently with the foregoing opinion,
     Company Counsel shall state that it is reasonable for the Underwriters to
     rely on such opinion. The foregoing opinion shall also include the opinions
     set forth in Section 7(i)(iii) and Section 7(i)(v) of this Agreement to the
     extent based upon U.S. law.

          (g)  For each of the Selling Stockholders on the Closing Date and any
     Option Closing Date, there shall have been delivered to the Representatives
     a signed opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives dated as of
     each such date and addressed to the Representatives, individually and as
     the Representatives of the several Underwriters, to the effect that:

               (i)   The Selling Stockholder has been duly organized and is
          validly existing in good standing under the laws of the state of its
          organization.

                     The Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
          delivered by the Selling Stockholder and such execution, delivery and
          performance does not and will not, with or without the giving of
          notice or the lapse of time, or both, (A) conflict with any terms or
          provisions of the organizational documents of such Selling
          Stockholder, as amended to the date hereof; (B) result in a breach of,
          or constitute a default under, result in the termination or
          modification of or result in the creation or imposition of any lien,
          security interest, charge or encumbrance upon any of the material
          properties of the Selling Stockholder pursuant to, any material
          indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, contract, commitment or other
          agreement or instrument, known to such counsel upon due inquiry, to
          which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which any of the
          material properties or assets of the Selling Stockholder is bound or
          subject or (C) violate any law, rule or regulation, or violate any
          judgment, order or decree, known to such counsel, of any government or
          governmental agency, instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign,
          having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or any of the
          material properties of the Selling Stockholder.

          (h)  At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date: (i) the
     Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto and the
     Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain all
     statements that are required to be stated therein in accordance with the
     Act and the Regulations and in all material respects

                                      -31-
<PAGE>

     shall conform to the requirements of the Act and the Regulations, and
     neither the Registration Statement nor any post-effective amendment thereto
     nor the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto shall contain
     any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
     required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
     in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
     (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
     Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto and the
     Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, except as otherwise
     stated therein, there shall have been no material adverse change in the
     material properties, assets, condition (financial or otherwise), results of
     operations, stockholders' equity, business or management of the Company and
     the Subsidiaries taken as a whole from that set forth therein, whether or
     not arising in the ordinary course of business, other than as referred to
     in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (iii) since the respective
     dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and
     the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, there shall have
     been no transaction, contract or agreement entered into by the Company or
     any Subsidiary, other than as set forth in the Registration Statement or
     the Prospectus, that has not been, but would be required to be, set forth
     in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and (iv) no action, suit or
     proceeding at law or in equity shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the
     Company, threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary that would be
     required to be set forth in the Prospectus, other than as set forth
     therein, and no proceedings shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the
     Company, threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary before or by any
     federal, state or other commission, board or administrative agency wherein
     an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would materially adversely
     affect the material properties, assets, condition (financial or otherwise),
     results of operations, stockholders' equity or business of the Company and
     the Subsidiaries taken as a whole other than as set forth in the
     Prospectus. The Representatives shall have received certificates of the
     Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company
     dated as of the date of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the
     case may be, and certificates of the Selling Stockholders dated as of the
     date of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and
     addressed to the Representatives, individually and as the Representatives
     of the several Underwriters, to the effect that the conditions set forth in
     this subsection have been satisfied and as to the accuracy and performance
     as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, of
     the agreements, representations and warranties of the Company set forth
     herein and as to the accuracy and performance as of the Closing Date and
     Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the agreements, representations
     and warranties of the Selling Stockholder set forth herein.

          (i)  At the time this Agreement is executed and at the Closing Date
     and any Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a
     letter addressed to the Representatives, individually and as the
     Representatives of the several Underwriters, and in form and substance
     satisfactory to the Representatives in all respects, including the

                                      -32-
<PAGE>

     non-material nature of the changes or decreases, if any, referred to in
     clause (iv) below, from Ernst & Young LLP dated as of the date of this
     Agreement, the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be:

               (i)    confirming that they are independent public accountants
          with respect to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries within
          the meaning of the Act and the Regulations and stating that the
          section of the Registration Statement under the caption "Experts" is
          correct insofar as it relates to them;

               (ii)   stating that, in their opinion, the consolidated financial
          statements of the Company, the Subsidiaries audited by them and P&M
          included in the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus comply in
          form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
          requirements of the Act and the Regulations;

               (iii)  the consolidated financial statements of the Company and
          the Subsidiaries (including P&M) as of and for the six-month period
          ended June 30, 2000, were reviewed by them in accordance with the
          standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public
          Accountants and based upon their review they are not aware of any
          material modifications that should be made to such financial
          statements for them to be in conformity with generally accepted
          accounting principles, and such financial statements comply as to form
          in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements
          of the Act and the Regulations thereunder;

               (iv)   stating that, on the basis of specified procedures, not
          constituting an audit in accordance with generally accepted accounting
          principles, which included a reading of the unaudited interim
          consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries
          (including P&M) for period ended June 30, 2000, a reading of the
          minutes of the meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors
          of the Company and audit and compensation committees of such Board, if
          any, and inquiries to certain officers and other employees of the
          Company who are responsible for financial and accounting matters and
          other specified procedures and inquiries, nothing has come to their
          attention that would cause them to believe that (A) the unaudited
          consolidated financial statements and related schedules of the Company
          and the Subsidiaries (including P&M) included in the Registration
          Statement, if any (1) do not comply in form in all material respects
          with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the
          Regulations or (2) were not fairly presented in conformity with
          generally accepted accounting principles on a basis substantially
          consistent with that of the audited consolidated financial statements
          and related schedules included in the Registration Statement or (B)(1)
          at a specified date, not more than five business days prior to the
          date of such letter, there was more than a 10% change in the

                                      -33-
<PAGE>

          capital stock, inventories or short-term or long-term debt of the
          Company and the Subsidiaries (including P&M) or any decrease
          (increase) of more than 10% in net current assets, total assets or
          stockholders' equity compared with the amounts shown in the ________,
          2000 consolidated balance sheet of the Company included in the
          Registration Statement, other than as set forth in or contemplated by
          the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, or if there was any
          such change or decrease (increase), setting forth the amount of such
          change or decrease (increase), and (2) during the period from
          ___________, 2000 to a specified date not more than five business days
          prior to the date of such letter, there has been any decrease of more
          than 10% in revenues or any increase of more than 10% in loss before
          interest income (expense), net and taxes or net loss of the Company
          and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis other than as set forth
          in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus;
          and

               (v)   stating that they have compared specific dollar amounts,
          percentages, numbers of shares and other information (including pro
          forma information) pertaining to the Company and the Subsidiaries
          (including P&M) set forth in the Registration Statement and the
          Prospectus that have been specified by the Representatives prior to
          the date of this Agreement, to the extent that such amounts,
          percentages, numbers and information may be derived from the general
          accounting or other records of the Company and the Subsidiaries
          (including P&M), with the results obtained from the application of
          specified readings, inquiries and other appropriate procedures, which
          procedures do not constitute an audit in accordance with generally
          accepted auditing standards, set forth in the letter, and found them
          to be in agreement.

               (vi)  in the event that the letters referred to in this Section
          7(i) set forth any changes, decreases or increases in the items
          specified in subsection (v) of this Section 7(i), it shall be a
          further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters that (A) such
          letters shall be accompanied by a written explanation by the Company
          as to the significance thereof, unless the Representatives deem such
          explanation unnecessary, and (B) such changes, decreases or increases
          do not, in their sole judgment, make it impractical or inadvisable to
          proceed with the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares being
          delivered at the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case
          may be, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, as amended as
          of the date of such letter.

     In addition the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP
a letter addressed to the Company and made available for the use of the
Underwriters stating that their review of the Company's system of internal
accounting controls, to the extent they deemed necessary in establishing the
scope of their examination of the Company's consolidated financial statements as
of December 31, 1999, did not disclose any weaknesses in internal controls that
they considered to be substantial or material weaknesses.

                                      -34-
<PAGE>

          (k)  There shall have been duly tendered to the Representatives for
     the respective accounts of the Underwriters certificates representing all
     of the Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters on the Closing Date or
     any Option Closing Date, as the case may be.

          (l)  At the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, the
     Representatives shall have been furnished such additional documents and
     certificates as they shall reasonably request.

          (m)  No action shall have been taken by the NASD the effect of which
     is to make it improper, at any time prior to the Closing Date or any Option
     Closing Date, for members of the NASD to execute transactions as principal
     or as agent in the Shares or to trade or deal in the Shares, and no
     proceedings for the purpose of taking such action shall have been
     instituted or shall be pending or, to the Company's or the Representatives'
     knowledge, shall be threatened by the NASD.

          If any condition to the Underwriters' obligations hereunder to be
     fulfilled prior to or at the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as
     the case may be, is not fulfilled, the Representatives may on behalf of the
     several Underwriters terminate this Agreement or, if they so elect, waive
     any such conditions which have not been fulfilled or extend the time for
     their fulfillment.

     8.   Indemnification.


          (a)  The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter,
     and each person, if any, who controls each Underwriter within the meaning
     of the Act or the Exchange Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim,
     damage and expense whatsoever, whether joint or several, to which such
     Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, including, but
     not limited to, any and all expense whatsoever incurred in investigating,
     preparing or defending against any litigation, commenced or threatened, or
     any claim whatsoever or in connection with any investigation or inquiry of,
     or action or proceeding that may be brought against, the respective
     indemnified parties, arising out of or based upon any untrue statements or
     alleged untrue statements of a material fact contained in any Preliminary
     Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or the omission
     or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated
     therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the
     circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided,
     however, that the foregoing indemnity of the Company (i) shall not apply in
     respect of any statement or omission made in reliance upon and in
     conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any
     Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any
     Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or
     any amendment thereto or supplement thereof, or in any application or in
     any communication to the SEC, as the case may be,

                                      -35-
<PAGE>

     and (ii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, shall not inure to the
     benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any such losses,
     claims, damages, liabilities or expenses purchased the Shares that are the
     subject thereof (or to the benefit of any person controlling such
     Underwriter) if at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such
     Shares a copy of an amended Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or
     the Prospectus as amended or supplemented) was not sent or delivered to
     such person and the untrue statement or omission of a material fact
     contained in such Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the amended
     Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus (or the Prospectus as amended or
     supplemented). The Company will not, without the prior written consent of
     the Underwriters, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any
     judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding (or
     related cause of action or portion thereof) in respect of which
     indemnification may be sought hereunder, whether or not any Underwriter is
     a party to such claim, action, suit or proceeding, unless such settlement,
     compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each Underwriter
     from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding
     (or related cause of action or portion thereof). This indemnity agreement
     will be in addition to any liability the Company may otherwise have.

          (b)  Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and
     hold harmless the Company, each of the directors of the Company, each of
     the officers of the Company who shall have signed the Registration
     Statement and each other person, if any, who controls the Company within
     the meaning of the Act or the Exchange Act to the same extent as the
     foregoing indemnities from the Company to the several Underwriters, but
     only with respect to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense
     resulting from statements or omissions, or alleged statements or omissions,
     if any, made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or
     the Prospectus or any amendment thereto or supplement thereof or any
     application in reliance upon, and in conformity with written information
     furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives or
     with respect to any Underwriter by or on behalf of such Underwriter
     expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement
     or the Prospectus or any amendment thereto or supplement thereof or any
     application, as the case may be, or from the failure of any Underwriter at
     or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of Shares to send or
     deliver a copy of an amended Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or
     the Prospectus as amended or supplemented) to the person asserting any such
     losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses who purchased the Shares
     that are the subject thereof and the untrue statement or omission of a
     material fact contained in such Preliminary Prospectus was corrected in the
     amended Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus (or the Prospectus as amended
     or supplemented). This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any
     liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.

          (c)  If any action, inquiry, investigation or proceeding is brought
     against any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to
     any of the two preceding paragraphs, such person (hereinafter called the
     "indemnified party") shall, promptly after

                                      -36-
<PAGE>

     formal notification of, or receipt of service of process for, such action,
     inquiry, investigation or proceeding, notify in writing the party or
     parties against whom indemnification is to be sought (hereinafter called
     the "indemnifying party") of the institution of such action, inquiry,
     investigation or proceeding and the indemnifying party, upon the request of
     the indemnified party, shall assume the defense of such action, inquiry,
     investigation or proceeding, including the employment of counsel,
     reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and payment of expenses.
     No indemnification provided for in this Section 8 shall be available to any
     indemnified party who shall fail to give such notice if the indemnifying
     party does not have knowledge of such action, inquiry, investigation or
     proceeding and shall have been materially prejudiced by the failure to give
     such notice, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not
     relieve the indemnifying party otherwise than under this Section 8. Such
     indemnified party or controlling person shall have the right to employ its
     or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such
     counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless the
     employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the
     indemnifying party in connection with the defense of such action or the
     indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel, within a reasonable
     period of time, to have charge of the defense of such action, inquiry,
     investigation or proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have
     been advised by counsel that there is a conflict of interest that would
     prevent counsel to the indemnifying party from representing both parties,
     in any of which events the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel
     shall be borne by the indemnifying party. It is understood that the
     indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related
     proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses
     of more than one separate counsel, in addition to one local counsel in each
     jurisdiction in which any proceeding may be brought, for all indemnified
     parties. In the case of any such separate counsel for the Underwriters,
     such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. Expenses
     covered by the indemnification in this subsection (c) of this Section 8
     shall be paid by the indemnifying party as they are incurred by the
     indemnified party. Anything in this subsection to the contrary
     notwithstanding, the indemnifying party shall not be liable for any
     settlement of any such claim effected without its written consent. The
     indemnifying party shall promptly notify the indemnified party of the
     commencement of any litigation, inquiry, investigation or proceeding
     against the indemnifying party or any of its officers or directors in
     connection with the issue and sale of any of the Shares or in connection
     with such Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement or Prospectus, or
     any amendment thereto or supplement thereof or any such application.

          (d)  If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is
     unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under
     subsections (a) or (b) of this Section 8 in respect of any losses,
     liabilities, claims, damages or expenses (or actions, inquiries,
     investigations or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein
     except either by reason of the proviso set forth in subsection (a) or the
     failure to give notice as

                                      -37-
<PAGE>

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

                                      -38-
<PAGE>

     9.   Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. Except as the
context otherwise requires, all representations, warranties and agreements
contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to be representations, warranties
and agreements at the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date; and such
representations, warranties and agreements of the Underwriter, the Company and
the Selling Stockholders, including without limitation the indemnity and
contribution agreements contained in Section 8 hereof and the agreements
contained in Sections 6, 9, 10 and 13 hereof, shall remain operative and in full
force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any
Underwriter or any controlling person thereof, and shall survive delivery of the
Shares and termination of this Agreement, whether before or after the Closing
Date or any Option Closing Date.

     10.  Effective Date of this Agreement and Termination Thereof.

          (a)  This Agreement shall become effective immediately as to Sections
     6, 8, 9, 10 and 13 and, as to all other provisions, (i) if at the time of
     execution and delivery of this Agreement the Registration Statement has not
     become effective, at 11:00 a.m., New York time, on the first business day
     following the Effective Date, or (ii) if at the time of execution and
     delivery of this Agreement the Registration Statement has been declared
     effective, at 11:00 a.m., New York time, on the date of execution of this
     Agreement; but this Agreement shall nevertheless become effective at such
     earlier time after the Registration Statement becomes effective as the
     Representatives may determine by notice to the Company or by release of any
     of the Shares for sale to the public. For the purposes of this Section 10,
     the Shares shall be deemed to have been so released upon the release for
     publication of any newspaper advertisement relating to the Shares or upon
     the release by the Representatives of telegrams (i) advising the
     Underwriters that the Shares are released for public offering or (ii)
     offering the Shares for sale to securities dealers, whichever may occur
     first. The Representatives may prevent the provisions of this Agreement
     (other than those contained in Sections 6, 8, 9, 10 and 13) from becoming
     effective without liability of any party to any other party, except as
     noted below, by giving the notice indicated in subsection (c) of this
     Section 10 before the time the other provisions of this Agreement become
     effective.

          (b)  The Representatives shall have the right to terminate this
     Agreement at any time prior to the Closing Date as provided in Sections 7
     and 11 hereof or if any of the following have occurred: (i) since the
     respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
     Statement and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any
     development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting
     the condition, financial or otherwise, of the Company and the Subsidiaries
     taken as a whole, or the earnings, business affairs, management or business
     prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries, whether or not arising in
     the ordinary course of business; (ii) any outbreak of hostilities or other
     national or international calamity or crisis or change in economic,
     political or financial market conditions if such outbreak, calamity, crisis
     or

                                      -39-
<PAGE>

     change would, in the Representatives' reasonable judgment, have a material
     adverse effect on the Company, the financial markets of the United States
     or the offering or delivery of the Shares; (iii) suspension of trading
     generally in securities on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock
     Exchange or the over-the-counter market or limitation on prices (other than
     limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities or the
     promulgation of any federal or state statute, regulation, rule or order of
     any court or other governmental authority which in the Representatives'
     reasonable opinion materially and adversely affects trading on such
     Exchange or the over-the-counter market; (iv) the enactment, publication,
     decree or other promulgation of any federal or state statute, regulation,
     rule or order of any court or other governmental authority which in the
     Representatives' reasonable opinion materially and adversely affects or
     will materially or adversely affect the business or operations of the
     Company and the Subsidiaries; (v) declaration of a banking moratorium by
     federal authorities; (vi) the taking of any action by any federal, state or
     local government or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs
     which in the Representatives' reasonable opinion has a material adverse
     effect on the securities markets in the United States; (vii) declaration of
     a moratorium in foreign exchange trading by major international banks or
     other institutions or (viii) trading in any securities of the Company shall
     have been suspended or halted by the NASD or the SEC.

          (c)  If the Representatives elect to prevent this Agreement from
     becoming effective or to terminate this Agreement as provided in this
     Section 10, the Representatives shall notify the Company and the Selling
     Stockholders thereof promptly by telephone, telex, telegraph, telegram or
     facsimile, confirmed by letter.

     11.  Default by an Underwriter.

          (a)  If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall default in its or their
     obligation to purchase Offered Shares or Optional Shares hereunder, and if
     the Offered Shares or Optional Shares with respect to which such default
     relates do not exceed the aggregate of 10% of the number of Offered Shares
     or Optional Shares, as the case may be, that all Underwriters have agreed
     to purchase hereunder, then such Offered Shares or Optional Shares to which
     the default relates shall be purchased severally by the non-defaulting
     Underwriters in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder.

          (b)  If such default relates to more than 10% of the Offered Shares or
     the Optional Shares, as the case may be, the Representatives may in their
     discretion arrange for another party or parties (including a non-defaulting
     Underwriter) to purchase such Offered Shares or Optional Shares to which
     such default relates, on the terms contained herein. In the event that the
     Representatives do not arrange for the purchase of the Offered Shares or
     the Optional Shares to which a default relates as provided in this Section
     11, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives or by the
     Company, without liability on the part of the several Underwriters (except
     as provided in Section 8 hereof) or the Company or the Selling Stockholders
     (except as provided in)

                                      -40-
<PAGE>

     Sections 6 and 8 hereof), but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting
     Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the other several Underwriters and
     to the Company or the Selling Stockholders for damages occasioned by its
     default hereunder.

          (c)  If the Offered Shares or Optional Shares to which the default
     relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters, or are to
     be purchased by another party or parties as aforesaid, the Representatives
     or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date or the
     Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for a reasonable period but not in
     any event exceeding seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may
     thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
     or in any other documents and arrangements, and the Company agrees to file
     promptly any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the
     Prospectus which in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters may thereby
     be made necessary. The terms "Underwriters" and "Underwriter" as used in
     this Agreement shall include any party substituted under this Section 11
     with like effect as if it had originally been a party to this Agreement
     with respect to such Offered Shares or Optional Shares.

     12.  Information Furnished by Underwriters. The statement set forth and
under the caption "Underwriting" in any Preliminary Prospectus and the
Prospectus constitutes the written information furnished by or on behalf of any
Underwriter referred to in subsection (ii) of Section 1(a) hereof and subsection
(a) and (b) of Section 8 hereof.

     13.  Notices. All communications hereunder, except as herein otherwise
specifically provided, shall be in writing and, if sent to any Underwriter,
shall be mailed, delivered, telexed, telegrammed, telegraphed or telecopied and
confirmed to such Underwriter, c/o ING Barings LLC, 55 East 52/nd/ Street, New
York, New York, 10055, Attention: John Bolebruch, with a copy to Duane, Morris &
Heckscher LLP, 305 North Front Street, P.O. Box 1003, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
17108-1003, Attention: Scott C. Penwell, Esquire; if sent to the Company or the
Selling Stockholders shall be mailed, delivered, telexed, telegrammed,
telegraphed or telecopied and confirmed to FTI Consulting, Inc., 2021 Research
Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401, Attention: Jack B. Dunn, IV, with a copy to
Piper Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe LLP, 6225 Smith Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21209-
3600, Attention: Richard C. Tilghman, Esquire.

     14.  Parties. This Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of, and
shall be binding upon, the several Underwriters, the Company, the Selling
Stockholders and the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in
Section 8 hereof, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs and legal
representatives, and no other person shall have or be construed to have any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of or by virtue of
this Agreement or any provision herein contained. The terms "successors" and
"assigns" shall not include any purchaser of the Shares merely because of such
purchase.

     15.  Definition of Business Day. For purposes of this Agreement, "business
day" means any day on which the American Stock Exchange, Inc. is opened for
trading.

                                      -41-
<PAGE>

     16.  Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts and all such counterparts will constitute one and the same
instrument.

     17.  Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the
Underwriters each hereby irrevocably waive any right they may have to a trial by
jury in respect of any claim based upon or arising out of this Agreement or the
transactions contemplated hereby.

     18.  Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising
out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby
("Related Proceedings") may be instituted in the federal courts of the United
States of America located in the City and County of New York or the courts of
the State of New York in each case located in the City and County of New York
(collectively, the "Specified Courts"), and each party irrevocably submits to
the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the
enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a "Related Judgment"), as to which
such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or
proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such
party's address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any
suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties
irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of
any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and
unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any
such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought
in an inconvenient forum.

     19.  Miscellaneous. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to
contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York. This Agreement
may be executed in one or more counterparts, and if executed in more than one
counterpart, the executed counterparts shall together constitute a single
instrument. The descriptive headings in this Agreement are for convenience of
reference only and shall not define or limit the provisions hereof.

     Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.

     This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this
Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral
agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter
hereof.

     If any provision or portion of any provision of the Agreement, or the
application of any such provision or any portion thereof to any party or
circumstances, shall be held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining portion of
such provision and the remaining portion of such provision and the remaining
provisions of this agreement, and the application of such provision or portion
of such provision as is held invalid or unenforceable to any parties or
circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid or unenforceable,
shall not be affected thereby and such remaining portion of such provision and
the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall continue to be valid and in
full force and effect.

                                      -42-
<PAGE>

     If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding among the
Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders, please so indicate in
the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall
constitute a binding agreement by and among the Underwriters, the Company and
the Selling Stockholders.

                                         Very truly yours,

                                         FTI CONSULTING, INC.


                                         By:_________________________________
                                            Jack B. Dunn, IV, Chief Executive
                                            Officer and Chairman of the Board

                                         SELLING STOCKHOLDERS


                                         By:_________________________________
                                            Attorney-in-Fact


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

ING BARINGS LLC

By: ING BARINGS LLC Acting severally on behalf of itself and the several
    Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto


    By:__________________________
       Authorized Officer

                                      -43-
<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE I

                           Schedule of Underwriters

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                Number of Offered
Underwriter                                                                                  Shares to be Purchased
-----------                                                                                  ----------------------
<S>                                                                                          <C>
ING Barings LLC.............................................................................
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC.................................................................
                                                                                                  _____________

     Total .................................................................................      =============
</TABLE>

                                      -44-
<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE II

         List of Persons Who Are to Deliver 90-Day Lock-Up Agreements
                 Called for Sections 5(a)(x), 5(b)(i) and 7(d)

     Name
     ----

Jack B. Dunn, IV
Stewart J. Kahn
Theodore I. Pincus
Patrick A. Brady
Glenn A. Baker
Barry M. Monheit
Robert Manzo
Michael Policano
Scott S. Binder
James A. Flick, Jr.
Peter F. O'Malley
Dennis J. Shaughnessy
George P. Stamas

                                      -45-
<PAGE>

                                 SCHEDULE III

                                Optional Shares

     Name                          Shares
     ----                          ------
FTI Consulting, Inc.              382,526
Jack B. Dunn, IV                   50,000
Stewart J. Kahn                    50,000
Barry M. Monheit                   50,000
Robert Manzo                       50,000
Michael Policano                   50,000
Dennis A. Guenther                  7,833
Christopher D. Kent                 8,500
John C. Klick                       8,500
Michael R. Baranowski               7,500
Laureen M. Ryan                     2,641

                                      -46-
<PAGE>

                                   Exhibit A
                                   ---------

                         PRICE DETERMINATION AGREEMENT

                                                                   -------, 2000


ING BARINGS LLC
JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT LLC
     As Representatives of the
     several Underwriters
55 East 52/nd/ Street
New York, New York 10055

Dear Sirs:

     Reference is made to the Underwriting Agreement, dated ________, 2000 (the
"Underwriting Agreement"), among FTI Consulting, Inc., a Maryland corporation
(the "Company"), certain of the Company's stockholders who are listed in the
Company's Registration Statement (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) (the
"Selling Stockholders") and the several Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto
or hereto (the "Underwriters"), for whom ING Barings LLC and Janney Montgomery
Scott LLC are acting as representatives (the "Representatives"). The
Underwriting Agreement provides for the purchase by the Underwriters from the
Company and Selling Stockholders, subject to the terms and conditions set forth
therein, of an aggregate _________ of shares (the "Offered Shares") of the
Company's Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Common Shares") and for
the purchase by the Underwriters, at their sole option to cover over-allotments
in the sale of the Offered Shares, from the Company, subject to the terms and
conditions set forth therein, of an aggregate of _________ Common Shares (the
"Optional Shares"). This Agreement is the Price Determination Agreement referred
to in the Underwriting Agreement.

     Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned agree with the
Representatives as follows:

          (i)     The public offering price per share for the Offered Shares and
               the Optional Shares shall be $ _____________.

          (ii)    The purchase price per share for the Offered Shares and, if
               the Representatives shall exercise their option as to the
               Optional Shares, for the Optional Shares to be paid by the
               several Underwriters shall be $ __________ representing

                                      A-1
<PAGE>

               an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above,
               less $ __________ per share.

     The Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters that the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 1(a) of the
Underwriting Agreement are accurate as though expressly made at and as of the
date hereof.

     The Selling Stockholders represent and warrant to each of the Underwriters
that the representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholders set forth in
Section 1(b) of the Underwriting Agreement are accurate as though expressly made
at and as of the date hereof.

     As contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, attached as Schedule I is a
completed list of the several Underwriters, which shall be a part of this
Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement.

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

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of the agreement
among the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders, please sign
and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument along
with all counterparts and together with the Underwriting Agreement, shall be a
binding agreement among the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling
Stockholders in accordance with its terms and the terms of the Underwriting
Agreement.

                                              Very truly yours,

                                              FTI CONSULTING, INC.


                                              By:_____________________________
                                                 Jack B. Dunn, Chief Executive
                                                 Officer and Chairman of the
                                                 Board

                                              SELLING STOCKHOLDERS


                                              By:_____________________________
                                                 Attorney-in-Fact

                                      A-2
<PAGE>

Confirmed as of the date first above mentioned:

ING BARINGS LLC
JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT LLC

By: ING BARINGS LLC Acting severally and on behalf of and the several
    Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto

    By:__________________
       Authorized Officer

                                      A-3
<PAGE>

                                   Exhibit B
                                   ---------

                    POWER OF ATTORNEY AND CUSTODY AGREEMENT
                    ---------------------------------------

[Registrar]


_______________________
As Attorneys-in-Fact
c/o FTI Consulting, Inc.
2021 Research Drive
Annapolis, MD 21401
Ladies and Gentlemen:

     The undersigned is a shareholder of FTI Consulting, Inc., a Maryland
corporation (the "Company"), who proposes to sell certain shares (the "Shares")
of Common Stock of the Company (the "Common Stock") to a group of underwriters
(the "Underwriters") represented by ING Barings LLC and Janney Montgomery Scott
LLC (together, the "Representatives"). The undersigned and the other
shareholders of the Company who propose to sell Common Stock to the Underwriters
are referred to herein collectively as the "Sellers."

     The Underwriters propose to offer shares of Common Stock (including the
Shares) to the public. The undersigned understands that, in connection with such
offering, the Company has filed a Registration Statement on Form S-2 (the
"Registration Statement") with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC") to register the shares of Common Stock (including the Shares) to be
offered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act").

     The undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Registration
Statement dated , 2000 and a copy of a draft as of , 2000 of an Underwriting
Agreement by and among the Company, the Sellers and the Underwriters (the "Draft
Underwriting Agreement").

     i.   Appointment of Attorney-in-Fact. In connection with the foregoing, the
          -------------------------------
undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each of and, in the event is
unwilling or unable to serve, , the true and lawful attorney-in-fact (each
herein referred to as the "Attorney-in-Fact") of the undersigned, with full
power and authority to act in the name of, for and on behalf of the undersigned
with respect to all matters arising in connection with the sale to the
Underwriters of the number of Shares set forth opposite the name of the
undersigned at the end of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the
power and authority:

     (i)  to sell, assign and transfer to the Underwriters the Shares
represented by the certificate(s) deposited by the undersigned with the
Custodian hereunder, at such purchase price

                                      B-1
<PAGE>

per Share to be paid by the Underwriters as the Attorney-in-Fact shall determine
in his sole and absolute discretion, subject to the limitation that such
purchase price be the same price per share of Common Stock as is paid by the
Underwriters to the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement (as hereafter
defined), and to duly endorse (in blank or otherwise) the certificate or
certificates representing such Shares or a stock power or powers with respect
thereto;

          (ii)    for the purpose of effecting such sale, to execute and deliver
an Underwriting Agreement by and among the Company, the Sellers and the
Underwriters substantially in the form of the Draft Underwriting Agreement, with
such changes therein as the Attorney-in-Fact, in his sole and absolute
discretion, may determine to be necessary or appropriate (the "Underwriting
Agreement"), providing for (i) the sale pursuant thereto by the undersigned of
the Shares in accordance with such terms, including the purchase price to be
paid by the Underwriters, as the Attorney-in-Fact shall determine (subject to
the limitation aforesaid), (ii) the indemnification of and contribution to
certain expenses of the Underwriters by the Sellers in certain events, (iii) the
restriction of the undersigned from selling or otherwise disposing of, or
exercising any registration rights with respect to, any Shares of Common Stock
of the Company (other than the Shares) from the date hereof for a period of days
after the effective date of the Registration Statement without the prior written
consent of the Representatives, (iv) the making of all representations and
warranties provided in the Underwriting Agreement, and (v) other provisions
concerning the public offering of the Shares by the Underwriters, the execution
and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement by the Attorney-in-Fact to be
conclusive evidence with respect to his approval thereof, and to carry out and
comply with each and all of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement;

          (iii)   in his or her sole and absolute discretion, to exercise any
power conferred upon and to take any action authorized or required to be taken
by the Sellers pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, and, subject to authority
otherwise specifically reserved to the Custodian (as hereafter defined) under
this Agreement, to give such instructions to the Custodian as the Attorney-in-
Fact may determine with respect to (i) the transfer on the record books of the
Company of the Shares in order to effect such sale (including the names in which
new certificates for the Shares are to be issued and the denominations thereof),
(ii) the delivery by the Custodian to or for the account of the Underwriters of
the certificates for the Shares against receipt of the purchase price to be paid
therefor, (iii) the payment out of the proceeds of any sale to the Underwriters
of the expenses, if any, to be borne by the undersigned pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement, if any, (iv) the remittance to the undersigned of the
balance of the proceeds from any sale of the Shares sold by the undersigned, and
(v) the return to the undersigned of new certificates representing the number of
Shares, if any, represented by the certificate(s) deposited with the Custodian
which are in excess of the number of Shares sold by the undersigned to the
Underwriters;

          (iv)    to retain legal counsel in connection with any and all matters
referred to herein;

          (v)     to make, execute, acknowledge and deliver all such other
contracts, orders, receipts, notices, requests, consents, instructions,
certificates, letters and other writings (including communications to the SEC,
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") and state
securities commissions) and amendments to the

                                      B-2
<PAGE>

Underwriting Agreement, and to take all action that the Attorney-in-Fact may
consider necessary or appropriate in connection with or to carry out the sale of
the Shares to the Underwriters as fully as the undersigned could if then
personally present and acting; and

          (vi)    to make payment, on behalf of and for the account of the
undersigned, all costs and expenses payable by the undersigned pursuant to the
provisions of the Underwriting Agreement or otherwise incurred and deemed
appropriate by the Attorney-in-Fact, including any applicable stock transfer
taxes chargeable to the undersigned and any fees and expenses of the Custodian,
out of and to the extent of funds available from the sale of the Shares
(provided, however, that the Attorney-in-Fact shall not have any personal
liability to make such payments out of other funds), all in the sole and
absolute discretion of the Attorney-in-Fact (the undersigned hereby expressly
promising to repay the Attorney-in-Fact for any such payments made on behalf and
for the account of the undersigned by the Attorney-in-Fact).

          Without limiting the foregoing authority, the Attorney-in-Fact is
authorized to (i) request on behalf of the undersigned acceleration of the
Registration Statement relating to the aforementioned offering of Common Stock
and (ii) advise the SEC of the reason the undersigned is selling the Shares.

          ii.   Appointment of Custodian; Deposit of Securities; Instructions
                -------------------------------------------------------------
to the Company.
--------------

                (i)    The undersigned hereby appoints __________ to act as the
custodian (the "Custodian") of certificates representing the Shares on the terms
and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.

                (ii)   The undersigned herewith delivers to the Custodian a
certificate or certificates representing the Shares, in negotiable form (with
signatures guaranteed by a commercial bank or trust company or by a firm that is
a member of a national securities exchange or the NASD, unless the Company has
delivered an indemnity agreement covering transfers of such shares that is
reasonably satisfactory to the Company's transfer agent). The certificate(s) are
to be held by the Custodian for the account of the undersigned and are to be
disposed of by the Custodian for the account of the undersigned and are to be
disposed of by the Custodian in accordance with this Agreement. Such
certificate(s) are listed on the last page of this Agreement.

                (iii)  When delivered to the Custodian, the undersigned's
certificate(s), together with certificates of the other Sellers, will be
accompanied by written instructions from the Attorney-in-Fact to the Company to
(i) issue a new stock certificate evidencing the Shares being sold and, upon
such issuance, to deliver such new certificate to the Custodian and (ii) issue
in the name of the undersigned and deliver to the Custodian, for the
undersigned, a new stock certificate(s) evidencing the Shares, if any, not being
sold to the Underwriters.

                (iv)   The undersigned hereby authorizes and directs the
Custodian to hold the certificate(s) deposited herewith in its custody, with
full power and in the name of, for and on behalf of the undersigned:

                                      B-3
<PAGE>

                1)    to instruct the Company's transfer agent to issue
certificates representing the Shares in accordance with the directions of the
Underwriters, and to permit inspection and packaging of such certificates by the
Underwriters as provided in the Underwriting Agreement;

                2)    to deliver the Shares to the Underwriters in accordance
with the Underwriting Agreement, and to deliver, or cause to be delivered,
certificates representing the Shares to the Underwriters on the Closing Date
fixed in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement against receipt by the
Attorney-in-Fact of the consideration provided for in the Underwriting
Agreement;

                3)    to determine, in his or her sole and absolute discretion,
whether and the time and times when, the purpose for, and the manner in which
any power conferred herein to the Custodian shall be exercised, and the
conditions, provisions and covenants of any instrument or document which may be
executed by the Custodian pursuant hereto; and

                4)    to do all things and perform all acts pursuant to the
terms of this Agreement as the Custodian may in his or her sole and absolute
discretion deem appropriate, including, without limitation, the execution and
delivery of all certificates, receipts, instruments, letters of transmittal and
other documents and papers required, contemplated by, or deemed by the Custodian
appropriate in connection with this Agreement to the Underwriters, the Company's
transfer agent or any other person, and the employment of such counsel or other
person or firms as the Custodian in his or her sole and absolute discretion
shall deem necessary.

          iii.  Representations, Warranties and Covenants.  The undersigned
                -----------------------------------------
hereby represents, warrants, covenants and agrees that:

                (i)   The undersigned has read the representations and
warranties contained in the Draft Underwriting Agreement applicable to the
undersigned and understands the same, confirms that the same are true and
correct, and hereby authorizes the Attorney-in-Fact, acting on behalf of the
undersigned, to make such representations and warranties to the Underwriters in
form or substance as provided therein, with such additions to and changes in the
form of the Draft Underwriting Agreement as the Attorney-in-Fact in his or her
sole and absolute discretion shall determine;

                (ii)  The undersigned has read the Draft Underwriting Agreement
and understands the same, and hereby authorizes the Attorney-in-Fact to enter
into the Underwriting Agreement with the Underwriters on behalf of the
undersigned, subject to any limitations on the price to be paid for the Shares
set forth herein;

                (iii) To assure compliance with Rule 10b-6 under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the undersigned will not directly or
indirectly make bids for or purchases of or induce bids for or purchases of any
shares of Common Stock of the Company until the distribution of all shares of
Common Stock (including the Shares) being sold in the public offering has been
completed;

                (iv)  If requested, the undersigned will furnish to the
Attorney-in-Fact a letter, addressed to the SEC, setting forth the purpose or
purposes for which the undersigned is selling the Shares;

                                      B-4
<PAGE>

                (v)    All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders
necessary for the execution and delivery by the undersigned of this Agreement
and the Underwriting Agreement, and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to
be sold by the undersigned under the Underwriting Agreement, have been obtained
and the undersigned has full right, power and authority to enter into this
Agreement, to authorize the Attorney-in-Fact to enter into the Underwriting
Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares;

                (vi)   The performance of this Agreement and the Underwriting
Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated, will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of or constitute a default under any statute, indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, note agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the
undersigned is a party or by which the undersigned or the property of the
undersigned is bound, or any order, rule or regulation of any court or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the undersigned or the
property of the undersigned;

                (vii)  The undersigned has, and immediately prior to the Closing
Date (as such term is defined in the Underwriting Agreement) the undersigned
will have, valid, marketable title to the Shares, free and clear of any pledge,
lien, security interest, encumbrance, claim or equitable interest other than
pursuant to this Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement; and upon delivery of
such Shares hereunder and payment of the purchase price as herein contemplated,
each of the Underwriters will obtain valid, marketable title to the Shares
purchased by it from the undersigned, free and clear of any pledge, lien,
security interest, encumbrance, claim or equitable interest, including any
liability for estate or inheritance taxes, or any liability to or claims of any
creditor, devisee, legatee or beneficiary of the undersigned;

                (viii) The undersigned has carefully read the prospectus
included in the Registration Statement and will carefully read each prospectus
contained in any amendment to the Registration Statement upon receipt thereof
from the Company (such prospectus and each prospectus contained in any
amendment, including any post-effective amendment, to the Registration Statement
through and after the effective date of the Registration Statement are
collectively referred to herein as the "Prospectus") and hereby represents and
warrants that all information relating to the undersigned (including, without
limitation, the information which is set forth in the Prospectus under
"Principal and Selling Shareholders") is and will be accurately set forth;

                (ix)   Neither the undersigned nor, to the best of the
undersigned's knowledge, any associate of the undersigned, is a member of the
NASD; the undersigned does not own stock or other securities of any NASD member
(other than stock or securities purchased in the open market); and the
undersigned has not made any outstanding subordinated loan to any NASD member;

                (x)    The undersigned has not distributed and will not
distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the
offering and sale of the Common Stock other than the Prospectus or other
material permitted by the Act;

                (xi)   The undersigned will not directly or indirectly offer to
sell, sell, contract to sell or otherwise transfer or dispose of, any Common
Stock, any options or warrants to purchase Common Stock or any securities
convertible into or exchangeable for Common

                                      B-5
<PAGE>

Stock owned by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has the
power of disposition within ____ days after the effective date of the
Registration Statement (otherwise than in private transactions to the
undersigned's spouse, children, descendants, parents or grandparents or to a
trust for the benefit of one or more of such persons, provided that each
transferee and other person acquiring an interest in any Common Stock during
such ____ day period agrees in writing to be bound by the provisions of this
letter agreement), other than sales made pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement
or with the prior written consent of the Representatives; and

                (xii)  The undersigned has not taken and will not take, directly
or indirectly, any action designed to or which has constituted or which might
reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of
the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the
Shares.

                iv.  Termination of Agreement.
                     ------------------------

                     (i)   This Agreement and all authority hereby conferred are
granted and conferred in recognition of the interests of the Underwriters, the
Company and the other Sellers, in consideration of those interests and for the
purpose of assuring completion of the transactions contemplated by the
Underwriting Agreement and this Agreement. This Agreement is coupled with an
interest and is irrevocable and all authority hereby conferred shall be
irrevocable and shall not be terminated by any act of the undersigned or by
operation of law, whether by death or the occurrence of any other event; if
after the execution hereof the undersigned shall die or any other such event
shall occur before the completion of the transactions contemplated by the
Underwriting Agreement and this Agreement, the Attorney-in-Fact and the
Custodian are nevertheless authorized and directed to complete all of such
transactions as if such death or other event had not occurred and regardless of
notice thereof.

                     (ii)  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Underwriting
Agreement shall not be entered into, or if all of the transactions contemplated
by the Underwriting Agreement and this Agreement, including the sale of the
Shares, are not completed on or before November 30, 2000 then from and after
such date the undersigned shall have the power, by giving written notice to each
Attorney-in-Fact, to terminate this Agreement, subject, however, to all lawful
action done or performed by the Attorney-in-Fact pursuant hereto prior to the
actual receipt of such notice.

                v.   Limitation of Liability; Indemnification. The undersigned
                     ----------------------------------------
agrees that whenever the Attorney-in-Fact or the Custodian may obtain the advice
of any such counsel as either shall select in connection with any matter arising
under the Underwriting Agreement or this Agreement, the Attorney-in-Fact or
Custodian shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted in accordance with
such advice. The undersigned agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Attorney-in-Fact and Custodian against any and all losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (including all costs, legal and other expenses) incurred as a result
of any action taken or omitted by the Attorney-in-Fact or Custodian in
accordance with the Underwriting Agreement or this Agreement (including, without
limitation, the establishment of the price under the Underwriting Agreement),
whether or not under the advice of counsel, except with respect to any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities which shall be finally adjudicated to be the
result of gross negligence or willful bad faith of the Attorney-in-Fact or
Custodian, respectively.

                                      B-6
<PAGE>

                vi.   Applicable Law.  The validity, enforceability,
                      --------------
interpretation and construction of this Agreement shall be determined in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflicts of
laws principles.

                vii.  Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the
                      ----------------------
benefit of, and shall be binding upon, the undersigned and the undersigned's
heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, as the case may be.

                viii. Return of Undelivered Shares. If the Shares are not
                      ----------------------------
accepted by the Underwriters against payment therefor in accordance with the
terms and provisions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Underwriting Agreement
shall be otherwise terminated pursuant to the provisions thereof, or the
undersigned shall terminate this Agreement and in accordance with Section 4(b)
hereof, the Custodian shall promptly return to the undersigned the
certificate(s) referred to in Section 2(b) of this Agreement and held by him or
her for the account of the undersigned hereunder.

                ix.   Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any
                      ------------
number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all
of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same instrument.

                x.    Ownership of Shares.  Until delivery of the consideration
                      -------------------
provided for in the Underwriting Agreement has been made to the Attorney-in-Fact
by or for the account of the Underwriters, the undersigned shall remain the
owner of the Shares and shall have all rights thereto which are not inconsistent
with this Agreement.

                                      B-7
<PAGE>

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney
and Custody Agreement to be executed as of this ______ day of _______, 2000.

SELLER


___________________________________
(Print Name)


___________________________________
(Signature)


(Signature(s) must correspond with either the name(s) in which the deposited
certificate(s) representing Shares were issued or, if different, the name of the
beneficial owner with investment discretion over the Shares.)

                                      B-8
<PAGE>

          The certificate(s) representing shares of Common Stock delivered
     herewith to the Custodian by the above Seller pursuant to this Power of
     Attorney and Custody Agreement are identified as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                          Total Number of Shares of   Number of Shares to be Sold
     Stock Certificate    Common Stock Represented    to Underwriters from such
     Number               by Certificate              Certificate
     ------               -------------------------   ---------------------------
     <S>                  <C>                         <C>
</TABLE>


          The undersigned, as Custodian, hereby acknowledges receipt of the
     certificate(s) above identified, to be held and disposed of pursuant to the
     directions in this Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement and hereby
     agrees to act as Custodian in accordance with the terms of this Power of
     Attorney and Custody Agreement as of this ____ day of _________, 2000.

[Registrar].
-----------


By:______________________________________
   Name:
   Title:

          The undersigned hereby agrees to act as Attorney-in-Fact for the
     above-named Seller in accordance with the terms of this Power of Attorney
     and Custody Agreement as of this _____ day of _________, 2000.

     __________________________________
     _____________, as Attorney-in-Fact

     __________________________________
     _____________, as Attorney-in-Fact

                                      B-9
<PAGE>

                                   Exhibit C
                                   ---------

                               LETTER AGREEMENT
                         PROVIDING FOR RESTRICTIONS ON
                           THE DISPOSITION OF STOCK


                                                          September ______, 2000

ING BARINGS LLC
JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT LLC
     As Representatives of the
     several Underwriters
55 East 52/nd/ Street
New York, New York 10055

Dear Sirs:

         In consideration of the agreement (the "Underwriters Agreement") of the
several Underwriters for which ING Barings LLC and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
(the "Representatives"), intend to act as Representatives, to underwrite a
proposed public offering (the "Offering") of common stock, $.01 par value (the
"Common Shares") of FTI Consulting, a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), as
contemplated by a registration statement with respect to such shares to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form S- (the "Registration
Statement"), the undersigned hereby agrees that the undersigned will not, for a
period of 90 days after the effective date of the Registration Statement,
without the prior written consent of the Representatives:

         (i)   directly or indirectly assign, transfer, offer, sell, agree to
sell, make any short sale, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose
(collectively, a "Disposition") of any Common Shares of the Company or
securities convertible into or exchangeable for or any rights to acquire Common
Shares or

         (ii)  engage in any hedging or other transactions with respect to the
Common Shares that may have an impact on the market price of the Common Shares,
or that is designed to result in a Disposition of Common Shares, even if such
Common Shares would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned,
including, without limitation, any short sale (whether or not against the box)
or any purchase, sale, or grant of any right (including, without limitation, any
put or call option) with respect to any Common Shares or with respect to any
security (other than

                                      C-1
<PAGE>

a broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any
significant part of its value from Common Shares; provided, however, that bona
fide gifts to persons who agree in writing with the Representatives to be bound
by the provisions hereof, and sales of Common Shares pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement, shall not be prohibited.

         The undersigned agrees that this agreement shall be binding upon the
transferees, successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the
undersigned.

         In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent are
hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer
would constitute a violation or breach of this letter agreement.

                                          Very truly yours,



                                          By:_______________________________

                                          __________________________________
                                          [Print Name]

                                      C-2


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