On Sunday night, a private business plane registered to the same address as a well-known Houston law firm, Arnold and Itkin LLP, crashed during takeoff in Bangor, Maine, killing six passengers.
Authorities have not yet formally released the names of all victims. However, Leslie Briones, Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner in Texas, confirmed the identity of Tara Arnold among those on the flight, according to ABC WMTW 8.
Briones described Tara as “a phenomenal person, a bold leader and somebody who had a heart of service.”
The aircraft crashed while attempting to take off amid heavy snow from Winter Storm Fern. Initial reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport officials indicate that the jet experienced a post-crash fire and came to rest inverted.
Read more: Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin: Plane tied to Houston law firm crashes in Maine
Who was Tara Arnold?
Tara Arnold is a Houston-based attorney associated with the law firm Arnold & Itkin LLP, co-founded by her husband Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin.
{{/usCountry}}Tara Arnold is a Houston-based attorney associated with the law firm Arnold & Itkin LLP, co-founded by her husband Kurt Arnold and Jason Itkin.
{{/usCountry}}According to her professional profile on the firm's page, Tara brought significant experience in contract, business law and commercial dispute cases to the firm. The biography says that she also assisted in cases involving complex business matters and offshore injury victims.
She graduated from Tulane Law School before building a professional life in Houston. She lived in Houston with her husband, Kurt Arnold and two children, Jaxon and Isla.
Read more: Private jet crashes in US; at least 7 dead in Bangor, Maine
Career and net worth
Tara was widely praised by peers and acquaintances for her dedication to justice, commitment to clients, and leadership spirit.
She graduated magna cum laude from Tulane Law School and was a member of the Order of the Coif, which is one of the top 10 per cent of the class.
Tara worked in the Houston branch of a well-known New York legal firm before she joined Arnold and Itkin LLP. There, she focused on mergers and acquisitions after graduating from law school. She represented investment banks, purchasers, and sellers in business transactions worth millions.
Her background encompasses a wide range of transactions in the oil and gas sector, from multi-billion dollar mergers to asset sales and public offers.
There are no public records that detail Tara Arnold's individual net worth. However, as a senior attorney at a top law firm and spouse to a founding partner, she was likely financially secure. As per Rocket Reach, Arnold and Itkin LLP earns an annual revenue of $19.4 million and has funding of $2.4 million.