Deel files countersuit against Rippling as rivalry escalates

In the latest development of an increasingly public dispute between HR and payroll services rivals, Deel has filed a countersuit against Rippling. To recap: Rippling publicly announced on March 17 that it was suing Deel over alleged corporate espionage, with accusations ranging from violation of the RICO racketeering act (typically used to prosecute organized crime) to misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition. Deel is now slamming that lawsuit as part of a “campaign to try to impugn Deel’s reputation.” That original lawsuit included an affidavit from the alleged spy that reads like a movie script. Deel had previously denied all wrongdoing. Now the startup is taking things a step further. In a blog post Friday, Deel announced it has filed a civil suit against Rippling in the Superior Court in Delaware. Deel’s complaint, dated April 24 and reviewed by TechCrunch, paints an unflattering picture of Rippling CEO Parker Conrad, describing the executive as “haunted by his ... Read full article.