Wilkinson Stekloff Celebrates Banner Year of High Stakes Trial Wins By Next Generation Of Trial Lawyers

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 …

Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Another Trial Victory for Bayer in Xarelto Trial

Alexandra Walsh, co-founding partner of Wilkinson, Walsh + Eskovitz, Tamarra Matthews Johnson, and Rakesh Kilaru led the defense team to another victory. WASHINGTON – The Wilkinson Stekloff trial team, led by Founding Partner Alexandra Walsh and partners Tamarra Matthews Johnson and Rakesh Kilaru, won the third state-court bellwether trial over the blood- thinner Xarelto in the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. This is the third win for Bayer in state court, and the sixth win overall, in the Xarelto litigation. The Plaintiff, Kevin Cooney, alleged that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals were liable for claims that the Xarelto label did not adequately warn or instruct doctors on the risks of bleeding associated with the anticoagulant medicine Xarelto. Walsh and Johnson served as lead trial counsel for Bayer, and Kilaru helped direct the legal strategy. A 12-member jury in Philadelphia returned a defense verdict after less than three …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Another Decisive Victory for Bayer in Xarelto Trial

Wilkinson Stekloff’s Brian Stekloff Led the Team to Its Fourth Xarelto Win Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Founding Partner Brian Stekloff, won the second state-court bellwether trial over the blood-thinner Xarelto when the jury rejected claims against Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Wilkinson Stekloff Partners Lori Alvino McGill and Jeremy Barber also served as counsel for Bayer in the trial. The plaintiff in the Russell case alleged that Bayer and Janssen were liable for claims that the Xarelto label did not adequately instruct doctors on the risks of bleeding associated with the anticoagulant Xarelto. According to Law360, the Philadelphia jury “rejected claims that warnings labels for the … drug left out key information about the increased risk the drug posed when combined with antiplatelet medications.” Previously, Wilkinson Stekloff secured two full defense verdicts for Bayer in similar cases in the federal multi-district litigation in …

Experienced Defense Attorney Kieran Gostin Promoted To Wilkinson Stekloff Counsel

WASHINGTON – Wilkinson Stekloff today announced that Kieran Gostin has been promoted to Counsel effective January 1, 2018. Since joining Wilkinson Stekloff as an associate, Kieran has used his breadth of experience representing government and corporate clients to secure major victories for Wilkinson Stekloff’s clients. Kieran most recently helped Bayer win the first state-court bellwether trial over the blood-thinner Xarelto; the trial court entered judgment for Bayer and Janssen notwithstanding a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff.  He also played a significant role in helping Bayer obtain victories in the first two federal MDL trials relating to Xarelto, with both juries returning complete defense verdicts in under two hours. Kieran’s promotion is a testament to the considerable talent Wilkinson Stekloff has amassed in under two years and the ongoing expansion of the firm.  Since its inception, Wilkinson Stekloff has grown to nearly 40 lawyers and has quickly established itself …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Victory for Bayer in First State-Court Xarelto Trial

WASHINGTON – On January 9, 2018, Wilkinson Stekloff, led by Founding Partners Beth Wilkinson and Alexandra Walsh, won the first state-court bellwether trial over the blood-thinner Xarelto when the trial court entered judgment for Bayer and Janssen notwithstanding a jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff.  Wilkinson and Wilkinson Stekloff had previously secured two full defense verdicts for Bayer in similar cases in the federal multi-district litigation in Louisiana. In December 2017, a jury in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas awarded nearly $28 million to plaintiff Lynn Hartman in a lawsuit that alleged that Bayer and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals were liable for claims that the Xarelto label did not adequately instruct doctors on the risks of bleeding associated with the anticoagulant Xarelto.  Bayer and Janssen then filed motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and a new trial.  The motions raised two key points (among many others).  …

Wilkinson Stekloff Secures Second Decisive Victory for Bayer in Xarelto Trial

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Wilkinson Stekloff won the second bellwether trial on June 12, 2017 in the multi-district litigation over the blood thinner Xarelto. Beth Wilkinson, a founding partner of Wilkinson Stekloff, led the defense to victory on behalf of Bayer and Janssen in the second of four bellwether trials in the MDL. The complete defense verdict came just two hours after closing arguments. This latest victory comes just six weeks after Wilkinson obtained a complete defense verdict in the first bellwether trial in the litigation. The lawsuit alleged that Bayer, and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, were liable for claims that the Xarelto label did not adequately instruct doctors on how to minimize the risk of bleeding associated with the anticoagulant Xarelto. In this trial, the plaintiff passed away due to a brain bleed. Wilkinson Stekloff represented Bayer, with Beth Wilkinson serving as lead trial counsel. David Dukes …

Beth Wilkinson Named American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week and a Law360 Legal Lion for Win in Bellwether Trial for Bayer’s Xarelto

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2017 – Beth Wilkinson was named American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week and a Law360 Legal Lion. The accolades come after Beth successfully led a team of lawyers in defense of Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals in a key bellwether trial over the blood thinner Xarelto. A federal jury in New Orleans deliberated for about one hour before unanimously deciding in favor of Bayer. On the victory, Wilkinson said, “If you can make your case really clear, so the jury from opening to closings knows what you’re saying, it makes it easier to go back and come to a consensus.” “When doctors come in and say this medication works and is important, it makes it very difficult for plaintiffs to prevail.” Wilkinson will stay on as lead counsel in the next Xarelto trial in New Orleans, scheduled for May 30. Beth Wilkinson is a founding partner at Wilkinson Stekloff. …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Bellwether Xarelto Trial For Bayer

Beth Wilkinson, co-founding partner of Wilkinson, Walsh + Eskovitz, led the defense team to victory. WASHINGTON – The Wilkinson, Walsh + Eskovitz trial team led by Founding Partner Beth Wilkinson secured a major victory for Bayer in the first bellwether trial in a multi-district litigation involving the drug Xarelto. The lawsuit alleged that Bayer, and Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, were liable for claims that the Xarelto label did not adequately instruct doctors on how to minimize the risk of bleeding associated with the anticoagulant Xareltot. The nine-member jury in New Orleans returned a unanimous defense verdict roughly one hour after closing arguments. Wilkinson served as lead counsel on the case and delivered both opening and closing arguments at trial. David Dukes of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and Richard Sarver of Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver also served as trial counsel for Bayer and Janssen, respectively. The …