ADVISORY BOARD AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.32
This AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”),
dated as of December 10, 2010, is made by and between Medgenics, Inc., located
at 0000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxx,
XX, 00000 XXX (the “Company”); and R.
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx, M.D., FCCP of Sarasota, Florida (the
“Advisor”).
The
Company wishes to retain the Advisor as a member of the Company’s Strategic
Advisory Board (the “SAB”) and the Advisor desires to perform
the advisory and consulting services described below. Accordingly, the parties
agree as follows:
1.
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Services.
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a.
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The
Advisor will advise, consult for and on behalf of the Company’s
management, employees and agents, at reasonable times, as requested by the
Company and shall provide the Services set forth on Exhibit
1.
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b.
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Advisor
will participate in 3-4 SAB meetings per year by phone. Additionally,
consultation of up to 2 hours per month on average may be sought by the
Company by telephone, written correspondence or in person at the Advisor’s
office and will involve reviewing activities and developments in the Company’s field
of activity.
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c.
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For
purposes of this Agreement, the “Effective Date” shall
be the date that this Agreement is fully executed by both
parties.
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2.
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Compensation.
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a.
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In
connection with the execution of this Agreement, the Company will issue to
Advisor options to purchase 667,397 shares of common stock of the Company,
having $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), exercisable for
10 years at an exercise price to be calculated
as the average of the Applicable Daily Closing Share Price (as defined
below) for the 10 trading days prior to the date of formal approval of the
grant of options by the Board of Directors. The Advisor acknowledges
that the Company may be prohibited by the AIM Rules for Companies (the
“AIM Rules”) from granting such
options on the Effective Date, but that, subject to the approval of the
Board of Directors, such options shall be granted as soon as practicable,
lawful and otherwise permitted under the AIM Rules. These options shall
vest in three equal increments over a 3-year period
starting from the grant date of the options; however, vesting will
be accelerated in case of a change of ownership pursuant to the terms set
forth in the option grant
agreement.
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b.
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For in-person meetings, the
Advisor will be paid $1,500 for each day of
meetings.
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SAB Advisory Agreement Page 1 of 9
c.
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For
purposes of Section 2(a) above, the “Applicable Daily Closing Share
Price” shall be calculated on a given date as (x) if the
Common Stock is listed on a U.S. national securities exchange, the last
closing trade price of the Company’s Common Stock, as reported by
Bloomberg, L.P., on that date, or (y) if the Common Stock is not listed on
a U.S. national securities exchange, the closing price of the Company’s
Common Stock as reported on the MEDU ticker listed on the
London Stock Exchange AIM market on that
date.
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d.
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Reasonable
expenses of the Advisor incurred at the request of the Company (including
phone and other expenses incurred in the normal course of business on
behalf of the Company and travel expenses incurred in connection with
Company related business in accordance with the Company’s travel policy)
will be reimbursed promptly by the Company, subject to customary
verification and prior written
approval.
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3.
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Term. The term of this
Agreement will begin on the Effective Date of this Agreement and will end
on the third anniversary of this Agreement or upon earlier termination as
provided below (the “Term”); provided that the Term may be
renewed for successive one-year periods. This Agreement may be terminated
at any time upon written notice by either
party.
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4.
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Confidentiality
and prohibited
dealings.
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a.
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The
Advisor acknowledges that, during the course of performing his services
hereunder, the Company will be disclosing information to the Advisor (“Confidential Information”) which is owned by the Company.
The Advisor acknowledges that the Company’s business is extremely
competitive, dependent in part upon the maintenance of secrecy, and that
any disclosure of the Confidential Information would likely result in
serious harm to the Company.
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b.
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The
Advisor agrees that the Confidential Information will be used by the
Advisor only in connection with the advisory and consulting activities
hereunder, and will not be used for any other
purpose.
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c.
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The
Advisor agrees not to disclose, directly or indirectly, the Confidential
Information to any third person or entity, other than representatives or
agents of the Company. The Advisor agrees not to use the Confidential
Information for any purposes other than explicitly permitted under this
Agreement. The Advisor will treat all such information as confidential and
proprietary property of the
Company.
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d.
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The
Advisor may disclose any Confidential Information that is required to be disclosed by
law, government regulation or court order. If disclosure is required, the
Advisor will give the Company advance notice so that the Company may seek
a protective order or take other action reasonable in light of the
circumstances.
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SAB Advisory Agreement Page 2 of 9
e.
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The
Advisor hereby acknowledges that he is aware that the Company is a company
who’s issued shares have been admitted to trading on the AIM market of the
London Stock Exchange. Information imparted and/or to be imparted by the
Company to the Advisor regarding the Company and/or the Company’s
subsidiary is or may be “inside information” relating to the Company
and/or the securities of the Company within the meaning of the UK’s
Criminal Justice Xxx 0000. As such, the Advisor may hereafter become “an
insider” in relation to the Company. The Advisor hereby agrees to being
made an insider and that, entirely without prejudice to the generality of
the foregoing provisions hereof, that he will
not:
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(i)
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use
Confidential Information in relation to the Company and/or its subsidiary
to deal or encourage any other person to deal in securities of the
Company. For the purposes of the foregoing the term “deal” is to be
construed in accordance with the UK’s Criminal Justice Xxx 0000;
and
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(ii)
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(and
will use his best endeavors to procure that none of his related, connected
or associated parties will) without the Company’s prior written consent
directly or indirectly by purchase or otherwise, acquire (conditionally or
otherwise), offer to acquire, or agree to acquire ownership or options to
acquire such ownership or any rights whatsoever in respect of any share
capital in the Company (or otherwise act in concert with any person who so
acquires, offers to acquire or agrees to acquire) whilst any such
information shall be and remain “inside
information”.
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5.
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Intellectual
Property.
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a.
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The
Advisor recognizes that the Company is engaged in a continuous program of
research, development, and production with respect to its business. The
Company possesses or has rights to information that has been created,
discovered, developed or otherwise become known to the Company (including
information developed by, discovered by or created by Advisor which arises
out of the advisory and consulting relationship with the Company) that has
commercial value in its business (“ProprietaryInformation”). For example, Proprietary
Information includes, without limitation, inventions (whether or not
patentable), patent applications, trade secrets, discoveries, experiments,
research, concepts, ideas, techniques, methods, processes, testing
procedures, formulas, compositions, data, know-how, computer programs,
computer code, and improvements in the foregoing, as well as names and
expertise of employees, consultants, customers and prospects, and
technical, business, financial, marketing, customer and product
development plans, forecasts, strategies and any other information
relating to the Company’s business and/or fields of
interest.
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SAB Advisory Agreement Page 3 of 9
b.
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The
Advisor understands that the advisory and consulting relationship creates
a relationship of confidence and trust between Advisor and the Company
with respect to any (i) Proprietary Information or (ii) confidential
information applicable to the business of any customer of the Company or
other entity with which the Company does business and that it learns in
connection with the advisory and consulting relationship. At all times,
both during the Term hereunder and after its termination, Advisor will
keep in confidence and trust all such information, and Advisor will not
use or disclose any such information without the written consent of the
Company, except as may be necessary in the ordinary course of performing
its duties to the Company. This obligation shall end whenever such
information enters the public domain and is no longer confidential or
proprietary.
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c.
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In
addition, the Advisor hereby
agrees:
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i.
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All
Proprietary information shall be the sole property of the Company and its
assigns, and the Company and its assigns shall be the sole owner of all
patents, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary rights in
connection therewith. Advisor hereby assigns to the Company any rights it
may have or acquire in such Proprietary Information. Advisor specifically
agrees that the foregoing assignment shall include any and all rights it
may have, had, acquire, or acquired in the Proprietary Information of the
Company and its subsidiaries, if applicable. Additionally, Advisor agrees
to perform all reasonable acts requested by the Company or its
representatives to perfect and
enforce such rights.
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ii.
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All
documents or other media, records apparatus, equipment and other physical
property whether or not pertaining to Proprietary Information, furnished
to the Advisor by the Company or produced by Advisor or others in
connection with the consulting relationship shall be and remain the sole
property of the Company. Advisor shall return and deliver all such
property of the Company immediately as and when requested by the Company.
The Advisor shall return and deliver all such properly (including any
copies thereof) upon request and, even without any request, upon
termination of the consulting
relationship.
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d.
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Advisor
will promptly disclose to the Company all improvements, inventions, works
of authorship, trade secrets, computer programs, designs, formulas, mask works, ideas,,
processes, techniques, know-how and data, whether or not patentable
(“Inventions”) that relate to the subject matter of my advising and that
are conceived, developed or learned by the Advisor, either alone or
jointly with others, during the term of the advisory
relationship.
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SAB Advisory Agreement Page 4 of 9
e.
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All
Inventions that Advisor conceives, develops or learns (in whole or in
part, either alone or jointly with others) in connection with
performance of its advising for the Company or that uses the Company’s
Proprietary Information shall be the sole property of the Company and its
assigns (and to the extent permitted by law shall be works made for hire). The Company and
its assigns shall be the sole owner of all trade secret rights, patents,
copyrights and other proprietary rights anywhere in the world in
connection therewith, and Advisor hereby assigns to the Company any rights
it may have or acquire in such Inventions. Advisor specifically agrees
that the foregoing assignment shall include any and all rights, title and
interest Advisor may have, had, acquired or acquire in Inventions made
conceived, developed, acquired or first reduced to practice by Advisor (in whole or
in part, either alone or jointly with others) while Advisor was rendering
services to the Company or its subsidiaries or
affiliates.
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f.
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With
regard to Inventions described in (f) above. Advisor will assist the
Company or its assigns in every proper way (but at the Company’s expense)
to obtain and from time to time enforce patents, copyrights on the
Inventions in any and all countries, and to that end Advisor will execute
all appropriate documents, This obligation shall
continue beyond the termination of the consulting relationship, but the
Company shall then compensate Advisor at a reasonable rate for time spent.
If the Company is unable for any reason whatsoever to secure signature to
any such document (including renewals, extensions, continuations,
divisions or continuations in part), Advisor hereby irrevocably designates
and appoints the
Company and its duly authorized officers and agents, as its agents and
attorneys-in-fact to act for and in my behalf and instead of Advisor, but
only for the purpose of executing and filing such documents and doing all
other lawful permitted acts to accomplish the foregoing with the same
legal force and effect as if done by
Advisor.
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g.
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As
a matter of record Advisor attaches hereto (as Exhibit 2) a list of
existing inventions or improvements relevant to the subject matter of the
advisory relationship with the Company that have been made or conceived or
first reduced to practice by Advisor alone, or jointly with others, prior
to rendering services as an advisor to the Company that Advisor desires to
remove from the operation of the Agreement, and Advisor covenants that
such list is complete.
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h.
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Advisor
represents that execution of the Agreement, the advisory relationship with
the Company and the performance by Advisor of the Services will not
violate any obligations the Advisor may have to any person or entity,
including the obligation to keep confidential any proprietary information
of that person or entity. Advisor has not entered into any agreement in
conflict with this Agreement or the advisory relationship with the
Company. Advisor represents that the Advisor will not disclose to the
Company or induce the Company to use any confidential or proprietary
information or material belonging to any previous employers, clients, or
others.
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SAB Advisory Agreement Page 5 of 9
6.
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Non-Compete;
Non-Solicitation.
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a.
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During
the Term, the Advisor will not engage in providing advisory
services to other entities in the field of ex
vivo genetic modification of autologous
tissue.
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b.
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During
the Term and for twelve (12) months after the termination of the Term for
any reason, the Advisor will not solicit any
employee of the
Company to leave the Company for any reason or to devote less than all of
any such employee’s full efforts to the affairs of the
Company.
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7. Use
of Name. It is understood that the
name of the Advisor and Advisor’s affiliation with the Advisor’s current employer will appear
in disclosure documents required by securities laws, and in other regulatory and
administrative filings; and in the ordinary course of the Company’s
business.
8. No
Conflict: Valid and Binding. The Advisor represents that
neither the execution of this Agreement nor the performance of the Advisor’s
obligations under this Agreement will result in a violation or breach of any
other agreement by which the Advisor is bound. The Company represents that this
Agreement has been duly authorised and executed and is a valid
and legally binding obligation of the Company, subject to no conflicting
agreements.
9. Notices. Any notice provided under
this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been effectively
given (i) upon receipt when delivered
personally, (ii) one day after sending when sent
by private express mail service (such as Federal Express), or (iii) 5 days
after sending when sent by regular mail to the following address:
In the
case of the Company:
POB 00
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxx,
00000 XXXXXX
Office
x000-0-0000000
Fax
x000-0-0000000
Attention:
Xx. Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Chief Executive Officer
With a
copy to:
Xxxxx
Xxxxx Zedek Xxxxxx, LLP
0000
Xxxxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Tel:
000-000-0000
Fax:
000-000-0000
SAB Advisory Agreement Page 6 of 9
Attention:
Xxxx X. Xxxxx
In the
case of the Advisor:
Dr. R.
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
or to
other such address as may have been designated by the Company or the Advisor by
notice to the other given as provided herein.
10.
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Independent
Contractor. Withholding. The Advisor will at all times be
an independent contractor, and as such will not have authority to bind the
Company. Advisor will not act as an agent nor shall he be deemed to be an
employee of the Company for the purposes of any employee benefit program,
unemployment benefits, or otherwise, The Advisor recognizes that no
amount will be withheld from his compensation for payment of any federal,
state, or local taxes and that the Advisor has sole responsibility to pay
such taxes, if any, and file such returns as shall be required by
applicable laws and regulations. Advisor shall not enter into any
agreements or incur any obligations on behalf of the
Company.
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11.
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Assignment. Due to the personal
nature of the services to be rendered by the Advisor, the Advisor may not
assign this Agreement. The Company may assign all rights and liabilities
under this Agreement to a subsidiary or an affiliate or to a successor to all or a
substantial part of its business and assets without the consent of the
Advisor. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement will inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon each of the heirs, assigns and successors of
the respective parties.
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12.
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Severability. If any
provision of this Agreement shall be declared invalid, illegal or
unenforceable, such provision shall be severed and the remaining
provisions shall continue in full force and
effect.
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13.
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Remedies. The Advisor
acknowledges that the Company would have no adequate remedy at law to
enforce the provisions of Sections 4, 5 and 6 above. In the event of a
violation by the Advisor of such Sections, the Company shall have the
right to obtain injunctive or other similar relief, as well as any other
relevant damages, without the requirement of posting bond or other similar
measures.
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14.
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Governing
Law; Entire Agreement; Amendment. This Agreement shall
be governed by the substantive laws of New York and under the exclusive
jurisdiction of the New York courts. This Agreement represents the entire
agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and
supersedes all prior oral or written agreements between the Company and
Advisor. No provision of this Agreement may be amended other than by an
instrument in writing signed by the Company
and Advisor. No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and
signed by an authorized representative of the waiving
party.
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SAB Advisory Agreement Page 7 of 9
15.
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Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more identical counterparts, all of
which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become
effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered
to the other party. In the event that any signature is delivered by
facsimile transmission or by an e-mail which contains a portable document
format (.pdf) file of an executed signature page, such signature page
shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on
whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as
if such signature page were an original
thereof.
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IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the
parties have executed
this Agreement as of
the
date first written above.
ADVISOR
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By:
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/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
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By:
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/s/ R. Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx MD
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Name:
Xx. Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
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Dr.
R. Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
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Title:
Chief Executive Officer
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SAB Advisory Agreement
Page 8 of 9
EXHIBIT
I
Description
of Services
Advising
the Company including:
1)
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Participating
as a member of the SAB;
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2)
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Guiding
the general scientific, business, laboratory, and medical direction of the
Company;
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3)
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Reviewing
the goals and plans of the Company and developing strategies for achieving
them;
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4)
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Identifying
and developing relationships with potential strategic
partners;
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5)
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Interacting
with potential investors, stockholders, and strategic or corporate
partners;
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6)
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Identifying
and reviewing promising scientific developments and intellectual
property;
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7)
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Providing
advice and guidance in the Company’s scientific research and product
development activities; and
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8)
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Other
functions as may be agreed with the
Company.
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SAB Advisory Agreement Page 9 of 9