Warner Bros. Discovery sues Amazon over hires

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit accusing Amazon (AMZN) of unlawfully courting and hiring executives who were still bound by term employment agreements. The complaint asserts claims of intentional interference with contractual relations, breach of contract and unfair competition related to Amazon (AMZN)’s recruitment efforts.

According to the filing, Warner Bros. Discovery argues that Amazon acted improperly by targeting employees whose contracts had not yet expired. The company contends that these actions undermined its contractual arrangements and business operations, prompting it to seek legal remedies.

The lawsuit singles out HBO Max marketing executive Pia Barlow as a central example of the alleged misconduct. Warner Bros. Discovery states that Amazon MGM Studios hired Barlow and induced her to abandon a term employment agreement that was not set to expire until October 31, 2027.

The filing says this move occurred more than 16 months before the contract’s scheduled expiration. Warner Bros. Discovery characterizes this as a breach of Barlow’s term agreement and a result of Amazon’s intentional interference with that contract.

In addition to contract-related claims, the complaint places Barlow’s departure within a broader pattern it attributes to Amazon’s entertainment operations. Warner Bros. Discovery alleges that recruiting executives in this manner constitutes unfair competition under applicable law.

Beyond the Barlow example, the suit describes a wider practice in which Amazon is alleged to have “hurriedly” sought to “pirate away” employees from established Hollywood companies. Warner Bros. Discovery asserts that this approach reflects a strategy of recruiting experienced staff instead of building an entertainment workforce organically.

The complaint also alleges that Amazon attempted to induce another Warner Bros. Discovery executive, whose term agreement was due to expire in December 2027, to breach that contract. The filing states that this attempt was unsuccessful, but it is cited as further evidence of the alleged pattern of conduct.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s legal action seeks to address what it describes as repeated interference with long-term employment agreements. Through the suit, the company is pursuing remedies tied to the alleged inducements and any resulting contract breaches, as it challenges Amazon’s hiring practices for senior entertainment executives.