Operating Agreement Layering

Order matters. You first open the bank account under the LLC name, then sign a single-member operating agreement that defines authority, capital, and dissolution terms. Only after the bank account and EIN are live do you layer the privacy trust — adding it earlier creates paperwork gaps that pierce the veil later.

For layered protection to hold, the operating agreement needs: spelled-out capital contributions, a clear single-member or trust-as-member clause, separate-equipment language for any asset you plan to move into the trust, and an explicit dissolution trigger. Skipping the agreement is the most common reason founders lose protection in a dispute.