NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP
S-8, 1997-12-12
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
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As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 12, 1997

                                                Registration No. _______________

                                    FORM S-8

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                           NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        Florida                                          59-2705336
(State or other jurisdiction of                (IRS Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)

               2001 West Sample Road Pompano Beach, Florida 33064
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

               Natural Health Trends Corp. 1997 Stock Option Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)

                    Neal Heller, Natural Health Trends Corp.
               2001 West Sample Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33064
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (954) 969-9771
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

<TABLE>
                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
=====================================================================================================================
                                                    Amount to      Proposed         Proposed
        Title of Each Class of Securities              be       Offering Price      Aggregate         Amount of
                to be Registered                   Registered    Per Share(1)    Offering Price   Registration Fee
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                   <C>           <C>            <C>              <C>   
Shares of Common Stock, $.001 par value
  ("Common Stock")...............................     3,000,000     $.09375        $281,250         $85.23
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Registration Fee...........................                                                   $85.23
=====================================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1) Pursuant to Rule 457, the offering price of such shares is estimated  solely
for the purpose of determining the registration fee.




<PAGE>



                                     PART 2

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The  following   documents  are   incorporated  by  reference  in  this
registration statement.

         (a)      Registrant's  Annual Report on Form 10-KSB for the fiscal year
                  ended  December 31, 1996,  filed  pursuant to Section 13(a) of
                  the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

         (b)      The  Registrant's  Current Report on Form 8-K dated January 7,
                  1997.  the  Registrant's  Current  Report  on Form  8-K  dated
                  January 31, 1997, the Registrant's  Current Report on Form 8-K
                  dated February 19, 1997, the Registrant's  Quarterly Report on
                  Form  10-QSB  for  the  period  ended  March  31,  1997,   the
                  Registrant's  Current Report on Form 8-K dated August 7, 1997,
                  the  Registrant's  Quarterly  Report  on Form  10-QSB  for the
                  period ended June 30, 1997, the Registrant's Current Report on
                  Form 8-K/A dated October 6, 1997, the  Registrant's  Quarterly
                  Report on Form 10-QSB for the period ended  September 30, 1997
                  and all other  reports  filed by the  Registrant  pursuant  to
                  Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since  December 31,
                  1996;

         (c)      The description of Registrant's  Common Stock contained in the
                  Registration  Statement on Form 8-A filed with the  Commission
                  on August 3, 1995 under Section 12 of the Securities  Exchange
                  Act of 1934,  including  any amendment or report filed for the
                  purpose of updating such description.

         All  documents  filed by the  Registrant  pursuant to  Sections  13(a),
13(c),  14 and 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 after the date of
this  registration  statement  and  prior  to  the  filing  of a  post-effective
amendment to this  registration  statement  which  indicates that all securities
offered  hereunder  have been sold, or which  deregisters  all  securities  then
remaining  unsold  under  this  registration  statement,  shall be  deemed to be
incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to be a part hereof
from the date of filing of such documents.

         Any statement  contained in a document or  incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated  by  reference  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  subsequently  filed  document which also is or is deemed to be
incorporated by reference  herein  modifies or supersedes  such  statement.  Any
statement so modified or superseded  shall not be deemed,  except as so modified
or  superseded,  to  constitute  a part  of  this  Registration  Statement.  All
information in this  Registration  Statement is qualified in its entirety by the
information and financial statements  (including the notes thereto) appearing in
the documents  incorporated herein by reference,  except to the extent set forth
in the immediately preceding statement.

                                       -2-


<PAGE>




Item 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not  applicable;  the class of  securities  to be offered is registered
under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.


Item 5.  INTEREST OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Martin C.  Licht,  a  director  of the  Company,  is a member of Lane &
Mittendorf LLP, counsel to the Company.


Item 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.

         Section 607.0850 of the Florida  Business  Corporation Act (the "FBCA")
permits, in general, a Florida corporation to indemnify any person who was or is
a party to an  action or  proceeding  by reason of the fact that he or she was a
director or officer of the corporation, or served another entity in any capacity
at the request of the corporation, against liability incurred in connection with
such proceeding including the estimated expenses of litigating the proceeding to
conclusion and the expenses, actually and reasonably incurred in connection with
the defense or settlement of such proceeding,  including any appeal thereof,  if
such person acted in good faith, for a purpose he or she reasonably  believed to
be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation and, in criminal
actions or proceedings,  in addition had no reasonable cause to believe that his
or her  conduct  was  unlawful.  Section  607.0850(6)  of the FBCA  permits  the
corporation  to  pay in  advance  of a  final  disposition  of  such  action  or
proceeding  the expenses  incurred in defending  such action or proceeding  upon
receipt of an  undertaking  by or on behalf of the  director or officer to repay
such amount as, and to the extent, required by statute.  Section 607.0850 of the
FBCA provides that the  indemnification  and  advancement of expense  provisions
contained  in the FBCA  shall not be deemed  exclusive  of any rights to which a
director or officer  seeking  indemnification  or advancement of expenses may be
entitled.

         The Company's  Certificate of Incorporation  provides, in general, that
the Company shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by Section 607.0850
of the FBCA,  any and all persons  whom it shall have power to  indemnify  under
said section from and against any and all of the expenses,  liabilities or other
matters  referred  to in, or  covered  by,  said  section.  The  Certificate  of
Incorporation also provides that the indemnification  provided for therein shall
not be deemed  exclusive of any other rights to which those  indemnified  may be
entitled under any By-Law,  agreement,  vote of  stockholders  or  disinterested
directors or otherwise, both as to actions taken in his or her official capacity
and as to acts in another capacity while holding such office.

         In accordance with that provision of the Certificate of  Incorporation,
the Company  shall  indemnify  any officer or director  (including  officers and
directors serving another  corporation,  partnership,  joint venture,  trust, or
other  enterprise in any capacity at the Company's  request) made, or threatened
to be made, a party to an action or proceeding (whether civil, criminal,

                                       -3-


<PAGE>



administrative  or  investigative)  by  reason  of the  fact  that he or she was
serving in any of those capacities  against  judgments,  fines,  amounts paid in
settlement and reasonable  expenses  (including  attorney's  fees) incurred as a
result of such action or proceeding. Indemnification would not be available if a
judgment  or other  final  adjudication  adverse  to such  director  or  officer
establishes  that (i) his or her acts  were  committed  in bad faith or were the
result of active and deliberate  dishonesty or (ii) he or she personally  gained
in fact a financial profit or other advantage to which he or she was not legally
entitled.

         There is no litigation  pending,  and neither the registrant nor any of
its directors know of any threatened  litigation,  which might result in a claim
for indemnification by any director or officer.


Item 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

Number              Description of Exhibit

4.1   -- 1997 Stock Option Plan.
5.1   -- Opinion of Lane & Mittendorf LLP, counsel to the Company. 
23.1  -- Consentof Feldman Radin & Co., P.C.


Item 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         1. The undersigned, Company, hereby undertakes:

                    (a) To file,  during any period in which the Company  offers
or  sells  securities,  a  post-effective   amendment(s)  to  this  registration
statement:

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

                           (2)      To  reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or
                                    events  which,   individually   or  together
                                    represent  a   fundamental   change  in  the
                                    information in the  registration  statement;
                                    and

                           (3)      To  include   any   additional   or  changed
                                    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  1(a)(1) and 1(a)(2) do
         not  apply  if  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 section 15(d)
         of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of  1934  that  are  incorporated  by
         reference in this registration statement.

            (b)  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; and

            (c) 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 that time shall
         be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         2. The undersigned  Registrant  hereby undertakes 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 section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934  (and,  where  applicable,  each  filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934)  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         3.  Insofar  as  indemnification  for  liabilities  arising  under  the
Securities  Act of 1933 (the "Act") may be permitted to directors,  officers and
controlling  persons of the Company  pursuant to the  foregoing  provisions,  or
otherwise,  the Company has been advised  that in the opinion of the  Securities
and Exchange  Commission  (the  "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  Company of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or
controlling person of the Company 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 Company 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  of 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

         The Registrant.  Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the registrant certifies that it 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 County of Broward,  State of Florida on  December  12,
1997.


                           NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.

                           By:      /s/ Neal R. Heller
                                    Neal R. Heller, President and 
                                    Chief Executive Officer

                           By:      /s/ Robert B. Bruce
                                    Robert B. Bruce, Chief Financial Officer

         KNOW  ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that  each  person  whose  signature
appears below constitutes and appoints NEAL R. HELLER and/or ELIZABETH S. HELLER
his true and lawful  attorney-in-fact and agent, 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 file the same, with all exhibits thereto
and other  documents in connection  therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange
Commission,  granting  unto said  attorney-in-fact  and  agent,  full  power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing  requisite or 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
attorney-in-fact  and  agent or  either  of them or their or his  substitute  or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         In accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

       Signature                   Title                      Date

/s/ Sir Brian Wolfson        Chairman and Director         December 12, 1997
Sir Brian Wolfson

/s/ Neal R. Heller           President, Chief Executive    December 12, 1997
Neal R. Heller               Officer and Director

/s/ Elizabeth S. Heller      Secretary and Director        December 12, 1997
Elizabeth S. Heller

/s/ Martin C. Licht          Director                      December 12, 1997
Martin C. Licht




<PAGE>




/s/ Arthur Keiser            Director                      December 12, 1997
Arthur Keiser

______________________       Director                      December ___, 1997
Hiram Knott




                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.1

                           NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP.
                             1997 STOCK OPTION PLAN


                  1.  Purpose.  The purpose of this Natural  Health Trends Corp.
1997 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") is to provide a means whereby Natural Health
Trends Corp. and any present or future subsidiaries (collectively referred to as
the  "Company")  may,  through  the grant of options to  purchase  shares of the
Company's common stock, $.001 par value per share (the "Common Stock"),  attract
and  retain  persons  of  ability  as key  employees,  members  of the  Board of
Directors  and  consultants  and motivate such  individuals  to exert their best
efforts on behalf of the Company.

                  2. Shares  Subject to the Plan.  Options may be granted by the
Company  from time to time to eligible  individuals  to purchase an aggregate of
3,000,000  shares of Common Stock and 3,000,000 of such shares shall be reserved
for options granted under the Plan (subject to adjustment as provided in Section
5(h) hereof).  The shares issued upon exercise of options  issued under the Plan
may be  authorized  and  unissued  shares or shares  held by the  Company in its
treasury.  If any option granted under the Plan shall  terminate or expire,  new
options  covering  such  shares may  thereafter  be  granted  to other  eligible
individuals.

                  3.  Eligibility.  Options  may be  granted  under  the Plan to
employees  of  the  Company,  including  officers,  who  are  designated  as key
employees by the Committee (as



<PAGE>



defined in Section 4 hereof).  Members of the Board of Directors and consultants
of the  Company  selected  by the  Committee  shall also be  eligible to receive
options under the Plan.

                  4.  Administration of the Plan. The Plan shall be administered
by a committee of disinterested  persons  appointed by the Board of Directors of
the Company as constituted  from time to time (the  "Committee").  The Committee
shall  consist of at least two members of the Board of  Directors  chosen by the
Board.  During the one year prior to  commencement  of service on the Committee,
the Committee  members will not have  participated  in, and while serving,  such
members  shall not be eligible for selection as a person to whom shares of stock
may be allocated or to whom stock  options or stock  appreciation  rights may be
granted  under the Plan or any other  discretionary  plan of the  Company  under
which  participants  are  entitled  to  acquire  stock,  stock  options or stock
appreciation rights of the Company.
                  Subject to the  provisions of the Plan,  the  Committee  shall
         have the authority to:
                  (a) determine and designate  from time to time those  eligible
         individuals  to whom options are to be granted and the number of shares
         to be optioned to each individual;  provided,  however,  that no option
         shall be granted  after the  expiration of the period of ten years from
         the effective date of the Plan specified in Section 10 hereof;
                  (b)  determine  the time or times and the manner in which each
         option shall be exercisable and the duration of the exercise period;
                  (c)  extend  the term of any option  (including  extension  by
         reason of any optionee's  death,  permanent  disability or retirement);
         and



<PAGE>



                  (d) issue  options  under the Plan either as  incentive  stock
         options in  accordance  with the  requirements  of  Section  422 of the
         Internal  Revenue  Code  of  1986,  as  amended  (the  "Code"),  or  as
         nonstatutory options.
                  The Committee may  interpret  the Plan,  prescribe,  amend and
rescind  any  rules  and   regulations   necessary   or   appropriate   for  the
administration  of the Plan,  and make such  other  determinations  to take such
other  action  as  it  deems   necessary  or  advisable.   Any   interpretation,
determination  or other  action made or taken by the  Committee  shall be final,
binding and conclusive.

                  5. Terms and Conditions of Options.  Each option granted under
the Plan shall be evidenced by an agreement,  in form and substance  approved by
the Committee from time to time, which shall be subject to the following express
terms and conditions and to such other terms and conditions as the Committee may
deem appropriate:
                  (a) Option  Period.  Each option  agreement  shall specify the
         period for which the option  thereunder  is granted  and shall  provide
         that the  option  shall  expire  at the end of such  period.  No option
         granted under this Plan may be exercisable  after the expiration of ten
         years from the date the option is granted; provided,  however, that any
         incentive  option  granted to any person owning more than 10 percent of
         the voting  power of all classes of any member of the  Company's  stock
         shall not be  exercisable  after the  expiration of five years from the
         date such option is granted.
                  (b)  Option  Price.  The  option  price  per  share  shall  be
         determined by the Committee at the time any option is granted, provided
         that, to the extent that any options



<PAGE>



         are intended to qualify as incentive  stock  options,  the option price
         per share  shall not be less than the fair  market  value of a share of
         Common Stock on the date the option is granted,  as  determined  by the
         Committee.
                  (c)      Exercise of Option.
                           (1) In the case of an optionee who is an employee, no
                  part of any option may be exercised  until the optionee  shall
                  have  remained  in the employ of the  Company  for such period
                  after the date on which the option is granted as the Committee
                  may  specify  in the  option  agreement,  and until such other
                  conditions  as  specified in the option  agreement  shall have
                  been  satisfied.  Subject  in each case to the  provisions  of
                  paragraphs  (a)  through  (c) and (e) of this  Section  5, any
                  option  may be  exercised,  to the extent  exercisable  by its
                  terms,  at such  time or  times  as may be  determined  by the
                  Committee at the time of grant.
                           (2) In the case of an optionee who is a Member of the
                  Board of Directors or a consultant,  the Committee may specify
                  in the option  agreement any  requirement  as to the period of
                  time  after  the  grant of the  option  that the  optionee  is
                  required  to be a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  or a
                  consultant to the Company or other  conditions  which shall be
                  satisfied  before  the option is  exercisable,  in whole or in
                  part. Any option may be exercised,  to the extent  exercisable
                  by its terms,  at such time or times as may be  determined  by
                  the Committee at the time of grant.  The option  agreement may
                  also specify the extent to which the option is  exercisable in
                  the event of the death or disability of



<PAGE>



                  the  optionee,  by whom the  option  is  exercisable,  and the
                  requirements  for  exercise of  the option  in either  of such
                  events.
                  (d)  Payment of Purchase  Price upon  Exercise.  The  purchase
         price of the shares as to which an option shall be  exercised  shall be
         paid to the Company in full at the time of exercise.
                  (e)  Termination of Employment.  Any option  agreement with an
         employee under this Plan shall provide that:
                    (1)  If  prior to the  expiration  date of the  option  (the
                         "expiration  date") the  employee  shall for any reason
                         whatsoever, other than (i) his authorized retirement as
                         defined  in (2)  below,  (ii) his  permanent  and total
                         disability as defined in (3) below, or (iii) his death,
                         cease to be employed by the  Company,  any  unexercised
                         portion  of  the  option  granted  shall  automatically
                         terminate;
                    (2)  If prior to the expiration date, the employee shall (i)
                         retire upon or after reaching the age which at the time
                         of retirement is established  as the normal  retirement
                         age  for   employees   of  the  Company   (such  normal
                         retirement  age now  being 65  years)  or (ii) with the
                         written consent of the Company retire prior to such age
                         on  account  of  physical  or mental  disability  (such
                         retirement  pursuant to (i) or (ii) hereof being deemed
                         an "authorized  retirement") any unexercised portion of
                         the  option  shall  expire  at the end of three  months
                         after such authorized retirement, and during such three
                         month  period the employee may exercise all or any part
                         of the then unexercised portion of the option;



<PAGE>



                    (3)  If prior to the  expiration  date,  the employee  shall
                         become  permanently  and totally  disabled  (within the
                         meaning   of   Section  22  (e)(3)  of  the  Code)  any
                         unexercised  portion of the option  shall expire at the
                         end of twelve  months after  termination  of employment
                         from  the  Company  due to  such  permanent  and  total
                         disability; and
                    (4)  If prior to the expiration date, the employee shall die
                         (at a time when he is an  employee  of the  Company  or
                         within three months after his (i) authorized retirement
                         or  (ii)   termination   due  to  permanent  and  total
                         disability), the legal representatives of his estate or
                         a legatee or legatees shall have the  privilege,  for a
                         period of six months after his death, of exercising all
                         or any  part of the  then  unexercised  portion  of the
                         option.
                  Nothing  in  (2),  (3)  or  (4)  shall  extend  the  time  for
                  exercising any option granted  pursuant to the Plan beyond the
                  expiration date.
                  (f)  Transferability  of Options.  No option granted under the
         Plan and no right arising  under any such option shall be  transferable
         other than by will or by the laws of descent and  distribution.  During
         the  lifetime of the optionee an option  shall be  exercisable  only by
         him.
                  (g)  Investment  Representation.  Each  option  agreement  may
         contain an  undertaking  that,  upon demand by the Committee for such a
         representation,  the optionee (or any person  acting under Section 5(e)
         hereof)  shall  deliver to the Committee at the time of any exercise of
         an option a written  representation that the shares to be acquired upon
         such exercise are to be acquired for  investment  and not for resale or
         with a view



<PAGE>



         to the  distribution  thereof.  Upon  such  demand,  delivery  of  such
         representation prior to the delivery of any shares issued upon exercise
         of an option and prior to the  expiration of the option period shall be
         a condition precedent to the right of the optionee of such other person
         to purchase any shares.
                  (h)  Adjustments  in Event of Change in Common  Stock.  In the
         event  of any  change  in the  Common  Stock  by  reason  of any  stock
         dividend,  recapitalization,   reorganization,  merger,  consolidation,
         split-up,  combination  or  exchange of shares,  or rights  offering to
         purchase Common Stock at a price substantially below fair market value,
         or of any similar  change  affecting the Common  Stock,  the number and
         kind of shares which thereafter may be optioned and sold under the Plan
         and the  number  and kind of shares  subject  to option in  outstanding
         option  agreements  and the purchase  price per share  thereof shall be
         appropriately  adjusted  consistent  with such change in such manner as
         the Committee  may deem  equitable to prevent  substantial  dilution or
         enlargement of the rights granted to, or available for, participants in
         the Plan.
                  (i) Optionees to Have No Rights as a Stockholder.  No optionee
         shall  have any  rights as a  stockholder  with  respect  to any shares
         subject to his option  prior to the date on which he is recorded as the
         holder of such shares on the records of the Company.
                  (j) Plan and  Option  Not to Confer  Rights  with  Respect  to
         Continuance  of  Employment.  The Plan and any option granted under the
         Plan  shall not confer  upon any  optionee  any right  with  respect to
         continuance of employment by the Company, nor shall



<PAGE>



         they interfere  in any way with  the right of the Company to  terminate
         his employment at any time.
                  6.  Limitation.  Incentive  stock options shall not be granted
under the Plan,  which first become  exercisable  in any calendar year and which
permit the optionee to purchase  shares of the Company having an aggregate value
in excess of $100,000,  determined  at the time of the grant of the options.  No
optionee may exercise  incentive  stock  options  during a calendar year for the
purchase of shares having an aggregate fair market value (determined at the time
of the grant of the options) exceeding  $100,000,  except and to the extent that
such options were first exercisable in preceding calendar years.
                  7. Purchase Price. The purchase price for a share of the stock
subject to any option granted  hereunder shall be determined by the Committee at
the time the option is granted,  provided  that,  to the extent that any options
are intended to qualify as incentive  stock options,  the option price per share
shall not be less than the fair  market  value of the stock on the date of grant
of the option, said fair market value to be determined in good faith at the time
of grant of such option by decision of the  Committee;  and,  further  provided,
that in the case of an incentive  option  granted to any person then owning more
than 10 percent of the voting power of all classes of the Company's  stock,  the
purchase  price per share of the stock  subject to option shall be not less than
110  percent of the fair  market  value of the stock on the date of grant of the
option, determined in good faith as aforesaid.




<PAGE>



                  8. Compliance with Laws and  Regulations.  The Plan, the grant
and exercise of options  thereunder,  and the  obligation of the Company to sell
and  deliver  shares  under such  options,  shall be  subject to all  applicable
federal and state laws,  including any withholding tax  requirements,  rules and
regulations and to such approvals by any government or regulatory  agency as may
be  required.  The  Company  shall  not be  required  to  issue or  deliver  any
certificates for shares of Common Stock prior to (i) the collection of an amount
from the optionee  sufficient to satisfy any withholding tax requirements;  (ii)
the listing of such shares on any stock  exchange on which the Common  Stock may
then be listed; and (iii) the completion of any registration or qualification of
such shares under any federal or state law, or any ruling or  regulation  of any
government body which the Company shall, in its sole discretion, determine to be
necessary or advisable.

                  9.  Amendment  or  Discontinuance  of the  Plan.  The Board of
Directors of the Company may at any time amend,  suspend or terminate  the Plan;
provided  however,  that,  subject to the provisions of Section 5(h) hereof,  no
action of the Board may (i) increase  the number of shares  reserved for options
pursuant to Section 2 hereof,  and (ii) permit the  granting of any option at an
option price less than that  determined in accordance  with Section 5(b) hereof.
Without the written  consent of an optionee,  no  amendment,  discontinuance  or
termination of the Plan shall alter or impair any option  previously  granted to
him under the Plan.

                  10. Effective Date of the Plan and Jurisdiction. The effective
date of the Plan shall be the date of its  adoption  by the Board of  Directors,
subject to its approval by the



<PAGE>



shareholders  within twelve months of the date of its adoption.  Notwithstanding
the  foregoing,  if the Plan shall have been approved by the Board prior to such
stockholder approval, options may be granted by the Committee as provided herein
subject to such subsequent  stockholder approval.  The Plan shall be governed by
the laws of the State of Florida.

                  11.      Name.  The Plan shall be known as the "Natural Health
Trends Corp. 1997 Stock Option Plan."





                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1
                              LANE & MITTENDORF LLP
                                 320 Park Avenue
                            New York, New York 10022
                                 (212) 508-3200


                            Facsimile: (212) 508-3230

                                December 12, 1997

Natural Health Trends Corp.
2001 West Sample Road
Pompano Beach, FL  33064

Attn:  Neal R. Heller

                           Re:              Registration Statement on Form S-8

Gentlemen:

                  We refer to the offering (the  "Offering") of 3,000,000 shares
of common stock, $.001 par value (the "Common Stock"),  of Natural Health Trends
Corp., a Florida corporation (the "Company"),  being registered on behalf of the
Company as described in the Registration  Statement on Form S-8 to be filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission as subsequently amended from time to time
(collectively, the "Registration Statement").

                  In  furnishing  our opinion,  we have  examined  copies of the
Registration Statement and the Exhibits thereto. We have conferred with officers
of the Company and have  examined  the  originals  or  certified,  conformed  or
photostatic  copies of such records of the Company,  certificates of officers of
the Company,  certificates of public  officials,  and such other documents as we
have deemed relevant and necessary under the  circumstances  as the basis of the
opinion  expressed  herein.  In all  such  examinations,  we  have  assumed  the
authenticity  of  all  documents  submitted  to us  as  originals  or  duplicate
originals,  the  conformity to original  documents of all document  copies,  the
authenticity  of the  respective  originals  of such latter  documents,  and the
correctness and  completeness of such  certificates.  Finally,  we have obtained
from officers of the Company such assurances as we have considered necessary for
the purposes of this opinion.

                  Based upon and subject to the foregoing and such other matters
of fact and  questions of law as we have deemed  relevant in the  circumstances,
and  in  reliance  thereon,  it is  our  opinion  that,  when  and  if  (a)  the
Registration  Statement  shall  be  declared  effective  by the  Securities  and
Exchange Commission, as the same may hereafter be amended; and (b) the shares



<PAGE>



of Common  Stock to be sold for the account of the Company  shall have been sold
as contemplated in the Registration Statement,  then all of the shares of common
Stock, upon execution and delivery of proper certificates therefor, will be duly
authorized, validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable.

                  We hereby  consent to the use of our name in the  Registration
Statement  and  to  the  inclusion  of  this  opinion  in  the  Exhibits  to the
Registration Statement.

                  It should be noted  that  Martin C.  Licht,  a partner of this
firm, serves in a business capacity on the Board of Directors of the Company. No
knowledge  that he may have as a result  of his  business  association  with the
Company is to be imputed to this firm.

                  We are  admitted  to the  practice of law only in the State of
New York.  The opinions set forth herein are based upon the laws of the State of
New York,  the corporate law of the State of Florida and the Federal laws of the
United States.

                  This opinion is limited to the matters set forth  herein,  and
may not be relied  upon in any matter by any other  person or used for any other
purpose other than in connection  with the corporate  authority for the issuance
of  the  shares  of  Common  Stock  pursuant  to  and  as  contemplated  by  the
Registration Statement.

                                               Very truly yours,

                                               LANE & MITTENDORF LLP




                                       -2-




                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.1



                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS



     We consent  to the use in this  Registration  Statement  on Form S-8 of our
report dated March 7, 1997, relating to the consolidated financial statements of
Natural Health Trends Corp.  and the reference to our firm in this  Registration
Statement.



                                                 /s/ Feldman Radin & Co., P.C.
                                                 FELDMAN RADIN & CO., P.C.
                                                 Certified Public Accountants

New York, New York
December 12, 1997





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