The U.S. is pressing for guilty pleas from the parent companies of banks under investigation, including Credit Suisse Group AG, in a marked departure from the past, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
Whether prosecutors would be willing to accept a guilty plea from a smaller unit rather than insisting on the bank holding company has been debated since authorities started speaking this year about imminent criminal actions in speeches, tweets and even a video this week from the U.S. Attorney General.
