I don't think this is the issue (but thanks for the link - anything Eric Meyer's written is interesting). The issue we're seeing is apparent when a table is embedded or nested within a cell of another table. Even if the cells are otherwise empty ... the outer-table cell (which contains the inner table) seems to have cellpadding along its ...

  Hi,   Is there a way to remove what appears to be cellpadding separating a nested table from the bottom of the cell that it's nested in? The goal is to have the nested table aligned vertically with the bottom of the cell in which it is nested. It behaves as if there is a cellpadding setting at the bottom of the cell, even ...