Law firm Crowell faces disqualification bid in AI lawsuit

By Mike Scarcella WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) — A fight over attorney loyalties has erupted in a lawsuit over the use of photographs to train AI technology, threatening law firm Crowell & Moring's continued role in the case. Online art gallery DeviantArt asked a federal judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday to disqualify Crowell & Moring from representing automotive photography company Evox in the lawsuit, saying the firm previously advised defendant DeviantArt and its parent company on AI and other matters. DeviantArt said in a court filing that Crowell advised its parent company Wix.com and its subsidiaries from 2022 through 2026 on AI litigation, AI regulation and copyright issues. The company said the firm also advised DeviantArt on its DreamUp AI image-generation service. "Crowell's conflict is substantive, not merely technical," DeviantArt told the court. It said the firm's prior work allowed it to acquire "material confidential information" about the company. Crowell had no immediate comment. Evox and Wix.com did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Washington, DC-based Crowell employs nearly 700 lawyers and is known for its litigation and regulatory work. Evox sued