For a tenth consecutive year – each year since the founding of the firm – Wilkinson Stekloff partners have been honored on the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list. After founding partner Beth Wilkinson was inducted into Lawdragon’s Hall of Fame in 2024, the firm has placed ten partners on the publication’s 20th edition of their flagship guide. The 500 Leading Lawyers in America is an annual guide that recognizes the most influential attorneys in the nation. The lawyers chosen for this list lead matters across the country in a variety of jurisdictions but have one thing in common – they achieve success for their clients. The honorees are identified through a nomination process and rigorous independent research, including vetting with peers and competitors to ensure those selected are truly at the top of the legal field. The ten Wilkinson Stekloff partners honored as Leading Lawyers are: Brian L. …
Keri Arnold Recognized by Crain’s New York Business Among Notable Litigators & Trial Lawyers
March 27, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Keri Arnold has been recognized by Crain’s New York Business among the 2025 Notable Litigators & Trial Lawyers. This honor celebrates experienced leaders in the industry who serve in senior roles, exemplifying mentorship and inclusivity in the workplace and community. The attorneys selected demonstrate expertise in the courtroom, taking the country’s most significant matters to trial. Keri has defended Fortune 500 corporations in high-stakes litigation for over twenty years. A true trial attorney, she has served as first-chair counsel in over a dozen cases tried to verdict. Keri was recently a member of the team that secured a groundbreaking victory for Microsoft, defeating the FTC’s efforts to enjoin its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and winning the second-biggest merger trial in American history. Keri is currently representing major chemical manufacturing corporation 3M in the multidistrict AFFF Products Liability Litigation. She will be part of the trial …
Wilkinson Stekloff Named Trial Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation For Second Straight Year
March 12, 2025
Benchmark Litigation honored Wilkinson Stekloff as the “Trial Firm of the Year” at their 2025 U.S. Awards on March 7, the second year in a row that the firm has received that recognition. Benchmark’s recognition stems from another outstanding year of high-profile trials for Wilkinson Stekloff. Led by founding partners Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff, and partner Rakesh Kilaru, the firm led the NFL’s defense of their “Sunday Ticket” subscription package, scoring a total victory for the NFL. Devastating cross-examinations of Plaintiffs’ experts by Beth and Brian led to the Judge granting post-trial Daubert motions and judgment as a matter of law, wiping out a $4.7 billion verdict prior to trebling. The firm also was shortlisted for “Boutique Firm of the Year” and “D.C. Firm of the Year,” while Beth and Brian were named for the second year in a row as finalists for “Trial Lawyer of the Year” and …
Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Pro Bono Win in Second Amendment Case
January 21, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff secured a favorable settlement for a pro bono client whose firearm license was unconstitutionally revoked by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In the summer of 2019, our client applied for a firearm registration certificate and a concealed pistol license. He complied with every step of D.C.’s rigorous application process, and satisfied each of D.C.’s stringent statutory and regulatory requirements. After reviewing his applications and all relevant facts, MPD rightfully approved both applications. Yet just six months later, MPD revoked both his firearm registration certificate and concealed pistol license based on his history of arrests alone— even though those arrests had not resulted in any convictions and the most serious charges against him had been dropped by the government after further investigation revealed that he had not committed the crimes of which he had been accused. Wilkinson Stekloff filed a lawsuit under Section 1983, arguing that MPD’s revocation …
Eleven Associates Join Wilkinson Stekloff
January 16, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce the addition of 11 associates to the firm. This new class consists of highly accomplished attorneys who share a commitment to trial work and pro bono service. “Developing the next wave of skilled trial attorneys is central to our firm’s identity. We are proud to welcome a class of such intelligent and driven associates. They will undoubtedly strengthen our team and deliver meaningful value to our clients,” said Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson. “Our commitment to high-stakes trial work continues to attract top-tier talent. This incoming class brings impressive credentials, diverse experiences, and a passion for excellence. We look forward to supporting their professional growth,” said Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. The new WS associates include: Tomi AkinmolaTomi returns to the firm after serving as a law clerk to Judge Jamar K. Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Tomi attended Washington and …
Wilkinson Stekloff Obtains Protective Order for Pro Bono Client
January 9, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff Associates Mikaela Meyer and Anthony Ferrara recently obtained a civil protective order for a pro bono client who had been the victim of domestic violence by her husband. After multiple other incidents, in October 2023, the client’s husband became enraged when hearing her speaking in Spanish to her grandfather about her mother’s then-recent stroke. The husband assaulted the client, causing physical injuries. The client quickly obtained a temporary restraining order, but the hearing for a long-term restraining order was delayed until December 16, 2024, due to a pending criminal case against the husband. During the long-awaited hearing, Mikaela delivered the opening statement and expertly walked the client through her direct testimony. Anthony delivered closing arguments and handled three cross-examinations, effectively undermining the credibility of the husband’s case. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge granted the protective order, allowing the client to obtain justice for the abuse she suffered both …
Wilkinson Stekloff Promotes Sarah Neuman to Firm Partnership
December 20, 2024
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Sarah Neuman has been promoted to Partner effective January 1, 2025. Since joining Wilkinson Stekloff in 2017, Sarah has been a member of numerous trial teams and achieved success for clients in some of the biggest and most significant cases in the country. “Sarah emerged as a leader within the firm and is a go-to resource for clients and colleagues alike,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. “Her growth over the past seven years embodies our firm’s commitment to training the next generation of trial lawyers. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the firm’s partnership and look forward to the many successes she will continue to achieve in and outside the courtroom.” Sarah recently played an integral role in securing a groundbreaking victory for Microsoft, defeating the FTC’s efforts to enjoin its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and winning the second-biggest …
Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates 2024 Achievements
December 16, 2024
Over the past year, Wilkinson Stekloff has continued to reinforce its standing as the leading trial litigation boutique in the country, delivering market-moving results for its clients. The firm’s recent accomplishments include: The firm also continued its commitment to pro bono work — building on the more than 100 pro bono matters it has handled since the firm’s founding in 2016. Wilkinson Stekloff attorneys took on matters across areas including family law, immigration, post-conviction representation, appeals, and filing amicus briefs. In November, Associates Dhruti Patel and Tania Martinez, with assistance from Counsel Sarah Neuman, obtained a decisive victory in an asylum matter for a gay man who had endured a lifetime of discrimination and persecution in his home country of Colombia. The firm also prevailed in two pro bono appeals this fall on behalf of incarcerated individuals seeking the ability to file civil actions without payment of filing fees. Associates Logan Page …
Crain’s New York Business Recognizes Jeremy Barber Among Notable Leaders in Law
December 11, 2024
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Jeremy Barber has been recognized by Crain’s New York Business among the 2024 “Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law.” This honor celebrates individuals who possess the financial, strategic, and legal expertise to drive significant commercial activity in the region, shaping New York City’s business landscape and fostering enterprise growth. A former federal prosecutor and experienced trial attorney, Jeremy has brought more than 30 cases to trial before judges and jurors. Most recently, he served as lead trial counsel defending fintech company Plaid against trademark infringement claims brought by PNC Bank. He delivered numerous pretrial wins before negotiating a settlement on the eve of trial. Jeremy also recently helped manage the trial team that secured judgment as a matter of law for the NFL and its 32 member teams in a class action lawsuit challenging the distribution of the Sunday Ticket subscription package and the NFL’s media agreements …
Wilkinson Stekloff Prevails in Appeals for Incarcerated Individuals Pursuing Deprivation of Rights Actions
December 9, 2024
Wilkinson Stekloff recently prevailed in two pro bono matters related to the Prisoner Litigation Reform Act’s (PLRA) three-strikes rule, which bars prisoner plaintiffs from proceeding in a civil action without payment of filing fees, or in forma pauperis, if the prisoner has three or more times brought an action or appeal that was dismissed as frivolous, malicious, or failing to state a claim. Associates Logan Page and Dhruti Patel represented an incarcerated individual in his appeal challenging the dismissal of an action against Michigan state correctional facility employees who allegedly withheld medical treatment for his multiple sclerosis. In its dismissal, the District Court for the Western District of Michigan found that the three-strikes rule disqualified the client from proceeding in forma pauperis. Logan and Dhruti successfully disputed two of the client’s three assessed strikes, arguing that some of the claims in each action were dismissed on grounds not enumerated in …