Partner Rakesh Kilaru appeared on CNN’s The Lead to discuss how White House lawyers are likely approaching the vetting process underway for President Biden’s potential Supreme Court nominees. “A president always wants to be ready for a Supreme Court nomination, and so I’m sure lawyers in the White House have taken a close look at a lot of potential candidates,” Rakesh said. “What I imagine is happening now is a lot of fast-moving action to try to figure out who the right person is from a political and from a legal perspective. In particular, by making sure there are no red flags in the background.” Prior to joining Wilkinson Stekloff, Rakesh clerked for Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and served as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel in the Office of White House Counsel. During his time at the White House, Rakesh played a lead role in the selection process for President …
2021 Year In Review
January 26, 2022
WASHINGTON — In 2021, despite ongoing pandemic-related delays and challenges, the Wilkinson Stekloff team continued to litigate with the intensity and success that has cemented our reputation as the leading trial boutique in the country. In a year where trials remained scarce, WS tried two high-profile cases in 2021: WS served as lead trial counsel for Altria Group, Inc. in an adversarial administrative proceeding before the FTC. The FTC alleged that Altria and JLI violated antitrust laws through Altria’s purchase of a minority interest in JLI. At trial, Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson handled opening statements and examined multiple high-profile witnesses, including Altria’s current and former CEO, Altria’s general counsel, and both sides’ economic experts. WS Partner Moira Penza examined Altria’s scientists, and WS Partner James Rosenthal played a central role in strategy and legal briefing. After a single day of deliberation in October 2021, a jury delivered the first-ever verdict for Monsanto in litigation over whether the herbicide Roundup causes …
Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Asylum for Client in Pro Bono Victory
January 6, 2022
Working pro bono on behalf of an immigrant seeking asylum from the ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon, Wilkinson Stekloff associates Sarah Neuman and Alison Zoschak delivered a victory for their client in Arlington Immigration Court in Virginia just before the Christmas holiday. The team — which also included partner James Rosenthal, legal assistant Jack Satti, and case manager Patrick O’Keefe — represented an English-speaking teacher from Cameroon who was repeatedly detained and tortured by the Cameroonian government and also received a death threat from the separatist fighters who oppose that same government. “Our client is passionate about education,” Sarah explained. He was a youth activist, and starting in 2013, he took on a leadership role in an organization focused on youth empowerment. The government mistook the organization’s meetings, which took place in the Anglophone regions of the country, as opposition party meetings. From that time forward, the client was on the …
Wilkinson Stekloff Announces Promotions
January 4, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Cali Cope-Kasten has been promoted to partner, and Max Warren and Hayter Whitman have been promoted to counsel, effective January 1, 2022. All three attorneys have been with the firm since its founding in 2016. “Cases are won by tight-knit teams of smart, innovative, and highly skilled litigators united by a common commitment to excellence,” said WS Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. “These three lawyers have demonstrated those qualities in numerous, high-stakes trials and other cases throughout their careers. We are proud of the many successes they have achieved on behalf of our clients, and look forward to their continued contributions.” Cali Cope-Kasten has served as a key member of several trial teams, including most recently securing the groundbreaking verdict for Monsanto in Clark v. Monsanto, at which she was trial counsel. She represents corporate clients across a diverse set of industries, from pharmaceuticals …
Crain’s New York Selects Partners Moira Penza and Ralia Polechronis as “Notable Women in Law”
December 21, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to congratulate Partners Moira Penza and Ralia Polechronis on being named 2022 Notable Women in Law by Crain’s New York Business. The elite list of 119 lawyers includes women in all areas of law in New York City and surrounding counties who have been practicing for at least ten years and have attained a leadership role at their firms. Crain’s writes that honorees were chosen “not only for their skills and accomplishments in the courtroom, but for their leadership outside of it.” Moira Penza is an accomplished litigator with a record of success winning high-stakes civil and criminal trials. Her work has been recognized through industry accolades such as Bloomberg Law’s 2021 They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40; Benchmark Litigation’s 2021 40 and Under Hot List; and Law 360’s list of 2020 Rising Stars in the prestigious “Trials” category. Moira is a lifelong …
Law360 Publishes “Pandemic-Era Lessons in Jury Selection, Court Dynamics” by Brian Stekloff
December 14, 2021
In an Expert Analysis article published by Law 360, Wilkinson Stekloff founding partner Brian Stekloff examines how the pandemic and the necessary use of transmission mitigation measures continue to impact jury selection and courtroom dynamics during in-person trials. Throughout a recent high-stakes product liability trial, Brian and his team adapted their approach in several ways and he shares his “lessons learned” here, including allocating more time for voir dire, interpreting prospective jurors’ questionnaire answers through the lens of the pandemic, and reassessing the physical setup of the courtroom to ensure all parties can hear and evaluate witness testimony despite masks and alternate seating arrangements. Read Brian’s article on Law360.com.
Wilkinson Stekloff Welcomes New Class of Associates
December 7, 2021
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce the addition of eight associates. The new class is the largest and most diverse in the firm’s history. “Cases are won by teams who share different perspectives but are united by a common commitment to excellence. We are proud to have recruited some of the best and brightest young lawyers to form the largest and most diverse class Wilkinson Stekloff has had the privilege of welcoming since our founding in 2016,” said Beth Wilkinson, founding partner, Wilkinson Stekloff. “We are excited to have this talented group join our team,” added Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. “Our attorneys appear in front of jury pools that represent all of America and our lawyers need to reflect that. It is critical for us to hire diverse attorneys and give them meaningful trial experience and client exposure.” The WS team reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to talent …
Wilkinson Stekloff Delivers Pre-Trial Win for Medtronic and Covidien in Hernia Mesh Litigation
November 30, 2021
A U.S. District Court Judge handed down a decisive victory for Medtronic and Covidien in litigation arising from claims that one of their hernia mesh products has design and manufacturing defects, and that the company provided inadequate warnings about the risks of the hernia mesh. Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff led the victory in Northrup v. Covidien (C.D. Cal.) by obtaining key admissions from Plaintiff’s expert that were quoted extensively in the Court’s opinion dismissing the case. Brian Stekloff also led oral argument before Judge Dean Pregerson on Defendants’ motions to exclude the opinions of Plaintiff’s expert and for summary judgment. Judge Pregerson agreed with Defendants’ arguments, and, on November 24, ruled that all of Plaintiff’s expert’s opinions were inadmissible under Daubert and that Plaintiff’s claims could not proceed in the absence of admissible expert support. Judge Pregerson dismissed the case in its entirety. Northrup v. Covidien had been set to go to trial …
Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson Recognized as 2021 Power Player by Sports Business Journal
October 26, 2021
Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson has been recognized as a 2021 Power Player by Sports Business Journal. Beth has been lead counsel in over 50 jury trials, including numerous bet-the-company, multibillion-dollar cases. Her work on high-stakes, headline-making sports matters is particularly well known . Beth has handled some of the most significant litigation shaping professional and college sports today, including serving as lead trial counsel for the NCAA in antitrust lawsuits brought by current and former student-athletes challenging NCAA rules limiting the compensation student-athletes may receive. In addition, Beth was lead counsel for the NFL, its 32 member teams, and NFL Enterprises in a putative class action lawsuit challenging the NFL’s multibillion-dollar exclusive distributorship arrangement with DIRECTV for Sunday Ticket and the business arrangements whereby the NFL teams collectively license the broadcast rights to NFL Games.
Wilkinson Stekloff Wins First-Ever Jury Verdict for Monsanto in Roundup Mass Tort Litigation
October 6, 2021
After a single day of deliberation, a jury delivered the first-ever verdict for Monsanto yesterday in Clark v. Monsanto, a trial involving claims that the herbicide Roundup causes Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff first-chaired the trial; Associate Cali Cope-Kasten handled several witnesses, and Partner Kieran Gostin advised on all aspects of trial strategy. Clark was the fourth case in this mass tort to go to trial; the three previous trials resulted in verdicts against Monsanto ranging from $81 million to over $2 billion. Clark was also the first case involving a child plaintiff. The victory was the product of a comprehensive trial strategy. Shortly after being retained as lead trial counsel, Brian convinced the judge to “reverse bifurcate” the case into a first phase focused on causation and a second phase focused on liability and damages. The ruling marked the first time a state court judge has …