WASHINGTON – Wilkinson, Walsh + Eskovitz today announced that former Obama Administration official Rakesh Kilaru has joined the firm’s rapidly growing litigation practice. Rakesh served as a Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel in the Office of White House Counsel, where he provided legal advice to President Obama and senior administration officials focusing on healthcare, education, labor and employment, housing, and the Supreme Court. He also helped to develop and implement the government’s litigation strategy in cases arising under the Affordable Care Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. “It’s an honor to be joining Wilkinson, Walsh + Eskovitz,” said Mr. Kilaru. “The firm has quickly become known for employing innovative and intelligent strategies to win high-profile, high-stakes trials, and I’m thrilled to work with such an impressive group of litigators.” Before joining the White House, Rakesh clerked for Justice Elena Kagan of the Supreme Court of the …
Benchmark Names Wilkinson Stekloff “Boutique Firm of the Year”
March 3, 2017
WASHINGTON – Benchmark Litigation named Wilkinson Stekloff the “Boutique Firm of the Year” during its annual awards ceremony in New York City. This prestigious award recognizes Wilkinson Stekloff’s remarkable accomplishments in just its first year, including a high-stakes jury trial win two months after opening its doors last February and other high-profile engagements for the NFL, Pfizer, Facebook, Bayer, the NCAA, Theranos, and Medtronic. “The Benchmark award recognizes our commitment to excellence and getting results for our clients,” said founding partner Beth Wilkinson, an American Lawyer Litigator of the Year. “We have the best trial teams, with unmatched courtroom experience, ready to win more high-stakes cases across the country.” In selecting Wilkinson Stekloff for this award, Benchmark described the trial-focused boutique as “emblematic of a litigator’s dream shop, boasting composite qualities of diversity, youth, and a culture fostering a work-hard-play-hard ethos that its personnel takes to heart.” With offices in …
Wilkinson Stekloff Co-Founders Are Blazing a Trail as Women First-Chair Trial Lawyers
March 1, 2017
March 1, 2017 – Wilkinson Stekloff co-founders Beth Wilkinson and Alexandra Walsh are blazing a trail for women as first-chair trial lawyers, a role long dominated by men. Wilkinson and Walsh have unparalleled experience trying sophisticated, high-profile cases, which is still uncommon at many law firms. A recent ABA Journal feature highlighting the gender discrepancy among top litigation firms recognized Wilkinson and Walsh for their efforts to bring more women to the forefront, both by example and by advocating for greater female representation in the first-chair role. “’I think you can either complain—which is what I sometimes do—or try to make a difference,’ [Wilkinson] says. ‘And we’re trying to make a difference.’” Half of the partners at Wilkinson Stekloff are women; and with the exception of the appellate partner, they all have experience first-chairing trials. Read the full story here: http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/female_first_chairs
Experienced Trial Attorney Jeremy Barber Elected To Wilkinson Stekloff Partnership
January 10, 2017
Wilkinson Stekloff is thrilled to announce the election to our partnership of experienced trial attorney Jeremy Barber. Jeremy’s background includes four years of service as an Assistant United States Attorney and four years as Senior Nominations Counsel in the Office of Legal Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice. Jeremy has successfully represented numerous clients in private practice, and he played an instrumental role in Wilkinson Stekloff’s first trial, for Altria Group’s subsidiary, Philip Morris USA. Jeremy joined Wilkinson Stekloff as Counsel in January 2016. His passion, skills, and dedication to client service are a welcome addition to the Wilkinson Stekloff partnership.
Beth Wilkinson Honored By Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
October 17, 2016
On October 20, Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson will receive the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ (LAFLA) Maynard Toll award, established to honor members of the bar for their commitment to public service. Beth joins a distinguished list of past honorees, including former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George, Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard A. Paez, former U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Morrow, and former U.S. Secretary of Education Shirley M. Hufstedler. Wilkinson Stekloff is proud to support LAFLA’s mission of achieving equal justice for underserved populations, and congratulates Beth on this well-deserved recognition.
Pro Bono Asylum Victory for Wilkinson Stekloff
September 21, 2016
Wilkinson Stekloff celebrates an asylum victory today for a sixteen-year old client fleeing persecution in Honduras. Our client suffered persecution in Honduras after his father, a member of a local taxi driver’s cooperative, defied a powerful international gang by refusing to make extortion payments. The gang stalked, threatened, and attempted to kidnap our client from school. Associate Max Warren led the case under the supervision of partner Brian Stekloff. Associates Norman Pentelovitch, Cali Cope-Kasten, and Meg Loftus, paralegal Youlan Xiu, and assistant Kat Phillips assisted with the case. The team worked in collaboration Human Rights First, a non-profit international human rights organization. We are proud of our client for the enormous bravery he has demonstrated in the face of adversity, and know he will be a model citizen in the United States.
Wilkinson Stekloff Adds Three Preeminent Trial Attorneys On Two Coasts
September 20, 2016
Wilkinson Stekloff continues to grow its trial boutique with the addition of three young and experienced trial attorneys to its all-star team: Jennifer Saulino, who joins as a partner from the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice; Kosta Stojilkovic, who has joined the firm as a partner from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Koren (“Kori”) Bell, who will join the firm as counsel in Los Angeles from the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles, where she is a Supervising Trial Deputy. According to Wilkinson Stekloff founding partner Sean Eskovitz, who heads the firm’s Los Angeles office, “Jennifer, Kosta, and Kori have exactly what we are always looking for: energy, intelligence and courtroom confidence. Adding them to the Wilkinson Stekloff team expands our ability to provide top-drawer trial talent to clients.” Wilkinson Stekloff, which opened its doors in February, has grown …
Beth Wilkinson Inducted Into The American College of Trial Lawyers
September 19, 2016
Beth Wilkinson, partner and co-founder of Wilkinson Stekloff LLP, has been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the premier professional trial organization in North America. The American College of Trial Lawyers is an invitation-only fellowship of exceptional trial lawyers with diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada. Membership is limited to the top one percent of the total population of lawyers from any state or province. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship in the College. Only those lawyers who have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and collegiality are considered to be inducted as Fellows. “I could not feel more honored about the American College of Trial Lawyers’ recognition, nor more grateful to our clients for trusting me and Wilkinson Stekloff to handle their important trials,” Wilkinson …
Just Six Months After Opening Its Doors, Wilkinson Stekloff Named to Vault’s “Top 150 Under 150”
July 29, 2016
Vault has named Wilkinson Stekloff as one of the top 150 midsized and small firms in the country. Though only six months old, the firm has already secured high-stakes trial work from top-tier clients, more than doubled in size, won a complete defense verdict in a jury trial where plaintiffs sought over $1.5 billion in punitive and compensatory damages, and notched victories in state and federal courts throughout the country. Wilkinson Stekloff is thrilled to have its innovative work, model, and culture recognized by Vault. View Vault’s “Top 150 Under 150” list here.
Beth Wilkinson and Alexandra Walsh Recognized as Among Top Women in Litigation
July 7, 2016
Benchmark Litigation has named founding partners Beth Wilkinson and Alex Walsh to its list of “Top 250 Women in Litigation” in the U.S. Click here to read Benchmark’s “firm spotlight” of Wilkinson Stekloff, which features an interview with Beth. To view Benchmark’s Top 250 list in its entirety, visit Benchmark Litigation.com.