SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Subsequent Events

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Restart of Operations and related option grants

On January 2, 2015, in conjunction with restarting the operations of the Company, stock option grants to purchase 400,000 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.35 were issued to various employees primarily at our Franklin, Massachusetts research and development facility. On January 5, 2015, an additional stock option grant was made to purchase 50,000 shares of our Common stock at an exercise price of $1.48 to our new Manager of Business Development in Iselin, New Jersey. On March 2, 2015, we issued another stock option grant to purchase 20,000 shares of our Common Stock at $2.34 to a senior technician hired for our Franklin facility. All grants vest over a three years with 1/3 vesting immediately and the balance vesting equally at each of the two respective anniversary periods. All grants were made pursuant to the 2008 Plan.

Board Matters

On January 7, 2015, the Board realigned annual compensation at $30,000 per annum per director. Each director, other than our CEO whose employment agreement precluded him from receiving director compensation the first year,  received a stock option to purchase 150,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.62 vesting 25% immediately and then 25% at the beginning of each quarter thereafter. These options contain a condition where they are only exercisable after the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the ten (10) days prior to exercise, equals or exceeds $7.50 per share.

Exchange of Common Stock for Series F Preferred Stock

On January 9, 2015 and again on March 31, 2015, Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund, L.P. and Platinum Partners Liquid Opportunity Fund, L.P. swapped 843,526 and 208,884 and 356,474 and 91,116, respectively of their common shares held for Series F Preferred Stock.

NASDAQ Compliance

On January 30, 2015, the Company received a letter from NASDAQ, indicating that the Company no longer complies with NASDAQ’s audit committee requirements set forth in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605.  Such rule requires that the Audit Committee of the Company have a minimum of three members and be composed only of independent directors.  On December 31, 2014, Vincent P. Enright, William F. Grieco and James F. Smith resigned from the Board of Directors of the Company, as well as its Audit Committee. As a result, the Audit Committee had no members as of Decembers 31, 2014.  On January 5, 2015, the Board of Directors appointed Shepard Goldberg and Michael Goldberg to the Audit Committee, both of whom are independent directors.  

NASDAQ provided to the Company a cure period in order to regain compliance as follows:

● until the earlier of the Company’s next annual shareholders’ meeting or December 31, 2015; or

● if the next annual shareholders’ meeting is held before June 29, 2015, then the Company must evidence compliance no later than June 29, 2015.

The Company intends to add at least one additional independent member to the Audit Committee by the date required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605.

Settlement of Amounts Owed for Series F Preferred Stock and Warrants

On September 23, 2014, the “Company announced that, as it believed that its current liquidity was insufficient to fund its needs beyond September 30, 2014, it was suspending its product development, research, manufacturing and clinical programs and operations to conserve its liquidity and capital resources. The workforce reduction due to the suspension of operations comprised approximately 70% of Echo’s workforce, leaving only administrative personnel.  Affected employees were notified on September 23, 2014. The employees whose employment was terminated as part of the workforce reduction were not offered severance pay. The Company indicated that they could possibly incur additional costs not currently contemplated due to events that may occur as a result of, or that were associated with, the workforce reduction.

At the time of the work force reduction announcement, Platinum Management (NY) LLC, together with its affiliates, a significant stockholder of the Company (“Platinum”), was in the process of engaging in a proxy contest with the Company pursuant to which it sought to ultimately remove three of the then-current directors of the Company. In conjunction therewith, Platinum provided $500,000 on a non-recourse basis to two of the Company’s directors whose removal Platinum was not seeking, namely Michael Goldberg and Shepard Goldberg, which was recorded as a capital contribution (“Contribution”) in 2014. Proceeds of the Contribution were utilized for retaining certain key employees and for research and technology initiatives, all for the benefit of the Company. A small portion of the monies was not disbursed, which was transferred to the Company. At the time of the Contribution, Shepard Goldberg and Michael Goldberg agreed that, should the Contribution ultimately benefit the Company, they would use their best efforts to cause the Company to issue equity to Platinum as consideration for making the Contribution.

In December 2014, as part of a negotiated settlement agreement, the three directors, whom Platinum sought to remove, resigned as directors and Platinum agreed to make a direct investment in the Company.  In connection with the proxy contest, Platinum expended $550,000 on legal representation and related expenses (the “Expenses”). In its proxy statement, Platinum advised stockholders that it would pay all the costs associated with the solicitation of proxies, but would seek reimbursement from the Company, and not submit such reimbursement to a vote of stockholders.

On February 12, 2015, the Company agreed to reimburse Platinum for the Loan and the Expenses. In this regard, the Board of Directors of the Company determined that both the Loan and Expenses together resulted in the Company being able to continue operations and put into place a strong management team.  Pursuant to a Reimbursement Agreement, dated February 12, 2015 (the “Reimbursement Agreement”), Platinum received 548,177 shares of Series F Convertible Preferred Stock and Warrants to purchase 333,333 shares of common stock of the Company. The Warrants expire in five years and have a $3.00 per share exercise price. Additionally, the Company agreed to re-price 700,000 warrants, originally disbursed to Platinum in connection with its August 31, 2012 Loan Agreement, currently priced in the $20.00 to $22.70 range per share, to $7.50 per share.