1 As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 16, 2001. Registration No. 333 - ================================================================================ SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 ---------- FORM S-8 REGISTRATION STATEMENT under THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 ---------- WILLBROS GROUP, INC. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) REPUBLIC OF PANAMA 98-0160660 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification No.) DRESDNER BANK BUILDING 50TH STREET, 8TH FLOOR P.O. BOX 850048 PANAMA 5, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA (Address, including zip code, of registrant's principal executive offices) ---------- WILLBROS GROUP, INC. 1996 STOCK PLAN (Full title of the plan) ---------- LARRY J. BUMP CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER WILLBROS GROUP, INC. DRESDNER BANK BUILDING 50TH STREET, 8TH FLOOR P.O. BOX 850048 PANAMA 5, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA (50-7) 263-9282 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service) ---------- CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE ===================================================================================================== Proposed maximum Proposed maximum Title of securities Amount to be offering price aggregate Amount of to be registered registered(1)(2) per share(3) offering price(3) registration fee ---------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------- ---------------- Common Stock, $.05 par value 1,000,000 shares $5.82 $5,820,000 $1,455 ===================================================================================================== (1) Pursuant to Rule 416, there are also being registered such additional shares of Common Stock as may become issuable pursuant to the anti-dilution provisions of the Plan. (2) Each share of Common Stock is accompanied by a preferred share purchase right pursuant to the registrant's Rights Agreement dated April 1, 1999, with ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., as Rights Agent. (3) Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(h). With respect to the shares of Common Stock being registered for which the option price is unknown, the fee is calculated on the basis of the average of the high and low sales prices for the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange for January 9, 2001. With respect to the shares of Common Stock being registered for which options are outstanding, the offering price is determined, and the fee is calculated, on the basis of the actual option exercise price. ================================================================================ 2 EXPLANATORY NOTE This Registration Statement relates to the registration of additional shares of Common Stock of the registrant to be issued pursuant to awards granted under the Willbros Group, Inc. 1996 Stock Plan (the "Plan"). The additional shares relate to the amendment to the Plan to increase the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the Plan from 1,125,000 originally available for issuance under the Plan to 2,125,000 shares. The contents of the registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8, Registration No. 333-18421, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 20, 1996 (the "Prior Registration Statement"), are hereby incorporated by reference. The Items below contain information required in this Registration Statement that was not included in the Prior Registration Statement. 3 PART II INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE. The following documents heretofore filed by the registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement: (1) The registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999; (2) The registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2000, June 30, 2000, and September 30, 2000; (3) The description of the registrant's Common Stock contained in the registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A, dated July 19, 1996, and including any amendment or report heretofore or hereafter filed for the purpose of updating such description of the registrant's Common Stock; and (4) The description of the registrant's Preferred Share Purchase Rights contained in the registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A, dated April 9, 1999, and including any amendment or report heretofore or hereafter filed for the purpose of updating such description of the registrant's Preferred Share Purchase Rights. In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities offered hereby then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from their respective dates of filing. Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in any other subsequently filed incorporated document 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. ITEM 8. EXHIBITS. The following documents are filed as exhibits to this Registration Statement: 4(a)** Amendment Number 1 to Willbros Group, Inc. 1996 Stock Plan dated February 24, 1999. 5* Opinion of Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega. 23(a)* Consent of KPMG. 23(b)* Consent of Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega (included in Exhibit 5). 24* Power of Attorney (included on page II-2 of this Registration Statement). ---------- * Filed herewith. ** Incorporated by reference to the registrant's Proxy Statement for Annual Meeting of Stockholders dated March 31, 1999. II-1 4 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 City of Panama City, Republic of Panama on the 16th day of January, 2001. WILLBROS GROUP, INC. By: /s/ Larry J. Bump -------------------------------- Larry J. Bump Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Larry J. Bump, Melvin F. Spreitzer and John N. Hove, and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution, 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 all 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 or 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 attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or their 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 below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated: SIGNATURE TITLE DATE --------- ----- ---- /s/ Larry J. Bump Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ Executive Officer (Principal Executive Larry J. Bump Officer and Authorized Representative in the United States) /s/ Michael F. Curran Director, Vice Chairman of the Board, January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ President and Chief Operating Officer Michael F. Curran /s/ Melvin F. Spreitzer Director, Executive Vice President, Chief January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ Financial Officer and Treasurer Melvin F. Spreitzer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) /s/ Guy E. Waldvogel Director January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ Guy E. Waldvogel /s/ James B. Taylor, Jr. Director January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ James B. Taylor, Jr. II-2 5 SIGNATURE TITLE DATE --------- ----- ---- /s/ Peter A. Leidel Director January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ Peter A. Leidel /s/ John H. Williams Director January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ John H. Williams /s/ Michael J. Pink Director January 16, 2001 ------------------------------------ Michael J. Pink II-3 6 INDEX TO EXHIBITS EXHIBIT NUMBER DESCRIPTION ------- ----------- 4(a)** Amendment Number 1 to Willbros Group, Inc. 1996 Stock Plan dated February 24, 1999. 5* Opinion of Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega. 23(a)* Consent of KPMG. 23(b)* Consent of Arias, Fabrega & Fabrega (included in Exhibit 5). 24* Power of Attorney (included on page II-2 of this Registration Statement). ---------- * Filed herewith. ** Incorporated by reference to the registrant's Proxy Statement for Annual Meeting of Stockholders dated March 31, 1999.