In an interview with Vivia Chen, author of Bloomberg Law’s popular “Unfiltered” column, founding partner Beth Wilkinson shares her “insider view” of the sometimes fraught path of women in Big Law, and discusses what drove her to build a different kind of culture in Wilkinson Stekloff. Beth explains how leaving behind the conventional Big Law structure — and, in particular, the billable-hour model — enabled Wilkinson Stekloff to focus exclusively on high-stakes trials, create a different model of success for top-tier legal talent, and train up the next generation of superstar trial lawyers. Gifted women lawyers in particular, Beth reflects, tend to thrive in a firm culture that gives them the freedom to do their best work alongside meaningful commitments in other aspects of their lives. With the recent return of celebrated litigator Tamarra Matthews Johnson, Keri Arnold’s induction as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, and …
Brian Stekloff Is Benchmark’s Trial Lawyer of the Year
March 16, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Brian Stekloff was named Trial Lawyer of the Year at last night’s 2023 Benchmark Litigation US Awards ceremony in New York City, confirming his standing as one of the country’s most accomplished and in-demand trial lawyers. Benchmark also named Brian as the year’s Top Product Liability Litigator, and gave its National Impact Case Award to the Wilkinson Stekloff trial team, led by Brian, that secured a defense verdict in Clark v. Monsanto. Benchmark Litigation is considered the definitive guide to the world’s leading litigation firms and lawyers. Previously, the organization has honored Brian as a Litigation Star, and named Wilkinson Stekloff a Top 20 Trial Law Firm, Top Boutique, and Highly Recommended Firm, and ranked it as Tier 1 for General Commercial Litigation, in its 2023 Benchmark Litigation Guide. Brian’s outsize accomplishments are both remarkable and no surprise to the colleagues and clients who are fortunate to …
Tamarra Matthews Johnson Rejoins Wilkinson Stekloff as Partner
March 13, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to welcome back Tamarra Matthews Johnson as partner following her nearly two years serving as Counselor to United States Attorney General Merrick Garland. A renowned litigator who has served as lead and co-lead trial counsel in dozens of criminal and civil cases, including multiple cases for Bayer Corporation, Tamarra now brings unparalleled Department of Justice experience to her work. “It was an honor and a privilege to serve as Counselor to Attorney General Merrick Garland, and now I am pleased to rejoin the amazing team of attorneys and professionals at Wilkinson Stekloff,” Tamarra said. “I look forward to working with my talented colleagues to offer exceptional service to clients across an array of industries.” An accomplished first-chair trial lawyer who has succeeded in challenging jurisdictions, Tamarra will resume her litigation and strategic counseling practice at the firm. In her most recent role, Tamarra served as the Attorney …
Wilkinson Stekloff Sponsors LCLD Fellow and Pathfinders
March 8, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce its selection of three rising leaders to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows and Pathfinder Programs. Being a Member of LCLD means that your organization is helping to make history by bringing more diversity to the U.S. legal profession and justice system. This year, Wilkinson Stekloff is sponsoring Counsel Anastasia Pastan as a Fellow and Associates Hannah Bedard and Chelsea Shaffer as Pathfinders. Lawyers selected for the LCLD programs demonstrate leadership skills, impact in their organization, engagement within the community, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Participants will receive professional and personal development opportunities, leadership training, and relationship-building opportunities, including access to LCLD members and alumni throughout the year-long program. Anastasia, who was recently promoted to Counsel and participated as an LCLD Pathfinder last year, has represented clients in a variety of areas including product liability, environmental, and contract matters. She …
Partner Keri Arnold Admitted to American College of Trial Lawyers
March 1, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff congratulates Partner Keri Arnold on her induction as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America. Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years’ trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship. Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,800 members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, including active Fellows, Emeritus …
Wilkinson Stekloff, Brian Stekloff Shortlisted in Four 2023 Benchmark Litigation Awards Categories
January 18, 2023
Benchmark Litigation has announced shortlists for its 2023 U.S. awards, naming Wilkinson Stekloff a finalist in two firm categories and Founding Partner Brian Stekloff a finalist in two individual categories. The firm has been shortlisted for Trial Firm of the Year as well as top D.C. firm in Benchmark’s state-by-state recognitions, while Brian has been shortlisted for Trial Lawyer of the Year and top Product Liability Litigator in the practice-area awards given to individual attorneys. The winners will be announced at a Wednesday, March 15, event in New York City. The past year has cemented Wilkinson Stekloff’s position as the leading trial boutique in the country. In 2022, the firm represented Bayer in national products liability litigation concerning Roundup and PCBs; 3M in national products liability litigation about PFAS groundwater levels; Microsoft in the FTC’s challenge to its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard; and Altria in a range of high-profile cases related …
Seven Associates Join Wilkinson Stekloff
January 17, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce the addition of seven associates. The new class includes a Rhodes Scholar, a former SCOTUS law clerk, and five other highly accomplished attorneys who all share a commitment to trial work and pro bono service. “Our firm is committed to developing the next generation of trial lawyers and giving them meaningful trial experience and client exposure. We are excited to welcome this talented group to our team,” said Beth Wilkinson, founding partner, Wilkinson Stekloff. “We are proud to have this new class join our firm, and look forward to their many contributions and supporting them in their professional development as they start this next chapter of their careers,” said Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. The new WS associates include: Emily Clarke Before joining the firm, Emily was a law clerk to the Honorable D. Michael Fisher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third …
Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates 2022 Achievements
January 9, 2023
The past twelve months have cemented Wilkinson Stekloff’s position as the leading trial boutique in the country. On the heels of two high-profile trial wins and other significant victories in 2021, 2022 saw the firm take on a litigation docket unlike any other, including representing: In each of these and other “bet-the-company” cases, clients turn to Wilkinson Stekloff for leadership, strategic guidance, and execution, from the boardroom to the courtroom. The firm’s ongoing matters also include high-stakes disputes and governmental investigations that have not become public or advanced to litigation. To meet these challenges, the 35-lawyer team led by Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff has remained committed to exclusively recruiting top-tier talent and growing its bench of trial lawyers capable of handling any case for clients. This past year, the firm welcomed two new partners — Keri Arnold and Grace Hill — recently mentioned in Bloomberg Law as two of ten high-profile “gets” by boutique firms in 2022. With over 20 years’ …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys Promoted to Counsel
January 6, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Sarah Neuman, Anastasia Pastan, and Matthew Skanchy have been promoted to counsel effective January 1, 2023. “Sarah, Anastasia, and Matthew have all been with our firm since very early on. We are grateful for their many contributions to the growth of our team, and proud of all the successes they have achieved on behalf of our clients,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. “Our mission is not just to hire outstanding attorneys — we strive to give them meaningful trial experience and client exposure. These three next-generation trial lawyers embody that commitment and have demonstrated their excellence and leadership throughout their careers.” Sarah Neuman Sarah has been a member of numerous trial teams, including the team that secured a complete defense verdict in a multi-state consumer fraud class action involving Bayer’s One A Day multivitamins, and the trial teams that prevailed in …
WS Honored by Law360 as Social Impact Leader
November 29, 2022
Law360 Pulse recently announced its 2022 Social Impact Leaders Ranking, and Wilkinson Stekloff scored second nationally among firms with fewer than 100 attorneys on the standalone pro bono list. The Social Impact Leaders ranking seeks to measure law firms’ engagement with social responsibility across five pillars: racial and ethnic diversity, gender equality, employee engagement, pro bono service, and responsible business practices. The pro bono pillar is broken out into a separate ranking to allow for more detailed comparison among peer firms, and the score is calculated based on three metrics: percentage of attorneys who provided at least 50 hours of free legal services, overall participation rate in pro bono activity, and average pro bono hours per attorney. While ranked second in its size category, WS posted the highest percentage of participating attorneys — 85.7% — besting the top-ranked firm. WS has innovated away from the billable-hour model, and its holistic …