Latest news with #KeithO'Brien
Fashion Value Chain
30-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Value Chain
RE&UP Sparks Textile Recycling Dialogue in London
Textile circularity took centre stage at this year's Future Fabrics Expo, where RE&UP hosted an exclusive breakfast session titled 'Yesterday's garments, today's raw materials – what's holding us back?' The event convened more than 50 industry professionals – including innovators, retailers, brands, and media – to tackle the pressing issue of scaling textile-to-textile recycling. Moderated by Keith O'Brien, Senior PR & Marketing Manager at RE&UP, the panel featured two leading voices in sustainability: Nienke Steen of Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Priyanka Khanna of Fashion for Good. The discussion shed light on both the technical and systemic barriers slowing the progress of circular textile systems. Key themes explored included: The infrastructural and financial challenges in building scalable recycling systems The critical need for certification frameworks and standardized protocols Proven collaborative models that are breaking through bottlenecks and fostering innovation The session reflected RE&UP's broader mission: to facilitate transparent, action-driven conversations that bridge ambition with practical implementation in textile circularity. Andreas Dorner, General Manager of RE&UP, emphasized the urgency and opportunity: 'Yesterday's garments are already today's raw materials. While challenges remain, we're operating at scale—and with the right partners, we'll continue to do better.'
Irish Independent
25-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
HR software giant Deel admits it instructed ‘discreet' surveillance be carried out on Irish payroll manager
One of the companies in the international HR firms' "spy" dispute instructed that "discreet" surveillance be carried out on the Irish payroll compliance manager at the centre of High Court proceedings over the affair, a judge was told on Wednesday. US headquartered Deel Inc, which allegedly recruited Dublin man Keith O'Brien to pass on trade secrets to it from his employer Rippling, also headquartered in the US, did not instruct that there be covert or intimidatory surveillance on Mr O'Brien, Mr Justice Brian Cregan was told.
Irish Times
25-06-2025
- Irish Times
US HR firm Deel admits it instructed ‘discreet' surveillance on manager at centre of ‘spy' case
One of the companies in the international human resources (HR) firms' 'spy' dispute instructed that 'discreet' surveillance be carried out on the Irish payroll compliance manager at the centre of High Court proceedings over the affair, a judge was told on Wednesday. US headquartered Deel Inc, which allegedly recruited Dublin man Keith O'Brien to pass on trade secrets to it from his employer Rippling, also headquartered in the US, did not instruct that there be covert or intimidatory surveillance on Mr O'Brien, Mr Justice Brian Cregan was told. Last Friday, Mr O'Brien, of Balrothery in north Dublin, was granted a one side only represented injunction preventing 'persons unknown', who were seen driving two different cars in the vicinity of Mr O'Brien's home and workplace, from harassing or intimidating him by following, photographing and recording him or members of his family. They were also restrained from attending within one kilometre of those places. READ MORE The case was against persons unknown because his lawyers did not at that stage know the identities of the owners/drivers of the vehicles. The court was also told by Imogen McGrath SC, for Mr O'Brien, that it was believed the people involved were working for Deel and the conduct was designed to intimidate him because he had agreed to co-operate with Rippling in a separate case it is bringing over the spy affair against Deel and Mr O'Brien. The court heard however that, in response to requests to desist, Deel's solicitors Hayes LLP had written to say their client had 'no knowledge' of surveillance by any persons in the vehicles identified. On Wednesday, when the case returned to the High Court, Ms McGrath said there had been dramatic developments over the previous 24 hours. The identities associated with the two cars had been provided and the owner/driver of one car allegedly seen in one incident, a couple who attended court, were not involved in any surveillance and the case against them was being discontinued, counsel said. The driver of the second vehicle which was involved in five other alleged incidents of following and surveilling had also come forward. John O'Regan BL, for the second driver, asked the judge that his client's name be anonymised until he is able to make a formal application in this respect. Counsel said the application will be in accordance with case precedent or statute law because his client has significant health issues and operates 'in the sphere of surveillance' and revealing his identity could put his safety at risk and damage his business. Counsel also asked the case be put back as his client, while refuting Mr O'Brien's claims, wanted to come to a practical agreement in relation to the court orders. Mr Justice Cregan said he was prepared to hear the application for anonymisation of the defendant but was reluctant to make an order in relation to that at this stage. The court heard that while Deel was not a defendant in Mr O'Brien's action, which includes a claim for damages, the judge had directed that their lawyers attend court on Wednesday to say why they should or should not be a party. Paul Gardiner SC, for Deel, told the judge his client had instructed that 'discreet surveillance' be carried out on Mr O'Brien but there was no question that it should be covert and used to intimidate or harass him. 'My client (Deel) engaged with Person B (to carry out surveillance) and unknown to us they engaged Person A and Deel was not involved in instructing anyone to carry out intimidation and we refute that', he said. The judge said given Deel's solicitors' response to requests to desist from Mr O'Brien's lawyers of having 'no knowledge' of those involved in following him, it 'could be interpreted as being economical with the verité (truth)'. Mr Gardiner replied his side only ascertained the actual position over the weekend. He also said his client was agreeable to not surveilling Mr O'Brien any further and if he (O'Brien) wished that Deel should be a defendant he should serve papers to that effect. Ms McGrath, for Mr O'Brien, said they would have to consider that as they would need to see what instructions, including text messages, Deel gave to Person B to carry out the surveillance. The judge continued the injunctions and adjourned the matter for a week.
Irish Independent
20-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Man at centre of HR firm ‘spying' row gets injunction against agents allegedly following him
Today at 13:31 The man at the centre of the "spying" row between two HR giants has been granted a High Court order restraining suspected hired agents from following and harassing him and members of his family. Keith O'Brien was formerly a payroll manager with Rippling, a US-headquartered multibillion-dollar HR software provider, until it was discovered he was passing the company's trade secrets to rival Deel Inc which is also a US-headquartered multibillion-dollar firm.
Irish Independent
03-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New spying claims bring fresh twist to Rippling-Deel corporate espionage dispute
Deel has now claimed Rippling had its own 'spy' who 'infiltrated Deel's customer platform by fraudulent means and pilfered the company's most valuable proprietary assets' A legal dispute between warring HR software giants, centring on claims one used an Irish 'spy' to steal trade secrets from the other, has taken a fresh twist. San Franciso-based Rippling issued High Court proceedings in Dublin in March claiming one of its executives, Keith O'Brien, was induced by rival firm Deel Inc to pass on sensitive company information.
