TALK COM
S-8, 2000-12-19
RADIOTELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS
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    As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2000
                                                     Registration No. 333-______
================================================================================

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                -----------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                -----------------

                                  TALK.COM INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                  DELAWARE                             23-2827736
       (State or other jurisdiction of     (I.R.S.  Employer Identification No.)
       incorporation or organization)

                           12020 SUNRISE VALLEY DRIVE
                             RESTON, VIRGINIA 20191
                                 (702) 391-7500

  (Address and telephone number of registrant's principal executive offices)

                         2000 LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                              ALOYSIUS T. LAWN, IV
                          GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY
                                  TALK.COM INC.
                           12020 SUNRISE VALLEY DRIVE
                             RESTON, VIRGINIA 20191
                                 (702) 391-7500

                     (Name, address, including zip code, and
                     telephone number, including area code,
                              of agent for service)

                                -----------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
====================================================================================================================================
                                                                   PROPOSED MAXIMUM      PROPOSED MAXIMUM
          TITLE OF EACH CLASS                 AMOUNT TO BE        OFFERING PRICE PER    AGGREGATE OFFERING          AMOUNT OF
    OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED           REGISTERED(2)             SHARE(3)                PRICE            REGISTRATION FEE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                         <C>                         <C>                 <C>                     <C>
Common Stock, par value $.01 per            5,000,000 shares            $1.8125             $9,062,500             $2,392.50
share(1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<FN>
(1)      Includes the associated rights to purchase Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock. No separate consideration will be
         received for the rights, which initially will trade together with the Common Stock.

(2)      Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being  registered such  additional  shares of Common Stock of the registrant as may be
         issuable in the case of stock splits, stock dividends and similar transactions, as provided in the 2000 Long-Term Incentive
         Plan.

(3)      Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the amount of the registration fee, pursuant to paragraphs (c) and (h) of Rule
         457,  on the basis of the average of the high and low sale prices of the shares of Common  Stock of the  registrant  on the
         Nasdaq National Market on December 18, 2000.
</FN>
</TABLE>

================================================================================

<PAGE>

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following  documents  filed by Talk.com Inc. (the  "Company" or the
"Registrant") with the SEC are hereby incorporated herein by reference:

      o     the  Company's  annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
            December  31,  1999,  filed with the SEC on March 23, 2000 (SEC file
            no. 0-26728);

      o     Amendment No. 1 to the Company's  annual report on Form 10-K for the
            fiscal year ended December 31, 1999, filed with the SEC on April 28,
            2000 (SEC file no. 0-26728);

      o     the Company's  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
            ended March 31,  2000,  filed with the SEC on May 15, 2000 (SEC file
            no. 0-26728);

      o     the Company's  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
            ended June 30, 2000, filed with the SEC on August 14, 2000 (SEC file
            no. 0-26728);

      o     the Company's  quarterly  report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
            ended  September  30, 2000,  filed with the SEC on November 14, 2000
            (SEC file no. 0-26728);

      o     the  Company's  current  report on Form 8-K,  filed  with the SEC on
            April 7, 2000 (SEC file no. 0-26728);

      o     the  Company's  current  report on Form 8-K,  filed  with the SEC on
            August 3, 2000 (SEC file no. 0-26728);

      o     the  Company's  current  report on Form 8-K,  filed  with the SEC on
            August 11, 2000 (SEC file no. 0-26728);

      o     the  Company's  current  report on Form 8-K,  filed  with the SEC on
            September 13, 2000 (SEC file no. 0-26728);

      o     the  description  of the Company's  capital  stock  contained in its
            registration statement on Form 8-A, dated September 8, 1995; and

      o     the  description of the Company's  preferred  stock purchase  rights
            contained in its registration  statement on Form 8-A, filed with the
            SEC on August 27, 1999.

         All documents filed by the Company after the date of this  Registration
Statement  pursuant to Sections 13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act,
prior to the filing of a  post-effective  amendment  which indicates that all of
the Company's  Common Stock offered hereby has been sold or which withdraws from
registration  such Common  Stock then  remaining  unsold,  shall be deemed to be
incorporated  in this  Registration  Statement by reference and be a part hereof
from the date of filing such  documents.  Any statement  contained in a document
incorporated  or deemed to be  incorporated  by reference  in this  Registration
Statement  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  in  this  Registration  Statement  modifies  or  supersedes  such
statement.



                                      II-1
<PAGE>

Any such statement so modified or superseded  shall not be deemed,  except as so
modified or so superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

Not applicable.

Item 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

Aloysius T. Lawn, IV, General Counsel and Secretary,  has rendered an opinion to
the  effect  that the  shares  of  common  stock  subject  to this  Registration
Statement  are duly  authorized  and, as or when issued in  accordance  with the
terms of the plan and/or the  agreements,  have been or will be legally  issued,
fully paid and  non-assessable.  As of  December  1, 2000,  Mr. Lawn owns 88,650
shares of common stock and options covering 572,500 shares of Common Stock

Item 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

         Under  Section  145 of the  General  Corporation  Law of the  State  of
Delaware (the "DGCL"),  a Delaware  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  (other than an action by or in the right of the  corporation)  by
reason of the fact that the person is or was a  director,  officer,  employee or
agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation
as a director,  officer, employee or agent of another corporation,  partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys'
fees),  judgments,  fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the
person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she  reasonably  believed to be
in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to
any criminal action or proceeding,  had no reasonable  cause to believe that his
or her conduct was unlawful.

         A Delaware  corporation may indemnify any person in connection with any
threatened,  pending  or  completed  action  or suit by or in the  right  of the
corporation  to procure a  judgment  in its favor by reason of the fact that the
person is or was a director,  officer, employee or agent of the corporation,  or
is or was serving at the  request of the  corporation  as a  director,  officer,
employee or agent of another corporation,  partnership,  joint venture, trust or
other  enterprise,  against  expenses  (including  attorneys' fees) actually and
reasonably  incurred by the person in connection  with the defense or settlement
of such action,  except that no indemnification may be made with respect thereto
unless,  and then only to the extent  that,  a court of  competent  jurisdiction
determines upon application that the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to
indemnity for such expenses as the court shall deem proper.

         A Delaware corporation must indemnify any present or former director or
officer who is  successful  on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action,
suit or proceeding  referred to above  against  expenses  (including  attorneys'
fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

         A Delaware  corporation may pay for the expenses (including  attorneys'
fees)  incurred by an officer or director in defending any such action,  suit or
proceeding in advance of final  disposition upon receipt of an undertaking by or
on  behalf  of such  officer  or  director  to  repay  such  amount  if it shall
ultimately be determined that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified by the
corporation.

         Article VI of the Bylaws of the Company provides for indemnification of
its  directors  and executive  officers to the maximum  extent  permitted by the
DGCL. Additionally, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with
certain



                                      II-2
<PAGE>

of its directors and officers.  These agreements provide for  indemnification to
the  fullest  extent  permitted  by law and,  in certain  respects,  may provide
greater   protection   than  that   specifically   provided   for  by  providing
indemnification for, among other things,  conduct which is adjudged to be fraud,
deliberate dishonesty or willful misconduct.

         Section  102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation  to provide in its
certificate of incorporation  that a director shall not be personally  liable to
the  corporation  or its  stockholders  for  monetary  damages  for a breach  of
fiduciary  duty as a director,  except for  liability  (i) for any breach of the
director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders,  (ii) for any
acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a
knowing  violation  of law,  (iii) with  respect to  certain  unlawful  dividend
payments or stock  redemptions or repurchases or (iv) for any  transaction  from
which the director derived an improper  personal  benefit.  Article Ninth of the
Company's Certificate of Incorporation  eliminates the liability of directors to
the fullest extent permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL.

         Section 145 of the DGCL permits a corporation  to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation
as a director,  officer, employee or agent of another corporation,  partnership,
joint venture,  trust or other employee  against any liability  asserted against
such  person and  incurred by such  person in such  capacity,  or arising out of
their  status as such,  whether or not the  corporation  would have the power to
indemnify  directors  and  officers  against  such  liability.  The  Company has
purchased an insurance policy that purports to insure the officers and directors
against certain liabilities incurred by them in the discharge of their functions
as officers and directors.

Item 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

Not applicable.

Item 8. EXHIBITS.

         The  exhibits  listed  on the  Index of  Exhibits  on page II-6 of this
Registration  Statement  are  filed  herewith  or  are  incorporated  herein  by
reference to other filings.

Item 9. UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

         (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 registration  statement (or the most recent
         post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,   individually  or  in  the
         aggregate, represents a fundamental change in the information set forth
         in the  registration  statement.  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  any
         increase  or  decrease  in volume of  securities  offered (if the total
         dollar  value of  securities  offered  would not exceed  that which was
         registered) and any deviation from the low or high and of the estimated
         maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
         with the Commission  pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate,  the
         changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in
         the maximum aggregate



                                      II-3
<PAGE>

         offering price set forth in the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table
         in the effective 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;  provided,  however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i)
         and  (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the  registration  statement is on Form
         S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3, and the information  required to be included
         in a  post-effective  amendment  by those  paragraphs  is  contained in
         periodic  reports  filed with or  furnished  to the  Commission  by the
         registrar  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 that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

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

         (b) 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 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.

          (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 foregoing  provisions,  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.




                                      II-4
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

         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 Fairfax,  Commonwealth of Virginia, on the 12th day
of December, 2000.

                                            TALK.COM INC.

                                            By:  /s/ Gabriel A. Battista
                                                ------------------------------
                                                Gabriel A. Battista
                                                Chairman of the Board, Chief
                                                Executive Officer and Director

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW  ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that  each  person  whose  signature
appears below hereby  constitutes and appoints  Gabriel A. Battista and Aloysius
T. Lawn, IV, his or her true and lawful  attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name,
place and stead,  in any and all  capacities,  to sign any and all amendments or
supplements   (including   post-effective   amendments)  to  this   Registration
Statement,  and to file the same, with exhibits thereto,  and other documents in
connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto
said  attorneys-in-fact  and agents 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 or she might or could do in
person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said  attorneys-in-fact
and agents, or either of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes,
may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to 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.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                  SIGNATURE                                          TITLE                                    DATE
                  ---------                                          -----                                    ----
<S>                                             <C>                                                     <C>


      /s/  Gabriel A. Battista                  Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer          December 13, 2000
---------------------------------------         and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
          Gabriel A. Battista


      /s/ Kenneth G. Baritz
---------------------------------------         President and Director                                  December 13, 2000
         Kenneth G. Baritz


     /s/  Edward B. Meyercord, III              Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial                December 13, 2000
---------------------------------------         Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial
      Edward B. Meyercord, III                  Officer)


    /s/  Janet C. Kirschner
---------------------------------------         Controller (Principal Accounting Officer)               December 13, 2000
        Janet C. Kirschner


   /s/  Mark S. Fowler
---------------------------------------         Director                                                December 13, 2000
        Mark S. Fowler


  /s/  Arthur J. Marks
---------------------------------------         Director                                                December 13, 2000
       Arthur J. Marks


  /s/   Ronald R. Thoma
---------------------------------------         Director                                                December 13, 2000
        Ronald R. Thoma
</TABLE>



                                      II-5
<PAGE>


                                INDEX OF EXHIBITS


EXHIBIT NUMBER                               DESCRIPTION
---------------                              ------------
Exhibit 4.1       2000 Long-Term  Incentive Plan  (incorporated  by reference to
                  Exhibit  10.31 to Talk.com  Inc.'s  Registration  Statement on
                  Form S-4 (File No. 333-40980)).

Exhibit 5.1       Opinion of Aloysius T. Lawn IV, General  Counsel and Secretary
                  of Talk.com  Inc.  with  respect to the validity of the Common
                  Stock being registered.

Exhibit 23.1      Consent of BDO  Seidman,  LLP,  independent  certified  public
                  accountants.

Exhibit 23.2      Consent of Aloysius T. Lawn, IV (included in Exhibit 5.1).

Exhibit 24.1      Power of attorney of the directors and certain officers of the
                  Company  (included in the signature page of this  Registration
                  Statement at page II-5).



                                      II-6



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