WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff is racing into its fourth year after notching a series of high-profile victories, led by a large and diverse group of partners. In 2018, all of Wilkinson Stekloff’s partners participated in trials and case-dispositive hearings, and several other attorneys achieved significant on-their-feet experience, including through pro bono cases. The firm earned repeated recognition for the depth and successes of its bench and added a new crop of talented litigators to its roster. Wilkinson Stekloff won three trials in 2018, each of which was first-chaired by a different partner: On April 27, 2018, Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Brian Stekloff, Jeremy Barber, and Lori McGill, won a unanimous defense verdict for Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Russell v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the second state-court Xarelto bellwether trial in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. On May 21, 2018, Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Kosta Stojilkovic …
Experienced Litigator Julie Rubenstein Promoted To Wilkinson Stekloff Counsel
December 18, 2018
WASHINGTON– Wilkinson Stekloff today announced that Julie Rubenstein has been promoted to Counsel effective January 1, 2019. Since joining Wilkinson Stekloff as an associate, Rubenstein has used her breadth of experience representing corporate and individual clients to secure major victories for Wilkinson Stekloff’s clients. Rubenstein most recently helped the NCAA obtain a defense jury verdict in a month-long defamation trial in Todd McNair v. NCAA. She led oral arguments on several key issues, including jury instructions, and she successfully defended against Plaintiff’s motion to compel. Her promotion is a testament to the firm’s investment in its next generation of leading attorneys and its emphasis on getting those attorneys into the courtroom. “Wilkinson Stekloff is a powerhouse firm because all attorneys – associates, counsel, and partners – are encouraged and empowered to contribute meaningfully to all aspects of our trial work,”said Ms. Rubenstein. “I am honored to work at a firm …
Appeals Court Upholds Major Antitrust Win for Wilkinson Stekloff Client Georgia Pacific
December 11, 2018
WASHINGTON,D.C. — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit unanimously upheld a major trial court win for Wilkinson Stekloff client Georgia Pacific, affirming the dismissal of a high stakes antitrust class action lawsuit involving over $10 billion in claimed damages. Georgia Pacific hired Wilkinson Stekloff to handle all aspects of summary judgment briefing and trial after the trial court certified Plaintiffs’ proposed class. The Wilkinson Stekloff team, led by Beth Wilkinson, Alexandra Walsh, Brant Bishop, and Rakesh Kilaru, developed an evidentiary record focused on the absence of any evidence against Georgia Pacific, and filed independent briefs challenging Plaintiffs’ expert witnesses and seeking summary judgment. In June 2017, the court issued a Daubert opinion that imposed key limits on the testimony Plaintiffs’ witnesses could offer at trial, adopting several of Wilkinson Stekloff’s arguments. On August 3, 2017, Wilkinson Stekloff won summary judgment for Georgia Pacific. The court’s decision came …
Wilkinson Stekloff Adds Four New Associates
December 10, 2018
WASHINGTON — Wilkinson Stekloff today announced the addition of three new associates in its Washington office and one new associate in its Los Angeles office. Xiao Wang, D’Juan Jones, Jaclyn Delligatti, and Meghan Cleary join Wilkinson Stekloff’s team of expert litigators as the firm nears its third year. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Xiao, D’Juan, Jaclyn, and Meghan into the Wilkinson Stekloff family,” said Beth Wilkinson, Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner. “Our firm’s strength comes from the diversity of our team and the hands-on, inside-the-courtroom experience that all of our attorneys receive. We are confident that this group of stellar associates will become future litigation superstars.” Xiao Wang joins Wilkinson Stekloff from Williams &Connolly LLP, where he worked on insider trading, immigration, and media and entertainment matters. Before joining Williams & Connolly, he clerked for Judge Lucy H. Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District …
Benchmark Names Beth Wilkinson an “Elite” Top 100 Trial Lawyer
October 5, 2018
Washington, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson has been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by Benchmark Litigation 2018. The award recognizes “elite trial strategists” for their successes in the courtroom. “At this point, it goes without saying that Beth’s recognitions are well-deserved. She is continuously recognized as a top trial lawyer precisely because of the high-profile victories she delivers for her clients and her role as a trailblazer in and outside of the courtroom,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Alexandra Walsh. “She is a role model for our firm’s younger associates, a force to be reckoned with when in front of a jury, and a paragon of success in the legal community at large.” Since founding Wilkinson Stekloff less than three years ago, Beth has notched a string of standout trial victories, been honored and recognized for her and Wilkinson Stekloff’s various successes, and built the firm …
Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Victory in Pro Bono Custody and Divorce Trial
Washington, D.C. — Following a six-day trial, Wilkinson Stekloff associates Cali Cope-Kasten and Hal Brewster secured a favorable judgment in a pro bono custody and divorce case in D.C. Superior Court. The Court awarded Wilkinson Stekloff’s client primary residential custody and joint legal custody, with tiebreaker decision making authority, of her five minor children. The judge also found that Wilkinson Stekloff’s client was entitled to an equitable lien on all major marital assets and awarded her a monetary judgment of more than a quarter-million dollars, along with ongoing child support that will help her establish financial independence in her new life. Wilkinson Stekloff’s client separated from her husband in 2016 after multiple instances of abuse within the family. After she filed for divorce, her estranged husband filed a countersuit in which he sought primary custody of their five children, so this is when she started looking into suitable law firms …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Secure Complete Dismissal of Securities Fraud Class Action
September 5, 2018
WASHINGTON – The Wilkinson Stekloff Team, led by Founding Partners Brant Bishop and Beth Wilkinson and partner Kosta Stojilkovic, won complete dismissal of a securities fraud class action case in the Eastern District of Virginia for client MAXIMUS Inc. In August 2017, MAXIMUS was sued under sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, based on allegations that the company, along with several members of its executive team, had made false or misleading statements on earnings calls and in SEC filings concerning MAXIMUS’s performance on a major contract with the British government. Led by Brant Bishop, Wilkinson Stekloff moved to dismiss the amended complaint with prejudice, arguing that plaintiffs failed to plead facts giving rise to an inference that MAXIMUS acted with scienter, or an intent to defraud. Wilkinson Stekloff also argued that plaintiff failed to plead materiality as to certain alleged misstatements or omissions, and also …
Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Another Trial Victory for Bayer in Xarelto Trial
August 30, 2018
Alexandra Walsh, co-founding partner of Wilkinson, Walsh + Eskovitz, Tamarra Matthews Johnson, and Rakesh Kilaru led the defense team to another victory. WASHINGTON – The Wilkinson Stekloff trial team, led by Founding Partner Alexandra Walsh and partners Tamarra Matthews Johnson and Rakesh Kilaru, won the third state-court bellwether trial over the blood- thinner Xarelto in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. This is the third win for Bayer in state court, and the sixth win overall, in the Xarelto litigation. The Plaintiff, Kevin Cooney, alleged that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals were liable for claims that the Xarelto label did not adequately warn or instruct doctors on the risks of bleeding associated with the anticoagulant medicine Xarelto. Walsh and Johnson served as lead trial counsel for Bayer, and Kilaru helped direct the legal strategy. A 12-member jury in Philadelphia returned a defense verdict after less than three …
Wilkinson Stekloff’s Kosta Stojilkovic, Kieran Gostin Named to Law360’s “Rising Stars”
July 30, 2018
WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff’s Kosta Stojilkovic and Kieran Gostin were named to Law360’s “Rising Stars of 2018,” an honor for “attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments transcend their age.” Kosta Stojilkovic was recognized for his trial work, while Kieran Gostin was recognized for his work on products liability matters. “Kosta and Kieran’s well-deserved recognition underscores our firm’s philosophy of empowering younger attorneys to showcase their talent, regardless of age or seniority,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Sean Eskovitz. “Kosta and Kieran are litigation superstars, bringing great intellect, judgment, and energy to everything they do, and we are proud that they are leading the way for the next generation of trial lawyers.“ Law360’s Rising Stars for 2018 were selected from over 1,200 submissions and are “based on their career accomplishments in their respective disciplines.” Most recently, Kosta obtained a complete defense verdict in McNair v. NCAA, a high-profile defamation case. At …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Named “Top Women in Litigation” by Benchmark
July 19, 2018
WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Beth Wilkinson, Alexandra Walsh, and Lori Alvino McGill were ranked among Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” all of whom “share the distinction of being recognized as top players in their respective fields.” Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson was also named among the “Top 10 Female Litigators” in the country. Benchmark’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” rankings recognize women who “have earned their place amongst the leading female litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients.” “Benchmark’s recognition of Beth, Alex, and Lori as leaders in our field is a great honor, reflecting the firm’s strong female leadership in a male-dominated industry,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Managing Partner Brant Bishop. “We’re proud to call Beth, Alex, and Lori our partners, and feel strongly that our firm’s diversity …