Guy Wyser-Pratte, the hard-charging US shareholder activist, has probably never taken up onomastics - the study of proper names - but perhaps he's wishing he had.

Wyser-Pratte, an ex-officer in the US Marine Corps, is currently gunning for Klaus Lederer, the recently departed CEO of Babcock-Borsig, a German power-plant manufacturer, whom he charges with making disposals in his own interests, rather than those of shareholders.