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NEXA Lending sues former contractor over alleged trade secret misuse
The Arizona federal lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to stop the former contractor from using or misappropriating NEXA trade secrets and confidential information, after he was terminated in late July.
NEXA Lending filed suit in Arizona federal court on Aug. 7 against former contractor Austin Dell’Abate, alleging trade secret misappropriation, customer and referral solicitation, and false statements about the company. The lender also moved for a temporary restraining order.
NEXA said Dell’Abate was hired as an independent contractor in May 2026 and was terminated at the end of July, citing a documented pattern of abusive and unprofessional conduct that generated complaints from multiple parties, including two independent loan-processing companies, a federal agency, the company’s wholesale lender, a borrower, and NEXA personnel.
According to the filing, NEXA told Dell’Abate in his termination letter that his in-progress loans would be handed off and managed by Walter Brown, its director of growth and retention, and that he would not be eligible for rehiring. The complaint also alleges Dell’Abate made multiple attempts to contact NEXA since his termination, including claims of ownership over NEXA’s self-generated pipeline and a demand for more than $50,000.
In an interview with HousingWire, NEXA CEO Mike Kortas said he had to block contact due to Dell’Abate’s conduct, describing complaints of Dell’Abate “screaming” at employees. The company said the temporary restraining order is intended to prevent use of trade secrets and confidential information, require return of company property, and enforce nonsolicitation agreements, while not seeking to restrict Dell’Abate’s speech.