N.J. Judge Says Conspiracy Claims Against Agent in Superstorm Sandy Case Belong in State Court

TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey federal judge has remanded a Superstorm Sandy insurance lawsuit to state court after determining that conspiracy claims brought against an agent named in the case were not so frivolous that they should be disregarded for the purpose of determining jurisdiction.

Judge Joel A. Pisano of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey said in the June 30 decision that the non-diverse agent was not fraudulently joined as a defendant to the lawsuit by virtue of the role it played in obtaining coverage for the plaintiff’s properties and because it ultimately issued …