Wilkinson Stekloff Delivers Pre-Trial Win for Medtronic and Covidien in Hernia Mesh Litigation

A U.S. District Court Judge handed down a decisive victory for Medtronic and Covidien in litigation arising from claims that one of their hernia mesh products has design and manufacturing defects, and that the company provided inadequate warnings about the risks of the hernia mesh. Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff led the victory in Northrup v. Covidien (C.D. Cal.) by obtaining key admissions from Plaintiff’s expert that were quoted extensively in the Court’s opinion dismissing the case. Brian Stekloff also led oral argument before Judge Dean Pregerson on Defendants’ motions to exclude the opinions of Plaintiff’s expert and for summary judgment. Judge Pregerson agreed with Defendants’ arguments, and, on November 24, ruled that all of Plaintiff’s expert’s opinions were inadmissible under Daubert and that Plaintiff’s claims could not proceed in the absence of admissible expert support. Judge Pregerson dismissed the case in its entirety. Northrup v. Covidien had been set to go to trial …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins First-Ever Jury Verdict for Monsanto in Roundup Mass Tort Litigation

After a single day of deliberation, a jury delivered the first-ever verdict for Monsanto yesterday in Clark v. Monsanto, a trial involving claims that the herbicide Roundup causes Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff first-chaired the trial; Associate Cali Cope-Kasten handled several witnesses, and Partner Kieran Gostin advised on all aspects of trial strategy. Clark was the fourth case in this mass tort to go to trial; the three previous trials resulted in verdicts against Monsanto ranging from $81 million to over $2 billion. Clark was also the first case involving a child plaintiff. The victory was the product of a comprehensive trial strategy. Shortly after being retained as lead trial counsel, Brian convinced the judge to “reverse bifurcate” the case into a first phase focused on causation and a second phase focused on liability and damages. The ruling marked the first time a state court judge has …

Wilkinson Stekloff Recognized in Several Categories for Latest Rankings by Chambers and Partners

Washington, D.C. – Chambers and Partners, an independent research company that ranks the nation’s top law firms, highlighted Wilkinson Stekloff as the top litigation boutique in DC and as a products liability powerhouse.  Chambers also recognized the firm’s two name partners, Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff, for their excellence. Chambers utilizes a tiered “band” system to recognize firms. Wilkinson Stekloff was honored within Band 3 for “Products Liability and Mass Torts Nationwide” (the only DC boutique firm recognized) and within Band 3 for “Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite in DC” (one of just two DC boutiques recognized).  Chambers described the firm as an “impressive litigation boutique, noted for its expert handling of complex, bet-the-company cases for leading corporate clients across a wide range of sectors,” particularly in pharmaceutical, antitrust, trade secrets, and consumer class action cases.  Commentators described lauded Wilkinson Stekloff’s “fantastic trial lawyers,” calling it a “fabulous firm” with …

Wilkinson Stekloff Lawyers Named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America List

Washington, D.C. – For the third consecutive year, Wilkinson Stekloff partners have been named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list. This year Lawdragon recognized Beth Wilkinson, Brian Stekloff, Kosta Stojilkovic, and Tamarra Matthews Johnson.   All four partners have received accolades for their industry-leading accomplishments. Beth has repeatedly been named a Chambers Star Trial Lawyer and Brian was selected as one of Chambers’ “up and coming” trial lawyers. Kosta was named a Law360 Rising Star for Trials and to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 and Under Hot List.  And Tamarra was recently selected as a Benchmark Future Star Litigator. “We are thrilled to again have four partners named to the Lawdragon 500 leading lawyers in America list,” said Rakesh Kilaru. “We pride ourselves on handling our clients’ most challenging cases from inception through verdict and beyond.  We could not do that work without our bench of dynamic trial lawyers and …

Wilkinson Stekloff Named One of Law360’s Sports and Betting Practice Groups of the Year

Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff has been recognized as a Law360 2020 Sports and Betting Practice Group of the Year.  Law360 focused its recognition on the law firms “behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry in the past year” with “an eye toward landmark matters and general excellence.”  Out of all firms nationwide, Law360 singled out Wilkinson Stekloff as one of just four firms handling the most significant litigation matters and investigations shaping professional and college sports today.   “I am honored that Law360 recognized Wilkinson Stekloff for the unique strength of our sports practice,” said Brian Stekloff. “We’re pleased to have a deep bench of talented litigators with expertise in handling sports matters for a variety of different clients, both at trial and in other contexts.”  In just over four years, Wilkinson Stekloff has handled a variety of significant sports-related litigation matters.  Wilkinson Stekloff …

Wilkinson Stekloff Named Top Litigation Boutique by Vault for Third Consecutive Year

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vault named Wilkinson Stekloff the sixth best Litigation Boutique Law Firm for the third consecutive year in its “2021 Best Law Firm by Practice Area” rankings. Among all midsize firms in the country, Wilkinson Stekloff ranked as the third best firm for compensation and selectivity and fifth best firm for diversity and pro bono work. Wilkinson Stekloff is the top ranked DC-based firm by Vault in the compensation and selectivity categories. “We are honored to be selected again as one of Vault’s top Litigation Boutique Firms, and particularly proud of our rankings on diversity and pro bono,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Brian Stekloff. “Those have been among our central priorities since our founding and we are always pushing to improve.” Vault previously recognized Wilkinson Stekloff’s excellence in several other categories including selecting 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 …

National Law Journal Recognizes Wilkinson Stekloff’s Industry-Leading Products Liability/Mass Tort Trial Practice

WASHINGTON – The National Law Journal selected Wilkinson Stekloff as one of its Washington D.C. Litigation Departments of the Year in Products Liability/Mass Torts. NLJ’s selection was based on Wilkinson Stekloff’s string of trial victories in high-profile products liability cases.  Most recently, the firm, led by Alex Walsh, Kieran Gostin, and James Rosenthal, won a decisive victory in Bayer v. Farar, a certified consumer class action trial involving $600 million in claimed damages. Previously, the firm reeled off five straight victories in the Xarelto products liability litigation, with Beth Wilkinson, Alex Walsh, Brian Stekloff, Jeremy Barber, Tamarra Matthews Johnson, and Rakesh Kilaru serving in lead roles. NLJ’s profile on the firm highlights commentary from Beth, Alex, and Brian on their strategy and approach to litigation. “We believe that at the heart of every case is a simple compelling narrative, a narrative that shows the jury why our side should prevail,” …

Wilkinson Stekloff Continues Its Ascent in Chambers and Partners

Firm and Attorneys Moved Up the Ranks in 2020 WASHINGTON — Continuing its rapid rise, Wilkinson Stekloff made a strong showing in the 2020 Chambers and Partners rankings.  Chambers recognized the firm as a litigation and products liability powerhouse, and also spotlighted three of the firm’s founding partners. In recognition of the firm’s track record of success in bet-the-company cases, Chambers moved Wilkinson Stekloff up to Band 2 for General Litigation.  Additionally, for the first time, Wilkinson Stekloff received recognition for success in Product Liability & Mass Torts. Chambers and Partners described Wilkinson Stekloff as an “impressive litigation boutique, noted for its expert handling of complex, bet-the-company cases for leading corporate clients across a wide range of sectors, with a substantial market share in the pharmaceutical industry.” Chambers also praised Wilkinson Stekloff’s “enviable bench,” including “several leading practitioners with significant federal prosecutorial and public defense experience,” as well as the …

Wilkinson Stekloff Lawyers Named to Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America List

Washington – For the second year in a row, Partners Beth Wilkinson, Alexandra Walsh, Brian Stekloff, and Kosta Stojilkovic were named to Lawdragon 500’s list of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America. In its 15th year, the Lawdragon 500 comprises the top legal talent across the profession. Over the last year, all four attorneys have received accolades for their industry-leading accomplishments. For example, Alexandra was named a Law360 Trials MVP of the Year, Beth Wilkinson has received the Chambers USA Lifetime Achievement Award, Brian was named to Washingtonian Magazine’s top lawyers list, and Kosta was named to Benchmark Litigation’s 40 and Under Hot List. Founded in February 2016, Wilkinson Stekloff has grown to nearly 45 lawyers and has quickly established itself as the leading boutique trial firm in the country. The firm has tried over a dozen cases to verdict across the country, winning the vast majority, and won several …

Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates Another Outstanding Year of High Stakes Trials and Accolades for the Next Generation of Trial Lawyers

WASHINGTON –Wilkinson Stekloff enters its fifth year having cemented its status as the premier trial litigation boutique in the country. 2019 featured three high-stakes, high-pressure trials, in which different partners served as lead trial counsel and eight partners in total had stand-up roles. The firm continued to receive accolades for its successes in delivering results to its clients while deepening its diverse bench of go-to litigators.