ZENITH NATIONAL INSURANCE CORP
S-8, 1997-12-19
FIRE, MARINE & CASUALTY INSURANCE
Previous: ZAPATA CORP, 10-K405, 1997-12-19
Next: CONSOLIDATED CAPITAL GROWTH FUND, SC 14D1, 1997-12-19



<PAGE>

 AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 19, 1997.
                                                   REGISTRATION NO. 333-_____
                                       
==============================================================================

                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
                                      
                               ---------------

                                   FORM S-8
                            REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                     UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                      
                               ---------------

                           ZENITH NATIONAL INSURANCE CORP.
                (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

               DELAWARE                                  95-2702776
   (State or Other Jurisdiction of                      (IRS Employer
    Incorporation or Organization)                    Identification No.)

                                       
                              21255 CALIFA STREET
                        WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA 91367
         (Address, Including Zip Code, of Principal Executive Offices)

                       ZENITH RISK MANAGEMENT 401(k) PLAN
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                                STANLEY R. ZAX
                        ZENITH NATIONAL INSURANCE CORP.
                              21255 CALIFA STREET
                        WOODLAND HILLS, CALIFORNIA 91367
                                (818) 713-1000
 (Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number of Agent for Service)
                                      
                               ---------------

                                   COPY TO:
                                       
                             JEROME L. COBEN, ESQ.
                    SKADDEN, ARPS, SLATE, MEAGHER & FLOM LLP
                            300 SOUTH GRAND AVENUE
                                  SUITE 3400
                         LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA  90071
                                      
                               ---------------


                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

=================================================================================================================================
                                        NUMBER OF SHARES   PROPOSED MAXIMUM OFFERING  PROPOSED MAXIMUM AGGREGATE      AMOUNT OF 
TITLE OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED    TO BE REGISTERED        PRICE PER SHARE             OFFERING PRICE        REGISTRATION FEE
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                     <C>                <C>                        <C>                         <C>

No shares to be registered                       ----                ----                       ----                      $0.00
=================================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this registration 
statement covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or sold 
pursuant to the employee benefit plan described herein.

<PAGE>
                                       
                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
                                       
    The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form  
S-8 have been or will be sent or given to employees as specified by Rule 
428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

                                    PART II   

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

    The following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
(the "Commission") by the registrant, Zenith National Insurance Corp., a 
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act 
of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") are incorporated herein by reference:

          (a)  Annual Report of the Company on Form 10-K/A for the year ended 
               December 31, 1996;

          (b)  Quarterly Reports of the Company on Form 10-Q for the periods 
               ended March 31, 1997 and September 30, 1997 and on Form 10-Q/A 
               for the period ended June 30, 1997; and

          (c)  Current Report of the Company on Form 8-K/A dated July 11, 
               1997.

    All documents subsequently filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a 
post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered have 
been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be 
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from 
the date of filing of such documents.  Any statement contained herein 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 that is or is deemed to be incorporated by 
reference herein modifies or supersedes such previous statement.

                                       
                                     Page 2
<PAGE>

Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed to constitute a 
part of this registration statement, except as so modified or superseded.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

    Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

    Not applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

    Pursuant to Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law 
("DGCL"), Article Ninth of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company 
eliminates the liability of the Company's directors to the Company or its 
stockholders, except for liabilities related to breach of duty of loyalty, 
actions not in good faith, and certain other liabilities.

    Article Ninth of the Certificate of Incorporation and Article III, 
Section 12 of the Company's Bylaws, as well as Section 145 of the DGCL, 
provide for indemnification by the Company of its directors and officers.  
The Company also maintains officers' and directors' liability insurance which 
insures against liabilities that officers and directors of the Company may 
incur in such capacities.  

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

    Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

    EXHIBIT NO.    DESCRIPTION
    ----------    ------------

       4.1        Certificate of Incorporation of the Company as in effect 
                  immediately prior to November 22, 1985 (filed as Exhibit 3 
                  to the Company's Amendment on Form 8, dated October 10, 
                  1985, to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, dated 
                  July 26, 1985, and incorporated herein by reference). 

       4.2        Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of 
                  the Company, effective November 22, 1985 (filed as Exhibit 

                                      Page 3

<PAGE>

                  3 to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, dated 
                  November 22, 1985, and incorporated herein by reference).

       4.3        Bylaws of the Company (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the 
                  Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended 
                  December 31, 1988, and incorporated herein by reference).

      23.1        Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., independent accountants.

      24.1        Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this 
                  registration statement).

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

    (a)  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:

              (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) which, individually or in the
         aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
         in the registration statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
         increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
         dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
         registered) and any deviation from the low or high and of the
         estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of
         prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in
         the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than
         20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in
         the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
         registration statement.

              (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;


                                  Page 4

<PAGE>

PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if 
the registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the 
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those 
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the 
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference 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. 

         (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. 

    (b)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of 
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of 
the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an 
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) 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.

    (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, 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 
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public 
policy as expressed in the 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 director, 
officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of 
any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, 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 


                                  Page 5

<PAGE>


it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by 
the final adjudication of such issue.

    (d)  The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to submit, or has
submitted, the Zenith Risk Management 401(k) Plan (the "Plan") and any
amendments thereto to the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") in a timely manner
and will make all changes required by the IRS in order to qualify the Plan.


                                  Page 6

<PAGE>

                              POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints 
Stanley R. Zax his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with 
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or 
her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all 
amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration 
statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other 
documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and 
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and 
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and 
purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and 
confirming all that said attorney-in-fact or his substitute or substitutes, 
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                  SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the 
Registrant 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 Woodland Hills, State of California, on this 
18th day of December, 1997.

                                     ZENITH NATIONAL INSURANCE CORP.



                                     By:  /s/ STANLEY R. ZAX
                                        -----------------------------------
                                        Stanley R. Zax
                                        Chairman of the Board and President


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities indicated, on December 18, 1997. 


                                  Page 7

<PAGE>

      /s/ STANLEY R. ZAX            Chairman of the Board, President and 
- -------------------------------     Director (Principal Executive Officer)
        Stanley R. Zax 


    /s/ FREDRICKA TAUBITZ           Executive Vice President and Chief 
- -------------------------------     Financial Officer (Principal Financial
       Fredricka Taubitz            and Accounting Officer)



     /s/ GEORGE E. BELLO     
- -------------------------------     Director
       George E. Bello


    /s/ MAX M. KAMPELMAN 
- -------------------------------     Director
       Max M. Kampelman



      /s/ JACK M. OSTROW                 
- -------------------------------     Director
        Jack M. Ostrow



   /s/ WILLIAM S. SESSIONS            
- -------------------------------     Director
    William S. Sessions



     /s/ HARVEY L. SILBERT     
- -------------------------------     Director
       Harvey L. Silbert



    /s/ ROBERT M. STEINBERG        
- -------------------------------     Director
      Robert M. Steinberg



                                 Page 8
<PAGE>


   /s/ SAUL P. STEINBERG   
- -------------------------------     Director
     Saul P. Steinberg



   /s/ GERALD TSAI, JR.       
- -------------------------------     Director
     Gerald Tsai, Jr.


                                 Page 9
<PAGE>

    THE PLAN.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, 
the Administrative Committee of the Zenith Risk Management 401(k) Plan has 
duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the 
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Orlando, State of 
Florida, on this 18th day of December, 1997.
            
                                        ZENITH RISK MANAGEMENT 
                                        401(k) PLAN



                                        By:   /s/   DAVID G. HOPPEN
                                           ---------------------------------
                                        Name:   David G. Hoppen
                                        Title:  Executive Vice President, 
                                                Zenith Risk Management, Inc.


                                  Page 10

<PAGE>
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

EXHIBIT NO.   DESCRIPTION                                                               PAGE
- ----------    -----------                                                               ----
<S>           <C>                                                                       <C>
           
  4.1         Certificate of Incorporation of the Company as in effect immediately
              prior to November 22, 1985 (filed as Exhibit 3 to the Company's
              Amendment on Form 8, dated October 10, 1985, to the Company's Current
              Report on Form 8-K, dated July 26, 1985, and incorporated herein by
              reference).  

  4.2         Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of the
              Company, effective November 22, 1985 (filed as Exhibit 3 to the
              Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, dated November 22, 1985, and
              incorporated herein by reference).

  4.3         Bylaws of the Company (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Company's Annual
              Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1988, and
              incorporated herein by reference).

 23.1         Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., independent accountants.

 24.1         Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this registration
              statement).

</TABLE>
                                            Page 11


<PAGE>
                                                               EXHIBIT 23.1
                                       

                     CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS


    We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration 
Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated February 14, 1997 on our audits of 
the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedules of 
Zenith National Insurance Corp. and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 1996 
and 1995, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 
1996, which is included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. 



                                                      COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.

Los Angeles, California
December 18, 1997

                                 Page 12





© 2022 IncJournal is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission