USF&G CORP
8-A12B/A, 1998-02-25
FIRE, MARINE & CASUALTY INSURANCE
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                             _______________________

                                   FORM 8-A/A

                      AMENDMENT TO A REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   ON FORM 8-A

                        Pursuant to Section 12(b) or (g)
                     of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                                USF&G CORPORATION

               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)



                  Maryland                                 52-1220567
                  --------                                 ----------
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) (IRS Employer Identification No.)


   6225 Centennial Way, Baltimore, Maryland                  21209
   ----------------------------------------                  -----
   (Address of Principal Executive Offices)                (Zip Code)



Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  410-547-3000













<PAGE>


INFORMATION REQUIRED IN REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 1.   Amendment to Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered:

     On February 26, 1997,  the Board  approved the Amended and Restated  Rights
Agreement,  dated as of March 11,  1997 (the  "Rights  Agreement")  between  the
Company  and The Bank of New  York,  as  successor  Rights  Agent  (the  "Rights
Agent"). On January 19, 1998, USF&G Corporation and The Bank of New York entered
into  the  First  Amendment  to  Amended  and  Restated  Rights  Agreement  (the
"Amendment").  The  Amendment  provides that the execution and delivery by USF&G
Corporation,  The St. Paul  Companies,  Inc.  and SP Merger  Corporation  of the
Agreement and Plan of Merger dated January 19, 1998 (the "Merger Agreement") and
the Stock Option  Agreement dated January 19, 1998 (the "Option  Agreement") and
the  consummation of the  transactions  contemplated by such agreements will not
cause (i) The St. Paul  Companies,  Inc. or its  affiliates  or associates to be
deemed an Acquiring  Person,  (ii) a Share  Acquisition  Date to occur,  (iii) a
Distribution Date to occur or (iv) a Triggering Event. In addition,  neither The
St. Paul Companies, Inc. or SP Merger Corporation nor any of their Affiliates or
Associates  will be deemed to be the  Beneficial  Owner of, nor to  beneficially
own,  any of the  Common  Shares  of USF&G  Corporation  solely by virtue of the
execution  and  delivery of the Merger  Agreement or the Option  Agreement.  The
Amendment  also provides  that the Amended and Restated  Rights  Agreement  will
expire  immediately  prior to the  effective  time of the  merger  of SP  Merger
Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The St. Paul Companies, Inc., with and
into USF&G Corporation.

     A copy of the  Rights  Agreement  has been filed  with the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission as an Exhibit to the Company's  Current  Report on Form 8-K
dated March 12, 1997. A copy of the Amendment is filed  herewith.  A copy of the
Rights Agreement and the Amendment is available free of charge from the Company.
This summary description of the Amendment does not purport to be complete and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the Amendment.



















                                      -1-



<PAGE>

Item 2.         Exhibits.

     4.  Amendment  to  Amended  and  Restated  Rights  Agreement  between  the
         Company and The Bank of New York, as Rights Agent, dated as of
         January 19, 1998.


                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements of Section 12 of the Securities  Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed
on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.

                                     USF&G CORPORATION



                                     By:  /s/ Dan L. Hale                      
                                          ------------------------------------
                                          Executive Vice President and
                                          Chief Financial Officer

Date:  February 24, 1998





















                                      -2-
<PAGE>




                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit         Description
- -------         -----------


4               Amendment to Amended and Restated Rights Agreement  between the
                Company and The Bank of New York, as Rights Agent, dated as of
                January 19, 1998.






























                                      -3-

                                                                     



                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                      AMENDED AND RESTATED RIGHTS AGREEMENT

     Amendment,  dated as of January 19, 1998 (the  "Amendment"),  between USF&G
Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the "Company"), and The Bank of New York, a
New York corporation (the "Rights Agent").

     WHEREAS,  the Company  and the Rights  Agent are parties to the Amended and
Restated Rights Agreement dated as of March 11, 1997 (the "Agreement");

     WHEREAS, the Company has delivered an appropriate  certificate as described
in Section 26 of the Agreement; and


     WHEREAS,  pursuant  to Section 26 of the  Agreement,  the  Company  and the
Rights Agent desire to amend the Agreement as set forth below.

     NOW, THEREFORE,  in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements
herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

     Section 1. Amendments to Section 1.

     (a)  Section  1(d)  of  the  Agreement   relating  to  the  definitions  of
"Beneficial  Owner" and "beneficially own" is amended by adding the following at
the end thereof:

     "Notwithstanding  anything  contained in this  Agreement  to the  contrary,
neither Parent or Merger Sub, nor any of their  Affiliates or Associates,  shall
be deemed to be the  Beneficial  Owner of, nor to  beneficially  own, any of the
Common  Shares of the Company  solely by virtue of the  approval,  execution  or
delivery of the Merger Agreement or the Option Agreement, the purchase of Common
Shares  pursuant to the Option  Agreement or the  consummation of the Merger and
the other  transactions  contemplated  by the  Merger  Agreement  and the Option
Agreement."

     (b) Section 1 of the  Agreement  is amended by adding the  following at the
end thereof:

     "(y) The following additional terms have the meanings indicated:

     "Merger"  shall mean the merger of Merger Sub with and into the  Company in
accordance  with the General  Corporation  Law of the State of Maryland upon the
terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

     "Merger Agreement" shall mean the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
January  19,  1998,  by and  among  The St.  Paul  Companies,  Inc.,  SP  Merger
Corporation and USF&G Corporation."


                                      -1-

<PAGE>

     "Merger Sub" shall mean SP Merger Corporation, a Maryland corporation.

     "Option Agreement" shall mean the Option Agreement, dated as of January 19,
1998, by and between The St. Paul Companies, Inc. and USF&G Corporation.

     "Parent" shall mean The St. Paul Companies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation.

     Section 2. Expiration Date.

     Section 7(a) of the Agreement is hereby  amended by replacing the word "or"
with a comma  immediately  prior to the symbol  "(iii)" and by adding to the end
thereof the following:

", or (iv) the time  immediately  prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the
Merger Agreement) of the Merger; whereupon the Rights shall expire."

     Section 3. New Section 35.

     The following is added as a new Section 35 to the Agreement:

     "Section 35. Parent Merger, etc.

     Notwithstanding  anything in this  Agreement to the  contrary,  none of the
approval, execution or delivery of the Merger Agreement or the Option Agreement,
the purchase of Common Shares solely  pursuant to the Option  Agreement,  or the
consummation of the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger
Agreement and the Option  Agreement  shall cause (i) Parent or Merger Sub or any
of their Affiliates or Associates to be deemed an Acquiring Person, (ii) a Share
Acquisition Date to occur, (iii) a Distribution Date to occur in accordance with
the terms hereof, which Distribution Date, if any, shall instead be indefinitely
deferred until such time as the Board of Directors may otherwise  determine,  or
(iv) a Triggering Event."

     Section 4. Severability.

     If any term,  provision,  covenant or restriction of this Amendment is held
by a court of competent  jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid,  void or
unenforceable,   the   remainder  of  the  terms,   provisions,   covenants  and
restrictions  of this Amendment  shall remain in full force and effect and shall
in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated.


                                      -2-


<PAGE>

     Section 5. Governing Law.

     This Amendment  shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of Maryland  and for all  purposes  shall be governed by and  construed in
accordance  with the laws of such State  applicable to contracts  made and to be
performed entirely within such State.

     Section 6. Counterparts.

     This  Amendment may be executed in any number of  counterparts  and each of
such  counterparts  shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original,  and all
such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

     Section 7. Effect of Amendment.

     Except as expressly  modified  herein,  the Agreement  shall remain in full
force and effect.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the parties  hereto have caused this  Amendment to be
duly executed and their  respective  corporate seals to be hereunto  affixed and
attested, all as of the day and year first above written.


Attest:                                     USF&G CORPORATION



/s/ John F. Hoffen                          /s/ Ronald Mishler
- ---------------------                       -------------------------------
By:    John F. Hoffen                       By:   Ronald Mishler
Title: Secretary                            Title:  Chief Financial Officer


 
Attest:                                     THE BANK OF NEW YORK



                                            /s/ Stephen M. Gilbert
- ------------------------                    ----------------------
By:                                         By:  Stephen M. Gilbert
Title:                                      Title: Assistant Treasurer
















   
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