Rippling v. O'Brien: the Irish High Court proceedings

analysisIn the Irish High Court's Commercial, Intellectual Property and Technology list, People Center, Inc. (Rippling) and Rippling Ireland Ltd are plaintiffs against Keith O'Brien under record number 2025/1289P. O'Brien says he worked at Rippling from July 2023 in global payroll and compliance; his affidavit in the action was sworn on 1 April 2025 and filed by Rippling's solicitors, Matheson. It refers to correspondence from Deel's Irish solicitors, A&L Goodbody, to Matheson. ¹

analysisAccording to Rippling's amended complaint as the California court summarised it, Rippling obtained emergency relief in Ireland to preserve evidence. When agents arrived to serve the order on 14 March 2025, O'Brien hid, fled and destroyed his phone; on 27 March, it says, he met a court-appointed independent solicitor, handed over his devices and swore an affidavit about Deel's alleged scheme. O'Brien's own affidavit dates that meeting to 26 March 2025, and Deel disputes the account of the scheme. A technology news outlet reported in April 2025 that Justice Mark Sanfey decided not to penalise O'Brien despite his admission that he destroyed his phone with an axe and threw it into a drain, citing his cooperation and the threats he had received, while calling the breach "blatant"; the ruling itself is not retained. ^{2 3 1}

analysisO'Brien says that after the order was served he was contacted on Telegram by "David", whom he identifies by voice as Andrea David Mieli, described on LinkedIn as Deel's Global Senior Director of Legal, and that Asif Malik, one of Deel's senior in-house lawyers, joined a three-way chat. He says Malik told him he was speaking in a "personal capacity" and that Rippling "have nothing", and that the two suggested flying O'Brien and his family to Dubai that night. This is sworn testimony by a party witness, untested at trial; Deel denies the allegations and calls O'Brien Rippling's paid witness. ¹

analysisRippling's amended complaint describes Mieli as a lawyer at Deel since February 2021, apparently its first legal counsel, who publicly lists himself as an independent contractor for Deel, and Malik as a Deel attorney employed since July 2024 as Legal Director – Fintech, Regulatory and Licensing, who was appointed UK director of Deel's newly acquired payment subsidiary in February 2025. These are descriptions by Deel's litigation opponent. Companies House records Malik as a director of DEEL PAYMENTS UK LTD since 10 February 2025 and, from 30 May 2023 to 28 March 2024, as a director of RIPPLING PAYMENTS UK LIMITED; his record lists four appointments, including Palisade Advisory Limited since 5 March 2025. ^{2 3 4}

analysisO'Brien's affidavit also traces how he came into contact with Deel: he says he interviewed for a senior payroll-compliance role at Deel around March 2024, started the payroll consultancy Global Payroll Geeks in August or September 2024 while still at Rippling, and was referred by Alex Bouaziz to Dan Westgarth to discuss the company becoming a Deel service provider. His account of the payments that followed is set out on the page on the payments to O'Brien. ¹

analysisA technology news outlet reported in April 2025 that Justice Sanfey had approved Rippling's motion to add Alex Bouaziz, Malik and Mieli as parties to the Irish case. O'Brien accuses Malik and Mieli of instructing him to make false claims to authorities, including fabricated allegations of Russian-sanctioned payments by Rippling. According to the same report, Deel denied the allegations and had not yet responded in court. The report concerns a procedural ruling, and O'Brien's accusations are untested. ¹

analysisIn June 2025 O'Brien obtained an injunction restraining persons unknown, seen driving two cars near his home and workplace, from following, photographing or recording him or his family; his counsel said it was believed they were working for Deel to intimidate him for cooperating with Rippling. At a later hearing Deel's counsel, Paul Gardiner SC, told Mr Justice Brian Cregan that Deel had instructed "discreet surveillance" of O'Brien through a "Person B", who without Deel's knowledge engaged a "Person A", and said Deel had not instructed covert or intimidatory surveillance or anyone to intimidate him. Deel's solicitors, Hayes LLP, had earlier written that their client had "no knowledge" of the surveillance, which the judge said could be interpreted as being economical with the truth. ¹

analysisO'Brien's counsel then said a couple first linked to one car had not been involved and the case against them was being discontinued; the driver of the second car came forward and, while refuting O'Brien's claims, sought a practical agreement on the orders. Deel agreed not to surveil O'Brien further, and the judge continued the injunctions and adjourned the matter. These are statements and remarks at hearings as reported in the press; no finding was made on intimidation. ¹

analysisThe Irish crime-news site Crime World reported in December 2025 that O'Brien, whom it called a self-confessed spy, was the subject of a corruption and money-laundering investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and that his home had been searched. The retained excerpt mentions no charge, and the rest of the article is behind a paywall. ¹