Our Team
Knowledgeable, responsive specialists, focused on the nonprofit sector
JAMES F. WYNN II
Principal
James Wynn is a Principal with Quatt Associates. James specializes in the assessment and design of compensation and employee benefit plans. He works with a number of advocacy groups, professional societies, educational institutions, foundations, and media organizations in the areas of executive compensation, deferred compensation arrangements, staff compensation systems and structures, and employee benefit plan design.
In addition to his consulting work, James regularly speaks and serves as a panelist on these topics and is published in the journal “Taxation of Exempts.”
Prior to joining Quatt Associates, James was a member of the employee benefits and executive compensation practice group of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. As a lawyer with the firm, he assisted numerous for-profit and not-for-profit clients in finding and implementing creative solutions to their compensation and employee-benefit-related business problems. His experience ranges from qualified retirement plans and deferred compensation arrangements to employment agreements and severance pay agreements.
James is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where he studied human resource management and organizational behavior. He is a member of both the Virginia State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. He resides in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and three children.
IN THE MEDIA
Seminar for Private Foundations: Salary, Bonus, and Deferred Compensation Plans for Officers and Board Members – What is Acceptable, Both Legally and Reputationally?
James Wynn spoke at the annual conference sponsored by the El Pomar Foundation on key considerations for private foundations related to cash and deferred compensation.
16th Annual Rocky Mountain Tax Seminar for Private Foundations
September 2025
ASAE Conference Session: Performance, Priorities, and CEO Compensation
James Wynn spoke on a panel at the ASAE annual conference about strategies and tools to align organizational priorities with CEO compensation – in particular, by using executive assessment processes to determine incentive compensation awards. James has previously spoken at ASAE conferences on trends and tips for negotiating strategies for CEO contracts.
ASAE Annual Meeting, Los Angeles
August 11, 2025
Compensation Discussion with Higher Education Associations
James Wynn and Veronika Bordas present annually to the Washington Higher Education Secretariat’s higher education association membership on compensation and benefits trends from the recently-released WHES Compensation Survey conducted by Quatt.
Monthly WHES Meeting
May 2025
Texas Law Institute: Compensation and Benefits – Setting, Paying and Disclosing
James Wynn regularly presents Texas Law Institute, and his most recent presentation offered advice to tax-exempt organizations on setting competitive compensation along with tips to avoid compensation reporting traps, particularly in light of Form 990 disclosure requirements.
42nd Annual Nonprofit Organizations Institute, Austin, TX
April 2025
Georgetown Law Conference: Presentation on Challenging Issues in Executive Compensation
James Wynn serves as a regular lecturer and panelist at annual conference Representing and Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations, hosted by Georgetown Law, speaking to attendees on contemporary issues related to executive compensation for charities, foundations, and associations.
Georgetown Law Conference
April 2025 (most recent)
Seminar for Private Foundations: Executive Compensation
James Wynn spoke at the annual conference sponsored by the El Pomar Foundation on what private foundations should know and consider with respect to compensation and employment taxes.
15th Annual Rocky Mountain Tax Seminar for Private Foundations
September 2024
CEO Update: ‘Excess Compensation’ Tax Affecting More Associations
James Wynn commented on the importance of compensation benchmarking, both to satisfy legal obligations but also to ensure compensation levels are defensible to key stakeholders.
CEO Update
August 19, 2024
Compensation Discussion with NYC Cultural Institutions (2024)
James Wynn and Ben Manoukian presented to the New York Cultural Institution Human Resources Group on compensation trends in their sector based on results from the recently-released Museum & Cultural Institution Compensation Survey.
NYC-IHRG Meeting
May 2024
CEO Update: Choose Favorable Board Chairs When Renegotiating Contracts
James Wynn commented on the timing of contract negotiations for CEOs, and the dynamics of working with their Board and Board Chair.
CEO Update
October 10, 2023
CEO Update LIVE: Longer CEO Contracts, More Pay Equity
James Wynn and Simon Quint spoke on a panel about key considerations for nonprofits in a market where executive pay is increasing at a faster clip, and strategies for CEOs when negotiating or renegotiating contracts. In addition to this particular session, James and Simon both serve as regular panelists for CEO Update weighing in on contemporary executive compensation issues and considerations for trade associations.
CEO Update
April 24, 2023
ABA Tax Meeting: Presentation on Issues in Executive Compensation
James Wynn presented on executive compensation at the American Bar Association (ABA) 2022 May Tax Meeting in Washington, DC. 2022 May Tax Meeting Program May 13, 2022
Georgetown Law Conference: Presentation on Challenging Issues in Executive Compensation
James Wynn serves as a regular lecturer and panelist at annual conference Representing and Managing Tax-Exempt Organizations, hosted by Georgetown Law, speaking to attendees on contemporary issues related to executive compensation for charities, foundations, and associations.
April 28, 2022
UT Law Continuing Legal Education: Presentation on Compensation Pitfalls and Traps
James Wynn co-led a session titled “Compensation Pitfalls and Traps” at the 38th Annual Nonprofit Organizations Institute conference hosted by The University of Texas School of Law.
2022 UT Law Conference Program
January 19, 2022
Compensation Discussion with NYC Nonprofits
James Wynn and Veronika Bordas presented to the members of HRPANO, an association of human resources professionals in New York City, on compensation and benefits trends from the recently-released member compensation and benefits survey conducted by Quatt.
Monthly HRPANO Meeting
April 18, 2019
Quatt Principals present on compensation trends and best practices for non-profits at Coalition of Human Resource Management Associations Conference
Quatt Principals James Wynn and Simon Quint presented on compensation trends and best practices for non-profits at Coalition of Human Resource Management Associations Conference.
October 6, 2017
CEO Update: CEO compensation increases the most since Great Recession
James Wynn discussed latest salary survey results, indicating robust salary increase for CEOs.
April 14, 2017
DC Law: Association Law Symposium
James Wynn gave a presentation on trends in executive compensation and legal developments for non-qualified deferred compensation at DC Law: Association Law Symposium.
October 17, 2016
CEO Update LIVE: Compensation Forum
James Wynn joined CEO Update and leading experts in compensation, recruiting and employment contracts to discuss the latest salary trends in associations and nonprofits found in CEO Update’s new 2015-16 Salary Guide.
November 18, 2015
A ‘Reasonable’ Investment – Compensating Executives within Legal Bounds
Brian Vogel (Senior Principal) and James Wynn and Veronika Bordas (Principals) published an article on legal issues related to compensation in the nonprofit sector in the September/October issue of the journal “Taxation of Exempts.”
See more
September 15, 2015
UT Law Continuing Legal Education – Employment Issues in Nonprofits
James Wynn participated in a presentation on executive compensation, related party transactions, and Intermediate Sanctions to help organizations analyze the issues organizations face in reviewing, deciding and documenting executive compensation and related party transactions.
February 2015
Association of Research Libraries Spring 2014 Membership Meeting
James Wynn spoke at ARL's Spring Membership Meeting on Organizing for New Work.
May 6, 2014
Charles Quatt
Brian Vogel
Judith Stein
Simon Quint
Veronika Bordas
Anna Collins
Benjamin Manoukian
