Hugh Carlson

A former software engineer, Hugh has made innovation a defining feature of the firm.  Under his leadership, Three Crowns has become a recognized leader in legal AI.  The Financial Times has repeatedly recognized the firm’s AI innovations, including its deployment of Claude Code and ChatGPT Codex to build enterprise-grade software tailored to its practice.  Microsoft has called Three Crowns an “AI-powered company … bending the curve on innovation.”  With Stanford’s Legal Innovation through Frontier Technology Lab (liftlab), Hugh co-led the development of Atelier, an AI-powered cross-examination training platform that won the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers award for best training innovation in 2025.

Hugh has represented large multinationals and sovereigns in their most complex, high-stakes disputes.  Clients and peers in Lexology Index describe him as “absolutely phenomenal,” “a great strategist,” and “integral to the success of Three Crowns,” and he has repeatedly been named a leading litigator by Lawdragon’s Global Litigation 500 and Super Lawyers.  He also counsels clients on the deployment, governance, and regulatory compliance of AI systems, drawing on his combination of legal and engineering expertise.

Hugh has lectured at Harvard Law School since 2019.  He is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia, and holds the leading credential in information security, the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).