The dispute centers on allegations that Chase banker Keifer Krause defamed Dr. Rao by falsely reporting to a probate court that she had illegally used her power of attorney to name herself as the beneficiary on her deceased mother’s Chase accounts.
Dr. Rao initiated the lawsuit in March 2021, over a year after Krause met with her mother’s estate attorney to verify the beneficiary status. During those meetings in early 2020, Krause initially relied on 2013 signature cards to confirm Dr. Rao’s designation but later reviewed 2012 cards that named her as the beneficiary.
Chase originally objected to Dr. Rao’s requests for its POD designation policies, citing relevance, vagueness, undue burden, and confidentiality. Dr. Rao never filed a motion to compel those specific requests before discovery closed in February 2023.
The Seventh Circuit reversed the district court’s grant of summary judgment in October 2025, finding that evidence of Chase’s policies could create genuine issues of fact regarding whether Krause acted with recklessness, which would impact the qualified privilege defense.
In her April 24 order, Judge Rowland held that the Seventh Circuit’s mandate required Chase to supplement its responses despite the initial objections and the passage of time. She ruled that keeping policy evidence from the jury would violate the spirit of the appellate court’s decision.
Chase is ordered to produce its POD designation policies and procedures for the years Krause conducted his investigation and Dr. Rao’s alleged misconduct occurred, with production due by May 6, 2026.
The court also dismissed JPMorgan Chase and Co., a Delaware corporation, from the case for want of prosecution after noting it had never been served.