Benchmark Litigation has announced shortlists for its 2023 U.S. awards, naming Wilkinson Stekloff a finalist in two firm categories and Founding Partner Brian Stekloff a finalist in two individual categories. The firm has been shortlisted for Trial Firm of the Year as well as top D.C. firm in Benchmark’s state-by-state recognitions, while Brian has been shortlisted for Trial Lawyer of the Year and top Product Liability Litigator in the practice-area awards given to individual attorneys. The winners will be announced at a Wednesday, March 15, event in New York City. The past year has cemented Wilkinson Stekloff’s position as the leading trial boutique in the country. In 2022, the firm represented Bayer in national products liability litigation concerning Roundup and PCBs; 3M in national products liability litigation about PFAS groundwater levels; Microsoft in the FTC’s challenge to its proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard; and Altria in a range of high-profile cases related …
Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates 2022 Achievements
January 9, 2023
The past twelve months have cemented Wilkinson Stekloff’s position as the leading trial boutique in the country. On the heels of two high-profile trial wins and other significant victories in 2021, 2022 saw the firm take on a litigation docket unlike any other, including representing: In each of these and other “bet-the-company” cases, clients turn to Wilkinson Stekloff for leadership, strategic guidance, and execution, from the boardroom to the courtroom. The firm’s ongoing matters also include high-stakes disputes and governmental investigations that have not become public or advanced to litigation. To meet these challenges, the 35-lawyer team led by Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff has remained committed to exclusively recruiting top-tier talent and growing its bench of trial lawyers capable of handling any case for clients. This past year, the firm welcomed two new partners — Keri Arnold and Grace Hill — recently mentioned in Bloomberg Law as two of ten high-profile “gets” by boutique firms in 2022. With over 20 years’ …
The Washingtonian Honors Beth Wilkinson with Top Lawyers Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award
September 21, 2022
Beth Wilkinson has been honored by the Washingtonian with the Top Lawyers Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award. This recognition is reserved for Washington, D.C.-based lawyers noted as a Top Lawyer by the publication for at least 10 of the past 15 years. The annual Top Lawyers list is put together strictly through a peer voting process where hundreds of local lawyers are asked whom they would trust if they needed legal counsel themselves. The names included on this “Lifetime Achievement” honor roll are noted as the best among their peers. Among her many accolades, Beth is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a member of the American Law Institute (ALI), and a Legal 500 Leading Trial Lawyer. She has been named a Litigator of the Year by The American Lawyer, a Law360 Trial Ace and Trial MVP, and a National Law Journal Winning Litigator. Chambers and Partners …
Three Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Recognized in the National Law Journal Legal Awards 2022
September 9, 2022
The National Law Journal has recognized three Wilkinson Stekloff partners in its 2022 Legal Awards. The prestigious annual series highlights the top litigation and appellate work of law firms and attorneys from the previous year. Wilkinson Stekloff had more individuals distinguished than any other firm. Partners Cali Cope-Kasten and Rakesh Kilaru were both named Rising Stars, while Founding Partner Brian Stekloff is a finalist in the “Winning Litigators” category. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on October 20. Cali made partner in early 2022, fresh off acting as trial counsel to help secure the first win for Monsanto in the Roundup mass tort litigation. She has played a critical role in six jury trials, three of which were federal multi-district litigation bellwether cases, and two bench trials. She has argued numerous motions in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate level and is serving as trial counsel for Monsanto in …
Beth Wilkinson Named Top 10 Female Litigator by Benchmark Litigation for 2022
August 4, 2022
For the second year in a row, Beth Wilkinson has been named a Top 10 Female Litigator by Benchmark Litigation. While Benchmark honors the Top 250 female litigators across the US each year, the publication also recognizes the elite top 10 leading lawyers of that iconic cohort. The Benchmark Top 10 Female Litigator list identifies the most prominent individuals, nominated on the strength of historical and unwavering peer and client review, as well as proven achievements. The firm celebrates Beth’s unparalleled record of victories in the courtroom and congratulates her on this latest recognition.
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Named to Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under List
July 27, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Kieran Gostin, Rakesh Kilaru, and Moira Penza were named to the 2022 Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under List, the guide to the nation’s most notable up-and-coming litigation attorneys. This is the second consecutive year that all three partners have been recognized by Benchmark, with Kieran making a third appearance and Rakesh securing a spot each year since 2018. Kieran has made his career representing the government and private clients in high-profile matters. Recently, he has represented clients in several major class actions, including obtaining a complete defense verdict in a rare trial of a major consumer class action. Over the past five years, he has also gone to trial in five product-liability trials, securing defense judgments in each case. Rakesh specializes in delivering favorable results to clients at every stage of litigation, tackling everything from arguing dispositive motions to crossing expert witnesses at trial to arguing precedent-setting appeals. He …
Wilkinson Stekloff Helps Secure Win Blocking Arizona “Fetal Personhood” Law
July 13, 2022
A federal district court has granted a preliminary injunction preventing a 2021 law that grants “personhood” rights to fetuses, embryos, and fertilized eggs from being used to prohibit abortion care in Arizona. The emergency motion for an injunction was filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Arizona, and Wilkinson Stekloff LLP on behalf of the Arizona Medical Association, the Arizona National Council of Jewish Women, Arizona NOW, and two abortion providers, Dr. Paul Isaacson and Dr. Eric Reuss. “The district court decision blocking the enforcement of Arizona’s personhood law helps protect Arizonans from civil and criminal penalties stemming from the provision of abortion care,” said Wilkinson Stekloff partner Ralia Polechronis. “Before this significant ruling, confusion and fear created by this vague provision were resulting in Arizonans being deprived of access to essential and time-sensitive healthcare. We are proud to have achieved this meaningful victory …
Business Insider Names Cali Cope-Kasten 2022 Rising Star of the Courtroom
June 22, 2022
Cali Cope-Kasten has been named a 2022 Rising Star of the Courtroom by Business Insider. The prestigious list profiles 15 up-and-coming litigators who have represented clients in blockbuster trials and class actions around the country. An embodiment of Wilkinson Stekloff’s mission to develop the next generation of trial lawyers, Cali has earned this recognition at the age of 33, years before most of her fellow recipients. Late last year, Cali played a critical role examining several witnesses in Clark v. Monsanto, the first case involving a child plaintiff in the litigation over whether the herbicide Roundup causes Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. After a single day of deliberation, a jury delivered the first-ever verdict for Monsanto. Describing her experience with Business Insider, Cali shared that “jurors told her afterward that her questioning of a weed scientist about how often Roundup was typically used was key to their understanding of the case.” Brian Stekloff, who has known Cali …
Wilkinson Stekloff Welcomes Hannah Bedard
June 14, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Hannah Bedard has joined the firm as an associate. Previously, Hannah was an associate at Kirkland & Ellis in Washington, D.C. She has worked on a variety of complex civil litigation matters, including patent, trade secret, contract, and False Claims Act cases. Hannah has experience in all stages of litigation and has represented clients in motions for injunctive relief, summary judgment, and post-trial relief. She has also been a member of numerous appellate teams. In addition to her litigation work, Hannah maintains an active pro bono practice. She has represented clients in federal appellate courts, state courts, and agencies. Among other successes, she represented an incarcerated defendant before the Seventh Circuit and secured his release by persuading the court that his Fourth Amendment rights had been violated. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she served as an executive editor …
Wilkinson Stekloff Recognized in The Legal 500
June 13, 2022
Wilkinson Stekloff has been recognized by The Legal 500 as a Tier 1 firm in Dispute Resolution: Leading Trial Lawyers. WS is one of only seven firms in the United States to achieve this high honor in the newly released 2022 edition of the publication. In addition, The Legal 500 named WS Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson to the Hall of Fame within the same category. This recognition is reserved for individuals who, “have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence,” and “are at the pinnacle of the profession.” WS is the leading trial litigation boutique in the country, demonstrating a depth of talent and dexterity of skill unmatched by firms of any size. In the past six years, the firm has tried over 20 cases to verdict, winning the vast majority. The Legal 500 is based on research gathered by experienced lawyers and journalists from the law firms …