👤
Craig S. Redler
Attorney at Law
🏝️ The Only US Attorney with Cook Islands Insider Experience

Craig S. Redler, Esq., TEP

I didn’t take the typical path to becoming an asset protection attorney. And that’s exactly why my clients get results others can’t deliver.

I’m the only attorney in the United States who has lived in the Cook Islands to work in the fiduciary industry. While other attorneys read about offshore trusts, I served as a trustee, structured accounts throughout Europe and Asia, and learned the inside workings of the world’s most powerful asset protection jurisdiction.

✓ Licensed CA, IL, MO ✓ TEP Designation ✓ STEP Board Member ✓ 20+ Years Experience
20+
Years Protecting Families
$100M+
Assets Protected
100%
Success Rate on Properly Structured Trusts
1
US Attorney with Cook Islands Insider Experience

An Unusual Path That Creates Unmatched Results

Chapter 1

Engineering & Politics

  • Systems Engineer at EDS/GM in Detroit — analytical thinking, complex system design
  • Legislative Assistant to Rep. Richard A. Gephardt, House Majority Leader — learned how laws are made
  • Radio Host at Paradise 105.4FM (New Zealand) — learned to explain complexity clearly
Chapter 2

Law & Litigation

  • J.D., Washington University School of Law
  • Litigator at Goffstein, Raskas, Pomerantz, Kraus & Sherman — saw firsthand how creditors pursue assets
  • Co-founded Law Offices of Redler & Seigel, P.C. (estate planning & asset protection)
The Game-Changer

Cook Islands

  • Moved to the Cook Islands to work in the fiduciary industry
  • Trustee at Southpac Trust International, Inc. — managed offshore trusts for HNW clients
  • Structured bank accounts throughout Europe and Asia
  • Amicorp (Auckland, New Zealand & Miami, Florida)
Today

Protecting High-Net-Worth Families

  • 20+ years focused exclusively on asset protection
  • TEP designation — one of fewer than 2,500 worldwide
  • Board Member, STEP Orange County Chapter
  • Regular speaker at national conferences

What Makes Me Different

Here’s what matters: I am the only attorney in the United States who has lived in the Cook Islands to work in the fiduciary industry.

While other attorneys read about Cook Islands trusts, I worked as a trustee. While they learn from conferences, I learned from experience. While they refer to trustees they found online, I have personal relationships from working alongside them.

When you work with me, you don’t just get an attorney who understands Cook Islands law. You get an insider who lived it.

My background as a litigator taught me how creditors attack. My engineering background taught me how to build resilient structures. My political experience taught me how laws work. And my Cook Islands experience gave me insider knowledge unavailable from any other attorney.

Schedule Free Consultation

What I Learned Living in the Cook Islands

⚖️

The Legal Culture

Living there taught me how Cook Islands judges actually interpret asset protection law—not just what the statutes say. I understand how the “beyond reasonable doubt” standard plays out in practice.

🤝

Trustee Relationships

Working as a trustee gave me relationships other attorneys simply cannot have. I know the trustees personally, understand their processes, and know which firms are most reliable.

🧠

Insider Knowledge

I understand how trust administration actually works day-to-day, what makes a trust structure resilient vs. vulnerable, and the common mistakes other attorneys make that I help clients avoid.

Qualifications & Professional Background

Bar Admissions

  • California State Bar
  • Illinois State Bar
  • Missouri Bar
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit

Professional Designations

  • TEP — Trust and Estate Practitioner (STEP)
  • One of fewer than 2,500 TEPs worldwide
  • Board Member, STEP Orange County Chapter
  • Former Chairman of the Board, STEP OC

Education

  • J.D., Washington University School of Law
  • B.S./B.A., University of Missouri, Columbia
  • Ongoing CLE in asset protection & international law

Former Positions

  • Southpac Trust International, Inc. (Cook Islands)
  • Amicorp (Auckland, NZ & Miami, FL)
  • Legislative Assistant, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt
  • Systems Engineer, EDS/GM, Detroit
  • Shareholder, Law Offices of Redler & Seigel, P.C.

Speaking Engagements & Media

Recent Presentations

2023
“Offshore Asset Protection Trusts: Structuring Foreign Trusts” — Strafford Publishing
2023
“Domestic Asset Protection Trusts: Key Tax Implications” — Strafford Publishing
2021
“Beyond the Headlines: The Pandora Papers” — Beverly Hills Bar Association
2019
“Asset Protection Due Diligence” — 40th Annual Notre Dame Tax and Estate Planning Institute

Podcast Appearances

“Delivering Direction and Control”
Bridgeford Trust Company ¡ Episode 35 ¡ December 2023
“Adulting Demystified”
Odelia Goldberg ¡ March 2025

How I Approach Asset Protection

🛡️

Protection First

Too many attorneys try to save you a few dollars on structure costs. I focus on one thing: making your wealth truly protected. If a creditor can reach your assets, the structure failed.

🧠

Insider Knowledge Over Book Knowledge

Anyone can read the Cook Islands International Trusts Act. I lived there. I worked there. I know how these trusts actually work in practice.

✅

Full Compliance, Full Protection

I ensure 100% US tax compliance: full IRS reporting, complete FATCA compliance, transparent disclosure. You report everything. You pay all taxes owed. But you don’t lose assets in lawsuits.

💬

Education & Transparency

I don’t sell you strategies you don’t understand. I explain how the protection works, what the risks are, and what your options are at each decision point.

What Clients Say

★★★★★

“We interviewed five asset protection attorneys before choosing Craig. He was the only one who actually lived in the Cook Islands. That insider experience was the deciding factor.”

Business Owner
California
★★★★★

“Craig doesn’t just know the law—he knows how these trusts actually work from the inside. That knowledge saved our family from a devastating lawsuit.”

Medical Professional
Florida
★★★★★

“Other attorneys quoted cheaper fees, but Craig was honest about what real protection costs. We paid for the best, and it was worth every penny.”

Real Estate Investor
Texas

Experience the Insider Advantage

You didn’t build millions of dollars to lose it in a lawsuit. Schedule a free 30-minute consultation and discover what Cook Islands insider experience means for your wealth.

(949) 200-1213craig@redlerlaw.com