Power, Fraud & Espionage: Governance Battles in Silicon Valley

Boardroom Governance Newsletter #64 | May 13, 2025

Spy Games in Silicon Valley: Rippling vs Deel

“We’re all for healthy competition, but we won’t tolerate when a competitor breaks the law,” Vanessa Wu, Rippling’s general counsel, said in a statement. “The scale of this corporate espionage is breathtaking – permeating their sales, marketing, recruiting and even communications operations.”

A Deel spokeswoman said in a statement, “Weeks after Rippling is accused of violating sanctions law in Russia and seeding falsehoods about Deel, Rippling is trying to shift the narrative with these sensationalized claims. We deny all legal wrongdoing and look forward to asserting our counterclaims.”

The dispute between Rippling vs Deel, two venture-backed HR software service providers valued at $16.8 billion and $12.6 billion, respectively, has escalated into a complex legal battle involving allegations of corporate espionage, the involvement of major VC firms, and personal animosities. Deel is accused by Rippling of hiring a spy to steal confidential bu…