At this time of the year, we wish to express our appreciation for the friendship and confidence you have shown us. We continue to offer our clients and colleagues the finest service possible. Our firm has recently settled $239,000.00 in cases that were deposited in December. These cases involved auto wrecks, a drunk driver, a guest passenger claim and a false arrest claim.

And, we continue to build relationships and associations with our colleagues. For the month of December, we paid over $34,000 to attorneys in referral fees.

As we look forward to 2009, we would like to share a few inspirational quotes, that we feel will help you through these challenging times.

"You can't steal second base, and keep your foot on first."
Frederick Wilcox, Writer

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
Christopher Reeve, Actor

"Excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude."
Ralph Marston, Author

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
Henry Ford, Industrialist

"My father taught me that reputation, not money, was the most important thing in the world."
William Rosenberg, Dunkin Donuts founder

From every member of Lewis, Feldman, Lehane & McAtee, LLC, we wish you a happy, safe holiday season and a healthy, fulfilling New Year.

Jon E. Lewis

Daniel B. Feldman

Danny Lehane

J. Stuart McAtee

Nearly a dozen conservative church congregations in Virginia have won a lawsuit in which they sought to split from the U.S. Episcopal Church in a dispute over theology and homosexuality.

The final rulings came Friday from a Fairfax County judge who said the departing congregations are allowed under Virginia law to keep their church buildings and other property as they leave the Episcopal Church and realign under the authority of conservative Anglican bishops from Africa.

Several previous rulings had also gone in favor of the departing congregations. The diocese said it will appeal.

Eleven Virginia congregations were involved in the lawsuit, including two prominent congregations that trace their histories to George Washington — Truro Church in Fairfax and The Falls Church in Falls Church.

The congregations voted to realign in late 2006. Since then, the rift in the Episcopal Church has grown, and entire dioceses have voted to leave the denomination. Similar property disputes are expected there as well.

The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia argued it was the true owner of the church property and that the congregations' votes to leave the Episcopal Church were invalid.