French entrepreneur Alex Bouaziz, the chief executive of Deel, is now at the epicenter of a short seller-driven legal fight. Bailiffs employed by his old competitor Rippling are attempting to serve him with documents from the lawsuit. The lawsuit paints Deel as a bad actor. In particular, it alleges that Deel paid an employee to spy on Rippling, and this very serious allegation is supported by an affidavit from the accused spy.
True to his deep connections to France, Bouaziz’s incredibly mobile lifestyle makes it often difficult to track him down. On LinkedIn he’s based in Tel Aviv, and on X (formerly Twitter), he’s based in New York. He remains madly in love with his homeland, France. That link has created it to be especially difficult, for the bailiffs ordered with providing the legal papers.
Yet every time Rippling has tried to serve Bouaziz at the address for him in Paris, it has gotten returned. Defendants bailiffs have searched the aforementioned area but have still been unable to locate him. Rippling will have to figure out other stuff to win him. They may even be able to use something like email notifications in lieu of more formal methods of legal requirements.
The suit against Bouaziz and Deel goes even further, alleging extensive corporate espionage. Collectively these claims have the potential to greatly affect charters and traditional districts alike. Rippling’s affidavit goes on to make even bolder claims. It claims that Deel’s employee was paid for gathering such sensitive information, thereby honing the focus of the ensuing legal battle.
Bouaziz has so far not replied, despite repeated requests for comment. His absence from the legal proceedings further complicates matters, as the case proceeds without his guidance.
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