Rippling alleges ‘spy’ was paid in Deel espionage case
Court documents reveal financial transactions linked to former payroll manager accused of leaking trade secrets.
The high-stakes legal battle between HR technology giants Rippling and Deel escalated on Monday, as new evidence presented in Dublin’s High Court revealed that at least one payment had been made to Keith O’Brien, the payroll manager accused of corporate espionage. Rippling, which alleges that O’Brien acted as a spy for Deel, presented evidence of a financial transaction that it claims is linked to the alleged theft of trade secrets. The revelation adds a new layer of intrigue to the case, which has already seen accusations of destruction of evidence, high-level corporate maneuvering, and international legal ramifications.
According to Ireland’s Business Post, during Monday’s hearing, Rippling’s legal team, led by senior counsel Marcus Dowling, sought access to details regarding the payment to O’Brien, arguing that it was critical to uncovering the full extent of the alleged espionage scheme. The court also heard that an application would be brought later this week to add a co-defendant to the case, though details on the identity were not disclosed.
O’Brien, who has been at the center of this high-profile dispute, is now cooperating fully with Rippling, a significant shift from his previous stance. The former payroll manager had previously admitted in court to destroying his mobile phone after a preservation order had been issued, citing extreme stress and duress as reasons for his actions.
Rippling, valued at over $13.5 billion, claims that Deel, a $12 billion competitor, orchestrated a corporate espionage operation by embedding O’Brien in its Dublin office. The lawsuit alleges that O’Brien leaked sensitive trade secrets to Deel in what Rippling has described as a “brazen act of corporate theft.” Deel has categorically denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the accusations as sensationalized and unfounded.
The case, initially filed in the United States, has since expanded across multiple jurisdictions, underscoring the significant stakes involved.
Michael Coonan, a McCann FitzGerald partner who was appointed as the supervising solicitor for the case, will oversee O’Brien’s cooperation as efforts intensify to retrieve relevant data. Meanwhile, the court has extended an existing order preventing O’Brien from deleting or altering any remaining materials related to the case.
