eFFECTOR Therapeutics (EFTR) S-8 Registration of securities for employees

Exhibit 5.1

	12670 High Bluff Drive
	San Diego, California 92130
	Tel: +1.858.523.5400 Fax: +1.858.523.5450
	www.lw.com
	FIRM / AFFILIATE OFFICES
	Austin	Milan
	Beijing	Moscow
	Boston	Munich
	Brussels	New York
	Century City	Orange County
November 2, 2021	Chicago	Paris
	Dubai	Riyadh
	Düsseldorf	San Diego
	Frankfurt	San Francisco
eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc.	Hamburg	Seoul
	Hong Kong	Shanghai
	Houston	Silicon Valley
	London	Singapore
	Los Angeles	Tokyo
	Madrid	Washington, D.C.

Re: eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc. – Registration Statement on Form S-8

To the addressees set forth above:

We have acted as special counsel to eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing by the Company on the date hereof with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a Registration Statement (the “Registration Statement”) on Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the issuance of up to 16,280,657 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company, which may be issued pursuant to the eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc. 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the “2021 Incentive Award Plan”), the eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc. 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”) and the eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc. 2013 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time (the “2013 Incentive Plan” and, together with the 2021 Incentive Plan and the ESPP, the “Plans”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related prospectuses, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

As such counsel, we have examined such matters of fact and questions of law as we have considered appropriate for purposes of this letter. With your consent, we have relied upon certificates and other assurances of officers of the Company and others as to factual matters without having independently verified such factual matters. We are opining herein as to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and we express no opinion with respect to any other laws.

eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc.

November 2, 2021

Page 2

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the purchasers, and have been issued by the Company for legal consideration in excess of par value in the circumstances contemplated by the Plans, assuming in each case that the individual grants or awards under the Plans are duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and duly granted or awarded and exercised in accordance of the law and the Plans (and the agreements and awards duly adopted thereunder and in accordance therewith), the issue and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. In rendering the foregoing opinion, we have assumed that the Company will comply with all applicable notice requirements regarding uncertificated shares provided in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

This opinion is for your benefit in connection with the Registration Statement and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act. We consent to your filing this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do no thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Sincerely,

/s/ Latham & Watkins LLP