The Annals of Activism, 2012

Two of the year’s biggest battles — and two of the smallest

Netflix

Market value: $5.3 billion

On Oct. 31, Carl Icahn disclosed that he had built up a 10 percent stake in the company, saying Netflix should sell itself. The video streaming service says it suspects Icahn plans a takeover attempt and has adopted a poison pill that would make an acquisition more expensive.

AOL

$2.6 billion

In June, AOL’s board staved off a takeover attempt by Starboard Value, which owned more than 5 percent of AOL shares and objected to the company’s content strategy. Since then, AOL appointed a chief operating officer to reorganize the company, and shares are up 21 percent.

Greektown Superholdings

$7.7 million

Brigade Leveraged Capital said the Detroit casino’s board wasn’t doing enough to counter declining market share. The fund failed to get the votes it needed to elect a new director to the board.

Rumson-Fair Haven Bank & Trust

$16.8 million

Hedge fund manager George Hall successfully ousted Chairman William Barrett and secured a seat on the board of this community bank. Hall’s fund, Clinton Group, said the bank was too conservative in its lending and was leaving profitable business on the table.