“In the span of a week, Steven A. Cohen’s investment firm changed its name, hired a former federal prosecutor and became a felon.”

“Breaking months of suspense, a federal judge on Thursday approved the firm’s plea deal that resolved criminal insider trading charges and required a $1.2 billion penalty, closing a searing chapter in the 22-year history of Mr. Cohen’s once-mighty hedge fund.”

“Now the 57-year-old investor is hoping for a less litigious transition for his firm, as it becomes a so-called family office, rechristened Point72 Asset Management, that will manage about $9 billion of his own fortune.”

“Federal authorities, speaking on the condition of anonymity, privately acknowledge that additional charges against SAC employees are unlikely unless new evidence surfaces. And the authorities, who still have a smattering of insider trading cases to file against other hedge funds, have seen a slight downtick in reports of suspicious trading.”

“But to shake fully its tainted past — and steer clear of the spotlight — Mr. Cohen’s firm will have to do more than plead guilty and change its name. And for Mr. Cohen, who has not been criminally charged despite spending the better part of a decade under investigation, a few legal hurdles remain before he can exhale.”

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