EFC BANCORP INC
S-8, 1998-12-11
SAVINGS INSTITUTIONS, NOT FEDERALLY CHARTERED
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<PAGE> 1

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 11, 1998 
                                                  Registration No. 333-
================================================================================
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                              --------------------
                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                EFC BANCORP, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
DELAWARE                               6036                  36-4193304
(State of Incorporation)   (Primary Standard Classification  (IRS Employer 
                                    Code Number)             Identification No.)

                               1695 LARKIN AVENUE
                              ELGIN, ILLINOIS 60123
                                 (847) 741-3900
   (Address, including zip code, and telephone number including area code, of
                   registrant's principal executive offices)

                EFC BANCORP, INC. 1998 STOCK-BASED INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                                                     COPIES TO:
      BARRETT J. O'CONNOR                            LORI M. BERESFORD, ESQ.
      PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER          KENT M. KRUDYS, ESQ.
      EFC BANCORP, INC.                              MULDOON, MURPHY & FAUCETTE
      1695 LARKIN AVENUE                             5101 WISCONSIN AVENUE, N.W.
      ELGIN, ILLINOIS 60123                          WASHINGTON, D.C.  20016
      (847) 741-3900                                 (202) 362-0840

      (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Agent for Services)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
=================================================================================================
 Title of Securities    Amount to be   Proposed Purchase  Estimated Aggregate     Amount of
   to be Registered     Registered(1)   Price Per Share    Offering Price(2)   Registration Fee
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    <S>                  <C>               <C>                 <C>                  <C>
     Common Stock         749,143
    $.01 par Value       Shares (3)        $11.125(4)          $8,334,234           $2,317
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Common Stock         299,657
    $.01 par Value       Shares (5)        $12.312(6)          $3,689,377           $1,026
=================================================================================================
</TABLE>
(1)Together  with an  indeterminate  number of  additional  shares  which may be
   necessary to adjust the number of shares  reserved  for issuance  pursuant to
   the EFC Bancorp,  Inc. 1998  Stock-Based  Incentive  Plan (the "Plan") as the
   result  of a  stock  split,  stock  dividend  or  similar  adjustment  of the
   outstanding  Common  Stock  of  EFC  Bancorp,  Inc.  pursuant  to  17  C.F.R.
   Section 230.416(a).
(2)Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee.
(3)Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 230.457(h)(1),  represents  the total number of
   shares  currently  reserved or available  for  issuance  upon the exercise of
   stock options pursuant to the Plan.
(4)Weighted  average price  determined by the average  exercise price of $11.125
   per share at which options for 749,000 shares have been granted to date under
   the Plan and by $11.25,  the market  value of the Common Stock on December 8,
   1998 as  determined  by the average of the high and low prices  listed on the
   American Stock Exchange as reported in the Wall Street Journal for 143 shares
   for which options have not yet been granted under the Plan.
(5)Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 230.457(h)(1),  represents  the total number of
   shares currently available for issuance as stock awards under the Plan.
(6)The weighted  average price  determined by the  aggregate  purchase  price of
   $12.312 at which the 299,657 shares have been purchased for satisfying awards
   under the Plan.

THIS  REGISTRATION  STATEMENT  SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON FILING IN
ACCORDANCE  WITH SECTION 8(A) OF THE  SECURITIES  ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED,  (THE
"SECURITIES ACT") AND 17 C.F.R. SS.230.462.
Number of Pages 14
Exhibit Index begins on Page 6


<PAGE> 2



PART I     INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

ITEMS 1 & 2. The documents containing the information for the EFC Bancorp,  Inc.
1998 Stock- Based  Incentive  Plan (the "1998  Plan")  required by Part I of the
registration  statement  will be sent or given to the  participants  in the 1998
Plan as  specified  by Rule  428(b)(1).  Such  documents  are not filed with the
Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  "SEC")  either  as a part  of  this
registration  statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to
Rule 424 in reliance on Rule 428.

PART II  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

         The  following  documents  filed  or to  be  filed  with  the  SEC  are
incorporated by reference in this registration statement:

      (a) EFC Bancorp,  Inc.'s (the "Company" or the "Registrant") Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended  December  31, 1997,  which  includes the
consolidated balance sheets of Elgin Financial Center, SB and subsidiaries as of
December  31,  1997  and  1996,  and  the  related  consolidated  statements  of
operations, changes in retained earnings and cash flows for each of the years in
the three-year  period ended December 31, 1997,  together with the related notes
and the report of the independent  auditors filed with the SEC on March 31, 1998
(File No. 1-13605).

      (b) The Form 10-Q reports filed by the Registrant for the fiscal  quarters
ended March 31, June 30 and  September 30, 1998 (File No.  1-13605),  filed with
the SEC on May 15, August 14 and November 13, 1998, respectively.

      (c) The description of Registrant's common stock contained in Registrant's
Form 8-A (File No. 1-13605), as filed with the SEC, pursuant to Section 12(b) of
the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934  (the  "Exchange  Act")  and Rule  12b-15
promulgated thereunder,  on November 14, 1997 and declared effective on February
12, 1998,  as  incorporated  by  reference  from the  Registrant's  Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (SEC No.  333-38637) as amended and declared  effective on
December 15, 1997.

      (d) All documents  filed by the  Registrant  pursuant to Section 13(a) and
(c),  14 or 15(d) of the  Exchange  Act after the date  hereof  and prior to the
filing of a  post-effective  amendment  which  deregisters  all securities  then
remaining unsold.

       ANY STATEMENT CONTAINED IN THIS REGISTRATION  STATEMENT, OR IN A DOCUMENT
INCORPORATED OR DEEMED TO BE INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE  HEREIN,  SHALL BE DEEMED
TO BE MODIFIED OR SUPERSEDED FOR PURPOSES OF THIS REGISTRATION  STATEMENT TO THE
EXTENT THAT A STATEMENT  CONTAINED  HEREIN, OR IN ANY OTHER  SUBSEQUENTLY  FILED
DOCUMENT WHICH ALSO IS  INCORPORATED  OR DEEMED TO BE  INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
HEREIN, MODIFIES OR SUPERSEDES SUCH STATEMENT. ANY SUCH STATEMENT SO MODIFIED OR
SUPERSEDED  SHALL  NOT BE  DEEMED,  EXCEPT  AS SO  MODIFIED  OR  SUPERSEDED,  TO
CONSTITUTE A PART OF THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT.

                                        2

<PAGE> 3



ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

      The common  stock to be offered  pursuant to the Plan has been  registered
pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act.  Accordingly,  a description  of the
common stock is not required herein.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

      The  validity of the common stock  offered  hereby has been passed upon by
the firm of Muldoon, Murphy & Faucette, Washington, D.C. for the Registrant.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

      Directors and officers of the Registrant are indemnified and held harmless
against liability to the fullest extent  permissible by the General  Corporation
Law of Delaware as it currently exists or as it may be amended provided any such
amendment provides broader indemnification provisions than currently exists.

      In accordance  with the General  Corporation  Law of the State of Delaware
(being  Chapter 1 of Title 8 of the  Delaware  Code),  Articles 10 and 11 of the
Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation provide as follows:

TENTH:
- -----

A. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to
or is  otherwise  involved in any action,  suit or  proceeding,  whether  civil,
criminal,  administrative  or  investigative  (hereinafter a  "proceeding"),  by
reason  of the fact that he or she is or was a  Director  or an  Officer  of the
Corporation  or is or  was  serving  at the  request  of  the  Corporation  as a
Director, Officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership,
joint venture,  trust or other enterprise,  including service with respect to an
employee benefit plan (hereinafter an  "indemnitee"),  whether the basis of such
proceeding  is alleged  action in an official  capacity as a Director,  Officer,
employee  or agent,  or in any  other  capacity  while  serving  as a  Director,
Officer,  employee  or agent,  shall be  indemnified  and held  harmless  by the
Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the Delaware General Corporation
Law, as the same exists or may  hereafter  be amended  (but,  in the case of any
such amendment,  only to the extent that such amendment  permits the Corporation
to  provide  broader   indemnification   rights  than  such  law  permitted  the
Corporation to provide prior to such amendment),  against all expense, liability
and loss (including  attorneys' fees,  judgments,  fines,  ERISA excise taxes or
penalties  and amounts paid in  settlement)  reasonably  incurred or suffered by
such indemnitee in connection  therewith;  provided,  however,  that,  except as
provided in Section C hereof with respect to  proceedings  to enforce  rights to
indemnification,   the  Corporation  shall  indemnify  any  such  indemnitee  in
connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only
if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of
the Corporation.

                                      3

<PAGE> 4


B. The right to  indemnification  conferred in Section A of this  Article  TENTH
shall include the right to be paid by the Corporation  the expenses  incurred in
defending any such proceeding in advance of its final  disposition  (hereinafter
an "advancement of expenses");  provided, however, that, if the Delaware General
Corporation Law requires,  an advancement of expenses  incurred by an indemnitee
in his or her capacity as a Director or Officer  (and not in any other  capacity
in which  service  was or is  rendered by such  indemnitee,  including,  without
limitation,  services  to an  employee  benefit  plan)  shall be made  only upon
delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking (hereinafter an "undertaking"), by
or on behalf of such  indemnitee,  to repay all  amounts so advanced if it shall
ultimately  be  determined  by final  judicial  decision  from which there is no
further  right  to  appeal  (hereinafter  a  "final   adjudication")  that  such
indemnitee  is not  entitled  to be  indemnified  for such  expenses  under this
Section or otherwise.  The rights to  indemnification  and to the advancement of
expenses  conferred in Sections A and B of this Article  TENTH shall be contract
rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a
Director,  Officer,  employee  or agent and shall  inure to the  benefit  of the
indemnitee's heirs, executors and administrators.

C. If a claim under  Section A or B of this Article TENTH is not paid in full by
the Corporation within sixty days after a written claim has been received by the
Corporation,  except in the case of a claim for an advancement  of expenses,  in
which case the applicable period shall be twenty days, the indemnitee may at any
time thereafter  bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount
of the claim.  If  successful in whole or in part in any such suit, or in a suit
brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the
terms of an  undertaking,  the indemnitee  shall be entitled to be paid also the
expenses of  prosecuting  or defending such suit. In (i) any suit brought by the
indemnitee to enforce a right to  indemnification  hereunder  (but not in a suit
brought by the  indemnitee to enforce a right to an  advancement of expenses) it
shall be a defense that,  and (ii) in any suit by the  Corporation to recover an
advancement of expenses  pursuant to the terms of an undertaking the Corporation
shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a final  adjudication  that, the
indemnitee has not met any applicable  standard for indemnification set forth in
the Delaware  General  Corporation  Law.  Neither the failure of the Corporation
(including  its  Board  of  Directors,   independent   legal  counsel,   or  its
stockholders)  to have made a  determination  prior to the  commencement of such
suit that  indemnification  of the  indemnitee  is  proper in the  circumstances
because the indemnitee  has met the applicable  standard of conduct set forth in
the  Delaware  General  Corporation  Law,  nor an  actual  determination  by the
Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or its
stockholders)  that the  indemnitee  has not met  such  applicable  standard  of
conduct,  shall  create  a  presumption  that  the  indemnitee  has  not met the
applicable  standard  of conduct  or, in the case of such a suit  brought by the
indemnitee,  be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the indemnitee to
enforce a right to indemnification  or to an advancement of expenses  hereunder,
or by the  Corporation  to recover an  advancement  of expenses  pursuant to the
terms of an  undertaking,  the  burden of  proving  that the  indemnitee  is not
entitled to be  indemnified,  or to such  advancement  of  expenses,  under this
Article TENTH or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.

D. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses conferred in
this  Article  TENTH shall not be  exclusive of any other right which any person
may have or hereafter acquire

                                      4

<PAGE> 5



under any statute,  the  Corporation's  Certificate  of  Incorporation,  Bylaws,
agreement, vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors or otherwise.

E. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and
any Director,  Officer,  employee or agent of the  Corporation  or subsidiary or
Affiliate or another  corporation,  partnership,  joint venture,  trust or other
enterprise  against  any  expense,   liability  or  loss,  whether  or  not  the
Corporation  would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense,
liability or loss under the Delaware General Corporation Law.

F. The Corporation may, to the extent  authorized from time to time by the Board
of Directors, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses
to any  employee  or agent  of the  Corporation  to the  fullest  extent  of the
provisions  of this  Article  TENTH  with  respect  to the  indemnification  and
advancement of expenses of Directors and Officers of the Corporation.

ELEVENTH:
- --------

     A  Director  of this  Corporation  shall  not be  personally  liable to the
Corporation  or its  stockholders  for monetary  damages for breach of fiduciary
duty as a Director,  except for liability  (i) for any breach of the  Director's
duty of  loyalty  to the  Corporation  or its  stockholders,  (ii)  for  acts or
omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law,  (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware  General  Corporation
Law, or (iv) for any  transaction  from which the  Director  derived an improper
personal  benefit.  If  the  Delaware  General  Corporation  Law is  amended  to
authorize   corporate  action  further  eliminating  or  limiting  the  personal
liability of  Directors,  then the  liability  of a Director of the  Corporation
shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest  extent  permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law, as so amended.

     Any repeal or modification of the foregoing  paragraph by the  stockholders
of the  Corporation  shall not  adversely  affect any right or  protection  of a
Director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.




                                      5

<PAGE> 6



ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

     Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

     The following  exhibits are filed with or  incorporated  by reference  into
this registration  statement on Form S-8 (numbering corresponds generally to the
Exhibit Table in Item 601 of Regulation S-K).


    (a)  List of Exhibits (filed herewith unless otherwise noted)

    3.1  Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant.1
    3.2  Bylaws of the Registrant.1
    4    EFC Bancorp, Inc. 1998 Stock-Based Incentive Plan 2
    5    Opinion of Muldoon,  Murphy & Faucette as to the legality of the Common
         Stock registered hereby.
    23.1 Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.
    24   Powers of Attorney (contained on the signature pages).
- -----------------------

     1   Incorporated   herein  by   reference   from   Exhibits  3.1  and  3.2,
         respectively,  contained in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (SEC
         No.  333-38637),  as  amended  and  declared  effective  by the  SEC on
         February 12, 1998.
      2  Incorporated herein by reference from Appendix B of the Company's proxy
         statement  for the  October 27, 1998  special  meeting of  stockholders
         filed with SEC on August 28, 1998.


ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

     The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file,  during any period in which  offers or sales are being made, a
         post-effective  amendment  to this  registration  statement  unless the
         information  required by (i) and (ii) is contained in periodic  reports
         filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange
         Act  that  are   incorporated  by  reference  into  this   registration
         statement:

         (i)   To  include  any  prospectus  required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
               Securities Act of 1933;

         (ii)  To reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising after
               the  effective  date of the  registration  statement (or the most
               recent post-effective amendment thereof)

                                      6

<PAGE> 7



               which,  individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
               change  in  the  information   set  forth  in  the   registration
               statement; and

         (iii) To include any material  information  with respect to the plan of
               distribution   not  previously   disclosed  in  the  registration
               statement  or any  material  change  to such  information  in the
               registration statement.

     (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
         Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a
         new registration  statement relating to the securities offered therein,
         and the offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be
         the initial bona fide offering thereof; and

     (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective  amendment any
         of  the  securities   being  registered  which  remain  unsold  at  the
         termination of the offering.

     (4) That,  for purposes of determining  any liability  under the Securities
         Act, each filing of the Registrant's  annual report pursuant to Section
         13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in
         the  registration  statement  shall be deemed to be a new  registration
         statement relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering
         of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
         fide offering thereof.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to trustees,  officers and  controlling  persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,  the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such  indemnification is against
public policy as expressed in such Act and is, therefore,  unenforceable. In the
event that a claim for indemnification  against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a trustee,  officer or
controlling  person of the Registrant in the  successful  defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustee,  officer or controlling  person
in connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless
in the  opinion  of its  counsel  the matter  has been  settled  by  controlling
precedent,  submit to a court of appropriate  jurisdiction  the question whether
such  indemnification  by it is against  public  policy as expressed in such Act
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


                                      7

<PAGE> 8



                                   SIGNATURES

    THE REGISTRANT.

    Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,  EFC
Bancorp,  Inc. certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and has  duly  caused  this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Elgin, State of Illinois, on December 9, 1998.

                                      EFC Bancorp, Inc.

                                      By:/s/ Barrett J. O'Connor
                                         ------------------------------
                                         Barrett J. O'Connor
                                         President and
                                         Chief Executive Officer

    KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENT,  that each person  whose  signature  appears
below (other than Mr. O'Connor) constitutes and appoints Barrett J. O'Connor and
Mr.  O'Connor  hereby  constitutes  and appoints James J. Kovac, as the true and
lawful   attorney-in-fact   and  agent  with  full  power  of  substitution  and
resubstitution,  for  him  and in his  name,  place  and  stead,  in any and all
capacities to sign any or all amendments to the Form S-8 registration statement,
and to file  the  same,  with all  exhibits  thereto,  and  other  documents  in
connection  therewith,   with  the  U.S.  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,
respectively,  granting  unto said  attorney-in-fact  and agent  full  power and
authority  to do and  perform  each  and  every  act and  things  requisite  and
necessary  to be done as fully to all intents and  purposes as he might or could
do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and
agent or his substitute or  substitutes,  may lawfully do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

    Pursuant  to  the   requirements   of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
registration  statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

    Name                            Title                           Date
    ----                            -----                           ----

/s/ Barrett J. O'Connor       President and                     December 9, 1998
- ---------------------------   Chief Executive Officer
Barrett J. O'Connor           (principal executive officer)


/s/ James J. Kovac            Senior Vice President,            December 9, 1998
- ---------------------------   Chief Financial Officer and
James J. Kovac                Director



<PAGE> 9




/s/ John J. Brittain
- --------------------------
John J. Brittain              Director and                      December 9, 1998
                              Chairman of the Board


/s/ Leo M. Flanagan, Jr.      Director and                      December 9, 1998
- --------------------------    Vice Chairman of the Board
Leo M. Flanagan, Jr.          


/s/ Vincent C. Norton         Director                          December 9, 1998
- --------------------------
Vincent C. Norton


/s/ Thomas I. Anderson        Director                          December 9, 1998
- --------------------------
Thomas I. Anderson


/s/ Ralph W. Helm, Jr.        Director                          December 9, 1998
- --------------------------
Ralph W. Helm, Jr.


/s/ Peter A. Traeger          Director                          December 9, 1998
- --------------------------
Peter A. Traeger


/s/ Scott H. Budd             Director                          December 9, 1998
- --------------------------
Scott H. Budd


<PAGE> 1






                                    EXHIBIT 5

                      OPINION OF MULDOON, MURPHY & FAUCETTE
            AS TO THE LEGALITY OF THE COMMON STOCK REGISTERED HEREBY









<PAGE> 2











                               December 9, 1998


Board of Directors
EFC Bancorp, Inc.
1695 Larkin Avenue
Elgin, IL 60123

      Re:   EFC Bancorp, Inc. 1998 Stock-Based Incentive Plan
            Registration Statement on Form S-8 for Offer and Sale of
            1,048,800 Shares of Common Stock

Gentlemen:

      We have been  requested by EFC Bancorp,  Inc.  (the  "Company") to issue a
legal opinion in connection  with the  registration  under the Securities Act of
1933 on Form S-8 of 1,048,800  shares of the Company's  Common Stock,  par value
$.01 per share (the  "Shares"),  that may be issued under the EFC Bancorp,  Inc.
1998 Stock-Based Incentive Plan.

      We have made such  legal and  factual  examinations  and  inquiries  as we
deemed advisable for the purpose of rendering this opinion.  In our examination,
we have  assumed and have not verified (i) the  genuineness  of all  signatures,
(ii) the authenticity of all documents  submitted to us as originals,  (iii) the
conformity of the originals of all documents  supplied to us as copies, and (iv)
the accuracy and completeness of all corporate  records and documents and of all
certificates  and statements of fact, in each case given or made available to us
by the Company or its subsidiary, Elgin Financial Center, SB.

      Based on the  foregoing and limited in all respects to Delaware law, it is
our opinion that the Shares  reserved  under the Plan have been duly  authorized
and upon payment for and  issuance of the Shares in the manner  described in the
Plan, will be legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.




<PAGE> 3


Board of Directors
December 9, 1998
Page 2


      The following  provisions of the Certificate of  Incorporation  may not be
given effect by a court applying Delaware law, but in our opinion the failure to
give  effect to such  provisions  will not affect the duly  authorized,  validly
issued, fully paid and nonassessable status of the Common Stock:

      (a)   Subsections C.3 and C.6 of Article FOURTH and  Section D  of Article
            EIGHTH which grant the Board the authority to construe and apply the
            provisions of those Articles,  subsection C.4 of Article FOURTH,  to
            the  extent th  obligatesion  any  person to  provide  the Board the
            information such subsection  authorizes the Board to demand, and the
            provision of Subsection C.7 of Article  EIGHTH  empowering the Board
            to determine  the Fair Market Value of property  offered or paid for
            the Company's  stock by an Interested  Stockholder,  in each case to
            the  extent,  if any,  that a court  applying  Delaware  law were to
            impose equitable limitations upon such authority; and

      (b)   Article NINTH which  authorizes  the Board to consider the effect of
            any offer to  acquire  the  Company  on  constituencies  other  than
            stockholders in evaluating any such offer.

      This opinion is rendered to you solely for your benefit in connection with
the  issuance of the Shares as described  above.  This opinion may not be relied
upon by any other person or for any other  purpose,  and it should not be quoted
in whole or in part or otherwise referred to or be furnished to any governmental
agency (other than the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the
aforementioned  registration  statement  on Form S-8 in which  this  opinion  is
contained) or any other person or entity  without the prior  written  consent of
this firm.

      We hereby  consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to, and the
reference to this firm in, the Company's registration statement on Form S-8.

                                          Very truly yours,


                                          MULDOON, MURPHY & FAUCETTE


                                          /s/ Muldoon, Murphy & Faucette
                                          ----------------------------------
                                              Muldoon, Murphy & Faucette

<PAGE> 1





                                  EXHIBIT 23.1

                        CONSENT OF KPMG PEAT MARWICK LLP
                              INDEPENDENT AUDITORS




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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1


                         INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS CONSENT


The Board of Directors
EFC Bancorp, Inc.:


We consent  to the use of our report  incorporated  herein by  reference  in the
registration  statement  on Form S-8 of EFC  Bancorp,  Inc. of our report  dated
March 24, 1998,  relating to the consolidated  balance sheets of Elgin Financial
Center,  SB and  subsidiaries  as of December 31, 1997 and 1996, and the related
consolidated  statements  of  operations,  changes in retained earnings and cash
flows for each of the years in the  three-year  period ended  December 31, 1997,
which  report  appears in the  December 31, 1997 Form 10-K filed by EFC Bancorp,
Inc.


                                     KPMG Peat Marwick LLP


                                    /s/ KPMG Peat Marwick LLP

Chicago, Illinois
December 10, 1998


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