Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Immigration Case, Withholding Removal for Pro Bono Client

Washington, D.C. – This week, Michelle Li, Zach Fields, Xiao Wang, and Jack Satti secured a significant win in Arlington Immigration Court on behalf of their client, “Rogelio.” Rogelio was seeking relief from deportation to Honduras through a procedure known as withholding of removal. While tens of thousands of immigrants seek this protection each year, only about 3% of such requests are granted. Wilkinson Stekloff’s victory followed a proceeding that spanned seventeen hours in open court over the course of several months, and involved hundreds of pages of briefing filed by both sides.   “It is rare to have a case where a client’s liberty and freedom to live openly are so directly on the line,” said Fields. “It has been a true honor to represent Rogelio in his fight to live a full and open life in the United States.” Rogelio’s fears of returning to Honduras stemmed from his sexual …

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 Partner Moira Penza Named to Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40 List

Washington, D.C. – Crain’s New York Business named Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza to its annual 40 under 40 list, recognizing the most accomplished New York City-based professionals under age 40 across all sectors of the business world, including law, finance, real estate, technology, healthcare innovation, hospitality and the arts.   Announcing her selection to 2021’s 40 under 40 class, Crain’s called Moira “very much a legal star” and praised her ability to relate to juries and witnesses while also proving to be “a canny legal strategist” who can “go for the jugular when necessary.”  In an interview with Crain’s, Moira said one of the secrets to her success is that adversaries do not always expect her to “be as fierce” as she “definitely can be.”   “She has ingenuity, creativity and doggedness,” Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson said to Crain’s about Moira.  “She has great confidence, but she also has humility. Jurors can …

Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza Named to City & State’s Law Power 100 List

Washington, D.C. – City & State named Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza to its New York’s Law Power 100 list, which recognizes the most influential attorneys in the industry. This is Moira’s second recognition by City & State on the Power 100 list. City & State acknowledged Moira as “a rising star in New York’s legal world” and highlighted her lead roles in several high profile litigations including an $8 billion antitrust case against Allergan and Summer Zervos’s defamation case against Donald Trump.   “I am grateful to have been recognized by City & State for two consecutive years,” said Moira Penza. “I look forward to continuing my work on high-stakes civil and criminal trials alongside my colleagues at Wilkinson Stekloff.” Prior to joining Wilkinson Stekloff, Moira served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York where she successfully led numerous criminal prosecutions, including the groundbreaking …

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 Partners Moira Penza and Ralia Polechronis Awarded Notable Women in Law by Crain’s New York Business

Washington, D.C. – Crain’s New York Business has named Wilkinson Stekloff partners Moira Penza and Ralia Polechronis to its Crain’s New York Business 2021 “Notable Women in Law” list. Crain’s selected attorneys based on their skills, sense of justice, and professional achievements. Moira and Ralia were also recognized for their pro bono work and commitment to helping their communities. Crain’s highlighted Moira’s high-profile litigation practice which builds upon her resume as a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Crain’s explained, “She’s been fielding an independent review of the Washington Football Team’s policies amid allegations of workplace misconduct. . .She’s also representing Altria in a series of. . .lawsuits arising out of its investment in Juul.”  “I am honored to be recognized for my high-profile litigation experience and for the key role Wilkinson Stekloff plays in pro bono advocacy,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Partner Moira Penza. “It …

Wilkinson Stekloff Featured as Law360 Sports and Betting Practice Group of the Year

Washington, D.C. – Law360 recently interviewed Partners Beth Wilkinson and Rakesh Kilaru in its feature highlighting Wilkinson Stekloff as a 2020 Sports and Betting Practice Group of the Year. Law360 singled out Wilkinson Stekloff as “an important player in sports law, successfully defending major sports leagues in litigation and conducting misconduct investigations in both football and tennis.”  Law360 focused its recognition on Wilkinson Stekloff’s work representing the NFL in an antitrust dispute over the NFL Sunday Ticket product broadcast media rights, and the NCAA in multiple class actions over its rules regarding the compensation and benefits student-athletes can receive student-athlete image rights.  In the interview, Beth told Law360, “We have spectacular people who really want to be trial lawyers. There’s very few firms where people actually try cases, especially the sports cases we do. Many of them are complicated and high-stakes antitrust cases and that’s why sports leagues and teams …

Wilkinson Stekloff Adds Six New Associates

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 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 Wins Qualified Immunity Appeal in the Eleventh Circuit

Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff associate Xiao Wang secured another significant pro bono appellate win in the Eleventh Circuit, representing Joshua Dickinson, an individual who was violently assaulted while detained in an Alabama jail following an argument with a family member. The Eleventh Circuit concluded that Mr. Dickinson could continue his lawsuit to vindicate his civil rights. Xiao, along with supervising partner Jeremy Barber, argued on appeal that the district court had correctly allowed Mr. Dickinson’s suit to proceed. Wilkinson Stekloff’s briefing highlighted the unjust and unsafe conditions of the Mobile County Metro Jail, including the information and multiple warnings the County Sheriff and Jail Warden had received prior to the unfortunate event.  The Eleventh Circuit agreed that the Sheriff and Warden were not entitled to qualified immunity, deciding to interpret narrowly a prior opinion that had applied an expansive reading to qualified immunity.   “The jail failed to address multiple …