The HR technology sector is witnessing a significant legal confrontation as Deel has officially consented to receive legal documents related to its lawsuit with competitor Rippling in Ireland. This development concludes a period of uncertainty that arose when Rippling’s process servers struggled to locate Deel’s executives for service, only to discover that Deel’s CEO and legal team were in Dubai.
Today, Deel confirmed that CEO Alex Bouaziz, along with lawyers Asif Malik and Andrea David Mieli, have agreed to accept service through their legal representatives in Ireland. Notably, Deel’s U.S. entity had already been served on April 16, as indicated by an affidavit submitted by Rippling in the Irish court.
A spokesperson for Deel stated, “Today in Dublin, Hayes Solicitors accepted service on behalf of all involved parties.” This agreement marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battle.
In the affidavit, Rippling reiterated its challenges in serving Bouaziz, Malik, and Mieli, detailing attempts made in France and Italy. For instance, French bailiffs were dispatched to serve Bouaziz at a Paris address on April 10, but they only encountered a relative who informed them that Bouaziz was currently in Dubai.
On April 15, reports surfaced indicating Bouaziz’s presence in Dubai, with Deel remaining silent on the matter at that time. However, ten days later, Deel clarified that Bouaziz resides in Israel and was only in Dubai temporarily for Passover celebrations.
When asked for clarification on Bouaziz’s current location, Deel declined to provide details, citing privacy concerns. The company has strongly rejected the notion that its executives were evading service, asserting that such claims were a misrepresentation and a tactic aimed at damaging their reputation.
Deel further explained that Malik’s relocation to Dubai had been planned for over a year, predating Rippling’s lawsuit. Regarding Andrea David Mieli, Deel stated that he works from home in Italy and was accessible for service.
The lawsuit revolves around Rippling’s allegations that Deel engaged in unethical practices by bribing one of its employees in Ireland, Keith O’Brien, to gather intelligence on its internal operations. O’Brien has corroborated these claims in a detailed affidavit.
After a period of relative silence, Deel has taken a more aggressive stance, filing a countersuit in the U.S. last week and making various allegations against Rippling, including claims that Rippling had its own insider within Deel.
In response, Rippling’s CEO Parker Conrad publicly stated that Deel has not disputed the core allegation that Bouaziz personally recruited an insider to steal trade secrets from Rippling.
Rippling has yet to respond to requests for further comments regarding the ongoing legal proceedings.