Claims against a law firm and an accounting firm over a $10 million investment loss are subject to New Jersey’s statute requiring affidavits of merit in professional liability cases, a federal appeals court has held.

The lack of affidavit meant affirmance of dismissal of a suit against Lindabury McCormick Estabrook & Cooper in Westfield, and WithumSmith+Brown, an accounting firm with offices in New Jersey and five other states.