Goldman Sachs Group Inc. gears up to defend itself from civil charges of defrauding investors. At the same time, the company deregistered Fabrice Tourre, the employee charged with fraud by the SEC, with the U.K.’s main financial regulator. Some questioned whether Goldman is distancing itself from him.
Thomas Ajamie, a defense lawyer in Houston, said “it’s too soon to know” how the relationship between Goldman and Mr. Tourre will progress, but that placing someone on leave “is sometimes the first step” to a company distancing itself from an employee also accused of wrongdoing.