Registration No. 333-______
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 3, 2003
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Atlantic Liberty Financial Corp.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Delaware 16-1615014
(State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
Incorporation or Organization)
186 Montague Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Barry M. Donohue
President and Chief Executive Officer
186 Montague Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
(718) 855-3555
(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Agent for Service)
Atlantic Liberty Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan
(Full Title of the Plan)
Copies to:
Alan Schick, Esquire
Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick, P.C.
5335 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20015
(202) 274-2000
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on
a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of
1933 check the following box. [X]
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
====================================================================================================================
Title of Proposed Proposed
Securities Amount Maximum Maximum Amount of
to be to be Offering Price Aggregate Registration
Registered Registered (1) Per Share Offering Price Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
401(k) Participation
Interests
(1) __ __ (2)
====================================================================================================================
- --------------
(1) Represents an indeterminate number of interests in the Atlantic Liberty
Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan.
(2) Pursuant to Rule 457(h)(3) no registration fee is required to be paid.
This Registration Statement shall become effective upon filing in
accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and 17 C.F.R. ss.
230.462.
PART I.
Items 1 and 2. Plan Information and Registrant Information and Employee Plan
Annual Information
This Registration Statement relates to the registration of an indeterminate
number of participation interests in the Atlantic Liberty Savings, F.A. 401(k)
Savings Plan (the "Plan"). Documents containing the information required by Part
I of the Registration Statement have been or will be sent or given to
participants in the Plan, as specified by Securities Act Rule 428(b)(1). Such
documents are not filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses
or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424, in reliance on Rule 428.
PART II.
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference
The following documents previously or concurrently filed by Atlantic
Liberty Financial Corp. (the "Company") with the Commission are hereby
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:
a) The Company's prospectus containing audited financial statements for the
fiscal year ended March 31, 2002 (Commission File No. 333-90828), filed pursuant
to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;
b) All other reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") since the end
of the year covered by the prospectus referred to in (a) above; and
c) The description of the Company's common stock contained in the
Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on August 12, 2002
(Commission File No. 000-49967).
All documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission
pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, after the
date hereof, and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters
all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed incorporated by reference
into this Registration Statement and to be a part thereof from the date of the
filing of such documents. Any statement contained in the documents incorporated,
or deemed to be incorporated, by reference herein or therein shall be deemed to
be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement and the
prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein or therein or in any
other subsequently filed document which also is, or is deemed to be,
incorporated by reference herein or therein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration
Statement and the prospectus.
The Company shall furnish without charge to each person to whom the
prospectus is delivered, on the written or oral request of such person, a copy
of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference, other than exhibits to
such documents (unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference
to the information that is incorporated). Requests should be directed to Barry
M. Donohue, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlantic Liberty Financial
Corp., 186 Montague Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11201, telephone number (718)
855-3555.
All information appearing in this Registration Statement and the prospectus
is qualified in its entirety by the detailed information, including financial
statements, appearing in the documents incorporated herein or therein by
reference.
Item 4. Description of Securities
Not applicable.
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Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
None.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Articles NINTH and TENTH of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company
set forth circumstances under which directors, officers, employees and agents of
the Company may be insured or indemnified against liability which they incur in
their capacities as such:
NINTH:
A. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a
party to or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a "proceeding"),
by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a Director or an Officer of the
Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a
Director, Officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership,
joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to an
employee benefit plan (hereinafter an "indemnitee"), whether the basis of such
proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a Director, Officer,
employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as a Director, Officer,
employee or agent, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to
the fullest extent authorized by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as the
same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment,
only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide
broader indemnification rights than such law permitted the Corporation to
provide prior to such amendment), against all expense, liability and loss
(including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties
and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such
indemnitee in connection therewith; provided, however, that, except as provided
in Section C hereof with respect to proceedings to enforce rights to
indemnification, the Corporation shall indemnify any such indemnitee in
connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such indemnitee only
if such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of
the Corporation.
B. The right to indemnification conferred in Section A of this Article
NINTH shall include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses
incurred in defending any such proceeding in advance of its final disposition
(hereinafter and "advancement of expenses"); provided, however, that, if the
Delaware General Corporation Law requires, an advancement of expenses incurred
by an indemnitee in his or her capacity as a Director or Officer (and not in any
other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such indemnitee,
including, without limitation, services to an employee benefit plan) shall be
made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking (hereinafter an
"undertaking"), by or on behalf of such indemnitee, to repay all amounts so
advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from
which there is no further right to appeal (hereinafter a "final adjudication")
that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under
this Section or otherwise. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement
of expenses conferred in Sections A and B of this Article NINTH shall be
contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has
ceased to be a Director, Officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the
benefit of the indemnitee's heirs, executors and administrators.
C. If a claim under Section A or B of this Article NINTH is not paid in
full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim has been
received by the Corporation, except in the case of a claim for an advancement of
expenses, in which case the applicable period shall be twenty (20) days, the
indemnitee may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to
recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If successful in whole or in part in any
such suit, or in a suit brought by the Corporation to recover an advancement of
expenses pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the indemnitee shall be
entitled to be paid also the expenses of prosecuting or defending such suit. In
(i) any suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification
hereunder (but not in a suit brought by the indemnitee to enforce a right to an
advancement of expenses) it shall be a defense that, and (ii) in any suit by the
Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses pursuant to the terms of an
undertaking the Corporation shall be entitled to recover such expenses upon a
final adjudication that, the indemnitee has not met any applicable standard for
indemnification set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law. Neither the
failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal
counsel, or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the
<page>
commencement of such suit that indemnification of the indemnitee is proper in
the circumstances because the indemnitee has met the applicable standard of
conduct set forth in the Delaware General Corporation Law, nor an actual
determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent
legal counsel, or its stockholders) that the indemnitee has not met such
applicable standard of conduct, shall create a presumption that the indemnitee
has not met the applicable standard of conduct or, in the case of such a suit
brought by the indemnitee, be a defense to such suit. In any suit brought by the
indemnitee to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of
expenses hereunder, or by the Corporation to recover an advancement of expenses
pursuant to the terms of an undertaking, the burden of proving that the
indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of
expenses, under this Article NINTH or otherwise, shall be on the Corporation.
D. The rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses
conferred in this Article NINTH shall not be exclusive of any other right which
any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, the Corporation's
Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or
disinterested directors or otherwise.
E. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect
itself and any Director, Officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or
another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise
against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would
have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss
under the Delaware General Corporation Law.
F. The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the
Board of Directors, grant rights to indemnification and to the advancement of
expenses to any employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent of
the provisions of this Article NINTH with respect to the indemnification and
advancement of expenses of directors and officers of the Corporation.
TENTH:
A Director of this Corporation shall not be personally liable to the
Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for 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 acts or
omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation
Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which the Director derived an improper
personal benefit. If the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to
authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal
liability of Directors, then the liability of a Director of the Corporation
shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law, as so amended.
Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the stockholders
of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a
Director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.
Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8. List of Exhibits.
Regulation S-K Reference to Prior Filing or
Exhibit Number Document Exhibit No. Attached Hereto
4 Form of Common Stock Certificate *
5 Opinion of Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick, P.C. Attached as Exhibit 5
10 Atlantic Liberty Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan. **
23.1 Consent of Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick, P.C. Contained in Exhibit 5
23.2 Consent of Radics & Co., LLC. Attached as Exhibit 23.2
24 Power of Attorney. Contained on Signature Page
99 Prospectus Supplement. ***
<page>
* Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4 to the Registration Statement
on Form SB-2 (Commission File No. 333-90828), originally filed by the
Company under the Securities Act of 1933 with the Commission on June
20, 2002, and all amendments or reports filed for the purpose of
updating such description.
** Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Registration
Statement on Form SB-2 (Commission File No. 333-90828), originally
filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933 with the
Commission on June 20, 2002, and all amendments or reports filed for
the purpose of updating such description.
*** Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 to the Registration
Statement on Form SB-2 (Commission File No. 333-90828), originally
filed by the Company under the Securities Act of 1933 with the
Commission on June 20, 2002, and all amendments or reports filed for
the purpose of updating such description.
Item 9. Undertakings
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 to include any material
information with respect to the plan distribution not previously disclosed in
this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this
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 registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the Plan;
4. 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 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; and
5. 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.
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 on Form S-8 to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New
York, on this 2nd day of January, 2003.
ATLANTIC LIBERTY FINANCIAL CORP.
Date: January 2, 2003 By: /s/ Barry M. Donohue
----------------------------
Barry M. Donohue, President and
Chief Executive Officer
(Duly Authorized Representative)
POWER OF ATTORNEY
We, the undersigned directors and officers of Atlantic Liberty Financial
Corp. (the "Company") hereby severally constitute and appoint Barry M. Donohue,
as our true and lawful attorney and agent, to do any and all things in our names
in the capacities indicated below which said Barry M. Donohue may deem necessary
or advisable to enable the Company to comply with the Securities Act of 1933,
and any rules, regulations and requirements of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, in connection with the registration of participation interests in
the Atlantic Liberty Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan, including specifically,
but not limited to, power and authority to sign for us in our names in the
capacities indicated below the registration statement and any and all amendments
(including post-effective amendments) thereto; and we hereby approve, ratify and
confirm all that said Barry M. Donohue shall do or cause to be done by virtue
thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement on Form S-8 has been signed by the following persons in
the capacities and on the date indicated.
Signatures Title Date
/s/ Barry M. Donohue President, Chief Executive Officer January 2, 2003
- -------------------------- and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Barry M. Donohue
/s/ William M. Gilfillan Executive Vice President and January 2, 2003
- ------------------------- Chief Financial Officer (Principal
William M. Gilfillan Financial and Accounting Officer)
/s/ Richard T. Arkwright Chairman January 2, 2003
- -------------------------
Richard T. Arkwright
/s/ Hon. Guy J. Mangano Director January 2, 2003
- -------------------------
Hon. Guy J. Mangano
/s/ Thomas M. De Martino Director January 2, 2003
- -------------------------
Thomas M. De Martino
/s/ George M. Spanakos Director January 2, 2003
- -------------------------
George M. Spanakos
THE PLAN. Pursuant to requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefit plan) have duly
caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New
York, on January 2, 2003.
ATLANTIC LIBERTY SAVINGS, F.A. 401(k) SAVINGS PLAN
By: /s/ Barry M. Donohue
----------------------------------------
Barry M. Donohue
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Duly authorized representative)
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number Description
4 Form of Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
4 to the Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (Commission File No.
333-90828), originally filed by the Company under the Securities Act
of 1933 with the Commission on June 20, 2002, and all amendments or
reports filed for the purpose of updating such description).
5 Opinion of Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick, P.C.
10 Atlantic Liberty Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Registration Statement on Form SB-2
(Commission File No. 333-90828), originally filed by the Company under
the Securities Act of 1933 with the Commission on June 20, 2002, and
all amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
description).
23.1 Consent of Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick, P.C. (contained in the
opinion included as Exhibit 5).
23.2 Consent of Radics & Co., LLC.
24 Power of Attorney (contained in the signature page to this
Registration Statement).
99 Prospectus Supplement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.5 to
the Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (Commission File No.
333-90828), originally filed by the Company under the Securities Act
of 1933 with the Commission on June 20, 2002, and all amendments or
reports filed for the purpose of updating such description).
Exhibit 5
(202) 274-2000
January 3, 2003
Board of Directors
Atlantic Liberty Financial Corp.
186 Montague Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201
Re: Atlantic Liberty Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan
Registration Statement on Form S-8
Ladies and Gentlemen:
You have requested the opinion of this firm as to certain matters in
connection with the registration of participation interests in the Atlantic
Liberty Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan (the "Plan"). We have reviewed the
Certificate of Incorporation of Atlantic Liberty Financial Corp. (the
"Company"), the Plan, the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the
"Form S-8"), as well as applicable statutes and regulations governing the
Company.
Based on the foregoing, we are of the following opinion:
Upon the effectiveness of the Form S-8, the participation interests in the
Plan will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable and the shares of
common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of the Company that may be purchased by
the Plan will, upon purchase, be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
This opinion has been prepared solely for the use of the Company in
connection with the preparation and filing of the Form S-8, and should not be
used for any other purpose or relied upon by any other person without the prior
written consent of this firm. We hereby consent to the use of this opinion in
the Form S-8.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick
---------------------------------
Luse Gorman Pomerenk & Schick,
A Professional Corporation
Exhibit 23.2
Independent Accountants' Consent
The Board of Directors
Atlantic Liberty Financial Corp.
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statement
on Form S-8 of Atlantic Liberty Financial Corp. related to the Atlantic Liberty
Savings, F.A. 401(k) Savings Plan of our report dated May 3, 2002, relating to
the statements of condition of Atlantic Liberty Savings, F.A. as of March 31,
2002 and 2001, and the related statements of income, comprehensive income,
retained earnings and cash flows for the years then ended, which report appears
in the Registration Statement on Form SB-2 of Atlantic Liberty Financial Corp.,
originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 20, 2002
(Securities and Exchange Commission File No. 333-90828).
/s/ Radics & Co., LLC
- --------------------------
Radics & Co., LLC
Pine Brook, New Jersey
December 27, 2002