Update on Rippling-Supported Litigation: Court Dismisses Fraud and RICO Claims Against Deel

AUGUST 30, 2025 UPDATE: Keith O’Brien, publicly reported as Rippling’s paid witness, has discontinued his separate Irish damages lawsuit, as reported here. This comes just days after the U.S. federal court dismissed and closed a civil RICO claim against Deel, where the plaintiff’s lawyer Thomas Grady was an early investor in Rippling, as reported below.

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August 20: At Deel, we believe in trust and transparency in how we conduct business, which is why we’re pleased to share an important update on the Rippling-aligned litigation brought against us. Today, a federal court in Florida dismissed fraud-based claims against Deel, including baseless allegations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

As expected, the court brushed aside this frivolous lawsuit – that was always supported from the beginning by Rippling’s fixers – reinforcing what we’ve said all along: Deel operates with integrity and full compliance with the law.

Why This Matters

Legal disputes are not unusual for global companies winning in the marketplace. What matters is how the law evaluates those claims, and here the court’s ruling is crystal clear:

• “The Court agrees that Plaintiff does not have standing and fails to identify a distinct RICO enterprise.” (page 4)
• “Plaintiff’s alleged harm is not a cognizable injury…. Plaintiff relies on vague and conclusory allegations[.]” (page 5)
• “Plaintiff’s allegations confirm that the purported [RICO] enterprise is nothing more than Deel and its affiliates acting within a unified and legitimate corporate structure. These allegations are fatal to Plaintiff's RICO claim because they describe a unified corporate structure, not a distinct RICO enterprise.” (page 7)

The judge’s order can be found here (PDF) and Deel’s motion to dismiss can be found here (PDF).

These meritless claims, first made in January 2025, served as an early fishing-expedition for Rippling’s equally unfounded lawsuit later in the year. The counsel for the plaintiff in this lawsuit is a Rippling investor and architect of its early business. We made note of this connection at the time, in our motion to dismiss and highlighted several examples of Rippling’s smear-campaign playbook in our Delaware lawsuit.

Our Focus Remains the Same

Deel’s work continues to establish us as the most trusted global HR and payroll platform. That success requires not only world-class products, but also a steadfast commitment to compliance and integrity.

We appreciate that the courts are carefully evaluating and rejecting unjustified attacks on Deel. We maintain our focus on vigorously defending against all pending litigation and are confident in our position. Deel remains committed to serving our customers and we’re grateful for their trust and partnership, even amongst this unnecessary noise.