Warner Bros. sues Amazon over alleged poaching of executives

Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit this week accusing Amazon of interference with contractual relations, breach of contract, and unfair competition, Deadline reported. The lawsuit alleges Amazon has been “hurriedly seeking to pirate away a number of contracted employees,” including Pia Barlow, an HBO Max marketing executive who recently joined Amazon MGM Studios; Warner Bros. said her contract was not set to expire until October 31, 2027.

In the filing, Warner Bros. accused Amazon of blatant disregard for California law, alleging the company induced employees under term agreements to breach them while assuring it would defend and indemnify them if held accountable for what Warner Bros. called unlawful conduct.

The suit also alleges Amazon sought to induce another Warner Bros. Discovery employee — believed to be HBO programming executive Francesca Orsi — to breach a term agreement not set to expire until December 2027, though that executive ultimately stayed at Warner Bros. Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment.

Deadline noted the case is likely to reignite debate over whether term employment agreements are actually enforceable under California law. The lawsuit lands as Warner Bros.’s pending acquisition by Paramount remains paused, for at least a few months.

Why it matters

A ruling on the enforceability of term contracts under California law could reshape how streaming and studio rivals recruit executive talent from one another, particularly as consolidation reshuffles Hollywood’s media landscape.