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                                                                     EXHIBIT 1.1


                                4,100,000 SHARES


                                WEBMETHODS, INC.

                          COMMON STOCK, $.01 PAR VALUE
                             UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT


_______________, 2000
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                                                          _______________, 2000




Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Dain Rauscher Incorporated
Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc.
c/o Morgan Stanley & Co.
    Incorporated
    1585 Broadway
    New York, New York 10036

Dear Sirs and Mesdames:

         webMethods, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "COMPANY"), proposes to
issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"UNDERWRITERS") 4,100,000 shares of its Common Stock, $.01 par value (the "FIRM
SHARES"). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several
Underwriters not more than an additional 615,000 shares of its Common Stock,
$.01 par value (the "ADDITIONAL SHARES") if and to the extent that you, as
Managers of the offering, shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the
Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares of common stock granted to the
Underwriters in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are
hereinafter collectively referred to as the "SHARES." The shares of Common
Stock, $.01 par value of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to
the sales contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the "COMMON
STOCK."

         The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"COMMISSION") a registration statement, including a prospectus, relating to the
Shares. The registration statement as amended at the time it becomes effective,
including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration
statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "SECURITIES ACT"), is hereinafter
referred to as the "REGISTRATION STATEMENT"; the prospectus in the form first
used to confirm sales of Shares is hereinafter referred to as the "PROSPECTUS."
If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register
additional shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities
Act (the "RULE 462 REGISTRATION STATEMENT"), then any reference herein to the
term "REGISTRATION STATEMENT" shall be deemed to include such Rule 462
Registration Statement.





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         Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated ("MORGAN STANLEY") has agreed to
reserve a portion of the Shares to be purchased by it under this Agreement for
sale to the Company's directors, officers, employees and business associates
and other parties related to the Company (collectively, "PARTICIPANTS"), as set
forth in the Prospectus under the heading "Underwriters" (the "DIRECTED SHARE
PROGRAM").  The Shares to be sold by Morgan Stanley pursuant to the Directed
Share Program are hereinafter referred to as the "DIRECTED SHARES."  Any
Directed Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participants by the
end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to
the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.

          1.   Representations and Warranties.  The Company represents and
warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

                 (a)   The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop
         order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in
         effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or
         threatened by the Commission.

                 (b)   (i) The Registration Statement, when it became
         effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if
         applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
         or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
         necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the
         Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or
         supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with
         the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the
         Commission thereunder and (iii) the Prospectus does not contain and,
         as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
         necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
         circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that
         the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not
         apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement or any
         post-effective amendment or the Prospectus, as amended or
         supplemented, if applicable, based upon information relating to any
         Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of
         such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

                 (c)   The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly
         existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
         jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and
         authority to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as
         described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business
         and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of
         its business or its ownership or leasing





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         of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the
         failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a
         material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
         a whole.

                 (d)   The entities listed on Schedule II hereto are the only
         subsidiaries, direct or indirect, of the Company.  None of the
         subsidiaries are significant subsidiaries within the meaning of
         Regulation S-X, Section 1-02(w).  Each subsidiary of the Company has
         been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good
         standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has
         the corporate power and authority to own or lease its property and to
         conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly
         qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each
         jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or
         leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent
         that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not
         have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole; all of the issued shares of capital stock of each
         subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and
         issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly by
         the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or
         claims.

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

                 (f)   On the Closing Date (as defined below) the authorized
         capital stock of the Company will conform as to legal matters to the
         description thereof contained in the Prospectus.

                 (g)   The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the
         issuance of the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly
         issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

                 (h)   The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued
         and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be
         validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of
         such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

                 (i)   The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the
         performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement
         will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate
         of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any agreement or other
         instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is
         material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any
         judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court





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         having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no
         consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with,
         any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the
         Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as may be
         required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in
         connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

                 (j)   There has not occurred any material adverse change, or
         any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in
         the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or
         operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from
         that set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or
         supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement).

                 (k)   There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending
         or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company
         or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the
         properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that
         are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
         Prospectus and are not so described or any statutes, regulations,
         contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the
         Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to
         the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as
         required.

                 (l)   Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the
         registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment
         thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act,
         complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities
         Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
         thereunder.

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

                 (n)   The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance
         with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and
         regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the
         environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or
         contaminants ("ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS"), (ii) have received all permits,
         licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable
         Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii)
         are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit,
         license or approval, except where





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         such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive
         required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply
         with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals
         would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect
         on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                 (o)   Except as described in the Prospectus, there are no
         contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any
         person granting such person the right to require the Company to
         include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the
         Registration Statement and there are no contracts, agreements or
         understandings between the Company and any person granting such person
         the right to require the Company to file a registration statement
         under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the
         Company.

                 (p)   Subsequent to the respective dates as of which
         information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
         (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any material
         liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any
         material transaction not in the ordinary course of business; (ii) the
         Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor
         declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any
         kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends;
         and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock,
         short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its consolidated
         subsidiaries, except in each case as described in the Prospectus
         (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the
         date of this Agreement).

                 (q)   The Company and its subsidiaries do not own any real
         property and have good and marketable title to all personal property
         owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its
         subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances
         and defects except such as are described in the Prospectus or such as
         do not 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 and its subsidiaries; and any real property and
         buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are
         held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such
         exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made
         and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company
         and its subsidiaries, in each case except as described in the
         Prospectus.

                 (r)   The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can
         acquire on reasonable terms, adequate rights to use all material
         patents,





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         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 and trade names currently employed by them in connection with
         the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of
         its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement of or
         conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the
         foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an
         unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse
         effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

                 (s)   No material labor dispute with the employees of the
         Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, except as described in the
         Prospectus, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent.

                 (t)   The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured
         against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and
         customary in the businesses in which they are engaged;  neither the
         Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will
         not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such
         coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers
         as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not
         have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
         taken as a whole, except as described in the Prospectus.

                 (u)   The Company and its subsidiaries possess all material
         certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate
         federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct
         their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any such
         subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the
         revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or
         permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an
         unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse
         effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except
         as described in the Prospectus.

                 (v)   The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a
         system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
         reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance
         with management's general or specific authorizations; (ii)
         transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
         financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting
         principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to
         assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or
         specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for





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         assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals
         and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

                 (w)   Except as described in the Prospectus and the
         Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendments or supplements
         thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement), the Company has not
         sold, issued or distributed any shares of Common Stock during the
         six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales
         pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Securities
         Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans,
         qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or
         pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.

                 (x)   The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any
         preliminary prospectus comply as of the date of such Registration
         Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus in all material
         respects, and any amendments or supplements thereto will comply as of
         the date of such amendment or supplement in all material respects,
         with any applicable laws or regulations in effect on the date of such
         Registration Statement, Prospectus, preliminary prospectus, amendment
         or supplement of any jurisdiction in which the Prospectus or any
         preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, is
         distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program.

                 (y)   No consent, approval, authorization, order of, or
         qualification with any governmental body or agency, other than those
         obtained, is required in connection with the offering of the Directed
         Shares in any jurisdiction where the Directed Shares are being
         offered.

                 (z)   The Company has not offered, or caused Morgan Stanley to
         offer, Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program
         with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or
         supplier of the Company to alter the customer's or supplier's level or
         type of business with the Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or
         publication to write or publish favorable information about the
         Company or its products.

                (aa)   The Company did not experience any problems related to
         the Year 2000 Problem (that is, any significant risk that computer
         hardware or software applications used by the Company would not, in
         the case of dates or time periods occurring after December 31, 1999,
         function at least as effectively as in the case of dates or time
         periods occurring prior to January 1, 2000) on January 1, 2000; as a
         result of a review of its operations, (i) the Company has no reason to
         believe, and does not believe, that (A) there are any issues related
         to the Year 2000 Problem that might





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         still surface, especially on February 29, 2000, that are of a
         character required to be described or referred to in the Registration
         Statement or Prospectus which have not been accurately described in
         the Registration Statement or Prospectus or (B) the Year 2000 Problem
         has or will have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial
         or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of the
         Company.

          2.   Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to
sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the
representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions
hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the
Company the respective numbers of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto
opposite its name at $______ a share (the "PURCHASE PRICE").

         On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this
Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to sell
to the Underwriters the Additional Shares, and the Underwriters shall have a
one-time right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to 615,000 Additional
Shares at the Purchase Price. If you, on behalf of the Underwriters, elect to
exercise such option, you shall so notify the Company in writing not later than
30 days after the date of this Agreement, which notice shall specify the number
of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which
such shares are to be purchased. Such date may be the same as the Closing Date
(as defined below) but not earlier than the Closing Date nor later than ten
business days after the date of such notice. Additional Shares may be purchased
as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose of covering
over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares. If any
Additional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and
not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such
adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as you may determine) that bears the
same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased as the
number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such
Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.

         The Company hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not,
during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, (i) offer,
pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase,
purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to
purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly,
any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Common Stock or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement
that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic
consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction
described in clause (i) or (ii)





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above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in
cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Shares to
be sold hereunder, (B) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock
upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security
outstanding on the date hereof of which the Underwriters have been advised in
writing, (C) issuances of shares of Common Stock or options to purchase shares
of Common Stock pursuant to the Company's employee benefit plans as in
existence on the date hereof and consistent with past practices and (D) the
sale and issuance of Common Stock by the Company as part of the concurrent
private offering described in the Prospectus.

          3.   Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that the
Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of
the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have
become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Company is further
advised by you that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at
$_____________ a share (the "PUBLIC OFFERING PRICE") and to certain dealers
selected by you at a price that represents a concession not in excess of
$______ a share under the Public Offering Price, and that any Underwriter may
allow, and such dealers may reallow, a concession, not in excess of $_____ a
share, to any Underwriter or to certain other dealers.

          4.   Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made
to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City
against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective accounts of the several
Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on ____________, 2000, or at
such other time on the same or such other date, not later than _________, 2000,
as shall be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are
hereinafter referred to as the "CLOSING DATE."

         Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Company in
Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery
of such Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several
Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the
notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such
other date, in any event not later than _______, 2000, as shall be designated
in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred
to as the "OPTION CLOSING DATE."

         Certificates for the Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be in
definitive form and registered in such names and in such denominations as you
shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the
Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The certificates
evidencing the Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to you on
the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the
respective accounts





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of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with
the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of
the Purchase Price therefor.

          5.   Conditions to the Underwriters' Obligations. The obligations of
the Company to sell the Shares to the Underwriters and the several obligations
of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares on the Closing Date are
subject to the condition that the Registration Statement shall have become
effective not later than 4:30 PM (New York City time) on the date hereof.

         The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the
following further conditions:

                 (a)   Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this
         Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

                          (i)   there shall not have occurred any downgrading,
                 nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or
                 potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change
                 that does not indicate the direction of the possible change,
                 in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any
                 "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as
                 such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the
                 Securities Act; and

                         (ii)   there shall not have occurred any change, or
                 any development involving a prospective change, in the
                 condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,
                 business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries,
                 taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Prospectus
                 (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent
                 to the date of this Agreement) that, in your judgment, is
                 material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment,
                 impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the
                 manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

                 (b)   The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date
         a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive
         officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 5(a)(i)
         above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the
         Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the
         Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the
         agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be
         performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.





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                 The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely
         upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

                 (c)   The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date
         an opinion of Shaw Pittman, outside counsel for the Company, dated the
         Closing Date, to the effect that:

                          (i)   the Company [has been duly incorporated,] is
                 validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
                 laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the
                 corporate power and authority to own or lease its property and
                 to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is
                 duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in
                 each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its
                 ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification,
                 except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be
                 in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on
                 the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

                         (ii)   the authorized capital stock of the Company
                 conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof
                 contained in the Prospectus;

                        (iii)   the shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to
                 the issuance of the Shares have been duly authorized and are
                 validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable;

                         (iv)   the Shares have been duly authorized and, when
                 issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this
                 Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and
                 non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be in
                 violation of any preemptive or similar rights;

                          (v)   this Agreement has been duly authorized,
                 executed and delivered by the Company;

                         (vi)   the execution and delivery by the Company of,
                 and the performance by the Company of its obligations under,
                 this Agreement will not contravene any provision of United
                 States federal or Delaware state law that in our experience is
                 normally applicable to general business corporations in
                 relation to transactions of the type contemplated by the
                 Underwriting Agreement or the certificate of incorporation or
                 by-laws of the Company or, to the best of such counsel's
                 knowledge, any





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                 agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any
                 of its subsidiaries that is filed as an exhibit to the
                 Registration Statement, or, to such counsel's knowledge after
                 due inquiry, any judgment, order or decree of any governmental
                 body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or
                 any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or
                 order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or
                 agency is required for the performance by the Company of its
                 obligations under this Agreement, except such as may be
                 required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various
                 states in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares (as
                 to which such counsel need not express an opinion);

                        (vii)   the statements (A) in the Prospectus under the
                 captions "Management -Stock Option Plan," "Management -
                 Employee Stock Purchase Plan," "Management -Limitation of
                 Liability and Indemnification Matters," "Certain
                 Transactions," "Description of Capital Stock" and
                 "Underwriters" and (B) in the Registration Statement in Items
                 14 and 15, in each case insofar as such statements constitute
                 summaries of the legal matters, documents or proceedings
                 referred to therein, fairly present the information called for
                 with respect to such legal matters, documents and proceedings
                 and fairly summarize the matters referred to therein;

                       (viii)   to such counsel's knowledge after due inquiry,
                 such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental
                 proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any
                 of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the
                 properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
                 subject that are required to be described in the Registration
                 Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described or of any
                 statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are
                 required to be described in the Registration Statement or the
                 Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration
                 Statement that are not described or filed as required;

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

                          (x)   such counsel (A) believes that the Registration
                 Statement and Prospectus (except for financial statements and





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                 schedules and other financial and statistical data included
                 therein as to which such counsel need not express any belief)
                 comply as to form in all material respects with the Securities
                 Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
                 thereunder, (B) has no reason to believe that (except for
                 financial statements and schedules and other financial and
                 statistical data as to which such counsel need not express any
                 belief) the Registration Statement and the prospectus included
                 therein at the time the Registration Statement became
                 effective contained any untrue statement of a material fact or
                 omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein
                 or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and
                 (C) has no reason to believe that (except for financial
                 statements and schedules and other financial and statistical
                 data as to which such counsel need not express any belief) the
                 Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or
                 omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
                 statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
                 which they were made, not misleading.

                 (d)   The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date
         an opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell, counsel for the Underwriters,
         dated the Closing Date, covering the matters referred to in Sections
         5(c)(iv), 5(c)(v), 5(c)(vii) (but only as to the statements in the
         Prospectus under "Underwriters") and 5(c)(x) above.

                 With respect to Section 5(c)(x) above, Shaw Pittman and Davis
         Polk & Wardwell may state that their opinion and belief are based upon
         their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement
         and Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and review
         and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent
         check or verification, except as specified.

                 The opinion of Shaw Pittman described in Section 5(c) above
         shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company
         and shall so state therein.

                 (e)   The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the
         date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or
         the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance
         satisfactory to the Underwriters, from PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP,
         independent public accountants, containing statements and information
         of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to
         underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain
         financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the
         Prospectus; provided that the letter





                                       14
   15
         delivered on the Closing Date shall use a "cut-off date" not earlier
         than the date hereof.

                 (f)   The "lock-up" agreements, each substantially in the form
         of Exhibit A hereto, between you and certain shareholders, officers
         and directors 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, shall be in full force
         and effect on the Closing Date.

                 (g)   The Nasdaq National Market shall have approved the
         Common Stock for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance.

         The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional
Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to you on the Option Closing Date
of such documents as you may reasonably request with respect to the good
standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional
Shares and other matters related to the issuance of the Additional Shares.

          6.   Covenants of the Company. In further consideration of the
agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the Company covenants with
each Underwriter as follows:

                 (a)   To furnish to Morgan Stanley, for distribution among
         you, without charge, an aggregate of five signed copies of the
         Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery
         to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration
         Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to you in New York
         City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the
         business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the
         period mentioned in Section 6(c) below, as many copies of the
         Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the
         Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

                 (b)   Before amending or supplementing the Registration
         Statement or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such
         proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed
         amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object in writing, and
         to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in
         Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be
         filed pursuant to such Rule.

                 (c)   If, during such period after the first date of the
         public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the
         Underwriters the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in
         connection with sales by





                                       15
   16
         an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as
         a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the
         Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
         the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not
         misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it
         is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with
         applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and
         furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers
         (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which
         Shares may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to
         any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to
         the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended
         or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the
         Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the
         Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law.

                 (d)   To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale
         under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you
         shall reasonably request, provided, however, that the Company shall
         not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a
         general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is
         not now so qualified or required to file such consent.

                 (e)   To make generally available to the Company's security
         holders and to you as soon as practicable an earning statement
         covering the twelve-month period ending March 31, 2001 that satisfies
         the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules
         and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                 (f)   To place stop transfer orders on any Directed Shares
         that have been sold to Participants subject to the three month
         restriction on sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation
         imposed by NASD Regulation, Inc. under its Interpretative Material
         2110-1 on free-riding and withholding to the extent necessary to
         ensure compliance with the three month restrictions.

                 (g)   To comply with all applicable securities and other laws,
         rules and regulations in each foreign jurisdiction in which the
         Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share
         Program.

                 (h)   Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this
         Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or
         cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its
         obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees,
         disbursements and expenses





                                       16
   17
         of the Company's counsel and the Company's accountants in connection
         with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities
         Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation
         and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus,
         the Prospectus and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing,
         including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and
         delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the
         quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related
         to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters,
         including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost
         of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum
         in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state
         securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification
         of the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as
         provided in Section 6(d) hereof, including filing fees and the
         reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in
         connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky
         or Legal Investment memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the
         reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters
         incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the
         offering of the Shares by the National Association of Securities
         Dealers, Inc., (v) all fees and expenses in connection with the
         preparation and filing of the registration statement on Form 8-A
         relating to the Common Stock and all costs and expenses incident to
         listing the Shares on the Nasdaq National Market, (vi) the cost of
         printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and
         charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the
         costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations
         on any "road show" undertaken in connection with the marketing of the
         offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses
         associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees
         and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road
         show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and
         lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company
         and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in
         connection with the road show, (ix) all fees and disbursements of
         counsel incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed
         Share Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other
         taxes, if any, incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the
         Directed Share Program, and (x) all other costs and expenses incident
         to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for
         which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is
         understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section
         7 entitled "Indemnity and Contribution", and the last paragraph of
         Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and
         expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock
         transfer taxes





                                       17
   18
         payable on resale of any of the Shares by them and any advertising
         expenses connected with any offers they may make.

          7.   Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any
Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or
Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "EXCHANGE
ACT"), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities
(including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred
in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused
by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the
Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused
by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are
caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or
omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the
Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.

         (b)   Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to
such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such
Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you
expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus,
the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto.

         (c)   In case any proceeding (including any governmental
investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which
indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 7(a) or 7(b), such person (the
"INDEMNIFIED PARTY") shall promptly notify the person against whom such
indemnity may be sought (the "INDEMNIFYING PARTY") in writing and the
indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified
party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding
and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such
proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right
to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be
at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and
the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such
counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding





                                       18
   19
(including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would
be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them.
It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal
expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related
proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of
more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such
indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as
they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by Morgan Stanley &
Co. Incorporated, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a),
and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section
7(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any
proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such
consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying
party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or
liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the
foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an
indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of
counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph,
the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any
proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is
entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the
aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed
the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of
the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened
proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a
party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party,
unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified
party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such
proceeding.

         (d)   To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 7(a)
or 7(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such
indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided
by clause 7(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion
as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in
clause 7(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand
and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or
omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities,





                                       19
   20
as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits
received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand
in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same
respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares
(before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set
forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public
Offering Price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to,
among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact
relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the
parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to
correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters' respective
obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion
to the respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not
joint.

         (e)   The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just
or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the
equitable considerations referred to in Section 7(d). The amount paid or
payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and
liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed
to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute
any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares
underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public
exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been
required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or
omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled
to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.  The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not
exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be
available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

         (f)   The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this
Section 7 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the
Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force
and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any
investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling
any Underwriter or by





                                       20
   21
or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person
controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the
Shares.

        8.       Directed Share Program Indemnification. (a) The Company agrees
to indemnify and hold harmless Morgan Stanley and each person, if any, who
controls Morgan Stanley within the meaning of either Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act ("MORGAN STANLEY ENTITIES"),
from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities
(including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred
in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i)
caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for
distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or
caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; (ii) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept
delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii)
related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program,
other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating
thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the bad
faith or gross negligence of Morgan Stanley Entities.

        (b)  In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation)
shall be instituted involving any Morgan Stanley Entity in respect of which
indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a), the Morgan Stanley Entity
seeking indemnity, shall promptly notify the Company in writing and the
Company, upon request of the Morgan Stanley Entity, shall retain counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Morgan Stanley Entity to represent the Morgan
Stanley Entity and any others the Company may designate in such proceeding and
shall pay the reasonable fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such
proceeding.  In any such proceeding, any Morgan Stanley Entity shall have the
right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel
shall be at the expense of such Morgan Stanley Entity unless (i) the Company
shall have agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to
any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Company
and the Morgan Stanley Entity and representation of both parties by the same
counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests
between them.  The Company shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of the
Morgan Stanley Entities in connection with any proceeding or related
proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of
more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Morgan
Stanley Entities.  Any such separate firm for the Morgan Stanley Entities shall
be designated in writing by Morgan Stanley.  The Company shall not be liable
for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but
if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff,
the Company agrees to indemnify the Morgan





                                       21
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Stanley Entities from and against any loss or liability by reason of such
settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time
a Morgan Stanley Entity shall have requested the Company to reimburse it for
fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences
of this paragraph, the Company agrees that it shall be liable for any
settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such
settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Company of
the aforesaid request and (ii) the Company shall not have reimbursed the Morgan
Stanley Entity in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement.  If during any period of time the indemnifying parties are
disputing in good faith the reasonableness of such fees and expenses of
counsel, such period of time shall not be counted in calculating such thirty
day period.  The Company shall not, without the prior written consent of Morgan
Stanley, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in
respect of which any Morgan Stanley Entity is or could have been a party and
indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Morgan Stanley Entity,
unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of the Morgan Stanley
Entities from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such
proceeding.

        (c)  To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) is
unavailable to a Morgan Stanley Entity or insufficient in respect of any
losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then the Company in
lieu of indemnifying the Morgan Stanley Entity thereunder, shall contribute to
the amount paid or payable by the Morgan Stanley Entity as a result of such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate
to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and
the Morgan Stanley Entities on the other hand from the offering of the Directed
Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(c)(i) above is not
permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(c)(i) above but also the
relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Morgan Stanley
Entities on the other hand in connection with any statements or omissions that
resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other
relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the
Company on the one hand and the Morgan Stanley Entities on the other hand in
connection with the offering of the Directed Shares shall be deemed to be in
the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the
Directed Shares (before deducting expenses) and the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Morgan Stanley Entities for the
Directed Shares, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Directed
Shares.  If the loss, claim, damage or liability is caused by an untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission
to state a material fact, the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and
the Morgan Stanley Entities on the other hand shall be determined by reference
to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement or the





                                       22
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omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or
by the Morgan Stanley Entities and the parties' relative intent, knowledge,
access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or
omission.

        (d)   The Company and the Morgan Stanley Entities agree that it would
not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were
determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Morgan Stanley Entities were
treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation
that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in
Section 8(c).  The amount paid or payable by the Morgan Stanley Entities as a
result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the
immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the
limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
the Morgan Stanley Entities in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no
Morgan Stanley Entity shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of
the amount by which the total price at which the Directed Shares distributed to
the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that
such Morgan Stanley Entity has otherwise been required to pay.  The remedies
provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights
or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or
in equity.

        (e)   The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this
Section 8 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i)
any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf
of any Morgan Stanley Entity or the Company, its officers or directors or any
person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of
the Directed Shares.

          9.   Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination by
notice given by you to the Company, if (a) after the execution and delivery of
this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have
been suspended or materially limited on or by, as the case may be, any of the
New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago
Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any
securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any
over-the-counter market, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking
activities in New York shall have been declared by either Federal or New York
State authorities or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation
of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis
that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and (b) in the case of any of
the events specified in clauses 9(a)(i) through 9(a)(iv), such event, singly or
together with any other such event, makes it, in your judgment, impracticable
to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the
Prospectus.





                                       23
   24
         10.   Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall
become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

        If, on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be,
any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares
that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the
aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters
agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the
aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other
Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of
Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to
the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such
non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify,
to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed
but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall
the number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to
this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess
of one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such
Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall
fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares
with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the
aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased, and arrangements satisfactory
to you and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within
36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability
on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case
either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date,
but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes,
if any, in the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus or in any other
documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on the Option Closing Date, any
Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares
and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such
default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional
Shares to be purchased, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option
to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase Additional Shares or
(ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such
non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the
absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not
relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of
such Underwriter under this Agreement.

        If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of
them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply
with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for
any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this
Agreement, the





                                       24
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Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so
terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all
out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel)
reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or
the offering contemplated hereunder.

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

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

         13.   Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have
been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part
of this Agreement.

                                      Very truly yours,

                                      webMethods, Inc.



                                      By:
                                           -------------------------------
                                           Name:
                                           Title:

Accepted as of the date hereof

Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Dain Rauscher Incorporated
Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc.

Acting severally on behalf of themselves
   and the several Underwriters named in
   Schedule I hereto.

By:  Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated



By:
     -------------------------------------------
     Name:
     Title:





                                       25
   26
                                                                      SCHEDULE I





                                                                                      NUMBER OF FIRM SHARES
                           UNDERWRITER                                                   TO BE PURCHASED
                           ------------------------------------------------------     ---------------------
                                                                                   
                          Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated . . . . . . . . . . .

                          Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
                               Smith Incorporated.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                          Dain Rauscher Incorporated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                          Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. Inc. . . . . . . . . .

                          [Names of Other Underwriters].  . . . . . . . . . . . .





                                                                                      ---------------------
                                  Total:  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                                      =====================






   27
                                                                       EXHIBIT A


                            [FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER]


                                                             _____________, 2000



Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
Merrill Lynch & Co.
Dain Rauscher Incorporated
Friedman Billings Ramsey
c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
    1585 Broadway
    New York, NY 10036

Dear Sirs and Mesdames:

         The undersigned understands that Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
("MORGAN STANLEY") proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the
"UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT") with webMethods, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"COMPANY"), providing for the public offering (the "PUBLIC OFFERING") by the
several Underwriters, including Morgan Stanley (the "UNDERWRITERS"), of
4,100,000 shares (the "SHARES") of the Common Stock, $.01 par value of the
Company (the "COMMON STOCK").

         To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering
to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the
undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Morgan
Stanley on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period
commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the final
prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the "PROSPECTUS"), (1) offer,
pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase,
purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to
purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly,
any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement
that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic
consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction
described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common
Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence
shall not apply to transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other
securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the





   28
Public Offering. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior
written consent of Morgan Stanley on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not,
during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the
date of the Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect
to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible
into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.

         Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number
of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made
pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to
negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.

                         Very truly yours,



                         -----------------------------------
                         (Name)


                         -----------------------------------
                         (Address)





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