Troubled British bank, Northern Rock, will face shareholders today in an emergency general meeting which may see management's ability to sell assets and issue shares limited.
The bank, which has 26,000 Irish account holders, is facing possible nationalisation under the weight of £25 billion (€49 billion) debt in state loans.
Two of the biggest shareholders have urged investors to support their proposals to give shareholders more power, hoping to ensure they get a fair price for their holdings under rescue plans being considered.
Hundreds of small investors are expected to attend the meeting in Newcastle, in the northeast of England. They own about a quarter of the shares in issue and so could swing the vote.
Northern Rock is Britain's fifth biggest mortgage lender, but following financial crisis last September it was forced to seek emergency support from the Bank of England. The bailout triggered the first run on the deposits of a British bank in more than 140 years.
The government may appoint former Lloyd's of London chief executive Ron Sandler to run Northern Rock should it be nationalised.
Today's meeting marks the first occasion shareholders have come face-to-face with management since the bank hit financial turbulence four months ago.