Biglaw

Biglaw Associate Killed In Helicopter Crash

We would like to extend our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.

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Christopher Tripp Zanetis

We’ve got some very sad news to report about a promising, young associate who lost his life last week in a helicopter crash.

Christopher Tripp Zanetis, a 2017 graduate of Stanford Law School, had a unique résumé. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a fire marshal with the New York Fire Department, a captain with the 106th Rescue Wing of the U.S. Air Force, and an associate with Debevoise & Plimpton. Zanetis, who was on his third tour of duty in Iraq, died last week during a troop transport when HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter that was carrying him and six other airmen hit a powerline along the Syria-Iraq border. The American Lawyer has some additional details about the accident:

The accident, which military officials said was not a result of enemy fire during a combat mission, occurred near the western Iraqi town of Al-Qa’im, where U.S. forces operate a logistics center and resupply base, according to news reports. Al-Qa’im, part of Iraq’s restive Anbar province, was the last ISIS stronghold in the country until pro-government forces backed by the U.S. pushed out the extremist group late last year. The border region reportedly remains an active transit point for ISIS fighters fleeing Syria.

“This tragedy reminds us of the risks our men and women face every day in service of our nations,” said a statement by Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga, director of operations for the U.S.-led coalition fighting in Iraq and Syria.

According to Dean M. Elizabeth Magill of Stanford Law, Zanetis was a “beloved student, friend and community member” at the school and would be “deeply missed.” Dean Magill said that everyone at Stanford was “heartbroken at his loss.” All flags on campus were lowered to half-staff in honor of Zanetis. “Our thoughts are with his family and with all who knew and loved him,” Dean Magill continued. “He was one of the most extraordinary students I had the privilege of knowing and he will long be remembered in the institution.” The law school is planning an event to celebrate his life later this spring.

Here’s a statement from Debevoise on Zanetis’s death:

We are deeply saddened to learn that our colleague Tripp Zanetis was lost in Thursday’s U.S. military helicopter crash in Iraq. He was an exceptional person and will be greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues in the firm. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tripp’s family.

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We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to Christopher Tripp Zanetis’s family, friends, and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.

Debevoise Associate Killed in Iraq Helicopter Crash [American Lawyer]
Campus mourns law alum Tripp Zanetis [Stanford News]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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