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Charles A. Yancey and his nephew, Edward Smith Conrad, joined in 1877 to form the Harrisonburg law firm of Yancey and Conrad.

Charles A. Yancey was the son of Colonel William Burbridge Yancey and Mary Smith Yancey. William B. Yancey served as a Captain of the Peaked Mountain Grays' (a unit of the 10th Regiment, Volunteer Infantry) during the War Between the States. At the battle of second Manassas senior officers were killed and the command passed to Captain Yancey. In an engagement fought on May 1, 1864, Captain Yancey was permanently disabled by a severe wound. Charles' grandparents were Layton and Frances Lewis Yancey. Layton had served as a lieutenant of dragoons in the Revolutionary War. Charles, himself, served as a lieutenant in the Confederate Army with the Sixth Regiment of Virginia Cavalry which was commanded by Charles' brother, Captain E. S. Yancey. He was educated at the University of Virginia.

His partner and nephew, Edward Smith Conrad, was the son of George Oliver Conrad and Diana Yancey Conrad. Diana was a sister to Charles Yancey. George Oliver Conrad, a former mayor of Harrisonburg, served in the Confederate Army and was wounded in action. Edward's grandparents were George and Susan Miller Conrad. Susan was a great granddaughter of Adam Miller, pioneer settler of the Shenandoah Valley. Edward's grandfather was a large landowner in Harrisonburg; a portion of his former lands are now occupied by James Madison University. Edward was an active leader in the Methodist Church and a trustee of Randolph Macon College. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia.

Charles Yancey died at the age of 41 in 1880. Much loved and respected, the local newspaper reported that his funeral was one of the largest ever attended in Harrisonburg.

Edward S. Conrad continued the practice of law by himself until 1891 when his younger brother, George Newton Conrad, commenced practice with him under the firm name of Conrad & Conrad.

George Newton Conrad married Emily Pasco, daughter of United States Senator Samuel Pasco of Florida. He was active in securing the establishment of Madison College (now James Madison University) at Harrisonburg. He was an eloquent speaker, winner of a gold medal for oratory at the University of Virginia, and was a distinguished trial lawyer. He served as state senator for several terms until he broke with his party over its nominee for the presidency.

Edward S. Conrad became incapacitated by ill health and practiced very little after the early 1900s. His son, Laird Lewis Conrad, joined the law firm and practiced with it for approximately four years during this period. Edward died in 1916.

The practice was continued by George Newton Conrad alone until 1928, when his son, George Denham Conrad, joined his father, continuing the firm of Conrad & Conrad. George D. Conrad and his brother, Samuel Pasco Conrad served in the military during World War II. The firm's business affairs were continued by the Conrads' brother-in-law, Howard K. Gibbons, who was the business manager for Madison College. After the war the two brothers continued the Conrad & Conrad law firm. George Denham Conrad was Harrisonburg's city attorney before the war and Commonwealth's attorney for eight years thereafter. Like his father, George D. Conrad was an able and respected trial lawyer and tried and won hundreds of jury cases. Sam and George both received legal training at Washington & Lee University. Sam moved to Florida, passed the Florida Bar Examination and practiced there.

In 1957, Donald D. Litten associated with George D. Conrad (then practicing alone) and Litten became a partner in 1963. The firm name was changed to Conrad and Litten.

In 1969, James R. Sipe, a University of Virginia Law School graduate, having completed a second term as Commonwealth's Attorney, joined the firm, changing the name again to Conrad, Litten and Sipe. From 1974 until 1980, the firm's name was Conrad, Litten, Sipe & Miller. In 1980 after George Conrad's retirement, the name was changed to Litten, Sipe & Miller, and finally in 1990 to Litten & Sipe.

Over these many years the firm has had offices at various locations in Harrisonburg.

From 1984 to 1990 the firm maintained a Richmond office first at the old City Hall and then at Innsbrook Corporate Center. From 1992 to 1995 the firm had an office in Woodstock at 140 South Main Street.

The seed planted by Edward Conrad and Charles Yancey in the Nineteenth Century has germinated into a modern mid-size law firm. Litten & Sipe is small compared to many of today's "law factories" but it is larger and stronger than many traditional rural firms. The firm size enables it to handle a wide range of matters from complex anti-trust litigation to personal injury cases to simple wills. It is small enough to take on a single new client and large enough to take on the world. It maintains a diverse practice with four core areas:

1. Civil litigation (including personal injury) and insurance defense,

2. Business and finance, including residential and commercial real estate,

3. Wills and estate planning, and,

4. Municipal and utility law.

Since 1877 the traditions of the firm have been to provide the highest quality legal work at reasonable fees, to enjoy personal rapport with its clients, and to provide leadership in its community.