Deel Accepts Legal Documents in Ongoing Court Battle with Rippling
HR technology company Deel has officially agreed to accept legal documents in its ongoing court dispute with competitor Rippling in Ireland. This decision comes after a period of uncertainty when Rippling’s bailiffs were unable to locate Deel’s executives for service, only for Deel’s CEO and top attorney to appear in Dubai.
Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz, along with Deel lawyers Asif Malik and Andrea David Mieli, have all agreed to accept service through Deel’s Irish law firm, as confirmed by Deel to TechCrunch. Rippling had already served Deel Inc., Deel’s U.S. entity, on April 16, according to an affidavit filed by Rippling in an Irish court.
Acceptance of Service in Dublin Court
“Today in court in Dublin, Hayes Solicitors agreed to accept service on behalf of all four parties,” a Deel spokesperson informed TechCrunch.
Rippling reiterated in their morning affidavit that they had been unsuccessful in serving Bouaziz, Malik, and Mieli, detailing their attempts in France and Italy. Despite hiring French bailiffs to serve Bouaziz in Paris on April 10, Rippling only encountered a relative who disclosed that Bouaziz was in Dubai.
Location Controversy
There was confusion surrounding Bouaziz’s whereabouts, with conflicting reports of him being in Dubai and Israel. Deel declined to provide further clarification on Bouaziz’s current location, citing privacy concerns.
Deel refuted claims that its executives were evading service, labeling it as a misrepresentation and a smear tactic by Rippling. They explained that Malik’s move to Dubai had been planned long before the lawsuit, and Mieli was available in Italy despite Rippling’s claims of being unable to serve him.
Lawsuit Details
The lawsuit revolves around Rippling’s allegations that Deel bribed one of its employees, Keith O’Brien, to spy on Rippling’s internal operations on behalf of Deel. O’Brien himself admitted to spying in a detailed affidavit.
Deel retaliated by filing a countersuit in the U.S. against Rippling, accusing them of cultivating an insider within Deel. This move follows weeks of silence from Deel, signaling their intent to fight back publicly.
Response from Rippling
Rippling CEO Parker Conrad took to X to assert that Deel has not disputed their main claim of Bouaziz recruiting a spy to steal Rippling’s trade secrets. Rippling did not provide a response when contacted for comment.
