MERRILL LYNCH & CO INC
S-8, 1994-08-19
SECURITY BROKERS, DEALERS & FLOTATION COMPANIES
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<PAGE>
 
    AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON AUGUST 19, 1994
                                                  REGISTRATION NO. 33-
================================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549
                            _______________________
                                    FORM S-8
            REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

               DELAWARE                                13-2740599
     -------------------------------       ------------------------------------
     (State or other jurisdiction of       (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
     incorporation or organization)

                            WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER
                                  NORTH TOWER
                           NEW YORK, NEW YORK  10281
         ------------------------------------------------------------
         (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

           MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC. 1995 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
                    FOR A SELECT GROUP OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES
                            (Full title of the plan)
                            _______________________

                           ROSEMARY T. BERKERY, ESQ.
                           ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL
                           MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
                             WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER
                                  NORTH TOWER
                         NEW YORK, NEW YORK  10281-1334
                    ---------------------------------------
                    (Name and Address of agent for service)

                                (212) 449-6990
         -------------------------------------------------------------
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
                             _____________________

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=======================================================================================================================
                                                             Proposed maximum     Proposed maximum
Title of Securities to be registered/(1)/    Amount to be    offering price per   aggregate offering      Amount of
                                              registered        obligation            price/(2)/       registration fee
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                          <C>             <C>                  <C>                  <C>
Deferred Compensation Obligations            $100,000,000          100%              $100,000,000          $34,483
=======================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

/(1)/ The Deferred Compensation Obligations are unsecured obligations of Merrill
Lynch & Co., Inc. to pay deferred compensation in the future in accordance with
the terms of the Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. 1995 Deferred Compensation
Plan for a Select Group of Eligible Employees.

/(2)/ Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee.
================================================================================
<PAGE>
 
                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(A) PROSPECTUS

        The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form
     S-8 will be sent or given to participating employees as specified by Rule
     428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.  These documents and
     the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement
     pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken
     together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section
     10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.


                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

     ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

        The Annual Report of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (the "Company") on Form
     10-K for the year ended December 31, 1993, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
     for the quarters ended April 1, 1994 and July 1, 1994 and Current Reports
     on Form 8-K dated January 20, 1994, January 24, 1994, January 27, 1994,
     February 3, 1994, March 9, 1994, March 24, 1994, March 30, 1994, March 31,
     1994, April 18, 1994, May 6, 1994, July 19, 1994, and August 2, 1994 filed
     pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
     (the "Exchange Act"), are hereby incorporated by reference into this
     Registration Statement.

        All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14
     or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the
     termination of the offering of the securities registered pursuant to this
     Registration Statement shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into
     this Registration Statement and to be part hereof from the date of filing
     of such documents.  Any statement contained in a document incorporated or
     deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be
     modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the
     extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed
     document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
     modifies or supersedes such statement.  Any such statement so modified or
     superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
     constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

     ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.
 
        Under the Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc. 1995 Deferred Compensation Plan
     for a Select Group of Eligible Employees (the "Plan"), the Company will
     provide eligible employees the opportunity to enter into agreements for the
     deferral of a specified percentage of their cash compensation, exclusive of
     base salary.  The obligations of the Company under such agreements (the
     "Obligations") will be unsecured general obligations of the Company to pay
     the deferred compensation in the future in accordance with the terms of the
     Plan, and will rank pari passu with other unsecured and unsubordinated
     indebtedness of the Company from time to time outstanding.  However,
     because the Company is a holding company, the right of the Company, hence
     the right of creditors of the Company (including participants in the Plan),
     to participate in any distribution of the assets of any subsidiary upon its
     liquidation or reorganization or

                                      -2-
<PAGE>
 
     otherwise is necessarily subject to the prior claims of creditors of the
     subsidiary, except to the extent that claims of the Company itself as a
     creditor of the subsidiary may be recognized.  In addition, dividends,
     loans and advances from certain subsidiaries, including Merrill Lynch,
     Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, to the Company are restricted by net
     capital requirements under the Exchange Act, and under rules of certain
     exchanges and other regulatory bodies.

        The amount of compensation to be deferred by each participating employee
     will be determined in accordance with the Plan based on elections by the
     employee.  Each Obligation will be payable on a date selected by the
     employee participant in accordance with the terms of the Plan.  The
     Obligations will be indexed to one or more Benchmark Return Options
     individually chosen by each employee participant from a list of investment
     media (currently 25 mutual funds).  Each employee participant's Obligation
     will be adjusted to reflect the investment experience of the Selected
     Benchmark Return Options, including any appreciation or depreciation.  The
     Obligations will be denominated and be payable in United States dollars.

        An employee participant's right or the right of any other person to the
     Obligations cannot be assigned, alienated, sold, garnished, transferred,
     pledged, or encumbered except by a written designation of a beneficiary
     under the Plan, by written will, or by the laws of descent and
     distribution.

        The Obligations are not subject to redemption, in whole or in part,
     prior to the individual payment dates specified by the participating
     employees, at the option of the Company or through operation of a mandatory
     or optional sinking fund or analogous provision.  However, the Company
     reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan at any time, except that
     no such amendment or termination shall adversely affect the right of an
     employee participant to the balance of his or her deferred account as of
     the date of such amendment or termination.

        The Obligations are not convertible into another security of the
     Company.  The Obligations will not have the benefit of a negative pledge or
     any other affirmative or negative covenant on the part of the Company.  No
     trustee has been appointed having the authority to take action with respect
     to the Obligations and each employee participant will be responsible for
     acting independently with respect to, among other things, the giving of
     notices, responding to any requests for consents, waivers or amendments
     pertaining to the Obligations, enforcing covenants and taking action upon a
     default.

     ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

        None.

     ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

        Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as
     amended, provides that under certain circumstances a corporation may
     indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a
     party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding
     whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the
     fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the
     Company or is or was serving at its request in such capacity in another
     corporation or business association, against expenses (including attorneys'
     fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
     reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with such action, suit or
     proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she
     reasonably

                                      -3-
<PAGE>
 
     believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and,
     with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause
     to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

        Article XIII, Section 2 of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
     the Company provides in effect that, subject to certain limited exceptions,
     the Company shall indemnify its directors and officers to the extent
     authorized or permitted by the General Corporation Law of the State of
     Delaware. The directors and officers of the Company are insured under
     policies of insurance maintained by the Company, subject to the limits of
     the policies, against certain losses arising from any claims made against
     them by reason of being or having been such directors or officers. Like
     indemnification and insurance is also provided to those employees of the
     Company who serve as administrators of the Plan.  In addition, the Company
     has entered into contracts with all of its directors providing for
     indemnification of such persons by the Company to the full extent
     authorized or permitted by law, subject to certain limited exceptions.

     ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

        Not Applicable.

     ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS

     5       Opinion of Brown & Wood re: legality

     15      Letter re: unaudited interim financial information

     23 (a)  Consent of Brown & Wood (included as part of Exhibit 5)

     23 (b)  Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP

     24      Power of Attorney (included on page 6)

     ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

        The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

        (a)(1)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

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

          (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
          the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent
          post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
          aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
          in the registration statement;

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

                                      -4-
<PAGE>
 
     provided, however that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply
     if the registration statement is on Form S-8 and the information required
     to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
     contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant to Section
     13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by
     reference in the registration statement.

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

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

        (b) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities
     Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to
     Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is
     incorporated by reference in this registration statement shall deemed to be
     a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and
     the offering of such securities at the time shall be deemed to be the
     initial bona fide offering thereof.

        (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
     Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
     controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions referred
     to in Item 6 of this registration statement, or otherwise, the registrant
     has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange
     Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in
     the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
     indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
     registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
     controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any
     action, suit or proceeding ) is asserted by such director, officer or
     controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
     registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
     settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
     jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against
     public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final
     adjudication of such issue.

                                      -5-
<PAGE>
 
                                   SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
     Registrant certifies that is has reasonable grounds to believe that it
     meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused
     this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
     thereunto duly authorized, in The City of New York, State of New York, on
     the 19th day of August, 1994.

                                        MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
             
             
                                        By:  /s/Daniel P. Tully
                                             --------------------------------
                                             Daniel P. Tully
                                             Chairman of the Board, President
                                             and Chief Executive Officer

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears
     below constitutes and appoints Daniel P. Tully, Stephen L. Hammerman and
     Joseph T. Willett, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact
     and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and
     in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and
     all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration
     Statement and to each Registration Statement amended hereby, and to file
     the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection
     therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said
     attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to
     do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be
     done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he
     might or could do in person hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
     attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or their or his substitute or
     substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
     registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in
     the capacities indicated on the 19th day of August, 1994.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
              Signature                                 Title
              ---------                                 -----
<S>                                     <C>
 
 
         /s/ Daniel P. Tully
- --------------------------------------  Chairman of the Board, President,
           Daniel P. Tully              Chief Executive Officer and Director
 
        /s/Joseph T. Willett
- --------------------------------------  Senior Vice President,
          Joseph T. Willett             Chief Financial Officer and Controller
 
        /s/William O. Bourke
- --------------------------------------  Director
          William O. Bourke
</TABLE> 
 

                                      -6-
<PAGE>
 
<TABLE> 
<S>                                     <C>
 
         /s/Jill K. Conway
- --------------------------------------  Director
          Jill K. Conway
 
 
       /s/Stephen L. Hammerman
- --------------------------------------  Director
        Stephen L. Hammerman
 
 
         /s/Robert A. Hanson
- --------------------------------------  Director
          Robert A. Hanson
 
 
       /s/Earle H. Harbison, Jr.
- --------------------------------------  Director
        Earle H. Harbison, Jr.
 
          
- --------------------------------------  Director
          George B. Harvey
 
 
        /s/Robert P. Luciano
- --------------------------------------  Director
         Robert P. Luciano


         /s/Aulana L. Peters
- --------------------------------------  Director
           Aulana L. Peters             
                                        
                                        
        
- --------------------------------------  Director
         John J. Phelan, Jr.            
                                        
                                        
        
- --------------------------------------  Director
          Charles A. Sanders            
                                        
                                        
        
- --------------------------------------  Director
           William L. Weiss
</TABLE>

                                      -7-
<PAGE>
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 
Exhibit No.    Description                                              Page
- -----------    -----------                                              ----
<S>            <C>                                                      <C>
 
5              Opinion of Brown & Wood re: legality                     
                                                                        
15             Letter re: unaudited interim financial information       
                                                                        
23(a)          Consent of Brown & Wood (included as part of Exhibit 5)  
                                                                        
23(b)          Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP                         
                                                                        
24             Power of Attorney (included on page 6)
</TABLE>

<PAGE>
 
                                                                       EXHIBIT 5

                           LETTERHEAD OF BROWN & WOOD



                                                   August 19, 1994



     Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
     World Financial Center
     North Tower
     New York, New York  10281


     Dear Sirs:

        We have acted as counsel for Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., a Delaware
     corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the proposed filing with
     the Securities and Exchange Commission expected to be made on or about
     August 19, 1994 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of a
     Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") for the
     purpose of registering $100,000,000 of Deferred Compensation Obligations
     which represent unsecured obligations of the Company to pay deferred
     compensation in the future in accordance with the terms of Merrill Lynch &
     Co., Inc. 1995 Deferred Compensation Plan for a Select Group of Eligible
     Employees (the "Plan").  In such capacity, we have examined the Restated
     Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Company, the Plan, and such
     other documents of the Company as we have deemed necessary or appropriate
     for the purposes of the opinion expressed herein.

        Based upon the foregoing, we advise you that, in our opinion, when
     issued in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, the Deferred
     Compensation Obligations will be valid and binding obligations of the
     Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement
     thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws of general
     applicability relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors' rights or
     by general equity principles.

        We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
     Registration Statement and to the use of our name wherever appearing in the
     Registration Statement and any amendment thereto.


                                              Very truly yours,

                                              /s/ Brown & Wood

                                              Brown & Wood

<PAGE>
 
                                                                      EXHIBIT 15



     August 19, 1994



     Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
     World Financial Center
     North Tower, 31st Floor
     New York, NY  10281-1281

     We have made a review, in accordance with standards established by the
     American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, of the unaudited
     interim consolidated financial information of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and
     subsidiaries as of July 1, 1994 and for the three- and six-month periods
     ended July 1, 1994 and June 25, 1993 as indicated in the report of Deloitte
     & Touche dated August 12, 1994; because we did not perform an audit, we
     expressed no opinion on that information.

     We are aware that such report referred to above, which is included in your
     Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 1, 1994, is
     incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

     We are also aware that the aforementioned report, pursuant to Rule 436(c)
     under the Securities Act of 1933, is not considered a part of the
     Registration Statement prepared or certified by an accountant or a report
     prepared or certified by an accountant within the meaning of Sections 7 and
     11 of that Act.


     /s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
     New York, New York

<PAGE>
 
                                                                   EXHIBIT 23(b)



     INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' CONSENT
     -----------------------------


     We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement
     of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (the "Company") on Form S-8 of the reports of
     Deloitte & Touche dated February 28, 1994 appearing in and incorporated by
     reference in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the year
     ended December 31, 1993 and to the reference to Deloitte & Touche LLP under
     the heading "Experts" in the Prospectus, which is a part of this
     Registration Statement.  We also consent to the incorporation by reference
     in this Registration Statement of the report of Deloitte & Touche dated
     February 28, 1994, appearing as Exhibit 99(a) in the Company's Current
     Report on Form 8-K dated March 9, 1994, relating to the Selected Financial
     Data under the captions "Operating Results", "Financial Position" and
     "Common Share Data" for each of the five years in the period ended December
     31, 1993 included in the 1993 Annual Report to Stockholders of the Company.


     /s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

     New York, New York
     August 19, 1994


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