Founding Partners Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff are among the finalists for the National Law Journal’s 2025 “Winning Litigators – Defense” for their complete post-trial victory last year on behalf of the NFL. In addition, Counsel Max Warren was named a D.C. Rising Star, recognizing him as one of the region’s most promising lawyers under the age of 40.
In August 2024, Beth and Brian scored a major victory for the NFL and its 32 member teams in their Sunday Ticket class action antitrust litigation, after facing over $20 billion in exposure. At trial in June, they led the NFL’s defense, delivering opening and closing statements, dismantling key expert testimony through cross-examination, and examining prominent witnesses including the NFL Commissioner and third-party executives. After a surprising adverse verdict, Brian argued the NFL’s post-trial motions, leading the court to exclude both of plaintiffs’ experts’ testimony under Daubert and grant the NFL’s motion for judgment as a matter law.
Max has played central roles in the firm’s most high-stakes cases across sports, antitrust, and products liability litigation. He represented the NFL for nearly a decade throughout the course of its Sunday Ticket litigation, steering discovery and deposing key class representatives. During trial he managed the defense team, prepared high-profile fact witnesses, and contributed to the expert cross-examinations that underpinned the NFL’s successful post-trial Daubert motion. Max has also taken a significant role in the firm’s representation of the NCAA, most recently opposing a federal court challenge to a core eligibility bylaw limiting student-athletes to four seasons of athletic competition within a five-year period. He successfully argued against the plaintiff’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the Eastern District of Tennessee, securing a swift and persuasive ruling in the NCAA’s favor.
Read the complete list of the National Law Journal 2025 Awards finalists here.