LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS 145.04, +2.72, +1.91%) lawyers met this week with representatives of the Securities and Exchange Commission in a first step toward a potential settlement of the agency's fraud lawsuit against the securities firm, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The two sides remain far apart. The preliminary settlement talks, held Tuesday, between Goldman co-general counsel Gregory Palm and other lawyers representing the New York company and SEC officials didn't include any specific settlement terms, such as the amount of a fine or agreements Goldman could make with the agency, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter said. Goldman's willingness to even meet with the SEC is a sign that executives are scaling back their combative stance since the lawsuit was filed April 16, the report said. While the company hasn't retreated from its public statements that the suit's accusations are groundless, some Goldman executives are taking a softer line with restive shareholders, the report added. The SEC and Goldman declined to comment.
