Wilkinson Stekloff is pleased to announce that Cali Cope-Kasten has been promoted to partner, and Max Warren and Hayter Whitman have been promoted to counsel, effective January 1, 2022. All three attorneys have been with the firm since its founding in 2016.
“Cases are won by tight-knit teams of smart, innovative, and highly skilled litigators united by a common commitment to excellence,” said WS Founding Partner Brian Stekloff. “These three lawyers have demonstrated those qualities in numerous, high-stakes trials and other cases throughout their careers. We are proud of the many successes they have achieved on behalf of our clients, and look forward to their continued contributions.”
Cali Cope-Kasten has served as a key member of several trial teams, including most recently securing the groundbreaking verdict for Monsanto in Clark v. Monsanto, at which she was trial counsel. She represents corporate clients across a diverse set of industries, from pharmaceuticals to sports to social media. Her experience includes six jury trials, three of which were federal multi-district litigation bellwether cases, and two bench trials. She has argued numerous motions in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate level. She has also helped obtain successful results for clients prior to trial in both antitrust and products liability cases. Before joining WS, Cali clerked for Chief Judge John R. Tunheim, United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. She earned a B.A., summa cum laude,from Macalester College and a J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan.
Max Warren focuses his litigation practice on antitrust matters, products liability claims, and fraud actions. He has also worked extensively on each of the firm’s sports matters including on behalf of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and multiple trials for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Max’s work also includes investigations where he has conducted numerous witness interviews and assisted in document collection and review. He has experience in all aspects of trial strategy and preparation, and approaches cases with an eye toward telling a compelling story at trial. Max earned a B.A., cum laude,from Harvard University and a J.D., cum laude,from Georgetown University Law Center.
Hayter Whitman has worked on teams that tried cases in federal and state courts in Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C., as well as teams that secured favorable pretrial resolutions. Hayter has played significant roles in nine trials — ranging in subject matter from mass torts to defamation to trade secrets — including both of Wilkinson Stekloff’s trials in 2021. He specializes in trial and pretrial strategy, preparing fact and expert witnesses, and identifying and developing jury-friendly themes, evidence, and demonstratives. Hayter maintains an active pro bono practice that focuses on criminal and civil rights litigation. He earned a B.B.A. in Finance, cum laude,from the University of Georgia and a J.D., high honors,from The George Washington University Law School.