He's back. We've said this before about Frank Quattrone, the former larger-than-life investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston, who was investigated and charged with interfering with a probe of IPO allocation practices.

He took on the government in two trials. One resulted in a hung jury. The other resulted in a conviction, which was overturned by a higher court. There was never a third trial, and Quattrone was free to set up Qatalyst Group. It was big news when he set up the firm, but at the time no one could be sure if he would ever be the kingpin banker he once was.

Turns out, he has not lost his touch. The New York Times suggests he is back on top of the Silicon Valley banking world. "His three-year-old firm--which has just 30 employees, including the administrative staff--is challenging Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and other top investment banks for the industry's most lucrative deals. Qatalyst ranks No. 3, behind Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, on technology deals worth more than $1 billion so far this year, according to Thomson Reuters, besting the likes of JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup," reports the Times.

He is now the man to see if you are looking to sell your company. Texas Instruments, for example, paid a near 80 percent premium for National Semiconductor, a client of Qatalyst. The executive set in Silicon Valley has proven very loyal to him. He seems to be a changed man, perhaps more humble, less of a showman. He has deep relationships obviously, which will serve him well for many years to come.

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