Essent Group Ltd. Common Shares, par value $0.015 per share ________________________________ Underwriting Agreement

Barclays Capital Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Essent Group Ltd., a Bermuda exempted company (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriter named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriter”) an aggregate of 5,000,000 common shares, par value $0.015 per share (“Common Shares”), of the Company and, at the election of the Underwriter, up to 750,000 additional Common Shares. The aggregate of 5,000,000 Common Shares to be sold by the Company is herein called the “Firm Shares” and the 750,000 additional Common Shares to be sold by the Company are herein called the “Optional Shares”. The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriter elects to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the “Shares”.

1.The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Underwriter that:

(i)    An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-202386) in respect of the Shares has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, became effective on filing; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company (the base prospectus filed as part of such registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Basic Prospectus”; any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto and including any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(a)(iii) hereof), is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; the form of the final

prospectus (including any final prospectus supplement) relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such prospectus; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Basic Prospectus, such Preliminary Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Shares is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”; any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act is hereinafter called a “Section 5(d) Communication”; and any Section 5(d) Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act is hereinafter called a “Section 5(d) Writing”);

(ii)    No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package (as defined below), at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein;

(iii)    For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 4:20 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement; the Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the information listed on Schedule II(c) hereto, taken together (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a) hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and each Section 5(d) Writing listed on Schedule II(b) hereto, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in the Pricing Prospectus, an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section

5(d) Writing in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein;

(iv)    The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder 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; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule II(d) hereto;

(v)    The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the case of a Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein;

(vi)    The Company has full corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Company and perform its other obligations hereunder;

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

Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;

(viii)    The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Pricing Prospectus or such as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”); and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(ix)    The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of Bermuda, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Company’s subsidiaries that constitutes a “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) as of the last day of the Company’s most recent fiscal year (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation or limited liability company for the transaction of its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(x)    The Company has an authorized share capital as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus under the heading “Description of Our Share Capital” (with such adjustments as set forth therein) and all of the issued shares of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Common Shares contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors’ qualifying shares and except as otherwise set forth in the Pricing Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

(xi)    The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriter have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and

will conform to the description of the Common Shares contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

(xii)    The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company to the Underwriter hereunder and the compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (B) the Memorandum of Association, Bye-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (C) any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except in the case of clauses (A) and (C) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue of the Shares to be sold by the Company and the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except (i) for the registration under the Act of the Shares, (ii) the approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) of the underwriting terms and arrangements and (iii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws, the rules and regulations of FINRA, the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) or the Bermuda Monetary Authority (“BMA”) in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriter, except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xiii)    Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its Memorandum of Association or Bye-laws or similar organizational documents or (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except in the case of clause (B) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xiv)    The statements set forth or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Our Share Capital”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Common Shares, under the caption “Certain Tax Considerations”, and under the caption “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions”, are accurate and fair;

(xv)    Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any executive officer or director of the Company is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any executive officer or director of the Company is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any such executive officer or director, would reasonably be expected, individually or in the

aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

(xvi)    The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be required to register as an “investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

(xvii)    (A) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), and (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; and (B) at the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Shares, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;

(xviii)    PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States);

(xix)    The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to, 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. The Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls;

(xx)    Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been 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;

(xxi)    The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply in all material respects

with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure 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 those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level;

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

(xxiii)    The Company and each of its subsidiaries carry or are covered by insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes are prudent and customary in the business in which the Company is engaged; and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its 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;

(xxiv)    Each subsidiary that is required to be organized and licensed as an insurance company (collectively, the “Insurance Subsidiaries”) is duly licensed as an insurance company in its jurisdiction of organization and is duly licensed or authorized as an insurer in each jurisdiction outside its jurisdiction of organization where it is required to be so licensed or authorized to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so licensed or authorized, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Insurance Subsidiaries have made all required filings under applicable insurance statutes in each jurisdiction where such filings are required, except for such filings the failure of which to make would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the Insurance Subsidiaries has all other necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, consents, certificates, permits, registrations and qualifications (“Authorizations”), of and from all insurance regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective existing business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to have such Authorizations, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and no Insurance Subsidiary has received any notification from any insurance regulatory authority to the effect that any additional Authorizations are needed to be obtained by any Insurance Subsidiary in any case where it would reasonably be expected that the failure to obtain such additional Authorizations or the limiting of the writing of such business would result in a Material Adverse Effect, and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no insurance regulatory authority having jurisdiction over any Insurance Subsidiary has issued any order or decree impairing, restricting or prohibiting (A) the payment of dividends by any Insurance Subsidiary to its parent, other than those restrictions applicable to insurance or reinsurance companies under such jurisdiction generally or (B) the continuation of the business of the Company or any of the Insurance Subsidiaries in all material respects as presently conducted, in each case except where such orders or decrees would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxv)    No labor disturbance by the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, is imminent that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxvi)    The Company and each of its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”). To the best of the Company’s knowledge, the present employment of the Intellectual Property by the Company and its subsidiaries does not infringe or otherwise violate any rights of any third party in respect of the Intellectual Property that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries have not received any unresolved notice of material infringement of or conflict with rights of others with respect to any of the Intellectual Property;

(xxvii)    The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign income tax returns and have paid all taxes required to be paid by any of them, and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them, except for any taxes, assessments, fines or penalties as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxviii)    There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other person required by the Act to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that have not been described as required;

(xxix)     (A) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations, group of trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control, or affiliated service group within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), that includes the Company) would reasonably be expected to have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with the terms of its governing instruments and all applicable laws, including any applicable requirements under ERISA and the Code; (B) to the Company’s knowledge, no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (C) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, (i) no such Plan has failed (whether or not waived), or is reasonably expected to fail, to satisfy the minimum funding standards (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code) applicable to such Plan, (ii) no application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard has been filed, or is reasonably expected to be filed, pursuant to Section 302(c) of ERISA or Section 412(c) of the Code with respect to any such Plan, (iii) no such Plan is, or is reasonably expected to be, in “at risk status” (within the meaning of Section 303(i) of ERISA or Section 430(i) of the Code) or “endangered status” or “critical status” (within the meaning of Section 305 of ERISA or Section 432 of the Code), and (iv) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) with regard to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code and a Plan’s ability to pay benefits thereunder when due has occurred, or is reasonably expected to occur, with respect to any such Plan, and no other reportable event (other than an event for which the 30 day notice period is

waived) has occurred, or is reasonably expected to occur, with respect to any such Plan; (D) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable opinion or determination letter from the IRS that it is so qualified and, to the knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; (E) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than for contributions to the Plan or premiums payable to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp, in each case, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan; and (F) the Company has not incurred, and is not reasonably expected to incur, any liability for post-retirement health benefits, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in (A) through (F) hereof, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxx)    As of the Applicable Time, the Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith and the rules of the Exchange, in each case, that are effective and with which the Company is required to comply as of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement;

(xxxi)    The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates shown and its consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby; and the other financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records or other books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby;

(xxxii)    The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970 and the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened;

(xxxiii)    None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or authorized representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently subject to any sanctions (“Sanctions”) administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions administered by OFAC; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any

activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject or the target of Sanctions in violation of such Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions;

(xxxiv)    Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market−related data included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects;

(xxxv)    The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;

(xxxvi)    None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) made any unlawful contribution, unlawful gift, unlawful entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder; or (v) made any bribe, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment;

(xxxvii)    Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company with any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act;

(xxxviii)    Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of Bermuda to enforce this Agreement in respect of itself or its property;

(xxxix)    (A) All dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the share capital of the Company, now or in the future, may, under the current laws and regulations of Bermuda, be paid in United States Dollars that may be freely transferred out of Bermuda; (B) all such dividends and other distributions are not or will not be, as the case may be, subject to withholding or other taxes under the current laws and regulations of Bermuda; and (C) all such dividends and other distributions under such current laws and regulations are or will be otherwise free and clear of any other tax (save for any income tax that may be payable by the recipient of a distribution who is resident in Bermuda), withholding or deduction in Bermuda and without the necessity of obtaining any consent, approval, authorization or order in Bermuda;

(xl)    There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under the laws of Bermuda required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance by the Company or sale by the Company of the Shares to or for the account of the Underwriter; and

(xli)    The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and are prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto in all material respects.

2.    Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriter, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $39.70, the Firm Shares and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriter shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriter, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised.

The Company hereby grants to the Underwriter the right to purchase at its election up to 750,000 Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, provided that the purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the Optional Shares. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from the Underwriter to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by the Underwriter but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless the Underwriter and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

3.    The Underwriter proposes to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

4.    (a)    The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriter hereunder, in book-entry form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriter may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Underwriter by electronic book-entry, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of the Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the accounts specified by the Company to the Underwriter at least forty-eight hours in advance. The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on August 11, 2017 or such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified by the Underwriter in each written notice given by the Underwriter’s election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Time of Delivery”, each such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “Second Time of Delivery”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Time of Delivery”.

(b)    The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(l) hereof will be delivered at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, 4 Times Square, New York, New York 10036 (the “Closing Location”), and the Shares will be delivered through the facilities of DTC, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

5.    The Company agrees with the Underwriter:

(a)    To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Underwriter and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by the Underwriter promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Underwriter with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; to advise the Underwriter, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Shares, of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order; and in the event of any such issuance of a notice of objection, promptly to amend the Registration Statement in such manner as may be required to permit offers and sales of Shares by the Underwriter;

(b)    If required by Rule 430B(h) under the Act, to prepare a form of prospectus in a form approved by the Underwriter and to file such form of prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than may be required by Rule 424(b) under the Act; and to make no further amendment or supplement to such form of prospectus which shall be disapproved by the Underwriter promptly after reasonable notice thereof;

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

(d)    Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second New York Business Day succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriter with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as the Underwriter may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, to notify the Underwriter and upon the Underwriter’s request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to the Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as the Underwriter may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case the Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon the Underwriter's request but at the expense of the Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to the Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as the Underwriter may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

(e)    To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable (which availability may be satisfied by filing with the Commission’s Electronic Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor thereto (“EDGAR”)), but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

(f)    During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 30 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Company Lock-Up Period”), not to (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase Common Shares or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Shares or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement

that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Shares or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise (other than (a) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (b) the sale or issuance of securities of the Company pursuant to employee benefit plans and stock option, restricted stock and other equity plans described in the Pricing Prospectus or (c) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to the securities described in clause (b) above or any other securities eligible to be covered by a Form S-8), without the prior written consent of the Underwriter;

(g)    To pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act;

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

(i)    To use its reasonable best efforts to list for trading, subject to official notice of issuance, the Shares on the Exchange;

(j)    Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred or sublicensed; and

(k)    To not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

6.    (a)    The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Underwriter, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; and the Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Underwriter is listed on Schedule II(a) hereto;

(b)    The Company represents and agrees that (i) it has not engaged in, or authorized any other person to engage in, any Section 5(d) Communications, other than Section 5(d) Communications with the prior consent of the Underwriter with entities that are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act; and (ii) it has not distributed, or authorized any other person to distribute, any Section 5(d) Writings, other than those distributed with the prior consent of the Underwriter that are listed on Schedule II(b) hereto; and the Company reconfirms that the Underwriter has been authorized to act on its behalf in engaging in Section 5(d) Communications;

(c)    The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and the Company represents that it has

satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show;

(d)    The Underwriter represents and agrees that (i) any Section 5(d) Communications undertaken by it were with entities that are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act and (ii) it will not distribute, or authorize any other person to distribute, any Section 5(d) Writings, other than those distributed with the prior consent of the Company; and

(e)    The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Underwriter and, if requested by the Underwriter, will prepare and furnish without charge to the Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Section 5(d) Writing or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein.

7.    The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriter that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (a) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriter and dealers; (b) the reasonable cost of printing or producing this Agreement, any Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (c) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state and foreign securities laws as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (d) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the Exchange; (e) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with, any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; provided, however, that, the Company shall not be obligated to pay the fees of counsel to the Underwriter related to the matters set forth in clauses (c) and (e) above to the extent such fees exceed $10,000; (f) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show; provided, however, that the Underwriter shall pay or reimburse the Company for a portion of the cost of any such aircraft in proportion to the number of travelers thereon who are representatives of the Underwriter; (g) the cost of preparing stock certificates, if applicable; (h) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; and (i) all other costs and expenses incident to the

performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriter will pay all of its own costs and expenses, including the fees of its counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by it, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers it may make.

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

(a)    The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; all 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 period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act shall have been received; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Underwriter’s reasonable satisfaction;

(b)    Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, shall have furnished to the Underwriter their written opinion and negative assurance letter, each dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, with respect to such matters as the Underwriter may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

(c)    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, counsel for the Company, Conyers Dill & Pearman Limited, as Bermuda counsel for the Company, and Mary L. Gibbons, Esq., General Counsel of the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter their written opinion or opinions and negative assurance letter, each dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter and subject to customary qualifications and assumptions;

(d)    On the date of the Prospectus, contemporaneously with the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP shall have furnished to the Underwriter a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, to the effect set forth in Annex I(a) hereto, and a form of the letter to be delivered on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement and as of each Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b) hereto;

(e)    (i) The Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, shall not have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other

calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the Underwriter’s judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(f)    On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s financial strength by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the Company’s financial strength;

(g)    On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the Underwriter’s judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(h)    An application shall have been made to the Exchange to list the Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery;

(i)    The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriter executed copies of a lock-up agreement from each shareholder of the Company listed on Schedule III hereto, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex III hereto in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter;

(j)    The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(d) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses;

(k)    The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Underwriter at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to the Underwriter as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to such other matters as the Underwriter may reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished certificates as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section 8; and

(l)    The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Underwriter at such Time of Delivery a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company (a form of such certificate is attached as Annex II hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter.

9.    (a)    The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which the Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or any Section 5(d) Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the case of any such omission or alleged omission from any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act or any Section 5(d) Writing, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will reimburse the Underwriter for any documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein.

(b)    The Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(c)    Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the

indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d)    If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriter on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the

total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which the Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

(e)    The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of the Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriter under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

10.    [RESERVED]

11.    The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Underwriter, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or any controlling person of the Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

12.    If the Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriter for all documented out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to the Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

13.    In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriter is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies its clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriter to properly identify its clients.

All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriter shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: (646) 834-8133), with a copy, in the case of any notice pursuant to Section 13(c), to the Director of Litigation, Office of the General Counsel, Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019; if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth on the cover of the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary, with a copy to Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Michael Groll; and if to any shareholder that has delivered a lock-up letter described in Section 8(j) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail to his or her respective address provided in Schedule III hereto or such other address as such shareholder provides in writing to the Company.

14.    This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriter, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or the Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from the Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

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

16.    The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other, (b) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction the Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (c) the Underwriter has not assumed 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 the Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (d) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

17.    This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriter with respect to the subject matter hereof.

18.    This Agreement and any matters related to this transaction shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflict of laws that would result in the application of any law other than the laws of the State of New York. The Company agrees that any suit, action or proceeding against the Company brought by the Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, assigns, joint ventures and agents of the Underwriter, or by any person who controls the Underwriter, arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby will be tried exclusively in any state or federal court located in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York (each, a “New York Court”), and the Company waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding in any New York Court, and irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of, and to venue in, any New York Court in any suit, action or proceeding.

To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (sovereign or otherwise) from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from jurisdiction of any court or from set-off or any legal process (whether service or notice, attachment in aid or otherwise) with respect to itself or any of its property, the Company hereby irrevocably waives and agrees not to plead or claim such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Agreement.

19.    The Company and the Underwriter hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

20.    The Company has appointed Essent Guaranty, Inc., as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) upon whom process may be served in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein which may be instituted in any New York Court, by the Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, assigns, joint ventures and agents of the Underwriter, or by any person who controls the Underwriter, and expressly accepts the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any such court in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding. The Company hereby represents and warrants severally and not jointly that the Authorized Agent has accepted such appointment and has agreed to act as said agent for service of process, and the Company agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect as aforesaid. Service of process upon the Authorized Agent shall be deemed, in every respect, effective service of process upon the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action arising out of or based upon this Agreement may also be instituted by the Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, assigns, joint ventures and agents of the Underwriter, or by any person who controls the Underwriter, in any court of competent jurisdiction in Bermuda or elsewhere. The provisions of this Section 20 shall survive any termination of this Agreement, in whole or in part.

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

22.    Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriter imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

If the foregoing is in accordance with the Underwriter’s understanding, please sign and return one for the Company and the Underwriter plus one for each counsel counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by the Underwriter, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between the Underwriter and the Company.

(a)     Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package:

None

(b)    Section 5(d) Writing:

None

The offering price per share for the Shares is $39.90.

(d)    Specified Documents Incorporated by Reference:

None

Barclays Capital Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019