Vol. I · Established 2026
KINGSFIELD LAWFARE
Smart. Not Stupid.
A blog · Filed under contempt

Smart.
Not Stupid.

Theodore R. Underhill III Partner, Pierce & Pierce. Forty years at the bar. Tried in 22 federal districts. Has made a junior associate cry by forwarding an email without comment, and considers that one of his finer moments. Updated weekly · Sometimes more
The rules are public◆ The cases are public◆ The Bar is a toll road◆ Every citation verified◆ The rules are public◆ The cases are public◆ The Bar is a toll road◆ Every citation verified◆

This Week

Issue 07 · May 26, 2026
Issue 07 · BigLaw / AI Malpractice / Bankruptcy · S.D.N.Y.

"Dear Chief
Judge"

On the apology letter Sullivan & Cromwell filed in In re Prince Global Holdings, the redraft they should have filed instead, and the partner whose name is on the apology, the firm's 2021 ethics article, and one prior FTX-adjacent embarrassment.
By Ted Underhill · 12 min read · Verified · Four gates passed
Read the post →
HALL OF SHAME
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
125 Broad Street · New York · In re Prince Global Holdings

Dear Chief Judge Glenn:

We write to advise the Court that certain citations in filings we made contain errors attributable to the use of generative AI research tools...

— A. Dietderich
no.

Prior Issues

All BigLaw AI & Tech Entertainment Letters Bankruptcy
Issue 06 · AI Tools / BigLaw / WordPerfect

Progress Report

Six weeks with Harvey. Two hours with Madison (née Morgan). One critical interface question. I am very much on top of it. Harvey now outputs in Courier New. The Boca client does not need to know why.

Ted UnderhillVerified
Issue 05 · New Media / Antitrust / Section 230

The Platform Formerly Known as a Client

The X advertiser antitrust suit is audacious. I say this with professional admiration. My practice is positioned. My Boca client has wired his retainer. He is wrong about the outcome.

Ted UnderhillVerified
Issue 04 · BigLaw / Mata v. Avianca

The Junior Associate Who Cited a Case That Did Not Exist

The third-year asked the AI to confirm whether the AI had invented the case. The AI said yes. He wrote it into the memo. He's no longer with us.

Ted UnderhillVerified
Issue 03 · Entertainment / Royalties

How the Record Label Stole Your Money Legally

PPTD. Packaging deductions on streaming files. Reserves against returns of streams that cannot be returned. Audit clauses that bill you for finding the theft.

Ted UnderhillVerified
Issue 02 · A Letter

Re: Your Terms of Service Update

Dear Legal Department: You would like a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to my work product. I charge $1,100 an hour for that. I've backdated the engagement.

Ted UnderhillVerified
Issue 01 · BigLaw / Culture

The Billable Hour Is Not the Problem. You Are.

The alternative fee arrangement is opaque by design. You are buying a result without visibility into how it was produced. Fix the monopoly, then we can talk about fee structures.

Ted UnderhillVerified

The Letters.

A standing column · In the Lazlo register
Re: Your AI Pricing Page
To: Counsel, Major AI Vendor · cc: Author of Vendor's "Responsible Use" White Paper

Dear Counsel:

I am writing to confirm my reading of your pricing page. You have priced "Enterprise Legal" at $40,000/seat/year, which I find admirable. I am the user. I bill my time at $1,100/hr...

— T.R. Underhill III
Re: Section 1517 / Rule 6004(b)
To: A Partner at a Firm I Shall Not Name · cc: His Insurance Carrier

Dear Partner:

I attach, in the spirit of professional courtesy, your most recent filing with the citations corrected. I have left the substantive errors in place, since correcting those is properly the work of your associates...

— T.R. Underhill III
Re: Your "Innovation Hub"
To: Managing Partner, LA Office · cc: HR

Dear Managing Partner:

I visited the open-plan "collaboration hub" you installed on the 14th floor. I have filed a report. The report is attached. The report is fourteen pages. I will be the only signatory...

— T.R. Underhill III
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