HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS INC
8-K, 1999-10-07
IN VITRO & IN VIVO DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES
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                       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)     September 30, 1999


                            HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

       Delaware                      1-11700                     04-2869857
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction      (Commission                  (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)           File Number)                 Identification
No.)

34-40 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, Massachusetts                            02451
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 (Address of principal executive offices)                              Zip Code


Registrant's telephone number, including area code  (781) 890-3766



         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)


<PAGE>


Item 1.  Changes in Control of Registrant.

     (a) and (b) William P. Hales,  Redwood  Holdings,  Inc.  and certain of its
employees,  namely,  Jerry L. Ruyan,  Thomas A. Donelan and Christopher P. Hendy
(Hales and the employees of Redwood Holdings,  Inc. are collectively referred to
sometimes hereafter as the "Redwood  Nominees")  solicited written consents from
shareholders of Hemagen  seeking  several changes to its Bylaws,  the removal of
its  directors  and the  election  of the  Redwood  Nominees.  The  solicitation
commenced  July 20, 1999 and was opposed by Hemagen.  Following  the delivery of
consents by the Redwood Nominees and their initiation of litigation,  the matter
was settled pursuant to a Settlement Agreement entered into September 30, 1999.

     The following items were included in the Settlement Agreement:

     1.   Four of Hemagen's six  directors,  namely,  Carl  Franzblau,  Lawrence
Gilbert,  Charles W. Smith and Paul N.  Fruitt,  resigned  and were  replaced by
Jerry L. Ruyan,  William P. Hales,  Thomas A. Donelan and  Christopher P. Hendy.
The new Board of Directors  then elected  Jerry L. Ruyan as Chairman and CEO and
William P. Hales as President.

     2.   The  following individuals  sold the shares of Common Stock of Hemagen
set forth opposite their names for $1.125 per share cash.

                                                      Number of
              Name                                      Shares
         ------------------                           ----------
         Carl Franzblau                                 334,510
         Myrna Franzblau                                314,511
         William Franzblau                               64,390
         Scott Weiss and/or
         Rachel Weiss                                    64,390

     Those shares were purchased by the following  persons,  utilizing  personal
funds, to the extent set forth opposite their names:

          Jerry L. Ruyan                                387,801
          William P. Hales                              250,000
          Christopher P. Hendy                           70,000
          Thomas A. Donelan                              70,000

     3.   Pursuant to  shareholder  authorization  received  during the  consent
solicitation,  the newly  constituted  Board of  Directors  awarded  options  to
purchase Hemagen Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.36 per share,  expiring
September  30,  2009 and  becoming  exercisable  upon the earlier to occur of 18
months after September 30, 1999 or that time when the price of Hemagen's  Common
Stock  trades  above $5 per share for 20  consecutive  days or until  there is a
change in control of the  Corporation  with the grant of options  being to:


<PAGE>


              Name                                   Number of Shares
        ----------------------                       -----------------
        Redwood Holdings, Inc.                           866,007
        William P. Hales                                 866,007

     Redwood  Holdings,  Inc. is a 100% owned  subsidiary  of an employee  stock
ownership  plan,  the  beneficial  owners of which  are Jerry L.  Ruyan - 49.9%,
Thomas A. Donelan - 24.9% and Christopher P. Hendy - 24.9%.

     Together with Common Stock and Common Stock  Purchase  Warrants owned prior
to September 30, 1999, these transactions,  treating the options as exercisable,
result  in the  Redwood  Nominees  beneficially  owning  approximately 27.9%  of
Hemagen's  outstanding Common Stock on a fully-diluted basis. The sellers of the
stock named above may be deemed to have been in control of Hemagen  prior to the
transaction  of  September  30,  1999  which  changed  control of Hemagen to the
Redwood Nominees.

Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

         (c)      Exhibits.

                  10       Settlement Agreement dated September 30, 1999


                                   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.

                                            HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC..



Date:  October 7, 1999                      By:       /s/Jerry L. Ruyan
                                               ---------------------------------
                                                     Jerry L. Ruyan
                                                     Chief Executive Officer




                              SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT


     Agreement entered into as of September 30, 1999 among Hemagen  Diagnostics,
Inc., the following  individual  directors of Hemagen:  Dr. Carl Franzblau,  Dr.
Ricardo de Oliveira,  Dr. Alan S. Cohen, Lawrence Gilbert,  Charles W. Smith and
Paul N. Fruitt  (collectively  referred to  sometimes  hereafter as the "Hemagen
Directors");  the following Hemagen Officers: Myrna Franzblau, William Franzblau
and Scott Weiss  (collectively  referred to sometimes  hereafter as the "Hemagen
Officers");  William  P.  Hales;  Redwood  Holdings,  Inc.  and  certain  of its
employees  including Jerry L. Ruyan,  Thomas A. Donelan and Christopher P. Hendy
(Hales and the employees of Redwood Holdings,  Inc. are collectively referred to
sometimes hereafter as the "Redwood Nominees").

     In consideration  of the mutual promises and undertakings  contained below,
the parties agree as follows:

     1.   Recitals

          1.1  Hemagen is a Delaware corporation, with its address at 34-40 Bear
     Hill  Road,  Waltham,  Massachusetts  02451.  Its  shares are traded on the
     Nasdaq Small Cap Market and are registered with the Securities and Exchange
     Commission  pursuant to Section  12(g) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
     1934.  The Hemagen  Directors  are all of the duly  elected  members of the
     Board of  Directors  of Hemagen and are serving as such  pursuant to, inter
     alia, the Order of the Court of Chancery dated September 24, 1999.  Redwood
     Holdings,  Inc. is an Ohio  corporation with its address at 9468 Montgomery
     Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242.

          1.2 The Redwood Nominees solicited written consents of shareholders of
     Hemagen seeking  several  changes to the Bylaws of Hemagen,  the removal of
     the  Hemagen  Directors  and the  election  of the  Redwood  Nominees.  The
     solicitation  commenced  July 20,  1999.  The  Redwood  Nominees  delivered
     affirmative  unrevoked  consents to Hemagen's  statutory agent on September
     14,  September 15 and  September  17, 1999 and as of September 17, 1999 had
     delivered consents in quantities  sufficient to represent a majority of the
     outstanding shares of Hemagen.

          1.3 Hemagen and the Hemagen Directors opposed the consent solicitation
     of the Redwood  Nominees  and on July 2, 1999  adopted an  amendment to the
     Bylaws of Hemagen increasing the percentage of votes necessary to amend the
     Bylaws from a majority of  outstanding  shares to two-thirds of outstanding
     shares.

          1.4 On September 14, 1999, the Redwood  Nominees  brought an action in
     the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware captioned as Jerry L. Ruyan,
     Plaintiff, v. Carl Franzblau,  Lawrence Gilbert,  Charles W. Smith, Paul N.
     Fruitt,   Alan  S.  Cohen  and  Hemagen   Diagnostics,   Inc.,  a  Delaware
     corporation,  Defendants,  and further  identified  as Case Number C.A. No.
     17426. In that action the Redwood Nominees  contended,  among other things,


<PAGE>




     that the  actions of the Hemagen  Board in  amending  its Bylaws of July 2,
     1999 was inequitable  and should be enjoined and sought a declaration  that
     all of their proposals had been duly adopted by virtue of their delivery of
     written consents.  Defendants  answered the complaint,  denied its material
     allegations  and asserted  various  affirmative  defenses.  Defendants also
     moved to dismiss on various grounds.

          1.5 The parties have agreed to settle all  outstanding  disputes among
     them and for that  purpose are  entering  into this  Agreement  which shall
     become  effective  at the time the last party,  other than Dr. de Oliveira,
     executes  and delivers a copy of this  Agreement.  Dr. de Oliveira may join
     the Agreement by signing a copy by October 6, 1999.

     2.   Change in Directors

          2.1  Each of the  Hemagen Directors  other  than Dr.  Cohen and Dr. de
     Oliveira agree to resign seriatim.  Immediately after each resignation, the
     remaining Board members agree to elect each of the Redwood Nominees to fill
     the vacancy caused by such resignations.

     3.   Purchase of Shares

          3.1  The following individuals  ("Sellers")  shall sell the numbers of
     shares of Common Stock of Hemagen  listed below to the  individual  Redwood
     Nominees (the "Buyers") and such  individuals  hereby agree to purchase all
     such shares,  for cash,  at $1.125 per share cash.  Each Seller  represents
     that he/she owns the shares free and clear and that upon transfer they will
     be  subject  to no  restrictions  except  those  which may exist  under the
     Securities  Act of 1933 due to the fact  that  he/she  is an  affiliate  of
     Hemagen  and the  shares  to be sold to the  Buyers  would,  therefore,  be
     restricted  shares as defined in Securities  and Exchange  Commission  Rule
     144.

                                                      Number of
              Name                                      Shares
         ------------------                           ----------
         Carl Franzblau                                 334,510
         Myrna Franzblau                                314,511
         William Franzblau                               64,390
         Scott Weiss and/or
         Rachel Weiss                                    64,390

          The sale of  shares  shall be closed  within  one  business  day after
     execution of this Agreement.

          In addition to the foregoing, the Redwood Nominees will use their best
     efforts to locate  buyers for  Hemagen  Common  Stock that other  departing
     Hemagen  Directors and Hemagen Officers desire to sell at market prices. In
     no event,  however,  will any such  departing  Hemagen  Director or Hemagen
     Officer be required to sell shares,  and the Redwood  Nominees shall not be
     entitled to compensation for locating buyers for such shares.


<PAGE>


     4.   Directors' and Officers' Liability Insurance

     Hemagen  shall  maintain  the current  officers'  and  directors'  coverage
amounts and limitations now contained in its officers' and directors'  liability
insurance  policy until  September  27, 2002.  Hemagen  shall also  maintain the
indemnification  provisions  (Article VII),  adopted by the Hemagen Directors on
July 2, 1999 contained in Hemagen's  Bylaws that apply to the Hemagen  Directors
and the Hemagen Officers. The parties agree that such bylaw shall not be amended
or eliminated.

     5.   Employment Arrangements

          5.1   Dr.Carl Franzblau  hereby  resigns as an officer of Hemagen, and
     all  employment  agreements  between  Hemagen  and Dr. Carl  Franzblau  are
     terminated and of no further effect.  Contemporaneously  with the execution
     of this Agreement, and in consideration of such resignation,  Hemagen shall
     enter into a new consulting  contract which shall require Dr.  Franzblau to
     devote no more than ten hours per week  during  reasonable  business  hours
     until  December 16, 1999 and up to four hours per week  thereafter  for the
     sum of $26,500  per month from  October 1, 1999 until March 31,  2000.  Dr.
     Franzblau  shall  also  enter  into   confidentiality  and  non-competition
     agreements  covering the period from  September 29, 1999 through  September
     30, 2000,  with such other terms and  conditions as are usual and customary
     to such agreements. Under no circumstances,  however, shall such agreements
     include any right of termination of consultant in the Company or its Board.
     Hemagen  shall  maintain the current lease of a company car for the benefit
     of Dr. Franzblau through June 18, 2000.

          5.2 William Franzblau hereby resigns as an officer of Hemagen, and all
     employment  agreements between Hemagen and William Franzblau are terminated
     and of no further  effect.  Contemporaneously  with the  execution  of this
     Agreement,  and in consideration of such  resignation,  Hemagen shall enter
     into a new  agreement  with William  Franzblau  which shall  require him to
     devote the time set forth therein  during  reasonable  business hours for a
     sum of  $10,833  per month  from  October  1, 1999  until the date on which
     Hemagen's audit committee approves Hemagen's year-end financial  statements
     for fiscal 1999 and Hemagen files its Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal
     1999,  at which time William  Franzblau  shall  resign as an employee.  The
     agreement  will  provide  that  after  the  conclusion  of  the  employment
     arrangement  with  William  Franzblau  and through  March 31, 2000  William
     Franzblau  will  remain  with  Hemagen in a  consulting  capacity.  William
     Franzblau  shall  also  enter  into   confidentiality  and  non-competition
     agreements  covering the period from  September 29, 1999 through  September
     30, 2000,  with such other terms and  conditions as are usual and customary
     to such agreements. Under no circumstances,  however, shall such agreements
     include any right of termination of consultant in the Company or its Board.


<PAGE>


          5.3  Myrna Franzblau  and Scott  Weiss  hereby  resign as  officers of
     Hemagen  and  all  employment  agreements  between  them  and  Hemagen  are
     terminated and of no further effect.  Contemporaneously  with the execution
     of this Agreement, and in consideration of such resignation,  Hemagen shall
     employ  each of them under new  agreements  calling for  employment  during
     reasonable  business hours until October 13, 1999, at which time they shall
     each resign as employees,  and thereafter  enter into  contracts  retaining
     each on a  consulting  basis until  December 31, 1999 for the sum of $8,750
     and  $10,833,  respectively,  per  month.  Each of them  shall  enter  into
     confidentiality  and  non-competition  agreements  covering the period from
     September 29, 1999 through  September  30, 2000,  with such other terms and
     conditions  as are  usual  and  customary  to  such  agreements.  Under  no
     circumstances,   however,  shall  such  agreements  include  any  right  of
     termination of consultant in the Company or its Board.

          5.4 The payment obligations of Hemagen set forth above in this Section
     5 are intended to be absolute  obligations.  All of the payments called for
     shall be accelerated and all become due and payable on demand should any of
     them remain unpaid for a period of five  business days or more.  Should the
     obligations then not be paid upon demand,  the employees named in Section 5
     will be  entitled  to a further  payment of 10% of the  amount  then due as
     liquidated  damages.  In the  event of any  non-payment  and  upon  demand,
     Hemagen shall advance  attorneys fees for the purpose of enforcing  payment
     of this obligation  including all amounts accelerated and all fees incurred
     in enforcing payment obligations hereunder shall be paid by the Company.

     6.   Mutual Releases

     The parties further do hereby release and forever  discharge each other and
their  respective  agents,  representatives,  employees,  and any other  related
entities from any and all debts, claims, demands, damages, losses,  liabilities,
rights, actions, causes of actions, expenses,  contracts,  promises,  judgments,
awards, and suits of any kind whatsoever,  accrued or contingent,  liquidated or
unliquidated,  known or unknown,  and foreseen and unforeseen (except any action
relative to the parties'  performance of their obligation under this Agreement),
which they have or could have  asserted  against each other,  which they may now
have or may  hereafter  have by reason of any matter,  act,  omission,  cause or
event  whatsoever  which has  occurred  or which has been done or suffered to be
done,  pertaining  to Hemagen or the  written  consent  procedure  initiated  by
Redwood Holdings and the Redwood Nominees prior to the date hereof.  Each of the
parties  hereto  undertakes  not to  denigrate,  disparage  or make any negative
comment  regarding any other party hereto with respect to  activities  involving
Hemagen.

     7.   Dismissal of Litigation

     All existing litigation among the parties,  including,  but not limited to,
the above-referred to case in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and
a case  now  pending  in the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  entitled  Hemagen
Diagnostics,  Inc. vs. Redwood Holdings,  et al. and further identified as Civil


<PAGE>



Action No. 99CV11860MEL, shall be dismissed with prejudice immediately following
execution and delivery of this Agreement.

     8.   Stock Options

     Existing  options  granted by Hemagen to Carl Franzblau to purchase  20,000
shares of Common Stock, to William Franzblau to purchase 30,500 shares of Common
Stock, to Myrna Franzblau to purchase 40,000 shares of Common Stock and to Scott
Weiss to purchase  41,500  shares of Common  Stock as per Exhibit A will each be
extended  so that,  notwithstanding  their  current  terms,  they will expire on
September  27, 2002  regardless  of  employment  status and any  necessary  plan
amendments are hereby made. The terms of such options will not be amended in any
other manner prior to September 27, 2002.

     9.   Miscellaneous

     This  Agreement  shall be  governed  by the laws of the  State of  Delaware
(except  with  respect to  conflicts  of laws  principles)  and may be signed in
several  counterparts,  all of which  may be  deemed  part of an  original.  The
addresses to which notice may be given to the parties are as set forth above for
Hemagen and Redwood Holdings, Inc. and for the other parties are as follows:

- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
     Name                                      Address
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Dr. Carl Franzblau and        147 Plymouth Road
Myrna Franzblau               Newton, Massachusetts   02461
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Dr. Ricardo de Oliveira,      Hemagen Diagnosticos Comercio, Importacao Ltda.
                              Rua Tavares Cabral
                              185 Pinheiros - CEP 05423-030
                              S. Paulo - SP, Brazil
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Dr. Alan S. Cohen             54 Winston Road
                              Newton, MA   02159
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Mr. Lawrence Gilbert          California Institute of Technology
                              1200 East California Boulevard
                              Mail Code 210-85
                              Pasadena, CA 91125
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Mr. Charles W. Smith          2730 Polo Island Drive, A103
                              West Palm Beach, FL   33414
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Mr. Paul N. Fruitt            60 Mary Ellen Road
                              Newton, MA   02468
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Mr. William Franzblau         4 Maplewood Avenue
                              Newton, MA   02459
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------



<PAGE>


- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Mr. Scott Weiss               5 Oakmont Road
                              Newton, MA   02459
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Mr. William P. Hales          408 W. 57th Street, Apt. 4A
                              New York, New York 10019
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Mr. Jerry L. Ruyan            c/o Redwood Holdings, Inc.
Mr. Christopher P. Hendy      9468 Montgomery Road
Mr. Thomas A. Donelan         Cincinnati, Ohio 45242
- ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------

     10.  Limitation of Remedies

     The  provisions  of this  Agreement  will be the sole  basis upon which any
party,  or the  assignee  of any party may assert any claims  against or seek to
impose  any  liability  whatsoever  against  the  Hemagen  Directors  or Hemagen
Officers in connection  with this  Agreement and the  transactions  contemplated
hereby,  whether based on contract,  tort, statute,  regulation  (including Rule
10b-5 of the Rules of the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission),  or otherwise.
Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the provisions of the Stock Purchase and
Sale  Agreements  executed as of the date  hereof  between  various  Sellers and
Purchasers  shall continue by their terms,  and provide an additional basis upon
which the Purchaser  Parties may assert  liability,  based solely upon breach of
contract,  against their  respective  Seller Parties;  and the provisions of the
Transition  Consulting  Agreements  between  Hemagen  and  various of its former
employees  shall also be an additional  basis upon which the  consultants  under
such Agreements may assert liability against the Company.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties have executed this Agreement on the
date set forth hereafter.

                                           HEMAGEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.



Date:  September 30, 1999                  BY:       /s/Jerry L. Ruyan
                                               _________________________________




Date:  September 30, 1999                           /s/Carl Franzblau
                                           _____________________________________
                                                    Dr. Carl Franzblau



Date:  September 30, 1999                           /s/Ricardo de Oliveira
                                           _____________________________________
                                                    Dr. Ricardo de Oliveira



<PAGE>






Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Alan S. Cohen
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Dr. Alan S. Cohen



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Lawrence Gilbert
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Lawrence Gilbert



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Charles W. Smith
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Charles W. Smith



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Paul N. Fruitt
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Paul N. Fruitt



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Myrna Franzblau
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Myrna Franzblau



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/William Franzblau
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     William Franzblau



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Scott Weiss
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Scott Weiss


                                           REDWOOD HOLDINGS, INC.



Date:  September 30, 1999                  BY:      /s/Thomas A. Donelan
                                              __________________________________
                                                             , President



<PAGE>





Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/William P. Hales
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     William P. Hales



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Jerry L. Ruyan
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Jerry L. Ruyan



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Christopher P. Hendy
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Christopher P. Hendy



Date:  September 30, 1999                            /s/Thomas A. Donelan
                                           _____________________________________
                                                     Thomas A. Donelan

<PAGE>

                                    Sheet 1

           Stock Options Extended to Carl Franzblau, Myrna Franzblau,
                       William Franzblau and Scott Weiss

                                   No./Shares               Price/Share
                                   ----------               -----------

Carl Franzblau                      10,000                     $2.19
                                    10,000                     $1.20

Myrna Franzblau                     10,000                     $1.75
                                    10,000                     $2.19
                                    10,000                     $1.20
                                    10,000                     $1.20

William Franzblau                      500                     $2.00
                                    10,000                     $1.75
                                    10,000                     $2.19
                                    10,000                     $1.20

Scott Weiss                          1,000                     $1.75
                                       500                     $2.00
                                    10,000                     $1.75
                                    10,000                     $2.19
                                    20,000                     $1.20



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