The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition a group of Bay Street bankers that underwrote stock and debt issues for Sino-Forest have agreed to pay $32.5-million to burned investors. The Globe's Jeff Gray writes former shareholders in Sino-Forest launched a $9-billion class-action lawsuit not just against the firm, some of its executives and its auditors, but also its underwriters -- key "gatekeepers" who they alleged had failed to do enough due diligence on Sino-Forest. In a settlement deal filed on Monday in court, the underwriters "make no admissions of liability and deny any liability" in the plaintiffs' claims. The $32.5-million payment releases them from the class action, which continues against the company, a list of its executives and one of its former auditors, BDO Ltd. A lawyer for the plaintiffs said the deal could make banks and other financial institutions pay attention to the offerings they participate in. The settlement agreement also says several of the underwriters named -- Credit Suisse, TD Securities, Dundee Securities and Merrill Lynch -- have agreed to hand over "non-privileged documents and information" relevant to the case involving BDO. A judge must approve the settlement.