Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has announced the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Practice to provide comprehensive legal guidance on the rapidly evolving landscape of AI.
Meeting the Growing Need
According to firm Co-Chairs Robert J. Giuffra Jr. and Scott Miller, “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.” They emphasized that the new AI division leverages the firm’s extensive technological and corporate expertise to better serve clients navigating AI.
A Holistic, Global Approach
Sullivan & Cromwell’s globally integrated team boasts deep knowledge of AI and the legal, policy, and ethical challenges it presents. Their expertise covers a broad spectrum of AI adoption, deployment, and commercialization issues, guiding clients like OpenAI through its multi-billion dollar Microsoft partnership and Character.ai through its Google Cloud partnership.
The AI Practice Co-Head, Nader Mousavi, explained, “AI presents tremendous opportunities for companies, but also significant uncertainty around how to responsibly integrate this powerful technology.” Mousavi pointed out that the firm’s global collaboration, coupled with an intricate understanding of technology and law, allows them to deliver practical advice for high-stakes environments.
The Leadership Team
The practice is led by an expert team:
- Nader Mousavi (Palo Alto/New York): Co-Head of the Intellectual Property and Technology Group, recognized as a “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer. He has been acknowledged for his work on the OpenAI-Microsoft partnership.
- Mehdi Ansari (New York): Co-Head of the Intellectual Property and Technology Group and a lecturer at Columbia Law School. Ansari specializes in intellectual property transactions, including AI.
- Presley Warner (London): Head of the European Credit and Leveraged Finance Practice. Warner is a frequent speaker at Stanford University and serves on the AI Committee of the City of London Law Society.
A Task Force for the Future
This core team plays a crucial role in Sullivan & Cromwell’s AI Task Force, which helps the firm remain at the forefront of AI-enhanced legal services. One tool they have developed is the AIDA (AI Discovery Assistant), in collaboration with LAER AI, which speeds up the often laborious first-level document review process. AIDA has been trained on dozens of past cases and is already assisting with ongoing matters, freeing up attorneys for more strategic work.
Sullivan & Cromwell’s new practice represents a commitment to innovation, offering clients valuable legal expertise in a rapidly changing AI landscape.
