July 21, 2025
GrayRobinson Shareholder Kellie Caggiano and Senior Associate Rick Rowe secured a decisive trial victory on behalf of Malek Beydoun and his company, Beydoun Construction (BC), in a contentious construction defect lawsuit involving a condominium renovation in Fort Lauderdale’s Playa del Sol community.
The plaintiff, who hired BC for demo and renovation work, terminated the contract after three months, discarded BC’s materials into the hallway, and went on to cycle through multiple contractors over several years while living in hotels and rentals. She ultimately sued both Beydoun and BC for breach of contract, negligence, and fraudulent lien, seeking approximately $1.5 million in damages.
The case proceeded to a six-day jury trial where the plaintiff was represented by three separate law firms.
The GrayRobinson Construction Team employed a strategic, high-impact defense, from careful jury selection and compelling trial visuals to thorough witness preparation and aggressive courtroom advocacy. These efforts resulted in key trial rulings, such as the exclusion of certain plaintiff testimony and a directed verdict in Beydoun’s favor individually, as well as on a substantial portion of the claimed damages.
The jury found no breach of contract, no fraudulent lien, and assigned 95% of the negligence to the plaintiff. The jury awarded just $38,407 in total damages, with BC found only 5% at fault – resulting in a final award of just $1,920.35, less than 0.2% of the amount originally demanded. BC is now entitled to recover attorneys’ fees and costs as a prevailing party on the fraudulent lien claim.