On May 2, Law360 recognized Wilkinson Stekloff in its Legal Lions of the Week feature for winning dismissal of all claims in Chalmers, et al. v. NCAA, et al., in the Southern District of New York. In addition, the American Lawyer acknowledged the victory by the NCAA and major athletic conferences in their Litigator’s of the Week Runners-Up and Shout-Outs. The Wilkinson Stekloff team was led by Rakesh Kilaru, and included Cali Arat, Tamarra Matthews Johnson, Daniel Epps, and Matthew Skanchy. Chalmers—who famously made a game-tying three-point shot at the end of regulation in the 2008 men’s basketball national championship game—filed his complaint against the NCAA and six major athletic conferences, seeking to represent a sprawling nationwide class of former student-athletes dating back more than 40 years. Chalmers claimed the class members’ NIL had been used improperly by the NCAA in advertising “March Madness” and its other championships. Rakesh led …
The 2024 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll Recognized 16 Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys
May 2, 2025
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
January 21, 2025
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
June 17, 2024
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, …
Bloomberg Law Features Rakesh Kilaru’s Lead Role in Negotiating Landmark NCAA Settlement
June 3, 2024
Bloomberg Law featured Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Rakesh Kilaru’s leading role in negotiating a groundbreaking and highly-publicized settlement to major antitrust lawsuits filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its five major athletic conferences by current and former student-athletes. Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Rakesh and Partner Cali Arat, has served as lead counsel for the NCAA in the series of overlapping class action lawsuits brought under the Sherman Act. Seeking to revolutionize college sports, plaintiffs challenged NCAA rules that limit student-athlete compensation and benefits, including rules restricting student-athletes from the commercial use of their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”), as well as rules prohibiting professional-style revenue sharing. From the moment each case was filed, Wilkinson Stekloff played a key role in coordinating and executing the overall defense strategy. In its article detailing the dozens of legal minds responsible for advising both the defendants and plaintiffs, Bloomberg Law highlighted Rakesh’s …
15 Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys Recognized in 2022 D.C. Pro Bono Honor Roll
September 7, 2023
D.C. Courts, in partnership with the D.C. Access to Justice Commission and the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, honored 15 Wilkinson Stekloff attorneys in its 2022 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: Anastasia Pastan, Counsel (High Honors) Matthew Skanchy, Counsel (High Honors) Tania Martinez, Associate (High Honors) Brian Stekloff, Founding Partner Jeremy Barber, Partner Kieran Gostin, Partner Rakesh Kilaru, Partner Sarah Neuman, Counsel Alison Zoschak, …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Attorneys Promoted to Counsel
January 6, 2023
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Sarah Neuman, Anastasia Pastan, and Matthew Skanchy have been promoted to counsel effective January 1, 2023. “Sarah, Anastasia, and Matthew have all been with our firm since very early on. We are grateful for their many contributions to the growth of our team, and proud of all the successes they have achieved on behalf of our clients,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. “Our mission is not just to hire outstanding attorneys — we strive to give them meaningful trial experience and client exposure. These three next-generation trial lawyers embody that commitment and have demonstrated their excellence and leadership throughout their careers.” Sarah Neuman Sarah has been a member of numerous trial teams, including the team that secured a complete defense verdict in a multi-state consumer fraud class action involving Bayer’s One A Day multivitamins, and the trial teams that prevailed in …
Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Early Release for Client in Pro Bono Compassionate Release Case
July 2, 2020
Washington, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff associates Meghan Cleary, Jenna Pavelec, and Matthew Skanchy, with assistance from partner Rakesh Kilaru, associate Betsy Henthorne, and paralegals David Walsh and Jack Satti, recently secured the early release from prison of their pro bono client Steven Pantoja, after he had been incarcerated for almost 30 years. Mr. Pantoja, now 46, had been in custody since he was just 17 years old when Wilkinson Stekloff’s successful efforts in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia led to a reduction of Mr. Pantoja’s sentence and his prompt release from prison to rejoin his family. The Wilkinson Stekloff team had sought emergency relief under the First Step Act, which allows federal courts to grant early release from prison where “extraordinary and compelling” reasons support a sentence reduction. In their emergency motion, Wilkinson Stekloff forcefully argued that “extraordinary and compelling” reasons supported Mr. Pantoja’s …
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 …