On August 2, Law360 recognized Wilkinson Stekloff’s major victory on behalf of the NFL and its 32 member teams as the lead achievement in its Legal Lions of the Week feature, highlighting several members of the Wilkinson Stekloff team, including Beth Wilkinson, Brian Stekloff, Rakesh Kilaru, Jeremy Barber, and Max Warren. In addition, the American Lawyer named Beth, Brian, and Rakesh its Litigators of the Week on August 14. Wilkinson Stekloff secured this win when a California federal judge granted the NFL’s post-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law, overturning a jury’s earlier verdict in the class action lawsuit that had challenged the League’s collective licensing of broadcast rights to NFL games, including the exclusive distributorship arrangement with DIRECTV for its Sunday Ticket subscription. U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez’s definitive ruling, which set aside the jury’s original $4.7 billion award to the plaintiffs, comes after nine years …
Wilkinson Stekloff Delivers a Win for NFL as Judge Overturns ‘Sunday Ticket’ Jury Verdict
August 2, 2024
Wilkinson Stekloff achieved a major victory for the NFL and its 32 member teams when a California federal judge granted their post-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law, overturning a jury’s earlier verdict in the class action lawsuit that had challenged the League’s collective licensing of broadcast rights to NFL games, including the exclusive distributorship arrangement with DIRECTV for its Sunday Ticket subscription. In his August 1 order, U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez excluded as “unreliable” the testimony of Plaintiffs’ key expert witnesses. Without their testimony, he noted, the Plaintiffs “failed to provide evidence from which a reasonable jury could make a finding of injury.” Judge Gutierrez’ definitive ruling comes after nine years of litigation in which certain Sunday Ticket subscribers alleged that the league’s media rights model had violated U.S. antitrust law. Wilkinson Stekloff has served as the NFL’s lead counsel throughout the litigation. Partners Beth …
Legal 500 Continues to Recognize Wilkinson Stekloff as a Top-Tier Firm
July 1, 2024
In recognition of the size, complexity, and significance of the litigation handled by Wilkinson Stekloff across the antitrust, product liability, and sports landscapes, legal industry research outlet Legal 500 has ranked the firm and its attorneys among the trial elite in the recently released 2024 guide for the United States. Across all types of high-stakes litigation, 40-lawyer firm Wilkinson Stekloff has delivered a slate of client victories that would be the envy of far larger firms, trying over 20 cases to verdict since 2016 and stacking up win after win. In recognition of these results, Legal 500 has maintained the firm’s top-tier status in the prestigious Leading Trial Lawyers category for Dispute Resolution and its Tier 4 ranking in Sports. The firm also improved its rankings in Product Liability, Mass Tort, and Class Action Defense for Toxic Tort (Tier 2) and Consumer Products Including Tobacco (Tier 3), and is newly …
Chambers Once Again Recognizes Wilkinson Stekloff Among Trial Elite, Honors Beth Wilkinson as Outstanding Individual
June 6, 2024
In recognition of Wilkinson Stekloff’s work on some of the most consequential trials across the antitrust, product liability, and sports landscape, legal industry research outlet Chambers and Partners has ranked the firm and its attorneys among the trial elite in their recently released 2024 guide for the U.S. and honored Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson with its national Outstanding Individual award. Across all types of high-stakes litigation, 40-lawyer firm Wilkinson Stekloff has delivered a slate of client victories that would be the envy of far larger firms, trying over 20 cases to verdict since 2016 and winning the vast majority. In recognition of these results, Chambers has maintained the firm’s position as one of the country’s most highly sought litigation boutiques, ranking it in the District of Columbia for General Commercial Litigation — The Elite (Band 2) and Antitrust (Band 5), and nationwide for Product Liability & Mass Torts — The Elite …
Wilkinson Stekloff Honored at 2024 Benchmark Litigation U.S. Awards
March 14, 2024
On March 13, 2024, Benchmark Litigation honored Wilkinson Stekloff at their 12th annual U.S. Awards in New York City in celebration of “the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past twelve months.” Wilkinson Stekloff was awarded “Trial Firm of the Year” for serving as lead trial counsel in several major litigations, which culminated in significant activity and favorable results within only a three-month span. During that period, the firm took on a litigation docket unlike any other, including representing Microsoft in the FTC’s challenge to its proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Altria in a range of high-profile cases related to its $12.8 billion purchase of a minority interest in JUUL Labs, and a major chemical manufacturer in the first bellwether trial in the most significant PFAS products liability MDL in the country. In addition, Wilkinson Stekloff received the “Impact Case …
Wilkinson Stekloff Shortlisted in Six 2024 Benchmark Litigation Awards Categories
February 7, 2024
Wilkinson Stekloff and Founding Partners Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff have been shortlisted for the 2024 Benchmark Litigation U.S. Awards. The firm is a finalist in three categories, including Boutique Firm of the Year, Trial Firm of the Year, and D.C. Firm of the Year. In 2023 alone, the firm served as lead trial counsel in four major litigations for clients including Microsoft, Altria, 3M, and Monsanto. The firm is currently recognized as a Top Boutique and Top 20 Trial Law Firm in Benchmark’s 2024 Litigation Guide, as well as Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation and Highly Recommended for Dispute Litigation. Following a year in which she and her teams delivered victories in several high-stakes, high-profile matters, including as lead trial counsel for Microsoft in the second-largest merger trial in American history, Beth Wilkinson has been shortlisted for Trial Lawyer of the Year and Antitrust Litigator of the Year. Beth …
Five Associates Join Wilkinson Stekloff
December 1, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce the addition of five associates to the firm. This new class is comprised of highly accomplished attorneys who share a commitment to trial work and pro bono service. “Training the next generation of trial lawyers remains a crucial tenant of the firm’s culture. We are excited to welcome this class of exceptionally bright attorneys and look forward to the many contributions they will make in the courtroom and engaging with clients,” said Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson. “Our dynamic approach to high-stakes, high-profile trial work continues to attract some of the best minds in the legal field. Joining us from top-tier law schools, prestigious clerkships, and multinational firms, these five associates are an exciting addition to our team, ” said Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. The new WS associates include: Guus Duindam Before joining the firm, Guus was a law clerk to the Honorable Raymond Kethledge of the …
Benchmark Litigation Names Wilkinson Stekloff a Top 20 Trial Law Firm, Honors Eight Partners
October 19, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff has been named a Top 20 Trial Law Firm in the 2024 Benchmark Litigation guide. Along with this prestigious recognition, the firm is also ranked as Tier 1 for Commercial Litigation and Highly Recommended for Dispute Resolution, and is recognized as a Top Boutique. Considered the definitive guide to the world’s leading litigation firms and lawyers, Benchmark Litigation rankings are determined by six months of extensive research, which includes interviews with peers and clients. In addition to the firm’s rankings, Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partners Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff were recognized among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers, an elite group selected by peers and clients as the best of the best in the practice of trial law, with the representative work to exemplify this status. This recognition comes on the heels of Beth being named a Top 10 Female Litigator by Benchmark Litigation for the third year in a row. Benchmark Litigation also …
10 Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Recognized in 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America
September 15, 2023
Lawdragon has recognized 10 Wilkinson Stekloff partners in the second edition of its 500 Leading Litigators in America. This guide spotlights attorneys who excel in representing corporations and other market-leading entities in their most significant legal battles. Lawdragon’s selection process involves extensive independent research into the attorneys making a significant impact on the legal field, with an emphasis on recent matters handled. Those selected for the guide typically have decades of experience in leading roles in state or federal courts, or before government agencies and international adjudicatory entities. They are also chosen for their intellect, wisdom, conduct, and leadership. The Wilkinson Stekloff partners recognized include: Beth Wilkinson Brian Stekloff Keri Arnold Jeremy Barber Kieran Gostin Rakesh Kilaru Moira Penza Ralia Polechronis James Rosenthal Kosta Stojilkovic
NLJ Legal Awards Once Again Recognize Wilkinson Stekloff for Litigation Prowess
September 11, 2023
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 …