[JURIST] Federal prosecutors have reached a deferred-prosecution agreement with investment banker Frank Quattrone [NNDB profile] that would allow Quattrone to avoid a third trial on obstruction of justice and witness tampering charges [indictment, PDF], according to sources close to the negotiations. Quattrone, one of the dot-com era's most prominent investment bankers, is accused of forwarding emails to fellow employees at Credit Suisse [corporate website], encouraging them to "clean up" files and other evidence in the midst of an SEC investigation into whether the company was selling shares to preferential buyers during initial public offerings. Quattrone's first trial resulted in a mistrial [JURIST report] after the jury could not agree on a verdict, but Quattrone was later convicted [JURIST report] for sending a 22-word e-mail encouraging colleagues to destroy files. The conviction was overturned [JURIST report] by a federal appeals court in March on the grounds that the jury instructions were erroneous.

The agreement has yet to receive court approval, but is not expected to include an admission of guilt from Quattrone or limit his future business dealings. After an appeal [JURIST report] by Quattrone, the US Securities and Exchange Commission [official website] earlier this year reversed a lifetime ban [JURIST report] preventing Quattrone from working in the securities industry. Saturday's New York Times has more.