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IN RE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
805
Cite as 349 F.Supp.2d_ 765 (S.D.N.Y. 2005)
within the state ....” N.Y. C.P.L.R.
§ 302(a)(2) (McKinney 2002). Courts have
defined “agent” to include a defendant’s
co-conspirators “under certain circum-
stances.” Chrysler Capital Corp. v. Cen-
tury Power Corp., T78 F.Supp. 1260, 1266
(S.D.N.Y.1991) (citing Lehigh Valley In-
dus., Inc. v. Birenbaum, 389 F.Supp. 798,
806-07 (S.D.N.Y.1975), affd, 527 F.2d 87
(2d Cir.1975)). Thus, “acts committed in
New York by the co-conspirator of an out-
of-state defendant pursuant to a conspira-
cy may subject the out-of-state defendant
to jurisdiction under C.P.L.R. 302(a)(2).”
Chrysler Capital Corp. 778 F.Supp. at
1266.
[38-40] Plaintiffs are not required to
establish the existence of a “formal agency
relationship” between the Defendants and
their putative co-conspirators. Daventree
Lid. v. Republic of Azerbayan, 349
F.Supp.2d 736, at 759, 2004 WL 2997881,
at *18 (S.D.N.Y.2004). Yet, “the bland
assertion of conspiracy ... is insufficient
to establish jurisdiction for the purposes of
section 302(a)(2).” Lehigh Valley Indus.
Inc., 527 F.2d at 938-94; Lamarr v. Klein,
35 A.D.2d 248, 315 N.Y.S.2d 695, 697-98
(st Dep’t 1970) (holding that conclusory
statements about defendant’s role in con-
spiracy were insufficient to establish juris-
diction under the co-conspirator doctrine).
To establish personal jurisdiction on a con-
spiracy theory, Plaintiffs must make a pri-
ma facie showing of conspiracy, allege spe-
cific facts warranting the inference that
the defendant was a member of the con-
spiracy, and show that the defendant’s co-
conspirator committed a tort in New York.
Chrysler Capital Corp. 778 F.Supp. at
1266 (citing Singer v. Bell, 585 F.Supp.
300, 302 (S.D.N.Y.1984)).
[41] “To plead a valid cause of action
for conspiracy under New York law, a
plaintiff must allege the primary tort and
four elements: ‘(a) a corrupt agreement
between two or more persons, (b) an overt
act in furtherance of the agreement, (c) the
parties’ intentional participation in the fur-
therance of a plan or purpose, and (d) the
resulting damage or injury.” Chrysler
Capital Corp. T78 F.Supp. at 1267 (quoting
Kashi v. Gratsos, 790 F.2d 1050, 1055 (2d
Cir.1986)). To warrant the inference that
a defendant was a member of the conspira-
cy, Plaintiffs must show that “(a) the de-
fendant had an awareness of the effects in
New York of its activity; (b) the activity of
the co-conspirators in New York was to
the benefit of the out-of-state conspirators;
and (c) the co-conspirators acting in New
York acted ‘at the direction or under the
control’ or ‘at the request of or on behalf
of the out-of-state defendant.” Chrysler
Capital Corp. 778 F.Supp. at 1268-69
(quoting Dixon v. Mack, 507 F.Supp. 345,
350 (S.D.N.Y.1980)).
“Whether an alleged conspiracy ... ex-
isted is ‘a mixed question of law and
fact.’” Daventree, 349 F.Supp.2d 736, at
760, 2004 WL 2997881, at *19 (quoting
Mario Valente Collezioni Ltd. v. Confez-
tont Semeraro Paolo, S.R.L., 264 F.3d 32,
36 (2d Cir.2001)). Accordingly, the Court
cannot accept “conclusory assertions on
those issues; instead it must resolve such
questions based upon an independent ex-
amination of the factual allegations while
mindful of its duty to draw all factual
inferences in plaintiffs’ favor.” Jd. (reject-
ing conspiracy theory of personal jurisdic-
tion without permitting jurisdictional dis-
covery).
[42] Plaintiffs claim that all Defen-
dants in these actions conspired with the al
Qaeda terrorists to perpetrate the attacks
of September 11. See, eg., Ashton Com-
plaint 1296; Federal Complaint 11 66, 72-
74. Without supporting factual allega-
tions, such a statement is insufficient to
establish an agency relationship. Lehigh
Valley Indus. Inc., 527 F.2d at 93-94; Da-
ventree, 349 F.Supp.2d 736 at 762-63, 2004
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| Filename | HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017870.jpg |
| File Size | 0.0 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 85.0% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 3,890 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-04T16:33:17.857178 |