Exhibit 99.1
Lock-Up Agreement
May 10, 2021
SVB Leerink LLC
Evercore Group L.L.C.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
Guggenheim Securities LLC
as Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o SVB Leerink LLC
255 California Street, 12th Floor
San Francisco, California 94111
c/o Evercore Group L.L.C.
55 East 52nd Street
New York, New York 10055
c/o Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
787 7th Ave., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10019
c/o Guggenheim Securities LLC
330 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10017
Re: | Proposed Public Offering by Eliem Therapeutics, Inc. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, a stockholder, officer and/or director of Eliem Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), understands that SVB Leerink LLC (“SVB Leerink”), Evercore Group L.L.C. (“Evercore”), Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and Guggenheim Securities LLC propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the Company providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) of shares (the “Securities”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”). In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as a stockholder, an officer and/or a director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement (collectively, the “Underwriters”) that, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date that is 180 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of SVB Leerink and Evercore, on behalf of the Underwriters, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”), or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the
Lock-Up Securities, or file or cause to be filed any registration statement in connection therewith, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Securities the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (1) SVB Leerink and Evercore, on behalf of the Underwriters, agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, SVB Leerink and Evercore, on behalf of the Underwriters, will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (2) the Company will agree in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by SVB Leerink and Evercore on behalf of the Underwriters hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (i) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (ii) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of SVB Leerink and Evercore, provided, in each case, that (1) SVB Leerink and Evercore receive a signed lock-up agreement for the balance of the Lock-Up Period from each donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee, as the case may be, (2) in the case of transfers pursuant to clauses (i)-(iii) and (v)-(vi) below, any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (3) such transfers are not required to be reported with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or if such a filing is required, then any such filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act made in connection with such transfer shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the circumstances described in this clause and did not result in any change in the total number of shares held by the undersigned and the applicable donees, trustees, distributees, or transferees as the case may be, and (4) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such transfers (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period):
(i) | as a bona fide gift or gifts; |
(ii) | to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this letter, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); |
(iii) | as a distribution or other transfer by a partnership to its partners or former partners or by a limited liability company to its members or retired members or by a corporation to its stockholders or former stockholders or to any wholly-owned subsidiary of such corporation; |
(iv) | to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned; |
(v) | pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order or in connection with a divorce settlement; |
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(vi) | by will or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned; or |
(vii) | to the Company in satisfaction of any tax withholding obligation. |
Furthermore, no provision in this letter shall be deemed to restrict or prohibit (1) the transfer of the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities to the Company in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s services to the Company or in connection with the repurchase of securities issued pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plan and repurchased pursuant to such plan, provided that any filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act made in connection with such transfer shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that the filing relates to the circumstances described in this clause (1); (2) the exercise or exchange by the undersigned of any option or warrant to acquire any shares of Common Stock or options to purchase shares of Common Stock, in each case for cash or on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement; provided, however, that the underlying shares of Common Stock shall continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this letter and that any filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act made in connection with such exercise or exchange shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that (a) the filing relates to the circumstances described in this clause (2) and (b) no shares were sold by the reporting person; (3) the transfer of Lock-Up Securities upon the completion of a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Company’s securities involving a change of control of the Company; provided, however, that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, such securities held by the undersigned shall remain subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this letter; (4) the conversion of outstanding preferred stock of the Company into shares of Common Stock, provided that any such shares received upon such conversion shall be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this letter and (5) the transfer or disposition of shares of Common Stock purchased by the undersigned on the open market following the Public Offering; provided, that such transfer or disposition is not required to be reported with the SEC on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such transfer or disposition (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period).
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, nothing herein shall prevent the undersigned from establishing a 10b5-1 trading plan that complies with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act (“10b5-1 Trading Plan”) or from amending an existing 10b5-1 Trading Plan so long as there are no sales of Lock-Up Securities under any such 10b5-1 Trading Plan during the Lock-Up Period; and provided that, the establishment of a 10b5-1 Trading Plan or the amendment of a 10b5-1 Trading Plan shall only be permitted if (i) the establishment or amendment of such plan is not required to be reported in any public report or filing with the Securities Exchange Commission, or otherwise and (ii) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding the establishment or amendment of such plan.
This letter may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com or www.echosign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Public Offering of the Shares and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Underwriters may provide certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures or other related documentation to you in connection
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with the Public Offering, the Underwriters are not making a recommendation to you to participate in the Public Offering or sell any Shares at the price determined in the Public Offering, and nothing set forth in such disclosures or documentation is intended to suggest that any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions. This letter shall automatically terminate, and the undersigned shall be released from the undersigned’s obligations hereunder, upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (i) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company advises the Representatives in writing that it has determined not to proceed with the Public Offering; (ii) the Company files an application to withdraw the registration statement related to the Public Offering; (iii) the Underwriting Agreement is executed but is terminated prior to the closing of the Public Offering (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination), or (iv) October 15, 2021, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by such date.
This agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
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Very truly yours, | ||
AI ETI LLC | ||
By: | Access Industries Management, LLC | |
Its Manager | ||
/s/ Alejandro Moreno | ||
Name: | Alejandro Moreno | |
Title: | Executive Vice President | |
/s/ Suzette Del Giudice | ||
Name: | Suzette Del Giudice | |
Title: | Executive Vice President |
[SIGNATURE PAGETO LOCK-UP AGREEMENT]