Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Rakesh Kilaru was named one of Law360’s 2021 Rising Stars–a lawyer under the age of 40 whose legal accomplishments “transcend his age.” Rakesh was selected out of more than 1,400 attorneys across the United States and is one of five recognized for exemplary work in the sports and betting industries. This latest award builds off Wilkinson Stekloff’s recent recognition as one of Law360’s Sports and Betting Groups of the year in 2020. In an interview with Law360, Kilaru discussed his involvement in every one of the firm’s sports litigation matters so far, representing the NCAA and the NFL. Rakesh noted the importance of focusing at all times on how “to sway the judge or jury,” while also keeping “in the back of your head how that will play on appeal.” Speaking about the skills he tries to bring to his clients, Rakesh added, “I’m …
Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Immigration Case, Withholding Removal for Pro Bono Client
June 9, 2021
Washington, D.C. – This week, Michelle Li, Zach Fields, Xiao Wang, and Jack Satti secured a significant win in Arlington Immigration Court on behalf of their client, “Rogelio.” Rogelio was seeking relief from deportation to Honduras through a procedure known as withholding of removal. While tens of thousands of immigrants seek this protection each year, only about 3% of such requests are granted. Wilkinson Stekloff’s victory followed a proceeding that spanned seventeen hours in open court over the course of several months, and involved hundreds of pages of briefing filed by both sides. “It is rare to have a case where a client’s liberty and freedom to live openly are so directly on the line,” said Fields. “It has been a true honor to represent Rogelio in his fight to live a full and open life in the United States.” Rogelio’s fears of returning to Honduras stemmed from his sexual …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza Named to Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40 List
March 23, 2021
Washington, D.C. – Crain’s New York Business named Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza to its annual 40 under 40 list, recognizing the most accomplished New York City-based professionals under age 40 across all sectors of the business world, including law, finance, real estate, technology, healthcare innovation, hospitality and the arts. Announcing her selection to 2021’s 40 under 40 class, Crain’s called Moira “very much a legal star” and praised her ability to relate to juries and witnesses while also proving to be “a canny legal strategist” who can “go for the jugular when necessary.” In an interview with Crain’s, Moira said one of the secrets to her success is that adversaries do not always expect her to “be as fierce” as she “definitely can be.” “She has ingenuity, creativity and doggedness,” Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson said to Crain’s about Moira. “She has great confidence, but she also has humility. Jurors can …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza Named to City & State’s Law Power 100 List
March 16, 2021
Washington, D.C. – City & State named Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza to its New York’s Law Power 100 list, which recognizes the most influential attorneys in the industry. This is Moira’s second recognition by City & State on the Power 100 list. City & State acknowledged Moira as “a rising star in New York’s legal world” and highlighted her lead roles in several high profile litigations including an $8 billion antitrust case against Allergan and Summer Zervos’s defamation case against Donald Trump. “I am grateful to have been recognized by City & State for two consecutive years,” said Moira Penza. “I look forward to continuing my work on high-stakes civil and criminal trials alongside my colleagues at Wilkinson Stekloff.” Prior to joining Wilkinson Stekloff, Moira served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York where she successfully led numerous criminal prosecutions, including the groundbreaking …
Wilkinson Stekloff Associate Chanakya Sethi Recognized by National LGBT Bar Association, Named to Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40 List
March 9, 2021
Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff associate Chanakya Sethi was named to the Best LBGTQ+ Lawyers Under 40 by the National LGBT Bar Association. Each year, the LGBT Bar recognizes LGBTQ+ lawyers, law professors, corporate counsel, and other legal professionals under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their field and have demonstrated a profound commitment to LGBTQ+ equality. This year’s class of honorees will be recognized at the 2021 Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair, which will take place July 28 to 30 in Los Angeles. “I am honored to be included among this talented group of attorneys,” said Wilkinson Stekloff associate Chan Sethi. “And I am committed to continuing to work in pursuit of equality for the LGBT community.” Chan has counseled clients in a wide range of notable high-stakes matters, including the successful representation of a federal judge in mandamus proceedings before the en banc D.C. …
Wilkinson Stekloff Lawyers Named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America List
January 28, 2021
Washington, D.C. – For the third consecutive year, Wilkinson Stekloff partners have been named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list. This year Lawdragon recognized Beth Wilkinson, Brian Stekloff, Kosta Stojilkovic, and Tamarra Matthews Johnson. All four partners have received accolades for their industry-leading accomplishments. Beth has repeatedly been named a Chambers Star Trial Lawyer and Brian was selected as one of Chambers’ “up and coming” trial lawyers. Kosta was named a Law360 Rising Star for Trials and to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 and Under Hot List. And Tamarra was recently selected as a Benchmark Future Star Litigator. “We are thrilled to again have four partners named to the Lawdragon 500 leading lawyers in America list,” said Rakesh Kilaru. “We pride ourselves on handling our clients’ most challenging cases from inception through verdict and beyond. We could not do that work without our bench of dynamic trial lawyers and …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Moira Penza and Ralia Polechronis Awarded Notable Women in Law by Crain’s New York Business
December 23, 2020
Washington, D.C. – Crain’s New York Business has named Wilkinson Stekloff partners Moira Penza and Ralia Polechronis to its Crain’s New York Business 2021 “Notable Women in Law” list. Crain’s selected attorneys based on their skills, sense of justice, and professional achievements. Moira and Ralia were also recognized for their pro bono work and commitment to helping their communities. Crain’s highlighted Moira’s high-profile litigation practice which builds upon her resume as a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Crain’s explained, “She’s been fielding an independent review of the Washington Football Team’s policies amid allegations of workplace misconduct. . .She’s also representing Altria in a series of. . .lawsuits arising out of its investment in Juul.” “I am honored to be recognized for my high-profile litigation experience and for the key role Wilkinson Stekloff plays in pro bono advocacy,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza. “It …
Wilkinson Stekloff Featured as Law360 Sports and Betting Practice Group of the Year
December 16, 2020
Washington, D.C. – Law360 recently interviewed Partners Beth Wilkinson and Rakesh Kilaru in its feature highlighting Wilkinson Stekloff as a 2020 Sports and Betting Practice Group of the Year. Law360 singled out Wilkinson Stekloff as “an important player in sports law, successfully defending major sports leagues in litigation and conducting misconduct investigations in both football and tennis.” Law360 focused its recognition on Wilkinson Stekloff’s work representing the NFL in an antitrust dispute over the NFL Sunday Ticket product broadcast media rights, and the NCAA in multiple class actions over its rules regarding the compensation and benefits student-athletes can receive student-athlete image rights. In the interview, Beth told Law360, “We have spectacular people who really want to be trial lawyers. There’s very few firms where people actually try cases, especially the sports cases we do. Many of them are complicated and high-stakes antitrust cases and that’s why sports leagues and teams …
Wilkinson Stekloff Adds Six New Associates
December 1, 2020
WASHINGTON — Wilkinson Stekloff today announced the addition of five new associates in its Washington D.C. office and one new associate in its New York office. Megan Braun, Zach Fields, Julian Jiggetts, Michelle Li, Blake Neal, and Alison Zoschak join Wilkinson Stekloff’s industry-leading trial practice as the firm nears its fifth year. “We are excited to have Megan, Zach, Julian, Michelle, Blake, and Alison joining us. Our new associates are incredibly talented and will bring diverse perspectives that will help us deliver the best results for our clients” said James Rosenthal, Wilkinson Stekloff Managing Partner. Megan Braun comes to Wilkinson Stekloff after completing three clerkships, most recently on the Supreme Court for Chief Justice John Roberts. She previously clerked for Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Before clerking for …
Wilkinson Stekloff Named One of Law360’s Sports and Betting Practice Groups of the Year
November 30, 2020
Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff has been recognized as a Law360 2020 Sports and Betting Practice Group of the Year. Law360 focused its recognition on the law firms “behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry in the past year” with “an eye toward landmark matters and general excellence.” Out of all firms nationwide, Law360 singled out Wilkinson Stekloff as one of just four firms handling the most significant litigation matters and investigations shaping professional and college sports today. “I am honored that Law360 recognized Wilkinson Stekloff for the unique strength of our sports practice,” said Brian Stekloff. “We’re pleased to have a deep bench of talented litigators with expertise in handling sports matters for a variety of different clients, both at trial and in other contexts.” In just over four years, Wilkinson Stekloff has handled a variety of significant sports-related litigation matters. Wilkinson Stekloff …