Exhibit
10.1


 





 


June
18, 2020


 


C/O
Edward Carr


 


Dear
Edward,


 


This
letter agreement sets forth the terms of your employment as VP, Chief Accounting Officer, effective June 16, 2020 (the “Effective
Date”).


 


1.
Duties; Best Efforts.


 


As
the VP, Chief Accounting Officer you shall continue to have the duties, responsibilities and authority commensurate therewith,
and shall continue to report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the “CEO”). You shall perform all duties
and accept all responsibilities incident to such position as may be reasonably assigned to you. You represent you are not subject
to or a party to any employment agreement, noncompetition covenant, or other agreement that would be breached by, or prohibit
you from, executing this letter agreement (“Agreement”) and performing fully your duties and responsibilities
hereunder.


 


During
your employment, you will devote your best efforts and full time and attention to promote the business and affairs of the Company
and its affiliates, and shall be engaged in other business activities only to the extent that such activities do not materially
interfere or conflict with your obligations to the Company hereunder, including, without limitation, the obligations pursuant
to Section 4 below.


 


2.
Compensation and Benefits.


 


(a)
Base Salary. As of the Effective Date, you will continue to receive a base salary of $300,000, as approved by the Compensation
Committee (the “Compensation Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”)
and payable in accordance with the regular payroll practices of the Company (“Base Salary”).


 


(b)
Annual Bonus. During your employment, you may be considered for an annual discretionary bonus (“Annual Bonus”)
in addition to your Base Salary, with a target of 35% of your Base Salary (“Target Annual Bonus Opportunity”).
Annual Bonus compensation in any year, if any, will be determined in the Company’s sole discretion, and shall be based on
your performance and that of the Company, as well as market factors. Except as provided below under Section 3, to be eligible
to receive an Annual Bonus as described above, you must be employed in good standing, and not have provided notice of resignation
or been provided notice of termination, on the date that the Annual Bonus is paid.


 





 




    	 



     


    

 


(c)
Equity Compensation. In connection with your employment, and subject to Compensation Committee discretion and approval, you will
be entitled to receive (i) stock option grants to purchase shares of Company common stock and (ii) other long-term equity compensation
grants (collectively, “Equity Awards”) under the Abeona Therapeutics Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (“Plan”),
subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the agreement memorializing the terms of the Equity Awards.


 


(d)
If you remain continuously employed from the Effective Date through the date of a Change in Control (as defined below), notwithstanding
the terms of any equity incentive plan or award agreements, as applicable, all outstanding unvested stock options granted to you
during your employment with the Company shall become fully vested and exercisable and will remain exercisable for three (3) months
following the date of a Change in Control, and all outstanding long-term equity compensation awards, other than stock options,
shall become fully vested and the restrictions thereon shall lapse. Pursuant to the terms of the Plan, the exercise price of the
stock options will be the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date that the stock options were granted.


 


(e)
Benefits. During your employment, you will be eligible to participate in such health and other group insurance and other employee
benefit plans and programs of the Company as are in effect from time to time, on the same basis as those in commensurate positions
of the Company. Your participation will be subject to the terms of the applicable plan documents and generally applicable Company
policies. The Company reserves the right to amend or terminate any employee benefit plan, program and policy in its discretion
at any time.


 


(f)
Paid Time Off. You will be entitled to twenty (20) days of paid time off (vacation days plus sick time/personal time) per year,
accrued at a rate in accordance with the Company’s policies from time to time in effect, in addition to holidays observed
by the Company. Paid Time Off may be taken at such times and intervals as you shall determine, subject to the business needs of
the Company and the responsibilities of your position.


 


3.
Employment Termination.


 


(a)
Termination of Employment; Accrued Amounts. The Company may terminate your employment for any reason, and you may voluntarily
terminate your employment hereunder for any reason, in each case at any time upon written notice to the other party (the date
on which your employment terminates for any reason is herein referred to as the “Termination Date”). Upon the
termination of your employment for any reason, you (or your beneficiary or estate, as applicable, in the event of your death)
will be entitled to (i) payment of any Base Salary earned but unpaid through the Termination Date, (ii) any accrued unused vacation
days, (iii) additional vested benefits (if any) in accordance with the applicable terms of applicable Company arrangements, and
(iv) any unreimbursed expenses in accordance with the Company’s business expense reimbursement policies (collectively, the
“Accrued Amounts”), provided, however, that if your employment hereunder is terminated (A) by
the Company without Cause (as defined below) or (B) by you for Good Reason (as defined below), then you will be eligible to receive
any Annual Bonus awarded for a prior year, but not yet paid or due to be paid as of the Termination Date.


 





 




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(b)
Severance. If your employment is terminated (i) by the Company other than for Cause or (ii) by you for Good Reason (as
defined below), in addition to the Accrued Amounts and in lieu of any payments or benefits under any other Company separation
policy or program, you will be entitled to: (A) a payment equal to the sum of six (6) months of your Base Salary plus six (6)
of your Target Annual Bonus Opportunity (the amount of such payment, the “Severance Amount”); and (B) a payment
equal to the premiums that you would pay if you elected continued health coverage under the Company’s health plan for you
and your eligible dependents for the six (6) month period following the Termination Date, less the applicable active employee
rate, which premiums will be calculated based on the rate determined under the COBRA rate in effect on the Termination Date (“Medical
Benefit Payment”); provided that any delays in the settlement or payment of such awards that are set forth in
the applicable award agreement and that are required under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the “Code”),
and the Treasury Regulations thereunder (“Section 409A”) shall remain in effect. The Company’s obligations
to make the payments and provide the benefits set forth in (A) and (B) in this Section 3(b) shall be conditioned upon your continued
compliance with your obligations under Section 4 below and your execution and nonrevocation of a release of claims in favor of
the Company and its affiliates in a form provided by the Company (“Release”). Notwithstanding any provision
to the contrary herein (other than the provisions of Section 7 below), and without limitation of any remedies to which the Company
may be entitled, (I) the Severance Amount shall be paid in installments in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll
practices during a six (6) month period commencing within sixty (60) days following the Termination Date (with the first such
payment to include all installment amounts from the Termination Date), and (II) the Medical Benefit Payment shall be paid in a
lump sum within sixty (60) days following the Termination Date; provided that the Release is effective.


 


(c)
Change in Control Termination. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, if your employment hereunder is terminated
by you for Good Reason (as defined below) or by the Company without Cause, in each case within twelve (12) months following a
Change in Control, in addition to the Accrued Amounts and in lieu of any payments or benefits under any other Company separation
policy or program, you will be entitled to receive (A) a payment equal to the sum of nine (9) months of your Base Salary plus
nine (9) months of your Target Annual Bonus Opportunity (such amount, the “CIC Severance Amount”); and (B)
a payment equal to the premiums that you would pay if you elected continued health coverage under the Company’s health plan
for you and your eligible dependents for the nine (9) months period following the Termination Date, less the applicable active
employee rate, which premiums will be calculated based on the rate determined under the COBRA rate in effect on the Termination
Date (“CIC Medical Benefit Payment”). If the Change in Control is a “change in control event” as
defined under Section 409A, (I) the CIC Severance Amount shall be paid in a lump sum within sixty (60) days following the Termination
Date; and (II) the CIC Medical Benefit Payment shall be paid in a lump sum within sixty (60) days following the Termination Date;
The Company’s obligations to provide the payments and benefits described in this Section 3(c) shall be conditioned upon
your continued compliance with your obligations under Section 4 below and your execution and delivery to the Company of an effective
Release.


 


(d)
Resignation of Positions. Upon your termination of employment with the Company for any reason, you will be deemed to have
resigned, as of the Termination Date, from all positions you then hold with the Company and its affiliates, and you agree to execute
all documents necessary to effectuate the same.


 


(e)
Cooperation. Following the termination of your employment with the Company for any reason, you will reasonably cooperate
with the Company upon request of the CEO, General Counsel, or the Board, and be reasonably available to the Company (taking into
account your other business endeavors) with respect to matters arising out of your services to the Company and its subsidiaries,
including, in connection with any legal proceeding, providing testimony and affidavits; provided, that, the Company
shall make reasonable efforts to minimize disruption of your other activities. The Company shall reimburse you for reasonable
expenses incurred in connection with such cooperation.


 





 




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(f)
Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings:


 


(i)
“Cause” shall mean: (A) your substantial failure to perform your duties (other than any such failure resulting
from incapacity due to physical or mental disability) that continues for fifteen (15) calendar days after written notice from
the Company; (B) your failure to comply with any valid and legal directive of the CEO or the Board (as applicable) that continues
for fifteen (15) calendar days after written notice from the Company; (C) your engagement in dishonesty, illegal conduct, or misconduct
(or the discovery of your having engaged in such conduct in the past), which, in each case, materially harms or is reasonably
likely to materially harm, reputationally, financially or otherwise, the Company or its subsidiaries; (D) your embezzlement, misappropriation,
or fraud, whether or not related to your employment with the Company; (E) your conviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere
to a crime that constitutes a felony; (F) your willful violation of a material policy of the Company; (G) your willful or grossly
negligent unauthorized disclosure of Confidential Information (as defined below); or (H) your material breach of any material
obligation under this Agreement or any other written agreement between you and the Company that continues for fifteen (15) calendar
days after written notice from the Company (if such breach is reasonably curable); or (I) any willful material failure by you
to comply with the Company’s written policies or written rules, as they may be in effect from time to time.


 


(ii)
“Change in Control” shall have the meaning defined in subparagraph (ii) of the definition of such term under
the Appendix in the Plan as in effect on the date hereof.


 


(iii)
“Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following, in each case without your written consent:
(A) a material reduction of at least ten percent (10%) of your Base Salary other than a general reduction in Base Salary that
affects all similarly situated executives; (B) a material reduction of at least thirty percent (30%) of the Target Annual Bonus
Opportunity other than a general reduction in the Target Annual Bonus Opportunity that affects all similarly situated executives;
(C) a permanent and material relocation of your principal place of employment, which for purposes of this Agreement, means a relocation
of more than fifty (50) miles; (D) any material breach by the Company of any material provision of this Agreement; or (E) a material
adverse change in your title, authority, duties, or responsibilities (including the reporting structure applicable to you, other
than temporarily while you are physically or mentally incapacitated); provided, however, that you cannot terminate
your employment for Good Reason unless you have provided written notice to the Company of the existence of the circumstances providing
grounds for termination for Good Reason within sixty (60) calendar days following the initial existence of such grounds and the
Company has had thirty (30) calendar days from the date on which such notice is provided to cure such circumstances. If you do
not terminate your employment for Good Reason within sixty (60) calendar days after expiration of the cure period (in which the
Company shall not have so cured such grounds), then you will be deemed to have waived your right to terminate for Good Reason
with respect to such grounds.


 


4.
Restrictive Covenants.


 


This
offer of employment is contingent on your signing the Company’s Policy on Insider Trading, Whistle Blower Policy, Code of
Ethics, and the standard Employee Confidentiality, Non-competition and Proprietary Information Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit
A, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.


 





 




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5.
At-Will Employment.


 


Your
employment with the Company is at-will. This means that you will have the right to terminate your employment relationship with
the Company at any time for any reason. Similarly, the Company will have the right to terminate its employment relationship with
you at any time for any reason.


 


6.
Section 409A.


 


(a)
To the extent applicable, it is intended that this Agreement (including all amendments hereto, if any) either meets the requirements
for exclusion from coverage under Section 409A, or alternatively complies with the requirements of Section 409A, so that the income
inclusion provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code do not apply to you. This Agreement shall be interpreted and administered
in a manner consistent with this intent.


 


(b)
To the extent that payment of amounts under this Agreement that are subject to Section 409A are payable upon termination of your
employment, such amounts shall only be payable if such termination also constitutes a “separation from service,” within
the meaning of Section 409A, from the Company and its affiliates. If you are deemed on the date of your separation from service
to be a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B) of the Code) of the Company, then, notwithstanding
any other provision herein, with regard to any payment that is “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to Section
409A and that is payable on account of your “separation from service,” such payment shall not be made prior to six
(6) months from the date of your separation from service, following which all payments so delayed shall be paid to you in a lump
sum without interest.


 


(c)
Any taxable reimbursement of business or other expenses provided for under this Agreement that is subject to Section 409A shall
be subject to the following conditions: (i) the expenses eligible for reimbursement in one taxable year shall not affect the expenses
eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year; (ii) the reimbursement of an eligible expense shall be made no later than
the end of the year after the year in which such expense was incurred; and (iii) the right to reimbursement shall not be subject
to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.


 


(d)
In applying Section 409A to amounts paid pursuant to this Agreement, each payment shall be treated as a separate payment and any
right to a series of installment payments under this Agreement shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments. Whenever
a payment under this Agreement specifies a payment period within a specified number of days, the actual date of payment within
the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company. If the consideration and revocation period for the Release
spans two taxable years and any amount hereunder is “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A and
payable on account of your separation from service, such payment shall not be made or commence until the second taxable year.


 





 




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7.
Section 280G.


 


In
the event of a change in ownership or control under Section 280G of the Code, if it shall be determined that any payment or distribution
in the nature of compensation (within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code) to or for your benefit, whether paid or payable
or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise (a “Payment”), would constitute
an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, the aggregate present value of the Payments
under this Agreement shall be reduced (but not below zero) to the Reduced Amount (defined below) if and only if the Accounting
Firm (described below) determines that the reduction will provide you with a greater net after-tax benefit than would no reduction.
No reduction shall be made unless the reduction would provide you with a greater net after-tax benefit. The determinations under
this Section 8 shall be made as follows:


 


(i)
The “Reduced Amount” shall be an amount expressed in present value which maximizes the aggregate present value
of Payments under this Agreement without causing any Payment under this Agreement to be subject to the Excise Tax (defined below),
determined in accordance with Section 280G(d)(4) of the Code. The term “Excise Tax” means the excise tax imposed
under Section 4999 of the Code, together with any interest or penalties imposed with respect to such excise tax.


 


(ii)
Payments under this Agreement shall be reduced on a nondiscretionary basis in such a way as to minimize the reduction in the economic
value deliverable to you. Where more than one payment has the same value for this purpose and they are payable at different times,
they will be reduced on a pro-rata basis. Only amounts payable under the Agreement shall be reduced pursuant to this Section.


 


(iii)
All determinations to be made under this Section shall be made by an independent certified public accounting firm selected by
the Company and agreed to by you immediately prior to the change in ownership or control transaction (the “Accounting
Firm”). The Accounting Firm shall provide its determinations and any supporting calculations both to the Company and
you within ten (10) days of the transaction. Any such determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon the Company and
you. All of the fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm in performing the determinations referred to in this Section shall be
borne solely by the Company.


 


8.
Miscellaneous.


 


(a)
All amounts paid to you under this Agreement during or following your employment shall be subject to withholding and other employment
taxes imposed by applicable law, and the Company shall withhold from any payments under this Agreement all federal, state and
local taxes that the Company is required to withhold pursuant to any law or governmental rule or regulation. You shall be solely
responsible for the payment of all taxes imposed on you relating to the payment or provision of any amounts or benefits hereunder.


 


(b)
This Agreement may be executed by .pdf or facsimile signatures in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.


 


(c)
From and after the Effective Date, this Agreement (including Exhibit A hereto) constitutes the entire agreement between
you and the Company, and supersedes all prior representations, agreements and understandings (including any prior course of dealings),
both written and oral, between you and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof. In the event of any inconsistency
between this Agreement and any other plan, program, practice or agreement in which you are a participant or a party, this Agreement
shall control unless such other plan, program, practice or agreement is more favorable to you (term by term) or specifically refers
to this Agreement as not controlling.


 





 




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(d)
This Agreement and any of the provisions hereof may be amended, waived (either generally or in a particular instance and either
retroactively or prospectively), modified or supplemented, in whole or in part, only by written agreement signed by you and the
Company. This Agreement and your rights and obligations hereunder, may not be assigned by you, and any purported assignment by
you in violation hereof shall be null and void. The Company is authorized to assign this Agreement to a successor to substantially
all of its assets or business. Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon any person not a party hereto, or the legal representatives
of such person, any rights or remedies of any nature or kind whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement, except the personal
representative of the deceased. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding on, the successors and assigns of
each of the parties, including, without limitation, your heirs and the personal representatives of your estate and any successor
to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.


 


(e)
No remedy conferred upon a party by this Agreement is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy, and each and every such remedy
shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to any other remedy given under this Agreement or now or hereafter existing at law
or in equity. Except as explicitly provided herein, no delay or omission by a party in exercising any right, remedy or power under
this Agreement or existing at law or in equity shall be construed as a waiver thereof, and any such right, remedy or power may
be exercised by such party from time to time and as often as may be deemed expedient or necessary by such party in its sole discretion.


 


(f)
This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with, and the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect
to the conflicts of law principles thereof.


 


(g)
Any reference to a Section of the Code shall be deemed to include any successor to such Section.


 


(h)
This Agreement and the compensation payable hereunder shall be subject to any applicable clawback or recoupment policies, share
trading policies, and other policies that may be implemented by the Board from time to time with respect to officers of the Company.


 


(i)
Any notices required or permitted hereunder or necessary or convenient in connection herewith shall be in writing and shall be
deemed to have been given when hand delivered or mailed by registered or certified mail, if to the Company, to the CEO at the
address above, and if to you at the most recent address in the Company’s records.


 


(j)
Please acknowledge your acceptance of this offer by returning a signed copy of this Agreement. If there are any other agreements
of any type that you are aware of that may impact or limit your ability to perform your job at the Company, please let us know
as soon as possible. In accepting this offer, you represent and warrant to the Company that you are not subject to any legal or
contractual restrictions that would in any way impair your ability to perform your duties and responsibilities to the Company,
and that all information you provided to the Company is accurate and complete in all respects.


 





 




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	Very
    truly yours,	 
	 	 
	/s/
    João Siffert, M.D.	 
	 	 
	João
    Siffert, M.D.	 
	Chief
    Executive Officer	 
	Abeona
    Therapeutics Inc.	 


 


I
accept this offer of employment with Abeona Therapeutics.


 


	Signature:	 	Date:
	 	 	 
	/s/
    Edward Carr	 	June
    18, 2020


 





 




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