DaBella Lawsuit: $75M Timbers Suit, Telemarketing, Safety Fines

The DaBella lawsuit picture spans several active fronts: a $75 million breach-of-contract and defamation suit the company filed against the Portland Timbers in May 2024, a federal telemarketing class action in Oregon, a Fair Labor Standards Act collective action filed in Colorado in April 2026, workplace safety fines in Washington state, and sexual misconduct allegations against founder and CEO Donnie McMillan Jr. that surfaced through a former executive’s breach-of-contract case. DaBella and McMillan deny the misconduct allegations.

DaBella’s $75 Million Suit Against the Portland Timbers

DaBella and McMillan sued the Portland Timbers and team CEO Heather Davis on May 20, 2024, alleging breach of contract, defamation, and unjust enrichment after the Major League Soccer club terminated a multi-year jersey sponsorship deal on February 29, 2024.¹

The deal, signed in November 2023, put DaBella branding on all Timbers game kits and club apparel and included community initiatives and an in-stadium promotional structure called the “DaBella House.”² It lasted barely three months. The Timbers said the decision to terminate was “rooted in the responsibility we have to our fans, supporters, partners and employees to transparently reflect and uphold the values and expectations of our community,” and noted that neither its own vetting nor a third-party review had surfaced the allegations before they became public.³

DaBella is seeking at least $75 million in damages plus legal costs. The complaint alleges the Timbers “unjustly retained” $1.8 million DaBella had already paid, and that the terminated agreement would have generated roughly $75 million in revenue over its first three years and $358 million across a full 10-year term. The company also claims the public termination tarnished its reputation and McMillan’s, leaving DaBella unable to secure equivalent sponsorships with other professional teams.¹ A Timbers spokesperson said the club was “aware of the lawsuit and have no comment.”⁴ The case remained ongoing as of August 2024, with no publicly reported ruling, settlement, or trial date.

The Misconduct Allegations That Collapsed the Sponsorship

The court filing that triggered the Timbers’ termination came out of a separate 2022 lawsuit by DaBella’s former chief financial officer, Lowell “Greg” Swartz. Swartz sued the company and McMillan for breach of contract and fiduciary duty, alleging DaBella failed to pay him money owed after firing him in 2022. His attorneys then moved to compel production of internal records related to what they described as at least three complaints and two settlement agreements involving allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted advances by McMillan toward subordinates. Swartz claimed he had personally overseen settlements paid to women who accused McMillan, and that McMillan fired him out of fear he would go public.⁵

Former DaBella employees told The Oregonian that McMillan had been romantically involved with at least two subordinates and made unwanted advances toward others. One former employee alleged McMillan sent her late-night Facebook messages in 2019 and 2020. Yvette Garcia, a former DaBella controller, stated in a court declaration that McMillan sent her Facebook messages in July 2021 inviting her on a “romantic weekend.” Former colleagues also said McMillan referred to a 25-year-old employee as a “conquest.”⁶

McMillan and his attorneys have called the allegations “pure fiction” and a “money grab.” In a March 2024 court filing, McMillan acknowledged relationships with female employees but maintained there was “no workplace misconduct whatsoever” and that all relationships were consensual. His legal team also alleged Swartz had an inappropriate relationship with Garcia, which Swartz denied. As of February 2024, Oregon and Washington court records showed no lawsuits filed against McMillan or DaBella specifically alleging sexual misconduct. A separate complaint filed with Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries involving a DaBella employee other than McMillan was dismissed for lack of evidence.⁶

Telemarketing Class Action in Oregon

A plaintiff named Leon Weingrad filed a class action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon accusing DaBella of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending telemarketing calls and text messages without permission, and of failing to comply with federal caller ID display requirements. Weingrad alleged he kept receiving unwanted communications even after filing suit.⁷

In February 2026, the court denied DaBella’s motion to dismiss the caller ID claim and refused to strike the class allegations. That decision cleared Weingrad to seek to represent a proposed class of people who received two or more telemarketing calls or texts from DaBella in a 12-month period, were not current customers, and had previously asked the company to stop calling. The court allowed Weingrad to represent that class despite DaBella’s argument that he did not personally meet every criterion. The case was active as of early 2026.

Wage Collective Action in Colorado

Nine plaintiffs filed a Fair Labor Standards Act collective action against DaBella in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on April 21, 2026. The case, Gough et al v. DaBella Exteriors LLC, was brought by Tyler Gough, Joseph Adams, Luis Arevalo, Bryce Franks, Michel Kedhy, Jesse Negrete, Charles Smallwood, Raymond Smallwood, and Anas Afana. The specific wage violations alleged were not detailed in the available docket entries.⁸

DaBella responded with a motion to compel individual arbitration and stay the proceedings. A clerk’s entry of default had been entered against the company but was set aside in June 2026 after DaBella filed an unopposed motion. A scheduling conference was set for July 30, 2026, with no ruling on the arbitration motion as of mid-June 2026.⁸

Washington State Safety Fines

Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries placed DaBella in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program on March 20, 2025, following an inspection at a job site in Battle Ground. The designation triggers heightened scrutiny and more frequent inspections.⁹

During a follow-up inspection on December 23, 2025, L&I cited the company for a “repeat willful serious violation” for failing to protect subcontractor employees from fall hazards on a roofing job, and fined DaBella $134,640. The violations involved workers operating at heights without proper fall protection, including harnesses, fall arrest systems, and adequately installed anchors. DaBella did not respond to a request for comment on the citation and, as of January 2026, had 15 business days to appeal.¹⁰¹¹

Other Pending Matters

Court records also show Matthew Lepire, et al. v. DaBella Exteriors, LLC, et al. in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. In May 2023 the court approved a stipulated confidentiality agreement and protective order governing sensitive discovery materials. The underlying claims and current status of the case are not detailed in the available records, though it involves both DaBella and a related entity called Damselfly Improvement, LLC.¹²

1
The Oregonian. DaBella Sues Portland Timbers After Team Drops Kit Sponsor Deal
2
Innovative Partnerships Group. Jersey Naming Rights for Portland Timbers DaBella Partnership
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Portland Timbers. Timbers Terminate Corporate Partnership With DaBella
4
KOIN. DaBella Sues Portland Timbers After Team Terminated Jersey Sponsorship
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The Oregonian. Portland Timbers Sponsor DaBella CEO Accused of Sexual Harassment, Unwanted Advances, Former Executive Says
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The Oregonian. DaBella Exteriors CEO Dated, Made Advances Toward Employees, Former Workers Say
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PacerMonitor. Weingrad v. DaBella Exteriors LLC
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PacerMonitor. Gough et al v. DaBella Exteriors LLC
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Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Severe Violators
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Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Washington Fines Roofing Companies
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The Columbian. Roofer DaBella Fined $135,000 for Alleged Safety Violations
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Justia. Lepire et al. v. DaBella Exteriors LLC et al.