Support Agreement



 Exhibit 10.11 
 Hutchinson Technology Incorporated 
 40 West Highland Park Drive NE

 Hutchinson, MN 55350-9784 
 January 12, 2012 
  

	 	Re:	Support Agreement (this “Agreement”) regarding the tender of Hutchinson Technology Incorporated’s 3.25% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2026
(the “Notes”) for for cash (the “ Tender Commitment”)  

 Ladies and Gentlemen: 

Reference is hereby made to the term sheet attached hereto (the “Term Sheet”) which contemplates an exchange and tender
offer (the “Exchange and Tender Offer”) by the Company for all of the Notes, together with a rights offering (the “Rights Offering”) for units consisting of up to $40 million of New Notes and detachable warrants
issued by the Company, all on the terms contemplated in the Term Sheet. 
 By execution and delivery of this Agreement, we
hereby agree as follows: 
 1. Participation in the Exchange and Tender Offer. 

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Term Sheet and such other mutually acceptable terms provided in the
Exchange and Tender Offer and the documents related thereto, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the holder named on the signature pages hereto (the “Holder”) hereby agrees to
tender, and will cause its affiliates to tender, pursuant to the Exchange and Tender Offer, and not withdraw or revoke such tender unless the conditions set forth in Section 2 are not satisfied or this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 8 hereof, the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth 







 
under the Holder’s name on the signature pages hereto (the “Initial Notes” and, together with any additional Notes held by the Holder or such controlled affiliates but less
any Notes sold, assigned or transferred in accordance with Section 5(c) hereof, the “Holder’s Notes”) in the Exchange and Tender Offer as soon as practicable following the commencement of the Exchange and Tender Offer but
no later than 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the eighteenth business day (as defined in Rule 14d-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) following the commencement of the Exchange and Tender Offer. 

2. Conditions. The Holder’s obligations under Section 1 of this Agreement and the Company’s acceptance of any Notes
tendered by the Holder (or a controlled affiliate) shall be subject to consummation of the Exchange and Tender Offer upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Term Sheet and in the Exchange and Tender Offer (or waiver or
modification of any such conditions by the Company in its sole discretion, provided that any such waiver or modification, whether singularly or in the aggregate, will not materially adversely affect the Holder without the Holder’s prior written
consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). The Holder acknowledges that any amendment, extension or other modification to the expiration deadline (to the extent required by any relevant regulatory review process)
shall not be deemed to materially adversely affect the Holder for purposes of this Section 2 and Sections 5(a)(ii), 5(f) and 8(d) of this Agreement. The Holder acknowledges that the Company’s acceptance of any Notes tendered will, among
other things, be subject raising sufficient cash in the Rights Offering to accept all or part of the Notes tendered for cash. 

3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Holder as follows: 

  
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 (a) The Company has the requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement
and to perform its obligations hereunder. 
 (b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company. This
Agreement is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement may be limited by equitable principles or by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium
or similar laws relating to or limiting creditors’ rights generally, and is in full force and effect. 
 4.
Representations and Warranties of the Holder; Acknowledgements and Undertakings of the Holder. The Holder represents and warrants to the Company as follows: 
 (a) The Holder has the requisite power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder. 

(b) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Holder. This Agreement is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the
Holder, enforceable against the Holder in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement may be limited by equitable principles or by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to or limiting creditors’ rights
generally, and is in full force and effect. 
 (c) The Holder, with its affiliates, beneficially owns the aggregate principal
amount of the Notes set forth on its signature page below, which represent all the Notes held by the Holder and its affiliates and which are owned free and clear of any pledge, security interest, claim, lien or other encumbrance of any kind and the
Holder is an institutional “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Regulation D. 

  
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 (d) The Holder acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to obtain and review information
reasonably requested by the Holder from the Company prior to executing this Agreement or entering into the transactions contemplated hereby. The Holder understands that in the event the Company agrees to disclose additional information to the Holder
or to meet with the Holder, the Company may require that the Holder enter into one or more confidentiality agreements in a form that is reasonably acceptable to the Holder. 
 (e) The Holder is a sophisticated investor with knowledge and experience in business and financial matters, is accustomed to participating in transactions such as the Exchange and Tender Offer, and is
able to negotiate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and to evaluate its merits and risks. 
 (f) The Holder has
conducted its own independent evaluation, made its own analysis and consulted with advisors as it has deemed necessary, prudent or advisable in order for the Holder to make its own determination and decision to enter into the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and to execute and deliver this Agreement. The Holder has adequate information to evaluate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and has had the opportunity to discuss such information with its advisors. In
entering into the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Holder is relying entirely upon such independent evaluation and analysis and consultation with its advisors and has not relied upon any oral or written representations and warranties
of any kind or nature by any of the Company or its affiliates, including controlling persons (collectively, the “Company Parties”) or anyone affiliated with the Company. Parties, except for the information contained in the Term
Sheet, the Exchange and Tender Offer or as specifically set forth in this Agreement. None of the Company Parties nor anyone affiliated with the Company Parties has made any representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding


  
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the Company, the New Notes or any aspect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the information contained in the Term Sheet, the Exchange and Tender Offer or as
specifically, and not by implication, set forth in this Agreement, and the Holder is not relying on any representation or warranty not contained in the Term Sheet, this Agreement or the Exchange and Tender Offer. 

5. Covenants. 
 (a) Prior to the termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 8 below (the “Termination Date”), the Holder will not, and will cause its affiliates not to, withdraw or
revoke any tender contemplated by this Agreement unless (i) one or more of the conditions set forth in Section 2 hereof is not satisfied, (ii) the Exchange and Tender Offer is terminated before its expiration or modified in a way
inconsistent with the Term Sheet that will materially adversely affect the Holder without the Holder’s prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, or (iii) this Agreement is terminated in
accordance with its terms. 
 (b) Prior to the Termination Date and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the
Holder agrees not to, and will cause its affiliates not to, take, or cause to be taken, directly or indirectly, any action inconsistent with the consummation of, or any action opposing, the Exchange and Tender Offer. 

(c) Prior to the Termination Date, the Holder agrees that, without the Company’s prior written consent, it will not, and will cause
its controlled affiliates not to (i) pledge, grant a security interest or otherwise encumber the Notes, or (ii) directly or indirectly, sell, assign, grant an option with respect to, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of the
Holder’s Notes, in whole or in part, unless (x) the transferee of such Notes agrees to be bound by the terms of this Agreement or (y) such sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition is made pursuant to an unsolicited directive by
one of Holder’s managed account clients or a successor thereto. 

  
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 (d) The Company and the Holder agree that the Company shall not, without the prior written
consent of the Holder, disclose the name of the Holder or amount of the Holder’s Notes held by the Holder (or its affiliates) or that the Holder has entered into this Agreement in any public manner, including in the Exchange and Tender Offer or
any related press release; provided, however, that (i) the Company may disclose such name or amount to the extent that it is required to do so by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Nasdaq National Market or The Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority and (ii) the Company may disclose the aggregate percentage or aggregate principal amount of Notes held by Holders who have signed support agreements with the Company agreeing to exchange or tender their Notes in
the Exchange and Tender Offer (without naming such Holders). 
 (e) The Company agrees to commence the Exchange and Tender Offer
and the Rights Offering as soon as practicable and to provide the Holder with a draft Indenture (the “Indenture”) governing the New Notes, Exchange and Tender Offer and Rights Offering and such other documents relating thereto as
the Holder may reasonably request in advance of the commencement. The Company agrees that the Indenture shall be consistent with the Term Sheet and contain other customary terms for publicly traded senior secured second liens notes and the Exchange
and Tender Offer and Rights Offering will be consistent with the Term Sheet and contain such other terms and conditions as are customary. 
 (f) The Company agrees to allow the Holder to withdraw such Holder’s tender in the Exchange and Tender Offer (if such Holder so chooses) if the Company changes any term or condition from those in the
Term Sheet or in the Exchange and Tender Offer or Rights Offering 

  
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reviewed by the Holder that materially adversely affects the Holder without the Holder’s prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, as more
fully set forth herein. 
 6. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different
parties and separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed an original, and all of which, when taken together, shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature
page to this Agreement by facsimile or portable document format (PDF) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement. 
 7. Choice of Laws. The validity of this Agreement, the construction, interpretation, and enforcement hereof, and the rights of the parties hereto with respect to all matters arising hereunder or
related hereto shall be determined under, governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York without regard to conflicts of laws principles (but including and giving effect to Sections 5-1401 and
5-1402 of the New York General Obligations Law). 
 8. Termination of Agreement. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by
the Company and the Holder, the rights and obligations of the Company and the Holder under this Agreement shall terminate on the earliest to occur of: 
 (a) February 6, 2012, if the Exchange and Tender Offer and Rights Offering shall not have been commenced by such date; 
 (b) the later of (i) forty five days after the commencement of the Exchange and Tender Offer if Exchange and Tender Offer shall not have been consummated by such date or (ii) if the registration
of the securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission contemplated by the Exchange and Tender Offer and Rights Offering has not become effective by such date, five days after such registration becomes effective; 

  
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 (c) April 1, 2012; 

(d) by the Holder if the support agreement(s) with holders who have committed to exchange $36 million in aggregate principal amount of
Notes are terminated; and 
 (e) the Company shall have provided written notice to the Holder that it has determined not to
proceed with, or has determined to terminate, or to modify the terms of, the Exchange and Tender Offer in a way that will materially adversely affect the Holder without the Holder’s prior written consent, such consent not to be unreasonably
withheld, conditioned or delayed. 
 9. The Company’s Right of Assignment. The parties hereto agree that the Company
may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations under this Agreement to a direct parent entity or wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. 
 10. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement, and supersedes all other prior negotiations, agreements
and understandings, whether written or oral, among the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement; provided, however, that any confidentiality agreement executed by any party hereto shall survive this Agreement and shall continue
in full force and effect irrespective of the terms hereof. 

*        *        * 

  
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 Please evidence your agreement to the foregoing by executing and returning a copy of this
Agreement, 
  

			
	Sincerely,
	
	HUTCHINSON TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
		
	By:	 	/s/ Charles S. Ives
	Name:	 	Charles S. Ives
	Title:	 	Treasurer



  
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	Accepted and Agreed to:
	
	PALISADE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.L.C.
		
	By:	 	/s/ Dennison T. Veru
		 	Name: Dennison T. Veru
		 	 Title: Executive Vice President &
           Chief Investment Officer — Institutional

			
		 	 Address:  
	 	 Palisade Capital Management, L.L.C.

		 		 	 One Bridge Plaza, Suite 695

Fort Lee, NJ 07024
 Attention: General
Counsel


 $6,228,000 

Principal Amount of 3.25% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2026 

  
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