Auction house files $40M suit against Christie's, says poached expert on high-end handbags
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One elite auction house is suing another for hiring away members of its staff, including an expert on high-end French handbags.
Heritage Auctions sued Christie's International for $40 million on Friday.
Heritage is a Texas-based company that specializes in auctioning expensive accessories.
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The suit was filed in Manhattan Supreme Court. It charges that the more famous Christie's persuaded Hermes handbag expert Matthew Rubinger and two associates to break their contracts with Heritage.
A Christie's spokeswoman said the suit was "without merit."
The suit offers a peak at the rarefied world of Manhattan auction houses like Christie's and Sotheby's.
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Both auction houses have been begun branching out from just moving art and have had a new focus on luxury accessories.