1.   Aquila and Quanta reached a settlement Tuesday that called off the proxy contest.

2.   Battles against management have been nearly impossible to win because closed-end funds have been owned by small investors who tend not to vote in proxy contests.

3.   Before the vote, the proxy contest was compared to a presidential campaign, as both sides fought to win shareholder votes.

4.   A proxy contest is one way that Kaiser could try to take control of Norcross, Georgia-based Alumax.

5.   A spokesman for the investors, citing the possibility of a proxy contest for control of the board, refused to publicly respond.

6.   But in general, he said, the agency seeks to avoid taking any action that could influence how shareholders vote in a proxy contest.

7.   But it proved a controversial, even divisive step, as shown by the proxy contest and scenes at the shareholder meeting on Tuesday.

8.   But legal experts agree that a federal criminal probe of a proxy contest involving a corporate merger is uncommon.

9.   Frank said the board nominations give WHX the option of a proxy contest if necessary.

10.   Fulford has joined LeBow in meeting with RJR shareholders since Friday, courting votes for the proxy contest.