Document:

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                                                                    Exhibit 10.8

                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

         This Agreement is made and entered into this 12th day of December,
1999, by and between Hotel Reservations Network, Inc. ("COMPANY") and Jack Rubin
("EMPLOYEE").

         The following recitals are true and constitute the basis for this
Agreement:

         A.   Company desires to establish its right to the services of Employee
              in the capacity described below and on terms and conditions
              hereinafter set forth, and Employee is willing to accept such
              employment on those same terms and conditions; and

         B.   Ancillary to this Agreement and as a condition to Company entering
              into this Agreement, Company and Employee have agreed to enter
              into a Noncompetition, Nonsolicitation and Confidentiality
              Agreement of even date herewith.

         NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements hereinafter
set forth, Employee and Company have agreed and do hereby agree as follows:

         1.   TERM. This Agreement shall remain in effect for one (1) year from
the Effective Date and shall be automatically and repeatedly renewed for
successive one (1) year periods thereafter (the "TERM"), unless sooner
terminated in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 of this Agreement, or
unless either party shall give a written notice of non-automatic renewal to the
other prior to the last 30 days of any such annual period, which notice shall
not be effective prior to the end of the then current term. The Effective Date
shall be the first date of employment hereunder and shall be mutually agreed to
by the parties and shall in no event be more that 30 days after the date of this
Agreement.

         2.   POSITION AND RESPONSIBILITIES. Company agrees to employ Employee
as Chief Financial and Strategic Officer, and Employee accepts and agrees to
such employment. During Employee's employment with Company, Employee shall do
and perform all services and acts necessary or advisable to fulfill the duties
and responsibilities as are commensurate and consistent with Employee's position
and shall render such services on the terms set forth herein. During Employee's
employment with Company, Employee shall report directly to the Chief Executive
Officer. Employee shall have such powers and duties with respect to Company as
may reasonably be assigned to Employee by the Chief Executive Officer, to the
extent consistent with Employee's position and status. Employee agrees to devote
all of Employee's working time, attention and efforts to Company and to perform
the duties of Employee's position in accordance with Company's policies as in
effect from time to time.

         3.   COMPENSATION. As compensation for all services to be performed by
Employee under this Agreement during the Term, Company shall compensate Employee
as follows:

              A.   SALARY. During the Term, Company shall pay to Employee an
annual base salary of $180,000 (the "BASE SALARY"), payable in equal biweekly
installments payable in arrears or in accordance with Company's payroll practice
as in effect from time to time. The Base Salary shall be reviewed by the Company
annually for appropriate increases; any such increases shall be in the sole
discretion of the Company. For all purposes under this Agreement, the term Base
Salary shall refer to Base Salary, including adjustments thereto, if any, as may
be made from time to time.

              B.   DISCRETIONARY BONUS. During the Term, Employee shall be
eligible to receive discretionary annual bonuses on the same basis as peer
employees of Company.

              C.   STOCK OPTION. In consideration of Employee's entering into
this Agreement and as an inducement to join Company, Employee shall be granted
under Company's 1999 Stock Option Plan

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(the "PLAN"), an incentive or non-qualified stock option (the "OPTION"), as the
case may be, to purchase an aggregate of 100,000 shares of Company's Class A
common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the "COMMON STOCK"). The date of grant
of the Option shall be the date on which the Common Stock is first offered to
the public pursuant to an effective registration statement. The exercise price
of the Option shall be at the per share price at which the Common Stock is first
offered to the public pursuant to an effective registration statement filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Option shall vest and become
exercisable over a four (4) year term, with twenty-five percent (25%) or 25,000
shares of the Option becoming exercisable on the first anniversary of the
Effective Date and an additional 1/36th of the 75,000 share balance of the
Option becoming exercisable on the first day of each month during the Term,
commencing on January 1, 2001. In the event of a Change of Control (as such term
is defined in the Plan), in addition to any options that have already vested,
there also shall be vested, at the time of such Change in Control, fifty percent
(50%) of then unvested options referred to above. The Option shall expire upon
the earlier to occur of (x) ten (10) years from the Effective Date or (y) except
as otherwise provided in the Stock Option Award Agreement to be entered into by
and between Employee and Company, ninety (90) days following the termination of
Employee's employment with Company for any reason.

              D.   BENEFITS AND PERQUISITES. During the Term, Employee shall
be entitled to participate in any welfare, health and life insurance and pension
benefit and incentive programs as may be adopted from time to time by Company on
the same basis as that provided to other senior executives of Company. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, Employee shall be entitled to the
following benefits during the Term: (a) paid vacation during each year of the
Term in accordance with the policies of Company in effect from time to time and
(b) reimbursement of all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by Employee
in performing Employee's duties for Company, on the same basis as similarly
situated employees and in accordance with Company's policies as in effect from
time to time.

         4.   TERMINATION OF EMPLOYEES EMPLOYMENT.

              A.   DEATH. In the event Employee's employment hereunder is
terminated by reason of Employee's death, Company shall pay Employee's
designated beneficiary or beneficiaries, within thirty (30) days of Employee's
death in a lump sum in cash, Employee's Base Salary through the end of the month
in which death occurs and any Accrued Obligations (as defined below). As used in
this Agreement, the term "ACCRUED OBLIGATIONS" shall mean the sum of (i) any
portion of Employee's Base Salary through the date of death or termination of
employment for any reason, as the case may be, which has not yet been paid and
(ii) any compensation previously earned but deferred by Employee (together with
any interest or earnings thereon) that has not yet been paid.

              B.   DISABILITY. If, as a result of Employee's incapacity due to
physical or mental illness ("DISABILITY"), Employee shall have been absent from
the full-time performance of Employee's duties with Company for a period of two
(2) consecutive months and, within thirty (30) days after written notice is
provided to Employee by the Company in accordance with Section 6 of this
Agreement, Employee shall not have returned to the full-time performance of
Employee's duties, Employee's employment under this Agreement may be terminated
by Company for Disability. During any period prior to such termination during
which Employee is absent from the full-time performance of Employee's duties
with Company due to Disability, Company shall continue to pay Employee's Base
Salary at the rate in effect at the commencement of such period of Disability,
offset by any amounts payable to Employee under any disability insurance plan or
policy provided by Company. Upon termination of Employee's employment due to
Disability, Company shall pay Employee within thirty (30) days of such
termination (i) Employee's Base Salary through the end of the month in which
termination occurs in a lump sum in cash, offset by any amounts payable to
Employee under any disability insurance plan or policy provided by Company and
(ii) any Accrued Obligations.

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              C.   TERMINATION FOR CAUSE. Company may terminate Employee's
employment under this Agreement for Cause (as defined below) at any time prior
to the expiration of the Term. As used herein, "CAUSE" shall mean (i) the
conviction of Employee for the commission of any misdemeanor involving fraud,
misappropriation or embezzlement or the plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, or
indictment for, the commission of any felony offense by Employee; (ii) a
material breach by Employee of a fiduciary duty owed to Company; (iii) a
material breach by Employee of any of the covenants made by Employee under the
terms of this Agreement, that certain Noncompetition, Nonsolicitation and
Confidentiality Agreement of even date herewith by and between Employee and
Company or the Company's policies and procedures; or (iv) the willful and gross
neglect by Employee of the material duties required by this Agreement .

         As to any item which forms the basis of a Company determination of
"Cause" which are subject to correction or cure, Employee shall be given 10 days
written notice of such basis. Such notice shall contain reasonable detail
concerning the basis of a determination that Cause for termination exists. If
the basis for a Cause determination is subject to correction, elimination, or
cure by Employee, then Employee shall have 10 days following such written notice
to cure the basis for the Cause determination. If such cure is successful, then
the Company shall not have Cause for termination as to the cured item. Provided,
however, that the Company shall not be required to provide an additional 10 day
notice and cure opportunity as to any item which is substantially identical to a
previously cured item which was the subject of an earlier written notice under
this paragraph. In the event of Employee's termination for Cause, this Agreement
shall terminate without further obligation by Company, except for the payment of
any Accrued Obligations.

              D.   TERMINATION OTHER THAN FOR DEATH, DISABILITY OR
CAUSE-SEVERANCE. If Employee's employment is terminated by Company for any
reason other than Employee's death, for Disability or Cause during the Term, or
by notice of non-automatic renewal under Section 1, above, then Company shall
provide Employee with the following:

                   (i) if Company shall have consummated an initial public
              offering of its Common Stock as of Employee's termination date,
              then upon such termination not less than 25,000 shares of the
              above-referenced Options shall be vested (it being understood that
              more than 25,000 may have become vested under the option
              agreements if the termination occurs beyond the first anniversary
              of the Effective Date); or

                   (ii) if Company shall not have consummated an initial public
              offering of its Common Stock as of Employee's termination date,
              Company shall pay Employee the then current Base Salary for a
              period of one (1) year after Employee's termination date payable
              over the year following such termination. The amount of any
              severance payments to be received by Employee under this Section
              4D(ii) shall be reduced by the amount of salary received by
              Employee from any other employer.

The obligations of Company to Employee under this Section 4D are conditioned
upon Employee signing a release of claims in the form of Exhibit "A" attached
hereto (the "RELEASE") within twenty-eight (28) days of the date on which notice
of termination is given and upon such Release remaining in full force and effect
thereafter. The severance payment under Section 4D(ii) will be in the form of
salary continuation, payable in accordance with the normal payroll practices of
Company and will begin at Company's next regular payroll period following the
effective date of the Release, but shall be retroactive to the date of such
termination. In the event of Employee's termination for other than Employee's
Death, for Disability or Cause after the first twelve (12) months of the Term,
this Agreement shall terminate

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 without further obligation by Company, except for
the payment of any Accrued Obligations (which shall be paid within 30 days of
termination).

              E.   NOTICE OF TERMINATION. Any termination by Company pursuant
to Section 4B, 4C or 4D shall be communicated by a Notice of Termination (as
defined below). For purposes of this Agreement, a "NOTICE OF TERMINATION" shall
mean a written notice which shall indicate those specific termination provisions
in this Agreement relied upon and which sets forth in reasonable detail the
facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of Employee's
employment under the provision so indicated. For purposes of this Agreement, no
such purported termination by Company shall be effective without such Notice of
Termination.

         5.   SOLE AGREEMENT. Other than with respect to the Noncompetition,
Nonsolicitation and Confidentiality Agreement to be entered into by and between
Employee and Company, Employee hereby acknowledges the termination of any and
all employment or consulting agreements between him and Company not expressly
set forth herein, and any affiliates of Company, and releases Company and all
affiliates of Company from any and all obligations that it or they might
otherwise have had to Employee under any employment or consulting agreement
between Company or any affiliates of Company and Employee, including, but not by
way of limitation, any obligations of Company or its affiliates to pay Employee
accrued but unpaid compensation of any sort whatsoever.

         6.   NOTICES. All notices and other communications under this Agreement
shall be in writing and shall be given by first-class mail, certified or
registered with return receipt requested, telecopy or hand delivery acknowledged
in writing by the recipient personally and shall be deemed to have been duly
given three days after mailing or immediately upon duly acknowledged hand
delivery or telecopy to the respective persons named below:

              If to Company:           Hotel Reservations Network, Inc.
                                       8140 Walnut Hill Lane
                                       Suite 800
                                       Dallas, TX  75231
                                       Attention: Chief Executive Officer
                                       Telecopy: 214.265.0974

              If to Employee:          Jack Rubin
                                       6602 Forestshire
                                       Dallas, TX  75230
                                       Telecopy: ___.___.____

         7.   ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement may not be assigned or transferred by
the Employee, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Company,
and any assignment in violation of this Section shall be void. Company shall
have the right to assign this Agreement and any of its rights hereunder to any
of its affiliates or as a part of a sale or transfer of the stock, assets or
business of Company or any substantial portion thereof.

         8.   INTERPRETATION; SEVERABILITY OF INVALID PROVISIONS. All rights and
restrictions contained hereunder may be exercised and shall be applicable and
binding only to the extent that they do not violate any applicable laws and are
intended to be limited to the extent necessary to render this Agreement legal,
valid and enforceable. If any term of this Agreement shall be held to be
illegal, invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the
remaining terms shall remain in full force and effect. The existence of any
claim by Employee against Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or

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otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to enforcement by Company of any or
all such provisions or covenants.

         9.   RELIEF. The parties acknowledge that a breach or threatened breach
of any of the terms of this Agreement by Employee would result in material and
irreparable damage and injury to Company, and that it would be difficult or
impossible to establish the full monetary value of such damage. Therefore,
Company shall be entitled to injunctive relief by a court of appropriate
jurisdiction in the event of Employees's breach or threatened breach of any of
the terms hereunder. Company's right to an injunction will not prohibit Company
from pursuing other remedies, including the recovery of damages.

         10.  AGREEMENT BINDING. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of
Company and its successors, assignees and designees and shall be binding upon
Employee and Employee's heirs, executors, administrators and personal
representatives.

         11.  NONWAIVER. No failure on the part of either Employee or Company to
exercise, and no delay by either Employee or Company in exercising any right,
power, or remedy under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor
shall any single or partial exercise of any right, power or remedy by either
Employee or Company preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the
exercise by such party of any other right, power or remedy. No express waiver or
assent by either Employee or Company of any breach of or default in any term or
condition of this Agreement by the other party shall constitute a waiver of or
an assent to any succeeding breach of or default in the same or any other term
or condition hereof.

         12.  AMENDMENTS AND MODIFICATIONS. This Agreement may be amended or
modified only by a writing signed by the Employee and the Chief Executive
Officer of Company.

         13.  GOVERNING LAW. The validity and effect of this Agreement shall be
construed under, governed by and enforced in accordance with the laws of the
State of Texas, without regard to the choice of law provisions, statutes,
regulations or principles of this or any other jurisdiction.

         14.  NO CONFLICTING AGREEMENT. Employee represents and warrants that he
is not party to any agreement, contract or understanding which would prohibit
him from entering into this Agreement or performing fully his obligations
hereunder.

         15.  WITHHOLDING. Company shall make such deductions and withhold such
amounts from each payment and benefit made or provided to Employee under this
Agreement, as may be required from time to time by applicable law, governmental
regulation or order.

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         16.  ARBITRATION.

              (a)  Any and all disputes arising out of or in connection with
the negotiation, execution, interpretation, performance or non-performance of
this Agreement, shall be referred to and solely and finally resolved by
arbitration. The place of arbitration shall be Dallas, Texas or such other
location as the parties may agree in writing. The arbitration tribunal shall
consist of three arbitrators. The parties shall each nominate one arbitrator and
the third arbitrator shall be appointed, all in accordance with the Rules (as
defined below). The parties hereby renounce all recourse to litigation and agree
(i) that no reference shall be made to any court on a point of law and (ii) that
the award of the arbitration tribunal shall be final and subject to no judicial
review. The arbitration tribunal shall conduct the proceedings in accordance
with the arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association (the "RULES),
which Rules are deemed to be incorporated by reference to this clause. The
arbitration tribunal shall decide the issues submitted to them in accordance
with (A) the language and commercial purposes of this Agreement, and (B) what is
just and equitable under the circumstances, provided that all substantive
questions of law shall be determined under the laws of the State of Texas.

              (b)  The parties agree to facilitate the arbitration by: (i)
making available to one another and to the arbitration tribunal for examination,
inspection and extraction all documents, books, records and personnel under
their control determined by the arbitration tribunal to be relevant to the
dispute; (ii) conducting arbitration hearings to the greatest extent possible on
successive days; and (iii) observing strictly the time periods established by
the Rules, or by the arbitration tribunal, for submission of evidence or briefs.

              (c)  Judgment on the award of the arbitration tribunal may be
entered in any court having jurisdiction over the party against which
enforcement of the award is being sought. All deposits and other costs (other
than fees of counsel) incurred in conducting the arbitration shall be borne
equally by the parties or as otherwise determined by the tribunal. Each party
shall be solely responsible for its own attorneys fees incurred in connection
with the arbitration.

         17.  COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in one or more
counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which shall together
constitute one instrument.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Company has caused this Agreement to be executed by
its duly authorized officer, and Employee has executed this Agreement, as of the
date first written above.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS NETWORK, INC.                  EMPLOYEE

By:
   -------------------------------------          -----------------------------
   David Litman, Chief Executive Officer          Jack Rubin

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                                   EXHIBIT "A"

                                RELEASE OF CLAIMS

         FOR AND IN CONSIDERATION OF the special payments and benefits to be
provided in connection with the termination of my employment in accordance with
the terms of the Employment Agreement dated as of December __, 1999 (as amended
and in effect from time to time, the "EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT") between Hotel
Reservations Network, Inc. ("COMPANY"), and me, I, on my own behalf and on
behalf of my personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators,
successors, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees and all others connected
with me, hereby release and forever discharge Company and each of its respective
affiliates and all of their respective past and present officers, directors,
stockholders, controlling persons, employees, agents, representatives,
successors and assigns and all of others connected with any of its employees,
agents, representatives, successors and assigns and all others connected with
any of them (all collectively, the "RELEASED PARTIES"), both individually and in
their official capacities, from any and all rights, liabilities, claims,
demands, and causes of action of any type (collectively, "CLAIMS") which I have
had in the past, now have, or might now have, through the date of my signing of
this Release of Claims, in any way resulting from, arising out of or connected
with my employment or its termination or pursuant to any federal, state, foreign
or local employment law, regulation or other requirement (including, without
limitation, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the fair employment
practices laws of the state or states in which I have been employed by Company,
each as amended from time to time); provided, however, that the foregoing
release shall not apply to any right explicitly set forth in the Employment
Agreement to special payments and benefits to be provided in connection with the
termination of my employment.

         In signing this Release of Claims, I acknowledge that I have had at
least 21 days from the date of notice of termination of my employment to
consider the terms of this Release of Claims and that such time has been
sufficient; that I am encouraged by Company to seek the advice of an attorney
prior to signing this Release of Claims; and I am signing this Release of Claims
voluntarily and with a full understanding of its terms.

         I understand that I may revoke this Release of Claims at any time
within seven days of the date of my signing by written notice to Company and
that this Release of Claims will take effect only upon the expiration of such
seven-day revocation period and only if I have not timely revoked it.

         Intending to be legally bound, I have signed this Release of Claims as
of the date first written above.

Signature:
          --------------------------------
                   Jack Rubin

Date Signed:
            ------------------------------

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                                                                     Exhibit 4.6

                            STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

LJL Biosystems, Inc.
404 Tasman Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Ladies & Gentlemen:

         The undersigned, _____________________ (the "Investor"), hereby
confirms its agreement with you as follows:

1.       This Stock Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement") is made as of February
___, 2000 between LJL Biosystems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
and the Investor.

2.       The Company has authorized the sale and issuance of up to _________
shares (the "Shares") of common stock of the Company, $0.001 par value per share
(the "Common Stock"), subject to adjustment by the Company's Board of Directors,
to certain investors in a private placement (the "Offering").

3.       The Company and the Investor agree that the Investor will purchase
from the Company and the Company will issue and sell to the Investor
_____________ Shares, for a purchase price of $11 per share, or an aggregate
purchase price of $_______, pursuant to the Terms and Conditions for Purchase
of Shares attached hereto as Annex I and incorporated herein by reference as
if fully set forth herein. Unless otherwise requested by the Investor,
certificates representing the Shares purchased by the Investor will be
registered in the Investor's name and address as set forth below.

4.       The Investor represents that, except as set forth below, (a) it has had
no position, office or other material relationship within the past three years
with the Company or persons known to it to be affiliates of the Company, (b)
neither it, nor any group of which it is a member or to which it is related,
beneficially owns (including the right to acquire or vote) any securities of the
Company and (c) it has no direct or indirect affiliation or association with any
NASD member as of the date hereof. Exceptions:

---------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------

(If no exceptions, write "none." If left blank, response will
be deemed to be "none.")

         Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement
between us by signing in the space provided below for that purpose. By executing
this Agreement, you acknowledge that the Company may use the information in
paragraph 4 above and the name and address information below in preparation of
the Registration Statement (as defined in Annex 1).

AGREED AND ACCEPTED:
--------------------
LJL BIOSYSTEMS, INC.                  "INVESTOR"

                                      By:
------------------------------
By:
Title:                                Print Name:
                                                   -----------------------------
                                      Title:
                                              ----------------------------------
                                      Address:
                                                --------------------------------

                                                --------------------------------
                                      Tax ID No:
                                                   -----------------------------
                                      Contact name:
                                                     ---------------------------
                                      Telephone:

                                      Name in which shares should be registered
                                      (if different):
                                                      --------------------------

<PAGE>

                                    ANNEX I

                  TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR PURCHASE OF SHARES

         1.       AUTHORIZATION AND SALE OF THE SHARES. Subject to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, the Company has authorized the sale of up to
1,757,575 Shares. The Company reserves the right to increase or decrease this
number.

         2.       AGREEMENT TO SELL AND PURCHASE THE SHARES; SUBSCRIPTION DATE.

                  2.1      At the Closing (as defined in Section 3), the Company
will sell to the Investor, and the Investor will purchase from the Company, upon
the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, the number of Shares set forth
on the signature page hereto at the purchase price set forth on such signature
page.

                  2.2      The Company may enter into this same form of Stock
Purchase Agreement with certain other investors (the "Other Investors") and
expects to complete sales of Shares to them. (The Investor and the Other
Investors are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the "Investors,"
and this Agreement and the Stock Purchase Agreements executed by the Other
Investors are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the
"Agreements.") The Company will accept executed Agreements from Investors for
the purchase of Shares commencing upon the date on which the Company provides
the Investors with the proposed purchase price per Share and concluding upon
the date (the "Subscription Date") on which the Company has (i) executed
Agreements with Investors for the purchase of at least one million Shares, and
(ii) notified the Investors in writing that it is no longer accepting Agreements
from Investors for the purchase of Shares. The Company may not enter into any
Agreements after the Subscription Date.

         3.       DELIVERY OF THE SHARES AT CLOSING. The completion of the
purchase and sale of the Shares (the "Closing") shall occur (the "Closing Date")
on February 3, 2000, at the offices of the Company's counsel. At the Closing,
the Company shall deliver to the Investor one or more stock certificates
representing the number of Shares set forth on the signature page hereto, each
such certificate to be registered in the name of the Investor or, if so
indicated on the signature page hereto, in the name of a nominee designated by
the Investor.

         The Company's obligation to issue the Shares to the Investor shall be
subject to the following conditions, any one or more of which may be waived by
the Company: (a) receipt by the Company of a certified or official bank check or
wire transfer of funds in the full amount of the purchase price for the Shares
being purchased hereunder as set forth on the signature page hereto; (b)
completion of the purchases and sales under the Agreements with the Other
Investors; and (c) the accuracy of the representations and warranties made by
the Investors and the fulfillment of those undertakings of the Investors to be
fulfilled prior to the Closing.

         The Investor's obligation to purchase the Shares shall be subject to
the following conditions, any one or more of which may be waived by the
Investor: (a) Investors shall have executed Agreements for the purchase of at
least one million Shares, and (b) the representations and warranties of the
Company set forth herein shall be true and correct in all material respects.

         4.       REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The
Company hereby represents and warrants to, and covenants with, the Investor, as
follows:

                  4.1      ORGANIZATION. The Company is duly organized and
validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
organization. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 405
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act")) has full
power and authority to own, operate and occupy its properties and to conduct its
business as presently conducted and as described in the confidential offering
memorandum, dated January 31, 2000 distributed in connection with the sale of
the Shares (including the documents incorporated by reference therein, the
"Placement Memorandum") and is registered or qualified to do business and in
good standing in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases property or
transacts business and where the failure to be so qualified would have a
material adverse effect upon the business, financial condition, properties or
operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise,
and no proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction, revoking,
limiting or curtailing, or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail, such power and
authority or qualification.

                  4.2      DUE AUTHORIZATION. The Company has all requisite
power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the
Agreements, and the Agreements have been duly authorized and validly executed
and delivered by the Company and constitute legal, valid and binding agreements
of the Company enforceable against the Company in

<PAGE>

accordance with their terms, except as rights to indemnity and contribution may
be limited by state or federal securities laws or the public policy underlying
such laws, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors' and
contracting parties' rights generally and except as enforceability may be
subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether such
enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

                  4.3      NON-CONTRAVENTION. The execution and delivery of the
Agreements, the issuance and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company under
the Agreements, the fulfillment of the terms of the Agreements and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby will not (A) conflict with
or constitute a violation of, or default (with the passage of time or otherwise)
under, (i) any material (A) bond, debenture, note or other evidence of
indebtedness, or (B) lease, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement, joint venture or other agreement or instrument to which the Company
or any Subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of its Subsidiaries or their
respective properties are bound, (ii) the charter, by-laws or other
organizational documents of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (iii) any law,
administrative regulation, ordinance or order of any court or governmental
agency, arbitration panel or authority applicable to the Company or any
Subsidiary or their respective properties, or (B) result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, encumbrance, claim, security interest or restriction
whatsoever upon any of the material properties or assets of the Company or any
Subsidiary or an acceleration of indebtedness pursuant to any obligation,
agreement or condition contained in any material bond, debenture, note or any
other evidence of indebtedness or any material indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust or any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any
Subsidiary is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the
property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject. No consent,
approval, authorization or other order of, or registration, qualification or
filing with, any regulatory body, administrative agency, or other governmental
body in the United States is required for the execution and delivery of the
Agreements and the valid issuance and sale of the Shares to be sold pursuant to
the Agreements, other than such as have been made or obtained, and except for
any securities filings required to be made under federal or state securities
laws.

                  4.4      CAPITALIZATION. The capitalization of the Company as
of September 30, 1999 is as set forth in the Placement Memorandum (excluding
unvested options and treasury shares). The Company has not issued any capital
stock since that date other than pursuant to (i) employee benefit plans
disclosed in the Placement Memorandum, or (ii) outstanding warrants or options
disclosed in the Placement Memorandum. The Shares to be sold pursuant to the
Agreements have been duly authorized, and when issued and paid for in accordance
with the terms of the Agreements will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable. The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been
duly and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued
in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and were not issued in
violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or
purchase securities. Except as set forth in or contemplated by the Placement
Memorandum, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation,
preemptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible
into or exchangeable for, any unissued shares of capital stock or other equity
interest in the Company or any Subsidiary, or any contract, commitment,
agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind to which the Company is a
party or of which the Company has knowledge and relating to the issuance or sale
of any capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary, any such convertible or
exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options. Without
limiting the foregoing, no preemptive right, co-sale right, right of first
refusal, registration right, or other similar right exists with respect to the
Shares or the issuance and sale thereof. No further approval or authorization of
any stockholder, the Board of Directors of the Company or others is required for
the issuance and sale of the Shares. The Company owns the entire equity interest
in each of its Subsidiaries, free and clear of any pledge, lien, security
interest, encumbrance, claim or equitable interest, other than as described in
the Placement Memorandum. Except as disclosed in the Placement Memorandum, there
are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements
with respect to the Common Stock to which the Company is a party or, to the
knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company's stockholders.

                  4.5      LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. There is no material legal or
governmental proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened
to which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may be a party or of which the
business or property of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject that is not
disclosed in the Placement Memorandum.

                  4.6      NO VIOLATIONS. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary
is in violation of its charter, bylaws, or other organizational document, or in
violation of any law, administrative regulation, ordinance or order of any court
or governmental agency, arbitration panel or authority applicable to the Company
or any Subsidiary, which violation, individually or in the aggregate, would be
reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the business or financial
condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, or
is in default (and there exists no condition which, with the passage of time or
otherwise, would constitute a default) in any material respect in the
performance of any bond, debenture, note or any other evidence of indebtedness
in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or any other material agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the
Company or any Subsidiary is bound or by which the properties of the

<PAGE>

Company or any Subsidiary are bound, which would be reasonably likely to have a
material adverse effect upon the business or financial condition of the Company
and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

                  4.7      GOVERNMENTAL PERMITS, ETC. With the exception of the
matters which are dealt with separately in Section 4.1, 4.12, 4.13, and 4.14,
each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has all necessary franchises, licenses,
certificates and other authorizations from any foreign, federal, state or local
government or governmental agency, department, or body that are currently
necessary for the operation of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries
as currently conducted and as described in the Placement Memorandum except where
the failure to currently possess could not reasonably be expected to have a
material adverse effect.

                  4.8      INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. Except as specifically
disclosed under "Risk Factors" in the Placement Memorandum (i) each of the
Company and its Subsidiaries owns or possesses sufficient rights to use all
material patents, patent rights, trademarks, copyrights, licenses, inventions,
trade secrets, trade names and know-how (collectively, "Intellectual Property")
described or referred to in the Placement Memorandum as owned by it or that are
necessary for the conduct of its business as now conducted or as proposed to be
conducted as described in the Placement Memorandum except where the failure to
currently own or possess would not have a material adverse effect on the
condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business or business
prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, (ii)
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of, or
has any knowledge of, any infringement of asserted rights of a third party with
respect to any Intellectual Property that, individually or in the aggregate,
would have a material adverse effect on the financial condition or business of
the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise and (iii) neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of any
infringement of rights of a third party with respect to any Intellectual
Property that, individually or in the aggregate, would have a material adverse
effect upon the business or financial condition of the Company and its
Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

                  4.9      FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. The financial statements of the
Company and the related notes contained in the Placement Memorandum present
fairly, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the
financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates
indicated, and the results of its operations and cash flows for the periods
therein specified. Such financial statements (including the related notes) have
been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods therein specified, except
as disclosed in the Placement Memorandum. The other financial information
contained in the Placement Memorandum has been prepared on a basis consistent
with the financial statements of the Company.

                  4.10     NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE. Except as disclosed in
the Placement Memorandum, since December 31, 1999, there has not been (i) any
material adverse change in the financial condition or earnings of the Company
and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise nor has any material adverse
event occurred to the Company or its Subsidiaries, (ii) any material adverse
event affecting the Company, (iii) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is
material to the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise,
incurred by the Company, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of
business, (iv) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made
on the capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (v) any loss
or damage (whether or not insured) to the physical property of the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries which has been sustained which has a material adverse
effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, operations, business
or business prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise.

                  4.11     DISCLOSURE. The information contained in the
Placement Memorandum as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date, did not
and shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. No material events or conditions have occurred or arisen since the
date of the Placement Memorandum or in the Company's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission that have not been otherwise disclosed in the Placement
Memorandum by incorporation by reference of the Company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

                  4.12     NASDAQ COMPLIANCE. The Company's Common Stock is
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Exchange Act and is listed on The
Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. National Market (the "Nasdaq National Market"), and
the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of,
terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or
de-listing the Common Stock from the Nasdaq National Market, nor has the Company
received any notification that the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"SEC") or the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") is
contemplating terminating such registration or listing.

<PAGE>

                  4.13     REPORTING STATUS. The Company has filed in a timely
manner all documents that the Company was required to file under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") during the 12 months
preceding the date of this Agreement. The following documents complied in all
material respects with the SEC's requirements as of their respective filing
dates, and the information contained therein as of the date thereof did not
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein in
light of the circumstances under where they were made not misleading:

                           (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
                           year ended December 31, 1998 (the "10-K"); and
                           (b) All other documents, if any, filed by the Company
                           with the SEC since December 31, 1998 pursuant to the
                           reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.

                  4.14     LISTING. The Company shall comply with all
requirements of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. with
respect to the issuance of the Shares and the listing thereof on the Nasdaq
National Market.

                  4.15     NO MANIPULATION OF STOCK. The Company has not taken
and will not, in violation of applicable law, take, any action designed to or
that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or
manipulation of the price of the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale
of the Shares.

         5.       REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS OF THE INVESTOR.

                  5.1      The Investor represents and warrants to, and
covenants with, the Company that: (i) the Investor is an "accredited investor"
as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act and the Investor is also
knowledgeable, sophisticated and experienced in making, and is qualified to make
decisions with respect to investments in shares presenting an investment
decision like that involved in the purchase of the Shares, including investments
in securities issued by the Company and investments in comparable companies, and
has requested, received, reviewed and considered all information it deemed
relevant in making an informed decision to purchase the Shares; (ii) the
Investor is acquiring the number of Shares set forth on the signature page
hereto in the ordinary course of its business and for its own account for
investment only and with no present intention of distributing any of such Shares
or any arrangement or understanding with any other persons regarding the
distribution of such Shares; (iii) the Investor will not, directly or
indirectly, offer, sell, pledge, transfer or otherwise dispose of (or solicit
any offers to buy, purchase or otherwise acquire or take a pledge of) any of the
Shares except in compliance with the Securities Act, applicable state securities
laws and the respective rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; (iv) the
Investor has answered all questions on the signature page hereto for use in
preparation of the Registration Statement and the answers thereto are true and
correct as of the date hereof and will be true and correct as of the Closing
Date; (v) the Investor will notify the Company immediately of any change in any
of such information until such time as the Investor has sold all of its Shares
or until the Company is no longer required to keep the Registration Statement
effective; and (vi) the Investor has, in connection with its decision to
purchase the number of Shares set forth on the signature page hereto, relied
only upon the Placement Memorandum and the representations and warranties of the
Company contained herein. Investor understands that its acquisition of the
Shares has not been registered under the Securities Act or registered or
qualified under any state securities law in reliance on specific exemptions
therefrom, which exemptions may depend upon, among other things, the bona fide
nature of the Investor's investment intent as expressed herein. Investor has
completed or caused to be completed and delivered to the Company the Investor
Questionnaire attached herein, which questionnaire is true and correct in all
material respects.

                  5.2      The Investor acknowledges, represents and agrees that
no action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction outside the United
States by the Company that would permit an offering of the Shares, or possession
or distribution of offering materials in connection with the issue of the
Shares, in any jurisdiction outside the United States where legal action by the
Company for that purpose is required. Each Investor outside the United States
will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in each foreign
jurisdiction in which it purchases, offers, sells or delivers Shares or has in
its possession or distributes any offering material, in all cases at its own
expense.

                  5.3      The Investor hereby covenants with the Company not to
make any sale of the Shares without complying with the provisions of this
Agreement, including the notification and suspension provision of Section 7.2
hereof, and without effectively causing the prospectus delivery requirement
under the Securities Act to be satisfied, and the Investor acknowledges that the
certificates evidencing the Shares will be imprinted with a legend that
prohibits their transfer except in accordance therewith. The Investor
acknowledges that there may occasionally be times when the Company determines
that it must suspend the use of the Prospectus forming a part of the
Registration Statement, as set forth in Section 7.2(c).

<PAGE>

                  5.4      The Investor further represents and warrants to, and
covenants with, the Company that (i) the Investor has full right, power,
authority and capacity to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the
transactions contemplated hereby and has taken all necessary action to authorize
the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and (ii) this
Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Investor enforceable
against the Investor in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may
be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or
similar laws affecting creditors' and contracting parties' rights generally and
except as enforceability may be subject to general principles of equity
(regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in
equity or at law) and except as the indemnification agreements of the Investors
herein may be legally unenforceable.

                  5.5      Investor will not use any of the restricted Shares
acquired pursuant to this Agreement to cover any short position in the Common
Stock of the Company if doing so would be in violation of applicable securities
laws.

                  5.6      The Investor understands that nothing in the
Placement Memorandum, this Agreement or any other materials presented to the
Investor in connection with the purchase and sale of the Shares constitutes
legal, tax or investment advice. The Investor has consulted such legal, tax and
investment advisors as it, in its sole discretion, has deemed necessary or
appropriate in connection with its purchase of Shares.

         6.       SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS.
Notwithstanding any investigation made by any party to this Agreement, all
covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Company and
the Investor herein shall survive the execution of this Agreement, the delivery
to the Investor of the Shares being purchased and the payment therefor.

         7.       REGISTRATION OF THE SHARES; COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES
ACT.

                  7.1      REGISTRATION PROCEDURES AND OTHER MATTERS. The
Company shall:

                           (a)      subject to receipt of necessary information
from the Investors, use its reasonable efforts to prepare and file with the SEC,
within 10 business days after the Closing Date, a registration statement (the
"Registration Statement") to enable the resale of the Shares by the Investors
from time to time through the automated quotation system of the Nasdaq National
Market or in privately-negotiated transactions;

                           (b)      file its audited financial statements in the
form required by the Securities and Exchange Commission for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 1999 with the SEC no later than February 29, 2000 and include
them in the Registration Statement if the inclusion of such audited financial
statements is a condition to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement;

                           (c)      use its reasonable efforts, subject to
receipt of necessary information from the Investors, to cause the Registration
Statement to become effective within 90 days after the Registration Statement is
filed by the Company;

                           (d)      use its reasonable efforts to prepare and
file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep the
Registration Statement current and effective for a period not exceeding, with
respect to each Investor's Shares purchased hereunder, the earlier of (i) the
second anniversary of the Closing Date, (ii) the date on which the Investor may
sell all Shares then held by the Investor without restriction by the volume
limitations of Rule 144(e) of the Securities Act, or (iii) such time as all
Shares purchased by such Investor in this Offering have been sold pursuant to a
registration statement.

                           (e)      furnish to the Investor with respect to the
Shares registered under the Registration Statement such number of copies of the
Registration Statement, Prospectuses and Preliminary Prospectuses in conformity
with the requirements of the Securities Act and such other documents as the
Investor may reasonably request, in order to facilitate the public sale or other
disposition of all or any of the Shares by the Investor; provided, however, that
the obligation of the Company to deliver copies of Prospectuses or Preliminary
Prospectuses to the Investor shall be subject to the receipt by the Company of
reasonable assurances from the Investor that the Investor will comply with the
applicable provisions of the Securities Act and of such other securities or blue
sky laws as may be applicable in connection with any use of such Prospectuses or
Preliminary Prospectuses;

                           (f)      file documents required of the Company for
normal blue sky clearance in states specified in writing by the Investor;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do
business or consent to service of process in any jurisdiction in which it is not
now so qualified or has not so consented;

<PAGE>

                           (g)      bear all expenses in connection with the
procedures in paragraph (a) through (f) of this Section 7.1 and the registration
of the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement; and

                           (h)      advise the Investors, promptly after it
shall receive notice or obtain knowledge of the issuance of any stop order by
the SEC delaying or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement
or of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for that purpose; and it will
promptly use its reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or
to obtain its withdrawal at the earliest possible moment if such stop order
should be issued.

         The Company understands that the Investor disclaims being an
underwriter, but the Investor being deemed an underwriter by the SEC shall not
relieve the Company of any obligations it has hereunder; PROVIDED, HOWEVER that
if the Company receives notification from the SEC that the Investor is deemed an
underwriter, then the period by which the Company is obligated to submit an
acceleration request to the SEC shall be extended to the earlier of (i) the 90th
day after such SEC notification, or (ii) 120 days after the initial filing of
the Registration Statement with the SEC.

                  7.2      TRANSFER OF SHARES AFTER REGISTRATION; SUSPENSION.

                           (a)      The Investor agrees that it will not effect
any Disposition of the Shares or its right to purchase the Shares that would
constitute a sale within the meaning of the Securities Act except as
contemplated in the Registration Statement referred to in Section 7.1 and as
described below, and that it will promptly notify the Company of any changes in
the information set forth in the Registration Statement regarding the Investor
or its plan of distribution.

                           (b)      Except in the event that paragraph (d) below
applies, the Company shall (i) if deemed necessary by the Company, prepare and
file from time to time with the SEC a post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement or a supplement to the related Prospectus or a supplement
or amendment to any document incorporated therein by reference or file any other
required document so that such Registration Statement will not contain an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and
so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of the Shares being sold
thereunder, such Prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading; (ii) provide the Investor copies of any documents
filed pursuant to Section 7.2(b)(i); and (iii) inform each Investor that the
Company has complied with its obligations in Section 7.2(b)(i) (or that, if the
Company has filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement which
has not yet been declared effective, the Company will notify the Investor to
that effect, will use its reasonable efforts to secure the effectiveness of such
post-effective amendment as promptly as possible and will promptly notify the
Investor pursuant to Section 7.2(b)(i) hereof when the amendment has become
effective).

                           (c)      If any Investor shall propose to sell any
Shares under the Registration Statement, the Investor shall notify the Company
of its intent to do so on or before one (1) business day prior to the date of
such sale (the "NOTICE OF SALE"), and the provision of the Notice of Sale to the
Company. The Notice of Sale shall be deemed to constitute a representation that
any information previously supplied by such Investor for use in the Registration
Statement and then set forth in the Registration Statement is accurate as of the
date of such Notice of Sale. The Notice of Sale in substantially the form
attached herein shall be given in accordance with the provisions of Section 8
hereof. However, the Investor may give the Notice of Sale orally by telephoning
the current Chief Financial Officer at the Company at (408) 548-0542. An oral
Notice of Sale shall be deemed to have been received only at such time as the
selling Investor speaks directly with the current Chief Financial Officer. In
addition, an oral Notice of Sale shall only be deemed effective if it is
followed by a written Notice of Sale received by the Company by personal
delivery or facsimile within twenty-four (24) hours after giving the oral Notice
of Sale. The Investor shall not be required to sell under the Registration
Statement and may effect any other sales transactions which would not result in
a violation of law by the Company; provided, however, that the Company may
require an opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company regarding any
such sale.

                           (d)      Subject to paragraph (e) below, in the event
(i) of any request by the SEC or any other federal or state governmental
authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement for
amendments or supplements to a Registration Statement or related Prospectus or
for additional information; (ii) of the issuance by the SEC or any other federal
or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness
of a Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that
purpose; or (iii) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect
to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of
the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any
proceeding for such purpose; or (iv) after a Notice of Sale pursuant to Section
7.2(c), of any event or circumstance which, upon the advice of its counsel,
necessitates the making of any changes in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus, or any

<PAGE>

document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference, so
that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
and that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any untrue statement
of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; then the Company
shall, before the expiration of the one business day period of the notice, cause
to be received by the Investor a certificate in writing to the Investor (the
"Suspension Notice") to the effect of the foregoing and, upon receipt of such
Suspension Notice, the Investor will refrain from selling any Shares not already
sold pursuant to the Registration Statement (a "Suspension") until the
Investor's receipt of copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus prepared
and filed by the Company, or until it is advised in writing by the Company that
the current Prospectus may be used, and has received copies of any additional or
supplemental filings that are incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference
in any such Prospectus. In the event of any Suspension, the Company will use its
reasonable efforts to cause the use of the Prospectus so suspended to be resumed
as soon as reasonably practicable within 20 business days after the delivery of
a Suspension Notice to the Investor. In addition to and without limiting any
other remedies (including, without limitation, at law or at equity) available to
the Investor, the Investor shall be entitled to specific performance in the
event that the Company fails to comply with the provisions of this Section
7.2(c).

                           (e)      Notwithstanding the foregoing paragraphs of
this Section 7.2, the Investor shall not be prohibited from selling Shares under
the Registration Statement as a result of Suspensions on more than three
occasions of not more than 30 days each in any twelve month period, unless, in
the good faith judgment of the Company's Board of Directors, upon advice of
counsel, the sale of Shares under the Registration Statement in reliance on this
paragraph 7.2(e) would be reasonably likely to cause a violation of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act and result in potential liability to the
Company.

                           (f)      Provided that a Suspension is not then in
effect the Investor may sell Shares under the Registration Statement, provided
that it arranges for delivery of a current Prospectus to the transferee of such
Shares. Upon receipt of a request therefor, the Company has agreed to provide an
adequate number of current Prospectuses to the Investor and to supply copies to
any other parties requiring such Prospectuses.

                           (g)      In the event of a sale of Shares by the
Investor pursuant to the Registration Statement, the Investor must also deliver
to the Company's transfer agent, with a copy to the Company, a Certificate of
Subsequent Sale substantially in the form attached herein, so that the Shares
may be properly transferred.

                  7.3      INDEMNIFICATION. For the purpose of this Section 7.3:

                  (i)      the term "Selling Stockholder" shall include the
Investor and any affiliate of such Investor;

                  (ii)     the term "Registration Statement" shall include any
final Prospectus, exhibit, supplement or amendment included in or relating to
the Registration Statement referred to in Section 7.1; and

                  (iii)    the term "untrue statement" shall include any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement, or any omission or alleged omission to
state in the Registration Statement a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

                           (a)      The Company agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless each Selling Stockholder from and against any losses, claims, damages
or liabilities to which such Selling Stockholder may become subject (under the
Securities Act or otherwise) insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of; or are
based upon (i) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement, or (ii) any failure by the Company to fulfill any
undertaking included in the Registration Statement, and the Company will
reimburse such Selling Stockholder for any reasonable legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred in investigating, defending or preparing to defend any such
action, proceeding or claim, or preparing to defend any such action, proceeding
or claim, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the Company shall not be liable in any such
case to the extent that such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of; or
is based upon, an untrue statement made in such Registration Statement in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder specifically for use in
preparation of the Registration Statement or the failure of such Selling
Stockholder to comply with its covenants and agreements contained in Section 7.2
hereof (other than Section 7.2(c)) respecting sale of the Shares or any
statement or omission in any Prospectus that is corrected in any subsequent
Prospectus that was delivered to the Investor prior to the pertinent sale or
sales by the Investor. The Company shall reimburse each Selling Stockholder for
the amounts provided for herein on demand after such expenses are incurred but
prior to final determination of any lawsuits or other legal proceedings.

<PAGE>

                           (b)      The Investor agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Company (and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, each officer of the Company who
signs the Registration Statement and each director of the Company) from and
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company (or any
such officer, director or controlling person) may become subject (under the
Securities Act or otherwise), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of, or are
based upon, (i) any failure to comply with the covenants and agreements
contained in Section 7.2 hereof (other than 7.2(c)) respecting sale of the
Shares, or (ii) any untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement if such untrue statement was made in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of the Investor
specifically for use in preparation of the Registration Statement, and the
Investor will reimburse the Company (or such officer, director or controlling
person), as the case may be, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred
in investigating, defending or preparing to defend any such action, proceeding
or claim; PROVIDED that the Investor's obligation to indemnify the Company shall
be limited to the net amount received by the Investor from the sale of the
Shares.
                           (c)      Promptly after receipt by any indemnified
person of a notice of a claim or the beginning of any action in respect of which
indemnity is to be sought against an indemnifying person pursuant to this
Section 7.3, such indemnified person shall notify the indemnifying person in
writing of such claim or of the commencement of such action, but the omission to
so notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which
it may have to any indemnified party under this Section 7.3 (except to the
extent that such omission materially and adversely affects the indemnifying
party's ability to defend such action) or from any liability otherwise than
under this Section 7.3. Subject to the provisions hereinafter stated, in case
any such action shall be brought against an indemnified person, the indemnifying
person shall be entitled to participate therein, and, to the extent that it
shall elect by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after
receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, shall be entitled to
assume the defense thereof; with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such
indemnified person. After notice from the indemnifying person to such
indemnified person of its election to assume the defense thereof, such
indemnifying person shall not be liable to such indemnified person for any legal
expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified person in connection with the
defense thereof, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if there exists or shall exist a
conflict of interest that would make it inappropriate, in the opinion of counsel
to the indemnified person, for the same counsel to represent both the
indemnified person and such indemnifying person or any affiliate or associate
thereof, the indemnified person shall be entitled to retain its own counsel at
the expense of such indemnifying person; provided, however, that no indemnifying
person shall be responsible for the fees and expenses of more than one separate
counsel (together with appropriate local counsel) for all indemnified parties.
In no event shall any indemnifying person be liable in respect of any amounts
paid in settlement of any action unless the indemnifying person shall have
approved the terms of such settlement; PROVIDED that such consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld. No indemnifying person shall, without the prior written
consent of the indemnified person, effect any settlement of any pending or
threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified person is or could
have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such
indemnified person, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of
such indemnified person from all liability on claims that are the subject matter
of such proceeding.
                           (d)      If the indemnification provided for in this
Section 7.3 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified
party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred
to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or
payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate
to reflect the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Investor,
as well as any other Selling Shareholders under such registration statement on
the other in connection with the statements or omissions or other matters which
resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect
thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative
fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, in the case of an
untrue statement, whether the untrue statement relates to information supplied
by the Company on the one hand or an Investor or other Selling Shareholder on
the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and
opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement. The Company and the
Investor agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant
to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the
Investor and other Selling Shareholders were treated as one entity for such
purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take into account
the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The
amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses,
claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above
in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include 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
subsection (d), the Investor shall not be required to contribute any amount in
excess of the amount by which the net amount received by the Investor from the
sale of the Shares to which such loss relates exceeds the amount of any damages
which such Investor has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue
statement. 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
Investor's obligations in this subsection to contribute shall be in proportion
to its Investor sale of Shares to which such loss relates and shall not be joint
with any other Selling Shareholders.

<PAGE>

                           (e)      The parties to this Agreement hereby
acknowledge that they are sophisticated business persons who were represented by
counsel during the negotiations regarding the provisions hereof including,
without limitation, the provisions of this Section 7.3, and are fully informed
regarding said provisions. They further acknowledge that the provisions of this
Section 7.3 fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to
investigate the Company and its business in order to assure that adequate
disclosure is made in the Registration Statement as required by the Act and the
Exchange Act. The parties are advised that federal or state public policy as
interpreted by the courts in certain jurisdictions may be contrary to certain of
the provisions of this Section 7.3, and the parties hereto hereby expressly
waive and relinquish any right or ability to assert such public policy as a
defense to a claim under this Section 7.3 and further agree not to attempt to
assert any such defense.

                  7.4      TERMINATION OF CONDITIONS AND OBLIGATIONS. The
conditions precedent imposed by Section 5 or this Section 7 upon the
transferability of the Shares shall cease and terminate as to any particular
number of the Shares when such Shares shall have been effectively registered
under the Securities Act and sold or otherwise disposed of in accordance with
the intended method of disposition set forth in the Registration Statement
covering such Shares or at such time as an opinion of counsel satisfactory to
the Company shall have been rendered to the effect that such conditions are not
necessary in order to comply with the Securities Act.

                  7.5      INFORMATION AVAILABLE. So long as the Registration
Statement is effective covering the resale of Shares owned by the Investor, the
Company will furnish to the Investor:

                           (a)      as soon as practicable after it is
available, one copy of (i) its Annual Report to Stockholders (which Annual
Report shall contain financial statements audited in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles by a national firm of certified public
accountants), (ii) its Annual Report on Form 10-K and (iii) its Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q (the foregoing, in each case, excluding exhibits);

                           (b)      upon the request of the Investor, all
exhibits excluded by the parenthetical to subparagraph (a) of this Section 7.5
as filed with the SEC and all other information that is made available to
shareholders; and

                           (c)      upon the reasonable request of the Investor,
an adequate number of copies of the Prospectuses to supply to any other party
requiring such Prospectuses; and the Company, upon the reasonable request of the
Investor, will meet with the Investor or a representative thereof at the
Company's headquarters to discuss all information relevant for disclosure in the
Registration Statement covering the Shares and will otherwise cooperate with any
Investor conducting an investigation for the purpose of reducing or eliminating
such Investor's exposure to liability under the Securities Act, including the
reasonable production of information at the Company's headquarters; provided,
that the Company shall not be required to disclose any confidential information
to or meet at its headquarters with any Investor until and unless the Investor
shall have entered into a confidentiality agreement in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Company with the Company with respect thereto.

         8.       NOTICES. All notices, requests, consents and other
communications hereunder shall be in writing, shall be mailed (A) if within
domestic United States by first-class registered or certified airmail, or
nationally recognized overnight express courier, postage prepaid, or by
facsimile, or (B) if delivered from outside the United States, by International
Federal Express or facsimile, and shall be deemed given (i) if delivered by
first-class registered or certified mail domestic, three business days after so
mailed, (ii) if delivered by nationally recognized overnight carrier, one
business day after so mailed, (iii) if delivered by International Federal
Express, two business days after so mailed, (iv) if delivered by facsimile, upon
electronic confirmation of receipt and shall be delivered as addressed as
follows:

                  (a)      if to the Company, to:

                                    LJL Biosystems, Inc.
                                    404 Tasman Drive
                                    Sunnyvale, CA 94089
                                    Attn:    Chief Financial Officer
                                    Phone:   (408) 541-8787
                                    Telecopy:  (408) 541-8786

                  (b)      with a copy to:

                                    Venture Law Group
                                    2800 Sand Hill Road
                                    Menlo Park, CA 94025
                                    Attn:    Mark B. Weeks
                                    Phone:   (650) 854-4488
                                    Telecopy:  (650) 233-8386

<PAGE>

                   (c)     if to the Investor, at its address on the signature
page hereto, or at such other address or addresses as may have been furnished to
the Company in writing.

         9.       CHANGES. This Agreement may not be modified or amended except
pursuant to an instrument in writing signed by the Company and the Investor.

         10.      HEADINGS. The headings of the various sections of this
Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be
deemed to be part of this Agreement.

         11.      SEVERABILITY. In case any provision contained in this
Agreement should be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the
validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained
herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

         12.      GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, and
construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware,
without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law.

         13.      COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in two or more
counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which, when
taken together, shall constitute but one instrument, and shall become effective
when one or more counterparts have been signed by each party hereto and
delivered to the other parties.

         14.      RULE 144. The Company covenants that it will file the reports
required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations adopted by the SEC thereunder (or, if the Company is not
required to file such reports, it will, upon the request of any Investor holding
Shares purchased hereunder made after the first anniversary of the Closing Date,
make publicly available such information as necessary to permit sales pursuant
to Rule 144 under the Securities Act), and it will take such further action as
any such Investor may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time
to time to enable such Investor to sell Shares purchased hereunder without
registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions
provided by (a) Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended
from time to time, or (b) any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by
the SEC. Upon the request of the Investor, the Company will deliver to such
holder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such information
and requirements.

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