SEC Contract Filing

Filing Date: 2022-12-13

Document Content:
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-10.17
<SEQUENCE>15
<FILENAME>ex10-17.htm
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<P STYLE="text-align: center; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: right"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">Exhibit
10.17 </FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 132.75pt; text-align: center; text-indent: -132.75pt"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">EXECUTIVE
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="text-align: center; font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt"><B>&nbsp;</B></FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">This <B>EXECUTIVE
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT </B>(the &ldquo;<I>Agreement</I>&rdquo;) is entered into effective September 13, 2022 (the &ldquo;<I>Effective
Date</I>&rdquo;), by and between Nicholas A. Labella (&ldquo;<I>Executive</I>&rdquo;) and ZyVersa Therapeutics Inc., a
Florida corporation (the &ldquo;<I>Company</I>&rdquo;). Each of the Company and Executive is a &ldquo;<I>Party</I>&rdquo; and,
collectively, they are the &ldquo;<I>Parties</I>.&rdquo;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">WHEREAS,
pursuant to the terms of that certain letter agreement, dated December 28, 2018, between Executive and the Company (the &ldquo;<I>Prior
Agreement</I>&rdquo;), Executive currently serves as the Company&rsquo;s Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice-President of Research
and Development;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">WHEREAS,
the Company has entered into a Business Combination Agreement, dated as of July 20, 2022 (the &ldquo;<I>Business Combination Agreement</I>&rdquo;),
with Larkspur Health Acquisition Corp., a blank check company incorporated as a Delaware corporation (&ldquo;<I>Larkspur</I>&rdquo;),
pursuant to which a wholly owned subsidiary of Larkspur will merge with and into the Company (the &ldquo;<I>Acquisition Merger</I>&rdquo;),
with the Company being the surviving entity in the Acquisition Merger;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">WHEREAS,
in contemplation of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by such Business Combination Agreement, upon closing of the Acquisition
Merger, the Company desires to continue to retain Executive as its Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice-President of Research and Development;
and</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">WHEREAS,
the Company and Executive desire to set forth the terms and conditions of Executive&rsquo;s employment following the closing of the Acquisition
Merger;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in"><FONT STYLE="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; font-size: 10pt">NOW,
THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, the Parties agree as follows:</FONT></P>

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<P STYLE="font: bold 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 37pt;