Wilkinson Stekloff > Washington DC, United States > Firm Profile

Wilkinson Stekloff > The Legal 500 Rankings

Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers Tier 1

Beth Wilkinson, founder of Wilkinson Stekloff in Washington DC, has acted as lead trial counsel in several major disputes in 2023, with high-stakes trials at regular intervals. One such trial was for Microsoft Inc in which Wilkinson was successful leading the way to finalising the second-largest merger in American history, and the largest ever involving a technology company, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. a case which garnered a great deal of press coverage. Wilkinson also has a strong track record in a number of federal courts and district courts.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort Tier 2

‘The team you bring in when you know you can’t avoid trial and you need to win’, Washington DC-based litigation boutique Wilkinson Stekloff continues to gain market visibility, regularly being parachuted in on some of the highest-profile toxic tort matters to help shape strategy ahead of trial, as well as in critical hearings. ‘Tremendously likeable and skilled in court’, name partner Brian Stekloff continues to act as national trial counsel for Monsanto in relation to Roundup litigation, and is noted in general for his ability to simplify often complex scientific concepts to juries. Recognized as ‘one of the finest trial lawyers in the country’, co-founding partner Beth Wilkinson has also been key to the firm’s success, including her work alongside Stekloff and New York-based Keri Arnold, praised as ‘the real-deal as a rising-star trial lawyers’ for 3M on the PFAS MDL.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: consumer products (including tobacco) Tier 3

With a team of ‘excellent trial lawyers and smart strategists’, Washington DC-based litigation boutique Wilkinson Stekloff has rapidly gained a strong reputation within the product liability field, frequently handling high-profile trials. With noted experience in the pharmaceuticals and toxic tort arenas, the firm is also adept at handling work for manufacturers of consumer products, including within the tobacco space. Name partner Brian Stekloff is ‘a smart, efficient subject matter expert and a great trial lawyer’, and regularly represents clients in high-profile matters; he recently acted for Altria in a bellwether trial brought by the San Francisco Unified School District alleging that it had engaged in a RICO conspiracy and created a public nuisance by hooking minors on Juul vaping products. As ‘one of the top trial lawyers in the country’, Beth Wilkinson was also engaged in the matter, one of many high-profile consumer class action and product liability trials she has recently handled. Managing partner James Rosenthal is also a key member of the team and has particularly strong insight into tobacco cases.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices Tier 3

Washington DC-based litigation boutique Wilkinson Stekloff is able to resource high-stakes disputes utilizing a ‘deep bench of top notch legal strategists and trial lawyers with extensive experience in products liability mass tort litigation’. The life sciences sector informs a considerable volume of these matters, with the firm lauded for its ability to simplify the narrative and explain often complicated scientific issues to juries, as well as to effectively cross-examine experts in Daubert hearings. A ‘trial lawyer with impeccable judgement’, Brian Stekloff  has an excellent pedigree in the space, both at a motions stage as well as at trial, where he has secured numerous victories in products liability bellwether trials for well-known pharmaceutical companies. As befits the reputation of ‘one of the top trial lawyers in the country’, Beth Wilkinson is able to turn her hand to a myriad disputes across subject matters, including as it relates to challenging life sciences MDLs. New York-based Keri Arnold who is gaining acclaim as being ‘the real-deal in a rising-star trial lawyers’ excels at trying cases in the life sciences space and also has extensive experience developing complex medical and scientific evidence for presentation at trial. All named practitioners are based in Washington DC, unless otherwise indicated.

Industry focus > Sport Tier 4

Demonstrating a strong track record in major antitrust class-action lawsuits and defamation cases, the Washington DC-based Wilkinson Stekloff practice is highly regarded for its representation of clients in commercial courts. The team is co-headed by Brian Stekloff, James Rosenthal, and Beth Wilkinson, who bring extensive knowledge of litigious matters and enforcement actions to the offering, while Kosta Stojilkovic and the ‘outstanding’ Rakesh Kilaru are also highlighted as key contacts. Cali Arat is noted for leading on the practice's close client relationship with the NCAA, and Kieran Gostin stands out for his knowledge of product liability proceedings.

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 5

Wilkinson Stekloff noted a recent surge in antitrust enforcement matters and the boutique is regularly called upon to defend clients in bet-the-company antitrust cases. The ‘strategic and practical’ team boasts an impressive roster of clients, including Microsoft, Cargill and the NFL. Beth Wilkinson brings extensive experience and a successful track record in state and federal courts to the team. Wilkinson heads the team alongside James Rosenthal and Rakesh Kilaru, who plays a lead role in class action and mass tort cases. The ‘highly strategic’ Kosta Stojilkovic regularly represents clients in governmental investigations. All attorneys mentioned are based in Washington DC.