January 21, 2026
Willkie has been profiled in The National Law Journal for its success securing $256 million for Gold Star families and wounded U.S. servicemembers in a series of lawsuits holding Iran accountable for its support of terrorism.
A Willkie litigation team led by partners Michael J. Gottlieb and Nicholas Reddick has long represented more than 1,250 Gold Star families and U.S. victims of terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, winning billions of dollars in damages against Iran and subsequent compensation from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism (USVSST) Fund.
“Mike and I have been working with these clients over six years now,” Reddick told The National Law Journal. “A lot of them were skeptical they would ever see a penny from these lawsuits.”
Holding Iran liable under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) terrorism exception, Willkie secured final and enforceable judgments against Iran exceeding $4.1 billion. Nearly 22,000 victims will collectively receive $2.825 billion from the USVSST Fund’s 2026 distribution, of which more than $256 million is expected to be paid to Willkie’s clients.
“We started these Iran-related actions back in 2019, and I think we knew when we started this that it was going to be a long road,” Gottlieb said. “We still have a long way to go to get our clients fully compensated, but this is a great start.”
On average, each Willkie client was allocated over $200,000 from the USVSST Fund’s 2026 distribution, representing about 5.2% of each of their compensatory damages awards.
“We have folks who are deep in debt, so it is meaningful,” Reddick added. “It doesn’t fix the wrong that happened to their loved ones; it won’t take away their pain; but it is meaningful.”
In addition to Mike Gottlieb and Nick Reddick, the Willkie team also includes associates Logan Kenney, Nick Conlon, Erik Holmvik, Trevor Newton, Meghan Olivar, Jules Marenkova, Minji Doh, Kevin Burns, Juliet Dale, and many other associates, paralegals, and support staff.
Read the full profile here.
