Ryan Oberly

Ryan Oberly advises a wide range of nonprofit organizations, including all forms of public charities, private foundations, social welfare organizations, trade associations, and social clubs.

As head of the firm’s fed tax practice group, Ryan helps nonprofits understand the rules governing their tax-exempt status and develops tax structuring and compliance strategies to address unrelated business income compliance, private benefit and inurement, political campaign and lobbying, private foundation excise taxes, joint ventures, grantmaking, program related investments, and other federal tax issues. Ryan regularly represents clients in all stages of IRS audits and serves as tax counsel on litigation matters involving tax issues for nonprofits. Ryan also heads the firm’s international practice group and navigates clients through the diverse tax, sanctions, and other legal and practical challenges in advancing a nonprofits’ mission overseas.

Ryan is a passionate advocate for philanthropy and the importance of a robust and pluralistic nonprofit sector for a healthy civil society. He has taught the Law of Nonprofit Organizations as an adjunct law professor at DePaul University's College of Law (Chicago) and Charleston School of Law. He currently co-chairs the Religious Organizations subcommittee of the American Bar Association's Exempt Organizations Committee and regularly speaks and writes on legal developments affecting nonprofit organizations. He serves on the boards of religious and international humanitarian organizations and annually runs the Hood to Coast Relay to help bring clean water and sanitation solutions to South Sudan.

Prior to starting Wagenmaker & Oberly, Ryan worked at Mosher & Wagenmaker, a law firm dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations.

Outside of work, Ryan enjoys surfing, skiing, and spending time with family and friends in Charleston's Daniel Island community, where he lives with his wife and three children.