1 Exhibit 5 BRYAN CAVE LLP ONE METROPOLITAN SQUARE, SUITE 3600 ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63102-2750 (314) 259-2000 FACSIMILE: (314) 259-2020 Washington, D.C. London, England New York, New York Frankfurt Am Main, Germany Kansas City, Missouri Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Overland Park, Kansas Kuwait City, Kuwait Phoenix, Arizona Dubai, United Arab Emirates Los Angeles, California Hong Kong Santa Monica, California Affiliated Office In Beijing Irvine, California August 2, 1995 Securities and Exchange Commission Judiciary Plaza 450 Fifth Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20549 Ladies and Gentlemen: We have acted as counsel to Everest & Jennings International Ltd., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of the 4,400,000 shares of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Shares"), which may be issued pursuant to the Company's 1994 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"), by means of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement"). As counsel for the Company, we have examined such corporate records of the Company and such other instruments and considered such other matters of law as we deemed necessary for the purposes of this opinion. On the basis of the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly and validly authorized for issuance, and when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the Plan, the Shares will be legally issued, fully paid and non- assessable. We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. Very truly yours, /S/ BRYAN CAVE LLP BRYAN CAVE LLP