WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION (a Nevada corporation) 29,200,000 Shares of Common Stock (Par Value $0.0001 Per Share) UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION

(a Nevada corporation)

29,200,000 Shares of Common Stock

(Par Value $0.0001 Per Share)

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

May 14, 2009

XXXXX, XXXXXXXX & XXXXX, INC.
as Representative of the Underwriters
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
0^xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Western Alliance Bancorporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreements with Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc. (“Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx”) and the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”, which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx is acting as representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 4,380,000 additional shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The aforesaid 4,380,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 4,380,000 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Securities”.

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-158971), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectus covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. The information included in such prospectus

that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to paragraph (a) of Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information.” Any prospectus that omitted the Rule 430B Information, that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” The registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits and any schedules thereto, if any, and the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430B Information is herein called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and after such filing the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The final prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties and Agreements.

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with the Underwriters, as follows:

(i) Compliance with Registration Requirements. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, (B) at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities, and (C) at the date hereof, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”). The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has been issued and any post-effective amendment thereto under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

The registration statement relating to the Securities initially became effective within three years of the date hereof. If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the registration statement relating to the Securities, any of the Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will prior to that third anniversary file, if it has not already done so, a new shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Underwriters, will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after that third anniversary, and will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement relating to the Securities shall include such new shelf registration statement.

At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

As of the Applicable Time, neither (x) the Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below) and the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (y) any individual Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 7:30 pm (Eastern time) on May 14, 2009.

“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof. For purposes of this definition, information contained in a form of prospectus that is deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b).

“Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company or (ii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

“Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.

“Issuer-Represented Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus.

Each Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the issuer notified or notifies Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx expressly for use therein.

(ii) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective, at the time the Prospectus was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(iii) Independent Accountants. McGladrey & Xxxxxx, LLP, the accounting firm that certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. With respect to the Company, McGladrey & Xxxxxx, LLP is not and has not been in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) and the related rules and regulations of the Commission.

(iv) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, fairly present the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the books and records of the Company. No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement. To the extent applicable, all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act, the rules and regulations of the 1934 Act (the “1934 Act Regulations”) and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, as applicable.

(v) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) other than dividends paid on the Company’s Series A Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

(vi) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its

business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(vii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The activities of the Company’s subsidiaries are permitted of subsidiaries of a bank holding company under applicable law and the rules and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board (the “FRB”) set forth in Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations; the activities of Subsidiaries that are banks (each, a “Bank,” and collectively, the “Banks”) are permitted under the laws and regulations of their respective jurisdictions of organization and the deposit accounts in the Banks are insured up to the applicable limits by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”). Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (a) the subsidiaries listed on Schedule D hereto.

(viii) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement or pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of options referred to in the Prospectus). The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (contractual or otherwise), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, or agreements or understandings with respect to the sale or issuance of, any shares of capital stock of or other equity interest in the Company except pursuant to the Company’s stock option plans and awards currently in effect on the date hereof.

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

(x) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; the Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same; no holder of the Securities will be subject to personal liability for the debts of the Company by reason of being such a holder; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

(xi) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”) except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary.

(xii) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, may reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xiii) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the

Company or any subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xiv) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, or the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.

(xv) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures and excluding generally commercially available “off the shelf” software programs licensed pursuant to shrink wrap or “click and accept” licenses), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xvi) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities laws.

(xvii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the

Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has failed to file with applicable regulatory authorities any statement, report, information or form required by any applicable law, regulation or order, except where the failure to be so in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, all such filings were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed and no material deficiencies have been asserted by any regulatory commission, agency or authority with respect to any such filings or submissions.

(xviii) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

(xix) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

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

(xxi) Taxes. The Company and each of the subsidiaries has (a) timely filed all material foreign, United States federal, state and local tax returns, information returns, and similar reports that are required to be filed (taking into account valid extensions), and all tax returns are true, correct and complete, (b) paid in full all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, except for any such tax assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) established on the most recent balance sheet reserves that are adequate for the payment of all taxes not yet due and payable.

(xxi) Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes are adequate for the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and the value of their properties and as are customary in the business in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Company has no reason to believe that they will not be able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) Statistical and Market Data. The statistical and market related data contained in the Prospectus and Registration Statement are based on or derived from sources which the Company believes are reliable and accurate.

(xxiii) Relationship. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act or by the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder to be described in the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus and that is not so described.

(xxiv) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (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 the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(xxv) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company and its Subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act), which (A) are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms and that material information relating to the Company and its Subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within the Company and its Subsidiaries to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure, and (B) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Based on the evaluation of the Company’s and each Subsidiary’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, the Company is not aware of (1) any significant deficiency in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls or (2) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls. Since the most recent evaluation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures described above, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls.

(xxvi) Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(xxvii) Pending Procedures and Examinations. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.

(xxviii) Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (A) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (B) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (C) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or (D) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment.

(xxix) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the 1933 Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities to be sold by the Company hereunder.

(xxx) No Stabilization or Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any affiliates of the Company or its Subsidiaries, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.

(xxxi) No Unauthorized Use of Prospectus. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (i) the Closing Time and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any prospectus (as such term is defined in the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations and approved by Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx.

(xxxii) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the 1900 Xxx) contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(xxxiii) Lock-up Agreements. Each of the Company’s executive officers and directors, in each case as listed on Schedule E hereto, has executed and delivered lock-up agreements as contemplated by Section 5(j) hereof.

(xxxiv) Fees. Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company or any subsidiary any brokerage or finder’s fee or any other fee, commission or payment as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(xxxv) ERISA. The Company and each of the subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”); no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of the subsidiaries or ERISA Affiliates would have any liability; the Company and each of the subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates have not incurred and do not expect to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively the “Code”); and each “employee benefit plan” for which the Company and each of its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing as occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 400(b) of ERISA of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member.

(xxxvii) Investment Securities. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all securities held by it (except securities sold under repurchase agreements or held in any fiduciary or agency capacity) free and clear of any lien, claim, charge, option, encumbrance, mortgage, pledge or security interest or other restriction of any kind, except to the extent such securities are pledged in the ordinary course of business consistent with prudent business practices to secure obligations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and except for such defects in title or liens, claims, charges, options, encumbrances, mortgages, pledges or security interests or other restrictions of any kind that would not be material to the Company and its subsidiaries. Such securities are valued on the books of the Company and its subsidiaries in accordance with GAAP.

(xxxviii) Derivative Securities. Any and all material swaps, caps, floors, futures, forward contracts, option agreements (other than employee stock options) and other derivative financial instruments, contracts or arrangements, whether entered into for the account of the Company or one of its subsidiaries or for the account of a customer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, were entered into in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with applicable laws, rules, regulations and policies of all applicable regulatory agencies and with counterparties believed to be financially responsible at the time. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have duly performed in all material respects all of their obligations thereunder to the extent that such obligations to perform have accrued, and there are no breaches, violations or defaults or allegations or assertions of such by any party thereunder.

(xxxix) REIT Subsidiary. BW Real Estate, Inc. is organized and carries on its business so as to enable it to qualify as a “real estate investment trust” (a “REIT”) under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and no transaction or other event has occurred or is expected to occur that would be reasonably likely to cause BW Real Estate, Inc. to not qualify as a REIT for its current taxable year or for future taxable years.

(b) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, that number of Initial Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriters may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.

(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters to purchase up to an additional 4,380,000 shares of Common Stock at the price per share set forth in Schedule C. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in connection with the offering and

distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by the Representative to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined.

(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, 300 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representative to the Company.

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the bank account(s) designated by the Company against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

(d) Denominations; Registration. The Company shall deliver the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, unless otherwise instructed by the Underwriters.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with the Underwriters as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and will notify the Underwriters immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have

been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission 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 of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(b) Filing of Amendments. The Company will give the Underwriters notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)), or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish the Underwriters with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriters, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Underwriters and has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect until the completion of the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified, the Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect until the completion of the distribution of the Securities. The Company will also supply the Underwriters with such information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the Securities for investment under the laws of such jurisdiction as the Underwriters may request.

(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds”.

(i) Listing. The Company will use its commercially reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.

(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Prospectus provided that such options shall not be vested and exercisable within the 90-day period referred to above, or (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan.

(k) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

(l) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is hereinafter referred to as an “Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed

and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto (including any costs associated with electronic delivery of these materials), (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, and (x) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) of the terms of the sale of the Securities and (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or Section 10 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing the Rule 430B Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B). Any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433.

(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Company, Xxxxx Xxxxxx, special local counsel for the Company, and Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, General Counsel of the Company, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for the other Underwriters, each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, special counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for the other Underwriters. The opinion shall address the matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request. In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representative. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as of the execution of this Agreement or the Applicable Time, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or are to their knowledge contemplated by the Commission.

(e) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received from McGladrey & Xxxxxx, LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for the other Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(c) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received from McGladrey & Xxxxxx, LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time.

(d) Approval of Listing. The Common Stock (including the Securities) is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the NYSE, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting the Common Stock from the NYSE, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

(j) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule E hereto.

(k) Delivery of Prospectus. The Company shall have complied with the provisions hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses, in electronic or printed format, on the New York business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement.

(l) No Termination Event. On or after the date hereof, there shall not have occurred any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a).

(e) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any subsidiary of the Company hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received:

(i) Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

(ii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Company, together with the favorable opinions of Xxxxx Xxxxxx, special local counsel for the Company, and Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx, General Counsel of the Company, each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.

(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The favorable opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, special counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof.

(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from McGladrey & Xxxxxx, LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representative pursuant to Section 5(g) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than five days prior to such Date of Delivery.

(v) No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred prior to the Date of Delivery any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section 9(a).

(f) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.

(g) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in rule 501(b) under the 0000 Xxx) (“Affiliates”), its selling agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i), (ii) or (iii) above;

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters through Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); provided that the parties acknowledge and agree that the only written information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus and Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Underwriting” and the information contained under the captions “Underwriting – Price stabilization and short positions.”

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information or any preliminary prospectus, or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary prospectus, or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); provided that the parties acknowledge and agree that the only written information that the Underwriters has furnished to the Company specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus, or any Issuer-Represented Free Writing Prospectus and Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the Prospectus in the section entitled “Underwriting.”

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement Without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a) (ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions, which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount and commissions received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any 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 0000 Xxx) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as the Underwriters, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (i) investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, or by or on behalf of the Company, and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination; General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, including without limitation as a result of terrorist activities, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear Systems in Europe, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal, New York, California or Nevada authorities.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representative(s) shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative(s) shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriters.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriters from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either (i) the Representative or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriters” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative at Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0^xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, attention of General Counsel; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 0000 Xxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000, attention of Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx L.L.P., 000 Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, XX, Xxxxxxxxxx, XX 00000, attention of Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx, Esq.

SECTION 12. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 13. No Fiduciaries. The Company agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction the Underwriters is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or its shareholders, creditors, employees or any other third party, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 15. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The exchange of copies of this Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile or other electronic means shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto and may be used in lieu of the original signature pages to this Agreement for all purposes. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.


		Very truly yours,

		WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION

		By:		/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
		Name:		Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
		Title:		Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:

XXXXX XXXXXXXX & XXXXX, INC.


By		/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
		Authorized Signatory

For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriter named in Schedule A hereto

SCHEDULE A


Name of Underwriters	Number of Initial Securities
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.		21,900,000
X.X. Xxxxxxxx Co.		7,300,000
Total		29,200,000

Schedule A - 1

SCHEDULE B

Issuer-Represented General Free Writing Prospectus

None

Schedule B - 1

SCHEDULE C

WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION
29,200,000 Shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $0.0001 Per Share)

1. The initial public offering price per share for the Securities, determined as provided in said Section 2, shall be $6.00

2. The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the Underwriters shall be $5.73, being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $0.27 per share; provided that the purchase price per share for any Option Securities purchased upon the exercise of the over-allotment option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

Schedule C - 1

SCHEDULE D

Bank of Nevada
BW Real Estate, Inc.
Alliance Bank of Arizona
Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank
Xxxx Alliance Bank
First Independent Bank of Nevada
Premier Trust, Inc.
Xxxxxx/Xxxxxxx & Associates, Inc.
Shine Investment Advisory Services, Inc.
Western Alliance Equipment Finance, Inc.

Schedule D - 1

SCHEDULE E

Xxxxx Beach
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxxxx
M. Xxxxxx Xxxx, M.D.
Xxxxx X. Xxxx, D.V.M.
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Xx.
Xxxx X. Xxxxx, III
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx

Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxx

Schedule E - 1

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY’S COUNSEL TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(b)

Exhibit A - 1

Form of Opinion of Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP

___ _______, ____

Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
0^xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.
0 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx 00000


Re:		Western Alliance Bancorporation Offering of 33,440,700 Shares of Common Stock

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This firm has acted as counsel to Western Alliance Bancorporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale of 33,440,700 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”), of the Company pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement dated May 14, 2009 between the Company and you (the “Agreement”). This opinion letter is furnished to you pursuant to the requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the Agreement in connection with the Closing thereunder on the date hereof. Capitalized terms used herein which are defined in the Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement, unless otherwise defined herein (including in Schedule 1 attached hereto). Certain other capitalized terms used herein are defined in Schedule 1 attached hereto.

For purposes of the opinions, which are set forth in paragraphs (a) through (k) below (the “Opinions”), and other statements made in this letter, we have examined copies of the documents listed on Schedule 1 attached hereto (the

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“Documents”). We believe the Documents provide an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed.

In our examination of the Agreement and the other Documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all of the Documents, the authenticity of all originals of the Documents and the conformity to authentic originals of all of the Documents submitted to us as copies (including telecopies). We have also assumed the validity and constitutionality of each relevant statute, rule, regulation and agency action covered by this opinion letter. As to all matters of fact relevant to the Opinions and other statements made herein, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the Documents, we have not independently established the facts so relied on, and we have not made any investigation or inquiry other than our examination of the Documents. The Opinions are given, and other statements are made, in the context of the foregoing.

For purposes of the opinions set forth in paragraph (i) below, we have assumed that all orders, judgments, decrees, agreements and contracts would be enforced as written.

The Opinions are based as to matters of law solely on applicable provisions of the following, as currently in effect: (i) as to the opinion expressed in paragraph (a), the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “FRB”) promulgated thereunder (the “BHCA”), (ii) as to the opinion expressed in paragraph (b), the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) promulgated thereunder (the “FDI Act”), (iii) as

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to the opinions expressed in paragraphs (c) and (d), the California General Corporation Law, as amended, and the California Banking Law, as amended (“California Banking Law”), (iv) as to the opinions expressed in paragraphs (e) and (f), the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act”), (v) as to the opinion expressed in paragraph (g), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Exchange Act”), (vi) as to the opinion expressed in paragraph (h), the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the regulations (including proposed and temporary regulations) issued thereunder by the U.S. Treasury Department, published administrative interpretations of the Internal Revenue Service, and court decisions related to, and the legislative history of, the Code, all as of the date hereof, (vii) as to the opinions expressed in paragraphs (i) and (j), subject to the exclusions and limitations set forth in this opinion letter, the BHCA and the FDI Act (“Applicable Federal Law”), (viii) as to the opinions expressed in paragraph (i), subject to the exclusions and limitations set forth in this opinion letter, internal New York law (“Applicable State Law”), and (ix) as to the opinion expressed in paragraph (k), the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Investment Company Act”).

Based upon, subject to and limited by the assumptions, qualifications, exceptions, and limitations set forth in this opinion letter, we are of the opinion that:

(a) The Company is registered as a bank holding company under the BHCA as of the date of the FRB Certificate.

(b) Each of Bank of Nevada, Alliance Bank of Arizona, Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank, Alta Alliance Bank and First Independent Bank of Nevada (collectively, the “Banks”) is an insured depositary institution under the provisions of the FDI Act as of the date of the FDIC Certificate.

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(c) Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank is validly existing as a corporation and in good standing as of the date of the Xxxxxx Xxxxx Good Standing Bring-Down under the laws of the State of California. Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank has the corporate power to own, lease and operate its current properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and the activities of Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank as described in the Prospectus are permitted of a state chartered bank under California Banking Law. All of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank are duly authorized and, assuming the receipt of consideration therefor as provided in resolutions of Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank’s Board of Directors authorizing issuance thereof, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

(d) Alta Alliance Bank is validly existing as a corporation and in good standing as of the date of the Alta Alliance Good Standing Bring-Down under the laws of the State of California. Alta Alliance Bank has the corporate power to own, lease and operate its current properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and the activities of Alta Alliance Bank as described in the Prospectus are permitted of a state chartered bank under California Banking Law. All of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Alta Alliance Bank are duly authorized and, assuming the receipt of consideration therefor as provided in resolutions of Alta Alliance Bank’s Board of Directors authorizing issuance thereof, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

(e) Based solely upon telephone communications between an attorney of this firm and a member of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”), the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act, and to our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are threatened by the Commission. The required filings of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act

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have been made in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b).

(f) As of the date each was filed with the Commission, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein, as to which we express no opinion) complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder.

(g) As of the date each of the Incorporated Documents was filed with the Commission, each of the Incorporated Documents (except for the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein, as to which we express no opinion), complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements under the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder.

(h) The information in the Prospectus under the caption “Certain United States Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders of Common Stock” to the extent that such information constitutes matters of law or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by us and is accurate in all material respects.

(i) The execution, delivery and performance on the date hereof by the Company of the Agreement do not (i) violate any provision of Applicable Federal Law or any provision of Applicable State Law, (ii) violate any court or administrative order, judgment, or decree listed on Schedule 2 attached hereto that names the Company and is specifically directed to it or any of its property, or (iii) breach or constitute a default under any agreement or contract to which the Company is a party filed as an exhibit to any of the Incorporated Documents (except that we express no opinion with respect any matters that would require a mathematical calculation or a financial or accounting determination).

(j) No approval or consent of, or registration or filing with the FRB or the FDIC is required to be obtained or made by the Company under Applicable Federal Law in connection with the execution, delivery and performance on the date hereof by the Company of the Agreement.

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(k) The Company is not an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act.

Nothing herein shall be construed to cause us to be considered “experts” within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

We express no opinion in this letter as to any other laws and regulations not specifically identified above as being covered hereby (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other laws and regulations may have on the Opinions). We express no opinion in this letter as to federal or state securities laws or regulations (except to the extent stated in paragraphs (e), (f), (g) and (k)); antitrust or unfair competition laws or regulations; banking laws or regulations (except to the extent stated in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (i) and (j)); tax laws or regulations (except to the extent stated in paragraph (h)); or laws or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level. The opinions set forth in paragraphs (i) and (j) are based upon a review of only those laws and regulations (not otherwise excluded in this letter) that, in our experience, are generally recognized as applicable to transactions of the type contemplated in the Agreement.

We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the delivery of this opinion letter. This opinion letter has been prepared solely for your use in connection with the Closing under the Agreement on the date hereof, and should not be quoted in whole or in part or otherwise be referred to, and should not be filed with or furnished to any governmental agency or other person or entity, without the prior written consent of this firm.

Very truly yours,

XXXXX & XXXXXXX L.L.P.

Schedule 1

1. Executed copy of the Agreement.

2. The Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-158971) of the Company, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on May 4, 2009 (the “Registration Statement”).

3. The prospectus supplement, dated May 14, 2009, to the prospectus, dated May 4, 2009, of the Company, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) under the Securities Act (the “Prospectus”).

4. Memorandum to the file regarding telephonic confirmation from the staff of the Commission of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

5. A letter issued by the FRB confirming the status of the Company as a financial holding company under the BHCA, dated May 18, 2009 (the “FRB Certificate”).

6. A certificate issued by the FDIC as to the status of each of the Banks as insured depository institutions, dated May 14, 2009 (the “FDIC Certificate”).

7. Certain resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company adopted at a meeting held on May 11, 2009, relating, among other things, to the authorization of the offering, the Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares, the filing of the Registration Statement and Prospectus, the appointment of a Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Pricing Committee”) to determine the terms of and arrangements with respect to the foregoing, and ratification of the offering; and certain resolutions of the Pricing Committee, adopted at a meeting held on May 14, 2009, further implementing such board resolutions; in each case, as certified by the Secretary of the Company on the date hereof as being complete, accurate and in effect.

8. A certificate of certain officers of the Company, dated the date hereof, as to certain facts relating to the Company.

9. A certificate of the Secretary of the Company, dated May 20, 2009, as to the incumbency and signatures of certain officers of the Company.

10. The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, as filed with the Commission on March 16, 2009 (including any information incorporated by reference therein, the “Annual Report”).

11. The Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2009, as filed with the Commission on May 11, 2009 (including any information incorporated by reference therein, the “Quarterly Report”).

12. The Company’s Current Reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the Commission on February 5, 2009 and May 15 and May 20, 2009 (collectively with the Annual Report and the Quarterly Report, the “Incorporated Documents”).

13. Copies of the agreements and contracts of the Company listed as exhibits to the Incorporated Documents.

14. A certificate of status of Alta Alliance Bank issued by the Secretary of State of the State of California, dated May 15, 2009, and written confirmation provided by CT Corporation to Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP as to the telephonic bring-down of good standing of Alta Alliance Bank, dated May 20, 2009 (the “Alta Alliance Good Standing Bring-Down”).

15. A certificate of status of Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank issued by the Secretary of State of the State of California, dated May 15, 2009, and written confirmation provided by CT Corporation to Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP as to the telephonic bring-down of good standing of Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank, dated May 20, 2009 (the “Xxxxxx Xxxxx Good Standing Bring-Down”).

Schedule 2

Court or Administrative Orders, Judgments or Decrees

No items in these categories have been provided to us and identified as items which we should review in connection with rendering this opinion. We have been authorized to provide you with a copy of the Officer Certificate referred to in Item 8 of Schedule 1 hereto, to the effect that there are no court or administrative orders, judgments or decrees that name the Company or the Bank and are specifically directed to it or any of its property.

Form of Negative Assurance Letter of Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP

Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
0^xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.
0 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000


Re:		Western Alliance Bancorporation Offering of 33,400,700 Shares of Common Stock

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This firm has acted as counsel to Western Alliance Bancorporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and its subsidiary banks, Bank of Nevada, Alliance Bank of Arizona, Xxxxxx Xxxxx Bank, Xxxx Alliance Bank and First Independent Bank of Nevada, in connection with the issuance and sale of 33,440,700 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Securities”) of the Company, pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement dated May 14, 2009 between the Company and you, as underwriters (the “Underwriters”) (the “Agreement”). This letter is furnished to you pursuant to the requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the Agreement in connection with the closing thereunder on the date hereof (the “Closing”). Capitalized terms used herein which are defined in the Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement, unless otherwise defined herein.

During the course of our professional engagement, we reviewed the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-158971) (such registration statement, including the documents incorporated therein by reference, the “Registration

Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.
X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.
,
Page 2

Statement”), the base prospectus dated May 4, 2009 (the “Base Prospectus”), and the prospectus supplement dated May 14, 2009 (the “Prospectus Supplement”), as filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Base Prospectus and the final Prospectus Supplement, together with the documents incorporated by reference therein, the “Prospectus”) and the document listed on Schedule A hereto (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) and participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, with representatives of the independent public accountants of the Company and with you and your representatives at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, and the Prospectus and related matters were discussed. The purpose of our professional engagement was not to establish or confirm factual matters set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, and the Prospectus, and we have not undertaken any obligation to verify independently any of those factual matters. Accordingly, we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or fairness of the statements in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, and the Prospectus (except to the extent expressed under paragraph (h) of our opinion letter to you dated the date hereof). Moreover, many of the determinations required to be made in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, and the Prospectus involve matters of a non-legal nature.

Subject to the foregoing, we confirm to you that, on the basis of the information we gained in the course of performing the services referred to above, no facts have come to our attention that cause us to believe that:

(i) the Registration Statement, at the time it became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact

Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.
X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.
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Page 3

required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

(ii) the Prospectus, as of its date or as of the date hereof, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(iii) there are any legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened against the Company that are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, other than those disclosed therein; or

(iv) there are any contracts or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or referred to therein or so filed;

provided that in making the foregoing statements, we do not express any belief with respect to the financial statements and supporting schedules and other financial or accounting information and data derived from such financial statements and schedules or the books and records of the Company or assessments of or reports on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting contained or incorporated by reference in or omitted from the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, or the Prospectus.

Nothing herein shall be construed to cause us to be considered “experts” within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the delivery of this letter. This letter is being furnished by us only to you in connection with the Closing under the Agreement on the date hereof, is solely for your benefit in your capacity as Underwriter, and should not be quoted in whole

Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.
X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.
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Page 4

or in part or otherwise be used, relied upon, or referred to, for any other purpose or by any other person (including any person purchasing any of the Securities from you), and should not be filed with or furnished to any governmental agency or other person or entity, without the prior written consent of this firm.


	Very truly yours, XXXXX & XXXXXXX L.L.P.

Schedule A

Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated May 12, 2009 (relating to the Securities).

Form of Opinion of Xxxxx Vargas

KEEFE, XXXXXXXX & XXXXX, INC.
as representative of the underwriters
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
0^xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000


Re:		Western Alliance Bancorporation Offering of 29,200,000 Shares of Common Stock With a Potential Over-Allotment of 4,380,0000 Shares

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This firm has acted as special counsel to Western Alliance Bancorporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale of 29,200,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and a potential over-allotment of 4,380,000 shares of common stock of the Company (collectively, the “Shares”) pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement dated May 14, 2009 (the “Agreement”) by and amongst the Company and you, as representative of yourself and the other underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”).

This opinion letter is furnished to you pursuant to the requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the Agreement in connection with the Closing thereunder on the date hereof. Capitalized terms used herein which are defined in the Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement and Registration Statement, unless otherwise defined herein.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed. In our examination of the aforesaid documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal

capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to us or obtained by us, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies or governmental agencies (including telecopies). As to all matters of fact, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the documents so reviewed and in any officer certificates we have been provided and we have not independently established the facts so relied on. This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.

As used in this opinion letter, the phrase “to our knowledge” means the actual knowledge (that is, the conscious awareness of facts or other information) of lawyers currently in the firm who have given substantive legal attention to representation of the Company in connection with the Agreement. It does not include the knowledge of Xx. Xxxx Xxxxx, III, a member of our firm who also serves as a director on the Board of Directors of the Company.

For purposes of the opinions set forth below, we have assumed that all orders, judgments, decrees, agreements and contracts would be enforced as written.

This opinion letter is governed by the laws of the State of Nevada and is primarily based as to matters of law on the applicable provisions of the Nevada Corporations Law, Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 78, as amended (“Nevada Corporate Law”); the applicable provisions of the Nevada Uniform Securities Act, Chapter 90, as amended (“Nevada Securities Law”); and, where necessary to provide the opinions expressed herein, applicable banking and contract laws of the State of Nevada found within the Nevada Revised Statutes, as amended and as currently in effect (but not including any laws, statutes, ordinances, administrative decisions, rules or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level).

We express no opinion herein as to any other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations may have on the opinions expressed herein). As used herein, the various laws

referred to above include the statutory provisions contained therein, all applicable provisions of the Nevada Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting these laws.

Based upon, subject to and limited by the assumptions, qualifications, exceptions, and limitations set forth in this opinion letter, we are of the opinion that:

(a) The Company is validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada.

(b) The Company has sufficient corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreement.

(c) The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to the Agreement or pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of certain stock options referred to in the Prospectus); the shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non assessable; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

(d) The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to the Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth in the Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non assessable and no holder of the Shares is or will be subject to personal liability for the operations of the Company by reason of being such a holder.

(e) The current activities of Bank of Nevada are permitted for a state-chartered bank under the laws of the State of Nevada. We are informed and believe

that Bank of Nevada operates only within the State of Nevada.

(f) Bank of Nevada has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its banking business within the State of Nevada as described in the Prospectus; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Bank of Nevada has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non assessable and, to the best of our knowledge, is entirely owned by the Company free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Bank of Nevada was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder.

(g) The current activities of First Independent Bank of Nevada are permitted for a state-chartered bank under the laws of the State of Nevada. We are informed and believe that First Independent Bank of Nevada operates only within the State of Nevada.

(h) First Independent Bank of Nevada has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its banking business within the State of Nevada as described in the Prospectus; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of First Independent Bank of Nevada has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non assessable and, to the best of our knowledge, is owned entirely by the Company free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of First Independent Bank of Nevada was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder.

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

(j) The form of certificate used to evidence the Shares complies in all

material respects with all applicable statutory requirements of Nevada law and with any applicable requirements of the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Company.

(k) The information in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock”, to the extent that such information constitutes matters of law or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by us and is accurate in all material respects. The common stock conforms to Nevada law in all material respects as it is described in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock.”

(l) To the best of our knowledge, none of the Company, Bank of Nevada or First Independent Bank of Nevada will be in violation of its respective Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws or the due performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or filed or incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the Registration Statement as a result of the transaction contemplated by the Agreement and the Registration Statement,.

(m) The execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Agreement and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use Of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations under the Agreement will not result in any violation of the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Company, Bank of Nevada or First Independent Bank of Nevada, or any violation of applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree or any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their respective properties, assets or operations.

(n) Due to the listing of the shares on the New York Stock Exchange, and the corresponding exempt securities provision available under Nevada law in such an event that are self-executing and that accompany such listing, no approval or

consent of, or registration or filing with, the Securities Division of the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada is required to be obtained or sought by the Company under Chapter 90 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (the Nevada Uniform Securities Act), in connection with the execution, delivery and performance on the date hereof by the Company of the Agreement.

Nothing herein shall be construed to cause us to be considered “experts” within the meaning of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

We express no opinion in this letter as to any other laws and regulations not specifically identified above as being covered hereby (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other laws and regulations may have on the opinions expressed in this letter). We express no opinion in this letter as to any: federal or state securities laws or regulations other than those noted; antitrust or unfair competition laws or regulations; tax laws or regulations; or laws or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level. The opinion set forth herein is based upon a review of only those laws and regulations (not otherwise excluded in this letter) that, in our experience, are generally recognized as applicable to transactions of the type contemplated in the Agreement and the Registration Statement.

Very truly yours,

XXXXX XXXXXX

Form of Legal Opinion of General Counsel of

Western Alliance Bancorporation

Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
0xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

X.X. Xxxxxxxx & Co.
0 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxx, XX 00000

Re: Western Alliance Bancorporation

Ladies and Gentleman:

I am Senior Vice President and General Counsel to Western Alliance Bancorporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and have served as counsel to the Company in connection with the issuance of 33,440,700 shares of Company common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”), pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement, dated May 14, 2009, between the Company and Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc., as representative of the underwriters (the “Underwriting Agreement”). This opinion letter is furnished to you pursuant to the requirements set forth in Section 5(b) of the Underwriting Agreement in connection with the closing thereunder on the date hereof. Capitalized terms used herein which are defined in the Underwriting Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, unless otherwise defined herein.

For purposes of this opinion letter, I have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as I have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed. In my examination of the aforesaid documents, I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to me, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to me as copies (including telecopies). As to all matters of fact, I have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the documents so reviewed, and I have not independently established the facts so relied on. This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.

The opinions set forth herein are based upon a review of those laws and regulations that, in my experience, are generally recognized as applicable to transactions of the type contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement. As used herein, the term “Arizona Banking Law, as amended” includes the statutory provisions contained therein, all applicable provisions of the Arizona constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting these laws.

For purposes of this opinion letter, I have assumed the validity and constitutionality of each relevant statute, rule, regulation and agency action covered by this opinion letter.

Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc.
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Page 2 of 2

Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, I am of the opinion that:

	(a)		Alliance Bank of Arizona is validly existing as a corporation and in good standing as of the date hereof under the laws of the State of Arizona. Alliance Bank of Arizona has the corporate power to own, lease and operate its current properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and the activities of Alliance Bank of Arizona as described in the Prospectus are permitted of a state chartered bank under Arizona Banking Law, as amended. All of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Alliance Bank of Arizona are duly authorized and, assuming the receipt of consideration therefor as provided in resolutions of Alliance Bank of Arizona’s Board of Directors authorizing issuance thereof, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

	(b)		The information contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2008, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2009, under the caption “Business — Supervision and Regulation,” to the extent that such information constitutes matters of law or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by me and is accurate in all material respects.

I express no opinion in this letter as to any other laws and regulations not specifically identified above as being covered hereby (and in particular, I express no opinion as to any effect that such other laws and regulations may have on the opinions expressed herein). I express no opinion in this letter as to federal or state securities laws or regulations; antitrust or unfair competition laws or regulations; tax laws or regulations; or laws or regulations of any political subdivision below the state level.

I assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the delivery of this opinion letter. This opinion letter has been prepared solely for your use in connection with the closing under the Underwriting Agreement on the date hereof, and should not be quoted in whole or in part or otherwise be referred to, and should not be filed with or furnished to any governmental agency or other person or entity, without my prior written consent.


				Sincerely,


				Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
				Senior Vice President and General Counsel

EXHIBIT B

May 8, 2009

XXXXX, XXXXXXXX & XXXXX, INC.
as Representative of the Underwriters
to be named in the Underwriting Agreement
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0^xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000

Re: Proposed Public Offering by Western Alliance Bancorporation

Dear Sirs:

The undersigned, an executive officer and/or director of Western Alliance Bancorporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), understands that Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx, Inc. (“Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx”), as representative of the several Underwriters, proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the Company providing for the public offering of shares (the “Securities”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”). In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as an executive officer and/or director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that, during a period of 90 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the Company’s Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. In the event that either (i) during the period that begins on the date that is 15 calendar days plus three (3) business days before the last day of the 90-day restricted period and ends on the last day of the 90-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (ii) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day restricted period, the restrictions set forth herein will continue to apply until the expiration of the date that is 15 calendar days plus three (3) business days after the date on which the earnings release is issued or the material news or event related to the Company occurs. The Company shall promptly notify Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx of any earnings releases, news or events that may give rise to an extension of the initial restricted period.

Exhibit B - 1

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (ii) to any trust or family limited partnership for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust or general partner of the family limited partnership, as the case may be, agrees to be bound by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (iii) pledged in a bona fide transaction outstanding as of the date hereof to a lender to the undersigned, as disclosed in writing to Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx, (iv) pursuant to the exercise by the undersigned of stock options that have been granted by the Company prior to, and are outstanding as of, the date of the Underwriting Agreement, where the Common Stock received upon any such exercise is held by the undersigned, individually or as fiduciary, in accordance with the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement, or (v) with the prior written consent of Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin. In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may sell or make deemed sales of Common Stock to the Company pursuant to net exercises or cashless exercises of options outstanding on the date hereof to the extent that such shares of Common Stock are not subsequently sold by the Company on the open market for a period commencing on the date of the Underwriting Agreement and ending 90 days after the date of the Underwriting Agreement.

The undersigned now has and, except as contemplated by clauses (i) through (v) above and by clause (A) above, for the duration of the Lock-Up Agreement will have good and marketable title to the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever, except with respect to any liens, encumbrances and claims that were in existence on the date hereof. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s common stock, except in compliance with this Lock-Up Agreement. 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 Lock-Up Agreement.

The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement. The undersigned agrees that the provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement shall be binding also upon the successors, assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the undersigned.

The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-up Agreement.

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

Exhibit B - 2


	Very truly yours,

	Signature:

	Print Name:

Exhibit B - 3

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WESTERN ALLIANCE BANCORPORATION (a Nevada corporation) 29,200,000 Shares of Common Stock (Par Value $0.0001 Per Share) UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

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