Alleged 'spy' now co-operating in information recovery, HR firm tells court

Last week, Mr O’Brien came before the judge and said he destroyed a mobile phone sought by Rippling the previous week after interim court orders were granted requiring him to hand over his devices

A US HR firm Rippling has claimed that Keith O’Brien was placed in their company by rival firm Deel in order to unlawfully obtain its trade secrets. File picture

An Irish payroll manager who is alleged to have passed trade secrets of his US-headquartered human resources company to a rival firm is co-operating with efforts to recover information sought as part of an investigation, the Commercial Court has heard.

Last week, Keith O'Brien told the court he had destroyed a phone a judge had ordered him to preserve.