On July 31, 2026, Judge Yvonne Williams of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued a Trial Order awarding our client, the Wardman Tower Residential Condominium Unit Owners Association, $356 million in damages against the developers of Wardman Tower, finding them liable for defective renovation, misrepresentation, and breach of fiduciary duty.

In November 2020, the Association filed suit against the Developer Defendants, alleging that they defectively renovated the historic Wardman Tower Residential Condominium and concealed the building's true condition from unit owners.  The case proceeded to a bench trial before Judge Williams beginning November 10, 2025, and concluding on March 5, 2026.  After post-trial briefing and argument, the Court issued a 148-page Trial Order finding in favor of the Association on eight of its eleven claims.  The Court found that the Developer Defendants negligently constructed and renovated Wardman Tower.  The Court further found that the Developer Defendants violated the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act by making material misrepresentations and omissions about the condition of the building, negligently misrepresented the building's condition to prospective purchasers, breached statutory warranties against structural defects, and breached their fiduciary duties while controlling the condominium's Board of Directors.

The Williams & Connolly trial team was led by Ted Bennett and included partner Suzanne Salgado and associates Ashwin Shandilya, Elena Di Rosa, Aditi Mittal, counsel Richard Olderman, discovery attorneys Cecelia Davis and Danielle Morton, and former associate Emma Nino.  The trial team was also assisted by invaluable work from partner Krystal Durham, associates Emily Alden,  Ayoub Ouederni, Kim Broecker, and Christina Swift, and former associate Kanyinsola Ajayi.

The case is Wardman Tower Residential Condominium Unit Owners Association v. JBG Smith Properties, et al., No. 2020 CA 004807 B (D.C. Super. Ct.).