Sullivan & Cromwell Introduce A New AI Law Division

With the purpose of offering clients comprehensive legal advice on the intricate legal repercussions of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI technologies, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP recently launched its Artificial Intelligence Practice branch. A group of seasoned lawyers, including Nader Mousavi, Mehdi Ansari, and Presley Warner, who each bring their own backgrounds and areas of experience to the table, have been recruited by the firm to co-head this new practice area.

“Our lawyers have been advising clients on AI-related legal issues for years, but the rapid development, adoption and commercialization of generative AI has expanded the need for advice from clients across all industries, and our practice has grown with it,” remarked Sullivan & Cromwell Co-Chairs Robert J. Giuffra Jr. and Scott Miller.

“Building on our technology and corporate transactional expertise, formalizing our AI practice enables us to better support clients looking for counsel in this area,” they added.

Nader Mousavi, one of the Co-Heads of the Artificial Intelligence Practice, emphasized the significance of responsible AI integration, stating, “AI presents tremendous opportunities for companies, but also significant uncertainty around how to responsibly integrate this powerful technology.”

“Our integrated global approach and the cross-practice collaboration that we bring to every matter, coupled with our deep understanding of the various technology, legal, policy and ethical considerations, allows S&C to provide clients with practical advice for navigating this high-stakes environment,” Mousavi continued.

The recently established artificial intelligence practice has already made significant contributions. For example, it advised OpenAI on its multibillion dollar collaboration with Microsoft and supported Character.ai, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed conversational AI platform, on its computing relationship with Google Cloud.

Mehdi Ansari, another Co-Head of the practice, shared his insights, saying, “Our integrated global approach and the cross-practice collaboration that we bring to every matter, coupled with our deep understanding of the various technology, legal, policy and ethical considerations, allows S&C to provide clients with practical advice for navigating this high-stakes environment.”

Presley Warner, the London-based Head of S&C’s European Credit and Leveraged Finance Practice, emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the AI practice, stating, “S&C has unrivalled experience advising on ‘first-of-kind’ and ‘bet-the-company’ deals across all industries, and AI is no exception.”

In addition to the AI Practice, the firm’s AI Task Force makes sure that Sullivan & Cromwell stays at the forefront of using AI technologies, such AIDA (AI Discovery Assistant), to improve legal services. Developed in partnership with LAER AI, AIDA streamlines the laborious document review process, freeing up lawyers to concentrate on higher-value work.

In addition to Cybersecurity, Financial Services, Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation, Intellectual Property & Technology Transactions, Labour & Employment, National Security, Mergers & Acquisitions, Privacy, Products Liability & Mass Torts, Project Development & Finance, and Technology, Media & Telecommunications practices, Sullivan & Cromwell’s AI Practice leverages the knowledge of these practice groups.

The new division has been announced as the firm has been doing quite a lot of work with AI. According to “Making Sure the World Knows We Are Doing It’: Sullivan & Cromwell Formalizes AI Practice” Nader mentions that in order to continue advising their customers who are at the vanguard of AI in their most important deals and choices, they have dedicated interdisciplinary teams that follow legal, market, and policy changes as they happen. Currently, they are at the forefront of AI advances.

The firm has also invested in AI projects like LAER AI, a venture by Cornell and Carnegie Mellon post-doctoral researchers. Sullivan & Cromwell has been working on AI-related matters since 2015, thus they have a fair amount of experience in the area. The company has actively encouraged its lawyers to use the technology and has invested in a proprietary AI solution. But until today, those efforts were the result of attorneys from different practice areas getting together informally to work through problems.