It means Eccleshare will be able to take over as BBDO's European chairman at the end of January next year, rather than the following May, as Y&R's WPP owner had originally insisted.
A hearing to test the validity of Y&R's insistence that Eccleshare, who resigned in May, work out his year's contract had been due to last five days.
Up to seven witnesses, including Eccleshare's erstwhile boss, Ann Fudge, the chairman of Y&R Brands and Y&R Advertising, and Eccleshare's successor, Massimo Costa, had been due to give evidence. However, the confrontation was cut short when lawyers acting for Y&R asked Mr Justice Davis for a delay, intimating the court action might not be necessary. Two hours later, the judge heard an agreement had been reached.
Eccleshare's lawyers had been expected to question whether, after up to six months, he could have possessed any competitive data which could have been damaging to Y&R's business.
They would also have argued such a long period out of the industry would have damaged his ability to function as a senior executive and prevented him keeping up to date with necessary knowledge.
However, WPP has a reputation for ensuring its senior managers honour their contracts. In 2001, Brian Brooks, then the group's head of personnel, had to see out a year's "gardening leave" before he could join Interpublic as the head of human resources.
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