Proxy Fight
Definition
A proxy fight is a campaign to win shareholder votes in order to replace a company’s board of directors, rather than buying the shares outright. The activist solicits other shareholders’ proxies and uses the ballot, not a bid, to take control or force change.
In practice
Proxy fights are the cheaper cousin of the tender offer: you rent control through votes instead of buying it with capital. Modern activists use them to force asset sales, buybacks, or a sale of the whole company.