WASHINGTON –Rakesh Kilaru and Kosta Stojilkovic have been recognized as leading litigation attorneys in Benchmark Litigation’s 2018 “40 & Under Hot List,” an annual ranking that “commemorates the most notable up-and-coming litigation attorneys in the United States” who “have established themselves in their respective fields and are set to enjoy bright futures.”
“Kosta and Rakesh are true litigation superstars,” said Wilkinson Stekloff founding partner Sean Eskovitz. “They bring extraordinary intellects, judgment, and energy to all of their matters. Wilkinson Stekloff is committed to developing the next generation of great trial lawyers, and they are leading the way.”
Kosta and Rakesh joined Wilkinson Stekloff from the federal government. Kosta was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where he tried financial crime and public corruption cases. Rakesh served as a Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel in the Office of White House Counsel.
Since joining Wilkinson Stekloff, they have played lead roles in delivering favorable results for the firm’s clients, both before and after trial. Most recently, the two won a complete defense victory for the National Collegiate Athletic Association in a high-profile defamation lawsuit brought by former University of Southern California assistant football coach Todd McNair. After the jury verdict, following a month-long trial that was covered extensively in the media, the trial judge called the advocacy in the case “the best I’ve seen since I’ve been a judge.”
Benchmark selected Kilaru and Stojilkovic based on their recent case work, peer reviews, and feedback from clients. This honor is the latest in a number of firm-wide rankings and individual attorney recognitions by Benchmark, which has deemed Wilkinson Stekloff a “litigator’s dream shop” that is “making waves in the legal industry.”
###