Rippling, a $13 billion HR tech company, has filed a lawsuit against its competitor Deel, valued at $12 billion, accusing it of corporate espionage. The lawsuit alleges that Deel orchestrated a months-long infiltration campaign by planting an employee, identified as 'D.S.', to access over 6,000 private Slack messages and sensitive business information. Rippling claims it discovered the infiltration through a honeypot Slack channel filled with fake sensitive information. The employee reportedly hid in a bathroom at Rippling's Dublin office when confronted and later attempted to destroy his phone, which was ordered to be handed over as evidence. Alex Spiro, legal counsel for Rippling, stated, 'The evidence in this case is undeniable.' Rippling alleges that Deel's leadership was involved in the scheme and targeted its customers to lure them away. Deel denies the allegations, accuses Rippling of attempting to shift focus from its own alleged violations of sanctions law in Russia, and plans to file counterclaims.