Wilkinson Stekloff has been shortlisted again by The American Lawyer for the 2025 National Boutique / Specialty Litigation Department of the Year, after having taken home the honor at the 2024 Industry Awards. In addition, Counsel Roxana Guidero was named a finalist for Young Lawyer of the Year in Litigation. This annual celebration from the legal industry’s leading publication aims to highlight “most impactful and important work of the past year” by the nation’s leading law firms, corporate legal departments, and individual practitioners. Over the past year, Wilkinson Stekloff has been involved in some of the most consequential litigation in the country, achieving extraordinary results for major clients across multiple industries. Most recently, the firm positioned Hewlett Packard Enterprise (“HPE”) to close its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, when the DOJ agreed on the eve of trial to a resolution that would maintain HPE’s vision of the deal and …
Benchmark Litigation Names Five Wilkinson Stekloff Partners to their Top Women in Litigation and 40 & Under Lists
August 14, 2025
For the fifth consecutive year, Beth Wilkinson was honored among Benchmark Litigation’s prestigious “Top 10 Women in Litigation,” an elite subset of the “Top 250 Women in Litigation” singled out “specifically for their litigious acumen” and celebrated for receiving the most prominent and emphatic “best-in-class” nominations during Benchmark’s 2025 research cycle. Partners Keri Arnold, Moira Penza, and Cali Arat were all selected for another consecutive year among the “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” a guide that acknowledges the women who have played pivotal roles in the most consequential recent litigation matters. These women have won the respect of colleagues and clients alike, distinguishing themselves as leaders in their respective practice areas. Cali was also selected alongside Partner Sarah Neuman to Benchmark’s 2025 USA 40 & Under list which recognizes “the top emerging talent in litigation” and most promising young lawyers who are shaping the future of the legal industry. Beth has served as lead counsel in …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Sarah Neuman Recognized by Bloomberg Law in “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40”
August 13, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Sarah Neuman has been honored by Bloomberg Law in its fifth annual edition of They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40, recognizing the practitioners who are the future of the legal profession. “These illustrious 40 young lawyers are the newest members of our Bloomberg Law tradition honoring the brightest legal minds across the country,” said Lisa Helem, Executive Editor of Bloomberg Industry Group. “These individuals excel and innovate in their work for clients, in their leadership in their organizations, and in their service to their communities.” In discussing her role in the firm’s win for Microsoft in the second largest merger trial in American history, Sarah explained to Bloomberg that the team “had been preparing for a potential trial since the deal’s announcement, which positioned us to try the case just 10 days after the FTC filed its complaint,” leading to victory on an unprecedented timetable. That …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Cali Arat Named Law360 Rising Star for Product Liability
July 30, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Cali Arat was profiled as one of Law360’s Rising Stars—an award honoring “attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.” From over 1,100 submissions, Cali was selected for her substantial achievements over the past several years as one of only three practitioners in the Product Liability practice area. In an interview with Law360, Cali reflected on her work at the forefront of high-stakes product liability litigation. She recounted her role in securing Monsanto’s first trial win in its Roundup litigation, Clark v. Monsanto, saying it “was a real uphill battle for us.” Despite the difficulties faced, Cali’s examinations of two crucial expert witnesses—directing Monsanto’s weed science expert and crossing plaintiff’s human studies expert—contributed to a victory that “changed the tide” as Monsanto went on to score multiple subsequent wins in the sprawling litigation. Cali next served as lead counsel for the Bayer subsidiary in a first-of-its-kind …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys Selected to the 2025 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation
July 18, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Cali Arat and Sarah Neuman were joined by Counsel Roxana Guidero on Lawdragon’s 2025 edition of 500 X – The Next Generation. This guide honors influential, up-and-coming attorneys across the legal spectrum who have been practicing for fewer than fifteen years, offering an exciting glimpse into the future of the profession. Cali has appeared among Lawdragon’s 500 X every year since its inaugural guide in 2023. She is an experienced trial litigator, having played key roles on more than half of the firm’s trial teams, including serving in standup roles for high-stakes victories on behalf of Bayer subsidiary Monsanto in their Roundup litigation. Cali also played an integral part in resolving the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness litigation through its groundbreaking settlement, which received final approval from a district court judge in June. For these and other accomplishments, Chambers and Partners recently recognized her as “Up and …
David Friedman Rejoins Wilkinson Stekloff
July 17, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to welcome back David Friedman to the firm as Counsel. David’s practice includes representing corporate clients across an array of industries including sports, technology, and healthcare in their most high-stakes litigation. In addition to experience with antitrust, product liability, consumer class actions, and intellectual property, David has a substantial appellate practice. During his previous stint with the firm, David was a key member of trial teams that represented Facebook and the NCAA. He handled some of the firm’s most important briefs in trial and appellate courts across the country, including the United States Supreme Court. He also played an integral role in the firm’s internal investigations. Before rejoining the firm, David was an AUSA in the Central District of California, serving as the Chief of the Criminal Appeals Section in Los Angeles. In this role, David managed the appellate docket of the largest district in the country, …
Vault Once Again Recognizes Wilkinson Stekloff Among Top Firms by Prestige and Quality of Life
July 10, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff continues its rise as one of the most elite and rewarding places to practice law, earning top honors in Vault’s prestigious 2026 rankings. The firm climbed an impressive five spots in the Litigation Specialty category—from No. 11 last year to No. 6—solidifying its place among the nation’s premier litigation powerhouses. In a major milestone, Wilkinson Stekloff was also ranked for the first time in Vault’s New York Regional list, debuting at No. 14 among just 20 midsize firms that qualified. This recognition signals the firm’s growing presence and reputation in one of the country’s most competitive legal markets. The firm was again named to Vault’s Top 150 Under 150, which honors the nation’s top-performing small and midsize law firms with fewer than 150 attorneys. Wilkinson Stekloff also received recognition in Vault’s Best Midsize Law Firms to Work For rankings, earning high marks in several key categories that reflect …
Wilkinson Stekloff Delivers in Another Antitrust Case as HPE’s Acquisition of Juniper Networks Is Cleared on the Eve of Trial
July 3, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff helped position Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to complete its $14 Billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, as the United States Department of Justice dropped its challenge to the deal and agreed to resolve the case. When the government sued to block the deal in January, HPE turned to Wilkinson Stekloff. Led by Beth Wilkinson, Kosta Stojilkovic, Roxy Guidero, and Jenna Pavelec, the team prepared for trial on an expedited basis, conducting dozens of depositions and working with economic experts on quantitative analyses of the market. Owen Gallogly, Kellen McCoy, Cassie Chee, and Dan Epps also contributed to the case. Trial was set to begin on July 9. Instead, days after the submission of pre-trial briefs and other substantive filings, and a week before opening statements, the Department of Justice agreed to a resolution that maintains the vision of the deal and will facilitate increased competition in wireless networking. Judge …
Beth Wilkinson Honored Among Bloomberg Law’s Unrivaled Trial Attorneys
June 26, 2025
Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson has been spotlighted in the debut issue of Bloomberg Law’s “Unrivaled” as one of 32 exceptional trial lawyers who are setting the standard for high-stakes litigation. The recipients of this prestigious award were determined through a rigorous review by Bloomberg Law’s editors and litigation analysts, identifying individuals with a demonstrated history of litigation excellence and multiple major trial wins or significant positive settlements in recent years. “Bloomberg Law is proud to honor top litigators with our inaugural issue of Unrivaled,” said Lisa Helem, executive editor, Bloomberg Industry Group. “This debut class of honorees exemplifies not only excellence in their field but also leadership in their firms and practices.” Beth has long been at the forefront of the profession, having served as lead counsel in over 50 jury trials, including numerous bet-the-company, multibillion-dollar cases. She has developed an unparalleled record of victories in federal and state courts …
NCAA NIL Settlement Validates Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Rakesh Kilaru as a Leading Sports & Entertainment Lawyer
June 23, 2025
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Rakesh Kilaru has received no shortage of recognition recently, including last year being named a Law360 Sports & Betting MVP and sharing the National Law Journal’s Winning Litigators Award with Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson based on major victories for the NFL and Microsoft. This year he has secured a position alongside Beth on the inaugural list of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers, a guide that honors attorneys who accumulate wins for lucrative clients across these high-visibility industries through rigorous journalistic research. Rakesh’s latest achievement: obtaining final approval of the groundbreaking $2.8 billion settlement for the NCAA in their name, image, and likeness (NIL) litigation on June 6, 2025. The settlement is widely expected to change the landscape of collegiate athletics, allowing schools for the first time to directly compensate students for their athletic participation, and resolving antitrust claims brought by multiple plaintiff classes …