NEXA Mortgage, LLC — recently rebranded as NEXA Lending, LLC — has broadened its legal battle against former employees and a competing lender, filing a first amended complaint that adds new defendants, new claims, and expanded allegations of misconduct.
The original lawsuit, filed May 2, 2025, targeted former director of training Kristine Wake for allegedly soliciting NEXA employees and misappropriating confidential business information, including materials from the company’s Mortgage Academy Training Program. The filing explains that Wake was both head of human resources and in charge of the Mortgage Academy Training Program, giving her broader access to management-level data. NEXA also accuses Wake of registering the domain WhyNexaAcademy.com under her own name and later demanding $18,000 to transfer it back.
The amended complaint, filed Oct. 31, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, now names three additional defendants: Mathew L. Grella, NEXA’s co-founder and former president; his spouse, Sheridan Murray-Grella; and Platinum One Lending, LLC, a Michigan-based mortgage company where Wake now works. According to the filing, Grella holds an ownership interest in Platinum One through his single-member entity, Black Chicken, LLC.
NEXA CEO and co-founder Mike Kortas previously announced Grella’s termination in 2024, following Grella’s request for a buyout of his ownership interest. The new filing links Grella’s subsequent business activities to Platinum One, which NEXA identifies as a direct competitor.
The first amended complaint also names 25 Doe defendants, reserving the right to add parties later.
Update 11/5/25: Defendant Grella responded to the allegations in a statement sent to NMP, expressing his disappointment over what he claims is "serious misconduct by Mr. Kortas."
"As I have detailed in my own complaints against him, Kortas's egregious spending and constant filing of frivolous lawsuits is becoming increasingly damaging to Nexa's business," Grella alleged in his statement. "I am disappointed to see the company we built together get dragged down by what I believe to be his prioritizing fronting in public over focusing on his responsibilities as a CEO."
Regarding the current litigation, Grella called the lawsuit's claims baseless and argues that Kristine Wake "left Nexa due to what she felt was a toxic, untenable work environment, and she is not even serving in the same role at Platinum One as she served at Nexa."
Additionally, Grella alleges that "Mr. Kortas’ amorphous identification of the alleged trade secrets are incredibly vague because, we believe, the trade secrets do not exist. Furthermore, this employee responded with a much more substantial complaint alleging that Nexa failed to compensate her for her managerial work at the company. If that is indeed the case, we hope that Nexa repays her for any unpaid labor detailed in the complaint."
Broader Allegations and New Claims
The amended complaint expands the case from a single-defendant dispute to a multi-party scheme, increasing the total number of causes of action from four to ten. Alongside breach of contract and trade-secret misappropriation, NEXA now alleges:
Tortious interference with contract — claiming Grella and Platinum One “knowingly and intentionally encouraged Wake to breach her agreement by improperly using NEXA’s confidential and competitive business information.”
Aiding and abetting breach of duty of loyalty — alleging that Wake used her position to solicit NEXA employees to competing businesses and that Grella and Platinum One “provided substantial assistance and encouragement to do so.”
Aiding and abetting unfair competition — alleging that Wake competed with NEXA while employed there and that the other defendants helped facilitate that competition.
Violation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act — claiming Wake “continues to use NEXA’s trade secret information for her own benefit and against NEXA’s competitive interests,” and that Grella and Platinum One were aware of and assisted in that conduct.
Civil conspiracy — alleging that all three “agreed to use and exploit” NEXA’s confidential and trade-secret information for their own benefit “with the goal of harming NEXA.”
Violation of the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act — according to the complaint, Wake’s refusal to transfer WhyNexaAcademy.com constitutes “an act of cyberpiracy prohibited by 15 U.S.C. §1125(d).”
According to the complaint, Wake oversaw NEXA’s Mortgage Academy Training Program and had access to sensitive marketing, operational, and employee data. NEXA claims she used that access to recruit coworkers to a new venture called NEXXT Level Mortgage while still employed, and later to Platinum One Lending. The filing alleges that she retained and continues to use proprietary training materials developed under NEXA’s umbrella.
NEXA further claims that Platinum One and Grella were aware of Wake’s actions and “knowingly encouraged and assisted” in the use of confidential information. The lender seeks injunctive relief, transfer of the disputed domain, compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and other equitable remedies.
What began as a breach-of-contract case has evolved into a broader dispute over alleged corporate sabotage, trade-secret theft, and unfair competition. The filing explicitly seeks damages “not less than $75,000,” plus attorneys’ fees, interest, and equitable relief.
