<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- -------- UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION -----------------------------
FORM 4 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 OMB APPROVAL
- -------- -----------------------------
/ / CHECK THIS BOX IF NO STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OMB NUMBER: 3235-0287
LONGER SUBJECT TO EXPIRES: SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
SECTION 16. FORM 4 OR Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, ESTIMATED AVERAGE BURDEN
FORM 5 OBLIGATIONS MAY Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or HOURS PER RESPONSE .... 0.5
CONTINUE. SEE Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 -----------------------------
INSTRUCTION 1(b).
(Print or Type Responses)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S><C>
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* 2. Issuer Name AND Ticker or Trading Symbol 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
to Issuer (Check all applicable)
Director 10% Owner
Rossi Mark A. Merrill Corporation (MRLL) ---- ----
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X Officer (give Other
(Last) (First) (Middle) 3. IRS or Social Security 4. Statement for ---- title ---- (specify
Number of Reporting Month/Year below) below)
Person (Voluntary) President, Investment Company Services
250 South Wacker Drive, Suite 400 04/1999 ----------------- -------------------
- -------------------------------------------- --------------------- 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing
(Street) 5. If Amendment, (Check Applicable Line)
Date of Original X Form filed by One Reporting Person
(Month/Year) ---
___Form filed by More than One
Chicago IL 60606 Reporting Person
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(City) (State) (Zip) TABLE I - NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Security 2. Trans- 3. Trans- 4. Securities Acquired (A) 5. Amount of 6. Owner- 7. Nature
(Instr. 3) action action or Disposed of (D) Securities ship of In-
Date Code (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Form: direct
(Instr. 8) Owned at Direct Bene-
(Month/ End of (D) or ficial
Day/ ------------------------------------------- Month Indirect Owner-
Year) (A) or (I) ship
Code V Amount (D) Price (Instr. 3 (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
and 4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 4-13-99 M 3,000 A $8.6875
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 4-13-99 M 24,000 A $8.125
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 4-13-99 M 13,500 A $8.125
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 4-13-99 M 4,800 A $11.6875 45,300 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. (Over)
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, SEE Instruction 4(b)(v). SEC 1474 (7-97)
POTENTIAL PERSONS WHO ARE TO RESPOND TO THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THIS FORM ARE NOT REQUIRED TO RESPOND UNLESS THE FORM
DISPLAYS A CURRENTLY VALID OMB CONTROL NUMBER.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
FORM 4 (CONTINUED) TABLE II - DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED
(E.G., PUTS, CALLS, WARRANTS, OPTIONS, CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Title of Derivative Security 2. Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Transac- 5. Number of Deriv- 6. Date Exer-
(Instr. 3) sion or action tion Code ative Securities Ac- cisable and Ex-
Exercise Date (Instr. 8) quired (A) or Dis- piration Date
Price of (Month/ posed of (D) (Month/Day/
Deriv- Day/ (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) Year)
ative Year)
Security
--------------------
Date Expira-
-------------------------------------- Exer- tion
cisable Date
Code V (A) (D)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock Option
(Right to Buy) $8.6875 4-13-99 M 3,000 (1) 3-15-00
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock Option
(Right to Buy) $8.125 4-13-99 M 24,000 (2) 4-10-02
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock Option
(Right to Buy) $8.125 4-13-99 M 13,500 (3) 3-25-03
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employee Stock Option
(Right to Buy) $11.6875 4-13-99 M 4,800 (4) 4-23-02
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Title and Amount of Under- 8. Price 9. Number 10. Owner- 11. Nature
lying Securities of of Deriv- ship of In-
(Instr. 3 and 4) Deriv- ative Form direct
ative Securi- of De- Bene-
Secur- ties rivative ficial
ity Bene- Secu- Own-
(Instr. ficially rity: ership
5) Owned Direct (Instr. 4)
at End (D) or
Amount or of Indi-
Title Number of Month rect (I)
Shares (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4)
<S><C>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 3,000 2,000 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 24,000 16,000 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 13,500 16,500 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock 4,800 19,200 D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation of Responses:
(1) This option was granted under the Issuer's 1993 Stock Incentive Plan, as
amended, and was exercisable in installments. The final installment of
2,000 shares is exercisable on September 15, 1999.
(2) This option was granted under the Issuer's 1993 Stock Incentive Plan, as
amended. The option is exercisable in three remaining installments: 6,000
shares each on April 10, 2000, and April 10, 2001; with the final
installment of 4,000 shares exercisable on October 10, 2001.
(3) This option was granted under the Issuer's 1993 Stock Incentive Plan, as
amended. The option is exercisable in four remaining installments: 4,500
shares each on March 25, 2000, March 25, 2001, and March 25, 2002; with the
final installment of 3,000 shares exercisable on September 25, 2002.
(4) This option was granted under the Issuer's 1996 Non-Statutory Stock Option
Plan, as amended. The option is exercisable in three remaining installments
of 4,800 each on April 23, 2000, April 23, 2001, and October 23, 2001; with
4,800 shares currently exercisable.
/s/ Mark A. Rossi 5-10-99
----------------------------------- -----------
**Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute **Signature of Reporting Person Date
Federal Criminal Violations. SEE 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
If space is insufficient, SEE Instruction 6 for procedure.
Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained
in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently
valid OMB Number.
Page 2
SEC 1474 (7-97)
</TABLE>
