Wealthy Americans Turn to Trusts to Shield Assets

Executive-liability insurance is often the first line of financial defense for executives and directors caught up in litigation such as investor lawsuits. For others without such coverage, asset-protection trusts are the way many insulate their wealth from claims.

“For a businessperson who’s in a competitive environment in which you see a lot of business litigation, I would say it’s prudent planning,” said Duncan Osborne, a partner with Osborne, Helman, Knebel & Deleery LLP in Austin, Texas. “That lawsuit’s coming sooner or later.”