Document:

EX-10.17

 Exhibit 10.17 

PRECISION BIOSCIENCES, INC. 

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT 

THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of
                    , 2019 between Precision BioSciences, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and [Name]
(“Indemnitee”). 
 WITNESSETH THAT: 

WHEREAS, highly competent persons have become more reluctant to serve corporations as directors, officers or in other capacities unless they
are provided with adequate protection through insurance or adequate indemnification against inordinate risks of claims and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the corporation; 

WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that, in order to attract and retain
qualified individuals, the Company will attempt to maintain on an ongoing basis, at its sole expense, liability insurance to protect persons serving the Company and its subsidiaries from certain liabilities. Although the furnishing of such insurance
has been a customary and widespread practice among United States-based corporations and other business enterprises, the Company believes that, given current market conditions and trends, such insurance may be available to it in the future only at
higher premiums and with more exclusions. At the same time, directors, officers, and other persons in service to corporations or business enterprises are being increasingly subjected to expensive and time-consuming litigation relating to, among
other things, matters that traditionally would have been brought only against the Company or business enterprise itself. The Bylaws and Certificate of Incorporation of the Company require indemnification of the officers and directors of the Company.
Indemnitee may also be entitled to indemnification pursuant to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (“DGCL”). The Bylaws, the Certificate of Incorporation and the DGCL expressly provide that the
indemnification provisions set forth therein are not exclusive, and thereby contemplate that contracts may be entered into between the Company and members of the Board, officers and other persons with respect to indemnification; 

WHEREAS, the uncertainties relating to such insurance and to indemnification have increased the difficulty of attracting and retaining such
persons; 
 WHEREAS, the Board has determined that the increased difficulty in attracting and retaining such persons is detrimental to the
best interests of the Company’s stockholders and that the Company should act to assure such persons that there will be increased certainty of such protection in the future; 

WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on
behalf of, such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law so that they will serve or continue to serve the Company free from undue concern that they will not be so indemnified; 

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the Bylaws and Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and any
resolutions adopted pursuant thereto, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Indemnitee thereunder; [and] 

  
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 WHEREAS, Indemnitee does not regard the protection available under the Company’s
Bylaws, Certificate of Incorporation and insurance as adequate in the present circumstances, and may not be willing to serve as an officer or director without adequate protection, and the Company desires Indemnitee to serve in such capacity.
Indemnitee is willing to serve, continue to serve and to take on additional service for or on behalf of the Company on the condition that he be so indemnified; [and] 

[WHEREAS, Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification and/or insurance provided by [NAME] which Indemnitee and [NAME] intend to be
secondary to the primary obligation of the Company to indemnify Indemnitee as provided herein, with the Company’s acknowledgement and agreement to the foregoing being a material condition to Indemnitee’s willingness to serve on the Board;]

 NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of Indemnitee’s agreement to serve as an officer or director from and after the date hereof, the
parties hereto agree as follows: 
 1. Indemnity of Indemnitee. The Company hereby agrees to hold harmless and indemnify Indemnitee to
the fullest extent permitted by law, as such may be amended from time to time. In furtherance of the foregoing indemnification, and without limiting the generality thereof: 

(a) Proceedings Other Than Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification
provided in this Section l(a) if, by reason of his Corporate Status (as hereinafter defined), the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding (as hereinafter defined) other than a Proceeding by or
in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this Section 1(a), Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses (as hereinafter defined), judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by him, or on his behalf, in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of
the Company, and with respect to any criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful. 

(b) Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this
Section 1(b) if, by reason of his Corporate Status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this
Section 1(b), Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee, or on the Indemnitee’s behalf, in connection with such Proceeding if the Indemnitee acted in good
faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; provided, however, if applicable law so provides, no indemnification against such Expenses shall be made in respect of any claim,
issue or matter in such Proceeding as to which Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall determine that such indemnification may be made. 

  
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 (c) Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a party to and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding, he shall be indemnified to the maximum extent
permitted by law, as such may be amended from time to time, against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith. If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the
merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each
successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result
as to such claim, issue or matter. 
 (d) Indemnification of Appointing Stockholder. If (i) Indemnitee is or was affiliated with
one or more venture capital funds that has invested in the Company (an “Appointing Stockholder”), and (ii) the Appointing Stockholder is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding
relating to or arising by reason of Appointing Stockholder’s position as a stockholder of, or lender to, the Company, or Appointing Stockholder’s appointment of or affiliation with Indemnitee or any other director, including without
limitation any alleged misappropriation of a Company asset or corporate opportunity, any claim of misappropriation or infringement of intellectual property relating to the Company, any alleged false or misleading statement or omission made by the
Company (or on its behalf) or its employees or agents, or any allegation of inappropriate control or influence over the Company or its Board members, officers, equity holders or debt holders, then the Appointing Stockholder will be entitled to
indemnification hereunder for Expenses to the same extent as Indemnitee, and the terms of this Agreement as they relate to procedures for indemnification of Indemnitee and advancement of Expenses shall apply to any such indemnification of Appointing
Stockholder. 
 The rights provided to the Appointing Stockholder under this Section 1(d) shall (i) be suspended during any
period during which the Appointing Stockholder does not have a representative on the Company’s Board and (ii) terminate on an initial public offering of the Company’s Common Stock; provided, however, that in the event of any such
suspension or termination, the Appointing Stockholder’s rights to indemnification will not be suspended or terminated with respect to any Proceeding based in whole or in part on facts and circumstances occurring at any time prior to such
suspension or termination regardless of whether the Proceeding arises before or after such suspension or termination. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Appointing Stockholder is an express third party beneficiary of the terms of this
Section 1(d). 
 2. Additional Indemnity. In addition to, and without regard to any limitations on, the indemnification provided
for in Section 1 of this Agreement, the Company shall and hereby does indemnify and hold harmless Indemnitee against all Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred
by him or on his behalf if, by reason of his Corporate Status, he is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company), including, without limitation, all liability
arising out of the negligence or active or passive wrongdoing of Indemnitee. The only limitation that shall exist upon the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Agreement shall be that the Company shall not be obligated to make any payment to
Indemnitee that is finally determined (under the procedures, and subject to the presumptions, set forth in Sections 6 and 7 hereof) to be unlawful. 

  
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 3. Contribution. 

(a) Whether or not the indemnification provided in Sections 1 and 2 hereof is available, in respect of any threatened, pending
or completed action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount of any judgment or settlement
of such action, suit or proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have against Indemnitee. The Company shall not enter into any settlement of
any action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee.

 (b) Without diminishing or impairing the obligations of the Company set forth in the preceding subparagraph, if, for any reason,
Indemnitee shall elect or be required to pay all or any portion of any judgment or settlement in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such
action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall contribute to the amount of Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred and paid or payable by Indemnitee in proportion to the relative benefits received
by the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand,
from the transaction or events from which such action, suit or proceeding arose; provided, however, that the proportion determined on the basis of relative benefit may, to the extent necessary to conform to law, be further adjusted by reference to
the relative fault of the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on
the other hand, in connection with the transaction or events that resulted in such expenses, judgments, fines or settlement amounts, as well as any other equitable considerations which applicable law may require to be considered. The relative fault
of the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand,
shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the degree to which their actions were motivated by intent to gain personal profit or advantage, the degree to which their liability is primary or secondary and the degree to which their
conduct is active or passive. 
 (c) The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify and hold Indemnitee harmless from any claims of
contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than Indemnitee, who may be jointly liable with Indemnitee. 

(d) To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to Indemnitee
for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to

  
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be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of
all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding and/or (ii) the relative
fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s). 

4. Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is,
by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness, or is made (or asked) to respond to discovery requests, in any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is not a party, he shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on
his behalf in connection therewith. 
 5. Advancement of Expenses. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company
shall advance all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from
Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee. The Indemnitee shall
qualify for advances upon the execution and delivery to the Corporation of this Agreement, which shall constitute an undertaking by Indemnitee to repay any Expenses advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be
indemnified against such Expenses. Any advances and undertakings to repay pursuant to this Section 5 shall be unsecured and interest free. 

6. Procedures and Presumptions for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification. It is the intent of this Agreement to secure for
Indemnitee rights of indemnity that are as favorable as may be permitted under the DGCL and public policy of the State of Delaware. Accordingly, the parties agree that the following procedures and presumptions shall apply in the event of any
question as to whether Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement: 
 (a) To obtain indemnification under this
Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent
Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
failure of Indemnitee to provide such a request to the Company, or to provide such a request in a timely fashion, shall not relieve the Company of any liability that it may have to Indemnitee unless, and to the extent that, such failure actually and
materially prejudices the interests of the Company. 
 (b) Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to the first
sentence of Section 6(a) hereof, a determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case by one of the following four methods, which shall be at the election of the Board:
(1) by a majority vote of the disinterested directors, even though less than a quorum, (2) by a committee of disinterested directors designated by a majority vote of the disinterested directors, even though less than a quorum, (3) if
there are no 

  
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disinterested directors or if the disinterested directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee, or
(4) if so directed by the Board, by the stockholders of the Company. For purposes hereof, disinterested directors are those members of the Board who are not parties to the action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought
by Indemnitee. 
 (c) If the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to
Section 6(b) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 6(c). The Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board. Indemnitee may, within ten (10) days
after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Company a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not
meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 13 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely
objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If a written objection is made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has
determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after the conclusion of the Proceeding giving rise to the request for indemnification, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the
Company or Indemnitee may petition the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Indemnitee to the Company’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as
Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under
Section 6(b) hereof. The Company shall pay any and all reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel incurred by such Independent Counsel in connection with acting pursuant to Section 6(b)
hereof, and the Company shall pay all reasonable fees and expenses incident to the procedures of this Section 6(c), regardless of the manner in which such Independent Counsel was selected or appointed. 

(d) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making such
determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence. Neither the
failure of the Company (including by its directors or independent legal counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee
has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or independent legal counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or
create a presumption that Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct. 
 (e) Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good
faith if Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise (as hereinafter defined), including financial statements, or on information supplied to Indemnitee by the officers of the Enterprise in the course of
their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by
the Enterprise. In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, 

  
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agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. Whether or not the foregoing provisions of
this Section 6(e) are satisfied, it shall in any event be presumed that Indemnitee has at all times acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company.
Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence. 

(f) If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 6 to determine whether Indemnitee is
entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within sixty (60) days after the conclusion of the Proceeding giving rise to the request for indemnification, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be
deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially
misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such sixty (60)-day period may be extended for a
reasonable time, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days, if the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time to obtain or evaluate
documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided, further, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 6(f) shall not apply if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the
stockholders pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after the conclusion of the Proceeding giving rise to the request for indemnification, the Board or the Disinterested
Directors, if appropriate, resolve to submit such determination to the stockholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within seventy-five (75) days after such resolution and such determination is made thereat, or
(B) a special meeting of stockholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such resolution and such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat. 

(g) Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to
indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee
and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any Independent Counsel, member of the Board or stockholder of the Company shall act reasonably and in good faith in making a determination regarding the Indemnitee’s entitlement to
indemnification under this Agreement. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company
(irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom. 

(h) The Company acknowledges that a settlement or other disposition short of final judgment may be successful if it permits a party to avoid
expense, delay, distraction, disruption and uncertainty. In the event that any action, claim or proceeding to which Indemnitee is a party is resolved in any manner other than by adverse judgment against Indemnitee (including, without limitation,
settlement of such action, claim or proceeding with or without payment of money or other consideration) it shall be presumed that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in such action, suit or proceeding. Anyone seeking to
overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence. 

  
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 (i) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by
judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of Indemnitee to indemnification or create a
presumption that Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that Indemnitee had reasonable cause to
believe that his conduct was unlawful. 
 7. Remedies of Indemnitee. 

(a) In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is
not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification is made
pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement within ninety (90) days after the conclusion of the Proceeding giving rise to the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification required by Section 4
is not made pursuant to this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor or (v) payment of indemnification is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that
Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or such determination is deemed to have been made pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication in Court of Chancery of the State of
Delaware of Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification. Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence
such proceeding pursuant to this Section 7(a). The Company shall not oppose Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication. 

(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement that
Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 7 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial on the merits, and Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by
reason of the adverse determination under Section 6(b). 
 (c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to
Section 6(b) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 7,
absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s misstatement not materially misleading in connection with the application for indemnification, or (ii) a
prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law. 
 (d) In the event that Indemnitee, pursuant to this
Section 7, seeks a judicial adjudication of his rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement, or to recover under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the
Company, the Company shall pay on his behalf, in advance, any and all expenses (of the types described in the definition of Expenses in Section 13 of this Agreement) actually and reasonably incurred by him in such judicial
adjudication, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of expenses or insurance recovery. 

  
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 (e) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced
pursuant to this Section 7 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this
Agreement. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefore) advance, to the extent not prohibited by
law, such expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by Indemnitee for indemnification or advance of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’
liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of whether Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of Expenses or insurance recovery, as the case may be. 

(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement
shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding. 
 8.
Non-Exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Primacy of Indemnification; Subrogation. 

(a) The rights of indemnification as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at
any time be entitled under applicable law, the Bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders, a resolution of directors of the Company, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or
restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in the DGCL, whether by statute or
judicial decision, permits greater indemnification than would be afforded currently under the Bylaws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such
change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing
at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy. 

(b) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees,
or agents or fiduciaries of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that such person serves at the request of the Company, Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or
policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary under such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to
the terms hereof, the Company has directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the
respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

  
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 (c) [The Company hereby acknowledges that Indemnitee has certain rights to indemnification,
advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by [ ] and certain of its affiliates (collectively, the “Fund Indemnitors”). The Company hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., its
obligations to Indemnitee are primary and any obligation of the Fund Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by Indemnitee are secondary), (ii) that it shall be required to advance
the full amount of expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Agreement and
the Bylaws of the Company (or any other agreement between the Company and Indemnitee), without regard to any rights Indemnitee may have against the Fund Indemnitors, and, (iii) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Fund
Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Fund Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Company further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Fund Indemnitors on behalf of
Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Company shall affect the foregoing and the Fund Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or
payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee against the Company. The Company and Indemnitee agree that the Fund Indemnitors are express third party beneficiaries of the terms of this Section 8(c).] 

(d) [Except as provided in paragraph (c) above,] in the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the
extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee (other than against the Fund Indemnitors), who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are
necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights. 
 (e) [Except as provided in paragraph (c) above,] the Company
shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder if and to the extent that Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.

 (f) [Except as provided in paragraph (c) above,] the Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to
Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee
has actually received as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. 

9. Exception to Right of Indemnification. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this
Agreement to make any indemnity in connection with any claim made against Indemnitee: 
 (a) for which payment has actually been made to or
on behalf of Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision[, provided, that the foregoing shall not affect the
rights of Indemnitee or the Fund Indemnitors set forth in Section 8(c) above]; or 

  
 10 

 (b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by
Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or 

(c) in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any
Proceeding) initiated by Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation or (ii) the Company
provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law. 
 10. Duration
of Agreement. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period Indemnitee is an officer or director of the Company (or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer,
employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise) and shall continue thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any Proceeding (or any proceeding commenced under
Section 7 hereof) by reason of his Corporate Status, whether or not he is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification can be provided under this
Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all
or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), assigns, spouses, heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives. 

11. Security. To the extent requested by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide
security to Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior
written consent of the Indemnitee. 
 12. Enforcement. 

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumes the obligations imposed on it hereby in
order to induce Indemnitee to serve as an officer or director of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as an officer or director of the Company. 

(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all
prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. 

  
 11 

 (c) The Company shall not seek from a court, or agree to, a “bar order” which
would have the effect of prohibiting or limiting the Indemnitee’s rights to receive advancement of expenses under this Agreement. 
 13.
Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement: 
 (a) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who
is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that such person is or was serving at the express written request of
the Company. 
 (b) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the
Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee. 
 (c) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company
and any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that Indemnitee is or was serving at the express written request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary. 

(d) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of
experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting,
defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, participating, or being or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding, or responding to, or objecting to, a request to provide discovery in any Proceeding. Expenses also shall include
Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement, including
without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersede as bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by Indemnitee or the amount of
judgments or fines against Indemnitee. 
 (e) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm,
that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to
matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an
action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and
damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto. 

  
 12 

 (f) “Proceeding” includes any threatened, pending or completed
action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought by or in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether
civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise, by reason of his or her Corporate Status, by reason of any action taken by him or of any inaction on his part while acting in
his or her Corporate Status; in each case whether or not he is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification can be provided under this Agreement; including one pending on or before
the date of this Agreement, but excluding one initiated by an Indemnitee pursuant to Section 7 of this Agreement to enforce his rights under this Agreement. 

14. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of
any other provision. Further, the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof as to either Indemnitee or Appointing Stockholder shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any provision hereof as to the other. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Agreement is intended to confer upon Indemnitee and Appointing Stockholder indemnification rights to the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws. In the event any provision hereof conflicts with any
applicable law, such provision shall be deemed modified, consistent with the aforementioned intent, to the extent necessary to resolve such conflict. 

15. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification, termination or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in
writing by both of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 16. Notice By Indemnitee. Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with or otherwise receiving
any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification covered hereunder. The failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company
of any obligation which it may have to Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise unless and only to the extent that such failure or delay materially prejudices the Company. 

17. Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed
effectively given: (a) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent by confirmed electronic mail or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not so confirmed, then on the next business
day, (c) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with
written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent: 
 (a) To Indemnitee at the address set forth below Indemnitee signature
hereto. 

  
 13 

 (b) To the Company at: 

Precision BioSciences, Inc. 

302 East Pettigrew St. Suite A-100 

Durham, North Carolina 27701 

Attention: Chief Executive Officer 
 or to such
other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company or to the Company by Indemnitee, as the case may be. 
 18.
Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts 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 any 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. 
 19. Headings. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are
inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof. 
 20.
Governing Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to its conflict of laws
rules. The Company and Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware (the
“Delaware Court”), and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Delaware Court for purposes of
any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) appoint, to the extent such party is not otherwise subject to service of process in the State of Delaware, irrevocably CT Corporation System, 111 Eighth Avenue,
New York, NY 10011 as its agent in the State of Delaware as such party’s agent for acceptance of legal process in connection with any such action or proceeding against such party with the same legal force and validity as if served upon such
party personally within the State of Delaware, (iv) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Delaware Court, and (v) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or
proceeding brought in the Delaware Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum. 
 SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW

  
 14 

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Indemnification Agreement on and
as of the day and year first above written. 
  

					
	PRECISION BIOSCIENCES, INC.
		
	By:	 	  

		 	Name:	 	  

		 	Title:	 	  

	
	INDEMNITEE
	
	  

	Name:	 	  

	
	Address:
	  

	  

	  

	  

 Indemnification AgreementEX-10.18

 Exhibit 10.18 

PRECISION BIOSCIENCES, INC. 

NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
PROGRAM 
 Non-employee members of the board of directors (the “Board”)
of Precision BioSciences, Inc. (the “Company”) shall receive cash and equity compensation as set forth in this Non-Employee Director Compensation Program (this
“Program”). The cash and equity compensation described in this Program shall be paid or be made, as applicable, automatically and without further action of the Board, to each member of the Board who is not an employee of the
Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company (each, a “Non-Employee Director”) who is entitled to receive such cash or equity compensation, unless such Non-Employee Director declines the receipt of such cash or equity compensation by written notice to the Company. This Program shall remain in effect until it is revised or rescinded by further action of the Board.
This Program may be amended, modified or terminated by the Board at any time in its sole discretion. The terms and conditions of this Program shall supersede any prior cash and/or equity compensation arrangements for service as a member of the Board
between the Company and any of its Non-Employee Directors, except for equity compensation previously granted to a Non-Employee Director. This Program shall become
effective on the date of the effectiveness of the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 relating to the initial public offering of common stock (the “Effective Date”). 

CASH COMPENSATION 
 The
schedule of annual retainers (the “Annual Retainers”) for the Non-Employee Directors is as follows: 

 

					
	 Position
	  	Amount	 
	 Base Board Fee
	  	$	40,000	 
	 Chair of Audit Committee
	  	$	15,000	 
	 Chair of Compensation Committee
	  	$	12,250	 
	 Chair of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
	  	$	8,250	 
	 Member of Audit Committee (non-Chair)
	  	$	7,500	 
	 Member of Compensation Committee (non-Chair)
	  	$	6,000	 
	 Member of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
(non-Chair)
	  	$	4,500	 

  
 1 

 For the avoidance of doubt, the Annual Retainers in the table above are additive and a Non-Employee Director shall be eligible to earn an Annual Retainer for each position in which he or she serves. The Annual Retainers shall be earned on a quarterly basis based on a calendar quarter and shall be paid
in cash by the Company in arrears not later than the fifteenth day following the end of each calendar quarter. In the event a Non-Employee Director does not serve as a
Non-Employee Director, or in the applicable position, for an entire calendar quarter, the retainer paid to such Non-Employee Director shall be prorated for the portion
of such calendar quarter actually served as a Non-Employee Director, or in such position, as applicable. In addition, the Annual Retainers will be prorated for the first calendar quarter in which the Effective
Date occurs, which proration will be based on the number of days of the calendar quarter remaining in such quarter after the Effective Date. 

EQUITY COMPENSATION 
 Each Non-Employee Director shall be granted options to purchase the Company’s common stock (each, an “Option”) having an aggregate Grant Date Fair Value (as defined below) as set forth in the
following table, with any partial shares that result being rounded down to the nearest whole share. Each Option shall be granted under and subject to the terms and provisions of the Company’s 2019 Incentive Award Plan or any other applicable
Company equity incentive plan then-maintained by the Company (the “Equity Plan”) and shall be subject to an award agreement, including attached exhibits, in substantially the form previously approved by the Board.
“Grant Date Fair Value” shall mean, with respect to an Option, the per share fair value of the Option determined as of the Option’s date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model that the Company most
recently used in preparing its (audited or unaudited) consolidated financial statements that have been filed with the Securities Exchange Commission (“Financial Statements”) and using as inputs into such model (i) the
Fair Market Value of a share of the Company’s common stock on the Option’s date of grant and (ii) such other assumptions as were reported by the Company in the Financial Statements for the most recent period covered by the Financial
Statements (and if any such assumptions were reported as a range of values, using the arithmetic mean of the reported values). 
  

					
	 Option
	  	Grant Date Fair Value	 
	 Initial Option
	  	$	350,000	 
	 Subsequent Option
	  	$	175,000	 

 A. Initial Options. Each Non-Employee Director who is initially
elected or appointed to the Board after the Effective Date shall receive the Initial Option on the date of such initial election or appointment. No Non-Employee Director shall be granted more than one Initial
Option. 

  
 2 

 B. Subsequent Options. A Non-Employee
Director who (i) served as a Non-Employee Director on the Effective Date or has been serving as a Non-Employee Director on the Board for at least six months as of
the date of any annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders after the Effective Date and (ii) will continue to serve as a Non-Employee Director immediately following such meeting, shall be
automatically granted a Subsequent Option on the date of such annual meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, a Non-Employee Director elected for the first time to the Board at an annual meeting of the
Company’s stockholders shall only receive an Initial Award in connection with such election, and shall not receive any Subsequent Award on the date of such meeting as well. 

C. Termination of Employment of Employee Directors. Members of the Board who are employees of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of
the Company who subsequently terminate their employment with the Company and any parent or subsidiary of the Company and remain on the Board will not receive an Initial Option, but to the extent that they are otherwise entitled, will receive, after
termination of employment with the Company and any parent or subsidiary of the Company, Subsequent Options. 
 D. Terms of Options Granted
to Non-Employee Directors. 
 1. Exercise Price. The
per-share exercise price of each Option granted to a Non-Employee Director shall equal the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Equity Plan) of a share of the
Company’s common stock on the date the Option is granted. 
 2. Vesting. 

a. Initial Options. Each Initial Option shall vest and become exercisable in thirty-six
(36) substantially equal monthly installments following the date of grant, such that the Initial Option shall be fully vested on the third anniversary of the date of grant, subject to the Non-Employee
Director continuing in service as a Non-Employee Director through each such vesting date. 
 b.
Subsequent Options. Each Subsequent Option shall vest and become exercisable on the earlier of the first anniversary of the date of grant or the day immediately prior to the date of the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders
occurring after the date of grant, in either case, subject to the Non-Employee Director continuing in service as a Non-Employee Director through such vesting date. 

c. Forfeiture of Options. Unless the Board otherwise determines, any portion of an Initial Option or Subsequent Option which is
unvested or unexercisable at the time of a Non-Employee Director’s termination of service on the Board as a Non-Employee Director shall be immediately forfeited
upon such termination of service and shall not thereafter become vested and exercisable. All of a Non-Employee Director’s Initial Options and Subsequent Options shall vest in full immediately prior to the
occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the Equity Plan), to the extent outstanding at such time. 
 3. Term. The maximum
term of each Option granted to a Non-Employee Director hereunder shall be ten (10) years from the date the Option is granted.  

Notwithstanding anything in this Program to the contrary, the sum of any cash compensation, or other compensation, and the value (determined as of the grant
date in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or any successor 

  
 3 

 
thereto) of Options granted to a Non-Employee Director as compensation for services as a Non-Employee Director
during any fiscal year of the Company may not exceed $750,000 (the “NED Limit”). The NED Limit shall be applied to reduce compensation in the following order: (A) reduction in any Initial Option granted during such year;
(B) reduction in any Subsequent Option granted during such year; (C) reduction on a pro-rata basis of any cash or other compensation, payments or benefits that are exempt from Section 409A of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”) and (D) reduction of any cash or other compensation, payments or benefits otherwise payable to the Non-Employee Director on a pro-rata basis or such other manner that complies with Section 409A. The Board may make exceptions to the NED Limit in extraordinary
circumstances, as the Board may determine in its discretion, provided that the Non-Employee Director receiving such additional compensation may not participate in the decision to award such compensation or in
other contemporaneous compensation decisions involving Non-Employee Directors. 
 * * * * * 

  
 4

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