A few weeks ago, I learned that Fabulous employees Mike Robertson and Jen Sale had announced their resignations from the company, and they hinted that the two of them had something big in the works.

I received a press release announcing the pair’s new venture, and I was surprised to see some others involved in this exciting project.  Domain Guardians is a new domain registrar that is going to officially launch during the ICANN conference in a couple of weeks, and it involves Mike Robertson, Jen Sale, Bill Vanderent, Adam Strong and Paul Keating.

This is not going to be your standard domain registrar though. The company will offer “domain estate planning and management services to domain professionals.” Estate planning specifically for domain investors is something that has been discussed by many (including me), but I don’t believe there are any companies offering these services.

I spoke with Adam Strong, and he mentioned that a health scare  about 5 years ago focused his attention to this issue.

“The concept has been one I’ve discussed with many other domain investors and my attorney and it didn’t seem there was a solution or an entity that was set up to handle these issues, especially one with trust and experience.  I think Jen, Mike and Bill have all that it takes to fill this void.

Additionally, I’ve got my hands full with many projects. Logo.com is going to be occupying a great deal of my time when we launch, so it’s also refreshing to have a team that I can trust available to turn to and manage my domains for me when I’m engaged in other things.

The Domain Legacy service is designed similar to how banks & trusts handle real estate when someone dies. DomainGuardians works with your attorney and heirs/family and fills the role of handling either a liquidation strategy or a management strategy in the event of death or disability. If your beneficiaries wish for something else, DG will also accommodate those wishes. This is a white-glove sort of service that is tailored for each person based on their individual plans and portfolios.”

I think this company is addressing an unfilled need in the domain space, and I look forward to hearing more about it in the coming weeks.

Full press release is below.

Domain name industry experts Mike Robertson, Jen Sale, Bill Vanderent, Adam Strong and Paul Keating have partnered to establish Domain Guardians, an ICANN accredited registrar providing domain estate planning and management services to domain professionals. The team will be launching the company and services at the upcoming ICANN Silicon Valley conference in San Francisco, CA, USA from March 13-18, 2011.

The combination of Dark Blue Sea alumni, Robertson, Sale and Vanderent, along with Strong and Keating, offers over 50 years of combined experience in the domain industry. “Working with a group of this caliber is humbling, and we’re all very excited to offer the domain community a comprehensive suite of services that provide real value,” stated Robertson of this opportunity.

Domain Guardians has developed Domain Legacy to technically and legally protect and manage domain assets in the event of a portfolio owner’s death or disability.

Paul Keating, prominent domain lawyer, recognizes the complicated nature of managing a portfolio, “No one lives forever, and most domain investors are not planning enough for the future. Managing domains across multiple registrars and monetization providers is a daunting task. It requires a great deal of skill developed on the back of years that may include lost opportunities, missteps and other failures. What will happen to the asset base and income streams when the manager is no longer “there” because of a death or disability? How will our survivors cope in an industry where contacts and experiences are shared by word of mouth?”

Veteran domain professional, Adam Strong, addresses the importance of Domain Legacy for your loved one’s protection and peace of mind, “Like other domain investors, I’ve thought, ‘Who’ll take care of my domains when I’m gone?’… I’ll be transferring my assets to my loved ones, who unfortunately don’t have the skills or desire to continue managing my business. It gives me peace of mind to know that they can trust the expertise of Domain Guardians to do this for them. Every domain investor with a valuable portfolio should protect the future of that portfolio.”

For more information, and to arrange a meeting with the team at ICANN, please email hello@domainguardians.com

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