Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit this week accusing Amazon of interference with contractual relations, breach of contract and unfair competition.
As reported by DeadlineThe trial The allegation is that Amazon is “trying to hastily fire many contracted employees”, including HBO Max marketing executive Pia Barlow, who recently joined Amazon at MGM Studios. Warner Bros. (which is pending acquisition by Paramount paused for at least a few months) said that Barlow’s employment contract “was not scheduled to expire until October 31, 2027.”
“In blatant disregard of settled California law, Amazon has taken wicked steps by attempting to induce plaintiffs’ employees with term employment agreements to violate those agreements with impunity, with assurances that Amazon will protect and indemnify them if they are held accountable for their grossly unlawful acts,” Warner Bros. said. Said.
The company also accused Amazon of “trying to induce another WBD employee to violate her term employment agreement, which was not scheduled to expire until December 2027,” although that executive (HBO programming executive Francesca Orsi) ultimately remained at Warner Bros.
Deadline notes that the lawsuit is likely to reignite the debate over whether term employment agreements are actually enforceable under California law.
Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment.
