WASHINGTON — Wilkinson Stekloff today announced the addition of three new associates in its Washington office and one new associate in its Los Angeles office. Xiao Wang, D’Juan Jones, Jaclyn Delligatti, and Meghan Cleary join Wilkinson Stekloff’s team of expert litigators as the firm nears its third year. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Xiao, D’Juan, Jaclyn, and Meghan into the Wilkinson Stekloff family,” said Beth Wilkinson, Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner. “Our firm’s strength comes from the diversity of our team and the hands-on, inside-the-courtroom experience that all of our attorneys receive. We are confident that this group of stellar associates will become future litigation superstars.” Xiao Wang joins Wilkinson Stekloff from Williams &Connolly LLP, where he worked on insider trading, immigration, and media and entertainment matters. Before joining Williams & Connolly, he clerked for Judge Lucy H. Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District …
Benchmark Names Beth Wilkinson an “Elite” Top 100 Trial Lawyer
October 5, 2018
Washington, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson has been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by Benchmark Litigation 2018. The award recognizes “elite trial strategists” for their successes in the courtroom. “At this point, it goes without saying that Beth’s recognitions are well-deserved. She is continuously recognized as a top trial lawyer precisely because of the high-profile victories she delivers for her clients and her role as a trailblazer in and outside of the courtroom,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Alexandra Walsh. “She is a role model for our firm’s younger associates, a force to be reckoned with when in front of a jury, and a paragon of success in the legal community at large.” Since founding Wilkinson Stekloff less than three years ago, Beth has notched a string of standout trial victories, been honored and recognized for her and Wilkinson Stekloff’s various successes, and built the firm …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Secure Complete Dismissal of Securities Fraud Class Action
September 5, 2018
WASHINGTON – The Wilkinson Stekloff Team, led by Founding Partners Brant Bishop and Beth Wilkinson and partner Kosta Stojilkovic, won complete dismissal of a securities fraud class action case in the Eastern District of Virginia for client MAXIMUS Inc. In August 2017, MAXIMUS was sued under sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, based on allegations that the company, along with several members of its executive team, had made false or misleading statements on earnings calls and in SEC filings concerning MAXIMUS’s performance on a major contract with the British government. Led by Brant Bishop, Wilkinson Stekloff moved to dismiss the amended complaint with prejudice, arguing that plaintiffs failed to plead facts giving rise to an inference that MAXIMUS acted with scienter, or an intent to defraud. Wilkinson Stekloff also argued that plaintiff failed to plead materiality as to certain alleged misstatements or omissions, and also …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Named “Top Women in Litigation” by Benchmark
July 19, 2018
WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Beth Wilkinson, Alexandra Walsh, and Lori Alvino McGill were ranked among Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation,” all of whom “share the distinction of being recognized as top players in their respective fields.” Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson was also named among the “Top 10 Female Litigators” in the country. Benchmark’s “Top 250 Women in Litigation” rankings recognize women who “have earned their place amongst the leading female litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients.” “Benchmark’s recognition of Beth, Alex, and Lori as leaders in our field is a great honor, reflecting the firm’s strong female leadership in a male-dominated industry,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Managing Partner Brant Bishop. “We’re proud to call Beth, Alex, and Lori our partners, and feel strongly that our firm’s diversity …
Wilkinson Stekloff Selected As Industry-Leading “Best Midsize Law Firm To Work For”
WASHINGTON – Vault named Wilkinson Stekloff the sixth best midsize law firm to work for in its 2019 Law Firm Rankings. Among other accolades, Vault ranked Wilkinson Stekloff second for compensation, third for diversity, and fourth for pro bono. These rankings are based on the results of a survey distributed to associates at each law firm, reflecting associates’ views about their firms. In addition, Vault selected Wilkinson Stekloff for its “Top 150 Under 150” list, which recognizes “outstanding law firms with fewer attorneys, but no less expertise, than the global megafirms that often dominate rankings and headlines.” Vault is well-known for its influential rankings, ratings, and reviews of thousands of top employers. “Wilkinson Stekloff has built a culture of empowering younger attorneys and delivering exceptional results for our clients,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson. “I am proud to work with such a diverse team of star litigators, and …
Wilkinson Stekloff Selected As Industry-Leading “Best Law Firm For Female Attorneys”
May 29, 2018
WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff was named the fifth best law firm for female attorneys among all firms with 20 to 149 lawyers in Law360’s 2018 Glass Ceiling report. Though women represent just over one-third of all attorneys in private practice, Law360 recognized Wilkinson Stekloff for its strong female leadership, including two female name partners, and for achieving gender parity among the firm’s attorneys. “Having a diverse workforce is not just the right thing to do, but it also enhances the strength and quality of our firm, including our ability to deliver victories in the courtroom,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson. “Wilkinson Stekloff’s diversity may make our firm the exception, not the rule — but it certainly is the model of the future.” “When we started this firm over two years ago, we agreed that diversity in all forms was an important and essential virtue of the firm,” said …
Independent Review Panel Releases Interim Report on Integrity Issues Facing Professional Tennis
April 25, 2018
Wilkinson Stekloff Assists Panel Reviewing Allegations of Match-Fixing and Betting-Related Corruption Washington, D.C. – An Independent Review Panel tasked with reviewing betting-related integrity issues facing professional tennis released its interim report and record of evidence and analysis, finding that “tennis faces a serious integrity problem” and that “no level of professional tennis is immune from betting-related and other breaches of integrity.” The interim report specifically notes that “the problem is particularly acute and pervasive at the lower levels.” Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson served on the three-person panel, which was appointed by the organizations responsible for governing professional tennis, including the ATP, the WTA, the ITF, and the Grand Slam Board. Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Sean Eskovitz provided substantial assistance during the course of the review. The independent panel was commissioned after a 2016 report from BuzzFeed and the BBC alleged “evidence of widespread match-fixing by players at the …
Benchmark Names Beth Wilkinson Trial Lawyer Of The Year
February 23, 2018
Wilkinson Stekloff’s Work On Georgia-Pacific Case Also Recognized By Benchmark WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson has been named Trial Lawyer of the Year by Benchmark Litigation 2018. Benchmark Litigation also awarded Wilkinson Stekloff the National Impact Case Award for its role in winning summary judgment for Georgia-Pacific in a multi-billion dollar class action in Chicago federal court alleging Sherman Act violations by the largest manufacturers in the containerboard and corrugated products industries. The Trial Lawyer of the Year award is the latest in a series of accolades honoring Beth and Wilkinson Stekloff, which Benchmark named the 2017 “Boutique Firm of the Year.” Since founding Wilkinson Stekloff less than two years ago, Beth has notched a string of standout trial victories, been honored and recognized for her and Wilkinson Stekloff’s various successes, and built the firm into a boutique powerhouse while mentoring the next generation of trial lawyers. …
CFPB Dismisses Enforcement Action Against Wilkinson Stekloff Tribal Client
January 26, 2018
WASHINGTON – On January 18, 2018, the CFPB announced the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against the economic development arms of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a sovereign Indian Nation based in California. The Tribe had retained Wilkinson Stekloff in February 2017, shortly after the Tribe was first contacted by the CFPB, to serve as lead counsel in the event the Bureau decided to bring an enforcement action against its economic development arms, which provide loans over the internet to customers throughout the country who freely consent to tribal jurisdiction as a condition of obtaining their loans. In April 2017, the CFPB sued the tribal arms in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claiming that the loans they originate violate federal law and regulations because they allegedly violate the laws of several different states. Wilkinson Stekloff’s team moved to transfer the case to the U.S. …
Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Victory for Bayer in First State-Court Xarelto Trial
January 10, 2018
WASHINGTON – On January 9, 2018, Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Founding Partners Beth Wilkinson and Alexandra Walsh, won the first state-court bellwether trial over the blood-thinner Xarelto when the trial court entered judgment for Bayer and Janssen notwithstanding a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff. Wilkinson and Wilkinson Stekloff had previously secured two full defense verdicts for Bayer in similar cases in the federal multi-district litigation in Louisiana. In December 2017, a jury in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas awarded nearly $28 million to plaintiff Lynn Hartman in a lawsuit that alleged that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals were liable for claims that the Xarelto label did not adequately instruct doctors on the risks of bleeding associated with the anticoagulant Xarelto. Bayer and Janssen then filed motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and a new trial. The motions raised two key points (among many others). …