Warner Bros. Discovery sues Amazon for poaching executive 16 months early

Warner Bros. Discovery accused Amazon of running a "lawless employee shopping spree" in a lawsuit over the hiring of a top HBO Max marketing executive whose contract ran through October 2027.

Warner Bros. Discovery sued Amazon on July 21, alleging the tech giant induced former HBO Max marketing executive Pia Barlow to breach her employment contract by accepting a richer offer and leaving 16 months before its Oct. 31, 2027 expiration.

"There is perhaps no better example of Amazon's lawless employee shopping spree than WarnerMedia Services employee Pia Barlow," Warner Bros. Discovery said in the complaint, adding that Amazon "brazenly and deliberately induced Barlow to breach the employment agreement."

Barlow informed Warner Bros. Discovery of her intention to leave on May 26 and submitted her formal resignation on June 5. Amazon MGM Studios announced her hiring July 21 in a newly created role as head of original series marketing, with a start date of Aug. 3. The lawsuit also alleges Amazon tried and failed to poach another WBD executive whose contract ran through December 2027, and is currently attempting to lure at least one more.

The case reignites a contentious legal debate over the enforceability of term employment agreements under California law, as tech companies increasingly raid traditional media firms for talent. Netflix lost a similar five-year battle with 20th Century Fox in 2021, and Disney recently settled a poaching lawsuit against YouTube over the hiring of former ESPN executive Justin Connolly.

The complaint seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court order barring Amazon from further inducing WBD employees to break their contracts. Warner Bros. Discovery also accused Amazon of promising to cover Barlow's legal costs, selecting for her "one of its own, hand-picked outside law firms."

Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles, Central District, argues that Amazon's conduct violates established California law. "In blatant disregard of established California law, Amazon has gone rogue by attempting to induce Plaintiffs' employees with term employment agreements to breach those agreements with impunity," the complaint states.

Warner Bros. Discovery said it sent Amazon a written warning after learning of Barlow's intent to leave, notifying the company of the existence and terms of her employment agreement. Despite this, Amazon proceeded with the hire, the lawsuit alleges.

The dispute highlights the growing tension between Hollywood's traditional contract-based employment model and Silicon Valley's more fluid approach to talent acquisition. Amazon has been aggressively building its entertainment division, hiring executives from established studios rather than developing its own workforce from scratch, according to the lawsuit.

"Amazon has chosen to ride on the coattails of other well-established Hollywood mainstays such as Plaintiffs," the complaint said, alleging the company "openly embarked upon an unlawful course" to "pirate away a number of contracted employees."

The lawsuit names four causes of action: intentional interference with contractual relations, inducing breach of contract, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, and unfair competition. Warner Bros. Discovery said the alleged poaching "conveyed a troublesome message throughout Plaintiffs' executive ranks that contractual commitments may be disregarded, including whenever a larger paycheck appears."

If the court grants the requested injunction, it would restrict Amazon's ability to hire contracted employees from Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially slowing the tech giant's expansion in original content production. A hearing date has not yet been set.

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