4,000,000 LHC GROUP, INC. Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Exhibit 1.1

Execution Copy

4,000,000

LHC GROUP, INC.

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

July 13, 2006

Jefferies & Company, Inc.
CIBC World Markets Corp.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
     As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.
520 Madison Avenue, 12^th Floor
New York, New York 10022

Ladies and Gentlemen:

          Introductory. LHC Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”); and the stockholders of the Company named in Schedule B (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”) severally propose to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 3,000,000 shares of Common Stock. The 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Company and the 3,000,000 shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders are collectively called the “Firm Shares.” In addition, the Company and the Selling Stockholders have severally granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 600,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Optional Shares”), with the Company selling up to 150,000 shares and each Selling Stockholder selling up to the amount of such Optional Shares set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name in Schedule B, all as provided in Section 2. The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Offered Shares.” Jefferies & Company, Inc. (“Jefferies”), CIBC World Markets Corp. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated have agreed to act as representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares.

          The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333–135024), which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including all documents incorporated or deemed

to be incorporated by reference therein and any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act or pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), is called the “Registration Statement.” Any Registration Statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Such prospectus, including any final prospectus supplement in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act, is called the “Prospectus.” As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the prospectus and preliminary prospectus supplement together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, each identified in Schedule C hereto, including each “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act), if any, related to the offering of the Common Stock. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “preliminary prospectus supplement,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein. The terms “supplement,” “amendment,” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Time of Sale Prospectus or any free writing prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference therein. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that are “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus supplement, or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by Section 3(n) of this Agreement.

          The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders hereby confirm their respective agreements with the Underwriters as follows:

     Section 1.       Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders.

     A.       Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as follows:

          (a)       Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement have been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. The Company has complied with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings

for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.

          The Registration Statement 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, any of the Offered Shares remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will file prior to that third anniversary, if has not already done so, a new shelf registration statement relating to the Offered Shares in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, 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 Offered Shares to continue as contemplated in the expired Registration Statement. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new shelf registration statement.

          Each preliminary prospectus supplement and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR (except as may be permitted by Regulation S–T under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective and at all subsequent times, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering and at the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date and at all subsequent times, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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. The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representatives to the Company consists of the information described in Section 9(c) below. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that have not been described or filed as required.

          The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule C hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before

first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

          (b)       Offering Materials Furnished to Underwriters. The Company has delivered to the Representatives one complete manually signed copy of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts filed as part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits) and preliminary prospectuses, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Representatives have reasonably requested for the Underwriters.

          (c)       Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the several Underwriters in Section 2 and (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Registration Statement.

          (d)       The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and is a valid and binding agreement of, the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

          (e)       Authorization of the Firm Shares. The Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

          (f)       No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, other than the Selling Stockholders with respect to the Offered Shares included in the Registration Statement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

          (g)       No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation (including any off balance sheet obligation), indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) except as set forth in the Prospectus, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, by any of their respective subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or limited liability company membership interest or unit or any repurchase or redemption

by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock or limited liability company membership interest or unit.

          (h)       Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus and Time of Sale Prospectus, are (i) independent public or certified public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X and (iii) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the “PCAOB”) whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn.

          (i)       Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Prospectus and Time of Sale Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States (“GAAP”) on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The summary financial data included in the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the financial statements included in the Registration Statement. The other financial and statistical data set forth in the Registration Statement and included in either the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus are accurately presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement and either the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus that are not included as required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has engaged in or effected any transaction or arrangement that would constitute an “off-balance sheet arrangement” (as defined in Item 303 of Regulation S-K of the Commission (“Regulation S-K”)).

          (j)       Company’s Accounting System. The Company makes and keeps accurate books and records and maintains a system of accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

          (k)       Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Each of the Company, its subsidiaries and its joint venture or cooperative endeavor partners listed in Exhibit D attached hereto (collectively the “Joint Ventures”), has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and Time of Sale Prospectus and, in the case of the Company, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.

Each of the Company, its subsidiaries and Joint Ventures are duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, 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 for those failures to be so qualified as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interest of each subsidiary and Joint Venture has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interest of each subsidiary and Joint Venture owned by the Company is owned, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim and to the Company’s knowledge, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interest of each subsidiary and Joint Venture not owned by the Company is owned free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 or in Exhibit D attached hereto.

          (l)       Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or upon exercise of outstanding options described or referred to in the Time of Sale Prospectus). The shares of Common Stock (including the Offered Shares) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock (including the Common Stock owned by Selling Stockholders) have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock was issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described in the Time of Sale Prospectus. The description of the Company’s employee benefits plans, stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus accurately and fairly presents in all material respects the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

          (m)       Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market 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 Nasdaq Global Market, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the Nasdaq Global Market is contemplating terminating such registration of listing.

          (n)       Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other 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 of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Time of Sale Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Time of Sale Prospectus, except such as have been or will be obtained or made by the Company and are or will be in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the NASD.

          (o)       No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened (i) against or that would reasonably be expected to affect the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (ii) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of, or property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries where in any such case any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent.

          (p)       Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) reasonably necessary to conduct their businesses as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any of such Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received, or reasonably expects that it will receive, any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others. The Company is not a party to or bound by any options, licenses or agreements with respect to the Intellectual Property Rights of any other person or entity that are required to be set forth in the Prospectus and are not described therein. The Time of Sale Prospectus contains in all material respects the same description of the matters set forth in the preceding sentence contained in the Prospectus. None of the technology employed by the Company has been obtained or is being used by the Company in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its officers, directors or employees or otherwise in violation of the rights of any persons.

          (q)       All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits (including certificate of need approvals), consents, orders, certifications (including certification under the Medicare and Medicaid programs), issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses except for those failures to possess such certificates, authorizations, permits, consents, orders or certifications that would not, individually

or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received, or has any reason to believe that it will receive, any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could result in a Material Adverse Change. All of the hospice agencies operated by the Company (collectively, the “Facilities”) or its subsidiaries are eligible to participate in the Medicare and available Medicaid programs.

          (r)       Title to Properties. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all of the real and personal property and other assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(i) above (or elsewhere in the Time of Sale Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse claims and other defects. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such subsidiary.

          (s)       Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise 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. The Company has made charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(i) above in accordance with GAAP in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

          (t)       Company Not an “Investment Company.” The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”). The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become subject to the Investment Company Act.

          (u)       Insurance. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound and reputable institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as are generally deemed adequate and customary for their businesses including, but not limited to, policies covering real and personal property owned or leased by the Company and its subsidiaries against theft, damage, destruction, acts of vandalism. The Company does not believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage that it has sought or for which it has applied.

          (v)       No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock or any other “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under

the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”)) whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action that would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq Global Market in accordance with Regulation M.

          (w)       Related Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any subsidiary or any other person required to be described in the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

          (x)       Exchange Act Compliance. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in 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 Exchange Act, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto become effective, as of the date of the Time of Sale Prospectus and at the First Closing Date and the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 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.

          (y)       No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus.

          (z)       Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) that (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared; (ii) have been evaluated for effectiveness as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s most recent annual or quarterly report with the Commission, which precedes the date of the Time of Sale Prospectus; and (iii) except as disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 (the “Exchange Act Reports”), are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Based on the most recent evaluation of its disclosure controls and procedures in connection with the filing of its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2006, as of the date hereof, except as disclosed in the Exchange Act Reports, the Company is not aware of (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information or (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company is not aware of any change in its internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

          (aa)       Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change, (i) 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 (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) 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, (iii) 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 (iv) 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.

          (bb)       ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “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 Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any 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 Code. Each “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, that would cause the loss of such qualification.

          (cc)       Brokers. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and for underwriting commissions and other amounts required to be paid to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

          (dd)       No Outstanding Loans or Other Extensions of Credit. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company and/or such subsidiary except for such extensions of credit as are (i) expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act or (ii) fully repaid, discharged, forgiven or otherwise no longer outstanding or owing in any way on the date of this Agreement.

          (ee)       Compliance with Laws. Neither the Company, nor any of its subsidiaries, have been advised, or have reason to believe, that they are not conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations of the jurisdictions in which it is conducting business, except where failure to be so in compliance would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any officer, director, stockholder, employee or independent contractor of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Facilities operated by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, has engaged, directly or indirectly, in (i) any material activities that are prohibited under Medicare and Medicaid statutes or any regulations promulgated pursuant to such statutes, or (ii) any material activities that are prohibited under related state or local statutes or regulations, including the following: (A) knowingly and willfully making or causing to be made a false statement or representation of a material fact in connection with the receipt of or claim for any benefit or payment under the Medicare or Medicaid program or from any other third-party payor; or (B) knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving any remuneration, in cash or in kind in return for (1) referring an individual to a person for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of any item or service for which payment may be made in whole or in part by Medicare or Medicaid or any other third-party payor, or (2) purchasing, leasing or ordering or arranging for, or recommending the purchasing, leasing or ordering of, any good, facility, service, or item for which payment may be made in whole or in part by Medicare or Medicaid or any other third-party payor.

          (ff)       Compliance with Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The Company, its subsidiaries and each of the Facilities operated by the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, each of the licensed employees and contractors (other than contracted agencies) of the Company and its subsidiaries in the exercise of their respective duties on behalf of the Company, its subsidiaries or any such Facilities, is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable statutes, laws, ordinances, rules and regulations of any federal, state or local governmental authority with respect to regulatory matters primarily relating to patient healthcare (including without limitation Section 1128B(b) of the Social Security Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7(b) (Criminal Penalties Involving Medicare or State Health Care Programs), commonly referred to as the “Federal Anti-Kickback Statute,” and the Social Security Act, as amended, Section 1877, 42 U.S.C Section 1395nn (Prohibition Against Certain Referrals), commonly referred to as the “Stark Statute” (collectively, “Healthcare Laws”)). The Company and its subsidiaries have maintained in all material respects all records required to be maintained by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the Food and Drug Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency and State Boards of Pharmacy and the federal and state Medicare and Medicaid programs as required by the Healthcare Laws and, to the knowledge of the Company, there are no presently existing circumstances that would result or likely would result in material violations of the Healthcare Laws.

          (gg)       Compliance with HIPAA. To the extent that and for so long as (i) the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a “covered entity” as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 160.103, (ii) the Company, its subsidiaries and/or their respective business and operations are subject to or

covered by the HIPAA Administrative Requirements codified at 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 162 (the “Transactions Rule”) and/or the HIPAA Security and Privacy Requirements codified at 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164 (the “Privacy and Security Rules”), and/or (iii) the Company or any of its subsidiaries sponsors any “group health plans” as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 160.103, the Company or any of its subsidiaries has: (x) completed, or will complete on or before any applicable compliance date, thorough and detailed surveys, audits, inventories, reviews, analyses and/or assessments, including risk assessments, (collectively “Assessments”) of all areas of its business and operations subject to HIPAA and/or that could be adversely affected by the failure of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to be HIPAA Compliant (as defined below) to the extent these Assessments are appropriate or required for the Company or any of its subsidiaries to be HIPAA Compliant; (y) developed, or will develop on or before any applicable compliance date, a detailed plan and time line for becoming HIPAA Compliant (a “HIPAA Compliance Plan”); and (z) implemented, or will implement on or before any applicable compliance date, those provisions of its HIPAA Compliance Plan necessary to ensure that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is HIPAA Compliant. For purposes of this Agreement, “HIPAA Compliant” shall mean that the Company or any of is subsidiaries (1) is, or on or before any applicable compliance date will be, in compliance in all material respects with any and all of the applicable requirements of HIPAA, including all requirements of the Transactions Rule and the Privacy and Security Rules and (2) is not subject to, and could not reasonably be expected to become subject to, any civil or criminal penalty or any investigation, claim or process that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

          (hh)       Corporate Records. The minute books of the Company and each of its subsidiaries have been made available to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, and such books (i) reflect all meetings and actions of the board of directors (including each board committee) and stockholders (or analogous governing bodies and interest holders, as applicable) of the Company and each of its subsidiaries since the time of its respective organization through the date of the latest meeting and action, and (ii) accurately in all material respects reflect all transactions referred to in such minutes.

          (ii)       Margin Securities. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries owns any “margin securities” as that term is defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and none of the proceeds of the sale of the Offered Shares will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin security, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin security or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Offered Shares to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meanings of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.

          (jj)       Prospectus Statements. The statements set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus under the captions “Prospectus Summary,” “Prospectus Supplement Summary” and “Risk Factors” insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate and complete in all material respects.

          (kk)       Transfer Taxes. There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under federal law or laws of any state or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the issuance by the Company or the sale by the Company of the Offered Shares.

          Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to this

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Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

          The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 5 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

     B.       Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder as to himself , herself or itself and not as to any other Selling Stockholder represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as follows:

          (a)       The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder and is a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification hereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

          (b)       The Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney. Each of the (i) Custody Agreement signed by such Selling Stockholder and Computershare Trust Company, Inc., as custodian (the “Custodian”), relating to the deposit of the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder (the “Custody Agreement”) and (ii) Power of Attorney appointing certain individuals named therein as such Selling Stockholder’s attorneys-in-fact (each, an “Attorney-in-Fact”) to the extent set forth therein relating to the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Time of Sale Prospectus (the “Power of Attorney”), of such Selling Stockholder has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and is a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification thereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

          (c)       Title to Offered Shares to be Sold. Such Selling Stockholder has, and on the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date (as defined below) will have, good and valid title to all of the Offered Shares that may be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement on such date and the legal right and power to sell, transfer and deliver all of the Offered Shares that may be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement and to comply with its other obligations hereunder and thereunder.

          (d)       Delivery of the Offered Shares to be Sold. Delivery of the Offered Shares that are sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement will pass good and valid title to such Offered Shares, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim.

          (e)       Non-Contravention; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. The execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of, and the performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney will not contravene or conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a Default under,

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or require the consent of any other party to, the charter or by-laws, or other organizational documents, if any, of such Selling Stockholder or any other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, any provision of applicable law or any judgment, order, decree or regulation applicable to such Selling Stockholder of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental authority or agency, is required for the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, except such as have been or, prior to the First Closing Date, will be, obtained or made and are or will be in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the NASD.

          (f)       No Registration, Pre-emptive, Co-Sale or Other Similar Rights. Such Selling Stockholder (i) does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, (ii) does not have any preemptive right, co-sale right or right of first refusal or other similar right to purchase any of the Offered Shares that are to be sold by the Company or any of the other Selling Stockholders to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, except for such rights as such Selling Stockholder has waived prior to the date hereof and as have been described in the Registration Statement and Time of Sale Prospectus, and (iii) does not own any warrants, options or similar rights to acquire, and does not have any right or arrangement to acquire, any capital stock, right, warrants, options or other securities from the Company, other than those described in the Registration Statement and the Time of Sale Prospectus.

          (g)       No Further Consents, etc. Except for such consents, approvals and waivers that have been obtained by such Selling Stockholder on or prior to the date of this Agreement, no consent, approval or waiver is required under any instrument or agreement to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, in connection with the offering, sale or purchase by the Underwriters of any of the Offered Shares that may be sold by such Selling Stockholder under this Agreement or the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of any of the other transactions contemplated hereby.

          (h)       Disclosure Made by Such Selling Stockholder in the Prospectus. All information furnished by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement and Time of Sale Prospectus is, and on the First Closing Date and the applicable Option Closing Date will be, true, correct, and complete in all material respects, and does not, and on the First Closing Date and the applicable Option Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make such information not misleading. Such Selling Stockholder confirms as accurate the number of shares of Common Stock set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name in the Time of Sale Prospectus under the caption “Selling Stockholders” (both prior to and after giving effect to the sale of the Offered Shares).

          (i)       No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Such Selling Stockholder has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action that would directly or indirectly violate any provision of Regulation M.

          (j)       No Transfer Taxes or Other Fees. There are no transfer taxes or other similar fees or charges under federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the sale by the Selling Stockholders of the Offered Shares.

          (k)       Distribution of Offering Materials by the Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholders have not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the several Underwriters under Section 2 and (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than a preliminary prospectus, Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Registration Statement.

          Any certificate signed by any Selling Stockholder that is delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Selling Stockholder to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

          Such Selling Stockholder acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinion to be delivered pursuant to Section 5 hereof, counsel to the Selling Stockholder and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

     Section 2.       Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.

          (a)       The Firm Shares. Upon the terms herein set forth, (i) the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 1,000,000 Firm Shares and (ii) the Selling Stockholders agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 3,000,000 Firm Shares, with each Selling Stockholder selling the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name on Schedule B. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Stockholders the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be $18.29 per share.

          (b)       The First Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Alston & Bird LLP, 1201 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309 (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representatives) at 9:00 a.m. New York time, on July 19, 2006, or such other time and date not later than 1:30 p.m. New York time, on July 28, 2006 as the Representatives shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”). The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby acknowledge that circumstances under which the Representatives may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are in no way limited to, any determination by the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Representatives to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 11.

          (c)       The Optional Shares; Option Closing Date. In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company and the Selling Stockholders grant an option to

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the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of 150,000 Optional Shares from the Company and each Selling Stockholder selling up to the amount of Optional Shares set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name in Schedule B at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The option granted hereunder is for use by the Underwriters solely in covering any over-allotments in connection with the sale and distribution of the Firm Shares. The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement. Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option, (ii) the names and denominations in which the certificates for the Optional Shares are to be registered and (iii) the time, date and place at which such certificates will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in such case the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares and such Optional Shares). Such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date” and shall be determined by the Representatives and shall not be earlier than three nor later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise. If any Optional Shares are to be purchased, (a) each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares and (b) the Company and each Selling Stockholder agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be sold as the number of Optional Shares that the Company is selling, and the number of Optional Shares that each Selling Stockholder is selling as set forth in Schedule B opposite the name of such Selling Stockholder, bears to the total number of Optional Shares. The Representatives may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company and the Selling Stockholders.

          (d)       Public Offering of the Offered Shares. The Representatives hereby advise the Company and the Selling Stockholders that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.

          (e)       Payment for the Offered Shares. Payment for the Offered Shares to be sold by the Company shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company. Payment for the Offered Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Custodian.

          It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for their own accounts and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. Jefferies, individually and not as a Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representatives by the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the

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account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

          Each Selling Stockholder hereby agrees that (i) it will pay all stock transfer taxes, stamp duties and other similar taxes, if any, payable upon the sale or delivery of the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder to the several Underwriters, or otherwise in connection with the performance of such Selling Stockholder’s obligations hereunder and (ii) the Custodian is authorized to deduct for such payment any such amounts from the proceeds to such Selling Stockholder hereunder and to hold such amounts for the account of such Selling Stockholder with the Custodian under the Custody Agreement.

          (f)       Delivery of the Offered Shares. The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters certificates for the Firm Shares to be sold by them at the First Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters, certificates for the Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase from them at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The certificates, if any, for the Offered Shares shall be in definitive form and registered in such names and denominations as the Representatives shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) at a location in New York City as the Representatives may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.

          (g)       Delivery of Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus to the Underwriters. Not later than 12:00 p.m. on the second business day following the date the Offered Shares are first released by the Underwriters for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered, copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement in such quantities and at such places as the Representatives shall request.

     Section 3.       Additional Covenants of the Company.

     A.       Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

          (a)       Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus. The Company shall furnish to you, without charge, two signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and shall furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 3(e) or 3(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

          (b)       Representatives’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the First Closing Date

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or such date, as, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement (including any registration statement filed under Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act), the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (including any amendment or supplement, through incorporation by reference of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.

          (c)       Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to you a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which you reasonably object.

          (d)       Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

          (e)       Amendments to Time of Sale Prospectus. If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

          (f)       Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing (i) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, (ii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the offering contemplated hereby, (iii) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which it is listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the

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Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b) and 430A, as applicable, under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

          (g)       Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company agrees to promptly prepare (subject to Section 3(A)(a) hereof), file with the Commission and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, or delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under this Section 3(A)(g).

          (h)       Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The Company agrees to furnish the Representatives, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request.

          (i)       Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Representatives, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

          (j)       Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus.

          (k)       Transfer Agent. The Company shall continue to engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock.

          (l)       Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement, which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

          (m)       Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Nasdaq Global Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

          (n)       Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the inclusion and quotation of the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq Global Market and to maintain the inclusion and quotation of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market.

          (o)       Company to Provide Copy of the Prospectus in Form That May be Downloaded from the Internet. The Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered, at its expense, within one business day from the effective date of this Agreement, to Jefferies an “electronic Prospectus” to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. As used herein, the term “electronic Prospectus” means a form of the Time of Sale Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to Jefferies, that may be transmitted electronically by Jefferies and the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Offered Shares; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper Time of Sale Prospectus, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to Jefferies, that will allow investors to store and have continuously ready access to the Time of Sale Prospectus at any future time, without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Time of Sale Prospectus.

          (p)       Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Common Stock. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 90^th day following the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of Jefferies (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of Jefferies), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire Common Stock or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Common Stock (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares); provided, however, that the Company may (i) issue shares of its Common Stock or options to purchase its Common Stock, or Common Stock upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Prospectus or (ii) issue shares of Common Stock to acquire (in a business combination or otherwise) the capital stock or assets of any corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity or business unit, but only if the holders of such shares, options, or shares issued upon exercise of such options, agree in writing not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such shares or options during such Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of Jefferies (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of Jefferies). In addition, the Company agrees that the 90 day period shall be extended if (i) during the last 17 days of the 90 day period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to it occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the 90 day period, the

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Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16 day period beginning on the last day of the 90 day period. The period of such extension shall be 18 days, beginning upon the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

          (q)       Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

          (r)       No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M. If the limitations of Rule 102 of Regulation M (“Rule 102”) do not apply with respect to the Offered Shares or any other reference security pursuant to any exception set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102, then promptly upon notice from the Representatives (or, if later, at the time stated in the notice), the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with Rule 102 as though such exception were not available but the other provisions of Rule 102 (as interpreted by the Commission) did apply.

          (s)       Existing Lock-Up Agreement. The Company will enforce all existing agreements between the Company or any of its security holders and the Underwriters that prohibit the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation of any of the Company’s securities in connection with the public offering contemplated by this Agreement. In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such existing “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements.

     B.       Covenants of the Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter:

          (a)       Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Common Stock. Such Selling Stockholder will not, without the prior written consent of Jefferies (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell (including without limitation any short sale), pledge, transfer, establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock, options or warrants to acquire Common Stock, or securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Common Stock currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by the undersigned, or publicly announce the undersigned’s intention to do any of the foregoing, for a period commencing on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the last day of the Lock-up Period. In addition, each Selling Stockholder agrees that the 90 day period shall be extended if (i) during the last 17 days of the 90 day 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 period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16 day period beginning on the last day of the 90 day period. The period of such extension shall be 18 days, beginning upon the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

          (b)       No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Such Selling Stockholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock or any other reference security, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and such Selling Stockholder will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M. If the limitations of Rule 102 do not apply with respect to the Offered Shares or any other reference security pursuant to any exception set forth in Section (d) of Rule 102, then promptly upon notice from the Representatives (or, if later, at the time stated in the notice), such Selling Stockholder will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with Rule 102 as though such exception were not available but the other provisions of Rule 102 (as interpreted by the Commission) did apply.

          (c)       Delivery of Forms W-8 and W-9. Such Selling Stockholder will deliver to the Representatives prior to the First Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8 (if the Selling Stockholder is a non-United States person) or Form W-9 (if the Selling Stockholder is a United States Person).

     C.       Waiver of Covenants. Jefferies, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company or any Selling Stockholder of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.

     Section 4.       Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its and the Selling Stockholders’ obligations hereunder (other than any commissions and discounts payable to the Underwriters upon the sale of the Offered Shares being sold by such Selling Stockholders) and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby , including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock, (iii) subject to Section 2(e) of this Agreement, all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws and, if requested by the Representatives, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations, determinations and exemptions, (vii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, the NASD’s review and approval of the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, (viii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq Global Market, and (ix) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement, (x) all costs and expenses of the Underwriters, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, in connection with matters related to the Directed Share Program and (xi) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Offered Shares to prospective investors and the Underwriters’ sales forces, including, without limitation,

expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants, which consultants are engaged with the consent of the Company in connection with the road show presentations, travel, lodging and other expenses incurred by the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road shows; and (ix) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement. Except as provided in this Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.

     Subject to Section 2(e) of this Agreement, the Company further agrees with each Underwriter to pay (directly or by reimbursement) all fees and expenses incident to the performance of the Selling Stockholders’ obligations under this Agreement that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein, including but not limited to (i) fees and expenses of counsel and other advisors for such Selling Stockholders, and (ii) fees and expenses of the Custodian.

     This Section 4 shall not affect or modify any separate, valid agreement relating to the allocation of payment of expenses between the Company, on the one hand, and the Selling Stockholders, on the other hand.

     Section 5.       Covenant of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder but for the action of the Underwriter.

     Section 6.       Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Selling Stockholders set forth in Sections 1(A) and 1(B) hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Shares, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

          (a)       Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, (i) a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, Prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus (and the Representatives shall have received an additional conformed copy of such accountants’ letter for each of the several Underwriters), and (ii) confirming that they are (A) independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (B) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X and (C) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the PCAOB whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn.

          (b)       Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from NASD. For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date:

               (i)       the Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective;

               (ii)       no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and

               (iii)       the NASD shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

               (iv)       No Material Adverse Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date in the judgment of the Representatives, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change.

          (c)       Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Alston & Bird LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A-1, and the opinion of the Gachassin Law Firm, counsel for the Company, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A-2 (and the Representatives shall have received an additional two conformed copies of such counsel’s legal opinion for each of the several Underwriters).

          (d)       Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date.

          (e)       Officers’ Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect set forth in subsection (b)(ii) of this Section 6, and further to the effect that:

               (i) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to such Closing Date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

               (ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1(A) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such Closing Date; and

               (iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.

          (f)       Bring-down Comfort Letter. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 6, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be (and the Representatives shall have received an additional conformed copy of such accountants’ letter for each of the several Underwriters).

          (g)       Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholders. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received the opinion of the Gachassin Law Firm, counsel for the Selling Stockholders, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit B (and the Representatives shall have received an additional conformed copy of such counsel’s legal opinion for each of the several Underwriters).

          (h)       Selling Stockholders’ Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall receive a written certificate executed by the Attorney-in-Fact of each Selling Stockholder, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect that:

               (i)       the representations, warranties and covenants of such Selling Stockholder set forth in Section 1(B) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made by such Selling Stockholder on and as of such Closing Date; and

               (ii)       such Selling Stockholder has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date.

          (i)       Selling Stockholders’ Documents. On the date hereof, the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to the Representatives true and complete copies of the Powers of Attorney and Custody Agreements executed by each of the Selling Stockholders and such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

          (j)       Lock-Up Agreement from Certain Securityholders of the Company Other Than Selling Stockholders. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives an agreement in the form of Exhibit C hereto from each executive officer and director of the Company and such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

          (k)       Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

          If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

     Section 7.       Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 6, Section 12(i) or Section 18, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company or the Selling Stockholders to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

     Section 8.       Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not become effective until the later of (i) the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto and (ii) notification by the Commission to the Company and the Representatives of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act.

     Section 9.       Indemnification.

          (a)       Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (A) (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, 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 (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, 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 light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Jefferies) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with

written information furnished to the Company by the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus supplement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representatives to the Company consists of the information described in subsection (b) below; provided further, that with respect to the preliminary prospectus only and not any free writing prospectus or any other writing or instrument, the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense purchased Offered Shares or any person controlling such Underwriter, if a copy of the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (in each case, as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the Offered Shares to such person, and if the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (in each case, as so amended or supplemented), as applicable, would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, unless such failure is the result of noncompliance by the Company with Section 3 hereof. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company and the Selling Stockholders may otherwise have.

          (b)       Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Selling Stockholders. Each of the Selling Stockholders, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement made by such Selling Stockholder in Section 1(B) of this Agreement; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) under the caption “Selling Stockholders” insofar as such information relates to such Selling Stockholder,, 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; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Jefferies) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense purchased Offered Shares, or any person controlling such Underwriter, if copies of the Prospectus were timely delivered to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 2 and a copy of the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such person, if required by law so to have been delivered, at or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of the Offered Shares to such person, and if the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company and the Selling Stockholders may otherwise have. In no event

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shall the liability of any Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Section or Section 9 of this Agreement exceed the net proceeds received by such Selling Stockholder with respect to the sale of the Offered Shares.

          (c)       Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers and the Selling Stockholders. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, the Selling Stockholders and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or arises out of or is 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, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in strict conformity with written information furnished to the Company and the Selling Stockholders by the Representatives expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders hereby acknowledge that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company and the Selling Stockholders expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth in the table in the first paragraph and the third and 12th through 16th paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(c) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

          (d)       Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 9, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for indemnification, except to the extent that the indemnifying party shall have been materially prejudiced by such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving

28

the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party, representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in which case the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

          (e)       Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 9 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of separate counsel as contemplated by Section 9(d) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes (i) an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding 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.

     Section 10.       Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 9 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above 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 and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, 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 the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

     The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9(d), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 9(d) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(d) for purposes of indemnification.

     The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 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 in this Section 10.

     Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public, and (ii) no Selling Stockholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the aggregate net proceeds received by such Selling Stockholder from the sale of securities sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 10, each officer and employee of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, 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 with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

     Section 11.       Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares and the aggregate number of Offered Shares with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

     As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11. Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

     Section 12.       Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the First Closing Date this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to the Company and the Selling Stockholders if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Nasdaq Global Market, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the NASD; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, New York or Delaware authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representatives there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured. Any termination

pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company or the Selling Stockholders to any Underwriter, except that the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives and the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 7 hereof, (b) any Underwriter to the Company or the Selling Stockholders, or (c) of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

     Section 13.       Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers, of the Selling Stockholders and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, or the Selling Stockholders, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

     Section 14.       Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

     If to the Representatives:

Jefferies & Company, Inc.
520 Madison Avenue, 12^th Floor
New York, New York 10022
Facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####
Attention: General Counsel

     with a copy to:

Morrison & Foerster LLP
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10104
Facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####
Attention: James R. Tanenbaum, Esq.

     If to the Company:

LHC Group, Inc.
420 West Pinhook Road
Suite A
Lafayette, Louisiana 70503
Facsimile: (337)  ###-###-####
Attention: Chief Financial Officer

     with a copy to:

Alston & Bird LLP
One Atlantic Center
1201 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30307
Facsimile: (404)  ###-###-####
Attention: Steven Pottle, Esq.

     If to the Selling Stockholders:

Computershare Investor Services, LLC
730 Peachtree Street
Suite 840
Atlanta, GA 30308
Facsimile: (404)  ###-###-####
Attention: Sue Hampton, Relationship Manager

     Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

     Section 15.       Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 11 hereof, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 and Section 10, and in each case their respective successors, and personal representatives, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

     Section 16.       Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

     Section 17.       Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally

waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

     Section 18.       Failure of One or More of the Selling Stockholders to Sell and Deliver Offered Shares. If one or more of the Selling Stockholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Offered Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Stockholders at the First Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement and the remaining Selling Stockholders do not exercise the right hereby granted to increase, pro rata or otherwise, the number of Offered Shares to be sold by them hereunder to the number of Offered Shares to be sold by all Selling Stockholders as set forth on Schedule B, then the Underwriters may at their option, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of any Underwriter or, except as provided in Sections 4, 7, 9 and 10 hereof, the Company or the other Selling Stockholders, or (ii) purchase the shares that the Company and other Selling Stockholders have agreed to sell and deliver in accordance with the terms hereof. If one or more of the Selling Stockholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Offered Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, then the Underwriters shall have the right, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

     Section 19.       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, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. 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 Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

     Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 9 and 10 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company and the Custodian the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

          The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representatives in New York, New York as of the date first above written.

JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.
CIBC WORLD MARKETS CORP.
STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
Acting as Representatives of the several Underwriters
named in the attached Schedule A.

By JEFFERIES & COMPANY, INC.

SCHEDULE A

		Number of
		Firm Shares
Underwriters		to be Purchased
Jefferies & Company, Inc.			2,400,000
CIBC World Markets Corp.			800,000
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated			800,000
Total			4,000,000

SCHEDULE B

		Number of				Maximum Number
		Firm Shares				of Optional Shares
Selling Shareholder		To be Sold				to be Sold
K&G Family, LLC			463,251				81,749
John L. Indest			93,979				0
Duperier Avenue Investors, LLC			139,771				41,250
Daryl J. Doise			29,748				5,252
SKE Management, LLC			255,000				45,000
Gravois Investments, LLC			255,000				45,000
Harold Taylor			100,000				0
Bayou State Partners, LLC			181,626				40,874
Silver State Partners, LLC			181,625				40,875
R. Barr Brown			127,500				22,500
David Herbert			140,309				0
Stamp Properties, LLC			157,191				52,500
Bayou State Associates, LLC			85,000				15,000
Thibodeaux Family Investors, LLC			340,000				60,000
The Catalyst Fund, Ltd.			225,000				0
Southwest/Catalyst Capital Ltd.			225,000				0
Total			3,000,000				450,000

SCHEDULE C

Free Writing Prospectuses

     Free Writing Prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 433, dated July 13, 2006.

EXHIBIT A-1

A draft of the final form of opinion should be attached as Exhibit A at the time this Agreement is executed.

     Opinion of counsel for the Company to be delivered pursuant to Section 5(d) of the Underwriting Agreement.

     References to the Prospectus in this Exhibit A include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

               (i)       The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power 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 Underwriting Agreement.

               (ii)       The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company (including the Common Stock conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof set forth in the Prospectus. All of the outstanding Common Stock (including the Common Stock owned by the Selling Stockholders) has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable. The form of certificate used to evidence the Common Stock is in due and proper form and complies with all applicable requirements of the charter and by-laws of the Company and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

               (iii)       No stockholder of the Company or any other person has any preemptive right, right of first refusal or other similar right to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company arising (i) by operation of the charter or by-laws of the Company or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or (ii) to the knowledge of such counsel, otherwise.

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

               (v)       The Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

               (vi)       The Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act. To the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. Any required filing of the Prospectus and any supplement thereto pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required by such Rule 424(b).

               (vii)       The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of their respective effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein or in exhibits to or excluded from the Registration Statement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) complied as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

               (viii)       The Offered Shares have been approved for inclusion and quotation on the Nasdaq Global Market.

               (ix)       The statements in the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock,” and “Underwriting,” insofar as such statements purport to describe certain provisions of the agreements, statutes, regulations or the subject legal proceedings referred to therein, are accurate descriptions or summaries in all material respects.

               (x)       To the knowledge of such counsel, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or threatened which are required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, other than those disclosed therein.

               (xi)       To the knowledge of such counsel, there are no Existing Instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration Statement or to be filed as exhibits thereto other than those described or referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto; and the descriptions thereof and references thereto are accurate in all material respects.

               (xii)       The execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement by the Company, the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder (other than performance by the Company of its obligations under the indemnification section of the Underwriting Agreement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) and the issuance and sale of the offered securities (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company; (ii) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company; (iii) will not constitute a breach of, or Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any agreement or instrument filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; (iv) will not result in any violation of any federal or state law or, to the knowledge of such counsel any administrative regulation or administrative or court decree, applicable to the Company or its subsidiaries; or (v) will not require any consents, approvals or authorizations to be obtained by the Company, or any registrations, declarations or filings to be made by the Company, in each case, under any federal statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company that have not been obtained or made.

               (xiii)       The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares will not be, an “investment company” within the meaning of Investment Company Act.

               (xiv)       Assuming that each of Underwriters does not have “notice” of any “adverse claim” (each within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York UCC) with respect to the Common Stock to be purchased from such Selling Stockholder, upon physical delivery by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder of the certificates evidencing the Common Stock listed on Schedule B hereto (the “Delivered Shares”) to

Jefferies & Company, Inc. (“Jefferies”) in the State of New York, with stock powers duly indorsed to Jefferies or in blank and registration of transfer by the issuer thereof, and payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, Jefferies will become “protected purchasers” (as defined in Section 8-303(a) of the New York UCC) of the Delivered Shares, and acquire the Delivered Shares free of any “adverse claim” (as defined in Section 8-102(a)(1) of the New York UCC).

               In addition, such counsel shall state that they have participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent public or certified public accountants for the Company and with representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any supplements or amendments thereto, and related matters were discussed and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as specified above), and any supplements or amendments thereto, on the basis of the foregoing, nothing has come to their attention which would lead them to believe that (i) the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto, at the time the Registration Statement or such amendments became effective, 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, (ii) the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement or as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (iii) that the Prospectus, as of its date or as amended or supplement, if applicable, as of the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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 (it being understood that such counsel need express no belief as to the financial statements or schedules or other financial data derived therefrom, included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto). In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to matters of fact (but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and of public officials. Such counsel may state that the opinion is limited to matters governed by the federal laws of the United States of America, the laws of the State of New York and the Delaware General Corporation Law, and is subject to customary assumptions, exceptions, limitations and qualifications set forth in the opinion.

     In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the federal law of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion (which shall be dated the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters, shall expressly state that the Underwriters may rely on such opinion as if it were addressed to them and shall be furnished to the Representatives) of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; provided, however, that such counsel shall further state that they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinion of other counsel, and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials.

EXHIBIT A-2

A draft of the final form of opinion should be attached as Exhibit A-2 at the time this Agreement is executed.

               (xv)       The Company is qualified to do business in the State of Louisiana.

               (xvi)       The statements (i) in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 under the captions “Business—Strategic Relationships,” “Business—Joint Ventures,” “Business—Reimbursement,” “Business—Government Regulations,” “Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,” insofar as such statements purport to describe certain provisions of the agreements, statutes, regulations or the subject legal proceedings referred to therein, are accurate descriptions or summaries in all material respects.

               (xvii)       Each subsidiary of the Company is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, duly incorporated or organized under the laws of the state of its incorporation or organization, with power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus. Each subsidiary of the Company is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its incorporation or organization.

               (xviii)       All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and all of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of such subsidiaries owned by the Company were owned of record on that date by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, line, encumbrance or adverse claim.

               (xix)       The execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement by the Company, the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder (other than performance by the Company of its obligations under the indemnification section of the Underwriting Agreement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) and the issuance and sale of the offered securities will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of any subsidiary of the Company.

     In addition, such counsel shall state that they have participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent public or certified public accountants for the Company and with representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and any supplements or amendments thereto, and related matters were discussed and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as specified above), and any supplements or amendments thereto, on the basis of the foregoing, nothing has come to their attention which would lead them to believe that (i) the Registration Statement or any amendments thereto, at the time the Registration Statement or such amendments became effective, 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, (ii) the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement or as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as

the case may be, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (iii) that the Prospectus, as of its date or as amended or supplement, if applicable, as of the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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 (it being understood that such counsel need express no belief as to the financial statements or schedules or other financial data derived therefrom, included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto).

     In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or the federal law of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and as specified in such opinion, upon the opinion (which shall be dated the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters, shall expressly state that the Underwriters may rely on such opinion as if it were addressed to them and shall be furnished to the Representatives) of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; provided, however, that such counsel shall further state that they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinion of other counsel, and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials.

EXHIBIT B

A draft of the final form of opinion should be attached as Exhibit B at the time this Agreement is executed.

     The opinion of such counsel pursuant to Section 5(h) shall be rendered to the Representatives at the request of the Company and shall so state therein. References to the Prospectus in this Exhibit B include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date.

               (i)       The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder.

               (ii)       The execution and delivery by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder, and the performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement (other than performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under the indemnification section of the Underwriting Agreement, as to which no opinion need be rendered) and its Custody Agreement and its Power of Attorney (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of such Selling Stockholder; (ii) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary; (iii) to the best knowledge of such counsel, will not constitute a breach of, or default under, any other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound, (iv) will not result in any violation of any federal or state law, or to the best knowledge of such counsel any administrative regulation or administrative or court decree, applicable to such Selling Stockholder or (v) will not require any consents, approvals or authorizations to be obtained by such Selling Stockholder, or any registrations, declarations or filings to be made by such Selling Stockholder, in each case, under any federal or state statute, rule or regulation applicable to such Selling Stockholder that have not been obtained or made.

               (iii)       Such Selling Stockholder was the record owner on such date in the stock records of the Company of such Common Stock.

               (iv)       Each of the Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney of such Selling Stockholder has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and is a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles.

               (v)       To counsel’s knowledge, no consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or governmental authority or agency, is required for the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement, except as required under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws, and from the NASD.

     In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of Louisiana or the federal law of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion (which shall be dated the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the

case may be, shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters, shall expressly state that the Underwriters may rely on such opinion as if it were addressed to them and shall be furnished to the Representatives) of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; provided, however, that such counsel shall further state that they believe that they and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinion of other counsel, and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of the Selling Stockholders and public officials.