Exhibit
10.1


 


March
9, 2021


 


PWP
Forward Acquisition Corp. I


767
Fifth Avenue


New
York, New York 10153


 


		Re:	Initial
Public Offering



 


Ladies
and Gentlemen:


 


This
letter (this “Letter Agreement”) is being delivered to you in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement
(the “Underwriting Agreement”) entered into or proposed to be entered into by and between PWP Forward
Acquisition Corp. I, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as the
representative (“Representative”) of the several underwriters named therein (each an “Underwriter”
and collectively, the “Underwriters”), relating to an underwritten initial public offering (the “Public
Offering”), of up to 23,000,000 of the Company’s units (including up to 3,000,000 units that may be purchased
to cover the Underwriters’ option to purchase additional units, if any) (the “Units”), each comprised
of one share of Class A common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (“Class A Common Stock”),
and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the
holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Units
shall be sold in the Public Offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 and prospectus (the “Prospectus”)
filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). Certain capitalized
terms used herein are defined in paragraph 11 hereof.


 


In
order to induce the Company and the Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and to proceed with the Public Offering
and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, PWP Forward Sponsor
I LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), and the other undersigned persons (each
such other undersigned persons, an “Insider” and collectively, the “Insiders”),
each hereby agrees, severally but not jointly, with the Company as follows:


 


1.          The Sponsor and each Insider agrees that if the Company seeks stockholder approval of a proposed Business Combination, then in
connection with such proposed Business Combination, it, he or she shall (i) vote any Shares owned by it, him or her in favor
of any proposed Business Combination (including any proposals recommended by the Company’s Board of Directors in connection
with such Business Combination) and (ii) not redeem any Shares owned by it, him or her in connection with such stockholder
approval.





     


     


    



2.          The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees that in the event that the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within
24 months from the closing of the Public Offering, or such later period approved by the Company’s stockholders in accordance
with the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Sponsor and each Insider shall take all reasonable
steps to cause the Company to (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible
but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, subject to lawfully available funds therefor, redeem 100% of the shares of
Class A Common Stock sold as part of the Units in the Public Offering (the “Offering Shares”), at a
per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest (which
interest shall be net of taxes payable and less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution expenses), divided by the number
of then outstanding Offering Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish all Public Stockholders’ rights as stockholders
(including the right to receive further liquidation distributions, if any) and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following
such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining stockholders and the Company’s board of directors,
dissolve and liquidate, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Delaware law to provide for claims of creditors
and the other requirements of applicable law. The Sponsor and each Insider agrees to not propose any amendment to the Company’s
amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to allow
redemption in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the Offering Shares if the
Company does not complete its initial Business Combination within 24 months from the closing of the Public Offering or (B) with
respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial Business Combination activity, unless the
Company provides its Public Stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their Offering Shares upon approval of any such amendment
at a per share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest
(which interest shall be net of taxes payable), divided by the number of then outstanding Offering Shares.


 


The
Sponsor and each Insider acknowledges that it, he or she has no right, title, interest or claim of any kind in or to any monies
held in the Trust Account or any other asset of the Company as a result of any liquidation of the Company with respect to the
Founder Shares held by it. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby further waives, with respect to any Shares held by it, him or her,
if any, any redemption rights it, he or she may have in connection with (x) the consummation of a Business Combination, including,
without limitation, any such rights available in the context of a stockholder vote to approve such Business Combination or in
the context of a tender offer made by the Company to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock and (y) a stockholder vote to approve
an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (A) to modify the substance or timing of
the Company’s obligation to allow redemptions in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination or to
redeem 100% of the Offering Shares if the Company has not consummated its initial Business Combination within 24 months from the
closing of the Public Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to stockholders’ rights or pre-initial
Business Combination activity (although the Sponsor and the Insiders shall be entitled to redemption and liquidation rights with
respect to any Offering Shares it or they hold if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination within 24 months from
the date of the closing of the Public Offering).





    2


     


    



3.          Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in paragraphs 7(a) and (b) below, during the period commencing on the effective date
of the Underwriting Agreement and ending 180 days after such date, the Sponsor and each Insider shall not, without the prior written
consent of the Representative, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any
option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise Transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly,
or file with, or submit to, the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”), relating to any Units, shares of Class A Common Stock, Founder Shares, Warrants or any securities convertible
into, or exercisable, or exchangeable for, any Units, shares of Class A Common Stock, Founder Shares, or Warrants, or publicly
disclose the intention to undertake any of the foregoing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that Transfers, in
whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any Units, shares of Class A Common Stock, Founder Shares,
or Warrants or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled
by delivery of units or such other securities, in cash or otherwise; provided, however, that the foregoing does
not apply to the forfeiture of any Founder Shares pursuant to their terms or any Transfer of Founder Shares to any current or
future independent director of the company (as long as such current or future independent director transferee is subject to this
Letter Agreement or executes an agreement substantially identical to the terms of this Letter Agreement, as applicable to directors
and officers at the time of such Transfer; and as long as, to the extent any Section 16 reporting obligation is triggered as a
result of such Transfer, any related Section 16 filing includes a practical explanation as to the nature of the Transfer). Each
of the Insiders and the Sponsor acknowledges and agrees that, prior to the effective date of any release or waiver, of the restrictions
set forth in this paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 below, the Company may announce the impending release or waiver by press release
through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. The provisions of
this paragraph will not apply if (i) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a Transfer of securities that is not for
consideration and (ii) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this Letter Agreement to
the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the Transfer.


 


4.          In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Account, the Sponsor (which for purposes of clarification shall not extend to any
other stockholders, members or managers of the Sponsor) agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any and all
loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever (including, but not limited to, any and all legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, whether pending or threatened, or any claim whatsoever)
to which the Company may become subject as a result of any claim by (i) any third party (other than the Company’s independent
registered public accounting firm) for services rendered or products sold to the Company or (ii) a prospective target business
with which the Company has discussed entering into a transaction agreement (a “Target”); provided,
however, that such indemnification of the Company by the Sponsor shall apply only to the extent necessary to ensure that
such claims by a third party for services rendered (other than the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm)
or products sold to the Company or a Target do not reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below (i) $10.00 per
Offering Share or (ii) such lesser amount per Offering Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the
Trust Account due to reductions in the value of the trust assets as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account, in each
case, net of the amount of interest which may be withdrawn to pay taxes, except as to any claims by a third party who executed
a waiver of any and all rights to seek access to the Trust Account and except as to any claims under the Company’s indemnity
of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In the event
that any such executed waiver is deemed to be unenforceable against such third party, the Sponsor shall not be responsible to
the extent of any liability for such third party claims. The Sponsor shall have the right to defend against any such claim with
counsel of its choice reasonably satisfactory to the Company if, within 15 days following written receipt of notice of the claim
to the Sponsor, the Sponsor notifies the Company in writing that it shall undertake such defense.





    3


     


    



5.          (a) To the extent that the Underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 Units within 45
days from the date of the Prospectus (and as further described in the Prospectus), the Sponsor agrees that it shall forfeit, at
no cost, a number of Founder Shares in the aggregate equal to 750,000 multiplied by a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is
3,000,000 minus the number of Units purchased by the Underwriters upon the exercise of their option to purchase additional Units
and (ii) the denominator of which is 3,000,000. All references in this Letter Agreement to Founder Shares of the Company being
forfeited shall take effect as a contribution of such Founder Shares to the Company’s capital as a matter of Delaware law.
The forfeiture will be adjusted to the extent that the option to purchase additional Units is not exercised in full by the Underwriters
so that the number of Founder Shares will equal an aggregate of 20.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares after
the Public Offering. The Initial Stockholders further agree that to the extent that the size of the Public Offering is increased
or decreased, the Company will effect a stock dividend or stock repurchase or redemption, as applicable, immediately prior to
the consummation of the Public Offering in such amount as to maintain the number of Founder Shares at 20.0% of the Company’s
issued and outstanding Shares upon the consummation of the Public Offering. In connection with such increase or decrease in the
size of the Public Offering, then (A) the references to 3,000,000 in the numerator and denominator of the formula in the
first sentence of this paragraph shall be changed to a number equal to 15.0% of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock included
in the Units issued in the Public Offering, (B) the reference to 750,000 in the formula set forth in the first sentence of this
paragraph shall be adjusted to, respectively, the total number of Founder Shares that the Sponsor would have to return to the
Company in order for the number of Founder Shares that the Sponsor owns (together with the Insiders) to equal an aggregate of
20.0% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares after the Public Offering.


 


6.          The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees and acknowledges that: (i) the Underwriters and the Company would be irreparably injured
in the event of a breach by such Sponsor or Insider of its, his or her obligations under paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7(a), 7(b),
and 9 of this Letter Agreement (ii) monetary damages may not be an adequate remedy for such breach and (iii) the non-breaching
party shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief, in addition to any other remedy that such party may have in law or in equity,
in the event of such breach.


 


7.          (a) The Sponsor and each Insider agrees that it, he or she shall not Transfer (as defined below) any Founder Shares (or shares
of Class A Common Stock issuable upon conversion thereof) until the earlier of (A) one year after the completion of the Company’s
initial Business Combination and (B) subsequent to the Business Combination, (x) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation,
merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Stockholders having the
right to exchange their shares of Common Stock for cash, securities or other property or (y) if the last reported sale price of
the Class A Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations
and the like) for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after the Company’s
initial Business Combination (the “Founder Shares Lock-Up Period”).





    4


     


    



(b)        The Sponsor agrees that it shall not Transfer any Private Placement Warrants or any shares of Class A Common Stock issued or issuable
upon the exercise of the Private Placement Warrants, until 30 days after the completion of a Business Combination (the “Private
Placement Warrants Lock-Up Period”, together with the Founder Shares Lock-Up Period, the “Lock-Up Periods”).


 


(c)        Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in paragraphs 7(a) and (b), Transfers of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Warrants
and shares of Class A Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise or conversion of the Private Placement Warrants or the
Founder Shares and that are held by the Sponsor or any Insider or any of their permitted transferees (that have complied with
this paragraph 7(c)), are permitted (a) to the Company’s directors or officers, any affiliates or family members of any
of the Company’s directors or officers, any members of the Sponsor, or any affiliates of the Sponsor, (b) in the case of
an individual, by gift to a member of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member
of the individual’s immediate family or an affiliate of such person, or to a charitable organization; (c) in the case of
an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (d) in the case of an individual, pursuant
to a qualified domestic relations order; (e) in the case of a trust, by distribution to one or more of the permissible beneficiaries
of such trust; (f) by private sales or Transfers made in connection with the consummation of the Company’s Business Combination
at prices no greater than the price at which the securities were originally purchased; (g) in the event of the Company’s
liquidation prior to the Company’s completion of an initial Business Combination; (h) by virtue of the laws of Delaware
or the Sponsor’s limited liability company agreement, as amended, upon dissolution of the Sponsor; or (i) in the event of
the Company’s completion of a liquidation, merger, stock exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction which results
in all of the Public Stockholders having the right to exchange their shares of Class A Common Stock for cash, securities or other
property subsequent to the Company’s completion of an initial Business Combination; provided, however, that
in the case of clauses (a) through (f), these permitted transferees must enter into a written agreement with the Company agreeing
to be bound by the Transfer restrictions and other applicable restrictions in this Letter Agreement.


 


8.          The Sponsor and each Insider represents and warrants that it, he or she has never been suspended or expelled from membership in
any securities or commodities exchange or association or had a securities or commodities license or registration denied, suspended
or revoked. Each Insider’s biographical information furnished to the Company, if any (including any such information included
in the Prospectus), is true and accurate in all respects and does not omit any material information with respect to such Insider’s
background. The Sponsor and each Insider’s questionnaire furnished to the Company, if any, is true and accurate in all respects.
The Sponsor and each Insider represents and warrants that: it is not subject to or a respondent in any legal action for, any injunction,
cease-and-desist order or order or stipulation to desist or refrain from any act or practice relating to the offering of securities
in any jurisdiction; it has never been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, any crime (i) involving fraud, (ii) relating to any
financial transaction or handling of funds of another person, or (iii) pertaining to any dealings in any securities and it is
not currently a defendant in any such criminal proceeding.





    5


     


    



9.          Except as disclosed in, or as expressly contemplated by, the Prospectus, neither the Sponsor nor any Insider nor any affiliate
of the Sponsor or any Insider, nor any director or officer of the Company, shall receive from the Company any finder’s fee,
reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any repayment of a loan or other compensation prior to, or in connection with
any services rendered in order to effectuate the consummation of the Company’s initial Business Combination (regardless
of the type of transaction that it is).


 


10.        The Sponsor and each Insider has full right and power, without violating any agreement to which it is bound (including, without
limitation, any non-competition or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or former employer), to enter into this Letter
Agreement and, as applicable, to serve as an officer and/or a director on the board of directors of the Company and hereby consents
to being named in the Prospectus as an officer and/or a director of the Company.


 


11.        As used herein, (i) “Business Combination” shall mean a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition,
stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination, involving the Company and one or more businesses; (ii) “Shares”
shall mean, collectively, the shares of Class A Common Stock and the Founder Shares; (iii) “Founder Shares”
shall mean the 5,750,000 shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding immediately
prior to the consummation of the Public Offering; (iv) “Initial Stockholders” shall mean the Sponsor
and any Insider that holds Founder Shares; (v) “Private Placement Warrants” shall mean the Warrants
to purchase an aggregate of 4,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company (or up to 4,400,000 shares of Class A Common
Stock depending on the extent to which the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement) that the Sponsor has agreed to purchase for an aggregate purchase price of $6,000,000 in the aggregate (or up to $6,600,000
depending on the extent to which the Underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement),
or $1.50 per Warrant, in a private placement that shall occur substantially concurrently with the consummation of the Public Offering;
(vi) “Public Stockholders” shall mean the holders of securities issued in the Public Offering;
(vii) “Trust Account” shall mean the trust fund into which a portion of the net proceeds of the
Public Offering shall be deposited; and (viii) “Transfer” shall mean the (a) sale or assignment
of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of
or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with
respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any security, (b) entry
into any swap or other arrangement that Transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership
of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public
announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b) herein.


 


12.        This Letter Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter
hereof and supersedes all prior understandings, agreements, or representations by or among the parties hereto, written or oral,
to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof or the transactions contemplated hereby. This Letter Agreement
may not be changed, amended, modified or waived (other than to correct a typographical error) as to any particular provision,
except by a written instrument executed by (1) each Insider that is the subject of any such change, amendment modification or
waiver and (2) the Sponsor.





    6


     


    



13.        No party hereto may assign either this Letter Agreement or any of its rights, interests, or obligations hereunder without the
prior written consent of the other parties. Any purported assignment in violation of this paragraph shall be void and ineffectual
and shall not operate to Transfer or assign any interest or title to the purported assignee. This Letter Agreement shall be binding
on the Sponsor and each Insider and their respective successors, heirs and assigns and permitted transferees.


 


14.        This Letter Agreement shall be deemed severable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of any term or provision hereof shall
not affect the validity or enforceability of this Letter Agreement or of any other term or provision hereof. Furthermore, in lieu
of any such invalid or unenforceable term or provision, the parties hereto intend that there shall be added as a part of this
Letter Agreement a provision as similar in terms to such invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be valid and
enforceable.


 


15.        This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The
parties hereto (i) all agree that any action, proceeding, claim or dispute arising out of, or relating in any way to, this Letter
Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the courts of New York City, in the State of New York, and irrevocably submit to such
jurisdiction and venue, which jurisdiction and venue shall be exclusive and (ii) waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction
and venue or that such courts represent an inconvenient forum.


 


16.        Any notice, consent or request to be given in connection with any of the terms or provisions of this Letter Agreement shall be
in writing and shall be sent by express mail or similar private courier service, by certified mail (return receipt requested),
by hand delivery or facsimile or other electronic transmission.


 


17.        Each party hereto shall not be liable for any breaches or misrepresentations contained in this Letter Agreement by any other party
to this Letter Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Insider with respect to any other Insider), and no party
shall be liable or responsible for the obligations of another party, including, without limitation, indemnification obligations
and notice obligations.


 


18.        This Letter Agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the Lock-Up Periods and (ii) the liquidation of
the Company; provided, however, that this Letter Agreement shall earlier terminate in the event that the Public
Offering is not consummated and closed by June 30, 2021; provided further that paragraph 4 of this Letter Agreement shall
survive such liquidation.


 


19.        This Letter Agreement may be executed in any number of original or facsimile counterparts and each of such counterparts shall
for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.


 


[Signature
page follows]






    7


     


    



	 	Sincerely,
	 	 	 	 
	 	PWP FORWARD SPONSOR I LLC
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	By:	/s/ Stacia Ryan
	 	 	 	Name:  Stacia Ryan
	 	 	 	Title:    Chief Executive Officer



 

	 	/s/ Stacia Ryan
	 	Stacia Ryan
	 	 
	 	/s/ Joseph R. Perella
	 	Joseph R. Perella
	 	 
	 	/s/ Stefanie Jay
	 	Stefanie Jay
	 	 
	 	/s/ Courtney Leimkuhler
	 	Courtney Leimkuhler
	 	 
	 	/s/ Sonalee Parekh
	 	Sonalee Parekh
	 	 
	 	/s/ Kenna Baudin
	 	Kenna Baudin
	 	 
	 	/s/ Judy Brown
	 	Judy Brown
	 	 
	 	/s/ Deena Friedman
	 	Deena Friedman
	 	 
	 	/s/ Lorraine Hariton
	 	Lorraine Hariton
	 	 
	 	/s/ Margaret Mak
	 	Margaret Mak


 


[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]





     


     


    



	 	/s/ Kendyl Flinn
	 	Kendyl Flinn


 


[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]





     


     


    



	Acknowledged and Agreed:	 
	 	 	 
	PWP FORWARD ACQUISITION CORP. I	 
	 	 	 
	By:	/s/ Stacia Ryan	 
	 	Name:  Stacia Ryan	 
	 	Title:    Chief Executive Officer	 


 


[Signature Page to Letter Agreement]