Quattrone launches merchant banking shop

Frank Quattrone and former Credit Suisse First Boston colleagues have launched Qatalyst Group, a technology-focussed merchant banking boutique with both advisory and investment operations.
 
The direct investment group, Qatalyst Capital Partners, will make principal investments, typically alongside venture and private equity firms. The investment banking group Qatalyst Partners will provide M&A and corporate finance advice to technology companies.
 

Frank Quattrone

Quattrone was considered one of CFSB's star investment bankers during the dot-com boom. He was later accused of obstructing a government investigation of stock offerings he supervised while at CSFB, now Credit Suisse. After three years of attempted prosecution, Quattrone entered into a one-year deferred prosecution agreement in August 2006, freeing him to resume his career.
 
The new San Francisco-based firm will not engage in public securities research, sales, trading or brokerage although it may advise or underwrite its clients' public offerings.
 
“We believe the experience, perspective and judgment at the core of our advice will be of value to our clients, especially during challenging environments such as these,” said Quattrone in a statement.
 
Senior executives from Google, Intuit, Accel Partners and Facebook lauded Quattrone in the same statement.
 
Quattrone is joined by former global head of CSFB's internet group Jonathan Turner and former CSFB technology group general counsel Adrian Dollard. 
 
The firm will operate as a division of San Francisco-headquartered investment bank JMP Securities while applications with the Securities Exchange Commission and securities industry self-regulatory authority FINRA are pending.