News Article

ATLANTA—A stroke of good luck brought Womble Carlyle attorney Eric Glidewell together with Tina Dula and her son, Myles. But that chance encounter has resulted in a partnership that promises to help families and children dealing with autism.

The Myles-A-Part Foundation provides emotional and financial support to families with autistic kids, with a particular emphasis on helping minority families, whose needs often go overlooked. Myles was diagnosed with autism in 2003 and Dula dealt with the frustrations of trying to get her son the help he needed. She wanted to do something to aid other families in similar situations.

But a charity needs a great deal of legal groundwork before it can start operations and Dula didn’t know where to begin. However, she knew Glidewell’s wife through church circles and one day, Dula mentioned her need for legal assistance in starting the Myles-A-Part Foundation.

"My wife told me what Tina wanted to do, so I just called her one day," he said. After talking with Dula, Glidewell realized that her plan could do a lot of good for confused, hurting families and he wanted to help.

Glidewell, a corporate and securities attorney in Womble Carlyle’s Atlanta office, spoke with firm leaders, who agreed to allow him to work on the Myles-A-Part project as a pro bono effort.

"The firm was very encouraging and supportive of this effort," Glidewell said.

Glidewell first incorporated the Myles-A-Part Foundation as a non-profit. That involved drafting policies and establishing a board of directors. He then applied to the IRS for official 501 (c)3 tax-exempt non-profit status.

In all, the process took nearly a year. The Myles-A-Part Foundation earned official non-profit status in November and Tina Dula has been invited to share her story on an upcoming episode of "The Montel Williams Show".

"The Myles-A-Part Foundation already is making a difference," Glidewell said. "I'm just proud I could be a part of helping them get started."

• Pro Bono at Womble Carlyle