Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc. - 8-K


Exhibit 10.2


 


 


 


 


December 2, 2016





  


STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL


 


Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc. 


800 Third Avenue, 11th Floor 


New York, NY 10022


 


Attention: Sam Backenroth, Chief Financial
Officer


 


Dear Mr. Backenroth:


 


This letter agreement
(this “Agreement”) constitutes the agreement between Ohr Pharmaceutical, Inc. (the “Company”)
and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (“Wainwright”) that Wainwright shall serve as the exclusive agent, advisor
or underwriter in any offering (each, an “Offering”) of securities of the Company (“Securities”)
during the Term (as defined below) of this Agreement. The terms of each Offering and the Securities issued in connection therewith
shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company and Wainwright and nothing herein implies that Wainwright would have the power or
authority to bind the Company and nothing herein implies that the Company shall have an obligation to issue any Securities. It
is understood that Wainwright’s assistance in an Offering will be subject to the satisfactory completion of such investigation
and inquiry into the affairs of the Company as Wainwright deems appropriate under the circumstances and to the receipt of all
internal approvals of Wainwright in connection with the transaction. The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that Wainwright’s
involvement in an Offering is strictly on a reasonable best efforts basis and that the consummation of an Offering will be subject
to, among other things, market conditions. The execution of this Agreement does not constitute a commitment by Wainwright to purchase
the Securities and does not ensure a successful Offering of the Securities or the success of Wainwright with respect to securing
any other financing on behalf of the Company. Wainwright may retain other brokers, dealers, agents or underwriters on its behalf
in connection with an Offering. 


 


A.           Compensation;
Reimbursement. At the closing of each Offering (each, a “Closing”), the Company shall compensate Wainwright
as follows:





 


1.       Cash
Fee. The Company shall pay to Wainwright a cash fee, or as to an underwritten Offering an underwriter discount, equal to 7.5%
of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in each Offering. 1% of such fee shall be paid to LifeSci Capital. 


 


2.       Expense
Allowance. Out of the proceeds of each Closing, the Company also agrees to pay Wainwright (a) a management fee of 1% of the
gross proceeds raised at each closing of such Offering; plus (b) $100,000 for the fees and expense of Wainwright’s legal
counsels; plus (c) up to $25,000 for accountable expenses such as management background checks, road show costs, due diligence,
travel, and any other out-of-pocket expenses plus the additional reimbursable amount payable by the Company pursuant to Section
D.3 below; provided, however, that such reimbursement amount in no way limits or impairs the indemnification and contribution
provisions of this Agreement. 


 





 






430 Park Avenue  |  New
York, New York 10022  |  212.356.0500  |  www.hcwco.com 


Member: FINRA/SIPC



 






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3.       Right
of First Refusal. If an Offering is consummated during the Term, then, from the date hereof until the 12-month anniversary
following consummation of such Offering, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (a) decides to dispose of or acquire business
units or acquire any of its outstanding securities or make any exchange or tender offer or enter into a merger, consolidation
or other business combination or any recapitalization, reorganization, restructuring or other similar transaction, including,
without limitation, an extraordinary dividend or distributions or a spin-off or split-off, and the Company decides to retain a
financial advisor for such transaction, Wainwright (or any affiliate designated by Wainwright) shall have the right to act as
the Company’s exclusive financial advisor for any such transaction; or (b) decides to finance or refinance any indebtedness
using a manager or agent, Wainwright (or any affiliate designated by Wainwright) shall have the right to act as lead book runner,
lead manager, lead placement agent or lead agent with respect to such financing or refinancing; or (c) decides to raise funds
by means of a public offering or a private placement of equity or debt securities using an underwriter or placement agent, Wainwright
(or any affiliate designated by Wainwright) shall have the right to act as a lead book runner, lead underwriter or lead placement
agent for such financing for at least 30% of the economics. If Wainwright or one of its affiliates decides to accept any such
engagement, the agreement governing such engagement will contain, among other things, provisions for customary fees for transactions
of similar size and nature and the provisions of this Agreement, including indemnification, which are appropriate to such a transaction. 


 


B.           Term
and Termination of Engagement; Exclusivity. The term of Wainwright’s exclusive engagement will begin on the date hereof
and end 45 days after the date hereof (the “Term”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein,
the Company agrees that the provisions relating to the payment of fees, reimbursement of expenses, right of first refusal, indemnification
and contribution, confidentiality, conflicts, independent contractor and waiver of the right to trial by jury will survive any
termination of this Agreement. During Wainwright’s engagement hereunder: (i) the Company will not, and will not permit its
representatives to, other than in coordination with Wainwright, contact or solicit institutions, corporations or other entities
or individuals as potential purchasers of the Securities and (ii) the Company will not pursue any financing transaction which
would be in lieu of a Offering. Furthermore, the Company agrees that during Wainwright’s engagement hereunder, all inquiries,
whether direct or indirect, from prospective investors will be referred to Wainwright and will be deemed to have been contacted
by Wainwright in connection with an Offering. Additionally, except as set forth hereunder, the Company represents, warrants and
covenants that no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any subsidiary of the
Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other third-party
with respect to any Offering. 


 


C.           Information;
Reliance. The Company shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, to Wainwright all information requested by Wainwright for the
purpose of rendering services hereunder and conducting due diligence (all such information being the “Information”).
In addition, the Company agrees to make available to Wainwright upon request from time to time the officers, directors, accountants,
counsel and other advisors of the Company. The Company recognizes and confirms that Wainwright (a) will use and rely on the Information,
including any documents provided to investors in each Offering (the “Offering Documents” which shall include
any Purchase Agreements (as defined below)), and on information available from generally recognized public sources in performing
the services contemplated by this Agreement without having independently verified the same; (b) does not assume responsibility
for the accuracy or completeness of the Offering Documents or the Information and such other information; and (c) will not make
an appraisal of any of the assets or liabilities of the Company. Upon reasonable request, the Company will meet with Wainwright
or its representatives to discuss all information relevant for disclosure in the Offering Documents and will cooperate in any investigation
undertaken by Wainwright thereof, including any document included or incorporated by reference therein. At each Offering, at the
request of Wainwright, the Company shall deliver such legal letters (including, without limitation, negative assurance letter),
opinions, comfort letters and officer’s certificates, all in form and substance satisfactory to Wainwright and its counsel
as is customary for such Offering. Wainwright shall be a third party beneficiary of any representations, warranties, covenants
and closing conditions made by the Company in any Offering Documents, including representations, warranties, covenants and closing
conditions made to any investor in an Offering.


 






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D.           Related
Agreements. At each Offering, the Company shall enter into the following additional agreements: 


 


1.       Underwritten
Offering. If an Offering is an underwritten Offering, the Company and Wainwright shall enter into a customary underwriting
agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Wainwright and its counsel. 


 


2.       Best
Efforts Offering. If an Offering is on a best efforts basis, the sale of Securities to the investors in the Offering will
be evidenced by a purchase agreement (“Purchase Agreement”) between the Company and such investors in a form
reasonably satisfactory to the Company and Wainwright. Prior to the signing of any Purchase Agreement, officers of the Company
with responsibility for financial affairs will be available to answer inquiries from prospective investors.


 


3.       Escrow
and Settlement. In respect of each Offering, the Company and Wainwright shall enter into an escrow agreement with a third
party escrow agent, which may also be Wainwright’s clearing agent, pursuant to which Wainwright’s compensation and
expenses shall be paid from the gross proceeds of the Securities sold. If the Offering is settled in whole or in part via delivery
versus payment (“DVP”), Wainwright shall arrange for its clearing agent to provide the funds to facilitate
such settlement. The Company shall bear the cost of the escrow agent and shall reimburse Wainwright for the actual out of pocket
cost of such clearing agent settlement and financing, if any, which cost shall not exceed $10,000.


 


4.       FINRA
Amendments. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that Wainwright determines that any of the terms
provided for hereunder shall not comply with a FINRA rule, including but not limited to FINRA Rule 5110, then the Company shall
agree to amend this Agreement (or include such revisions in the final underwriting) in writing upon the request of Wainwright
to comply with any such rules; provided that any such amendments shall not provide for terms that are less favorable to the Company
than are reflected in this Agreement.


 


E.           Confidentiality.
In the event of the consummation or public announcement of any Offering, Wainwright shall have the right to disclose its participation
in such Offering, including, without limitation, the Offering at its cost of “tombstone” advertisements in financial
and other newspapers and journals.


 


F.           Indemnity. 


 


1.       In
connection with the Company’s engagement of Wainwright as Offering agent, the Company hereby agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless Wainwright and its affiliates, and the respective controlling persons, directors, officers, members, shareholders, agents
and employees of any of the foregoing (collectively the “Indemnified Persons”), from and against any and all
claims, actions, suits, proceedings (including those of shareholders), damages, liabilities and expenses incurred by any of them
(including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), as incurred, (collectively a “Claim”), that are (A)
related to or arise out of (i) any actions taken or omitted to be taken (including any untrue statements made or any statements
omitted to be made) by the Company, or (ii) any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any Indemnified Person in connection with
the Company’s engagement of Wainwright, or (B) otherwise relate to or arise out of Wainwright’s activities on the
Company’s behalf under Wainwright’s engagement, and the Company shall reimburse any Indemnified Person for all expenses
(including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) as incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with investigating,
preparing or defending any such claim, action, suit or proceeding, whether or not in connection with pending or threatened litigation
in which any Indemnified Person is a party. The Company will not, however, be responsible for any Claim that is finally judicially
determined to have resulted from the fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct of any person seeking indemnification for such
Claim. The Company further agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability to the Company for or in connection with
the Company’s engagement of Wainwright except for any Claim incurred by the Company as a result of such Indemnified Person’s
fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct.


 






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2.       The
Company further agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of Wainwright, settle, compromise or consent to the
entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened Claim in respect of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether
or not any Indemnified Person is an actual or potential party to such Claim), unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes
an unconditional, irrevocable release of each Indemnified Person from any and all liability arising out of such Claim.


 


3.       Promptly
upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of notice of any complaint or the assertion or institution of any Claim with respect to
which indemnification is being sought hereunder, such Indemnified Person shall notify the Company in writing of such complaint
or of such assertion or institution but failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any obligation it
may have hereunder, except and only to the extent such failure results in the forfeiture by the Company of substantial rights
and defenses. If the Company so elects or is requested by such Indemnified Person, the Company will assume the defense of such
Claim, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person and the payment of the fees and
expenses of such counsel. In the event, however, that legal counsel to such Indemnified Person reasonably determines that having
common counsel would present such counsel with a conflict of interest or if the defendant in, or target of, any such Claim, includes
an Indemnified Person and the Company, and legal counsel to such Indemnified Person reasonably concludes that there may be legal
defenses available to it or other Indemnified Persons different from or in addition to those available to the Company, then such
Indemnified Person may employ its own separate counsel to represent or defend him, her or it in any such Claim and the Company
shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Company fails
timely or diligently to defend, contest, or otherwise protect against any Claim, the relevant Indemnified Party shall have the
right, but not the obligation, to defend, contest, compromise, settle, assert crossclaims, or counterclaims or otherwise protect
against the same, and shall be fully indemnified by the Company therefor, including without limitation, for the reasonable fees
and expenses of its counsel and all amounts paid as a result of such Claim or the compromise or settlement thereof. In addition,
with respect to any Claim in which the Company assumes the defense, the Indemnified Person shall have the right to participate
in such Claim and to retain his, her or its own counsel therefor at his, her or its own expense.


 


4.       The
Company agrees that if any indemnity sought by an Indemnified Person hereunder is held by a court to be unavailable for any reason
then (whether or not Wainwright is the Indemnified Person), the Company and Wainwright shall contribute to the Claim for which
such indemnity is held unavailable in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits to the Company, on the
one hand, and Wainwright on the other, in connection with Wainwright’s engagement referred to above, subject to the limitation
that in no event shall the amount of Wainwright’s contribution to such Claim exceed the amount of fees actually received
by Wainwright from the Company pursuant to Wainwright’s engagement. The Company hereby agrees that the relative benefits
to the Company, on the one hand, and Wainwright on the other, with respect to Wainwright’s engagement shall be deemed to
be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or proposed to be paid or received by the Company pursuant to the applicable
Offering (whether or not consummated) for which Wainwright is engaged to render services bears to (b) the fee paid or proposed
to be paid to Wainwright in connection with such engagement.


 






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5.       The
Company’s indemnity, reimbursement and contribution obligations under this Agreement (a) shall be in addition to, and shall
in no way limit or otherwise adversely affect any rights that any Indemnified Party may have at law or at equity and (b) shall
be effective whether or not the Company is at fault in any way.


  


G.           Limitation
of Engagement to the Company. The Company acknowledges that Wainwright has been retained only by the Company, that Wainwright
is providing services hereunder as an independent contractor (and not in any fiduciary or agency capacity) and that the Company’s
engagement of Wainwright is not deemed to be on behalf of, and is not intended to confer rights upon, any shareholder, owner or
partner of the Company or any other person not a party hereto as against Wainwright or any of its affiliates, or any of its or
their respective officers, directors, controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), employees or agents. Unless otherwise
expressly agreed in writing by Wainwright, no one other than the Company is authorized to rely upon this Agreement or any other
statements or conduct of Wainwright, and no one other than the Company is intended to be a beneficiary of this Agreement. The Company
acknowledges that any recommendation or advice, written or oral, given by Wainwright to the Company in connection with Wainwright’s
engagement is intended solely for the benefit and use of the Company’s management and directors in considering a possible
Offering, and any such recommendation or advice is not on behalf of, and shall not confer any rights or remedies upon, any other
person or be used or relied upon for any other purpose. Wainwright shall not have the authority to make any commitment binding
on the Company. The Company, in its sole discretion, shall have the right to reject any investor introduced to it by Wainwright.


  


H.           Limitation
of Wainwright’s Liability to the Company. Wainwright and the Company further agree that neither Wainwright nor any of
its affiliates or any of its their respective officers, directors, controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act), employees or agents shall have any liability to the Company, its security holders
or creditors, or any person asserting claims on behalf of or in the right of the Company (whether direct or indirect, in contract,
tort, for an act of negligence or otherwise) for any losses, fees, damages, liabilities, costs, expenses or equitable relief arising
out of or relating to this Agreement or the services rendered hereunder, except for losses, fees, damages, liabilities, costs
or expenses that arise out of or are based on any action of or failure to act by Wainwright and that are finally judicially determined
to have resulted solely from the fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct of Wainwright.


 


I.            Governing
Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to
agreements made and to be fully performed therein. Any disputes that arise under this Agreement, even after the termination of
this Agreement, will be heard only in the state or federal courts located in the City of New York, State of New York. The parties
hereto expressly agree to submit themselves to the jurisdiction of the foregoing courts in the City of New York, State of New
York. The parties hereto expressly waive any rights they may have to contest the jurisdiction, venue or authority of any court
sitting in the City and State of New York. In the event Wainwright or any Indemnified Person is successful in any action, or suit
against the Company, arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the final judgment or award entered shall be entitled to have
and recover from the Company the costs and expenses incurred in connection therewith, including its reasonable attorneys’
fees. Any rights to trial by jury with respect to any such action, proceeding or suit are hereby waived by Wainwright and the
Company.


 






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J.           Notices.
All notices hereunder will be in writing and sent by certified mail, hand delivery, overnight delivery or fax, if sent to Wainwright,
to H. C. Wainwright & Co. LLC, at the address set forth on the first page hereof, e-mail: notices@hcwco.com, Attention: Head
of Investment Banking, and if sent to the Company, to the address set forth on the first page hereof, sam@ohrpharmaceutical.com
Attention: Chief Financial Officer. Notices sent by certified mail shall be deemed received five days thereafter, notices sent
by hand delivery or overnight delivery shall be deemed received on the date of the relevant written record of receipt, notices
delivered by fax shall be deemed received as of the date and time printed thereon by the fax machine and notices sent by e-mail
shall be deemed received as of the date and time they were sent.


 


K.          Conflicts.
The Company acknowledges that Wainwright and its affiliates may have and may continue to have investment banking and other relationships
with parties other than the Company pursuant to which Wainwright may acquire information of interest to the Company. Wainwright
shall have no obligation to disclose such information to the Company or to use such information in connection with any contemplated
transaction. 


 


L.          Anti-Money
Laundering. To help the United States government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering, the federal laws of
the United States requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person with
whom they do business. This means we must ask you for certain identifying information, including a government-issued identification
number (e.g., a U.S. taxpayer identification number) and such other information or documents that we consider appropriate to verify
your identity, such as certified articles of incorporation, a government-issued business license, a partnership agreement or a
trust instrument. 


 


M.         Miscellaneous.
The Company represents and warrants that it has all requisite power and authority to enter into and carry out the terms and provisions
of this Agreement and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement does not breach or conflict with any agreement,
document or instrument to which it is a party or bound. This Agreement shall not be modified or amended except in writing signed
by Wainwright and the Company. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both Wainwright and the Company
and their respective assigns, successors, and legal representatives. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of Wainwright
and the Company with respect to this Offering and supersedes any prior agreements with respect to the subject matter hereof. If
any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination will not affect
such provision in any other respect, and the remainder of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. This Agreement
may be executed in counterparts (including facsimile counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument. 


 


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In acknowledgment
that the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding reached by Wainwright and the Company, please sign in the space provided
below, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding Agreement as of the date indicated above.





	 	 	 
	 	Very truly yours,
	 	 
	 	H.C. WAINWRIGHT &
CO., LLC
	 	 	 
	 	By:	 
	 	 	Name:
	 	 	Title:


 


Accepted and Agreed: 


 


OHR
PHARMACEUTICAL, Inc.


 


	By:	 	 
	 	Name: Sam Backenroth	 
	 	Title: Chief Financial Officer






 






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