HOW TO SERVE LEGAL PAPERS ON CHASE BANK – WASHINGTON MUTUAL

OCC Charter No. 8 and the Columbus, Ohio Main Office

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association holds OCC Charter Number 8 — the 8th national bank charter ever issued, tracing its lineage to The Manhattan Company incorporated in January 1824. The FDIC Certificate Number is 628. The Federal Reserve RSSD ID is 852218. Under 12 U.S.C. § 94, suits against a national bank must be brought in the federal district where the bank’s main office is located. That main office is 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240 — the Southern District of Ohio, Columbus division. Every competitor guide lists “Chase headquarters New York” and conflates the holding company’s principal office with the bank’s charter address. An action filed against JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in the Southern District of New York — and served at 383 Madison Avenue — does not resolve the venue defect. Columbus is where the charter is anchored.

Holding Company vs. National Bank — Two Entities, Two Service Paths

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a Delaware corporation (incorporated 1968) with its principal executive office at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179. Its Delaware registered agent is The Corporation Trust Company at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is the national bank subsidiary — OCC-chartered in Columbus, Ohio, regulated by the OCC, subject to 12 U.S.C. § 94 venue rules. These are separate legal entities. Claims against the holding company — corporate governance, securities fraud, shareholder derivative actions, Chase & Co. board conduct — name JPMorgan Chase & Co. and serve the Delaware registered agent. Claims against the bank — deposits, lending, account operations, consumer banking conduct — name JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and serve at 1111 Polaris Parkway. Serving the holding company does not bind the bank, and vice versa.

Washington Mutual’s 2008 FDIC Receivership — What Chase Assumed and What It Did Not

Washington Mutual Bank was closed by the OTS on September 25, 2008 — the largest bank failure in US history, with approximately $307 billion in assets and $188 billion in deposits. The FDIC was appointed Receiver. On the same date, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. entered into a Purchase and Assumption Agreement with the FDIC as Receiver, paying $1.9 billion for Washington Mutual Bank’s deposits, 2,200-plus branches across 15 states, and assumed bank operations and secured debts reflected on the bank’s books at closing. What Chase did NOT assume: Washington Mutual’s senior unsecured debt, subordinated debt, preferred stock, and any liability of Washington Mutual, Inc. — the holding company. WMI filed Chapter 11 in Delaware the following day. Claims against WaMu bank operations route to Chase. Claims against WMI debt, WMI equity, or WMI holding-company liabilities do not — and Chase has successfully defended dismissals on exactly that basis.

First Republic Bank’s 2023 FDIC Receivership — Identical Trap Structure

On May 1, 2023, California’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation closed First Republic Bank and the FDIC was appointed Receiver. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. entered into a Purchase and Assumption Agreement with the FDIC as Receiver the same day, assuming approximately $92 billion of deposits, $173 billion of loans, $30 billion of securities, and 84 offices across 8 states, with a loss-share arrangement on residential and commercial loan portfolios. Excluded: First Republic’s corporate debt and preferred stock. The trap is identical to WaMu: claims arising from First Republic’s banking operations — deposits, loans, branch transactions — route to Chase as successor. Claims against First Republic’s corporate debt or preferred stock route to the FDIC as Receiver for First Republic Bank. Calling these transactions “mergers” misstates the legal structure and the successor framework.

Bear Stearns — Full Merger, Not FDIC Receivership

The Bear Stearns acquisition is structurally different from WaMu and First Republic. The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. was a broker-dealer holding company, not a commercial bank. There was no FDIC receivership, no P&A Agreement, and no excluded-liability carveout. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired Bear Stearns through a Federal Reserve-facilitated corporate merger completed May 30, 2008. The result is a clean full-merger succession: JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the FRCP 25(c) successor for all Bear Stearns liabilities. There is no P&A split to analyze. Service on surviving Bear Stearns claims goes to JPMorgan Chase & Co. at the Delaware registered agent — The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 — not to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in Columbus.

(Verify current status via FFIEC NIC, OCC active national bank list, and Delaware Secretary of State before service. For WaMu and First Republic claims, confirm whether the specific liability falls within the P&A transfer or was excluded.)

FRCP 4(h)(1) and 12 U.S.C. § 94 — Serving the National Bank in Columbus

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is served under FRCP 4(h)(1), which authorizes service on a corporation by delivery to an officer, managing or general agent, or any other authorized agent. Under 12 U.S.C. § 94, national bank suits must be brought in the judicial district or territorial division where the bank’s main office is established under its OCC charter — for JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., that is 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, Ohio, Southern District of Ohio. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1348, federal courts have original jurisdiction over all cases in which a national bank is a party. Ohio Civil Rule 4.2 governs service on corporations within Ohio for state court matters and FRCP 4(h)(1)(B) state-law service in federal actions in that district.

8 Del. C. § 321 and N.Y. BCL § 306 — Serving the Delaware Holding Company

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a Delaware corporation. Service on it in a Delaware action or under FRCP 4(h)(1)(B) using Delaware long-arm procedure follows 8 Del. C. § 321, which authorizes service through the registered agent — The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. For New York state court actions or FRCP 4(h)(1)(B) service using New York procedures, NY BCL § 306 governs service on foreign corporations authorized to do business in New York. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s IRS EIN is 13-2624428. Its Delaware registered agent address is the authoritative point of service for the holding company in most federal and state actions.

FRCP 25(c) — Successor Analysis for WaMu, First Republic, and Bear Stearns

FRCP 25(c) permits substitution of a successor entity when an interest is transferred during the pendency of an action. For Washington Mutual Bank claims arising from pre-September 25, 2008 bank operations — deposits, loans, transactions — the September 25, 2008 P&A Agreement transferred those liabilities to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as successor. Claims against WaMu’s corporate debt, preferred stock, or Washington Mutual, Inc. holding-company liabilities were excluded from the P&A. The identical framework applies to First Republic Bank: bank operations claims (pre-May 1, 2023) transferred to Chase; First Republic corporate debt and preferred stock remained with the FDIC as Receiver. Bear Stearns follows a different path: the May 30, 2008 corporate merger was a full succession — all liabilities, no P&A exclusions — making JPMorgan Chase & Co. the unqualified FRCP 25(c) successor for all Bear Stearns-era claims.

The 2008 and 2023 P&A Agreements — Scope and Limits

The Purchase and Assumption Agreement between the FDIC as Receiver for Washington Mutual Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, dated September 25, 2008, is the authoritative document governing the scope of Chase’s assumption of WaMu liabilities. The Purchase and Assumption Agreement between the FDIC as Receiver for First Republic Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, dated May 1, 2023, governs First Republic. Both agreements are publicly available through the FDIC’s website. Any claimant asserting Chase is the successor for an excluded liability — WaMu subordinated debt, First Republic preferred stock, WMI holding-company obligations — will encounter a P&A scope defense that courts have consistently sustained. The P&A text controls, not the news coverage of the transaction.

Response Timelines and Jurisdiction

For federal court service on JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the defendant has 21 days to answer under FRCP 12(a)(1)(A)(i) after valid service. For state court service in Ohio, Delaware, or New York, the applicable state procedural rules govern — generally 28 days in Ohio, 30 days in Delaware, and 20 days in New York for served defendants. FDIC receivership claims for excluded WaMu or First Republic liabilities are subject to the administrative claims process under 12 U.S.C. § 1821(d), which imposes its own filing deadlines separate from FRCP service mechanics. Consult a licensed attorney to determine the applicable service rules and deadlines for your specific claim type and jurisdiction.

Where is JPMorgan Chase Bank’s main office for service of process?

The chartered main office for JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association is 1111 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240 — the Southern District of Ohio. This is confirmed by the OCC active national bank list and FFIEC NIC under RSSD 852218. Under 12 U.S.C. § 94, this address anchors venue for national bank suits. The New York address — 383 Madison Avenue — is the principal office of JPMorgan Chase & Co., the holding company. It is not the bank’s chartered main office and does not control venue for actions against JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.

What is the difference between JPMorgan Chase & Co. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.?

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the publicly traded Delaware holding company — NYSE ticker JPM, principal office at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, registered agent The Corporation Trust Company in Wilmington, Delaware. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is the operating national bank subsidiary — OCC Charter 8, main office in Columbus, Ohio, regulated by the OCC. Most consumer and commercial banking claims — account disputes, mortgage matters, lending conduct — name the bank. Securities fraud, corporate governance, and shareholder actions name the holding company. Service on one does not constitute service on the other.

Does Chase have a registered agent in New York?

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is registered as a foreign corporation authorized to do business in New York and maintains a registered agent there for New York state court service under NY BCL § 306. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. also has designated agents for New York service under FRCP 4(h)(1)(B). However, neither New York service path substitutes for the controlling 12 U.S.C. § 94 venue analysis for the bank entity. Serving Chase in New York for a bank operations claim does not cure a Southern District of Ohio venue requirement.

How do I serve a claim against Washington Mutual if it was closed in 2008?

Washington Mutual Bank was closed September 25, 2008. It no longer exists as a legal entity. The first step is determining whether your claim involves bank operations that transferred to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. under the 2008 P&A Agreement, or an excluded liability — senior unsecured debt, subordinated debt, preferred stock, or WMI holding-company obligations — that did not transfer to Chase. If your claim transferred under the P&A, substitute JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. under FRCP 25(c) and serve in Columbus. If your claim was excluded, route to the FDIC as Receiver or the WMI Liquidating Trust.

Can I serve Chase for a First Republic Bank claim?

For claims arising from First Republic Bank’s banking operations — deposits, loans, branch transactions — that existed before May 1, 2023: yes, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. is the FRCP 25(c) successor under the May 1, 2023 P&A Agreement, and service routes to Columbus, Ohio. For claims against First Republic’s corporate debt or preferred stock — which were excluded from the P&A — Chase is not the successor. Those excluded claims route to the FDIC as Receiver for First Republic Bank. Confirm which side of the P&A split your claim falls on before naming Chase as defendant.

Where do I file a claim excluded from the Washington Mutual P&A Agreement?

Liabilities excluded from the September 25, 2008 P&A Agreement — WaMu senior unsecured debt, subordinated debt, preferred stock, and WMI holding-company obligations — did not transfer to Chase and remain with their respective claimant frameworks. The FDIC as Receiver for Washington Mutual Bank handles excluded bank-level claims through its administrative claims process. WMI holding-company claims were addressed through the WMI Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan; the WMI Liquidating Trust was established under the confirmed plan. Attempting to serve Chase for an excluded WaMu liability produces both a service defect and a merits defense.

What happens if I serve Chase at 383 Madison Avenue for a bank operations claim?

Serving JPMorgan Chase & Co. at 383 Madison Avenue does not constitute service on JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. for a bank operations claim. The holding company and the bank are separate legal entities. Service on the holding company does not bind the bank, and the bank can move to dismiss for insufficient service of process under FRCP 12(b)(5). Additionally, if the complaint names the bank entity but service is made at the holding company address, the court may find service defective even if actual notice was received. Correct service requires the Columbus, Ohio main office — or the applicable registered agent path in the forum state.

Is Bear Stearns still a separate entity I can serve?

No. The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc. ceased to exist as a separate legal entity when it merged into JPMorgan Chase & Co. on May 30, 2008. It is not a surviving entity, and there is no registered agent to serve. For any surviving Bear Stearns claim — broker-dealer matters, securities positions, pre-merger liabilities — the proper defendant is JPMorgan Chase & Co. as the full FRCP 25(c) successor. Serve JPMorgan Chase & Co. at The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. This is a full merger, not an FDIC P&A — there are no excluded Bear Stearns liabilities sitting with a receiver.

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