In recognition of the size, complexity, and significance of the litigation handled by the firm in 2023, Law360 has selected Wilkinson Stekloff among its Antitrust Practice Groups of the Year. Wilkinson Stekloff — dubbed “the legal equivalent of an elite special ops unit” by the American Lawyer — is redefining how businesses respond to antitrust matters. In 2023, the firm’s nimble team of renowned trial lawyers served as lead counsel in numerous complex, bet-the-company cases including:
- Microsoft: Wilkinson Stekloff won the second-biggest merger trial — and the largest ever involving a technology company — in American history, defeating the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction to block Microsoft’s proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and prevailing in opposing the FTC’s request for stays of the district court’s ruling pending appeal. The deal closed on October 13, 2023.
- Altria: Wilkinson Stekloff represented Altria in an administrative trial before the FTC alleging that Altria and JUUL Labs, Inc. (“JLI”) violated antitrust laws through Altria’s $12.8 billion purchase of a minority interest in JLI. A February 2022 ruling dismissed the FTC’s case in its entirety, and on June 30, 2023, the FTC dismissed its complaint against Altria.
- NCAA: Wilkinson Stekloff represents the NCAA in a putative antitrust class action lawsuit brought by current and former student-athletes under the Sherman Act. Plaintiffs are challenging NCAA rules that prohibit or limit student-athletes from receiving compensation for the commercial use of their name, image, and likeness.
- NFL: Wilkinson Stekloff represents the NFL, its 32 member teams, and NFL Enterprises in a certified class action antitrust 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 broadcast rights to NFL games.
- Cargill: Wilkinson Stekloff represents Cargill in an antitrust MDL concerning the cattle and beef industries in the United States and alleging violations of the Sherman Act, the Packers and Stockyards Act, and the Commodity Exchange Act, and dozens of state antitrust and consumer protections.