Patrick McGurn, executive vice president of Institutional Shareholder Services in Rockville, Md.

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About 800 directors last year received "no" votes that topped 30% of the votes cast, a high-enough percentage that small shareholders could change the outcome, according to Patrick McGurn, special counsel at RiskMetrics Group.

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So far in 1999, says Pat McGurn of Institutional Shareholder Services, which provides institutional investors with proxy analysis, disaffected shareholders have already won a vote in six contests to put their candidates on corporate boards but reached a favourable settlement in 25 more.

ECONOMIST: Thank you and goodbye