My Story and Services

James began his career in the financial industry at age 19 and has worked as a Consulting Group Analyst, a Digital Advisor Associate, and Wealth Advisor Associate at Morgan Stanley. He was also involved in the University of Washington Finance Committee, University of Washington Economics Research, Wells Fargo, and a technology start-up business while completing his degree.

Within Morgan Stanley, James is among one of the few Mandarin and Cantonese- speaking advisors with extensive cross-border wealth management knowledge. James focuses on corporate stock plan as well as domestic and international business owners. His mission is to create customized financial planning, portfolio and investment management, and an array of investments and business governance, all with the strong foundation of one of the largest financial institutions in the world. Client satisfaction is James’ primary goal.

James graduated from the University of Washington Seattle with degrees in Economics and Mathematics. He is now serving on the Community Action Board at University of Washington School of Medicine. In his leisure, James likes to keep up on the latest developments with various technology start-ups in Seattle.
Services Include
Securities Agent: DE, CT, CA, SD, NJ, MA, FL, WA, NC, DC, OR, MD, AZ, NY, PA, TX; General Securities Representative; Investment Advisor Representative
NMLS#: 1851279
Check the background of Our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck.*

Preparing for Tax Season

With the Tax Season here, we've gathered resources to help you stay organized and explore potential savings strategies. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or further guidance.
    Total Tax 365
    Total Tax 365
    Taxes can be a substantial drag on investment returns. Morgan Stanley Total Tax 365 offers access to a broad range of tax-efficient strategies to help you integrate tax planning into your investment process all year long, maximize portfolio after-tax return potential, manage unrealized gains and help keep more of what you earn.
    Learn More
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    How Will You Pay Your Tax Bill
    There are a variety of options to paying your tax bill. Learn some of the pros and cons for each.
    Common Approaches to Managing the Payment

Advisory & Planning Solutions

Our advisory and planning services help you navigate life’s milestones with tailored strategies to grow, protect, and transfer your wealth.
    Investment Advisory - (icon) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    Investment Advisory
    Manage your investments within a holistic advisory relationship and take advantage of integrated tax, risk management and estate planning benefits across your entire wealth strategy—backed by leading insights and one of the financial industry's most comprehensive, multi-award-winning advisory platform.
    Financial Planning - (icon) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    Financial Planning
    Morgan Stanley Financial Planning can show you a single, comprehensive snapshot of your finances. We can help you create a wealth plan that’s adaptable to the different stages of your life using our cutting edge tools- Goals Planning System (GPS) and LifeView.
    Morgan Stanley Goals-Based Wealth Management
    Portfolio Risk Platform (icon) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    Portfolio Risk Platform
    Our Portfolio Risk Platform, backed by institutional-caliber analytics, assesses thousands of risk factors using a holdings-based approach to assess a portfolio’s exposures, analyze how securities behave together across portfolios and forecast how they influence risk and return moving forward.
    Portfolio Risk Platform
    Morgan Stanley Portfolio Solutions (icon) - DO NOT EDIT CONTENT - MUST USE AS IS
    Morgan Stanley Portfolio Solutions
    Portfolios that harness Morgan Stanley's industry-leading advice, resources and risk management—calibrated to your specific goals.

Equity compensation & Stock options

Your equity is a resource that can help you build lasting wealth and achieve your financial aspiration. Through tailored consulting and a clear strategy, we guide you in optimizing your stock plan so it works toward the financial future you envision.

    How To Make The Most of Your Stock Plan
    • Understand the components of your equity package, such as stock options, RSUs, and vesting schedules, and their tax implications.
    • Manage risks associated with overconcentration in a single stock to protect your financial well-being.
    • Integrate equity benefits into a personalized, goal-based financial plan that aligns with your individual needs and objectives.
    How We Can Help You
    • Stock Option Planning: Emphasizes the importance of understanding and strategically exercising stock options to maximize their value.
    • Concentrated Stock Diversification: Discusses personalized strategies to manage risks associated with concentrated stock positions and mitigate market risk.
    • Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP): Offers guidance on tax planning, risk management, and leveraging positions to optimize gains.
    • Tax-Efficient Strategies: Highlights key considerations such as Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and capital gains to minimize tax liability.
    Understand Your Equity Plan

    You equity award is proof of your hard work. Leveraging our innoative anlysis platform, we provide strategies and insights to help you put them to work and maximize their value.

    Why Us?
    • Customized to Your Need: Strategies are tailored to meet the unique needs of each client, acknowledging that every equity plan is different.
    • Strategic Outlook: The approach ensures that strategies align with clients' broader life and financial goals, going beyond just equity management.
    • Proven Partner: The team prioritizes transparency and trust, empowering clients to make confident decisions regarding their equity plans.

Client Service Team

    Carousel Associate Image
    Jason Yang - Client Service Associate
    Phone:
    (206) 224-4158(206) 224-4158
    Email:jason.yang@morganstanley.com
    I provide dedicated support to both clients and advisors, helping ensure a seamless and personalized financial services experience. I am skilled in client onboarding, account maintenance, and day-to-day service needs with a focus on accuracy, responsiveness, and confidentiality.

    With a strong background in financial operations and client relationship management, I’m committed to building trust and delivering service that reflects both professionalism and care. Whether assisting with complex transactions or addressing routine inquiries, my goal is to ensure clients feel supported and valued at every stage.
    Dorothy Yun - Client Service Associate
    Phone:
    (206) 224-4157(206) 224-4157
    Email:Dorothy.Yun@morganstanley.com
    As a trilingual professional fluent in Korean, Japanese, and English, I bring a seasoned, detail-oriented approach to client service within the wealth management space. With a background in research operations and academic support at Case Western Reserve University, I’ve developed a strong foundation in precision, responsiveness, and high-touch service delivery.

    I support both advisors and clients across a wide range of needs from onboarding and account maintenance to documentation and day-to-day service requests ensuring every interaction reflects professionalism, accuracy, and a deep respect for client confidentiality.

    My experience managing complex projects and facilitating cross-cultural communication has equipped me to serve a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional relationships. I anticipate needs, resolve issues proactively, and uphold the highest standards of integrity and client care.

    Whether navigating routine transactions or supporting more specialized, nuanced requests, I am committed to delivering service that is seamless, thoughtful, and consistently dependable always tailored to the unique priorities of each client.

Location

601 Union Street
Suite 2900
Seattle, WA 98101
US
Direct:
(206) 224-4163(206) 224-4163

Awards and Recognition

Forbes America's Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors
Forbes America’s Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors Source: Forbes.com (Awarded Aug 2025) Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC for the period 3/31/24 - 3/31/25.

The Power of Partnerships

By partnering with experienced individuals across wealth disciplines, Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors can align specialized resources with your custom needs and deliver strategic guidance through the familiarity and trust of existing relationships

About Rylan Nordquist

Rylan Nordquist is an Associate Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Washington.

Associate Private Bankers partner with Private Bankers and Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.

Rylan began his career in financial services in 2012, and joined Morgan Stanley in 2022 as an Associate Private Banker. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Private Client Banker at JP Morgan Chase.

Rylan is a graduate of Le Moyne College in Syracuse New York, where he received a double Major of Bachelor Science in Finance and Management Analysis. He lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife, Emily. Outside of the office, Rylan enjoys playing music, hiking, boating, and spending time with family and friends.
NMLS#: 1272286

About Katie Reed

Katie Reed is a Senior Private Banker serving Morgan Stanley Wealth Management offices in Washington.

Private Bankers partner with Financial Advisors to develop a specialized approach for managing clients’ cash flow, liquidity and financing needs, leveraging our comprehensive suite of cash management and lending solutions.

Katie began her career in financial services in 2002 and joined Morgan Stanley in 2017 as a Private Banker. Prior to joining the firm, she was a Wealth Management Banker at Merrill Lynch.

Katie is a graduate of the University of Washington, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her spouse. Outside of the office, Katie enjoys volunteering her time with various organizations which support women, food accessibility, and animals. She also enjoys traveling, Washington Husky football, and spending time with family and friends.
NMLS#: 652641
Private Bankers, Ultra High Net Worth ("UHNW") Specialists, PBG Market Managers, Lending Advisors, Mortgage Consultants, Regional Mortgage Specialist, Cash Management Specialists, Associate Private Bankers are employees of Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association.

Banking products and services are offered by Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association, Member FDIC.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC is a registered Broker/Dealer, Member SIPC, and not a bank. Where appropriate, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC has entered into arrangements with banks and other third parties to assist in offering certain banking related products and services.

Investment, insurance and annuity products offered through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC are: NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT BANK GUARANTEED | NOT A BANK DEPOSIT | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

Wealth Management
Global Investment Office

Portfolio Insights

Retirement

Working with you to understand your life goals and develop a personalized wealth strategy. Today and for the years to come.
  • 401(k) Rollovers
  • IRA Plans
  • Retirement income strategies
  • Retirement plan participants
  • Annuities
A Simple Six-Step Retirement Checkup
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A Simple Six-Step Retirement Checkup

Checking in on your retirement plan may make a lot of sense, especially when market volatility arises.

Investing

Working closely with you to guide your wealth and investments through the most challenging market cycles.
  • Asset Management
  • Wealth Planning
  • Traditional Investments
  • Alternative Investments
  • Impact Investing
Rational Investing in an Age of Uncertainty
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Rational Investing in an Age of Uncertainty

When it comes to investing, even the most savvy of us fall prey to bias and emotional trades. So what triggers should you watch for?

Family

Creating customized financial strategies for the challenges that today’s families face.
  • Estate Planning Strategies
  • 529 Plans / Education Savings Planning
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • Special Needs Planning
  • Trust Services
529 Plans: A Powerful Tool to Save for Education
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529 Plans: A Powerful Tool to Save for Education

Though education costs continue to climb, starting to save and invest early can make a difference.

Business Planning

Helping you on key aspects of your business such as ownership, liquidity and developing opportunities.
  • Succession Planning
  • Business Planning
  • Qualified Retirement Plans
Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business
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Financial Planning for Life After Selling a Business

Selling your business can mean big changes for your life, both personally and financially. Know how to make the most of your windfall.

Philanthropy

Making sure your philanthropic dollars are managed with the same high quality service as the rest of your wealth.
  • Endowments
  • Foundations
  • Donor Advised Funds
  • Impact Investing
Donor Advised Funds: A Smart Way to Manage Your Giving
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Donor Advised Funds: A Smart Way to Manage Your Giving

There's more to charitable giving than you may realize. Here's one method that may be a tax-efficient way to give and can help maximize your impact.
Ready to start a conversation? Contact James Hedden today.
1Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is the trade name of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a registered broker-dealer in the United States. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a business of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.

For more information, please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC Client Relationship Summary.

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2Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.

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3Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.

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4When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors (collectively, “Morgan Stanley”) provide “investment advice” regarding a retirement or welfare benefit plan account, an individual retirement account or a Coverdell education savings account (“Retirement Account”), Morgan Stanley is a “fiduciary” as those terms are defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the “Code”), as applicable. When Morgan Stanley provides investment education, takes orders on an unsolicited basis or otherwise does not provide “investment advice”, Morgan Stanley will not be considered a “fiduciary” under ERISA and/or the Code. For more information regarding Morgan Stanley’s role with respect to a Retirement Account, please visit www.morganstanley.com/disclosures/dol. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Morgan Stanley does not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals are encouraged to consult their tax and legal advisors (a) before establishing a Retirement Account, and (b) regarding any potential tax, ERISA and related consequences of any investments or other transactions made with respect to a Retirement Account. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

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5Alternative Investments are speculative and include a high degree of risk. An investor could lose all or a substantial amount of his/her investment. Alternative investments are appropriate only for qualified, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time.

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6Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC does not accept appointments nor will it act as a trustee but it will provide access to trust services through an appropriate third-party corporate trustee.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning and other legal matters.

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7Participating in a new issue/syndicate is subject to availability. IPOs are highly speculative and may not be appropriate for all investors because they lack a stock-trading history and usually involve smaller and newer companies that tend to have limited operating histories, less-experienced management teams, and fewer products or customers. Also, the offering price of an IPO reflects a negotiated estimate as to the value of the company, which may bear little relationship to the trading price of the securities, and it is not uncommon for the closing price of the shares shortly after the IPO to be well above or below the offering price.

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8Morgan Stanley’s investment advisory programs may require a minimum asset level and, depending on your specific investment objectives and financial position, may not be appropriate for you. Please see the Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC program disclosure brochure (the “Morgan Stanley ADV”) for more information in the investment advisory programs available. The Morgan Stanley ADV is available at www.morganstanley.com/ADV.

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9Products and services are provided by third party service providers, not Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). Morgan Stanley may not receive a referral fee or have any input concerning such products or services. There may be additional service providers for comparative purposes. Please perform a thorough due diligence and make your own independent decision.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors and Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for matters involving trust and estate planning, charitable giving, philanthropic planning and other legal matters.

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Check the background of our Firm and Investment Professionals on FINRA's BrokerCheck*.

The information, products and services described here are intended only for individuals residing in states where this Financial Advisor is properly registered as described in this site.

Morgan Stanley reserves the right, to the extent permitted under applicable law, to retain and monitor all electronic communications. Morgan Stanley will not accept purchase or sale orders via any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. Morgan Stanley does not endorse and is not responsible and assumes no liability for content, products or services posted by third-parties on any Internet site, social media site and/or its messaging systems. All electronic communications are subject to terms available at the following link:
https://www.morganstanley.com/disclaimers/mswm-email.html. Any profiles and associated content are for U.S. residents only.

The securities/instruments, services, investments and investment strategies discussed in this material may not be appropriate for all investors. The appropriateness of a particular investment, investment strategy or service will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments, strategies and services, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor or Private Wealth Advisor. This material does not provide individually tailored investment advice. It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”), its affiliates and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors or Private Wealth Advisors do not provide tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult their tax advisor for matters involving taxation and tax planning and their attorney for legal matters.

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) is not implying an affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement with/of the third party or that any monitoring is being done by Morgan Stanley of any information contained within the website. Morgan Stanley is not responsible for the information contained on the third-party website or the use of or inability to use such site. Nor do we guarantee their accuracy or completeness.

The views, opinions or advice contained within third party websites or materials are solely those of the author, who is not a Morgan Stanley employee, and do not necessarily reflect those of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, or its affiliates. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be appropriate for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor's individual circumstances and objectives.

*References to length of service at Morgan Stanley include years at Morgan Stanley and predecessor firms.

CFP Board owns the marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

The use of the CDFA designation does not permit the rendering of legal advice by Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors which may only be done by a licensed attorney.  The CDFA designation is not intended to imply that either Morgan Stanley or its Financial Advisors are acting as experts in this field.

Awards Disclosures | Morgan Stanley
CRC 4665150 (8/2025)