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Sullivan & Cromwell Apologizes to Judge Over AI-Generated Errors in Court Filing

By  |  April 21, 2026
AI, SaaS, B2B

Sullivan & Cromwell, a prominent Wall Street law firm, has issued an apology to a federal judge after submitting a court filing that contained inaccurate legal citations and other errors produced by artificial intelligence, according to Reuters.

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    In a letter dated April 18, Andrew Dietderich, co-head of the firm’s global restructuring group, acknowledged that the filing included so-called AI “hallucinations,” where the technology generated incorrect or entirely fabricated legal references. These errors were identified by opposing counsel at Boies Schiller Flexner, per Reuters.

    “I apologize on behalf of our entire team. I also called Boies Schiller Flexner LLP on Friday to thank them for bringing this matter to our attention and to apologize directly to them as well,” Dietderich wrote in the letter addressed to U.S. Bankruptcy Court Chief Judge Martin Glenn in Manhattan.

    The letter did not specify which artificial intelligence tool was used in preparing the filing. Dietderich and a firm representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.

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    Sullivan & Cromwell told the court that it has established “comprehensive policies and training requirements governing the use of AI tools in legal work” intended to prevent such mistakes. However, the firm admitted those policies were not followed in this instance, and an internal secondary review process also “did not identify the inaccurate citations generated by AI.” A corrected version of the filing was later submitted.

    The incident reflects a broader trend in the legal profession, where courts have increasingly scrutinized the use of artificial intelligence. According to Reuters, U.S. judges have sanctioned attorneys in dozens of cases for relying on AI-generated research or drafting without adequately verifying the results. While lawyers are permitted to use such tools, they remain ethically obligated to ensure the accuracy of all court submissions.

    The case in question involves the wind-down of Prince Global Holdings Limited, a Cambodian conglomerate. Sullivan & Cromwell represents foreign representatives tied to the proceedings. The company’s founder and chairman, Chen Zhi, has been charged in federal court in Brooklyn with allegedly orchestrating forced labor operations and a large-scale investment fraud, according to Reuters.

    Prince Group has previously denied wrongdoing, stating last year that the allegations against Zhi were baseless. A company representative could not be immediately reached for comment.

    Boies Schiller Flexner, which identified the errors, represents a group of objecting debtors in the case. An attorney from the firm involved in the proceedings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Sullivan & Cromwell, headquartered in New York and employing more than 900 lawyers, is widely regarded as one of the leading corporate law firms in the United States, known for its work in mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, litigation, and private equity.

    Source: Reuters