AKAM, one of the larger residential property management firms in New York and South Florida, has faced a string of significant lawsuits over building safety, assessment practices, insurance defense, and employment. The most prominent among the AKAM Management lawsuits is a $100 million wrongful death verdict returned in Miami-Dade County in July 2025, which found the firm 57% at fault for a fatal shooting at a condominium it managed. Other cases include a $6.3 million verdict tied to a disputed special assessment, a federal ruling voiding a $14.5 million toxic mold settlement, and ongoing negligence, employment, and labor matters in New York and New Jersey.
$100 Million Wrongful Death Verdict in Miami
On July 15, 2025, a Miami-Dade County Circuit Court jury awarded the family of Jason Campbell $100 million in a wrongful death and premises liability case against AKAM, the Monte Carlo Condominium Association, and EMS Protective Group.1Miami Times Online. Former FL Senator’s Family Awarded Record $100M After Son’s Murder at Miami Condo Campbell, 23, was the son of former Florida State Senator Daphne Campbell. He was shot and killed on June 1, 2021, in a tenant’s apartment at the Monte Carlo complex in Biscayne Gardens by Lakoria Washington, who forced her way into the unit while Campbell was sleeping. Washington later pleaded guilty to the murder.2Insurance Journal. Jury Awards $100M in Campbell Wrongful Death Case
The complaint alleged Washington had entered the property while armed earlier in 2021, and that AKAM, the association, and the security contractor failed to act on the known threat, failed to maintain adequate access controls, and did not warn residents.3Insurance Journal. Campbell v. Monte Carlo Condominium Association Amended Complaint The jury found the shooting was foreseeable and divided liability as follows:
- AKAM On-Site Inc.: 57%
- Monte Carlo Condominium Association: 18%
- EMS Protective Group: 18%
- A tenant who granted the shooter access: 7%
The majority-fault finding placed primary responsibility on AKAM for operational safety and building access. As of the verdict’s reporting in July 2025, the defendants had not announced whether they would appeal.1Miami Times Online. Former FL Senator’s Family Awarded Record $100M After Son’s Murder at Miami Condo
Palm Bay Yacht Club Assessment Fraud Case
Ten unit owners at the Palm Bay Yacht Club, a bayfront condominium tower in Miami, sued the association and AKAM affiliates in October 2022, alleging fraud, negligence, and misappropriation of association funds tied to a proposed special assessment of roughly $46 to $48.6 million for the building’s 40-year recertification. Individual owners faced bills of about $175,000 each.4The Real Deal. Bayfront Miami Condo Tower Embroiled in Legal Battle Over Major Assessment
Owners argued the estimate was inflated. Their structural engineer testified the figure included work outside recertification requirements, such as outdoor railings and hurricane-impact windows, and an independent assessment put the necessary repairs at about $23 million. Residents also alleged AKAM planned to hire a sister company for the construction work. AKAM denied the allegations, with its attorney stating the work was necessary for safety.5CBS News Miami. Palm Bay Yacht Club Condo Owners Repair Bill
AKAM On-Site was originally named among the defendants, and the case narrowed over time. In January 2026, after a three-day trial, a Miami jury awarded owners $6.3 million. South Florida Condominium Management was found liable for $5.8 million for breaches of fiduciary and statutory duties, negligence, and fraudulent misrepresentation, and assigned 60% of fault. D&R Contracting Corp. was assigned 20% fault and $550,000 in damages, and the association was assigned 20% comparative negligence. The jury heard evidence that $2.5 million in work had been falsely labeled as “emergency” repairs to bypass permit requirements and owner approval, and that an unlicensed manager had directed the project.6Community Newspapers. Palm Bay Yacht Club Condo Owners Awarded $6.3 Million in Major Mismanagement and Construction Fraud Case
Toxic Mold Case and the Voided $14.5 Million Settlement
A separate matter produced a published federal ruling on insurance defense. Annette Davis sued The Tides condominium, alleging bodily injuries from toxic mold caused by water infiltration after what she called botched maintenance work by AKAM On-Site on a water-cooling tower. AmTrust, the primary insurer, retained counsel and provided AKAM a full defense including five experts, though it reserved rights under a mold exclusion. Chubb, the excess insurer, issued reservation-of-rights letters and monitored the case while AmTrust ran the defense.7FindLaw. Davis v. Great Northern Insurance Company
After mediations failed, AKAM entered a Coblentz agreement with the plaintiff without Chubb’s consent, consenting to a $14.5 million judgment collectible only from Chubb and assigning its claims against Chubb to the plaintiff. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida granted summary judgment to Chubb, ruling Chubb had not wrongfully refused to defend and that AKAM had breached its cooperation obligations by shutting the excess insurer out. The court called the $14.5 million figure “grossly unreasonable” and “tainted by bad faith,” noting it was 58 times higher than defense counsel’s own pre-trial settlement estimate.7FindLaw. Davis v. Great Northern Insurance Company The Eleventh Circuit affirmed on appeal.8Dykema. Davis v. Great Northern Insurance Company, Eleventh Circuit Opinion
Manhattan Building Fire and Dog Death Lawsuit
In New York, residents Patrick Hayes and Carmen Pacheco sued AKAM Associates and others following a July 2012 fire at 350 East 62nd Street in Manhattan, in which their dog Toto died of smoke inhalation. The complaint alleged a 45-to-60-minute delay in locating the fire and calling 911 despite multiple reports of smoke, unauthorized electrical work in the apartment performed by the building superintendent that may have contributed to the fire, and forged records and incident reports covering up the delayed response.9Animal Law Info. Hayes v. Akam Associates, Inc.
In September 2019, a New York Supreme Court judge dismissed the emotional distress and loss of companionship claims tied to the dog’s death, holding that under New York law pets are personal property and do not support such claims. Fraud claims were also dismissed. The court denied summary judgment on the core negligence claims, finding factual questions about whether AKAM employees created or knew of a dangerous condition and whether the fire response was adequate.9Animal Law Info. Hayes v. Akam Associates, Inc. The appeal was reinstated in 2020 after an initial procedural dismissal.10NY Courts. Hayes v. Akam Associates, Motion to Vacate Dismissal The available record does not reflect a final resolution.
Bricklayer Fall Under New York Labor Law
In De Jesus v. Akam Associates, bricklayer Antonio Balbino De Jesus sued after falling twelve feet from a roof deck at a building on East 96th Street in February 2009. The claims proceeded under New York Labor Law ยง 240(1), which imposes liability on owners and their agents for gravity-related workplace injuries. AKAM and the owners corporation brought a third-party claim against De Jesus’s employer, Galicia Contracting, for contractual indemnification.11vLex. De Jesus v. Akam Associates, Inc.
In August 2012, the court denied the plaintiff summary judgment, citing disputes about whether De Jesus refused to use safety equipment his employer had provided. The court granted AKAM’s motion for contractual indemnification against Galicia and allowed the plaintiff to raise his damages demand from $5 million to $15 million.11vLex. De Jesus v. Akam Associates, Inc.
Pending Employment and Other Matters
Antonuos v. AKAM Associates, Inc., a civil rights employment case, was filed in New Jersey state court in December 2025 and removed to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Three of the six counts were dismissed without prejudice in January 2026. As of June 2026, the remaining claims are in active discovery before Judge Susan D. Wigenton.12PACER Monitor. Antonuos v. AKAM Associates, Inc. et al
In Anderson v. AKAM Associates, Inc., plaintiff Charlotte Anderson sued AKAM and co-defendants including a cooperative corporation and its board in New York Supreme Court in 2021. The parties settled in June 2025, with Anderson receiving more than $200,000. Anderson then refused to sign a stipulation of discontinuance and accused the defendants of breaching the settlement’s confidentiality provision. The trial court enforced the settlement and sanctioned Anderson for filing frivolous and duplicative motions. In May 2026, the Appellate Division unanimously affirmed.13NY Courts. Anderson v. AKAM Associates, Inc.
Earlier, in 2006, SEIU Local 32BJ filed an unfair labor practice charge against AKAM Associates with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging unlawful discharge and changes in terms and conditions of employment. The case is listed as closed, and the NLRB’s public docket does not detail whether it was settled, adjudicated, or withdrawn.14NLRB. Case 02-CA-037900, Akam Associates, Inc.