Exhibit 5.1

 

 

90 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10016

212-210-9400 | Fax: 212-210-9444

 

Mark F. McElreath Direct Dial:  212-210-9595 Email:  mark.mcelreath@alston.com

 

 

May 29, 2020

 

Fortress Biotech, Inc.
2 Gansevoort Street, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10014  

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We are acting as counsel to Fortress Biotech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-238327) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), on May 18, 2020 and declared effective by the Commission on May 26, 2020 (the “Registration Statement”). We are delivering this supplemental opinion in connection with the prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus Supplement”) filed on May 29, 2020 by the Company as part of the Registration Statement. The Prospectus Supplement relates to the at-the-market offering by the Company of up to $75,000,000 in shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”) covered by the Registration Statement. The Shares are being offered and sold by the sales agents (the “Agents”) named in, and pursuant to, the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement dated May 29, 2020, between the Company and the Agents (the “Sales Agreement”). This opinion is being furnished to you at your request in accordance with the requirements of Item 16 of the Commission’s Form S-3 and Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

We have examined the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and all amendments thereto, the Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, records of proceedings of the Board of Directors, or committees thereof, and records of proceedings of the stockholders, deemed by us to be relevant to this opinion letter, and the Registration Statement. We also have made such further legal and factual examinations and investigations as we deemed necessary for purposes of expressing the opinion set forth herein. In rendering such opinion, we have relied as to factual matters upon the representations, warranties and other statements made in the Sales Agreement.

 

As to certain factual matters relevant to this opinion letter, we have relied conclusively upon originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records, agreements, documents and instruments, including certificates or other comparable documents of officers of the Company and of public officials, as we have deemed appropriate as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth. Except to the extent expressly set forth herein, we have made no independent investigations with regard to matters of fact, and, accordingly, we do not express any opinion as to matters that might have been disclosed by independent verification.

 

 

 

Alston & Bird LLP  www.alston.com

Atlanta | Beijing | Brussels | Charlotte | Dallas | London | Los Angeles | New York | Research Triangle | San Francisco | Silicon Valley | Washington, D.C. 

 

 

May 29, 2020

Page 2

 

 

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the limitations, qualifications, exceptions and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and, when issued and sold in accordance with the Sales Agreement will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

Our opinion set forth herein is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the laws of the State of New York, and the federal law of the United States, and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other laws.

 

This opinion letter is provided to the Company for its use solely in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Sales Agreement and may not be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purpose without our express written consent. The only opinion rendered by us consists of that set forth in the fourth paragraph of this letter, and no opinion may be implied or inferred beyond the opinion expressly stated. Our opinion expressed herein is as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to advise you of any changes in applicable law or any other matters that may come to our attention after the date hereof that may affect our opinion expressed herein.

 

We consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to the use of our name under the heading “Legal Matters” in the Prospectus Supplement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

 

  Sincerely,  
        
  ALSTON & BIRD LLP
        
        
  By:  /s/ Mark F. McElreath  
     Mark F. McElreath  
     Partner