We have some unfortunate news to report out of the Houston, Texas, legal community, in the wake of a tragic plane crash linked to successful plaintiff’s firm Arnold & Itkin.
According to news reports, the firm’s plane, traveling from Houston to Paris, stopped in Bangor, Maine, to refuel, but crashed during an attempted takeoff. According to the local police department, “all on the flight are presumed to be deceased.” The firm’s founders, Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin, were not on the plane. Although investigators have yet to release the names of the victims, sources have confirmed that Tulane Law graduate Tara Arnold, wife of Kurt Arnold, has passed away. WMTW ABC 8 has additional details:
“I am close friends with Kurt and Tara Arnold,” said Lesley Briones, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner. “My heart hurts for them and their children and their families. I worked at Arnold & Itkin for a time and so I know them well. This is just a tragedy and in particular Tara, she is just a phenomenal person, a bold leader and somebody who had a heart of service.”
LexisNexis Practical Guidance Rolls Out Dedicated Practice Area for AI & Technology
The new generation of AI-related legal issues are inherently cross-disciplinary, implicating corporate law, intellectual property, data privacy, employment, corporate governance and regulatory compliance.
We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Tara Arnold, and all those who lost their lives in the crash, during this incredibly difficult time.
Private Plane Linked to Houston Plaintiff Law Firm Arnold & Itkin Crashes in Maine [Texas Lawyer]
Texas law firm attorney believed to be among six victims in Bangor plane crash [WGME ABC 7]
Wife of Houston law firm partner identified as one victim of Bangor, Maine, plane crash [WMTW ABC 8]
Protégé™ In CourtLink® Explains The Whole Case Faster
Designed to reduce manual docket work by prioritizing what litigators need most: on-demand full docket summarization that explains the whole case to date, followed by on-demand document summaries for filing triage, and AI-powered natural language searching for faster search and retrieval.

Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked 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 Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with