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 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 …

Wilkinson Stekloff Wins Groundbreaking Sentencing Appeal

Washington, D.C. – Wilkinson Stekloff associate Xiao Wang secured a significant pro bono win in the Sixth Circuit, convincing the court to vacate Manndrell Evann Lee’s 60-month sentence as substantively unreasonable.  Xiao had been appointed to represent Mr. Lee as a member of the Sixth Circuit’s Criminal Justice Act panel.   Xiao and partner James Rosenthal argued on appeal that the district court had failed to give sufficient reasons for Mr. Lee’s above-guidelines prison term. The Sixth Circuit agreed and reversed the district court’s decision in a published opinion which established that there must be a “meaningful relationship between the offense of conviction and the defendant’s alleged likelihood of reoffending.” The court further held that there was no such meaningful relationship as to Mr. Lee and vacated his 60-month sentence. The case is now set for resentencing in December 2020.     “We are thrilled with the court’s opinion,” said Wilkinson Stekloff associate …

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 Adds Four New Associates

WASHINGTON — Wilkinson Stekloff today announced the addition of three new associates in its Washington office and one new associate in its Los Angeles office. Xiao Wang, D’Juan Jones, Jaclyn Delligatti, and Meghan Cleary join Wilkinson Stekloff’s team of expert litigators as the firm nears its third year. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Xiao, D’Juan, Jaclyn, and Meghan into the Wilkinson Stekloff family,” said Beth Wilkinson, Wilkinson Stekloff Founding Partner. “Our firm’s strength comes from the diversity of our team and the hands-on, inside-the-courtroom experience that all of our attorneys receive. We are confident that this group of stellar associates will become future litigation superstars.” Xiao Wang joins Wilkinson Stekloff from Williams &Connolly LLP, where he worked on insider trading, immigration, and media and entertainment matters. Before joining Williams & Connolly, he clerked for Judge Lucy H. Koh of the United States District Court for the Northern District …