A high-profile lawsuit has been filed against an executive accused of fabricating his qualifications to secure a lucrative position. Flyspace Productions, LLC lodged the complaint in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania on September 18, 2023, targeting Raza Syed for allegedly misrepresenting his credentials.
Flyspace Productions, LLC is an event management and production company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company claims that it hired Raza Syed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) based on his assertion that he held a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. This certification is awarded by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and requires extensive coursework, industry experience, and passing a rigorous exam. According to the complaint, Syed submitted a resume through Robert Half and Associates on August 29, 2023, which falsely stated he had obtained PMP certification in December 2020.
Flyspace alleges that during his interview and subsequent employment discussions, Syed repeatedly affirmed his PMP credentials. Believing these representations to be true, Flyspace offered him the COO position along with a $5,000 signing bonus and an annual salary of $100,000. The company also paid $21,400 to Robert Half and Associates as a headhunter fee for placing Syed.
However, Flyspace discovered that Syed never actually obtained the PMP certification. This revelation led to his termination for cause on June 27, 2024. The company asserts that it would not have hired Syed had it known about the falsification of his qualifications. As a result of this alleged fraud, Flyspace claims to have suffered significant financial losses including wages paid to Syed amounting to $130,633.31 and damages due to poor project management under his tenure.
The lawsuit includes multiple counts: Fraud/Intentional Misrepresentation, Negligent Misrepresentation, Unjust Enrichment, Breach of Warranty, and Conversion. Each count outlines how Syed's actions were materially misleading and resulted in substantial financial harm to Flyspace Productions.
Flyspace is seeking several forms of relief from the court: rescission of the employment agreement with Syed; restitution for all benefits conferred upon him under false pretenses; compensatory damages exceeding $50,000; punitive damages due to the intentional nature of the misrepresentation; court costs; attorney’s fees; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The legal team representing Flyspace Productions includes attorneys Mary A. Shahverdian from Bernstein-Burkley P.C., Kirk B. Burkley from Bernstein-Burkley P.C., and Jeffrey R. Owen from Cooper Owen & Renner P.C.