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 (Date of earliest event reported): September 27, 1999

                             Hambrecht & Quist Group
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware                           1-11855                       94-3246636
(State or Other               (Commission File                (I.R.S. Employer
Jurisdiction of                    Number)                   Identification No.)
Incorporation)

One Bush Street, San Francisco, California                               94104
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                              (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (415) 439-3000

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)






Item 5.     Other Events.

            The Chase  Manhattan  Corporation  ("Chase")  and  Hambrecht & Quist
Group  ("H&Q") have entered  into an Agreement  and Plan of Merger,  dated as of
September 27, 1999 (the "Merger Agreement"),  that provides, among other things,
that a  subsidiary  of  Chase  formed  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out the
transactions  contemplated by the Merger Agreement will initiate a tender offer,
pursuant to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, for all
of the outstanding  shares of common stock,  par value $.01, of H&Q ("H&Q Common
Stock") and, following completion of such tender offer, will merge with and into
H&Q (the "Merger"), subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement.
The Merger  Agreement is included as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current  Report on Form
8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

            As an  inducement  and  condition to Chase  entering into the Merger
Agreement,  H&Q, as issuer,  and Chase, as grantee,  entered into a Stock Option
Agreement, dated as of September 27, 1999 (the "Option Agreement"),  pursuant to
which H&Q granted to Chase an option to purchase  4,894,439 shares of H&Q Common
Stock (approximately 19.9% of those outstanding) at a price of $50.00 per share,
on certain  terms and  conditions  set forth  therein.  The Option  Agreement is
included as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is  incorporated
herein by reference.

            As an  inducement  and  condition to Chase  entering into the Merger
Agreement,  Chase and certain  directors and  executive  officers of H&Q entered
into a Tender and Voting Agreement,  dated as of September 27, 1999 (the "Tender
Agreement").  The Tender  Agreement  is included as Exhibit 99.2 to this Current
Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

            In  connection  with  the  execution  and  delivery  of  the  Merger
Agreement,  Chase, through its subsidiary Chase Securities Inc., entered into an
employment  agreement  with Daniel H. Case III,  Chairman of the Board and Chief
Executive  Officer  of H&Q,  the  term of  employment  contemplated  thereby  to
commence upon consummation of the Merger.  The Employment  Agreement is included
as Exhibit 99.3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by
reference.

            A copy of the joint press release dated September 28, 1999 regarding
the Merger is attached  as Exhibit  99.4  hereto and is  incorporated  herein by
reference.






Item 7.     Financial Statements and Exhibits.

            (c) The following exhibits are filed with this report:

  Exhibit Number                                        Description

     4.1        Agreement  and Plan of Merger,  dated as of  September  27,
                1999, by and among The Chase Manhattan Corporation,  Hambrecht &
                Quist Group and Bridge Acquisition Corporation  (incorporated by
                reference to Exhibit  11(c)(1) to the tender offer  statement on
                Schedule  14D-1 of The Chase  Manhattan  Corporation  and Bridge
                Acquisition Corporation).

     99.1       Stock Option  Agreement,  dated as of  September  27, 1999,
                between The Chase  Manhattan  Corporation  and Hambrecht & Quist
                Group  (incorporated  by  reference  to Exhibit  11(c)(3) to the
                tender offer  statement on Schedule 14D-1 of The Chase Manhattan
                Corporation and Bridge Acquisition Corporation).

     99.2       Tender and Voting  Agreement,  dated as of  September  27,
                1999, among The Chase Manhattan  Corporation and the individuals
                whose  names  are  set  forth  on the  signature  pages  thereto
                (incorporated  by  reference  to Exhibit  11(c)(2) to the tender
                offer  statement  on  Schedule  14D-1  of  The  Chase  Manhattan
                Corporation and Bridge Acquisition Corporation).

     99.3       Employment  Agreement,  dated as of  September  27,  1999,
                between   Daniel  H.  Case  III  and   Chase   Securities   Inc.
                (incorporated  by  reference  to Exhibit  11(c)(4) to the tender
                offer  statement  on  Schedule  14D-1  of  The  Chase  Manhattan
                Corporation  and  Bridge  Acquisition  Corporation).

     99.4       Joint  Press  Release   issued  by  The  Chase   Manhattan
                Corporation  and  Hambrecht & Quist Group on September  28, 1999
                (incorporated  by  reference  to Exhibit  11(a)(8) to the tender
                offer  statement  on  Schedule  14D-1  of  The  Chase  Manhattan
                Corporation and Bridge Acquisition Corporation).





                                           SIGNATURES

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


                                            HAMBRECHT & QUIST GROUP





                                            By: /s/ Steven N. Machtinger
                                            Name: Steven N. Machtinger
                                            Title: General Counsel and Secretary




Dated:   October 7, 1999