A recent case further bolsters Limited Liability Protection, in this case, under Federal Bankruptcy Law.
In In re Warner, 480 B.R. 641 (Bankr, N.D. W. Va. Sept 27, 2012,) the trustee in the bankruptcy of an LLC member asked the Bankruptcy Court for a declaration that the LLC was dissolved pursuant to the LLC's own operating agreement, which called for dissolution upon the bankruptcy of a member. In this case, the Court denied the Trustee's motion, relying on provisions in the Bankruptcy Act that trump other contracts. This ruling left the trustee with very limited options for liquidating the member's LLC interest and paying out to the bankruptcy creditors.
While most of my asset protection planning involves third-party (i.e. non-bankruptcy) creditors, however this case is important in light of the fact that the court upheld asset protection provided by the member's LLC.
-Tiffany Ballenger, Esq.