CONSULTING AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.116
THIS
Agreement ("Agreement"), effective as of April 24, 2009 is entered
into by and between Ore Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Ore”), with a place of business
at 000 Xxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx,
Xxxxx 000,, Xxxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, and Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, whose address is at 0000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
("Consultant").
In
consideration of the representations and agreements contained herein, Consultant
and Ore agree as follows:
1.
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Purpose: Ore
is in the business of pharmaceutical product development and financing
(the “Business”) and Consultant has special expertise in that
field. Ore wishes to obtain advisory services from Consultant
and Consultant is willing to provide services to Ore. The
purpose of this Agreement is to establish the terms upon which such
services will be provided.
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2.
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Services.
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a.
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Subject
to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Ore hereby appoints
Consultant as a consultant and Consultant hereby accepts such
appointment. Consultant agrees that, during the term of this
Agreement and any subsequent extension thereto, he will provide his
services as requested by Ore’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) or any
other executive at Ore designated by the
CEO.
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b.
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As
requested with respect to the Business,
Consultant will,
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i.
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Evaluate
product development strategies;
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ii.
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Recommend
product development strategies;
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iii.
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Critique
proposed product development initiatives;
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iv.
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Refer
Ore to potential new business opportunities appropriate to the
Business;
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v.
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Advise
on scientific data interpretation and
presentation;
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vi.
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Otherwise
advise Ore with respect to the Business; and
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vii.
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Provide
such other services as may be mutually agreed by the
parties
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c.
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The
services may be provided by meetings or by telephone, e-mail or other
written communication. If requested, Consultant will meet or communicate
with Ore representatives at times and places to be mutually
agreed.
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d.
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Consultant
shall provide services to Ore based on the proprietary and/or confidential
information provided by Ore and/or developed by Consultant in the course
of providing services hereunder and shall devote such time as reasonably
necessary to provide the requested services. Subject to the
provisions of Section 10, Consultant agrees to perform the services in a
timely and professional manner consistent with industry
standards.
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3.
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Compensation.
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a.
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In
consideration for the services during the term of this Agreement and while
this Agreement is in force, Consultant shall
receive:
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i.
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a
retainer at a rate of $30,000 per year payable in arrears in quarterly
installments, and
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ii.
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payment
for specific services at a rate of one thousand dollars ($1000.00) per
day.
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Consultant
shall submit an invoice for his services to Ore on a monthly basis within thirty
days after the end of each month in which services are provided hereunder,
showing by date the days worked, the services provided and the Ore executive
with or for whom the work was performed. Ore shall pay Consultant for
his services within thirty (30) days of receiving each
invoice. Consultant will obtain CEO’s prior written approval if the
hourly rate compensation for services provided in any calendar month are
expected to exceed $4,000.00, before providing services that exceed such
limit.
b.
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The
Board of Directors has agreed that, at such time as the shareholders of
Ore have approved the adoption by the Company of an equity plan allowing
for the issuance of options to consultants of the Company, the Company
will grant to Consultant pursuant to the terms of such plan and on the
date of the meeting at which such shareholder approval occurs, an option
to purchase 40,000 shares of Common Stock of Ore, with an exercise price
equal to the fair market value of the Ore Common Stock on the date of the
grant, exercisable in full on the first anniversary of the date of grant
and exercisable for 90 days from the date of the termination of this
Consulting Agreement..
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c.
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Consultant
will also be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary out-of-pocket
expenses (including travel, lodging, and the like), which are incurred at
the request of and approved in writing in advance by
Ore, provided any travel expenses comply with Ore’s travel
policy, a copy of which is available upon
request.
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4.
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Confidentiality. In
view of Ore's proprietary rights and interests concerning its Business,
Consultant agrees that during the term of this Agreement and any
subsequent extension(s) thereto and for a period of five (5) years
thereafter, Consultant agrees to keep strictly confidential and not use
for his own benefit or for the benefit of any third party any information
which he may acquire relating to Ore’s business, whether such information
is disclosed or made known by Ore to Consultant or is generated by
Consultant in the course of performing the services
hereunder. By way of illustration and not limitation,
such shall include all information, communicated by any means, relating to
the business of Ore that is not available to the general public, including
its technical and business information, assets, inventions, know-how,
research programs, biological materials, processes, drug compound
hypotheses, designs, trade secrets, contracts, improvements, discoveries,
databases, software programs, development tools, budgets and unpublished
financial information, licenses, and other data, both technical and
non-technical, prospects, protocols, and other information associated with
this Agreement.
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Consultant
shall not disclose such information to any third party or use such information
for any purpose, except as provided herein, without the prior written approval
of Ore. Consultant shall have no obligation with respect to any
portion of such information which:
a.
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is
or later becomes generally available to the public by use publication or
the like, through no fault of
Consultant;
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b.
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is
obtained from a third party who had the legal right to disclose the same
to Consultant and who is not under an obligation of confidentiality to
Ore; or
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c.
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Consultant
already possesses, as evidenced by written records, predating receipt
thereof from Ore provided that this exception shall not apply to any
information received or developed by Consultant during his prior
employment by Ore or as a Director of ore to the extent that such
information subsequently became the property of Ore and was confidential
at the time it became the property of
Ore.
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2
Specific
information disclosed to Consultant by Ore shall not be deemed to be available
to the public or in prior possession of Consultant merely because such specific
information is embraced by more general information available to the public or
in prior possession of Consultant.
Consultant
also acknowledges that the confidential information to which he may have access
as a result of the relationship with Ore described herein may constitute
material non-public information and that he may not trade in the securities of
Ore or assist others to do so on the basis of such material non-public
information and that he may not disclose such information to third parties who
might trade on such information.
5.
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New
Developments. Consultant agrees that any
information, including but not limited to discoveries, inventions,
innovations, suggestions, know-how, ideas and reports made by Consultant
which either results from information disclosed by Ore, or is developed as
a result of Consultant's services under this Agreement (“New
Developments”), shall become the sole property of Ore without further
compensation to Consultant and shall be promptly disclosed to
Ore. Consultant will treat such new developments as information
which is subject to the confidentiality provisions of Paragraph 3
herein. Ore shall own all right, title and interest in and to
all New Developments under this
Agreement.
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6.
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Patent
Rights and Licenses. If patentable subject matter
results from services provided hereunder, Consultant shall assist Ore in
the preparation and prosecution of appropriate patent applications and
shall without further compensation execute appropriate documents
acknowledging the assignment of his rights in such subject matter and
applications to Ore. All expenses incidental to the
filing and prosecution of any such patent applications shall be borne by
Ore. The disclosure of proprietary information by Ore to
Consultant shall not result in any obligation to grant Consultant any
rights in and to said proprietary subject
matter.
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7.
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Third-Party
Confidential Information. Consultant agrees that
during the term of this Agreement, he will not disclose to Ore any
information that is confidential or proprietary to any third
party.
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8.
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Non-Compete/Non-Solicitation. While
this Agreement is in effect and for one year after this Agreement ends,
Consultant agrees that he will not assist third parties to develop, market
or sell products which would compete in the marketplace with Ore’s
products of which Consultant is made aware in the course of his
consulting. Consultant further agrees that, during the term of
this Agreement and for one (1) year after the date of termination of the
Agreement regardless of the reason for termination, Consultant will not
induce or solicit any employee of Ore to leave the employ of Ore or assist
any third party to do so.
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9.
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Term
and Termination. This Agreement shall be effective
for a twelve-month period beginning as of the date hereof , and may be
extended in writing by mutual consent of the parties. However,
either party may terminate this Agreement at any time upon sixty (60)
days' prior written notice, but in no event may this agreement be
terminated prior to the date that is one year from the date of this
Agreement . Any rights or obligations set forth herein which
are accrued prior to the termination of this Agreement as well as any
sections intended by their nature to survive, including but not limited to
Sections 4, 5, 6 and 8, shall survive termination or expiration of this
Agreement. Upon termination or expiration of this
Agreement, Consultant shall promptly return to Ore all Ore documentation,
property, data and related information, along with any copies
thereof.
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10.
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Other
Employment.
Consultant is a Managing Director with Pearl Street Venture Funds (“Pearl
Street”), and has and will continue to have substantial duties to Pearl
Street (including its portfolio companies). Consultant confirms
that he has determined that Pearl Street will not object to the services
to be provided hereunder.
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11.
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Miscellaneous:
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a.
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Independent
Contractor. For the purposes of this Agreement,
Consultant shall be an independent contractor without the authority to
bind or act as agent for Ore or its employees for any
purpose. All taxes and social security payments due with
respect to any compensation paid pursuant to this Agreement shall be the
sole responsibility of Consultant.
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b.
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Assignment. This
Agreement is a contract for personal services by Consultant in recognition
of his special expertise and experience; the performance of such personal
services may not be assigned or
delegated.
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c.
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Governing Law. This Agreement
shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
Maryland. Consultant hereby expressly consents to the personal
jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Maryland for any
lawsuit filed there against him/her by Ore arising from or relating to
this Agreement
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d.
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Warranties. The
parties warrant and represent that they have the right to enter into this
Agreement. Consultant further warrants and represents
that the terms of this Agreement are not inconsistent with other
contractual obligations, express or implied, which he may
have.
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e.
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Amendments. No
modification to this Agreement shall be effective unless made in writing
and duly executed by or on behalf of each
party.
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f.
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Entire
Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement between the parties with respect to the services to be provided
by Consultant hereunder superseding all prior agreements and
understandings between the parties (whether written or oral) relating to
said subject matter. However, this Agreement does not modify, waive or
alter any of the obligations of the parties under prior agreements
relating to the previous employment of Consultant by
Ore.
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g.
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Counterparts. This
Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, including by
facsimile transmission, 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 WITNESS
WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the dates set forth
below.
Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxxxx
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By:
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/s/
Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx
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/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
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Xxxx
X. Xxxxxxxxxx, President
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