SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

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

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT

                    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                        Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                          Date of Report: April 3, 2002
                       (Date of earliest event reported)

                             UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
            (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

           Virginia                       1-652                  54-0414210
(State or Other Jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)      (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

      1501 North Hamilton Street
          Richmond, Virginia                                      23230
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                        (Zip Code)

              Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                (804) 359-9311


Item 5.  Other Events.

         On February 26, 2001,  Universal  Leaf Tobacco  Company,  Incorporated,
J.P.  Taylor   Company,   Incorporated   and   Southwestern   Tobacco   Company,
Incorporated,  who are  subsidiaries  of  Universal  Corporation  (the  "Company
Subsidiaries")  were served with the Third  Amended  Complaint,  naming them and
other leaf tobacco  merchants as defendants in DeLoach,  et al. v. Philip Morris
Inc., et al., a suit originally  filed against U.S.  cigarette  manufacturers in
the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and now pending in
the United  States  District  Court for the Middle  District of North  Carolina,
Greensboro Division (Case No. 00-CV-1235) (the "DeLoach Suit"). The DeLoach Suit
is a purported class action brought on behalf of U.S.  tobacco growers and quota
holders that alleges that defendants  violated  antitrust laws by bid-rigging at
tobacco  auctions and by  conspiring  to undermine  the tobacco  quota and price
support  program  administered  by  the  federal  government.   Plaintiffs  seek
injunctive  relief,   trebled  damages  in  an  unspecified   amount,  pre-  and
post-judgment  interest,  attorneys'  fees and costs of litigation.  On April 3,
2002, the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
issued an opinion  and order  certifying  the class.  The  Company  Subsidiaries
intend to petition the U.S.  Court of Appeals for the Fourth  Circuit for appeal
of the class certification  pursuant to Rule 23(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure. Regardless of the outcome of such petition and any consequent appeal,
the Company  Subsidiaries intend to vigorously defend the DeLoach Suit. The suit
is still in its  initial  stages,  and at this time no estimate of the impact on
the Company that could result from an unfavorable outcome at trial can be made.



                               SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
                                     (Registrant)

Date: April 5, 2001             By: /s/ George C. Freeman, III
                                    ---------------------------------
                                    George C. Freeman, III
                                    General Counsel and Secretary