But it probably would have been minimal if Mr. Wasserstein had simply been a behind-the-scenes adviser, assuming the traditional investment banker role.

They say the former senator, who is widely admired for his mastery of New Jersey politics and his tactical savvy, has been a behind-the-scenes adviser and a strategic sounding board for the candidate.

Mr. Mazowiecki, an intensely private person who for years was a behind-the-scenes adviser to Mr. Walesa, termed the presidential campaign "tiresome."

Mr. Blair has also remained a behind-the-scenes adviser to Mr. Clinton since his first days in public office.

In the end, analysts said, Morgan's downfall may be that it tried too hard to remain what its founder had built - a behind-the-scenes adviser to the richest and most powerful, with a driven but insular culture.

An important behind-the-scenes legal adviser for Exxon in Anchorage is Jack Clarke, a former senior vice president of Exxon and a former member of its board.

As a behind-the-scenes adviser, though, he said, he has weighed in on issues like the budget, the President's State of the Union Message and legislation that would affect securities law litigation and product liability.

It was disclosed last week that President Clinton is serving as a behind-the-scenes adviser to many Democratic candidates across the country.

NSA has been involved in debates about public policy, both indirectly as a behind-the-scenes adviser to other departments, and directly during and after Vice Admiral Bobby Ray Inman's directorship.

Although his projects are dramatically reshaping New York, Cooper may exert an even greater influence as a behind-the-scenes adviser to developers and governments, a kind of Bernard Baruch of the urban environment.