On October 18, 2016, CRISPR Therapeutics AG, a Swiss-based, biopharmaceutical company focused on translating CRISPR|Cas9 gene-editing technology, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Piper Jaffray & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. signed an underwriting agreement with respect to the initial public offering (IPO) and the sale and listing on the NASDAQ of up to 4,600,000 shares at a price of USD 14 each. The base offering consisted of 4,000,000 shares with an over-allotment option of up to 600,000 additional shares. The gross proceeds of the IPO amount to USD 64.4 m. The trading of the shares on the NASDAQ – under the ticker symbol "CRSP" – began on October 19, 2016. The closing of the IPO occurred on October 24, 2016.

In addition to the shares sold in the IPO, CRISPR Therapeutics AG announced the concurrent sale of an additional 2,500,000 shares at the initial offering price of USD 14, for gross proceeds of USD 35.0 m, in a private placement to Bayer Global Investments B.V., an existing shareholder and an affiliate of Bayer HealthCare LLC, a joint venture partner with CRISPR Therapeutics AG.

Homburger AG acted as legal counsel to Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Piper Jaffray & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. as the joint book-running managers in the IPO. The Homburger team was lead by partner Frank Gerhard (Corporate | M&A) and comprised partner Dieter Grünblatt (Tax), associate Dominik Aerni and junior associate Fabian Meier (both Corporate | M&A).