Sarah Neuman

Age: 37

Law Firm: Wilkinson Stekloff

Practice Area: Litigation

Title: Partner

Location: Washington, DC

Law School: University of Chicago Law School

Please describe two of your most substantial, recent wins in practice.

I was part of the team that won the second-largest merger trial in American history, defeating the FTC’s attempt to enjoin Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We had been preparing for a potential trial since the deal’s announcement, which positioned us to try the case just 10 days after the FTC filed its complaint and preliminary injunction motion in federal court.

We achieved the win by developing a simple, compelling narrative about how the deal would expand access to Activision’s video games like “Call of Duty.” The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed our trial win, and the FTC dropped its case.

I am equally proud of two recent wins in pro bono matters, where I led teams that secured asylum for our incredibly deserving clients, whose lives would have been at risk had they been forced to return to their home country. These wins change lives.

The representations also gave the teams of associates I supervised the opportunity to stand up in front of a judge and examine witnesses and deliver opening statements and closing arguments—skills they can put to use in any of our matters. I take tremendous pride in seeing my colleagues shine.

What is the most important lesson you learned as a first-year attorney and how does it inform your practice today?

The learning curve was steep coming out of law school to two clerkships. The most important lesson I learned was to take ownership of the cases and dockets to which I was assigned.

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