Wilkinson Stekloff has been named a Top 20 Trial Law Firm in the highly anticipated 2023 Benchmark Litigation guide. Along with this prestigious recognition, the firm is also ranked as Tier 1 for General Commercial Litigation and recognized as a Top Boutique and Highly Recommended firm. Benchmark Litigation is considered the definitive guide to the world’s leading litigation firms and lawyers. The rankings are determined through six months of research, which includes extensive interviews with clients. In addition to top-tier firm rankings, Wilkinson Stekloff founding partner Beth Wilkinson was named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer. This elite group consists of partners who have been selected by peers and clients as the best of the best in the practice of trial law, with the representative work to exemplify this status. This recognition comes on the heels of Beth being named a Top 10 Female Litigator by Benchmark Litigation for the second …
Experienced Trial Attorney Keri Arnold Joins Wilkinson Stekloff
October 5, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Keri Arnold has joined the firm as a partner. With over 20 years’ experience defending companies in product liability, environmental and complex commercial litigation, Keri has tried over a dozen cases to verdict. “Keri is a talented litigator with a great depth of experience handling difficult and technical cases,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson. “She is an ideal fit for our team and for our clients, who know they can look to us to take on their most challenging matters.” Over the course of her career, Keri has served as first chair trial counsel on behalf of major pharmaceutical, tobacco and energy companies. Her experience includes handling bellwether cases, class action suits and high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death matters, many of which have involved complex medical and scientific evidence. “Keri will be a tremendous asset to clients facing class action …
The Washingtonian Honors Beth Wilkinson with Top Lawyers Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award
September 21, 2022
Beth Wilkinson has been honored by the Washingtonian with the Top Lawyers Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award. This recognition is reserved for Washington, D.C.-based lawyers noted as a Top Lawyer by the publication for at least 10 of the past 15 years. The annual Top Lawyers list is put together strictly through a peer voting process where hundreds of local lawyers are asked whom they would trust if they needed legal counsel themselves. The names included on this “Lifetime Achievement” honor roll are noted as the best among their peers. Among her many accolades, Beth is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Law Institute (ALI), and a Legal 500 Leading Trial Lawyer. She has been named a Litigator of the Year by The American Lawyer, a Law360 Trial Ace and Trial MVP, and a National Law Journal Winning Litigator. Chambers and Partners …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Recognized in the National Law Journal Legal Awards 2022
September 9, 2022
The National Law Journal has recognized three Wilkinson Stekloff partners in its 2022 Legal Awards. The prestigious annual series highlights the top litigation and appellate work of law firms and attorneys from the previous year. Wilkinson Stekloff had more individuals distinguished than any other firm. Partners Cali Cope-Kasten and Rakesh Kilaru were both named Rising Stars, while Founding Partner Brian Stekloff is a finalist in the “Winning Litigators” category. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on October 20. Cali made partner in early 2022, fresh off acting as trial counsel to help secure the first win for Monsanto in the Roundup mass tort litigation. She has played a critical role in six jury trials, three of which were federal multi-district litigation bellwether cases, and two bench trials. She has argued numerous motions in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate level and is serving as trial counsel for Monsanto in …
Beth Wilkinson Named Top 10 Female Litigator by Benchmark Litigation for 2022
August 4, 2022
For the second year in a row, Beth Wilkinson has been named a Top 10 Female Litigator by Benchmark Litigation. While Benchmark honors the Top 250 female litigators across the US each year, the publication also recognizes the elite top 10 leading lawyers of that iconic cohort. The Benchmark Top 10 Female Litigator list identifies the most prominent individuals, nominated on the strength of historical and unwavering peer and client review, as well as proven achievements. The firm celebrates Beth’s unparalleled record of victories in the courtroom and congratulates her on this latest recognition.
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Named to Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under List
July 27, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Kieran Gostin, Rakesh Kilaru, and Moira Penza were named to the 2022 Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under List, the guide to the nation’s most notable up-and-coming litigation attorneys. This is the second consecutive year that all three partners have been recognized by Benchmark, with Kieran making a third appearance and Rakesh securing a spot each year since 2018. Kieran has made his career representing the government and private clients in high-profile matters. Recently, he has represented clients in several major class actions, including obtaining a complete defense verdict in a rare trial of a major consumer class action. Over the past five years, he has also gone to trial in five product-liability trials, securing defense judgments in each case. Rakesh specializes in delivering favorable results to clients at every stage of litigation, tackling everything from arguing dispositive motions to crossing expert witnesses at trial to arguing precedent-setting appeals. He …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Cali Cope-Kasten Featured in Law.com’s “How I Made Partner” Series
July 19, 2022
For its series asking top-tier lawyers about their path to promotion, Law.com recently featured Wilkinson Stekloff partner Cali Cope-Kasten. Cali reflects on the key to successful business development — “doing excellent work” — and the impact founding partner Beth Wilkinson has made on her development as a trial attorney: “She has been a champion for me and for so many young women at our firm. She helped me develop a reputation with our clients by giving me opportunities early in my career to have a seat at the table in client meetings and encouraging me to stand up and speak up to present my work every chance I got. And watching her engage with judges and juries has been an incredible learning experience that has provided me with inspiration to develop my own style.” Cali made partner in early 2022 following the critical role she played in Clark v. Monsanto …
Wilkinson Stekloff Helps Secure Win Blocking Arizona “Fetal Personhood” Law
July 13, 2022
A federal district court has granted a preliminary injunction preventing a 2021 law that grants “personhood” rights to fetuses, embryos, and fertilized eggs from being used to prohibit abortion care in Arizona. The emergency motion for an injunction was filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Arizona, and Wilkinson Stekloff LLP on behalf of the Arizona Medical Association, the Arizona National Council of Jewish Women, Arizona NOW, and two abortion providers, Dr. Paul Isaacson and Dr. Eric Reuss. “The district court decision blocking the enforcement of Arizona’s personhood law helps protect Arizonans from civil and criminal penalties stemming from the provision of abortion care,” said Wilkinson Stekloff partner Ralia Polechronis. “Before this significant ruling, confusion and fear created by this vague provision were resulting in Arizonans being deprived of access to essential and time-sensitive healthcare. We are proud to have achieved this meaningful victory …
Business Insider Names Cali Cope-Kasten 2022 Rising Star of the Courtroom
June 22, 2022
Cali Cope-Kasten has been named a 2022 Rising Star of the Courtroom by Business Insider. The prestigious list profiles 15 up-and-coming litigators who have represented clients in blockbuster trials and class actions around the country. An embodiment of Wilkinson Stekloff’s mission to develop the next generation of trial lawyers, Cali has earned this recognition at the age of 33, years before most of her fellow recipients. Late last year, Cali played a critical role examining several witnesses in Clark v. Monsanto, the first case involving a child plaintiff in the litigation over whether the herbicide Roundup causes Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. After a single day of deliberation, a jury delivered the first-ever verdict for Monsanto. Describing her experience with Business Insider, Cali shared that “jurors told her afterward that her questioning of a weed scientist about how often Roundup was typically used was key to their understanding of the case.” Brian Stekloff, who has known Cali …
Wilkinson Stekloff Welcomes Hannah Bedard
June 14, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Hannah Bedard has joined the firm as an associate. Previously, Hannah was an associate at Kirkland & Ellis in Washington, D.C. She has worked on a variety of complex civil litigation matters, including patent, trade secret, contract, and False Claims Act cases. Hannah has experience in all stages of litigation and has represented clients in motions for injunctive relief, summary judgment, and post-trial relief. She has also been a member of numerous appellate teams. In addition to her litigation work, Hannah maintains an active pro bono practice. She has represented clients in federal appellate courts, state courts, and agencies. Among other successes, she represented an incarcerated defendant before the Seventh Circuit and secured his release by persuading the court that his Fourth Amendment rights had been violated. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she served as an executive editor …