BlackRock Inc., the world's biggest money manager, is looking toleverage its $3.3 trillion of client assets by embarking on anunprecedented campaign to urge corporations to adoptshareholder-friendly practices.

Laurence D. Fink, BlackRock's chief executive officer, said in aletter yesterday to 600 of its biggest holdings, including AppleInc., Coca-Cola Co., BNP Paribas SA and Deutsche Telekom AG, thathis firm “seeks to engage in dialogue” with management to addressissues that will be raised this year at shareholder meetings.

“We think it is particularly important to have such discussions– with us and other investors – well in advance of the votingdeadlines for your shareholder meeting and prior to any engagementyou may undertake with proxy-advisory firms,” Fink wrote in theletter, referring to companies that help institutional investorsdecide how to vote.