5,000,000 Shares VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP

Exhibit 1.1

5,000,000 Shares

VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP

Common Stock

PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT

December 7, 2009

STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED

One South Street, 15th Floor

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

SANDLER O’NEILL & PARTNERS, L.P.

919 Third Avenue, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10022

As Placement Agents

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Valley National Bancorp, a New Jersey corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions contained herein, to issue and sell 5,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, no par value (the “Common Stock”), directly to certain investors (collectively, the “Investors”). The Company desires to engage you as its placement agents (the “Placement Agents”) in connection with such issuance and sale. The Shares are more fully described in the Registration Statement (as hereinafter defined).

The Company hereby confirms that the Placement Agents, in connection with their duties in such capacity, are authorized to distribute or cause to be distributed the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus (each as hereinafter defined) (as from time to time amended or supplemented if the Company furnishes amendments or supplements thereto to the Placement Agents).

1. Agreement to Act as Placement Agents, Delivery and Payment. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements contained in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, this Agreement:

(a) The Placement Agents agree to act as the Company’s exclusive placement agents in connection with the issuance and sale, on a reasonable efforts basis, by the Company of the Shares to the Investors. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the

Placement Agents’ engagement hereunder is not an agreement by the Placement Agents or any of their affiliates to underwrite or purchase any securities or otherwise provide any financing. As compensation for their services hereunder, the Company agrees to pay on the Closing Date (as defined below) to the Placement Agents by wire transfer of immediately available funds 1.75% of the proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Shares.

(b) Delivery of the Shares shall be made at a closing (the “Closing”) at the offices of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the Closing Date to take place on the third or fourth business day (as permitted under           Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act), as mutually agreed by the parties, after the determination of the sales price of the Shares (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the “Closing Date”). All actions taken at the Closing shall be deemed to have occurred simultaneously.

(c) Payment of the purchase price for the Shares shall be made by the Investors directly to Valley National Bank (the “Bank”) by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the Bank, upon delivery of the Shares through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, to the Investors, and shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations, as the Investors may request at least one business day before the Closing Date.

(d) The several purchases of the Shares by the Investors shall be evidenced by the execution of one or more purchase agreements each substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (each, a “Purchase Agreement” and, collectively, the “Purchase Agreements”).

(e) Prior to the earlier of (i) the date on which this Agreement is terminated and (ii) the Closing Date, the Company shall not, without the prior consent of the Placement Agents, solicit or accept offers to purchase Shares (other than pursuant to the exercise of options or warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock that are outstanding at the date hereof) otherwise than through the Placement Agents.

2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of the Closing Date, as follows:

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-157561), in respect of the Company’s Common Stock (including the Shares) not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, became effective on filing; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such form of

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registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act has been received by the Company (the base prospectus filed as part of such registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Basic Prospectus”; the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective with respect to the Placement Agents (the “Effective Date”), are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares prepared and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act is hereinafter called the “Prospectus Supplement”; the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act relating to the Shares is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”).

On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement complied, and on the date of the Prospectus, the date any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective, the date any supplement or amendment to the Prospectus is filed with the Commission and the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto) will comply, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Securities Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder (the “Rules”) adopted by the Commission and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Date, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and on the Effective Date and the other dates referred to in the second sentence of this paragraph 2(a) above, neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, contained or will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or will omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading.

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No order preventing or suspending the use of the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and the Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the Rules and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” means, with respect to any Shares, the time of sale of such Shares pursuant to this Agreement. The Basic Prospectus and the applicable Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to such Applicable Time, taken together (collectively, and, with respect to any Shares, together with the public offering price of such Shares and the aggregate number of Shares up to which the Company will offer, the “General Disclosure Package”) as of each Applicable Time and the Closing Date, did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each applicable Issuer Free Writing Prospectus will not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the General Disclosure Package as of such Applicable Time, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(b) Incorporation of Documents by Reference. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and, when read together with the other information in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) at and as of the time the Registration Statement became effective, (b) at and as of the Applicable Time, (c) at and as of the time the Prospectus was issued and (d) at and as of the Closing Date, as applicable, did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(c) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the Rules.

(d) Financial Statements. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the

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periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in each of the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or incorporated by reference therein, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable.

(e) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its consolidated direct or indirect subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its consolidated direct or indirect subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its direct or indirect subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) except for cash and stock dividends on the Common Stock as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

(f) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in each of the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”).

(g) Status of Significant Subsidiaries. The Bank is a duly organized and validly existing national banking association and each of VNB Realty, Inc., VNB Capital Corp., Shrewsbury Capital Corporation, VN Investments, Inc. and Shrewsbury State Investment Co., Inc. (each, including the Bank, a “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the 1933 Act) (collectively with the Bank, the “Significant Subsidiaries”)) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has

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corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Significant Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Significant Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Significant Subsidiary. The Bank is the only depository institution subsidiary of the Company.

(h) Capitalization. The shares of issued and outstanding Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Company’s Common Stock has been registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the 1934 Act and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration or listing of the Common Stock from the NYSE, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. The outstanding shares of the Common Stock have been approved for listing and at the Closing Date the Shares being sold hereunder shall have been approved for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance, on the NYSE.

(i) Authorization of Agreements. All necessary corporate action has been duly and validly taken by the Company to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and each Purchase Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company. This Agreement and each Purchase Agreement have been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as rights to indemnity and contribution thereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and matters of public policy and except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles.

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

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(k) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. (a) Neither the Company nor the Significant Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws, (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or the Significant 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 the Significant Subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, or (iii) in violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or any of their assets, properties or operations, except for such violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (b)(i) and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Purchase Agreements and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Purchase Agreements and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments, (ii) nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by laws of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries, (iii) nor will such action result in any violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or any of their assets, properties or operations, except for such violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries.

(l) Labor Matters. Except as, in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (a) there are no strikes or other labor disputes against the Company or any of the Significant Subsidiaries pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, threatened; (b) hours worked by and payment made to employees of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries have

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not been in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other applicable law (whether statutory or common law), rule, regulation or contract dealing with such matters; and (c) all payments due from the Company or any Significant Subsidiary on account of employee health and welfare insurance have been paid or accrued as a liability on the books of the relevant entity.

(m) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement and the Purchase Agreements or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder or thereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

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

(o) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor the Significant Subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries therein.

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

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(q) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

(r) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect; and neither the Company nor the Significant Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses.

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

(t) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Shares as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

(u) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor the Significant 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

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limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would 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 the Significant Subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(v) Registration Rights. Other than pursuant to agreements for which the Company has fully satisfied its registration obligations, there are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company under the 1933 Act.

(w) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

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(x) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A)(i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), and (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act and (B) at the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the 1933 Act) of the Shares, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.

(y) No Commissions. Neither the Company nor the Significant Subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than as contemplated by this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries or the Agents for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.

(z) Actively-Traded Security. The Common Stock is an “actively-traded security” exempted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the 1934 Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.

(aa) Deemed Representation. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company delivered to the Agents or to counsel for the Agents pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agent as to the matters covered thereby as of the date or dates indicated in such certificate.

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

(cc) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The United States federal income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 have been settled and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any,

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as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined.

(dd) Insurance. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with, to the best knowledge of each of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries, financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it or the Significant Subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) 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 Effect. Neither of the Company nor the Significant Subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

(ee) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and, where required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

(ff) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or the Significant Subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(gg) Money Laundering Laws. Except as set forth on Schedule I hereto, the operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

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(hh) OFAC. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to the Significant Subsidiaries, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

(ii) Regulatory. The Company and the Significant Subsidiaries are in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations of, or administered or promulgated by, the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (the “OCC”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”) and any other federal or state bank, insurance or other financial regulatory authorities (collectively with the OCC, FDIC and the Federal Reserve Board, the “Regulatory Authorities”) with jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries to the extent such laws or regulations apply to the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, except where the failure to be so in compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party to any written agreement or memorandum of understanding with, or is subject to any order or directive by, or has adopted any board resolutions at the request of, any Regulatory Authority which restricts materially the conduct of its business, or in any material manner relates to its capital adequacy, its credit policies or its management, nor have any of them been advised by any Regulatory Authority that such Regulatory Authority is contemplating issuing or requesting (or considering the appropriateness of issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar submission, or any such board resolutions; the deposit accounts of the Bank are insured with the FDIC up to applicable limits to the fullest extent permitted by law; and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Bank, threatened.

(jj) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. No direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, except, in each case, as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and for generally applicable laws, rules and regulations.

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(kk) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board or any other regulation of the Federal Reserve Board.

(ll) There are no affiliations with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the best of the knowledge of the Company, any five percent or greater stockholder of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement or otherwise disclosed in writing to the Placement Agents.

(mm) The Company has fulfilled its obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder with respect to each “plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and such regulations and published interpretations in which its employees are eligible to participate and each such plan is in compliance in all material respects with the presently applicable provisions of ERISA and such regulations and published interpretations. No “Reportable Event” (as defined in 12 ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “Pension Plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company could have any liability.

(nn) None of the Company or its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute prior to the later of (i) the Closing Date, and (ii) completion of the distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement and other materials, if any, permitted by the Securities Act.

3. Conditions of the Placement Agents’ Obligations. The obligations of the Placement Agents under this Agreement are several and not joint. The respective obligations of the Placement Agents are subject to each of the following terms and conditions:

(a) The Prospectus Supplement shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act on or prior to the date hereof and in accordance with Section 3(a) hereof, any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the form of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the 1933 Act shall have been received; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Agents.

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(b) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement and in the certificates delivered pursuant to Section 3(c) shall be true and correct when made and on and as of the Closing Date as if made on such date. The Company shall have performed all covenants and agreements and satisfied all the conditions contained in this Agreement required to be performed or satisfied by it at or before the Closing Date.

(c) The Placement Agents shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, addressed to the Placement Agents and dated the Closing Date, of the chief executive or chief operating officer and the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company to the effect that: (i) the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company in this Agreement were true and correct when made and are true and correct as of the Closing Date; (ii) the Company has performed all covenants and agreements and satisfied all conditions contained herein on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder prior to or as of the Closing Date; and (iii) there has been no Material Adverse Effect since the date as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented.

(d) The Placement Agents shall have received, at the time this Agreement is executed and on the Closing Date, a signed letter from KPMG LLP addressed to the Placement Agents and dated, respectively, the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agents containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(e) The Placement Agents shall have received on the Closing Date from Day Pitney LLP, counsel for the Company, a written opinion, addressed to the Placement Agents and dated the Closing Date in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agents, to the effect set forth in Annex A hereto.

(f) The Placement Agents shall have received on the Closing Date from the General Counsel of the Company, a written opinion, addressed to the Placement Agents and dated the Closing Date in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agents, to the effect set forth in Annex B hereto.

(g) The Placement Agents shall have received on the Closing Date from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel for the Placement Agents, an opinion, addressed to the Placement Agents and dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agents.

(h) The Placement Agents shall have received on the Closing Date the “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, between the Placement Agents and each executive officer and director of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof.

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(i) The Shares shall have received approval for listing on the NYSE on or prior to the Closing Date, subject only to official notice of issuance.

(j) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Placement Agents such further certificates or documents as the Placement Agents shall have reasonably requested.

4. Covenants of the Company.

(a) The Company covenants and agrees as follows:

(i) The Company shall prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Placement Agents and file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by the Rules.

(ii) The Company shall promptly advise the Placement Agents in writing, during any period when the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus would be required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares by an underwriter or dealer in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, (A) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall have become effective or any supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall have been filed, (B) of any request by the Commission for any amendment of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for any additional information, (C) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the General Disclosure Package or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (D) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company shall not, during such period as the Prospectus (or if, at any time when the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to Investors) would be required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Shares in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement unless the Company has furnished the Placement Agents a copy for its review prior to filing and shall not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agents reasonably object. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

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(iii) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the Rules, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or the Rules, the Company promptly shall prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of paragraph (ii) of this Section 4(a), an amendment or supplement which shall correct such statement or omission or an amendment which shall effect such compliance.

(iv) The Company shall make generally available to its security holders and to the Placement Agents as soon as practicable, an earning statement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 158 of the Rules.

(v) The Company shall furnish to the Placement Agents and counsel for the Placement Agents, without charge, a signed copy of the Registration Statement (including all exhibits thereto and amendments thereof) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by a placement agent or dealer may be required by the Securities Act or the Rules, as many copies of the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto as the Placement Agents may reasonably request. If applicable, the copies of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus and each amendment and supplement thereto furnished to the Placement Agents will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(vi) The Company shall cooperate with the Placement Agents and their counsel in endeavoring to qualify the Shares for offer and sale in connection with the offering under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Placement Agents may designate and shall maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith, as a condition thereof, to qualify as a foreign corporation or to execute a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or subject itself to taxation as doing business in any jurisdiction.

(vii) The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act and the Rules or the Exchange Act, will file all reports and other documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15 of the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(viii) On or before the Closing Date, the Company shall make all filings required under applicable securities laws and by the NYSE.

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(ix) Prior to the earlier of the termination of this Agreement or the Closing Date, the Company will issue no press release or other communications directly or indirectly and hold no press conference with respect to the Company, its condition, financial or otherwise, or its earnings, business affairs or business prospects, or the offering of the Shares without the prior written consent of the Placement Agents, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, unless in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, and after notification to the Placement Agents, such press release or communication is required by law.

(x) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares in the manner set forth under “Use of Proceeds” in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(xi) For a period of 60 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, other than (a) the Shares to be sold hereunder and (b) the issuance and sale by the Company of shares of Common Stock pursuant to any stock incentive plan of the Company in effect at the Closing Date as described or contemplated in the Prospectus. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 60-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 60-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 60-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. The Company will provide Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and each individual subject to the lock-up letters described in Section 3(h) with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the restricted period.

(b) The Company agrees to pay, or reimburse if paid by the Placement Agents, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the following costs and expenses: (i) the preparation, printing, filing and distribution of the Registration Statement including all exhibits thereto, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, all amendments and supplements to the Registration

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Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any document incorporated by reference therein, and the printing, filing and distribution of this Agreement; (ii) the registration or qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various jurisdictions referred to in Section 4(a)(vi), including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Placement Agents in connection with such registration and qualification and the preparation, printing, distribution and shipment of preliminary and supplementary Blue Sky memoranda; (iii) the furnishing (including costs of shipping and mailing) to the Placement Agents of copies of the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements to the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and of the several documents required by this Section 4 to be so furnished, as may be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares; (iv) the filing fees of FINRA in connection with its review of the terms of the offering and reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Placement Agents in connection with such review; and (v) inclusion of the Shares for quotation on the NYSE. Subject to the provisions of Section 7, the Placement Agents agree to pay, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, all costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Placement Agents under this Agreement not payable by the Company pursuant to the preceding sentence, including, without limitation, the fees and expenses of their legal counsel.

5. Indemnification.

(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Placement Agent and each person, if any, who controls any Placement Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee, partner, agent or affiliate of each Placement Agent against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities, joint or several (including any reasonable investigation, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, or arise out of or are based upon any omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.

(b) Each Placement Agent, severally but not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, each director of the Company, and each officer of the Company who signs the Registration Statement, against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including any

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reasonable investigation, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted) to which they, or any of them, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other Federal or state law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Placement Agent expressly for use therein (it being understood that the Company acknowledges that no such information exists); provided, however, that the obligation of each Placement Agent to indemnify the Company (including any controlling person, director or officer thereof) shall be limited to the amount of placement agent fees actually received by such Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement.

(c) Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 5 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 5, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, suit or proceeding, enclosing a copy of all papers served. No indemnification provided for in Section 5(a) or 5(b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 5(c) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related but the omission to so notify such indemnifying party of any such action, suit or proceeding shall only relieve it from liability to the extent that it was prejudiced by the failure to give such notice and shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under this Section 5. In case any such action, suit or proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof and the approval by the indemnified party of such counsel, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses, except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof. The indemnified party shall have the right to employ its counsel in any such action, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the employment of counsel by such indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying parties, (ii) the indemnified party shall have been advised by counsel in writing that there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or in addition

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to those available to the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying parties shall not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (iii) the indemnifying parties shall not have employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after notice of the commencement thereof, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of one counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying parties. An indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any action, suit, and proceeding or claim effected without its written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

6. Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in Section 5(a) or 5(b) is due in accordance with its terms but for any reason is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect to any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses (including any investigation, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claims asserted) incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agents on the other hand from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement or, if such allocation is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Placement Agents on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The Company and the Placement Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Placement Agents were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6, no Placement Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount of placement agent fees actually received by such Placement Agent 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. For purposes of this Section 6, each person, if any, who controls a Placement Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee, partner, agent or affiliate of each Placement Agent shall have the same rights to contribution as such Placement Agent, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made against another party or parties under this Section 6, notify such

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party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought shall not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have hereunder or otherwise than under this Section 6. No party shall be liable for contribution with respect to any action, suit, proceeding or claim settled without its written consent. The Placement Agents’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 6 are several in proportion to the respective amounts of placement agent fees each has actually received pursuant to this Agreement and not joint.

7. Termination.

(a) This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date by the Placement Agents by notifying the Company at any time at or before the Closing Date in the absolute discretion of the Placement Agents if: (i) there has occurred any material adverse change in the securities markets or any event, act or occurrence that has materially disrupted, or in the opinion of the Placement Agents, will in the future materially disrupt, the securities markets, or there shall be such a material adverse change in general financial, political or economic conditions or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Placement Agents, inadvisable or impracticable to market the Shares or enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares; (ii) there has occurred any outbreak or material escalation of hostilities or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Placement Agents, inadvisable or impracticable to market the Shares or enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares; (iii) trading in the Shares or any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., the American Stock Exchange, Inc. or the Nasdaq Global Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA, or any other governmental or regulatory authority; or (iv) a banking moratorium has been declared by any state or Federal authority; or (v) in the judgment of the Placement Agents, there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the assets, properties, condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Company considered as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.

(b) If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to any of its provisions, the Company shall not be under any liability to any Placement Agent, and no Placement Agent shall be under any liability to the Company, except that if this Agreement is terminated by the Placement Agents because of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Placement Agents for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel) incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the proposed sale of the Shares or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder.

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8. Miscellaneous. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company, and the Placement Agents, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Placement Agent or the Company or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons referred to in Sections 5 and 6 hereof, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares. In addition, the provisions of Sections 4(b), 5, 6 and 7 shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

This Agreement has been and is made for the benefit of the Placement Agents, the Company and their respective successors and assigns, and, to the extent expressed herein, for the benefit of persons controlling any of the Placement Agents, or the Company, and directors and officers of the Company, and their respective successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include any Investor merely because of such purchase.

All notices and communications hereunder shall be in writing and mailed or delivered or by telephone or telegraph if subsequently confirmed in writing, if to the Placement Agents:

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated

One South Street, 15^th Floor

Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Fax No. (443)  ###-###-####

Attention: Syndicate Department

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

919 Third Avenue, 6^th Floor

New York, NY 10022

212 ###-###-#### (fax)

Attn: General Counsel

and if to the Company, to:

Valley National Bancorp

1455 Valley Road

Wayne, New Jersey 07470

Fax No. (973)  ###-###-####

Attention: Alan D. Eskow, Senior Executive Vice President

       and Chief Financial Officer.

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

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This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

This Agreement, including the schedule, annexes and exhibit contain the entire understanding of the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter contained herein.

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Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among us.

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Confirmed:

STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED

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