Asset Protection
Asset protection works when it is built in advance. The strongest structures are established before a challenge appears, not after.
A structure is only as strong as the record behind it.
The best time to plan is before a problem appears.
When a structure is challenged, the label on it counts for very little. What matters is who funded it, who controls it, when it was created, and whether it was built before the trouble or in response to it.
Timing is the first question
A trust formed years before a dispute, properly administered and statutorily compliant, is difficult to unwind. A trust formed once the claim is visible invites a fraudulent-transfer challenge.
Protection. Structuring. Preservation.
Each area has its own dedicated practice. Explore where your matter fits.
Asset Protection Trusts
Domestic and offshore trusts across Cook Islands, Nevis, Wyoming, and other leading jurisdictions.
Learn morePre-Litigation Planning
Structuring put in place before a claim arises, when the law still permits it and courts will respect it.
Learn moreStructure Stress-Testing
Existing structures examined against the challenges that bring them down: creditor pursuit, fraudulent transfers, and IRS scrutiny.
Learn moreLLC & Family Limited Partnership Structuring
Entity layers that limit liability, support valuation discounts, and keep control where it belongs.
Learn moreCourts look past the label.
The same structure can hold or fail. What separates them is discipline.
Built early. Run properly.
- Formed years before any claim arose
- Genuine independence from the settlor
- Administered by a real trustee
- Statutory requirements actually met
- Entity layers respected in practice
Built late. Run loosely.
- Formed once the claim was visible
- Settlor kept effective control
- Trustee existed on paper only
- Formalities treated as optional
- Assets still enjoyed as before
Every structure is stress-tested against creditor pursuit, fraudulent transfers, IRS scrutiny, and contempt orders.
Specialists We Work With.
Complex asset protection planning often requires expertise beyond legal counsel. When appropriate, we coordinate with trustees, valuation professionals, tax advisors, and other specialists while maintaining a unified legal strategy.
Offshore Trustees
Independent trustees in Cook Islands, Nevis, and Cayman structures.
Former IRS Officials
Experience with IRS enforcement, examinations, and asset-protection scrutiny.
Trust & Estate Counsel
Domestic and offshore trust structures designed for long-term wealth preservation.
Valuation Professionals
Valuation support for FLP and LLC structures intended to withstand challenge.
What the cases actually show.
How courts have treated the structures most clients assume are safe.
Asset Protection for U.S. and International Clients in 2026.
What actually works, what does not, and how the landscape has shifted for high-exposure clients holding assets on both sides of the border.
Read the guideHow U.S. Courts Treat Domestic Asset Protection Trusts.
DAPTs are not automatic shields. Courts ask who funded the trust, who controls it, and when it was created. The answers decide the case.
Read the guideWhy FLPs Are Not Creditor-Proof.
Family limited partnerships are often sold as a shield. Courts have shown where that assumption breaks down, and what a properly run FLP actually protects against.
Read the guideFrequently asked.
Before a problem arises. This is not a formality. It is the single factor courts weigh most heavily.
A structure formed years before a dispute, and administered properly, is difficult to unwind. One formed after the claim is visible invites a fraudulent-transfer challenge.
Sometimes, but the options are narrower and the risk is higher. Courts may view late planning as an attempt to hinder or defraud a creditor.
What is possible depends on the facts, the timing, and the jurisdiction. Speak with counsel before moving any assets, because the wrong step can make the position worse.
Not automatically. Offshore jurisdictions such as the Cook Islands offer strong statutory protection, but U.S. courts have repeatedly found ways to reach assets when the settlor remains within their jurisdiction.
Offshore structures also carry higher costs, extensive IRS disclosure obligations, and their own tax traps. Which structure fits depends on the assets, the exposure, and the client.
Many structures look sound on paper and fail in practice. The common defects are the same ones courts cite: too much settlor control, a trustee in name only, formalities ignored, and entity layers disregarded.
A structure that has never been examined against a real challenge is untested, not proven.
Build the structure before anyone is looking.
A confidential consultation on what you hold and how best to protect it.
Request a consultation