Full coverage: Rippling

The US-based HR company told the court that, thanks to O'Brien's cooperation, it had information on a payment he received and would seek a court order to compel an undisclosed financial services company to provide details of the sender.

Keith O'Brien has been accused of leaking Rippling’s “trade secrets and proprietary and confidential information” to rival US HR company Deel. He has said he will cooperate with the company, the court was told.

Hearing the case in the commercial court, Mr Justice Sanfey told Keith O'Brien, the payroll manager accused of leaking trade secrets to Rippling's rival, Deel, that he was in “a very serious situation”.

In an affidavit opened in the High Court in Dublin, Rippling has alleged that Keith O'Brien disclosed "trade secrets" to rival HR firm Deel.