[bbarthel]

If he is a good fit and would add value to your company, hire him. Presumably he would still have the necessary contacts at his original company to help you get in the door, and it sounds like he could probably introduce you to other decision-makers in the industry.

If you wait until after he has signed his current company up for a contract, you are going to create a perception problem, regardless of the reality of the situation. It simply looks like a setup to the majority of people who won't be privy to the entire context of the hire.