Corporate Watchdog Slams Allstate
Analysis ranks insurer's board among 10 worst By Andrew Countryman, June 10, 2003, Chicago Tribune A leading corporate governance research group said Allstate Corp. has one of the 10 worst large-company boards in America, but the insurance giant said the analysis was misguided and too narrow.

The Corporate Library, founded by shareholder activist and governance expert Nell Minow, said its analysis of board effectiveness found Northbrook-based Allstate's severely lacking, rating it an F on an A to F scale.

The Corporate Library said its system relies on "dynamic indicators of special import to shareholders," rather than a simple checklist of independence and other board attributes, to focus on "real-world value and risk, not `best practices.'" "We do not evaluate directors