Ryan helps nonprofit organizations address their legal needs. As a founding partner of the law firm Wagenmaker & Oberly, he serves as general or special counsel to hundreds of public charities, religious organizations, private foundations, colleges, trade associations, social clubs, and social enterprise ventures.From simple start-ups to complex tax planning, Ryan works with clients to protect their tax-exempt status, facilitate organizational growth, and manage risks. He regularly advises clients through corporate mergers, joint ventures with exempt and for-profit entities, and other diverse state and international operational matters. Ryan also represents clients during IRS audits and Attorney General investigations and provides counsel on international philanthropy, cause-related marketing and fundraising laws, and protecting copyright and trademark interests for nonprofits. Ryan is an adjunct lecturer at the DePaul University College of Law where he teaches a course on the law of nonprofit organizations. He is a member of the IRS'​ TEGE Advisory Council and is active in the ABA's Tax-Exempt Committee and Chicago Bar Association. Illinois Super Lawyers® named Ryan a Rising Star in Nonprofit law in 2014-2016. Outside of work, Ryan can be found studying history, planning a ski trip, or doing anything active in Charleston's Daniel Island community where he recently moved with his wife and three children to open a second office of Wagenmaker & Oberly in the Southeast. Specialties: nonprofit law