Delivering technical clarity, financial calculus, and courtroom credibility in AI-related litigation.
NEW YORK, April 9, 2026 -- J.S. Held announced today the expansion of its integrated capabilities to support clients addressing the legal, technical, and financial complexities of artificial intelligence (AI)-related disputes. This expansion comes as the firm's Q1 AI Disputes Monitor projects a 50% rise in AI-related case filings, underscoring the growing need for specialized expertise in this fast-evolving and complex area of litigation.
AI disputes center on the development, deployment, or impact of artificial intelligence and differ fundamentally from traditional litigation. These matters involve systems that are simultaneously technical artifacts, economic assets, and evidentiary tools, each dimension influencing the others. Unlike conventional matters where questions can be addressed in isolation, AI disputes require a unified multidisciplinary approach. J.S. Held connects technical insight, financial analysis, and litigation experience to provide comprehensive support across all phases of dispute resolution.
Why AI Disputes Demand Integrated Expertise
J.S. Held offers integrated expertise to address the unique challenges of AI-related litigation. This approach is essential due to the complex, interdependent nature of AI systems. These matters often require:
- Technical clarity to explain how AI systems behave, including digital forensics, model versioning, and data provenance.
- Financial calculus to quantify economic damages, assess market impact, and evaluate intellectual property value.
- Courtroom credibility to present findings in a manner that withstands legal scrutiny across jurisdictions.
"AI disputes uniquely require integrated expertise because AI systems exist at the intersection of three inseparable domains," said JP Brennan, Senior Managing Director at J.S. Held. "Our work focuses on helping clients understand and explain how these systems operate in real-world contexts. We apply structured forensic methods—such as system log reconstruction, prompt replay, and model version analysis—to support investigations and testimony."
J.S. Held experts are known for a "teaching, not telling" approach to expert testimony. Rather than simply offering an opinion, they break down complex information into clear, logical explanations that judges and juries can easily follow. "AI-related disputes increasingly require a combination of financial expertise, technical understanding, and legal analysis that is clearly communicated and able to withstand courtroom scrutiny," said James E. Malackowski, CPA, CLP, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at J.S. Held and Senior Managing Director at Ocean Tomo. "We provide economic damages assessments, intellectual property valuation, and market impact analysis that help judges and juries evaluate questions of fair use, licensing, and commercial harm."
Experience with AI Systems Across Sectors
J.S. Held's work with AI systems spans multiple industries and use cases. Recent engagements include:
- AI Risk and Governance: Designed and implemented an AI risk and controls framework for a property and casualty insurer, improving transparency, regulatory readiness, and model oversight.
- Vendor Ecosystem Advisory: Conducted vendor benchmarking and risk assessments for third-party AI tools at a fintech company, reducing costs, improving governance, and mitigating vendor lock-in.
- Model Validation: Independently assessed a machine-learning fraud detection model for a digital payments platform, identifying performance and bias risks and delivering recommendations to strengthen reliability and compliance.
These engagements reflect J.S. Held's ability to scale technical insight and support clients managing the operational and regulatory implications of AI adoption and related litigation risk.
AI Copyright Litigation - Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligence
J.S. Held's role in Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH and West Publishing Corp. v. Ross Intelligence Inc. (U.S. District Court, D. Delaware, Case No. 1:20-cv-613-SB) demonstrates the firm's ability to support litigation at the intersection of AI and intellectual property.
James E. Malackowski was engaged as a financial damages expert to assess the fourth fair use factor (market impact) in this matter involving the use of proprietary legal research content to train a generative AI system. The engagement addressed questions of licensing markets for training data, economic substitution, and the valuation of editorial content in AI development.
Executive Perspective - Scaling with Purpose
"As AI technologies continue to evolve, our clients face increasingly complex disputes that demand more than traditional expertise," said Lee Spirer, Chief Executive Officer of J.S. Held. "We are laser-focused on building highly integrated teams that combine technical, financial, and legal insight. This approach enables us to support both in-house and outside counsel with the depth, precision, and coordination required to address the evolving demands of AI-related litigation."
J.S. Held's investment in cross-disciplinary capabilities reflects its long-term commitment to delivering scalable, high-impact solutions in areas where the stakes are greatest.
J.S. Held AI Disputes Monitor – Q1 2026 Update
The Q1 2026 update of the J.S. Held AI Disputes Monitor reveals a sharp rise in litigation, particularly in the insurance sector. Multiple lawsuits filed across the United States in early 2026 indicate growing scrutiny of AI-driven decision-making in claims processing and policy coverage, particularly within property and casualty insurance.
A total of 31 AI-related lawsuits were filed in Q1, marking a 46% increase over the average quarterly rate in 2025. At this pace, 2026 is projected to exceed the previous year's total by nearly 50 percent.
The first-quarter 2026 snapshot underscores the accelerating pace of AI-related disputes and the growing demand for expert insight into the technical, financial, and legal dimensions of algorithmic decision-making.
To explore the full set of findings, download the latest edition of the J.S. Held AI Disputes Monitor.
About J.S. Held
J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.
More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 84% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 75% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (90% of the NAIC Top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 71% of Fortune 100 Companies.
J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB or Ocean Tomo Investments, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/SIPC. All rights reserved.
Contact:
Kristi L. Stathis | Global Public Relations | +1 786 833 4864 | Kristi.Stathis@jsheld.com
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