Wilkinson Stekloff Rises in New Legal 500 Rankings; Leading Partners Recognized Across Multiple Practice Areas

Continuing its recent streak of national recognition, Wilkinson Stekloff has again been named a Top Tier trial law firm by Legal 500 in its United States Nationwide 2026 Guide.  The firm advanced across several practice areas and placed multiple Partners in leading tiers across four separate practice areas. Among the most respected worldwide legal benchmarking publications, Legal 500’s 2026 Nationwide guide is its largest yet—curated from months of independent research, analysis of nomination submissions, and interviews with peers and clients alike. After breaking in last year as a “Firm to Watch” in the premium “General Commercial Disputes” category that considers matters involving $500 million or more, Wilkinson Stekloff advanced to Tier 4 in the 2026 Guide, a rise that underscores the firm’s proven ability to handle the most high-stakes disputes across a breadth of specialties. Its ranking in the “Sport” industry also climbed, reaching Tier 3, owing to multiple significant …

Law360 Names Wilkinson Stekloff Practice Group of the Year in Competition/Antitrust and Sports & Betting Categories

Wilkinson Stekloff has been honored by Law360 as a Practice Group of the Year—an award that celebrates “the attorney teams behind litigation wins” that “resonated throughout the legal industry”—in both the Competition/Antitrust and Sports & Betting categories. This marks the first time the firm has won two PGOTY honors in the same cycle, underscoring landmark results across trials, appeals, and complex resolutions in 2025. The firm was previously recognized by Law360 in Competition/Antitrust in 2023 and Sports & Betting in 2020. Law360’s features spotlighted Wilkinson Stekloff’s many victories for the NCAA—beginning with securing approval of the groundbreaking $2.8 billion name-image-and-likeness (“NIL”) settlement, which resolved antitrust claims from multiple plaintiff classes against the NCAA and five major athletic conferences, enabling schools to directly compensate student-athletes for their participation in athletics. Despite a complex process that required lead defense negotiator Rakesh Kilaru to defend the deal at multiple hearings before it received …

Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates 10 Years with a Look Back at 2025 Achievements

As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we remember our beloved colleagues and friends Elizabeth Keys and Sarah Lee Best, whose lives were among those tragically lost in the airplane crash above Reagan National Airport a year ago. Liz and Sarah left an enduring mark on our firm and on all of us as individuals.  We have kept them in our hearts and minds and always will. To honor their memories, we endowed scholarships in their names at their law school alma maters, Georgetown and Pennsylvania.  With the support of our clients and colleagues, those scholarships have been fully funded and will aid new generations of lawyers in carrying on Liz’s and Sarah’s legacies. Continuing our tradition of excellence, in 2025 Wilkinson Stekloff again achieved landmark results spanning a variety of high-stakes matters, further entrenching the firm as the premier trial litigation boutique in the nation. Our recent successes include: As …

Wilkinson Stekloff Announces Promotions for Roxana Guidero to Partner; Alysha Bohanon and Jenna Swarbrick to Counsel

Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce multiple promotions that will become effective January 1, 2026. Roxana Guidero has been promoted to Partner, while Alysha Bohanon and Jenna Swarbrick (née Pavelec) have each been promoted to Counsel. “Roxana, Alysha, and Jenna are exceptional trial lawyers,” said Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson. “I’ve had the privilege of trying multiple cases alongside each of them and have seen firsthand their judgment and resolve when the stakes are highest. They are fearless advocates who have earned our clients’ trust.  They are also beloved colleagues who embody the spirit of our firm. They set the standard for what it means to be a teammate and always make everyone around them better. I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments, and their advancement further brightens our firm’s future.” Since rejoining the firm in 2024, Roxy has played a pivotal role in delivering headline results for the firm’s clients. …

Wilkinson Stekloff Delivers in Another Antitrust Case as HPE’s Acquisition of Juniper Networks Is Cleared on the Eve of Trial

Wilkinson Stekloff helped position Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to complete its $14 Billion acquisition of Juniper Networks, as the United States Department of Justice dropped its challenge to the deal and agreed to resolve the case. When the government sued to block the deal in January, HPE turned to Wilkinson Stekloff.  Led by Beth Wilkinson, Kosta Stojilkovic, Roxy Guidero, and Jenna Pavelec, the team prepared for trial on an expedited basis, conducting dozens of depositions and working with economic experts on quantitative analyses of the market.  Owen Gallogly, Kellen McCoy, Cassie Chee, and Dan Epps also contributed to the case.  Trial was set to begin on July 9.  Instead, days after the submission of pre-trial briefs and other substantive filings, and a week before opening statements, the Department of Justice agreed to a resolution that maintains the vision of the deal and will facilitate increased competition in wireless networking.  Judge …

Wilkinson Stekloff Recognized Again by Law360 and the American Lawyer for 9th Circuit Victory on Behalf of Microsoft

For a second consecutive week, Law360 and the American Lawyer have recognized Wilkinson Stekloff in their weekly features.  Law360’s Legal Lions of the Week and AmLaw’s Litigator’s of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs acknowledge the Ninth Circuit’s decision affirming Wilkinson Stekloff’s victory at trial defending Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.  Wilkinson Stekloff’s appellate team was headed by Rakesh Kilaru — who led the briefing effort and argued the appeal for Microsoft before the Ninth Circuit in December 2023 — and Beth Wilkinson — whom the American Lawyer previously recognized as Litigator of the Week for the trial court win — and also included partners Kieran Gostin and Sarah Neuman, and associate Jenna Pavelec.  A Sidley Austin team led by Will Levi, along with Rick Beckner and Daniel Hay, was also essential to Microsoft’s success before the court of appeals. In July 2023, Wilkinson Stekloff secured a groundbreaking victory on behalf …

The 2024 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll Recognized 16 Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys

The District of Columbia Courts, in partnership with the D.C. Access to Justice Commission and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, recognized 16 Wilkinson Stekloff attorneys on its 2024 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll. Established in 2011, the Honor Roll recognizes attorneys who have dedicated 50 or more hours to pro bono service, with those performing 100 or more hours receiving High Honors distinction. These honorees make a significant impact by providing critical legal assistance to indigent individuals, under-resourced small businesses, and vital community-based nonprofits. The Wilkinson Stekloff attorneys recognized include: Tania Martinez, Associate (High Honors)Mikaela Meyer, Associate (High Honors)Logan Page, Associate (High Honors)Dhruti Patel, Associate (High Honors)Jenna Pavelec, Associate (High Honors)Quinton Weinstein, Associate (High Honors)Jeremy Barber, PartnerKieran Gostin, PartnerRakesh Kilaru, PartnerSarah Neuman, PartnerMatthew Skanchy, CounselAnthony Ferrara, AssociateElizabeth Keys, AssociateKellen McCoy, AssociateDeon McCray, AssociateJasper Primack, Associate Pro bono representation is woven into the fabric of Wilkinson Stekloff. Since its founding …

Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Pro Bono Win in Second Amendment Case

Wilkinson Stekloff secured a favorable settlement for a pro bono client whose firearm license was unconstitutionally revoked by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In the summer of 2019, our client applied for a firearm registration certificate and a concealed pistol license. He complied with every step of D.C.’s rigorous application process, and satisfied each of D.C.’s stringent statutory and regulatory requirements. After reviewing his applications and all relevant facts, MPD rightfully approved both applications. Yet just six months later, MPD revoked both his firearm registration certificate and concealed pistol license based on his history of arrests alone— even though those arrests had not resulted in any convictions and the most serious charges against him had been dropped by the government after further investigation revealed that he had not committed the crimes of which he had been accused. Wilkinson Stekloff filed a lawsuit under Section 1983, arguing that MPD’s revocation …

11 Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys Recognized in 2023 D.C. Pro Bono Honor Roll

D.C. Courts, in partnership with the D.C. Access to Justice Commission and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, honored 11 Wilkinson Stekloff attorneys in its 2023 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: Matthew Skanchy, Counsel (High Honors) Hannah Bedard, Associate (High Honors) Elizabeth Keys, Associate (High Honors) Robert Laird, Associate (High Honors) Logan Page, Associate (High Honors) Jeremy Barber, Partner Rakesh Kilaru, Partner Anastasia Pastan, Counsel  Anthony Ferrara, Associate Mikaela Meyer, Associate Jenna Pavelec, …

Seven Associates Join Wilkinson Stekloff

Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce the addition of seven associates. The new class includes a Rhodes Scholar, a former SCOTUS law clerk, and five other highly accomplished attorneys who all share a commitment to trial work and pro bono service. “Our firm is committed to developing the next generation of trial lawyers and giving them meaningful trial experience and client exposure. We are excited to welcome this talented group to our team,” said Beth Wilkinson, founding partner, Wilkinson Stekloff. “We are proud to have this new class join our firm, and look forward to their many contributions and supporting them in their professional development as they start this next chapter of their careers,” said Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. The new WS associates include: Emily Clarke Before joining the firm, Emily was a law clerk to the Honorable D. Michael Fisher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third …