Bear Stearns' Cayne expected to attend merger vote

James Cayne speaks to reporters in New York in November 13, 2003.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - James Cayne, who as chief executive and chairman of Bear Stearns Cos presided over the investment bank's demise, will attend the meeting Thursday as shareholders vote on JPMorgan Chase & Co's $10-a-share takeover offer, a bank spokesman said.

There had been speculation that Cayne, whose hands-off leadership has been cited as an important factor in Bear's mishandling of the credit crunch, would skip the meeting and avoid confronting shareholders and employees wiped out by the bank's plunge.

With the special meeting scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT in New York, spokesman Russell Sherman said: "We believe he will attend."

The meeting is open only to stockholders who hold shares in their own name, spokeswoman Elizabeth Ventura said.

(Reporting by Joseph A. Giannone, editing by Maureen Bavdek)