STANDBY PURCHASE AGREEMENT May __, 1997 Lehman Brothers Inc. 3 World Financial Center 16th Floor 200 Vesey Street New York, New York 10285 (212) 526-7000 (212) 528-6859 (fax) Gentlemen and Ladies: MagneTek, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes to redeem on June 23, 1997 (the "Redemption Date") $35,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 8% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2001 (the "Notes") at 103.56% of the face amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to and including the Redemption Date (for an aggregate of $21.78 per each $1,000 principal amount) (the "Redemption Price"). The Notes are convertible into 62.5 shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") per each $1,000 principal amount. The right to convert the Notes into shares of Common Stock will terminate at the close of business (5:00 p.m., New York City time) on June 16, 1997 (the "Conversion Termination Date"). The Company desires to make arrangements with you (the "Purchaser") pursuant to which the Purchaser will purchase from the Company the number of shares of Common Stock necessary to provide the Company with the funds required to pay the aggregate redemption price of that portion of the $35,000,000 principal amount of the Notes called for redemption that remain outstanding on the Redemption Date. The Company wishes to confirm as follows its agreement with the Purchaser in respect of such arrangement: 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Purchaser as set forth below in this Section 1. Certain terms used in this Section 1 are defined in paragraph (c) hereof. (a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on such Form, including a related Prospectus, for the registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Acquired Shares (as defined in Section 2 hereof). The registration statement has become effective (unless the Execution Time precedes the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, in which case the representation contained in this sentence shall be deemed first to have been made upon the effectiveness of this Agreement in accordance with Section 14 hereof). (b) To the best of the Company's knowledge, no order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission. On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and the respective rules and regulations thereunder. On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did not 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, at the time of the filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424 (or, if no such filing is required, on the Effective Date), the Prospectus did not include 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; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Purchaser specifically for inclusion in or omission from the Registration Statement of the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto). (c) The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated. The term the "Effective Date" shall mean the date that the Registration Statement became effective. "Execution Time" shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto. The "Preliminary Prospectus" shall mean any preliminary prospectus, including incorporated documents, with respect to the offering of the Acquired Shares included in the Registration Statement prior to the Effective Date. "Registration Statement" shall mean the registration statement referred to in paragraph (a) above, including incorporated documents, exhibits and financial statements, as amended at the Effective Date. "Rule 424" refers to such rule under the Act. "Prospectus" shall mean the form of prospectus, including incorporated documents, relating to the offering of the Acquired Shares (as defined in Section 2 below) as first filed with the Commission under Rule 424, or (if no such filing is required) as included in the Registration Statement. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, a Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents (or any portions thereof) incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act on or before the Effective Date of the Registration Statement or the issue date of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any -2- reference herein to the terms "amend," "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, or the issue date of the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. (d) All corporate subsidiaries (each of which is referred to herein as a "subsidiary" and all of which are collectively referred to herein as the "subsidiaries") of the Company are listed on Schedule I attached hereto, PROVIDED, that the names of particular subsidiaries may be omitted from Schedule I if the unnamed subsidiaries, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, would not constitute a "significant subsidiary" of the Company within the meaning of Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X. (e) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, and each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, as the case may be, and each has the corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described (if described) in the Prospectus and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or leasing of its properties or its conduct of its material business make such qualification necessary, except to the extent that any failure to so qualify or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. (f) The issuance and sale of Purchased Shares (as defined in Section 2 hereof) to be sold by the Company under this Agreement and the issuance of the Additional Shares (as defined in Section 2 hereof) do not result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a default) under, (i) the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company or its subsidiaries, (ii) any material bond, debenture, note, loan agreement, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or its subsidiaries is now a party or by which any of them is bound, or (iii) any order of any court or governmental agency or authority entered in any proceeding to which the Company or its subsidiaries was or is now a party or by which either of them is bound. (g) Neither the Company, nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any material loss to or interruption with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and -3- the Prospectus, there has not been any material increase in the long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole. (h) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement, to issue, sell and deliver the Purchased Shares, to issue the Additional Shares upon conversion of the Notes as provided in the Indenture under which the Notes were issued, and to consummate the transactions contemplated herein. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. Each consent, approval, authorization, order, declaration or filing by or with any governmental agency or body necessary for the offer and sale of the Acquired Shares and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been made or obtained, except such as may be necessary (i) to make the Registration Statement remain effective under the Act, (ii) to qualify the Acquired Shares for public offering by you under state securities or Blue Sky laws or (iii) with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Acquired Shares by the Purchaser. (i) The actual and as adjusted capitalization of the Company is as set forth under the heading "Capitalization" in the Prospectus; the issued shares of capital stock of the Company conform to the description thereof in the Prospectus and have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable; all outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned directly by the Company or by another subsidiary of the Company free and clear of any liens, encumbrances, equities or claims other than those arising under the Credit Agreement dated as of March 31, 1995, as thereafter amended by the First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments thereto, between the Company and the Lenders named therein, for whom NationsBank of Texas, N.A. is Agent and CIBC Inc., The First National Bank of Chicago and LTCB Trust Company are Co-Agents (the "Credit Agreement"). (j) The Purchased Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to the Purchaser hereunder, and the Additional Shares to be issued to the Purchaser by the Company, have been duly authorized and, when issued and paid for as contemplated herein, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and will conform to the description thereof in the Prospectus and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or other similar rights to subscribe for the Acquired Shares. (k) Except as described in the Registration Statement or issued after June 30, 1996 pursuant to stock-based compensation plans described in the Registration Statement, there are no options, warrants, agreements, preemptive rights, conversion rights, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company any shares of the capital stock or securities or obligations convertible into, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell shares of capital stock or any such rights or other securities of the Company. -4- (l) There is no pending or, to the best of the Company's knowledge, threatened action, suit or proceeding before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not adequately disclosed in the Prospectus. (m) All material agreements to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party and which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus are described therein as required by the Act or the Exchange Act. The Company is not in breach of or in violation under any of the material terms or provisions of, or in default under, (i) its Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, or (ii) except as set forth in the Prospectus, (A) any material contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, permit, license, note agreement or other material agreement or material instrument to which the company is a Party or by which any of its properties are bound, or (B) any order, judgment, statute, rule or regulation of any court or governmental, administrative or regulatory agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties. (n) The Company has obtained the agreement of each of the Company's directors and executive officers and each entity believed by the Company to own beneficially more than 5% of its outstanding shares of Common Stock (the "Principal Shareholders") that, in the event the number of Purchased Shares (as hereinafter defined) is greater than _______, such persons will not, for a period of [___] days following the date of this Agreement, offer to sell, contract to sell or otherwise sell (including without limitation in a short sale), grant any option to purchase, or dispose of any shares of any equity stock of the Company, any options or warrants to purchase any shares of any equity stock of the Company, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of any equity stock of the Company, without the prior written consent of the Purchaser; EXCEPT THAT the Company may issue securities to such persons pursuant to the Company's retirement savings, stock option or other benefit or incentive plans maintained for its officers, directors or employees, PROVIDED that the Company may only issue up to 100,000 shares to such persons pursuant to such benefit or incentive plans, and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that the Company will place such appropriate restriction on any securities issued pursuant to any such benefit or incentive plans so that they may not be resold during such [__] day period. (o) The Company has not taken and will not take any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which caused or resulted in, or which might in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company. (p) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. -5- (q) The consolidated financial statements of the Company (including the related notes and supporting schedules) filed as part of the Registration Statement or included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position and the consolidated results of operations of the Company, at the dates and for the periods indicated, and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles except to the extent that certain footnote disclosures regarding the unaudited financial statements have been omitted in accordance with the applicable rules of the Commission. The amounts included in the Registration Statement and the amounts in the Prospectus under the caption "Selected Financial and Operating Data" have been derived from and are consistent with the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. 2. AGREEMENT TO SELL AND PURCHASE. (a) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to all the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Purchaser will purchase from the Company at $16.92 per share (the "Purchase Price") the number of shares of Common Stock necessary to provide the Company with the funds required to pay the aggregate redemption price of that portion of the $35,000,000 principal amount of the Notes called for redemption that remain outstanding on the Redemption Date. Shares acquired by the Purchaser pursuant to this Section 2(a) are referred to herein as "Purchased Shares." The Purchaser shall pay the Company for the Purchased Shares in same day funds on June 23, 1997 (the "Closing Date"). (b) Until 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Conversion Termination Date, the Purchaser may (but shall have no obligation to) purchase Notes ("Acquired Notes") and Common Stock in the open market or otherwise in such amounts and at such prices as the Purchaser may deem advisable. The Purchaser agrees to surrender for conversion not later than 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the Conversion Termination Date any Notes owned by the Purchaser on such date. Purchased Shares and shares of Common Stock issued to the Purchaser upon conversion of Acquired Notes may be sold by the Purchaser at any time or from time to time pursuant to the Registration Statement or an applicable exemption under the Act. Shares of Common Stock acquired by the Purchaser upon conversion of Acquired Notes are referred to herein as "Additional Shares." Purchased Shares and Additional Shares are referred to in this Agreement as "Acquired Shares." (c) As compensation to the Purchaser for its commitment hereunder, the Company will pay to the Purchaser, in same day funds, (i) at the Execution Time, a standby fee of $92,519, and (ii) on the Closing Date, an amount equal to $0.125 per Acquired Share (the "Takeup Fee"). (d) Prior to the Closing Date, the Purchaser and the Company will enter into an equity swap agreement (the "Swap") in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. -6- (e) The Purchaser agrees to inform the Company when all Acquired Shares have been sold or if any offering of Acquired Shares is otherwise terminated. (f) The Purchaser agrees that it will not solicit conversions of Notes by the holders of Notes. 3. OFFERING BY PURCHASER. It is understood that the Purchaser proposes to offer the Acquired Shares for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus. 4. AGREEMENTS. The Company agrees with the Purchaser that: (a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Acquired Shares, the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus without your prior consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company will promptly advise the Purchaser (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (ii) when the Prospectus (if not included in the Registration Statement), and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to the Act, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Acquired Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose, (vi) when an appropriate application for additional listing has been filed with the New York Stock Exchange and (vii) of the receipt of any notification or other communication from the New York Stock Exchange with respect to such application for additional listing. The Company will 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. (b) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Acquired Shares is required to be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material act 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 the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules thereunder, the Company promptly will prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the first sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 4, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance. (c) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Purchaser an earnings statement or statements of the Company -7- and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. (d) The Company will furnish to the Purchaser and counsel for the Purchaser, without charge, a signed copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by the Purchaser or dealer may be required by the Act, as many copies of each Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Purchaser may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering. (e) The Company will take such actions as the Purchaser may request to qualify the Acquired Shares for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Purchaser may designate, will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Acquired Shares; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction. The Company will pay the fee of the NASD in connection with its review of the offering, if any. (f) In the event the number of Purchased Shares is greater than [_________] the Company will not, for a period of [___] days following the Execution Time, without the prior written consent of the Purchaser, offer, sell or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or announce the offering of, any other shares of equity securities or any securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of equity securities; EXCEPT THAT the Company may issue equity securities (i) pursuant to this Agreement and (ii) pursuant to any stock option, retirement savings or other benefit or incentive plans maintained for the Company's officers, directors or employees, PROVIDED that the Company may sell up to 100,000 shares pursuant to such benefit or incentive plans, and PROVIDED, FURTHER, that the Company will place such appropriate restriction on any securities issued pursuant to any such benefit or incentive plans so that they may not be resold during such [__] day period. (g) The Company will mail or cause to be mailed a notice of redemption of $35,000,000 principal amount of Notes, by first class mail on the effective date of the Registration Statement, to all holders of record of Notes at the close of business on such date, such notice of redemption to be in the form heretofore submitted to the Purchaser. The Company will furnish to the Purchaser such number of copies of the notice of redemption as the Purchaser reasonably may request. (h) The Company will direct the depositary for the Notes to be redeemed to advise the Purchaser daily of the aggregate principal amount of Notes (i) surrendered for conversion into Common Stock and (ii) surrendered for redemption, in each case through the close of business on the immediately preceding business day. -8- 5. CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE PURCHASER. The obligations of the Purchaser to purchase the Purchased Shares and to surrender for conversion any Acquired Notes owned by it shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions: (a) If filing of the Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant to the Act, the Prospectus, and any such supplement, will be filed in the manner and within the time period required by the Act; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened. (b) The Purchaser and the Company shall have entered into the Swap. (c) At the Execution Time and on the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Purchaser the opinion of Samuel A. Miley, Esq., Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary for the Company, dated the date of this Agreement or the Closing Date, as the case may be, to the effect that: (i) each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is chartered or organized with full corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction in which its ownership or leasing of its material properties or its conduct of its material business makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent the failure, individually or in the aggregate to be so qualified or in good standing could not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (ii) all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the subsidiaries have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the subsidiaries are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest and, to the knowledge of such counsel, any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances other than those arising under the Credit Agreement; (iii) the Company's authorized equity capitalization is as set forth in the Prospectus; the description of the capital stock of the Company contained in the Prospectus fairly summarizes the matters referred to therein; all of the outstanding -9- shares of capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or other rights to subscribe for the capital stock, the Acquired Shares have been duly authorized, and, when issued and delivered to and paid for by the Purchasers pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; the Acquired Shares are duly authorized for trading on the New York Stock Exchange; the certificates for the Acquired Shares are in valid and sufficient form; and, except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus, the holders of outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are not entitled to preemptive or similar rights to subscribe for the Acquired Shares; (iv) to the best knowledge of such counsel, there is no pending or overtly threatened action, suit or proceeding before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement which is not adequately disclosed in the Prospectus, and there is no contract, agreement, lease, instrument, license or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit, which is not described or filed as required; and the statements in the Company's most recently filed Form 10-K and 10-Q incorporated in the Registration Statement by reference under the heading "Legal Proceedings" fairly summarize the matters therein described; (v) such counsel has no reason to believe that, at the Effective Date, the Registration Statement contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that the Prospectus includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading: (vi) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; (vii) no consent, approval, authorization, or order or any court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and the distribution of the Acquired Shares by the Purchaser, except such as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be required under the blue sky or foreign laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Acquired Shares by the Purchaser, and such other approvals (specified in such opinion) as have been obtained; -10- (viii) neither the issuance, sale or delivery of the Purchased Shares, nor the conversion of the Acquired Notes into Additional Shares, nor the issuance or delivery of the Additional Shares, nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under any law, rule or regulation or the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company or the terms of any material indenture or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel and to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound or any judgment, order, or decree known to such counsel to be applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries; (ix) no holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities under the Registration Statement; and (x) (A) (in the opinion rendered at the Execution Time) assuming that the notice of redemption is mailed by first class mail on the effective date of the Registration Statement to all holders of record of Notes at the close of business on such date, and (B) (in the opinion rendered on the Closing Date) based upon the mailing of a notice of redemption by first class mail on the effective date of the Registration Statement to all holders of record of Notes at the close of business on such date (as to which such counsel may rely upon an appropriate certificate of mailing), $35,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes will have been duly called for redemption on the Redemption Date. References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (c) include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date. (d) At the Execution Time and on the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Purchaser the opinion of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel for the Company, dated the date of this Agreement or the Closing Date, as the case may be, to the effect that: (i) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act (which specific opinion may be omitted from the opinion letter to be rendered at the Execution Time if the Execution Time precedes the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and thereafter provided separately on the Effective Date); any filing of the Prospectus and any supplements thereto required to be made pursuant to Rule 424 -11- promulgated under the Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required by that Rule; to the best knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened and the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and other financial and statistical information contained therein as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Form S-3, the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective rules and regulations thereunder; and such counsel has no reason to believe that, at the Effective Date, the Registration Statement contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that the Prospectus includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; (ii) no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required for the consummation or the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be required under the blue sky or foreign laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Acquired Shares by the Purchaser, and such other approvals (specified in such opinion) as have been obtained; (iii) (A) (in the opinion rendered at the Execution Time) assuming that the notice of redemption is mailed by first class mail on the effective date of the Registration Statement to all holders of record of Notes at the close of business on such date, and (B) (in the opinion rendered on the Closing Date) based upon the mailing of a notice of redemption by first class mail on the effective date of the Registration Statement to all holders of record of Notes at the close of business on such date (as to which such counsel may rely upon an appropriate certificate of mailing), $35,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes will have been duly called for redemption on the Redemption Date; and (iv) neither the issuance, sale or delivery or the Purchased Shares, nor the conversion of the Notes into Additional Shares, nor the issuance or delivery of the Additional Shares, nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under (A) any law, rule or regulation, or (B) the Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, or (C) the -12- terms of any indenture or other agreement or instrument specified in or in an exhibit to such counsel's opinion and known to such counsel, after inquiry only of the President and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to be material and to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound, or (D) any judgment, order or decree known to such counsel to be applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries. References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (d) include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date. (e) At the Execution Time and on the Closing Date, the Purchaser shall have received from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, counsel for the Purchaser, such opinion or opinions, dated the date hereof, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Acquired Shares, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Purchaser may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters. (f) At the Execution Time and prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Purchaser a certificate of the Company, signed by the President or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the date of this Agreement or the Closing Date, as the case may be, to the effect that the signer of such certificate has carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any supplement to the Prospectus and this Agreement and that: (i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of this Agreement or the Closing Date, as the case may be, with the same effect as if made on the date of this Agreement or on the Closing Date, as the case may be, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Execution Time or the Closing Date, as the case may be, pursuant to this Agreement; (ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness or the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened; and (iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no material adverse change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from -13- transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). (g) At the Execution Time and on the Closing Date, Ernst & Young LLP shall have furnished to the Purchaser a letter or letters, dated the date of this Agreement or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Purchaser. (h) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there shall not have been any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business or properties or the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, the effect of which is, in the judgment of the Purchaser, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Acquired Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). (i) Prior to the Execution Time, the Company shall have furnished to the Purchaser a letter substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, from each executive officer, director and the Principal Shareholders, addressed to the Purchaser, in which, in the event the number of Purchased Shares is greater than [_________], each such person agrees not to offer, sell or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or announce an offering of, any shares of Company equity securities beneficially owned by such person or any securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of Company equity securities for a period of [___] days following the Execution Time without the prior consent of the Purchaser. (j) The Company shall have furnished to the Purchaser such further information, certificates and documents as the Purchaser may reasonably request. If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled in all material respects when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be in all material respects reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Purchaser and counsel for the Purchaser, this statement and all obligations of the Purchaser hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Purchaser. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Secretary of the Company in writing or by telephone or telegraph confirmed in writing. The documents required to be delivered by this Section 5 shall be delivered at the office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, counsel for the Purchaser, at 801 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California, on the Closing Date. -14- 6. REIMBURSEMENT OF PURCHASER'S EXPENSES. The Company will reimburse the Purchaser on the Closing Date for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and with the tender offer for the Company's 10-3/4% Senior Subordinated Debentures due 1998, up to a maximum reimbursement for such fees and disbursements of counsel of $100,000 in the aggregate) incurred by the Purchaser in connection with the proposed purchase and/or conversion and sale of the Acquired Shares. 7. INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Purchaser, the directors, officers, employees and agents of the Purchaser and each person who controls the Purchaser against all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory 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 any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement for the registration of the Acquired Shares as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any Preliminary Prospectus or in the Prospectus, or in any amendment thereof 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, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses (not including the expenses of in-house counsel for the Purchaser) reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Purchaser specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have. (b) The Purchaser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Company's directors, each of the Company's officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to the Purchaser, but only with reference to written information relating to the Purchaser furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Purchaser specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in the foregoing indemnity, it being understood that, for purposes of this Agreement, the only such information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Purchaser consists of the following information in the Prospectus: (i) the sixth paragraph on the cover page of the Prospectus; -15- (ii) the legend at the top of page 2 of the Prospectus, which precedes the caption "Prospectus Summary;" (iii) the fourth paragraph under the caption "Standby Arrangement and Swap Agreement" on page 10 of the Prospectus; and (iv) the fifth paragraph under the caption "Standby Arrangement and Swap Agreement" on pages 10-11 of the Prospectus. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Purchaser may otherwise have. (c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party, under this Section 7, of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and the indemnifying party has been prejudiced in any material respect by such failure and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party's choice at the indemnifying party's expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties; except as set forth below); PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that such counsel shall be satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party's election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall bear the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses or such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded 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, (iii) 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 the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or -16- contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding. (d) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Purchaser agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending same) (collectively "Losses") to which the Company and the Purchaser may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and by the Purchaser on the other from the offering of the Acquired Shares; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in no case shall the Purchaser be responsible for any amount in excess of the aggregate fees and expenses payable pursuant to Section 2(c) hereof. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Purchaser shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Purchaser on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal to (i) the product of the Purchase Price multiplied by the number of Acquired Shares (ii) minus the aggregate fees and expenses payable pursuant to Section 2(c), and benefits received by the Purchaser shall be deemed to be equal to the aggregate fees and expenses payable pursuant to Section 2(c). Relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether any alleged untrue statement or omission relates to information provided by the Company or the Purchaser. The Company and the Purchaser agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (d), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section ll(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 7, each person who controls the Purchaser within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act and each director, officer, employee and agent of the Purchaser shall have the same rights to contribution as the Purchaser, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (d). 8. TERMINATION. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Purchaser, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of any payment for the Acquired Shares, if prior to such time (i) trading in the Common Stock or trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market (or on the principal -17- exchange or market on which the Common Stock is then traded) shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on either of such exchange or market, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Purchaser, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Acquired Shares as contemplated by the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). 9. REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEMNITIES TO SURVIVE. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Purchaser 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 the Purchaser or the Company or any of the officers, directors or controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Acquired Shares. The provisions of Sections 6 and 7 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement. 10. NOTICES. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Purchaser, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it, at the address set forth in this Standby Purchase Agreement; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered, or telegraphed and confirmed to it at 26 Century Boulevard, P.O. Box 290159, Nashville, Tennessee 37229-0159, Attention: Samuel A. Miley, Esq. 11. SUCCESSORS. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. 12. APPLICABLE LAW. This Agreement will be governed by and construed with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws. 13. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in more than one counterpart each of which shall be deemed an original and each of which shall constitute one and the same instrument. 14. EFFECTIVENESS. This Agreement shall become effective upon the later of (a) the Execution Time and (b) the release of notification of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement by the Commission. -18- If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please so indicate in the space provided below, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and you. Very truly yours, MAGNETEK, INC. By: ______________________________ Name: Title: The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written. LEHMAN BROTHERS INC. By: _________________________________ Name: Title: -19-