SAN FRANCISCO — In March, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe’s chief legal officer typed out a few terse paragraphs cutting off the firm’s three-year relationship with a Bay Area tech startup.

The situation was clearly delicate. “Because we are now aware that our clients are in litigation with each other, we believe it is appropriate to terminate” the representation, wrote Larry Low of Orrick in an email. “This will confirm our withdrawal from our representation of Loop AI.”