Exhibit 10.5


 


November 18, 2020


 


Consonance-HFW Acquisition Corp.


1 Palmer Square, Suite 305


Princeton NJ 08540


 


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 by and between Consonance-HFW Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the
 “Company”) and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representative (the “Representative”)
of the underwriter named therein (the “Underwriter”), relating to an underwritten initial public offering
(the “Public Offering”) of 8,000,000 of the Company’s units (including 1,200,000 units that may
be purchased pursuant to the Underwriters’ option to purchase additional units, the “Units”), each
comprised of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”),
and one-third of one redeemable warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant entitles the
holder thereof to purchase one Ordinary Share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Units will be sold in
the Public Offering pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 and a prospectus (the “Prospectus”)
filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). Certain capitalized
terms used herein are defined in paragraph 1 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, Consonance Life Sciences (the “Sponsor”)
and each of the undersigned (each, an “Insider” and, collectively, the “Insiders”)
hereby agree with the Company as follows:


 


1.           Definitions.
As used herein, (i) “Business Combination” shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share
purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities; (ii) “Founder Shares”
shall mean the 2,300,000 Class B ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share, outstanding prior to the consummation
of the Public Offering; (iii) “Private Placement Units” shall mean the 410,000 units (or 434,000 units
if the Underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full) that will be acquired by the Sponsor for an aggregate purchase
price of $4,100,000 (or up to $4,340,000 if the Underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional units in full) in a private
placement that shall close simultaneously with the consummation of the Public Offering (including the Ordinary Shares and private
placement warrants underlying such units and the Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of such private placement units thereof);
(iv) “Public Shareholders” shall mean the holders of Ordinary Shares included in the Units issued in
the Public Offering; (v) “Public Shares” shall mean the Ordinary Shares included in the Units issued
in the Public Offering; (vi) “Trust Account” shall mean the trust account into which a portion of the
net proceeds of the Public Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Units shall be deposited; (vii) “Transfer”
shall mean the (a) sale 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); and (viii) “Charter”
shall mean the Company’s Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association, as the same may be amended from time
to time.


 






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 2.           Representations and Warranties.




 


(a)               The Sponsor and each Insider, with respect to itself, herself or himself, represent and warrant to the Company that it,
she or he has the full right and power, without violating any agreement to which it, she or he 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 of the Company and/or a director on the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”),
as applicable, and each Insider hereby consents to being named in the Prospectus, road show and any other materials as an officer
and/or director of the Company, as applicable.


 


(b)               Each Insider represents and warrants, with respect to herself or himself, that such Insider’s biographical information
furnished to the Company (including any such information included in the Prospectus) is true and accurate in all material respects
and does not omit any material information with respect to such Insider’s background. The Insider’s questionnaire furnished
to the Company is true and accurate in all material respects. Each Insider represents and warrants that such Insider 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; such Insider 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 such Insider is not currently a defendant in any such criminal
proceeding; and such Insider 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.


 


3.          
Business Combination Vote. It is acknowledged and agreed that the Company shall not enter into a definitive agreement
regarding a proposed Business Combination without the prior consent of the Sponsor. The Sponsor and each Insider, with respect
to itself or herself or himself, agrees that if the Company seeks shareholder approval of a proposed initial Business Combination,
then in connection with such proposed initial Business Combination, it, she or he, as applicable, shall vote all Founder Shares
and any Public Shares held by it, her or him, as applicable, in favor of such proposed initial Business Combination (including
any proposals recommended by the Board in connection with such Business Combination) and not redeem any Public Shares held by it,
her or him, as applicable, in connection with such shareholder approval.


 


 4.           Failure to Consummate a Business Combination; Trust Account Waiver.




 


(a)              The
Sponsor and each Insider hereby agree, with respect to itself, herself or himself, that in the event that the Company fails to
consummate its initial Business Combination within the time period set forth in the Charter, 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 10 business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the Public Shares, at a per-share price,
payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account, including interest earned on the funds held
in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay dissolution
expenses), divided by the number of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’
rights as shareholders (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 shareholders and the Board, liquidate
and dissolve, subject in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide
for claims of creditors and in all cases subject to the other requirements of applicable law. The Sponsor and each Insider agree
not to propose any amendment to the Charter (i) that would modify the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to
provide holders of the Public Shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with an initial Business Combination
or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company does not complete an initial Business Combination within the required time
period set forth in the Charter or (ii) with respect to any provision relating to the rights of holders of Public Shares unless
the Company provides its Public Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem their Public 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
earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any, divided
by the number of then-outstanding Public Shares.


 






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(b)              The Sponsor and each Insider, with respect to itself, herself or himself, acknowledges that it, she or he 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, her or him, if any. The Sponsor and each Insider
hereby further waives, with respect to any Founder Shares and Public Shares held by it, her or him, as applicable, any redemption
rights it, she or he may have in connection with (x) the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination, and (y)
a shareholder vote to approve an amendment to the Charter (i) that would modify the substance or timing of the Company’s
obligation to provide holders of the Public Shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with an initial Business
Combination or to redeem 100% of the Public Shares if the Company has not consummated an initial Business Combination within the
time period set forth in the Charter or (ii) with respect to any provision relating to the rights of holders of Public Shares (although
the Sponsor and the Insiders shall be entitled to liquidation rights with respect to any Public Shares they hold if the Company
fails to consummate a Business Combination within the required time period set forth in the Charter).


 


 5.           Lock-up; Transfer Restrictions.




 


(a)               The Sponsor and the Insiders agree that they shall not Transfer any Founder Shares (the “Founder Shares Lock-up”)
until the earliest of (A) one year after the completion of the Company’s initial Business Combination and (B) the date following
the completion of an initial Business Combination on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization
or other similar transaction that results in all of the Public Shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares
for cash, securities or other property (the “Founder Shares Lock-up Period”). Notwithstanding the foregoing,
if, subsequent to a Business Combination, the closing price of the Ordinary Shares equals or exceeds $12.00 per share (as adjusted
for share sub-divisions, share capitalizations, 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
shall be released from the Founder Shares Lock-up.


 


(b)              Subject
to the provisions set forth in paragraph 5(c), the Sponsor and Insiders agree that they shall not effectuate any Transfer
of Private Placement Units or the private placement shares and private placement warrants underlying such Private Placement Units
until 30 days after the completion of an initial Business Combination.


 


(c)               Notwithstanding
the provisions set forth in paragraphs 5(a) and (b), Transfers of the Founder Shares, Private Placement Units and
the private placement shares and private placement warrants underlying the Private Placement Units are permitted (a) to the Company’s
officers or directors, any affiliates or family member of any of the Company’s officers or directors, any members or partners
of the Sponsor or their affiliates, any affiliates of the Sponsor, or any employees of such affiliates; (b) in the case of an
individual, by gift to a member of one of the individual’s immediate family or to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a
member of the individual’s immediate family, 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) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the consummation of
a Business Combination at prices no greater than the price at which the Founder Shares, private placement warrants, private placement
shares or Ordinary Shares, as applicable, were originally purchased; (f) by virtue of the Sponsor’s organizational documents
upon liquidation or dissolution of the Sponsor; (g) to the Company for no value for cancellation in connection with the consummation
of its initial Business Combination, (h) in the event of the Company’s liquidation prior to the completion of its initial
Business Combination; or (i) in the event of completion of a liquidation, merger, share exchange or other similar transaction
which results in all of the Company’s Public Shareholders having the right to exchange their Ordinary Shares for cash, securities
or other property subsequent to the 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 agreeing to be bound by these
transfer restrictions.


 






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(d)              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, Transfer any Units, Ordinary Shares,
Warrants or any other securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, Ordinary Shares held by it, her or him,
as applicable, subject to certain exceptions enumerated in Section 4(h) of the Underwriting Agreement.


 


6.           Remedies.
The Sponsor and each of the Insiders hereby agree and acknowledge that (i) each of the Underwriters and the Company would be irreparably
injured in the event of a breach by the Sponsor or such Insider of its, her or his obligations, as applicable under paragraphs
3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11, (ii) monetary damages may not be an adequate remedy for such breach
and (iii) the non-breaching party shall be entitled to 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.           Payments
by the Company. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, neither the Sponsor nor any affiliate of the Sponsor nor any director
or officer of the Company nor any affiliate of the directors and officers shall receive from the Company any finder’s fee,
reimbursement, consulting fee, monies in respect of any payment 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).


 


8.           Director and Officer Liability Insurance. The Company will maintain an insurance policy or policies providing directors’
and officers’ liability insurance, and the Insiders shall be covered by such policy or policies, in accordance with its or
their terms, to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any of the Company’s directors or officers.


 


9.           Termination.
This Letter Agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the Founder Shares Lock-up Period and (ii) the liquidation
of the Company; provided, however, that this Letter Agreement shall terminate in the event that the Public Offering
is not consummated and closed by December 31, 2020; provided further that paragraph 10 of this Letter Agreement
shall survive such liquidation.


 


10.         Indemnification. In the event of the liquidation of the Trust Account upon the failure of the Company to consummate
its initial Business Combination within the time period set forth in the Charter, the Sponsor (the “Indemnitor”)
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) to which the Company may become subject as a result of any claim by (i) any third party
for services rendered or products sold to the Company (except for the Company’s independent auditors) or (ii) any 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 Indemnitor (x) shall apply only to the extent
necessary to ensure that such claims by a third party for services rendered or products sold to the Company or a Target do not
reduce the amount of funds in the Trust Account to below the lesser of (i) $10.00 per Public Share and (ii) the actual amount per
Public Share held in the Trust Account as of the date of the liquidation of the Trust Account if less than $10.00 per Public Share
due to reductions in the value of the trust assets, in each case net of interest that may be withdrawn to pay the Company’s
tax obligations, (y) shall not apply to any claims by a third party or Target who executed a waiver of any and all rights to the
monies held in the Trust Account (whether or not such waiver is enforceable) and (z) shall not apply to any claims under the Company’s
indemnity of the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
The Indemnitor 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 Indemnitor, the Indemnitor notifies the Company
in writing that it shall undertake such defense.


 






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11.         Forfeiture
of Founder Shares. To the extent that the Underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional Units within 45
days from the date of the Prospectus in full (as further described in the Prospectus), the Sponsor agrees to automatically surrender
to the Company for no consideration, for cancellation at no cost, an aggregate number of Founder Shares so that the number of
Founder Shares will equal of 20% of the sum of the total number of Ordinary Shares and Founder Shares outstanding at such time.
The Sponsor and Insiders further agree that to the extent that the size of the Public Offering is increased or decreased, the
Company will effect a share capitalization or a share repurchase, as applicable, with respect to the Founder Shares immediately
prior to the consummation of the Public Offering in such amount as to maintain the number of Founder Shares at 20% of the sum
of the total number of Ordinary Shares and Founder Shares outstanding at such time.


 


12.         Entire
Agreement. 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.


 


13.         Assignment.
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, each of the Insiders and each of their respective successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns and
permitted transferees.


 


14.         Counterparts.
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.


 






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15.         Effect
of Headings. The paragraph headings herein are for convenience only and are not part of this Letter Agreement and shall not
affect the interpretation thereof.


 


16.         Severability.
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.


 


17.        
Governing Law. This Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws
of the State of New York, without giving effect to conflicts of law principles that would result in the application of the substantive
laws of another jurisdiction. 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.


 


18.         
Notices. 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.


 


[Signature Page Follows]


 






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	 	 	Sincerely,
	 	 	 
	 	 	CONSONANCE LIFE SCIENCES
	 	 	 
	 	 	By:	/s/ Gad Soffer
	 	 	Name:	Gad Soffer
	 	 	Title:	Member
	 	 	 
	 	 	Christopher Haqq
	 	 	 
	 	 	By:	/s/ Christopher Haqq
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	Jennifer Jarrett
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	By:
	/s/ Jennifer Jarrett
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	Donald J. Santel
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	By:	/s/ Donald J. Santel
	 	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	Acknowledged and Agreed:	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	CONSONANCE-HFW ACQUISITION CORP.	 	 	 
	 	 	 	 
	By:	/s/ Gad Soffer	 	 	 
	Name: 	Gad Soffer	 	 	 
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer