- Deel alleges Rippling impersonated a customer for months to access and copy its products and business methods.
- The case is part of a broader legal battle, with both firms accusing each other of corporate espionage and unfair competition.
- Deel claims over $1B in annual revenue and says the dispute will set industry standards for competitive intelligence.
The ongoing legal clash between HR tech giants Deel and Rippling took another dramatic turn this week, as Deel filed an amended complaint alleging that Rippling engaged in corporate espionage by having an employee impersonate a Deel customer for six months.
According to Deel, the Rippling staffer, whose title is “Competitive Intelligence,” gained unauthorized access to Deel’s systems to analyze, record, and copy its global products and business methods for Rippling’s benefit.
This tit-for-tat comes after Rippling sued Deel in March, following a confession from a Rippling employee who admitted to spying for Deel and sharing sensitive information including sales leads and product roadmaps.
While Rippling’s lawsuit centers on alleged trade secret theft and unfair competition, Deel’s countersuit claims Rippling’s tactics crossed the line from competitive research to outright subterfuge.
The amended complaint also includes pointed criticisms of Rippling CEO Parker Conrad and alleges that Rippling has planted misleading claims about Deel in the press and with regulators.
Rippling, in response, says it is reviewing the new allegations and maintains its commitment to fair competition and ethical standards.
Deel, which reports over $1 billion in annual revenue and sustained profitability, says the legal fight is about more than industry rivalry—it’s about setting boundaries for competitive intelligence in the tech sector.
The courts will now decide whether Rippling’s conduct constitutes legitimate research or unlawful corporate spying.
Edited by Annette George
