In recognition of Wilkinson Stekloff’s work on some of the most consequential products liability trials across the country, the National Law Journal selected the firm among its finalists for the 2023 Legal Awards Litigation Department of the Year: Products Liability. In addition, Founding Partner Brian Stekloff was named a finalist in the Winning Litigators category for the second year in a row, and Counsel Anastasia Pastan was named a Rising Star. The National Law Journal’s Legal Awards is a prestigious annual series that highlights the top litigation and appellate work of law firms and attorneys from the previous year. Wilkinson Stekloff is the leading trial litigation boutique in the country, demonstrating a depth of talent and dexterity of skill unmatched by firms of any size. Since the firm’s 2016 founding, it has served as lead trial counsel in seven major bellwether products liability trials and continues to lead teams that …
15 Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys Recognized in 2022 D.C. Pro Bono Honor Roll
September 7, 2023
D.C. Courts, in partnership with the D.C. Access to Justice Commission and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, honored 15 Wilkinson Stekloff attorneys in its 2022 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll. The Honor Roll, which is jointly sponsored by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of D.C., recognizes attorneys who provide 50 or more hours of pro bono services or 100 or more hours of service for the High Honors category. These honorees played a vital role in providing desperately needed legal representation to those living in poverty and/or to disadvantaged small businesses and community-based nonprofits that are critical to the economic well-being of our community. The Wilkinson Stekloff attorneys recognized include: Anastasia Pastan, Counsel (High Honors) Matthew Skanchy, Counsel (High Honors) Tania Martinez, Associate (High Honors) Brian Stekloff, Founding Partner Jeremy Barber, Partner Kieran Gostin, Partner Rakesh Kilaru, Partner Sarah Neuman, Counsel Alison Zoschak, …
Beth Wilkinson Named “Litigator of the Week” for Leading Microsoft’s Defense of Activision Deal
July 17, 2023
On July 14, the American Lawyer named Beth Wilkinson its “Litigator of the Week,” and described Wilkinson Stekloff as “the legal equivalent of an elite special ops unit,” for leading Microsoft’s successful defense of its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This intensely competitive recognition highlights the entire Wilkinson Stekloff team — including, in addition to Beth, Rakesh Kilaru, Kieran Gostin, Grace Hill, Anastasia Pastan, and Sarah Neuman — for its representation of Microsoft in a five-day evidentiary hearing in late June related to the Federal Trade Commission’s attempt to block Microsoft’s largest-ever acquisition. On July 10, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley of the Northern District of California denied the FTC’s bid for an injunction to block the deal, finding the agency hadn’t proven that Microsoft was likely to pull the game “Call of Duty” from Sony’s PlayStation “or that its ownership of Activision content will substantially lessen competition in the video …
Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Denial of FTC Motion to Block Microsoft-Activision Blizzard Deal
July 10, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Beth Wilkinson and Rakesh Kilaru, secured a groundbreaking victory for Microsoft, winning the second-biggest merger trial in American history. On June 12, 2023, the FTC filed a federal lawsuit to enjoin Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Just four weeks later, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley denied the FTC’s motion for a preliminary injunction, finding that the Federal Trade Commission failed to make its case that the acquisition would substantially lessen competition in the gaming industry. Wilkinson Stekloff has served as litigation counsel for Microsoft since the day after the acquisition was announced, in January 2022. Over the following 18 months, the WS team led all aspects of litigation strategy, including developing the factual record and handling more than 40 depositions of company witnesses and experts. Just weeks before the transaction’s outside closing date of July 18, 2023, the FTC filed suit in the Northern District of California to enjoin the …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys Promoted to Counsel
January 6, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Sarah Neuman, Anastasia Pastan, and Matthew Skanchy have been promoted to counsel effective January 1, 2023. “Sarah, Anastasia, and Matthew have all been with our firm since very early on. We are grateful for their many contributions to the growth of our team, and proud of all the successes they have achieved on behalf of our clients,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. “Our mission is not just to hire outstanding attorneys — we strive to give them meaningful trial experience and client exposure. These three next-generation trial lawyers embody that commitment and have demonstrated their excellence and leadership throughout their careers.” Sarah Neuman Sarah has been a member of numerous trial teams, including the team that secured a complete defense verdict in a multi-state consumer fraud class action involving Bayer’s One A Day multivitamins, and the trial teams that prevailed in …
Wilkinson Stekloff Lawyers Named to LCLD 2022 Class
March 4, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce its selection of three rising leaders to participate in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows and Pathfinder Programs. LCLD prepares future generations of diverse talent for the highest positions of leadership, and their programs are a premier professional development platform designed for diverse, high-potential attorneys. This year, Wilkinson Stekloff is sponsoring Partner Ralia Polechronis as a Fellow and Associates Julian Jiggetts and Anastasia Pastan as Pathfinders. Lawyers selected for the LCLD programs demonstrate leadership skills, impact in their organization, engagement within the community, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Participants will receive professional and personal development opportunities, leadership training, and relationship-building opportunities, including access to LCLD members and alumni throughout the year-long program. Ralia is an experienced litigator who represents Fortune 500 companies in bet-the-company litigation ranging from antitrust, products liability, contract disputes and general commercial litigation. Before joining Wilkinson Stekloff, she served as the Executive Director and General Counsel of …
Missouri Department of Corrections Required to Provide Lifesaving Hepatitis C Treatment to Thousands Behind Bars
August 21, 2020
Wilkinson Stekloff, ACLU of Missouri, and Macarthur Justice Center reach landmark settlement requiring Hepatitis C treatment and education Washington, D.C. – Today, Wilkinson Stekloff LLP announced a landmark settlement, ensuring that people incarcerated in Missouri’s prisons will receive life-saving Hepatitis C treatment and education. Wilkinson Stekloff brought its trial expertise to the case after class certification was affirmed by the Eighth Circuit, joining the ACLU of Missouri and the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center to litigate the case in district court for the plaintiffs and achieve a successful resolution. In June 2019, Wilkinson Stekloff and its co-counsel filed a motion for preliminary injunction, seeking to require the Missouri Department of Corrections and its private medical services contractor, Corizon LLC, to begin treating class members immediately. The Wilkinson Stekloff team recruited a roster of credentialed experts from around the country to offer evidence in support of Plaintiffs’ motion. At a …
Wilkinson Stekloff Adds More Firepower, Including Two Supreme Court Clerks, to Associate Ranks
August 21, 2017
WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff, the boutique trial litigation firm launched just eighteen months ago, announced Monday that it will add seven new attorneys to its current roster of highly skilled and accomplished associates. Two of the new hires recently finished coveted clerkships on the U.S. Supreme Court. The group will add even more firepower to the firm’s already-impressive team of diverse and talented young lawyers. No longer a start-up, the firm dubbed by Benchmark as “Boutique Law Firm of the Year,” has grown to 38 lawyers, with offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and New York. “We are thrilled to welcome these talented lawyers to the Wilkinson Stekloff team,” said Sean Eskovitz, a founding partner of the firm. “When we started Wilkinson Stekloff, we set out to build a firm that attracts top talent and helps young lawyers grow into superlative trial litigators. These seven are among the best and …