Construction & Design Contracts
Our Construction & Design Contracts team is dedicated to protecting the interests of insurers, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, and other stakeholders involved in complex construction projects. With deep industry knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of construction and design disputes, our team delivers strategic, results-driven representation in a wide array of matters, including:
Construction Defect Claims: We defend against claims arising from alleged defects in workmanship, materials, or design, ensuring a thorough analysis of liability and minimizing client exposure.
Professional Liability: Our attorneys represent design professionals, including architects and engineers, in negligence claims, ensuring their practices and projects are safeguarded against unwarranted litigation.
Contract Disputes: We handle disputes involving breach of contract, delays, cost overruns, and change orders, protecting the financial interests of our clients while ensuring compliance with contract terms.
Risk Management & Coverage Analysis: We offer proactive counsel on risk management strategies, including reviewing policies and coverage disputes to ensure appropriate protection for clients.
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Construction & Design Contracts Team
Susan Ayers is Of Counsel in Lydecker’s Los Angeles office. She brings nearly 25 years of civil litigation experience representing clients in construction defect, insurance defense, first party property and hurricane claims, professional liability, personal injury, real estate, environmental matters, and appellate proceedings.
Prior to joining Lydecker, Ms. Ayers managed a high volume caseload involving complex insurance defense matters. She previously founded Ayers Law Firm, PLLC, where her practice encompassed civil litigation, real estate, bankruptcy, franchise, and family law matters. She also served as in house counsel to a California real estate development group, representing developers, community associations, and commercial property owners.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Ayers served as a Senior Attorney for the State of Florida, where she developed extensive motion practice and trial experience. During law school, she externed for the Honorable Robert W. Alberts of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California and worked in the tax legal division of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Ayers is a licensed Florida real estate broker.
Melissa Hubble is Of Counsel in Lydecker, LLP’s Miami office. Ms. Hubble’s practice involves all aspects of state civil trial litigation with a primary focus in bodily injury, premises liability, general liability, and negligent security. Ms. Hubble also handles construction defect matters, tort liability, officers and directors, insurance coverage, and contractual litigation matters.
Ms. Hubble earned her J.D. from Ave Maria School of Law in May of 2021, graduating with honors. Prior to earning her degree at Ave Maria School of Law, Ms. Hubble attended the University of Florida Levin College of Law. During law school at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Ms. Hubble was a general editor for the Law of Public Policy Journal and a member of the John Marshall Bar Association.
Jonathan J. Levy is of counsel to the firm and based out of the Boca Raton office. Mr. Levy’s practice includes Construction and Design Defect claims focusing on defending developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, including architects, engineers, and surveyors, as well as environmental consultants, and product manufacturers.
A large portion of Mr. Levy’s practice involves construction and design defect disputes, including representation of clients during the Chapter 558 pre-suit process, litigation and arbitration.
Additionally, Mr. Levy has experience working on construction transactions matters, construction contract/payment disputes, environmental/pollution claims, design claims, and construction accident claims.
Mr. Levy joined the firm in March 2022. Prior to joining the firm Mr. Levy was an associate attorney at a boutique law firm specializing in Foreclosure Defense, Complex Business and Commercial Litigation, Appellate Advocacy, and Corporate Transactional Law.
Mr. Levy obtained his law degree from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law in 2019. During law school Mr. Levy served on the executive board for the Jewish Law Society and was a student delegate at AIPAC Policy Conference. Mr. Levy was also a law clerk at NSU’S Berger Entrepreneurship Clinic, providing legal work to underserved small businesses, and achieved Dean’s List for multiple semesters. Prior to law school Mr. Levy worked for high tech companies in Tel-Aviv, Israel, garnering substantial international business experience.
Meliz Martin is a Partner in the firm’s Miami office. Ms. Martin represents developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and insurance carriers in a variety of contexts arising from the construction and use of real property. These representations include construction and design defect disputes, construction transactions, construction contract/payment disputes, environmental claims, and construction accident claims involving catastrophic injuries. Her practice involves disputes arising from water intrusion through building exteriors; structural integrity; mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression system performance issues; inadequate site drainage; and exterior coating and cladding failures.
A large portion of her practice involves construction and design defect disputes, including representation of clients during the Chapter 558 pre-suit process, litigation and arbitration. Ms. Martin’s practice involves all aspects of federal and state trial litigation. She has taken hundreds of depositions and has attended hundreds of hearings. She obtained favorable results in the vast majority of these matters.
Ms. Martin’s litigation philosophy involves having an eye towards detail, this is especially true in design and construction litigation, as these claims have multiple parties and voluminous multiyear records for the life span of a construction project. Equally important is a focus on plaintiffs’ claims, which typically involve tens of hundreds of defect items. Understanding these complex facts and issues facilitates opportunities for risk transfer and early resolution of matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Martin was practicing in the areas of condominium and homeowners association, construction and real estate litigation.
Mark Mercer is a partner in Lydecker’s Los Angeles and San Diego offices. He has over 25 years of experience representing private companies and public agencies in complex legal matters, with a practice deeply rooted in California construction law. Mark began his legal career in personal injury defense before transitioning to the representation of sureties in construction litigation, where he developed extensive experience handling multi-party construction claims and performance disputes. Mark later moved into public-sector practice, representing and advising California public agencies on construction claims, bid disputes, and environmental and regulatory compliance matters.
His current construction defect experience spans residential, commercial, and public infrastructure projects and includes claims involving alleged design defects, construction deficiencies, delays, and building performance issues. He regularly counsels owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals through all phases of construction defect matters, from pre-litigation risk assessment and dispute resolution to complex litigation.
In addition to construction defect litigation, Mark’s practice includes real estate, project entitlement, and insurance coverage matters, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the contractual, regulatory, and coverage issues that frequently intersect with California construction disputes. His practical, solutions-oriented approach is informed by a deep understanding of California’s construction statutes, public contracting requirements, and risk allocation frameworks.
Some of his successes include:
- Obtaining a defense verdict on a million-dollar contractor lawsuit for extra payment arising from unforeseen conditions.
- Settling a several million-dollar construction defect claim of a water treatment facility.
Janeally R. Munoz is an Associate Attorney in the firm’s San Diego office. Ms. Munoz has gained valuable experience representing Clients in a wide range of matters and has participated in several trials, both serving as second chair and conducting them on her own. She has courtroom experience and is skilled in drafting and arguing the motions in Court. Her diverse background has provided her with a strong foundation in litigation, client advocacy, and case strategy.
Ms. Munoz earned her J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in May of 2023. During law school, Ms. Munoz she was an active member of the Mock Trial team and held various leadership positions, including serving La Raza, where she continues to be an active member today.
Andrew is a Partner in Lydecker’s Orlando office. Andrew represents clients in a variety of construction related disputes including construction and design defect, transactional, contract drafting, review and negotiation, construction contract disputes, construction delay claims and licensure/regulatory matters.
Andrew provides a full-service practice to clients, providing advice at all states of a construction project from initial contract creation, mid-project disputes, termination and all phases of litigation from pre-suit to final disposition. Andrew has handles construction disputes throughout the State of Florida representing developers, general contractors and subcontractors at mediation, arbitration and trial. He also has extensive experience in general civil litigation in a variety of civil matters including residential finance and insurance defense.
Isaac Rosen is a Senior Associate in Lydecker’s New Jersey office, where he focuses his practice on insurance defense and complex civil litigation matters in both state and federal courts. His experience encompasses a broad range of litigation area, including personal injury, premises liability, construction and New York Labor Law claims, workers’ compensation-related issues, and products liability.
Mr. Rosen is adept at managing all phases of litigation, including drafting and arguing motions, conducting depositions, and developing comprehensive discovery strategies tailored to each case. He routinely handles matters involving complex liability issues, risk transfer and indemnification disputes, and claims arising under statutory frameworks such as New York Labor Law. His approach emphasizes early evaluation of liability and damages, allowing him to position cases effectively for favorable resolution or strong defense at trial.
In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Rosen works closely with insurance carriers and third-party administrators, providing detailed reporting, exposure analysis, and strategic recommendations designed to mitigate risk and control costs. He is known for his thorough preparation, practical problem-solving, and ability to navigate challenging factual and legal issues while maintaining a results-driven focus for his clients.
Mr. Rosen is admitted to practice in the State of New York and the State of New Jersey, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. He brings a disciplined, client-focused approach to every matter he handles, earning the trust of clients and colleagues alike.
Alexa Ruiz is an Associate in Lydecker’s Miami office. Ms. Ruiz’s practice involves civil litigation, with experience handling premises liability, construction negligence, and bodily injury claims. Prior to joining Lydecker, Ms. Ruiz served as an Assistant State Attorney with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted criminal matters from charging through resolution and handled all stages of litigation leading up to and through trial. Ms. Ruiz served as first-chair counsel in both bench and jury trials and has experience conducting depositions, arguing motions, negotiating plea agreements and settlements, developing trial strategy, and preparing matters for trial.
Ms. Ruiz earned her J.D., cum laude, from St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law in 2024. During law school, Ms. Ruiz served as an Articles Editor for the Law Review and as Vice President of Communications for the Trial Team. She was also a Dean’s List student and Merit Scholarship recipient. Ms. Ruiz earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance, magna cum laude, from Florida International University.
Ms. Ruiz is a member of the Trial Lawyers Section, Business Law Section, and Criminal Law Section of The Florida Bar. She is fluent in English and Spanish.
Zayd Takiedine is an Associate Attorney in Lydecker’s Doylestown, Pennsylvania office. His practice focuses on professional liability, general liability, automobile liability, commercial litigation, and insurance related disputes. He represents individuals and businesses statewide in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, helping clients navigate a broad range of civil claims and commercial conflicts.
Mr. Takiedine earned his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School, where he obtained a Certificate in Corporate and Business Law. While at Rutgers, he was selected to participate in the Entrepreneurship Clinic, where he assisted in representing local start-up for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs. During law school, Mr. Takiedine gained valuable in-house transactional and litigation experience as an intern for a Fortune 500 real estate developer and served as a Summer Associate at a prominent suburban Philadelphia law firm.
Prior to joining Lydecker, Mr. Takiedine practiced at a full-service law firm in the Philadelphia area, where he handled a broad range of civil litigation matters and real estate tax assessment appeals.
Javad Valad is an Associate in Lydecker’s New Jersey Office. Mr. Valad’s practice involves all aspects of civil litigation, with a primary focus on bodily injury defense, general liability, premise liability, and labor law matters.
Prior to practicing law, Mr. Valad built a diverse professional background spanning investigative, military and entrepreneurial roles. Mr.Valad owned and operated service, and construction-based businesses giving him practical, firsthand insight into the operational issues faced by today’s clients. This combination of experience informs his practical approach to litigation.
