Wilkinson Stekloff partner Rakesh Kilaru has been named for the first time to Benchmark Litigation’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers—a select group of attorneys venerated by clients and peers alike for their mastery in the courtroom. He joins Founding Partners Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff, both staples on the prestigious list, rivaling the representation of Big Law firms.
Beth Wilkinson, one of the nation’s pre-eminent trial lawyers, continues to receive widespread acclaim for her unmatched ability to deliver when the stakes are highest. In recent years, she has led Microsoft, the NFL, and Altria to billion-dollar courtroom victories. She was recently set to serve as lead trial counsel to HPE in defending its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks against a federal court challenge from the DOJ, until the case resolved favorably for HPE on the doorstep of trial, allowing the deal to close. Beth is widely revered for her ability to distill complex issues into compelling narratives that resonate with judges and juries alike, and her annual recurrence as a Benchmark Top 100 Trial Lawyer—in addition to being named this year to Bloomberg Law’s inaugural list of “Unrivaled” litigators and Forbes’ Top 250 Lawyers in America—further cements her standing among the most formidable trial attorneys in the country.
Brian Stekloff is likewise a repeat honoree whose inclusion reflects his record of success in high-stakes product liability, class action, and mass tort trials. Having been recognized by Benchmark in 2023 as Trial Lawyer of the Year, Top Product Liability Litigator, and winning the National Impact Case Award for obtaining a complete defense verdict for Bayer in Clark v. Monsanto, Brian’s reputation as an elite courtroom advocate is unchallenged. As co-lead trial counsel for the NFL in their Sunday Ticket litigation, he dismantled expert testimony through sharp cross-examination at trial and argued the NFL’s post-trial motions for Daubert and judgment as a matter of law—which were both granted, paving the way to a complete victory for the NFL and its 32 member teams. Over the past year, he has served as lead trial counsel in bet-the-company antitrust litigation and sprawling mass tort proceedings for Fortune 500 companies across the technology, medical, manufacturing, and financial industries. These clients prize Brian’s calm command of the courtroom and his strategic leadership across the most complex, large-scale litigations.
Rakesh Kilaru’s addition among the nation’s most prominent trial lawyers follows a series of high-profile successes that have cemented his reputation as one of the foremost antitrust and sports litigators. He recently guided through final approval a groundbreaking settlement for the NCAA in multidistrict litigation over student-athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation—an agreement that reshapes the economics of collegiate athletics and has drawn national attention for its sweeping impact. Rakesh continues to represent the NCAA in its most consequential litigation, having secured dismissal on the papers of five purported class actions seeking tens of millions in damages for past NIL use, and argued multiple appeals of challenges to the NCAA’s longstanding eligibility rules. He also previously served as co-lead trial counsel alongside Beth for Microsoft, defending its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard at trial and successfully upholding it on appeal, and for the NFL with both Beth and Brian, guiding the team’s post-trial efforts that led to a defense victory. Benchmark’s recognition of three Wilkinson Stekloff Partners—along with its “Top 20 Trial Law Firm” and “Top Boutique” distinctions recently announced—highlights the firm’s elite trial capabilities and demonstrates that its boutique label belies its outsized impact in the courtrooms across the nation.