Pro Bono Spotlight: Christopher Fowler

By Paul Yale

Chris Fowler is a firm member and corporate finance and transactional attorney with Moore & Van Allen (MVA) in Charlotte. Chris began volunteering on pro bono projects immediately after joining MVA in 2012 after graduating from the University of North Carolina Law School at Chapel Hill. He heads the firm’s Pro Bono Wills Project in partnership between MVA and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy to assist elderly residents of Mecklenburg County with estate planning services.

Chris’s involvement with the Charlotte Wills for Heroes Clinic began three years ago when MVA partnered with the North Carolina Bar Foundation, Bank of America and several other Charlotte law firms as a way of honoring first responders on the anniversary of 9/11. Chris credits Vince Doa of the Bank of America Legal Department as having come up with the idea and helping lead the efforts, but Chris played an important role by coordinating with Bank of America, the North Carolina Bar Foundation and the other Charlotte lawyers and law firms who participated in providing event space, attorney volunteers, notaries, and other logistical support.

The NCBF Wills for Heroes program partners with local fire, police, and EMS stations/departments to host clinics where volunteer attorneys draft simple wills, health care powers of attorney, financial powers of attorney, and advance directive documents for first responders and their families for free.

Why does Chris have such a passion for pro bono work? In his own words,

“Every client for the CCLA Wills Project involves interaction with members of the community that, generally, do not have ready access to legal services. Providing them with the security and advice involved with not only their wills, but other tough decisions and family dynamics they face for end-of-life (and other important health care) decisions is rewarding – many of those being wrapped up in choices about living wills and powers of attorney.

“Selfishly, they also offer a welcome variety to my day-to-day practice representing institutional corporate finance clients.  For first responders, it is a no-brainer to do what we can to help those folks – this just happens to be a way I can use my legal practice and resources to do so.”

Chris lives in Charlotte (a native) with his wife Lauren and three girls, twins Amelia and Eleanor (ages 7) and baby Emily (1 year). Chris and Lauren met as undergraduates at the University of Alabama and got married when Chris moved back to Charlotte after graduating from UNC School of Law. Lauren had moved to Charlotte before Chris as a Teach for America teacher in Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Schools, so a community service ethos must run deep in the Fowler family! Lauren no doubt assists both Chris and the Wills for Heroes Project by juggling her own work with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and also keeping things tame on the home front while Chris manages his pro bono commitments and a busy and challenging law practice at MVA.

Chris’s off-work hours are understandably devoted to family and especially children’s activities, but as his children get older he hopes to have more time for hiking, golf and spending time with Lauren! Kudos to both Chris and his wife Lauren for making pro bono legal work and public service a family priority in the interim.

Paul Yale is a member of the NCBA Pro Bono Recognition Subcommittee.