The team at Wilkinson Stekloff handles high-profile, high-value product liability and mass tort litigation, led by Beth Wilkinson and Brian Stekloff, both based in Washington, DC. Wilkinson serves as national trial counsel for a fossil fuel production company facing claims alleging it misrepresented or downplayed climate change risks and the impact of fossil fuels on global warming. Stekloff, working with Keri Arnold in New York, acts as lead trial counsel in PFAS contamination litigation involving an industrial consumer product manufacturer and related personal injury claims. Skeloff also serves as national trial counsel in the Roundup herbicide MDL, defending allegations that the product causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma in coordinated federal proceedings.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Wilkinson Stekloff is the preeminent trial firm. There's nobody better.’
'Its roster is a list of litigation all-stars with Beth Wilkinson achieving unparalleled status, and Brian Stekloff being an extraordinary leader. Keri Arnold brings absolute credibility to the courtroom.’
'Working alongside Wilkinson Stekloff, what strikes me most is their uncanny ability to cut through the "noise" of a massive MDL and focus exclusively on the three or four themes that will actually win at trial. While other firms get bogged down in the administrative weight of millions of documents, the WS team operates like an elite strike force—senior-heavy, incredibly agile, and entirely uninterested in the performative litigation.'
'In my experience collaborating with them, the synergy between Beth Wilkinson, Brian Stekloff, and Keri Arnold is what truly powers the firm's reputation as an elite team for trial law.'
'Beth Wilkinson is widely regarded as one of the preeminent trial lawyers in the country—a "force of nature" in front of a jury who combines master-class cross-examination skills with a rare ability to simplify even the most complex multi-billion-dollar disputes into a winning narrative.'
'Brian Stekloff brings an incredible tactical mind to the table, and he has a unique gift for seeing problems before they materialize and has secured some of the most significant defense verdicts in history, including the first-ever win in the Roundup mass tort.'
'Keri Arnold rounds out this powerhouse trio with her deep expertise in managing the scientific and medical complexities of mass actions; her extensive experience first-chairing trials for major pharmaceutical and energy companies makes her an invaluable strategist when it comes to developing the technical evidence that often decides these cases.'
Key clients
- Exxon Mobil Corporation
- 3M
- Bayer/Monsanto
Work highlights
Served as national trial counsel for Exxon Mobil to develop defense strategies for climate litigation alleging that Exxon downplayed fossil fuels' impact on global warming.
Represented 3M in nationwide PFAS litigation, one of the largest mass torts in the country, shaping overall strategy and trial posture in the AFFF MDL actions.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Beth Wilkinson; Brian Stekloff
Other key lawyers
Keri Arnold