------------------ ------------------------------ FORM 4 OMB APPROVAL ------------------ ------------------------------ OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response ....... 0.5 ------------------------------ UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b). (Print or Type Responses) ================================================================================ 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* NOVELLY PAUL A. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Last) (First) (Middle) 8235 FORSYTH BLVD., SUITE 400 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Street) ST. LOUIS MO 63105 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (City) (State) (Zip) ================================================================================ 2. Issuer Name AND Ticker or Trading Symbol THE BEAR STEARNS COMPANIES INC. (BSC) ================================================================================ 3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (voluntary) ================================================================================ 4. Statement for Month/Day/Year February 28, 2003 ================================================================================ 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year) ================================================================================ 6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) [ X ] Director [ ] 10% Owner [ ] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below) -------------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================================ 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person ----- Form filed by More than One Reporting Person ----- ================================================================================ ==================================================================================================================================== TABLE I -- NON-DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED ==================================================================================================================================== 6. 4. 5. Owner- Securities Acquired (A) or Amount of ship 3. Disposed of (D) Securities Form: 7. 2A. Transaction (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Beneficially Direct Nature of 2. Deemed Code ------------------------------- Owned Following (D) or Indirect 1. Transaction Execution (Instr. 8) (A) Reported Indirect Beneficial Title of Security Date Date, if any ------------ Amount or Price Transaction(s) (I) Ownership (Instr. 3) (Month/ (Month/ Code V (D) (Instr. 3 (Instr. 4)(Instr. 4) Day/Year) Day/Year) and 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COMMON STOCK, par value $1.00 per share 32,877 I See Note 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ==================================================================================================================================== ==================================================================================================================================== TABLE II -- DERIVATIVE SECURITIES ACQUIRED, DISPOSED OF, OR BENEFICIALLY OWNED (E.G., PUTS, CALLS, WARRANTS, OPTIONS, CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES) ==================================================================================================================================== 9. Number of 10. Deriv- Owner- 2. ative ship Conver- 5. 7. Secu- Form of 11. sion Number of Title and Amount rities Deriv- Nature or 3A. Derivative 6. of Underlying 8. Bene- ative of Exer- Deemed 4. Securities Date Securities Price ficially Secu- In- cise 3. Execu- Trans- Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of Owned rities: direct Price Trans- tion action or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- Following Direct Bene- 1. of action Date, Code of (D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative Reported (D) or ficial Title of Deriv- Date if any (Instr. (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secu- Trans- Indirect Owner- Derivative ative (Month/ (Month/ 8) 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number rity action(s) (I) ship Security Secu- Day/ Day/ ------ ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. 3) rity Year) Year) Code V (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Employee Director Stock Options (Right Common to Buy) $64.00 146 05/30/03 11/30/12 Stock 146 N/A 146 D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Restricted Stock Units 0 Common 48 05/30/03 05/30/03 Stock 48 N/A 48 D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Employee Director Stock A Options (Right (Note Common to Buy) $62.64 02/28/03 2) 149 08/28/03 02/28/13 Stock 149 N/A 149 D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Restricted Stock A Units 0 02/28/03 (Note Common 3) 49 08/28/03 08/28/03 Stock 49 N/A 49 D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ====================================================================================================================================Explanation of Responses: 1. Shares are owned by the Novelly Exempt Trust U/I dated August 12, 1992, an irrevocable trust as to which Mr. Novelly was grantor, but is not a trustee and as to which he does not retain a right to change or substitute trustees. Mr. Novelly disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares. 2. Exempt issuance of options under Rule 16b-3 pursuant to the issuer's Non- Employee Directors' Stock Option and Stock Unit Plan. 3. Grant of Restricted Stock Units pursuant to the issuer's Non-Employee Directors' Stock Option and Stock Unit Plan; exempt under Rule 16b-3. /s/ Paul A. Novelly 03/28/03 --------------------------------------------- ---------------------- **Signature of Reporting Person Date Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. * If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v). ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.