Book excerpt: The proliferation of lawsuits throughout society exposes business owners, physicians, and other professionals to enormous risk if they don't adequately protect their personal and business assets. In The ABA Consumer Guide to Asset Protection, leading asset protection attorney Jeffrey Matsen provides a step-by-step guide to creating a "shield of liability" around personal and business assets through a combination of business and investment entity selections; estate planning techniques; and the creation of appropriate trusts. Matsen's multi-tiered approach is designed to help virtually everyone who has significant assets and to provide a plan appropriate to their particular circumstances. Readers will gain the knowledge to choose the right advisor and actively participate in the creation and management of their own asset protection plan.