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 …
American Lawyer Highlights Wilkinson Stekloff Amicus Brief Following Landmark SCOTUS Ruling
June 17, 2020
WASHINGTON — Following the Supreme Court’s landmark civil rights ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, the American Lawyer highlighted an amicus brief filed by Wilkinson Stekloff litigators Chanakya Sethi, Angela Cai, and Rakesh Kilaru. The ruling was a major victory for LGBT employees, recognizing that they are protected under the 1964 Civil Rights Act from employment discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. AmLaw quoted Wilkinson Stekloff’s brief, featuring it among “a stellar crop of briefs from many of the top law firms in the country.” Wilkinson Stekloff filed the brief on behalf of a group of nine leading historians who focus on the history of gender, sexuality, and law in the United States. The brief showcased original research by the historians demonstrating that LGBT individuals brought claims seeking protection under Title VII’s ban on discrimination “because of sex” shortly after the law was enacted, and that some officials …
National Law Journal Recognizes Wilkinson Stekloff’s Industry-Leading Products Liability/Mass Tort Trial Practice
May 28, 2020
WASHINGTON – The National Law Journal selected Wilkinson Stekloff as one of its Washington D.C. Litigation Departments of the Year in Products Liability/Mass Torts. NLJ’s selection was based on Wilkinson Stekloff’s string of trial victories in high-profile products liability cases. Most recently, the firm, led by Alex Walsh, Kieran Gostin, and James Rosenthal, won a decisive victory in Bayer v. Farar, a certified consumer class action trial involving $600 million in claimed damages. Previously, the firm reeled off five straight victories in the Xarelto products liability litigation, with Beth Wilkinson, Alex Walsh, Brian Stekloff, Jeremy Barber, Tamarra Matthews Johnson, and Rakesh Kilaru serving in lead roles. NLJ’s profile on the firm highlights commentary from Beth, Alex, and Brian on their strategy and approach to litigation. “We believe that at the heart of every case is a simple compelling narrative, a narrative that shows the jury why our side should prevail,” …
Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Early Release for Client in Pro Bono Resentencing Case
May 11, 2020
Washington, D.C. — Wilkinson Stekloff associates Aleshadye Getachew, Samiyyah Ali, and Alysha Bohanon, with assistance from partner Rakesh Kilaru, associate Betsy Henthorne, and paralegal Jack Satti, helped secure the early release of their pro bono client Ricky Bailey. In 1995, Mr. Bailey was sentenced to life in prison for a crime he committed when he was just 16 years old. Following Wilkinson Stekloff’s successful efforts, Bailey, now 43, was released from prison after serving more than 25 years. Under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (known as “IRAA”), a Washington, D.C., law passed in 2016, Mr. Bailey was eligible to ask the court to reduce his sentence because he was under 18 at the time of the crime and had served more than 15 years in prison. Wilkinson Stekloff successfully argued that Mr. Bailey should be resentenced based on, among other factors, significant mitigating evidence in his personal history, his exemplary …
ICYMI: Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Alexandra Walsh and Rakesh Kilaru share their SCOTUS clerk stories
May 5, 2020
Super Lawyers highlights stories from court’s last 70 years WASHINGTON — Founding Partner Alexandra Walsh and Partner Rakesh Kilaru were two of the seven D.C. lawyers who shared their experiences working as SCOTUS clerks with Super Lawyers Magazine. Founding Partner Alexandra Walsh spoke with Super Lawyers about the moment she was called in for an interview to work for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Stephen Breyer from 2003-04. Alexandra recalled the moment to Super Lawyers stating, “I had less than 12 hours to prepare. Breyer called me late afternoon and I went in the next morning. In some ways, that was liberating. I said, “Well, we’ll just see how it goes.” It felt a little bit like winning the lottery.” Partner Rakesh Kilaru described his time working in the office of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Elena Kagan from 2011-12. Rakesh tells Super Lawyers, “We’d often have some pretty fun debates, where Kagan would ask …
Wilkinson Stekloff Continues Its Ascent in Chambers and Partners
April 24, 2020
Firm and Attorneys Moved Up the Ranks in 2020 WASHINGTON — Continuing its rapid rise, Wilkinson Stekloff made a strong showing in the 2020 Chambers and Partners rankings. Chambers recognized the firm as a litigation and products liability powerhouse, and also spotlighted three of the firm’s founding partners. In recognition of the firm’s track record of success in bet-the-company cases, Chambers moved Wilkinson Stekloff up to Band 2 for General Litigation. Additionally, for the first time, Wilkinson Stekloff received recognition for success in Product Liability & Mass Torts. Chambers and Partners described Wilkinson Stekloff 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, with a substantial market share in the pharmaceutical industry.” Chambers also praised Wilkinson Stekloff’s “enviable bench,” including “several leading practitioners with significant federal prosecutorial and public defense experience,” as well as the …
Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Secure Complete Dismissal of Securities Fraud Class Action
September 5, 2018
WASHINGTON – The Wilkinson Stekloff Team, led by Founding Partners Brant Bishop and Beth Wilkinson and partner Kosta Stojilkovic, won complete dismissal of a securities fraud class action case in the Eastern District of Virginia for client MAXIMUS Inc. In August 2017, MAXIMUS was sued under sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, based on allegations that the company, along with several members of its executive team, had made false or misleading statements on earnings calls and in SEC filings concerning MAXIMUS’s performance on a major contract with the British government. Led by Brant Bishop, Wilkinson Stekloff moved to dismiss the amended complaint with prejudice, arguing that plaintiffs failed to plead facts giving rise to an inference that MAXIMUS acted with scienter, or an intent to defraud. Wilkinson Stekloff also argued that plaintiff failed to plead materiality as to certain alleged misstatements or omissions, and also …
Wilkinson Stekloff Selected As Industry-Leading “Best Midsize Law Firm To Work For”
July 19, 2018
WASHINGTON – Vault named Wilkinson Stekloff the sixth best midsize law firm to work for in its 2019 Law Firm Rankings. Among other accolades, Vault ranked Wilkinson Stekloff second for compensation, third for diversity, and fourth for pro bono. These rankings are based on the results of a survey distributed to associates at each law firm, reflecting associates’ views about their firms. In addition, Vault selected Wilkinson Stekloff for its “Top 150 Under 150” list, which recognizes “outstanding law firms with fewer attorneys, but no less expertise, than the global megafirms that often dominate rankings and headlines.” Vault is well-known for its influential rankings, ratings, and reviews of thousands of top employers. “Wilkinson Stekloff has built a culture of empowering younger attorneys and delivering exceptional results for our clients,” said Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson. “I am proud to work with such a diverse team of star litigators, and …
Bloomberg Big Law: Wilkinson Stekloff “Remakes Old Model” of Trial Firms
June 11, 2018
Feature article explores benefits of Wilkinson Stekloff’s unique billing model and commitment to diversity WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff “is restructuring how legal work is done,” writes Stephanie Russell-Kraft in a June 7 Bloomberg Big Law profile of the firm, by forging a new model that eschews the billable hour, empowers younger lawyers, and emphasizes diversity. Wilkinson Stekloff was founded in early 2016 by a group of partners, including Beth Wilkinson and Alexandra Walsh, formerly of Paul Weiss, and Sean Eskovitz, formerly of Munger Tolles & Olson. Since then, the firm has grown to almost 50 attorneys and has won several high-profile cases, garnering the firm recognition from Chambers & Partners, Benchmark, and Law360. When creating the firm, Wilkinson Stekloff’s Founding Partners prioritized eliminating the billable hour. Doing so, Russell-Kraft notes, means “lawyers feel less pressure to monitor how they’re spending each minute of the day, and clients feel more comfortable …