1 The Exhibit Index begins on page 5 As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 23, 1996 Registration No. 33-________ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 USF&G CORPORATION (Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter) MARYLAND 52-1220567 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) incorporation or organization) 100 LIGHT STREET 21202 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND (Zip Code) (Address of principal executive offices) 1994 STOCK PLAN FOR EMPLOYEES OF USF&G (Full title of plan) (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service) (Copy to:) JOHN A. MACCOLL, ESQUIRE JOHN F. HOFFEN, JR., ESQUIRE USF&G CORPORATION USF&G CORPORATION 100 LIGHT STREET 100 LIGHT STREET BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21202 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 21202 (410) 547-3000 (410) 547-3000 CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE Proposed maximum Proposed maximum Title of Securities to Amount to be offering price per aggregate offering Amount of be registered registered share price registration fee Common Stock (par 1,000,000 shares $15.50* $15,500,000* $5,345.00* value $2.50 per share) * Calculated solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h), the proposed maximum offering price per share, proposed maximum aggregate offering price and the amount of the registration fee are based on the closing price of USF&G Corporation Common Stock reported on the New York Stock Exchange on May 21, 1996 (i.e., $15.50). STATEMENT REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH INSTRUCTION E TO FORM S-8 The purpose of this registration statement on Form S-8 is to register an additional 1,000,000 shares for issuance pursuant to the terms of the 1994 Stock Plan for Employees of USF&G (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The contents of the earlier registration statement for this Plan, filed on September 29, 1994, Registration No. 33-55671, are hereby incorporated by reference into this registration statement. ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL. The legal validity of the shares of Common Stock offered by the Registrant pursuant to this Registration Statement is being passed upon by J. Kendall Huber, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for the Registrant. As of May 22, 1996, Mr. Huber owns shares of Common Stock and options to acquire such shares aggregating less than 0.1% of the Corporation's outstanding Common Stock. 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, there- unto duly authorized, in the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland on the 22nd day of May, 1996. USF&G CORPORATION 1 By: /s/ Norman P. Blake, Jr. Norman P. Blake, Jr. Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer POWER OF ATTORNEY The undersigned Officers and Directors of USF&G Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the "Corporation"), hereby constitute and appoint Norman P. Blake, Jr., Dan L. Hale and John A. MacColl of Baltimore City, Maryland, and each of them, the true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact of the undersigned with full power and authority in said agents and attorneys-in-fact, and in any one or more of them, to sign for the undersigned and in their respective names as Officers and as Directors of the Corporation, a Registration Statement on Form S-8 relating to the proposed issuance of shares of Common Stock and other securities to employees of the Corporation and its subsidiaries (or any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to such Registration Statement) and file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and with full power of substitution; hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may 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 indicated on the 22nd day of May, 1996. 1 SIGNATURE TITLE Director, Chairman of the Board, /s/ Norman P. Blake, Jr. Chief Executive Officer, and President Norman P. Blake, Jr. Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and /s/ Dan L. Hale Accounting Officer) Dan L. Hale 1 SIGNATURE TITLE /s/ H. Furlong Baldwin Director H. Furlong Baldwin /s/ Michael J. Birck Director Michael J. Birck /s/ George L. Bunting, Jr. Director George L. Bunting, Jr. /s/ Robert E. Davis Director Robert E. Davis /s/ Dale F. Frey Director Dale F. Frey /s/ Robert E. Gregory, Jr. Director Robert E. Gregory, Jr. /s/ Robert J. Hurst Director Robert J. Hurst /s/ Wilbur G. Lewellen Director Wilbur G. Lewellen /s/ Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr. Director Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr. /s/ Larry P. Scriggins Director Larry P. Scriggins SIGNATURE TITLE /s/ Anne M. Whittemore Director Anne M. Whittemore /s/ R. James Woolsey Director R. James Woolsey EXHIBIT INDEX Exhibit Sequential Number Description Page Number 4 Description of Shareholder Rights Plan (incorporated by reference to Form 8-A filed September 21, 1987) 5 Opinion and Consent of Counsel Regarding the Legality of the Shares of Common Stock 7 23.1 Consent of Independent Auditors 8 23.2 Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5 above) 28 Information Reports Furnished to State Insurance Regulatory Authorities See note (1) - -------------------------------- (1) Incorporated by reference to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1995. EXHIBIT 5 May 22, 1996 USF&G Corporation 100 Light Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Gentlemen: I am the duly elected and acting Vice President-Deputy General Counsel of USF&G Corporation (the "Corporation") and I have acted as counsel to the Corporation in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") registering 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $2.50 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock") for issuance pursuant to the 1994 Stock Plan for USF&G Employees (the "Plan"). In this capacity, I have examined (i) the charter and by-laws of the Corporation, (ii) the corporate proceedings authorizing the issuance of 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Plan, (iii) the Plan, and (iv) such other documents and instruments as I have considered necessary in the rendering of the opinions hereinafter set forth. Based upon the foregoing, I am of the opinion that: 1.` The Corporation has been duly incorporated and is a validly existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland. 2. Upon issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Plan, such shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to me under Item 5 of this Registration statement. Very truly yours, \s\ J. Kendall Huber J. Kendall Huber EXHIBIT 23.1 CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS Board of Directors USF&G Corporation We are aware of the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement (Form S-8) of USF&G Corporation for the registration of 1,000,000 shares of its common stock and our report dated May 14, 1996, relating to the unaudited consolidated interim financial statements of USF&G Corporation which is included in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1996. Pursuant to Rule 436(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 our report is not part of the registration statement prepared or certified by accountants within the meaning of Section 7 or 11 of the Securities Act of 1933. /s/ ERNST & YOUNG, LLP Baltimore, Maryland May 21, 1996