Revolut Drawn into Rippling-Deel Corporate Espionage Dispute
Revolut has been pulled into the ongoing legal battle between HR technology rivals Rippling and Deel, with Rippling seeking account information related to alleged payments to a corporate spy.
The request marks an escalation in a case that began with Rippling's lawsuit against Deel last month.
According to court documents, Rippling employee Keith O'Brien claimed in an affidavit that Deel paid him approximately US$6,000 monthly to spy on Rippling.
O'Brien alleged that the first payment was transferred to his Revolut account by Alba Basha Westgarth, wife of Deel's Chief Operating Officer Dan Westgarth, in November 2024.
At the time of the alleged payment, Alba Basha Westgarth worked as a cryptocurrency compliance specialist at Robinhood, the investment platform.
Robinhood has confirmed to TechCrunch that she departed the company earlier this year but provided no further details regarding her exit.
Dubai connections emerge
The investigation has revealed potential connections to Dubai, where key Deel executives are reportedly now based. According to a LinkedIn profile that has since been deleted, Alba Basha Westgarth listed Dubai as her location.
This coincides with the current location of Deel's Chief Executive Officer and legal director, whom Rippling is attempting to serve with legal papers.
The United Arab Emirates has limited extradition agreements with other nations, making it a jurisdiction where legal proceedings can be more complex to pursue.
Rippling has now filed legal action against Revolut, seeking to obtain the complete name and address of the "Alba Basha" identified as the sender on the US$6,000 transaction record.
The company is also requesting all account opening documentation, including identification documents and proof of address, to verify her identity.
Legal considerations
Revolut has engaged senior legal counsel in Ireland in response to the request. The company sent correspondence to Rippling last week, which a Rippling lawyer described in court as "helpful but complicated" without providing additional context.
It is important to note that no allegations of wrongdoing have been made against Revolut in this matter.
The European Union maintains strict data protection regulations, complicating the process of releasing personal account information, particularly in civil proceedings.
A primary legal consideration is the absence of a direct order from an Irish court compelling Revolut to disclose the requested information.
When approached for comment, Revolut declined to address the specific case but stated that, as a general policy, it will "always comply with any court order request for disclosure."
Whether Revolut provides additional information about the "Alba Basha" transaction remains uncertain.
Under European privacy legislation, the only alternative to a court order would be consent from the customer, which appears unlikely under the circumstances.
Deel, which previously denied all allegations to media outlets, did not respond to requests for comment on this development. Neither Dan Westgarth nor Alba Basha Westgarth replied to enquiries. Rippling declined to comment on the matter.
While definitive evidence has not yet been presented, the Irish High Court has indicated it may support Rippling's request to confirm Alba Basha's identity.
During an April 2 court hearing, after a Rippling lawyer presented evidence linking Alba Basha to Dan Westgarth, including a Facebook photograph showing them together, Judge Mark Sanfey remarked: “It could be a coincidence, but it's unlikely!”
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