NORTHEAST FEDERAL CORP
8-K, 1995-05-08
SAVINGS INSTITUTION, FEDERALLY CHARTERED
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<PAGE> 1
                    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

                  Date of Report (Date of earliest event
                           reported) May 4, 1995
                                     ___________

                       COMMISSION FILE NO.:  1-10571


                          NORTHEAST FEDERAL CORP.
                          _______________________
          (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware                                                        06-1288154
_____________________________________________              ___________________
(State or other Jurisdiction of Incorporation               (IRS Employer or
organization)                                              Identification No.)

70 Batterson Park Road, Farmington,  CT                          06032-2561
_____________________________________________              ___________________
(Address of principal executive offices)                         (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code            (203) 679-0500  

<PAGE> 2

ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS

     On May 4,  1995,  Lehman  Brothers  Inc.  issued  an  "updated  opinion  of
Financial Advisor" regarding the proposed merger transaction contemplated by the
Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of June 11, 1994 by and between  Northeast
Federal Corp.  ("Northeast")  and Shawmut National  Corporation.  A copy of such
opinion is attached hereto as an Exhibit.  Also attached as an Exhibit hereto is
the consent of Lehman Brothers Inc. dated May 4, 1995 to the reference to Lehman
Brothers  Inc.  in  the  Post-Effective  Amendment  No.  1 to  the  Registration
Statement on Form S-4 of Shawmut National  Corporation (File No. 33-57627) under
the heading "Certain  Information  regarding the Pending  Shawmut/Fleet Merger -
Updated  Opinion of Financial  Advisor" and to the filing of the Lehman Brothers
Inc. opinion dated the date of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus as an annex to the
Registration Statement. 

<PAGE> 3

                                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.

                              By:  /s/ Kirk W. Walters
                                   ________________________________
                                   Kirk W. Walters
                                   President and Chief Executive Officer


Dated:  May 4, 1995
        ______________________

<PAGE> 4
                             LIST OF EXHIBITS


Exhibit 2.     Lehman Brothers' Opinion

Exhibit 99.    Lehman Brothers' Consent

<PAGE> 5

                     EXHIBIT 2 -- LEHMAN BROTHERS' OPINION

<PAGE> 6

                              LEHMAN BROTHERS


                                May 4, 1995



Board of Directors
Northeast Federal Corp.
70 Batterson Park Road
Farmimgton, Connecticut 06034

Members of the Board:

     We understand  that Northeast  Federal Corp.  (the  "'Company") and Shawmut
National Corporation ("Shawmut") have entered into a definitive merger agreement
pursuant  to which the  Company  will be merged  with and into  Shawmut and each
share of common stock of the Company will be converted into the right to receive
the  number of share of the  common  stock of  Shawmut  determined  by  dividing
$10.875 by the average closing price per share of Shawmut's common stock for the
fifteen  trading  days ending on the business day prior to the date on which the
last  regulatory  approval  required to consummate the proposed  merger has been
obtained and all statutory  waiting periods in respect thereof have expired (the
"Proposed  Transaction").  The terms and conditions of the Proposed  Transaction
are set forth in more detail in the  Agreement  and Plan of Merger,  dated as of
June 11, 1994, by and between the Company and Shawmut (the "Agreement").

     We have been requested by the Company to render our opinion with respect to
the fairness,  from a financial point of view, to the Company's  stockholders of
the  consideration to be offered in the Proposed  Transaction.  We have not been
requested  to opine as to, and our opinion does not in any manner  address,  the
Company's  underlying  business  decision to proceed with or effect the Proposed
Transaction.

     In arriving at our opinion,  we reviewed and analyzed:  (1) the  Agreement;
(2) the Form 10-K for the twelve months ended  December 31, 1994 for the Company
and  Shawmut,  and such other  publicly  available  information  concerning  the
Company  and  Shawmut  which we  believe  to be  relevant  to our  inquiry;  (3)
financial and operating information with respect to the business, operations and
prospects  of the Company  furnished  to us by the Company;  (4)  financial  and
operating information with respect to the business,  operations and prospects of
Shawmut furnished to us by Shawmut; (5) trading history for the past three years
(through  May 3, 1995) and market  valuation of the  Company's  common stock and
Shawmut's common stock and a comparison of those trading histories with those of
other  companies  which we deemed  relevant;  (6) a comparison of the historical
financial results and present  financial  condition of the Company with those of
other  companies  which we deemed relevant and (7) a comparison of the financial
terms of the Proposed  Transaction  with the  financial  terms of certain  other
recent  transactions  which  we  deemed  relevant.  In  addition,  we  have  had

<PAGE> 7

discussions  with the  management  of the Company and Shawmut  concerning  their
respective businesses,  operations,  assets,  financial conditions and prospects
and  undertook  such other  studies,  analyses and  investigations  as we deemed
appropriate.

     We have  assumed  and relied  upon the  accuracy  and  completeness  of the
financial and other  information  used by us in arriving at our opinion  without
independent  verification  and  have  further  relied  upon  the  assurances  of
management  of the Company and Shawmut that they are not aware of any facts that
would  make  such  information  inaccurate  or  misleading.  We  respect  to the
financial  projections  of the  Company,  upon  advice of the  Company,  we have
assumed  that  such  projections  have  been  reasonably  prepared  on  a  basis
reflecting  the  best  currently   available  estimates  and  judgments  of  the
management  of  the  Company,  as to the  future  financial  performance  of the
Company, and we have relied upon such projections in arriving at our opinion. In
arriving at our  opinion,  we have not  conducted a physical  inspection  of the
properties  and  facilities  of the  Company  or  Shawmut  and have not made nor
obtained any  evaluations  or  appraisals  of the assets or  liabilities  of the
Company or  Shawmut.  In  addition,  in  arriving  at our  opinion,  we have not
considered  to  potential  effects to the  Company of pending  litigation.  Upon
advice of the  Company,  we have  assumed  that the  merger  will  qualify  as a
reorganization  with the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal  Revenue Code
of 1986,  as amended,  and therefore as a tax-free  transaction.  Our opinion is
necessarily based upon market, economic, regulatory and other conditions as they
exist on, and can be evaluated as of, the date of this letter.

     Based upon and  subject to the  foregoing , we are of the opinion as of the
date  hereof  that,  from a financial  point of view,  the  consideration  to be
offered to the  stockholders of the Company in the Proposed  Transaction is fair
to such stockholders.

     We have acted as financial  advisor to the Company in  connection  with the
Proposed Transaction and will receive a fee for our services which is contingent
upon the consummation of the Proposed Transaction.  In addition, the Company has
agreed to  indemnify  us for  certain  liabilities  that might  arise out of the
rendering of this opinion.  We also have performed  various  investment  banking
services for the Company in the past (including  acting as financial advisor for
the  reclassification of the Company's $2.25 Cumulative  Preferred Stock, Series
A, completed in May 1993) and have received customary fees for such services. In
the ordinary  course of our business,  we actively  trade in the debt and equity
securities  of the Company and Shawmut for our own account and for the  accounts
of our customers and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or short position
in such securities.

     This opinion is solely for the use and benefit of the Board of Directors of
the  Company.  This  opinion is not  intended  to be and does not  constitute  a
recommendation  to any  stockholder  of the  Company as to how such  stockholder
should vote with respect to the Proposed Transaction.

                                                Very truly yours,



                                                LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.

<PAGE> 8

                     EXHIBIT 99 -- LEHMAN BROTHERS' CONSENT

<PAGE> 9

                           CONSENT OF LEHMAN BROTHERS
                           __________________________


We consent to the reference to our firm in the Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 of
the  Registration  Statement on Form S-4 of Shawmut  National  Corporation  (the
"Registration  Statement") under the heading "CERTAIN INFORMATION  REGARDING THE
PENDING SHAWMUT/FLEET MERGER - Updated Opinion of Financial Advisor," and to the
filing of our opinion, dated the date of the Proxy  Statement/Prospectus,  as an
annex to the  Registration  Statement.  In giving such consent,  we do not admit
that we come within the  category  of persons  whose  consent is required  under
Section  7 of  the  Securities  Act of  1933,  as  amended,  or  the  rules  and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange  Commission  thereunder and we do not
thereby  admit that we are experts with respect to any part of the  Registration
Statement under the meaning of the term "expert" as used in the Securities Act.


                                        LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.


                                        By:  /s/ Kevin Genirs
                                             _________________________
                                             Kevin Genirs
                                             Vice President and
                                             Associate General Counsel

New York, New York
May 4, 1995








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