CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL CORP
8-K, 1995-06-30
PAPER MILLS
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<PAGE>
 
                 SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                       Washington, D.C.  20549


                              Form 8-K


                           CURRENT REPORT


                 Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                 the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                            June 29, 1995
                           (June 22, 1995)
       -------------------------------------------------------
                           Date of Report
                  (Date of earliest event reported)


                 CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
       -------------------------------------------------------
       (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                              New York
       -------------------------------------------------------
           (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)


               1-3053                           13-1427390
       -------------------------------------------------------
      (Commission File Number)                 (IRS Employer
                                            Identification No.)
                              
          One Champion Plaza, Stamford, Connecticut   06921
       -------------------------------------------------------
       (Address of principal executive offices)    (Zip Code)

                           (203) 358-7000
       -------------------------------------------------------
       (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)  

                   Exhibit Index Begins on Page 5

                                  Page 1 of 27
<PAGE>
 
Item 5.  Other Events.
         ------------

            (a)   Conversion of Preference Stock.
                  ------------------------------

            On June 22, 1995, Champion International Corporation (the 
"Company") announced that subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. had converted 
all 300,000 shares of the Company's $92.50 Cumulative Convertible Preference 
Stock into 7,894,737 shares of the Company's Common Stock and that the Company 
had purchased all such shares of Common Stock at a price of $49.125 per share.  
A copy of the Company's press release announcing these transactions is attached 
as Exhibit 99.1 to this Report.

            (b)   Offering of Common Stock by Shareholder.
                  ---------------------------------------

            On June 27, 1995, the Company announced that Loews Corporation has 
agreed to sell, in an underwritten public offering, 5,000,000 shares of the 
Company's Common Stock.  The Company has agreed to purchase 2,000,000 of such 
shares.  Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as the underwriter in connection with 
the offering.  Loews Corporation has granted an option to Goldman, Sachs & Co., 
exercisable prior to June 30, 1995, to purchase an additional 500,000 shares of 
the Company's Common Stock.  A copy of the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of 
June 26, 1995, among the Company, Loews Corporation and Goldman, Sachs & Co., 
which relates to the offering, is attached as Exhibit 1.1 to this Report and a 
press release announcing the offering is attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this 
Report.

            (c)   Redemption of Debentures.
                  ------------------------
            On June 27, 1995, the Company announced that it had called all of 
its 6 1/2% Convertible Subordinated Debentures due April 15, 2011 for 
redemption on August 8, 1995 at the price of 100.65% of their principal amount 
plus accrued interest to the redemption date.  A copy of the Company's press 
release announcing the redemption is attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Report.

                                  Page 2 of 27
<PAGE>
 
Item 7.     Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial
            Statements and Exhibits
            -----------------------

            (c) Exhibits
      
1.1         Underwriting Agreement, dated as of June 26, 1995, among Champion 
            International Corporation, Loews Corporation and Goldman, Sachs & 
            Co.

99.1        Press release dated June 22, 1995

99.2        Press release dated June 27, 1995
            

                                  Page 3 of 27
<PAGE>
 
                             SIGNATURES



            Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by 
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                              CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION



                              By:     /s/ Lawrence A. Fox             
                                   -----------------------------------
                                   Name:  Lawrence A. Fox
                                   Title: Vice President and
                                             Secretary


Dated:  June 29, 1995

                                  Page 4 of 27
<PAGE>
 
                          INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                          -----------------



                                                                Sequentially
Exhibit                                                           Numbered
Number                        Exhibit                               Page 
- -------                       -------                           ------------

1.1        Underwriting Agreement, dated as of June 26, 1995, 
           among Champion International Corporation, Loews 
           Corporation and Goldman, Sachs & Co.                      6

99.1       Press release dated June 22, 1995                        26

99.2       Press release dated June 27, 1995                        27

                                  Page 5 of 27

<PAGE>
 
                                                                     EXHIBIT 1.1




                      CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                                 Common Stock
                          (par value $.50 per share)

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

                            Underwriting Agreement
                            ----------------------

                                                                   June 26, 1995

Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
   85 Broad Street,
      New York, New York 10004.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     Loews Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Selling Stockholder"), a 
shareholder of Champion International Corporation, a New York corporation (the 
"Company"), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to 
sell to Goldman, Sachs & Co. (the "Underwriters") an aggregate of 5,000,000 
shares (the "Firm Shares") and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to 
500,000 additional shares (the "Optional Shares") of Common Stock, par value 
$.50 per share ("Stock") of the Company (the Firm Shares and the Optional 
Shares which the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof 
are herein collectively called the "Shares").

     1.   (a)  The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the 
Underwriters that:

         (i)   A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 33-52123) in 
      respect of the Shares has been filed with the Securities and Exchange 
      Commission (the "Commission"); such registration statement and any 
      post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered 
      to you, and, excluding exhibits thereto but including all documents 
      incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained therein, to you for 
      the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission in 
      such form; no other document with respect to such registration statement 
      or document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore been filed 
      with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of 
      such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that 
      purpose has been initiated or, to the best of the Company's knowledge, 
      threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in such 
      registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 
      424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 
      Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), is hereinafter called  a 
      "Preliminary Prospectus";  the various parts of such registration 
      statement, including all exhibits thereto and including (i) the 
      information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the 
      Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with 
      Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be 
      part of the registration statement at the time it was declared effective 
      and (ii) the documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus 
      contained in the registration statement at the time such part of the 
      registration statement became effective, each as amended at the time such 
      part of the registration statement became effective, are hereinafter 
      collectively called the "Registration Statement"; such final 
      prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 
      Act, is hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any reference herein to any 
      Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and 
      include the


<PAGE>
 
      documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form 
      S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or 
      Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment or 
      supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be 
      deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such 
      Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the 
      Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and 
      incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, 
      as the case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the 
      Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual 
      report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 
      Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that 
      is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement);

         (ii)  No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary 
      Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary 
      Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material 
      respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of 
      the Commission thereunder, and 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 the light of the 
      circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, 
      however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any 
      statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with 
      information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through 
      Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or by a Selling 
      Stockholder expressly for use therein;

         (iii) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when 
      they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may 
      be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or 
      the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the 
      Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue 
      statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required 
      to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not 
      misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by 
      reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement 
      thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the 
      Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to 
      the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the 
      rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and 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; provided, however, that this representation and warranty 
      shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and 
      in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an 
      Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;

         (iv)  The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any 
      further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the 
      Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of 
      the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do 
      not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the 
      Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable 
      filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, 
      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; provided, however, that this 
      representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or 
      omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information 
      furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, 
      Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or by a Selling Stockholder 
      expressly for use therein;

         (v)   Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained 
      since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or 
      incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any material loss or 
      interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other 
      calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute 
      or court or governmental action, order or decree, which in either case is 
      material to the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole), 
      otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since 
      the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration 
      Statement and the Prospectus, there have not been any changes material to 
      the

                                       2
<PAGE>
 
      Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) in the capital stock, the 
      sum of notes payable, current installments of long-term debt and 
      long-term secured debt, unsecured debt obligations, lease obligations, 
      timber cutting obligations and other obligations of the Companies or any 
      of its subsidiaries  or any material adverse change in or affecting the 
      general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders' equity or 
      results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a 
      whole), otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus;

         (vi)  The Company and each subsidiary of the Company which is a 
      significant subsidiary as defined in Rule 405 of Regulation C under the 
      Act (each a "significant subsidiary") have been duly incorporated and are 
      validly existing as corporations in good standing under the laws of their 
      respective jurisdictions of incorporation, with power and authority 
      (corporate and other) to own their respective properties and conduct 
      their respective businesses as described in the Prospectus;

         (vii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the 
      Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company 
      have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and 
      non-assessable and conform to the description of the Stock contained in 
      the Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each 
      significant subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly 
      authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for 
      directors' qualifying shares, shares of Weldwood of Canada Limited held 
      by the chairman thereof and subject to forfeiture in accordance with 
      certain earn-out provisions and except as set forth in the Prospectus) 
      are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all 
      liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

         (viii)The compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of 
      this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein 
      contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the 
      terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the 
      creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the 
      property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to 
      the terms of, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or 
      other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its 
      subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its 
      subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the 
      Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such action 
      result in any violation of the provisions of the Restated Certificate of 
      Incorporation, as amended,  or By-laws of the Company or any statute or 
      any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body 
      having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of 
      their properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, 
      registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental 
      agency or body is required for sale of the Shares or the consummation 
      by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except 
      the registration under the Act of the Shares and such consents, 
      approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be 
      required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the 
      purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

         (ix)  The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption 
      "Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they purport to constitute a 
      summary of the terms of the Stock, are accurate, complete and fair;

         (x)   Other than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, there 
      are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or 
      any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the 
      Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined 
      adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually 
      or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the consolidated 
      financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the 
      Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole); and, to the best of the 
      Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated 
      by governmental authorities or threatened by others; and

         (xi)  Arthur Andersen LLP, who have examined certain financial 
      statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are, to the best of the 
      Company's knowledge, independent public accountants as required by the 
      Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                                       3
<PAGE>
 
            (b)The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to, and agrees 
      with, each of the Underwriters and the Company that:

         (i)   All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary on 
      the part of the Selling Stockholder for the execution and delivery by the 
      Selling Stockholder of this Agreement, and for the sale and delivery of 
      the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been 
      obtained, except such as may be required under the Act and under state 
      securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and 
      distribution of such Shares by the Underwrtiers; and the Selling 
      Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this 
      Agreement, to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by 
      the Selling Stockholder hereunder;

         (ii)  The sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder 
      hereunder and the compliance by the Selling Stockholder with all of the 
      provisions of this Agreement applicable to the Selling Stockholder, the 
      consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions herein 
      contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of 
      any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any 
      statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other 
      agreement or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by 
      which the Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or 
      assets of the Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such action result 
      in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or 
      By-laws of the Selling Stockholder or any statute or any order, rule or 
      regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having 
      jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or the property of the Selling 
      Stockholder;

         (iii) The Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to the Time 
      of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) the Selling Stockholder will 
      have, good and valid title to the Shares to be sold by the Selling 
      Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, 
      equities or claims; and, upon delivery of such Shares and payment 
      therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares, free and 
      clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, will pass to the 
      Underwriters;

         (iv)  During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing 
      to and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, not 
      to offer, sell contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any securities of 
      the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but 
      not limited to any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable 
      for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such 
      substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to employee stock 
      option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of 
      convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of 
      this Agreement), without your prior written consent, except (i) as 
      provided hereunder and (ii) at any time during such period after the 
      closing price of the Stock on the New York Stock Exchange has exceeded 
      $57.45 per share;

         (v)   The Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, 
      directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has 
      constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in 
      stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company 
      to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;

         (vi)  To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the 
      Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any 
      amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in 
      conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the 
      Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein, such Preliminary 
      Prospectus and the Registration Statement did, and the Prospectus and any 
      further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the 
      Prospectus, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, 
      as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the 
      requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission 
      thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact 
      or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or 
      necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and

                                       4
<PAGE>
 
          (vii)In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the 
      reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal 
      Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein 
      contemplated, the Selling Stockholder will deliver to you prior to or at 
      the Time of Delivery (as hereinafter defined) a properly completed and 
      executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable 
      form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu 
      thereof).

          2.   Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the 
Selling Stockholder agrees to sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters 
agree to purchase from the Selling Stockholder, at a purchase price per share 
of $51.8206, the Firm Shares and (b) in the event and to the extent that the 
Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as 
provided below, the Selling Stockholder agrees to sell to the Underwriters, and 
the Underwriters agree to purchase from the Selling Stockholder, at the 
purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that 
portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have 
been exercised.

     The Selling Stockholder hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to 
purchase at their election up to 500,000 Optional Shares, at the purchase price 
per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering 
over-allotments in the sale of the Firm Shares.  Any such election to purchase 
Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Selling 
Stockholder, not later than 5:30 p.m., New York time, on the day prior to the 
Time of Delivery and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to 
be purchased for delivery at the Time of Delivery.

     3.   Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the 
Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms and 
conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

     4.   (a) The Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters hereunder, in 
definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such 
names as the Underwriters may request upon at least forty-eight hours' prior 
notice to the Selling Stockholder shall be delivered by or on behalf of the 
Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters through the facilities of the 
Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), for the account of the Underwriters, against 
payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by 
certified or official bank check or checks, payable to the order of the Selling 
Stockholder in New York Clearing House (next day) funds.  The Company will 
cause the certificates representing the Shares to be made available for 
checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery 
(as defined below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated 
custodian (the "Designated Office").  The time and date of such delivery and 
payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares, 9:30 
a.m., New York time, on June 30, 1995 or such other time and date as the 
Underwriters and the Selling Stockholder may agree upon in writing.  Such time 
and date for delivery of the Shares is herein called the "Time of Delivery".

     (b)  The documents to be delivered at the Time of Delivery by or on behalf 
of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross receipt 
for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters 
pursuant to Section 7(i) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of 
Sullivan & Cromwell, 250 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10177 (the "Closing 
Location"), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at 
the Time of Delivery.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 
2:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding the 
Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be 
delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by 
the parties hereto.  For the purposes of this Section 4, "New York Business 
Day" shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is 
not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or 
obligated by law or executive order to close.

     5.   The Company agrees with the Underwriters:

         (a)   To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file 
      such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the 
      Commission's close of business on the second business day following the 
      execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier 
      time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to

                                       5
<PAGE>
 
      make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement 
      or Prospectus prior to the Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by 
      you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly 
      after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the 
      Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any 
      supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and 
      to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and any 
      definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the 
      Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) 
      of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so 
      long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the 
      offering or sale of the Shares; to advise you, promptly after it receives 
      notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of 
      any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus 
      or prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for 
      offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of 
      any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission 
      for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or 
      Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the 
      issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the 
      use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any such 
      qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal 
      of such order;

         (b)   Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may 
      reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the 
      securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply 
      with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings 
      therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete 
      the distribution of the Shares (but in no event shall the Company be 
      required to bear the expenses of such compliance after nine months after 
      the date of issue of any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus in 
      connection with the offering or sale of such Shares), provided that in 
      connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a 
      foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in 
      any jurisdiction or to subject itself to taxation as doing business in 
      any such jurisdiction;

         (c)   To furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in 
      such quantities as you may from time to time reasonably request, and, if 
      the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time prior to the 
      expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in 
      connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time 
      any events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as 
      then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a 
      material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to 
      make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under 
      which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, 
      or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to 
      amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any 
      document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply 
      with the Act or the Exchange Act, to notify you and upon your request to 
      file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each 
      Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as you may 
      from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a 
      supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or 
      omission or effect such compliance, and in case any Underwriter is 
      required to deliver a prospectus in connection with sales of any of the 
      Shares at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the 
      Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to 
      prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many copies as you may request 
      of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) 
      of the Act;

         (d)   To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as 
      practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the 
      effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) 
      under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries 
      (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and 
      the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the 
      option of the Company, Rule 158);

         (e)   During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing 
      to and including the Time of Delivery, not to offer, sell, contract to 
      sell or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any 
      securities of the Company that

                                       6
<PAGE>
 
      are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any 
      securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that 
      represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar 
      securities (other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing 
      on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable 
      securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without your 
      prior written consent;

         (f)   To furnish to its shareholders as soon as practicable after the 
      end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and 
      statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Company 
      and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public 
      accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the 
      first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal 
      quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), 
      consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its 
      subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail; and 

         (g)   During a period of five years from the effective date of the 
      Registration Statement, to furnish to you copies of all reports or other 
      communications (financial or other) furnished to shareholders, and to 
      deliver to you as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and 
      financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any 
      national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the 
      Company is listed.

      6.   The Company and the Selling Stockholder covenant and agree with one 
another and with the Underwriters that (a) the Company and the Selling 
Stockholder will, in accordance with the agreement, dated February 2, 1994, 
between the Company and the Selling Stockholder (the "Registration Agreement"), 
pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses 
of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of 
the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the 
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary 
Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the 
mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) 
the cost of printing or producing this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, 
closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents 
in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; 
(iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for 
offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b) 
hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the 
Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the 
Blue Sky survey; (iv) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar 
and (v) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the 
Company's obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided 
for in this Section, (b) the Company will pay or cause to be paid the cost of 
printing stock certificates to the extent required and (c) the Selling 
Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the 
performance of the Selling Stockholder's obligations hereunder which are not 
otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, including (i) any fees and 
expenses of counsel for the Selling Stockholder; and (ii) all expenses and 
taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Selling 
Stockholder to the Underwriters hereunder.  In connection with clause (c) of 
the preceding sentence, Goldman, Sachs & Co. agrees to pay New York State stock 
transfer tax, and the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse Goldman, Sachs & 
Co. for associated carrying costs if such tax payment is not rebated on the day 
of payment and for any portion of such tax payment not rebated.  It is 
understood, however, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8 and 10 
hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, 
including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of 
the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they 
may make.

     7.   The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject, 
in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties 
and other statements of the Company and of the Selling Stockholder herein are, 
and at the Time of Delivery will be, true and correct, the condition that the 
Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have performed all of its and 
their obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following 
additional conditions:

         (a)   The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission 
      pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for 
      such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance 
      with Section 5(a) hereof; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of 
      the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been

                                       7
<PAGE>
 
      issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or  
      (to the best of the Company's knowledge) threatened by the Commission; 
      and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission 
      shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

         (b)   Sullivan & Cromwell, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have 
      furnished to you such opinion or opinions, dated the Time of Delivery, 
      with respect to the incorporation of the Company, the Registration 
      Statement, the Prospectus as amended or supplement and such other related 
      matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have 
      received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to 
      enable them to pass upon such matters;

         (c)   (I) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, counsel to the 
      Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated the 
      Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the 
      effect that:

             (i)    The Company has been duly organized and is subsisting and 
         in good  standing under the laws of the State of New York, and has 
         the corporate power and authority under such laws to own, lease and 
         operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the 
         Registration Statement and the Prospectus;

             (ii)   The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth 
         in the Prospectus;

             (iii)  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and 
         delivered by the Company;

             (iv)   No authorization, approval, or license of any government, 
         governmental instrumentality or court (other than under the Act, the 
         Blue Sky and securities laws of the various states, and the rules and 
         regulations of the NASD, as to which such counsel need not express an 
         opinion except as otherwise expressly set forth herein) is required 
         under the laws of the State of New York or the laws of the United 
         States, in each case, that are normally applicable to transactions of 
         the type provided for by this Agreement, for consummation by the 
         Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

             (v)    The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the 
         caption "Description of Capital Stock" and "Underwriting", to the 
         extent that they constitute matters of law or legal conclusions, have 
         been reviewed by such counsel and fairly summarize the information 
         required to be disclosed therein in all material respects;

             (vi)   The Company is not an "investment company" or an entity 
         "controlled" by an "investment company", as such terms are defined in 
         the Investment Company Act; and

             (vii)  The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any 
         further amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior 
         to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and 
         related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no 
         opinion) appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive in all 
         material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and 
         regulations of the Commission thereunder; except that in each case, 
         such counsel need not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, 
         completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the 
         Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except for those referred to 
         in the opinion in subsection (v) of this Section 7(c) insofar as the 
         information provided under the caption referred to therein relates to 
         provsions of documents and other legal matters;

                    In addition, such counsel shall state that in connection 
         with the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus 
         such counsel has participated in conferences with officers and 
         representatives of the Company, the Selling Stockholder, inside 
         counsel for the Company, representatives of the independent 
         accountants of the Company and you at which the contents of the 
         Registration Statement and the Prospectus and related matters were 
         discussed and, although such counsel is not passing upon, and does not 
         assume any responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness 
         of the statements contained in the Registration Statement

                                       8
<PAGE>
 
         or the Prospectus, on the basis of the foregoing, no facts have come 
         to the attention of such counsel that have led them to believe that, 
         as of its effective date, the Registration Statement or any further 
         amendment thereto made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery 
         (other than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as 
         to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue 
         statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact 
         required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements 
         therein not misleading or that, as of its date, the Prospectus or any 
         further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to 
         the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related 
         schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) 
         contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a 
         material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light 
         of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or 
         that, as of the Time of Delivery, either the Registration Statement or 
         the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by 
         the Company prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial 
         statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel 
         need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a material 
         fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the 
         statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they 
         were made, not misleading; and they do not know of any amendment to 
         the Registration Statement required to be filed or of any contracts or 
         other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to 
         the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference 
         into the Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration 
         Statement or the Prospectus which are not filed or incorporated by 
         reference or described as required;

               (II)  Lawrence A. Fox, Esq., Vice President and Secretary of the 
      Company, shall have furnished to you his written opinion, dated the 
      Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the 
      effect that:

             (i)    Each of the Company and its significant subsidiaries is 
         qualified to do business in, and is in good standing under the laws 
         of, each jurisdiction in which the character of the property owned or 
         leased by it or the nature of the business transacted by it makes such 
         qualification necessary and where failure so to qualify might 
         materially adversely affect the business or assets of the Company and 
         its subsidiaries (taken as a whole) or impair their right to enforce 
         any material contracts against others or expose them to substantial 
         liabilities in any such jurisdiction;

             (ii)   Each significant subsidiary of the Company has been duly 
         incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing 
         under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated and has 
         the corporate power to engage in the business carried on by it, and 
         the Company and its subsidiaries own the outstanding capital stock of 
         each other subsidiary owned by them free and clear of any liens, 
         claims and encumbrances;

             (iii)  All of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company 
         (including the Shares) have been duly and validly authorized and 
         issued and are fully paid and non-assessable;

             (iv)   The compliance by the Company with all of the 
         provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions 
         herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or 
         violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a 
         default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement 
         or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the 
         Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company 
         or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or 
         assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will 
         such action result in any violation of the provisions of the 
         Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute 
         or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or 
         governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or 
         any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties;

                                       9
<PAGE>
 
              (v)   There are no claims, actions, suits or proceedings known to 
         such counsel which are threatened or pending against the Company, its 
         subsidiaries or their properties in any court or before or by any 
         governmental agency or instrumentality which might reasonably be 
         expected to materially and adversely affect the business or financial 
         condition of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole), 
         except as set forth in or contemplated in the Prospectus;

             (vi)   The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus 
         or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company 
         prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and 
         related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no 
         opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the 
         Commission, as the case may be, appeared on their face to be 
         appropriately responsive in all material respects with the 
         requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the 
         rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and such counsel 
         has no reason to believe that any of such documents, when such 
         documents became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, 
         contained, in the case of a registration statement which became 
         effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact, or 
         omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or 
         necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the 
         case of other documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with 
         the Commission,an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to 
         state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements 
         therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made 
         when such documents were so filed, not misleading; and

              In rendering the foregoing opinion, Mr. Fox may rely upon 
         certificates of any officer of the Company as to matters of fact as to 
         which such officer has knowledge and upon opinions of counsel in 
         jurisdictions other than New York;

         (d)   Barry Hirsch, Esq., Senior Vice President, Secretary and General 
      Counsel of the Selling Stockholder, shall have furnished to you his 
      written opinion, dated the Time of Delivery, in form and substance 
      satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

             (i)    This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by or 
         on behalf of the Selling Stockholder; and the sale of the Shares to be 
         sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by the 
         Selling Stockholder with all of the provisions of this Agreement, the 
         consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will 
         not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any terms or 
         provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute, indenture, 
         mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or 
         instrument known to such counsel to which the Selling Stockholder is a 
         party or by which the Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of 
         the property or assets of the Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will 
         such action result in any violation of the provisions of the 
         Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Selling Stockholder or 
         any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or 
         governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Selling 
         Stockholder or the property of the Selling Stockholder;

             (ii)   No consent, approval, authorization or order of any court 
         or governmental agency or body is required on the part of the Selling 
         Stockholder for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by 
         this Agreement in connection with the Shares to be sold by the Selling 
         Stockholder hereunder, except such as may be required under the Act 
         and under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the 
         purchase and distribution of such Shares by the Underwriters;

             (iii)  Immediately prior to the Time of Delivery, the Selling 
         Stockholder had good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the 
         Time of Delivery by the Selling Stockholder under this Agreement, free 
         and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, and full 
         right, power and authority to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the 
         Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder; and

                                      10
<PAGE>
 
              (iv)  The delivery of the Shares to the Undewriters in accordance 
         with this this Agreement has transferred good and valid title to such 
         Shares to the Underwriters, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, 
         equities or claims.

     In rendering the opinion in paragraph (iv), such counsel may rely upon a 
certificate of the Selling Stockholder in respect of matters of fact as to 
ownership of, and liens, encumbrances, equities or claims on, the Shares sold 
by the Selling Stockholder, provided that such counsel shall state that both 
you and such counsel are justified in relying upon such certificate;

         (e)   At the Time of Delivery, Arthur Andersen LLP shall have 
      furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of 
      delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the 
      effect set forth in Annex I hereto;

         (f)(i)Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (taken as a 
      whole) shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited 
      financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the 
      Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, 
      explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, 
      or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or 
      decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, 
      and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in 
      the Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock, 
      the sum of notes payable, current installments of long-term debt and long 
      term secured debt, unsecured debt, lease obligations, timber cutting 
      obligations and other obligations of he Company or any of its 
      subsidiaries (taken as a whole) or any change, or any development 
      involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, 
      management, financial position, shareholders' equity or results of 
      operations of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole), 
      otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, the effect 
      of which, in any such case described in Clause (i) or (ii), is in the 
      judgment of the Underwriters so material and adverse as to make it 
      impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the 
      delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the 
      Prospectus;

         (g)   On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of 
      the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in 
      securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a 
      suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company's securities 
      on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on 
      commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York 
      State authorities; or (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities 
      involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a 
      national emergency or war, if the effect of any such event specified in 
      this Clause (iv) in the judgment of the Underwriters makes it 
      impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the 
      delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the 
      Prospectus;

         (h)   The Shares at the Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed 
      on the New York Stock Exchange; and

         (i)   The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have furnished or 
      caused to be furnished to you at the Time of Delivery certificates of 
      officers of the Company and of the Selling Stockholder, respectively, 
      satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and 
      warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, respectively, 
      herein at and as of the Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the 
      Company and the Selling Stockholder of all of their respective 
      obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to the Time of 
      Delivery, and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request, and 
      the Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished certificates 
      as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section.

     8.   (a)  The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters 
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which 
the Underwriters may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as 
such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) 
arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement 
of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration 
Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise 
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a 
material

                                      11
<PAGE>
 
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein 
not misleading, and will reimburse the Underwriters for any legal or other 
expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with 
investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are 
incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such 
case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of 
or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or 
alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement 
or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in 
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the 
Underwriters expressly for use therein.

     (b)  The Selling Stockholder will indemnify and hold harmless the 
Underwriters against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or 
several, to which the Underwriters may become subject, under the Act or 
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions 
in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or 
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary 
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or 
supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged 
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or 
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the 
extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue 
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary 
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment 
or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information 
furnished to the Company by the Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein; 
and will reimburse the Underwriters for any legal or other expenses reasonably 
incurred by the Underwriters in connection with investigating or defending any 
such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the 
Selling Stockholder shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any 
such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue 
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in 
any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any 
such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written 
information furnished to the Company by the Underwriters expressly for use 
therein.

     (c)  The Underwriters will indemnify and hold harmless the Company and 
each Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to 
which the Company or the Selling Stockholder may become subject, under the Act 
or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or 
actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement 
or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary 
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or 
supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged 
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or 
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the 
extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue 
statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary 
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment 
or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information 
furnished to the Company by the Underwriters expressly for use therein; and 
will reimburse the Company and each Selling Stockholder for any legal or other 
expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or the Selling Stockholder in 
connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such 
expenses are incurred.

     (d)  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a), 
(b) or (c) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified 
party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the 
indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in 
writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the 
indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to 
any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection.  In case any such 
action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the 
indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be 
entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly 
with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense 
thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, 
except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the 
indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such 
indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the

                                      12
<PAGE>
 
indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such 
subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in 
each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with 
the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.  
Notwithstanding any provision hereof to the contrary, with respect to any 
action or claim, no indemnifying party shall be responsible for the fees and 
expenses of more than one counsel (plus any local counsel) to the indemnified 
parties in circumstances in which the indemnified parties do not have 
potentially conflicting defenses available.  No indemnifying party shall, 
without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or 
compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any 
pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or 
contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is 
an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, 
compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified 
party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not 
include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to 
act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

     (e)  If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable 
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), 
(b) or (c) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or 
actions 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 benefits 
received by the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the 
other from the offering of the Shares.  If, however, the allocation provided by 
the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the 
indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (d) 
above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or 
payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to 
reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the 
Company and/or the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on 
the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such 
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well 
as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received 
by the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other 
shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the 
offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder bear 
to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the 
Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the 
Prospectus.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among 
other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact 
or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to 
information supplied by the Company or the Selling Stockholder on the one hand 
or the Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, 
access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or 
omission.  The Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that 
it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection 
(e) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation 
which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above 
in this subsection (e).  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 (e) 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 (e), the Underwriters shall 
not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the 
total price at which the Shares underwritten by them and distributed to the 
public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which the 
Underwriters have otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or 
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of 
fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) 
shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such 
fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters' obligations in this subsection 
(e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting 
obligations and not joint.

     (f)  The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder under this 
Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the 
Selling Stockholder may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms 
and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls the Underwriters within 
the meaning of the Act (provided, however, that nothing contained in

                                      13
<PAGE>
 
this Section 8 shall be deemed to imply any liability on the part of the 
Selling Stockholder arising out of or based upon an untrue statement or alleged 
untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, 
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement 
thereto, or arising out of or based upon the omission or alleged omission to 
state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to 
make the statements therein not misleading, except to the extent that such 
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission 
was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the 
Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in 
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Selling 
Stockholder expressly for use therein; and the obligations of the Underwriters 
under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the 
Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and 
conditions, to each officer and director of the Company (including any person 
who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about 
to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls 
the Company or the Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Act.  The 
Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledge and agree that the obligations 
of the Company and the Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters under this 
Section 8 shall not constitute a modification of the obligations that the 
Company and the Selling Stockholder may have to one another pursuant to that 
Registration Agreement.

      9.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties 
and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the 
Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, 
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and 
effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results 
thereof) made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or any controlling person of 
the Underwriters, or the Company, or any of the Selling Stockholder, or any 
officer or director or controlling person of the Company, or any controlling 
person of the Selling Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment 
for the Shares.

     Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the indemnity agreement 
of the Company in subsection (a) of Section 8 hereof, the representations and 
warranties in subsections (a)(ii), (a)(iii) and (a)(iv) of Section 1 hereof and 
any representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the Registration Statement 
or the Prospectus contained in any certificate furnished by the Company 
pursuant to Section 7 hereof, insofar as they may constitute a basis for 
indemnification for liabilities (other than payment by the Company of expenses 
incurred or paid in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) 
arising under the Act, shall not extend to the extent of any interest therein 
of a controlling person or partner of the Underwriters who is a director, 
officer or controlling person of the Company when the Registration Statement 
has become effective, except in each case to the extent that an interest of 
such character shall have been determined by a court of appropriate 
jurisdiction as not against public policy as expressed in the Act.  Unless in 
the opinion of counsel for the Company the matter has been settled by 
controlling precedent, the Company will, if a claim for such indemnification is 
asserted, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether 
such interest is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be 
governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

     10.  If for any reason the Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the 
Selling Stockholder as provided herein, the Selling Stockholder will reimburse 
the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing 
by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the 
Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the 
Shares, but the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall then be under no 
further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 
hereof.

     11.  All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be 
in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, 
telex or facsimile transmission to you at 85 Broad Street, New York, New York 
10004, Attention: Registration Department; if to the Selling Stockholder shall 
be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to counsel for 
the Selling Stockholder at 667 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10028, 
Attention: Corporate Secretary; and if to the Company shall be delivered or 
sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set 
forth in the

                                      14
<PAGE>
 
Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary.  Any such statements, requests, 
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

     12.  This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit 
of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder and, to the 
extent provided in Sections 8 and 9 hereof, the officers and directors of the 
Company and each person who controls the Company, the Selling Stockholder or 
the Underwriters, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, 
successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right 
under or by virtue of this Agreement.  No purchaser of any of the Shares from 
any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such 
purchase.

     13.  Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.  As used herein, the 
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in 
Washington, D.C.  is open for business.

     14.THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

     15.  This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties 
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an 
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same 
instrument.

                                      15
<PAGE>
 
     If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and 
return to us four counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, 
this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement 
among the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder.


                                          Very truly yours,

                                          Champion International 
                                          Corporation

                                          By: /s/   Frank Kneisel    
                                             ------------------------
                                             Name: Frank Kneisel
                                             Title:  Senior Vice President - 
                                                     Finance

                                          Loews Corporation

                                          By: /s/    John J. Kenny      
                                              --------------------------
                                              Name:  John J. Kenny
                                              Title: Treasurer
                                             
Accepted as of the date hereof at New York, New York
Goldman, Sachs & Co.

By:             Goldman, Sachs & Co.   
   --------------------------------
            (Goldman, Sachs & Co.)

                                      16
<PAGE>
 
                                                                         ANNEX I

     Pursuant to Section 7(e) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants 
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:

         (i)   They are independent certified public accountants with respect 
      to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the 
      applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;

         (ii)  In their opinion, the financial statements and any supplementary 
      financial information and schedules (and, if applicable, financial 
      forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) examined by them and 
      included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or 
      the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the 
      applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as 
      applicable, and the related published rules and regulations thereunder; 
      and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance with standards 
      established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of 
      the consolidated interim financial statements, selected financial data, 
      pro forma financial information, financial forecasts and/or condensed 
      financial statements derived from audited financial statements of the 
      Company for the periods specified in such letter, as indicated in their 
      reports thereon, copies of which have been furnished to the Underwriters;

         (iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards established 
      by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the 
      unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated 
      balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the 
      Prospectus and/or included in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q 
      incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their 
      reports thereon copies of which have been separately furnished to the 
      Underwriters; and on the basis of specified procedures including 
      inquiries of officials of the Company who have responsibility for 
      financial and accounting matters regarding whether the unaudited 
      condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in paragraph 
      (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in all material respects with the 
      applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and 
      the related published rules and regulations, nothing came to their 
      attention that caused them to believe that the unaudited condensed 
      consolidated financial statements do not comply as to form in all 
      material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act 
      and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations;

         (iv)  The unaudited selected financial information with respect to the 
      consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Company 
      for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus and 
      included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company's Annual 
      Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the 
      corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited 
      consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years which were 
      included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Reports on 
      Form 10-K for such fiscal years;

         (v)   They have compared the information in the Prospectus under 
      selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and 
      on the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came 
      to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused 
      them to believe that this information does not conform in all material 
      respects with the disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302, 402 and 
      503(d), respectively, of Regulation 
      S-K;

         (vi)  On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an 
      examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, 
      consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other 
      information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim 
      financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of 
      the minute

                                      17
<PAGE>
 
      books of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the latest 
      audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the 
      Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and its subsidiaries 
      responsible for financial and accounting matters and such other inquiries 
      and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing came to their 
      attention that caused them to believe that:

             (A)    (i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of 
         income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of 
         cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated 
         by reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q 
         incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form 
         in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements 
         of the Exchange Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the related 
         published rules and regulations, or (ii) any material modifications 
         should be made to the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of 
         income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of 
         cash flows included in the Prospectus or included in the Company's 
         Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference in the 
         Prospectus, for them to be conformity with generally accepted 
         accounting principles;

             (B)    any other unaudited income statement data and balance sheet 
         items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the corresponding 
         items in the unaudited consolidated financial statements from which 
         such data and items were derived, and any such unaudited data and 
         items were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the 
         basis for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated 
         financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the 
         Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;

             (C)    the unaudited financial statements which were not included 
         in the Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited condensed 
         financial statements referred to in Clause (A) and any unaudited 
         income statement data and balance sheet items included in the 
         Prospectus and referred to in Clause (B) were not determined on a 
         basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited 
         financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the 
         Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;

             (D)    any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial 
         statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do 
         not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable 
         accounting requirements of the Act and the published rules and 
         regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not been 
         properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those 
         statements;

             (E)    as of a specified date not more than five days prior to the 
         date of such letter, there have been any changes in the consolidated 
         capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock upon exercise of 
         options and stock appreciation rights, upon earn-outs of performance 
         shares and upon conversions of convertible securities, in each case 
         which were outstanding on the date of the latest balance sheet 
         included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, or the 
         issuance of shares of Common Stock under the Company's contingent 
         compensation plan) or any increase in the consolidated long-term debt, 
         long-term lease obligations and other contractual obligations and 
         timber cutting obligations (except for increases which in the 
         aggregate are less than $25,000,000) of the Company and its 
         subsidiaries, and any increases in the sum of notes payable, current 
         installments of long-term debt and long-term debt of the Company and 
         its consolidated subsidiaries (except for increases which in the 
         aggregate are less than $25,000,000), or, as of the end of the latest 
         period for which financial statements are available, there have been 
         any decreases in consolidated net current assets or shareholders' 
         equity or any increases in total current liabilities, in each case as 
         compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or 
         incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for 
         changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have 
         occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and

             (F)    for the period from the date of the latest financial 
         statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus to 
         the specified date referred to in Clause (E) there were any decreases 
         in consolidated net

                                      18
<PAGE>
 
         revenues or operating profit or the total or per share amounts of 
         consolidated net income or other items specified by the Underwriters, 
         or any increases in any items specified by the Underwriters, in each 
         case as compared with the comparable period of the preceding year and 
         with any other period of corresponding length specified by the 
         Underwriters, except in each case for increases or decreases which the 
         Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described 
         in such letter; and

         (vii) In addition to the examination referred to in their report(s) 
      included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited 
      procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures 
      referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out 
      certain specified procedures, not constituting an examination in 
      accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to 
      certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the 
      Underwriters which are derived from the general accounting records of the 
      Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus (excluding 
      documents incorporated by reference) or in Part II of, or in exhibits and 
      schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Underwriters or 
      in documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by the 
      Underwriters, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages and 
      financial information with the accounting records of the Company and its 
      subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement.

      The accountants shall not be required to perform any procedures that 
consist solely of comparing any amounts, percentages or other financial 
information and noting the agreement thereof with amounts, percentages or other 
financial information appearing in or incorporated by reference in any filed 
Annual Report of the Company on Form 10-K, any filed Quarterly Report of the 
Company on Form 10-Q, any filed Report of the Company on Form 8-K, or any other 
filed document incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the 
Prospectus, provided that upon the request of the Underwriters an appropriate 
financial officer of the Company shall certify to the Underwriters that he has 
performed such comparison, noting agreement.

                                      19

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

TRANSACTION BETWEEN CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AND BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY 
INC.

Stamford, CT, June 22, 1995 -- Champion International Corporation today 
announced that subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. have converted all 
300,000 shares of Champion's $92.50 Cumulative Convertible Preference Stock 
into 7,894,737 shares of Champion's Common Stock.

In accordance with its right of first refusal, Champion purchased the 7,894,737 
shares of Common Stock from the Berkshire Hathaway subsidiaries at a price of 
$49.125 per share, or $1.125 less than the market price per share of Champion's 
Common Stock at the time of the purchase.

Champion is one of America's leading manufacturers of paper for business 
communications, commercial printing, publications, and newspapers.  
Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, the company owns or manages more than 
five million acres of forestlands in the United States and is also a major 
manufacturer of market pulp, plywood and lumber.

<PAGE>
 
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2

CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION AGREES TO PURCHASE TWO MILLION SHARES OF 
COMMON STOCK FROM LOEWS CORPORATION AND CALLS FOR REDEMPTION 6 1/2% CONVERTIBLE 
SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES DUE APRIL 15, 2011

STAMFORD, CT, June 27, 1995 -- Champion International Corporation announced 
today the proposed sale of 5,000,000 shares of its outstanding common stock by 
Loews Corporation, as selling shareholder, at a price to the public of $52.45 
per share.  The stock will be offered for sale through Goldman, Sachs & Co., as 
underwriters.  Loews Corporation also has granted the underwriters an 
over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional 500,000 shares.  Of the 
shares being sold by Loews Corporation, Champion has agreed to purchase 
2,000,000 shares at the public offering price.  Champion will not receive any 
proceeds from the sale of the shares by Loews Corporation.  Copies of the 
prospectus relating to the shares being sold on behalf of Loews Corporation may 
be obtained from Goldman, Sachs & Co., 85 Broad Street, New York, New York.

Separately, Champion also announced that it has called all of its 6 1/2% 
Convertible Subordinated Debentures Due April 15, 2011 for redemption on August 
8, 1995 at the price of 100.65% of their principal amount plus accrued interest 
to the redemption date.  The Debentures are convertible at any time until the 
close of business on the redemption date at the rate of 28.777 shares of the 
company's common stock for each $1,000 principal amount of Debentures, which is 
equivalent to a conversion price of $34.75 per share.  The closing sale price 
of a share of the company's common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 
26, 1995 was $53.625.  Details regarding the call, including the Notice of 
Redemption and Letter of Transmittal for use in converting or redeeming the 
Debentures, will be mailed to all holders of record by The Fifth Third Bank, 
Cincinnati, Ohio, which is the Trustee of the issue.

Champion is one of America's leading manufacturers of paper for business 
communications, commercial printing, publications, and newspapers.  
Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, the company owns or manages more than 
five million acres of forestlands in the United States and is also a major 
manufacturer of market pulp, plywood, and lumber.


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