"You'll see proxy access proposals at some of the big companies in the spring," John T. Haggerty, a securities lawyer at Boston-based Goodwin Procter LLP, . "If they do pass, you're going to see a lot more people putting in proposals."

And, of course, any preparations will also be of use if activist investors manage to get the old proxy access rule somehow reinstalled. "Now is not the time to give up," says the , which issued a statement just after . "We strongly urge the SEC to issue new rules on full proxy access and continue its commitment to providing long-term shareowners with the right to have a say in who runs the companies they own."

Also, read , part one of this two-part series on what to expect from the 2012 annual meeting season.