The owners of the San Diego Wave have filed a lawsuit against former team president Jill Ellis for allegedly misleading them by promising to remain with the Wave after the sale of the team, only to resign two days after the deal was completed.
Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine, the Wave's owners and a billionaire couple that owns the private equity firm Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, are suing Ellis through a related holding company. They are seeking unspecified damages from Ellis at a trial by jury for alleged misrepresentation, concealment and false promises.
A lawyer representing Ellis told ESPN that the lawsuit is "meritless" and said it was filed in retaliation for Ellis asking for her deferred compensation to be paid. Ellis is a two-time World Cup-winning coach for the United States women's national team, and she was the first team president for the Wave, a 2022 NWSL expansion team.
- San Diego Wave, NWSL sued by five former employees
- Wave's Jill Ellis files defamation suit against ex-employee
Leichtman and Levine purchased the Wave outright from former owner Ron Burkle in 2024 in a two-part sale that valued the team between $113 million and $120 million, which was briefly a record valuation for an NWSL team.
Leichtman and Levine said in the lawsuit that "Ellis was a material reason that [they were] purchasing the club," and that they "would rely on Ellis' assurances that she would guide the team for many years to come."
With Ellis as president, the Wave became the first NWSL team to make the playoffs in its expansion season (2022) and won the NWSL Shield the following year.
The lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court in San Diego on Monday.
According to the lawsuit, Ellis informed the plaintiffs of her resignation from her role as San Diego Wave FC president two days after the completion of the team's sale in October 2024. Ellis left to take the role of FIFA's chief football officer, which FIFA announced in December 2024.
The plaintiffs alleged that "Ellis had no intention of continuing any involvement with Wave FC upon commencing her negotiations to join FIFA," therefore making her promises around the team's sale false representation. The lawsuit does not specify whether those promises were written or in a contract.
The plaintiffs allege that Ellis "focusing on her negotiations" with FIFA led to the team's poor 2024 season on the field -- a 10th-place finish under three different head coaches -- and cost the team revenue in 2025. The lawsuit says the lost revenue "equates to at least $40,000,000 in enterprise value," although the specific damages sought are not specified.
Leichtman and Levine, through their company, are seeking a jury trial to determine the damage.
Other unnamed and yet unidentified defendants are mentioned in the lawsuit as having participated in the alleged false promises that the plaintiffs say aided to "entice and induce Plaintiff into following through with the purchase."
Leichtman and Levine befriended Ellis when she was the head coach of UCLA's women's soccer team, which she led to an NCAA championship in 2013. Leichtman and Levine are frequent donors to UCLA women's athletics and, according to the lawsuit, provided financial support to the women's soccer team. They flew with Ellis to the 2013 College Cup, per the lawsuit.
According to a letter from Ellis' attorneys sent to the Wave's owners and obtained by ESPN, Ellis signed a five-year contract in December 2021 that paid her $1 million in her first year with escalators to follow. The agreement also included $250,000 annual deferred payments to be paid upon her departure from the club.
Ellis has claimed she is owed over $1.23 million in total deferred payments and penalties.
"This meritless lawsuit is retaliation against Jill Ellis for asking the current owners of San Diego Wave FC to pay the deferred compensation she is owed under her employment agreement and California wage laws," Douglas Silverstein, an attorney for Ellis, told ESPN. "Ms. Ellis attempted in good faith to work out these financial matters directly with the owners, but she was rebuffed. Ms. Ellis was then forced to retain counsel, who last week requested in writing that she be paid. This lawsuit is a direct result of that written demand."
Attorneys for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request from ESPN for further comment.
A San Diego Wave spokesperson provided the following statement to ESPN:
"This is a legal matter between the Levine Leichtman Family Office and Jill Ellis. San Diego Wave FC is not a party to this lawsuit. Our focus as a club remains on our players, our fans, and the community as we continue building an exciting future for women's soccer in San Diego."
Monday's lawsuit is at least the third piece of litigation surrounding the Wave and Ellis' tenure.
Last year, Ellis filed a defamation lawsuit against former team employee Brittany Alvarado after Alvarado posted a message to her social media channels alleging a toxic work environment at the Wave and alleging Ellis "foster[ed] an environment where abusive behaviors among her subordinates are allowed to flourish."
Later in 2024, Alvarado joined four other employees in suing the Wave and the NWSL, alleging multiple forms of discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. A sixth plaintiff -- and second Jane Doe alleging she was sexually harassed while at the club -- joined the lawsuit in early 2025. Ellis was not named in that lawsuit. In a July filing, the NWSL argued it had "no duty of care" to the six women suing the club and league.