Proxy contests are expected to increase soon, as a result of three factors: (1) the massive de-staggering of corporate boards, (2) the increasing concentration of share ownership among a small group of institutional holders, and (3) the adoption of SEC Rule 14a-19, which mandates the use of universal proxy cards. That last rule just became effective, and many predict that smaller firms will particularly experience increased proxy activism, as Rule 14a-9 will significantly reduce the costs to insurgents in these cases.