Egan-Jones Proxy Services has become the first proxy advisory firm to recommend voting for the Tornante Group acquisition of trading card, game, and candy company Topps at the rescheduled special meeting of stockholders on September 19th (see 'Topps Reschedules Acquisition Vote').  Proxy advisory firm ISS recently re-affirmed its recommendation against the deal (see 'ISS Urges Rejection'), and two other firms have also recommended against (see 'Topps Fires Back'). 

The battle over whether, and to whom Topps should be sold has been a lot less entertaining since Upper Deck dropped out (see 'Upper Deck Says No').  If Topps is taken private by the Michael Eisner-led group as management recommends, it's likely that there would be few immediate changes in the company's direction.  And if the deal is voted down, continuing acrimony between management and a group of dissident shareholders is likely to continue.