Admiralty & Maritime

Welcome to Jahani Law – Your Trusted Legal Partner At Jahani Law, we focus in delivering exceptional legal services tailored to your unique needs. Based on a foundation of expertise and client-focused advocacy, our practice areas include: • Maritime Law: Protecting your interests in the complex world of shipping, trade, and maritime disputes. • Civil Litigation: Resolving conflicts efficiently, whether through negotiation or court representation. • Immigration Law: Guiding individuals, families, and businesses through Canada’s immigration process with precision and care. With a commitment to integrity, professionalism, and results, Jahani Law is here to provide clear, practical solutions to your legal challenges. Whether you’re navigating a commercial dispute, dealing with cross-border matters, or seeking a path to residency, we bring the knowledge and experience to help you succeed. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward securing your future with confidence.

Firm has 35 years experience, continuing a family tradition of lawyers stretching back 100 years.

When Kurt Arnold represents someone, he’s all in. He’s won billions for his clients. In fact, he has recovered more than $1 billion in a single year multiple times and shattered records with his historic verdicts and settlements. He has helped clients recover losses after major maritime disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon and the El Faro. For Kurt, no fight is too difficult or complicated. He refuses to take “no” for an answer. When something bad happens, Kurt fights for his clients, no matter what. He never backs down, no matter how big the challenge. Kurt co-founded Arnold & Itkin at 25 and has since won more than a dozen jury verdicts and settlements in excess of $100 million, over 100 jury verdicts and settlements in excess of $10 million, more than 1,000 recoveries exceeding $1 million, and multiple nationwide product recalls. Kurt’s record-setting verdicts include a $117 million recovery, the largest in single-plaintiff personal injury verdict in Louisiana. He holds a record in Hawaii after securing a $42 million verdict. He broke a U.S. record when he obtained a $44 million verdict on behalf of a single-leg amputee. He’s won record-setting individual recoveries for clients of $92.7 million, $87 million, $81 million, $78 million, and $72 million. Kurt has also achieved record settlements for workplace accidents of $357.7 million and $171 million. Other record-setting results earned by Kurt include: • Largest settlement for an individual burned at a worksite in United States history. • Largest settlement for a wrongful death case in United States history. • Largest settlement for a man killed offshore in United States history. • Largest settlement for families injured in a plant explosion in United States history. • Largest settlement for an undocumented worker in United States history. • Largest settlement for a worker injured in Texas oilfield. • Largest jury verdict for a single amputee in the United States. • Largest jury verdicts in multiple states throughout the country. Kurt consistently receives the legal industry’s highest honors. He has been named to the top 50 Elite Trial Lawyer list by National Law Journal and was recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America. He has been named to the Best Lawyers in America® in Admiralty and Maritime Law and Personal Injury Litigation. He was also asked to join one of the most prestigious organizations in the legal profession: The Inner Circle of Advocates. Serious accidents require the best lawyers. When people get hurt or lose someone they love, they call Kurt. To him, every case is personal. He treats his clients like family, fighting hard to get them the result they need to rebuild their lives. Kurt attended the University of Texas, where he graduated with honors at the age of 19. He then attended the University of Texas Law School and graduated in the top 5% of his class. Kurt is licensed to practice in Texas and Pennsylvania, as well as before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and before the U.S. Supreme Court. Kurt lives in Houston with his wife Tara and their children Jaxon and Isla. Kurt and his family attend St. Paul’s Methodist Church and are founders of the Arnold & Itkin Foundation.

David McNeal is a Texas attorney who has represented hundreds of injured Texas citizens. He graduated from Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and in addition to earning his Juris Doctor, he earned a Certificate of Specialization in Maritime Law, was a member of the Juvenile Law Clinic and received Trial Advocacy honors – an accolade awarded to only the top 10% of the class. David has gone to trial numerous times in and around the Greater Houston area. David has also recovered millions for clients who have been hurt due to the negligence of corporations and/or individuals. As part of a military family, David spent a decade of his life in the Philippines and Germany before moving to San Antonio, Texas at the age of twelve. He graduated from John Marshall High School and spent the next two years attending the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio College before being accepted into the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point New York, where he majored in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation. David was a Football Team Captain at Kings Point, setting numerous Academy rushing and scoring records and becoming an NCAA 1st Team All-American – only the second Football All-American in the 76-year-old Academy’s history. He was also named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Player of the Year and the Freedom Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year. In 2019, he was inducted into the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. Now as an offensive-minded trial attorney, he brings the same “running-back” mentality to the courtroom. Nowadays the handoffs come from the injured clients he serves. And, while he still advances towards the opposition, it is always with the client’s “goal” in mind. Upon graduation from “Kings Point”, David was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy Merchant Marine Reserves Program (now the Strategic Sealift Officer Program) and received his U.S. Coast Guard issued Merchant Mariners License as a Third Mate (ship’s officer). While working in vessel construction and as a mate for the NYC Department of Transportation aboard the Staten Island Ferry, he earned the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade in the Navy Reserves before receiving an interservice transfer and attending Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS) where he earned a commission in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. While attending law school, he served as a legal officer with the 4th Marine Logistics Group and 4th Marine Division. David has been named a Top 40 Under 40 Attorney by the National Black Lawyers' Association in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

Craig Eiland grew up in a farming and ranching family in west Texas and is an accomplished and respected trial lawyer, who has represented clients throughout the U.S. -- as well as internationally. In addition, he has over 20 years of experience in the Texas House of Representatives. During his tenure as an elected official, he served as Chairman of the Pensions and Investments Committee and Vice Chairman of the Insurance and Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committees. He was also a member of the Business and Industry; Appropriations; and State, Federal and International Relations Committees. As a personal injury advocate, Mr. Eiland has represented clients injured while working offshore or in the petrochemical industry, traveling in a car or truck, or from ingesting a defective drug. He is dedicated to his clients and is not intimidated by the large Fortune 500 companies that he holds accountable for their negligence. He can represent you as a sole practitioner or partner with a law firm that needs a successful trial litigator. In his practice of civil and commercial litigation, Craig Eiland also handles cases that involve maritime and admiralty issues, breach of fiduciary duty and insurance claim disputes. While he prepares all of his cases for trial, he also handles cases in arbitration to resolve all types of legal matters.

Charles R. Lipcon is an experienced lawyer that has been practicing since 1971. He graduated from the University of Miami with his Juris Doctorate degree in 1971 and was then admitted into the Florida State Bar. He specialized in maritime law, personal injury, cruise line, sexual assault and wrongful death matters. He is the president of Lipcon, Margulies, Alsina, And Winkelman, P.A. in Miami , Florida. He and his firm has successfully handled over 2,000 cases.

Mike Tilton is a trial lawyer and a founding partner of Tilton & Tilton LLP. He is a fearless and relentless lawyer for his clients. Mike has helped to obtain millions of dollars for injured clients, taking on oil companies, railroads, trucking companies, drug manufacturers, and some of the largest corporations to ensure that his clients receive the justice they deserve. Growing up as the son of a military father and school teacher mother, Mike learned early on that hard work, preparation, and dedication are the keys to success. He takes these skills and applies them to all areas of trial practice, whether it is negotiating a settlement with insurance adjusters or battling some if the biggest defense firms in the court room. Mike received his bachelor’s degree with honors in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Houston and earned his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center. While in law school, Mike honed his courtroom skills by excelling in numerous advocacy programs and serving as a member of the interscholastic Moot Court team and the Board of Advocates. Immediately following law school, Mike worked at one of the oldest and most prestigious litigation firms in Houston where he participated in his first trial immediately after being sworn in as a lawyer. He later joined another successful plaintiff’s practice where he helped obtain millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for his clients. Mike has gone to trial and handled cases throughout Texas and in almost a dozen different states Throughout his legal career, Mike has worked on a wide variety of cases, ranging from automobile accidents to complex pharmaceutical litigation with millions of dollars at stake. No matter the size, Mike treats every case with the attention it deserves. He realizes that an injury is one of the most traumatic events his clients will suffer, and therefore fights tooth and nail to get his clients the justice they deserve. Mike’s commitment to his clients and professionalism has earned him numerous accolades. For every year since 2012, Mike’s colleagues voted him as a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star, an honor bestowed to only 2.5% of all attorneys in Texas. Mike was also nominated as a “Top 40 under 40” by the National Trial Lawyers, an honor given to only 40 trial lawyers in Texas every year. In 2021, Mike was voted as one of the Top 100 Rising Stars in Texas by Super Lawyers and featured in Texas Monthly Magazine.

Ronna M. Steele is a practicing lawyer in the state of Louisiana. Attorney Steele received her J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 1989.

Practice Areas: Auto Accidents, Slip and Fall, Premises Liability, Maritime Mark Hanson has been practicing law in Florida for nearly thirty years. Born and raised in Michigan, Mark went to the University of San Diego after graduating high school. There he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration, finishing near the top of his class. From there, he attended Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and obtained his law degree in 1985. Mark moved to Palm Beach County and began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney for Palm Beach County. During his six-year tenure with the State, Mark prosecuted every type of case from DUI to first degree murder. After leaving the State, Mark embarked on a successful career as a civil and criminal litigator. He specializes in plaintiff's personal injuries cases including auto accidents, slip and falls, and premises liability injury claims. He is one of the few attorneys in South Florida with an emphasis on maritime claims. These include recreational boating accidents, cruise line passenger injuries and commercial crew claims. Mark is a National Board Certified Trial lawyer who has been elected to Florida's Legal Elite and Florida's Super Lawyers on several occasions. He carries an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating available for ethics and competence. Mark has obtained numerous million dollar results for his clients over the years. Mark is a member of the Florida and Colorado Bar associations and is admitted to practice in state and federal court in Florida and state court in Colorado. He is a member of the American Association for Justice Florida Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Justice Association, the Palm Beach County Bar Association and the MBA. Mark is married with two children and resides in northern Palm Beach County with his family. They are active in mission work in the Dominican Republic and local community service.

Adam E. Deitz is an attorney and licensed mariner who specializes in maritime personal injury matters. Raised on the water, Adam’s first job was dishwasher and deckhand on a commercial riverboat along the Tennessee River. Working his way up through the ranks (known as “hawsepiping”), he earned his U.S.C.G. Master endorsement in 2010. Since then, Adam has captained commercial passenger vessels on both coasts, including vessels in the Tennessee Valley, Narragansett Bay, Boston Harbor, and Lake Washington.