Deel Countersues Rippling in Escalating Legal Battle
The legal battle between HR tech rivals Deel and Rippling intensifies. Deel has filed a countersuit against Rippling, alleging unfair competition and espionage.
Rippling initially sued Deel in March, accusing the company of corporate espionage and trade secret theft. The lawsuit included an affidavit from an alleged spy, which Deel denied.
Deel's countersuit, filed in Delaware Superior Court, paints an unflattering picture of Rippling CEO Parker Conrad. The complaint describes Conrad as being driven by jealousy and unable to compete fairly with Deel.
Nowhere does Deel dispute our central allegation — that @Bouazizalex personally recruited a spy to steal rippling’s trade secrets, and personally directed the theft.
— Parker Conrad via X (formerly Twitter)
Deel's Motions and Counter-Accusations
Deel filed three motions addressing Rippling's March lawsuit:
- A motion to dismiss based on forum non conveniens, arguing the case should be heard in Ireland.
- A motion to dismiss for failure to state a viable claim.
- An anti-SLAPP motion to protect Deel's conduct.
Deel also accuses Rippling of soliciting Deel employees for confidential information and placing an insider at Deel to eavesdrop on internal communications.
Serving Deel's CEO
Rippling has attempted to serve Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz with legal papers. Initial attempts in France were unsuccessful. Bouaziz was reportedly in Dubai with his family for Passover.
This is a developing story.
