Washington, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff associates Chanakya Sethi and Alison Zoschak have secured a major pro bono win in the Ninth Circuit, convincing the court that non-citizens facing reinstatement of prior deportation orders have a right to counsel in their removal proceedings. Chan was appointed to represent Walter Orozco-Lopez as a member of the Ninth Circuit’s pro bono panel and argued the case in April 2021. The precedential decision could affect thousands of individuals in the Ninth Circuit each year. The federal government has for the last decade deported upwards of 100,000 people annually under an expedited procedure that allows for reinstatement of earlier deportation orders. Unlike non-citizens in ordinary removal proceedings, these individuals have been denied the right to an attorney when they have challenged their deportation on the grounds that they fear return to their native countries. Chan and Alison argued that the Immigration and Nationality Act codifies …
Wilkinson Stekloff Featured in Law.com’s “Future of Litigation: What’s Next” Newsletter
July 28, 2021
Law.com reporter Alaina Lancaster highlighted Wilkinson Stekloff in her “What’s Next” newsletter on innovations in litigation practice. Speaking with partner James Rosenthal, she reported on the firm’s groundbreaking creation of an in-house courtroom for use in a recent remote bench trial. Thanks to the resourceful work of the firm’s technology team, the in-house setup allowed lawyers and witnesses to be in the same room during direct examinations that were streamed virtually to the judge and opposing counsel. Read the full story here.
Wilkinson Stekloff Adds Six New Associates
December 1, 2020
WASHINGTON — Wilkinson Stekloff today announced the addition of five new associates in its Washington D.C. office and one new associate in its New York office. Megan Braun, Zach Fields, Julian Jiggetts, Michelle Li, Blake Neal, and Alison Zoschak join Wilkinson Stekloff’s industry-leading trial practice as the firm nears its fifth year. “We are excited to have Megan, Zach, Julian, Michelle, Blake, and Alison joining us. Our new associates are incredibly talented and will bring diverse perspectives that will help us deliver the best results for our clients” said James Rosenthal, Wilkinson Stekloff Managing Partner. Megan Braun comes to Wilkinson Stekloff after completing three clerkships, most recently on the Supreme Court for Chief Justice John Roberts. She previously clerked for Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Leonie Brinkema of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Before clerking for …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Alex Walsh And James Rosenthal Named National Law Journal Winning Litigators
September 1, 2020
WASHINGTON –Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Alex Walsh and James Rosenthal were named 2020 National Law Journal Winning Litigators. The attorneys named to this year’s list are described by the National Law Journal as “conquerors of the courtroom” who have tackled “some of the most widely watched cases of the year.” Alex and James were recognized for their roles in obtaining a complete defense verdict for Bayer in a class action alleging misrepresentations related to One-A-Day multivitamins. James led the legal strategy and Alex led the trial team. The National Law Journal also reported Alex and James’ trial tips, found here and below. Tell us about your biggest win from January 2019 through June 2020 and how you achieved the result for your client. Alex Walsh and James Rosenthal won a complete defense victory in a certified consumer class action alleging Bayer misrepresented the benefits of One-A-Day multivitamins. Rosenthal led a …
Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates Another Outstanding Year of High Stakes Trials and Accolades for the Next Generation of Trial Lawyers
December 30, 2019
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.
Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Victory in Pro Bono Employment Discrimination Case
May 10, 2019
Washington, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff associate Amelia Frenkel helped secure victory in a pro bono case challenging alleged employment discrimination by the U.S. State Department. Frenkel was appointed by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to argue on behalf of a pro se litigant who challenged employment decisions on disparate treatment and impact bases but had lost on summary judgment. On behalf of Richard Figueroa, a foreign service officer in the State Department who alleged employment discrimination in promotions, Frenkel and Wilkinson Stekloff partner James Rosenthal successfully argued that the United States District Court for the District of Columbia had misapplied the McDonnell Douglas framework, a three-step process to help employees make their cases for employment discrimination. After “thank[ing] Rosenthal and Frenkel for ably discharging their duties” in court, Circuit Judges Henderson and Wilkins and Senior Circuit Judge Edwards ordered that “the District Court …
Litigation Daily: “Killer Crosses: How Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Shredded Witnesses in $600M Save for Bayer”
February 26, 2019
After the Wilkinson Stekloff team, led by Sean Eskovitz, Alex Walsh, James Rosenthal, and Kieran Gostin, won a decisive victory for Bayer in a $600 million certified consumer class action lawsuit brought on behalf of One A Day multivitamin consumers, Litigation Daily‘s Jenna Greene wrote about how Eskovitz and Walsh were “so good” at the cross-examinations that “the Wilkinson Stekloff team called no defense witnesses. They annihilated the case on crosses alone”: If cross-examination is an art form, then Wilkinson Stekloff name partners Alexandra Walsh and Sean Eskovitz (pictured above) are masters. The duo led a trial team defending Bayer AG, which faced a $600 million certified consumer class action over its One A Day multivitamin. The plaintiffs alleged Bayer made false and misleading claims that One A Day supported heart health, immunity and physical energy. How good were the cross-examinations? So good that that the Wilkinson Stekloff team called no defense witnesses. They annihilated the case on …
Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Trial Win for Bayer in $600 Million One A Day Class Action
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Wilkinson Stekloff team, led by Sean Eskovitz, Alex Walsh, James Rosenthal, and Kieran Gostin, won a decisive victory for Bayer in a $600 million certified consumer class action lawsuit brought on behalf of One A Day multivitamin consumers. Without calling any witnesses in the defense case, the team relied on devastating cross-examinations of plaintiffs’ expert and fact witnesses to convince the jury to reject plaintiffs’ claims that Bayer had misrepresented the health benefits of One A Day multivitamins. The jury deliberated for just an hour before returning a complete defense verdict. The class action suit, filed on behalf of purchasers of One A Day multivitamins in California, New York, and Florida, challenged as false and misleading Bayer’s claims that One A Day multivitamins support heart health, immunity, and physical energy. Plaintiffs originally sought over $4 billion in damages, which Wilkinson Stekloff successfully reduced to $600 million …
Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates Banner Year of High Stakes Trial Wins By Next Generation Of Trial Lawyers
January 7, 2019
WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff is racing into its fourth year after notching a series of high-profile victories, led by a large and diverse group of partners. In 2018, all of Wilkinson Stekloff’s partners participated in trials and case-dispositive hearings, and several other attorneys achieved significant on-their-feet experience, including through pro bono cases. The firm earned repeated recognition for the depth and successes of its bench and added a new crop of talented litigators to its roster. Wilkinson Stekloff won three trials in 2018, each of which was first-chaired by a different partner: On April 27, 2018, Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Brian Stekloff, Jeremy Barber, and Lori McGill, won a unanimous defense verdict for Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals in Russell v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the second state-court Xarelto bellwether trial in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. On May 21, 2018, Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Kosta Stojilkovic …
Wilkinson Stekloff Adds James Rosenthal as Partner
February 21, 2018
Rosenthal brings his extensive complex litigation experience and class-action expertise to top boutique trial firm WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff today announced the addition of James Rosenthal as a partner in its Washington, D.C. office. Rosenthal is an experienced class action litigator who has handled numerous complex and high-stakes matters, most recently as Vice President & Associate General Counsel at Altria Client Services. “While I was in house counsel, I had the opportunity to retain Wilkinson Stekloff lawyers to try class actions, and I was always impressed with their brilliant trial skills, creativity, and teamwork,” said Rosenthal. “In a very short period of time they have built a top-tier high stakes litigation boutique, and I am thrilled to join them in my return to private practice.” During his six years at Altria Client Services, James managed the class action litigation facing the Altria family of companies, including Philip Morris USA. During his tenure, Philip …