August 9, 2024, Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Becker, a multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists and other professionals at offices throughout the East Coast, won a $2.78 million judgment, plus legal fees and costs, on behalf of the developer of the One Metropica condominium in Sunrise, Florida who was actually sued by the project general contractor Tutor Perini Building Corp. for millions of dollars due to construction delays.
Metropica awarded the construction contract to Tutor Perini in 2017 for a 28-story residential condominium tower called One Metropica. It was intended to be the first of multiple towers and mixed-use facilities that would transform western Sunrise, Florida. The tower, however, was completed in 2020, many years behind schedule.
In 2020, the contractor filed a lawsuit against Metropica Residential I, claiming millions of dollars of damages arising from what the contractor classified as owner-caused delays to the project. Metropica counterclaimed, contending the project delays were mostly caused by Tutor Perini’s poor project management, construction defects and the like. Metropica requested an award of liquidated damages and costs for unrepaired defective work.
After a three-week bench trial in May 2024 before Broward County Circuit Judge William Haury Jr., Metropica completely defeated Tutor Perini’s multi-million dollar claim other than as to an undisbursed contract balance of approximately $500,000 that Metropica never contested was due. In addition, Metropica prevailed on its counterclaim being awarded a judgment of $2.78 million, plus attorney’s fees, costs and interest.
The Becker team was led by the Vice Chair of Becker’s Construction Law and Litigation Practice Group Lee Weintraub, and included Mark Stempler, Aaron Crews, Elionel Reyes and Alexander Chin.
About Becker
Becker, with headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is a multi-practice commercial law firm with attorneys, lobbyists and other professionals at offices throughout the East Coast. More information is available at www.beckerlawyers.com