VanNess Law PLLC

A client was making tens of millions a year. Thriving business. Real estate. Stock portfolio. Then one bad loan changed everything.

His company lost its main marketing channel almost overnight. Revenue dried up. They couldn't service a $20M loan. Bankruptcy followed.

The bankruptcy court came after $80M in personal investments, real estate, and stocks built from years of hard work.

They didn't get it.

Because of a properly structured Nevada Trust, every dollar was protected.

Asset protection isn't something you think about after the storm hits. It's what keeps the storm from taking everything.

If you’re sitting on millions in capital gains, the default advice is usually the same.

You’re going to pay tax. There’s nothing you can do.

That’s not entirely true.

What most people miss is that capital gains tax isn’t just about the sale. It’s about who recognizes the gain.

And if you understand that, you can plan before the sale happens instead of reacting after it’s too late.

This is how a lot of high net worth individuals approach it.

Not loopholes. Not risky strategies. Just understanding how the system actually works and structuring things correctly ahead of time.

The key is timing.

Once a deal is in motion, your options shrink fast.

If you’re even thinking about selling a business or real estate in the next few years, this is something worth understanding now, not later.

Most business owners think the biggest decision in a sale is price.

It’s not.

The real decision is when you start planning.

If you wait until your business or property is listed, you’ve already limited your options.
At that point, you’re no longer shaping the outcome ... you’re reacting to it.

Ownership structure, tax strategy, and asset protection all need to be in place before a buyer ever shows up.

The difference?

Planning early allows you to:
• Move future gains outside your taxable estate
• Reduce exposure to creditors
• Maintain control over how proceeds are structured

And the truth is, what you do in the 6 months before a sale can matter more than the sale price itself.

This isn’t about loopholes.
It’s about timing.

The best outcomes don’t happen after the deal closes.
They’re engineered long before it begins.

If you’re thinking about selling in the next 3–5 years, this is the conversation you should be having now.

Most people know Getty Images as a stock photo company.

But the real story behind the Getty family has nothing to do with photography.

It’s about how one of the wealthiest families in the world structured and protected their wealth across generations.

Families at that level don’t rely on basic estate plans.

They use advanced trust structures designed to protect assets, maintain control, and preserve wealth for decades.

One of the jurisdictions that consistently comes up in these strategies?

Nevada.

Nevada trust law was designed specifically for asset protection, privacy, and long-term flexibility.

Which is why many sophisticated families structure trusts there long before any lawsuit, business sale, or major liquidity event happens.

The key insight most people miss:

Asset protection works best when it’s done early.

Not after the problem appears.

Play the same game as the ultra wealthy using "Step-up in basis", here's how...