Who We Are

Andrew and Dean started Sneathern and Lhospital in 2009 after they crossed paths in the courtroom. Andrew, then a prosecutor with Albemarle County, told his wife that night that he had an infuriating encounter with a new defense attorney. Dean went home and reported that prosecutors were irredeemable reprobates. What they both meant was that they respected the hard work and passion that the other put into litigation. They also realized that although they were on opposite sides of the aisle, they shared a common philosophy: that every person who comes before the courts of the Commonwealth deserves vigorous representation, candid advice, and respect. From their humble beginnings in Belmont to their current Court Square location, they serve clients in courts in Charlottesville, Albemarle, Greene, Madison, Orange, Fluvanna, Culpeper, Nelson, Augusta, Goochland and beyond. You can visit Sneathern and Lhospital for representation in criminal defense, family law, criminal and civil appeals, civil rights litigation, business formation, contract disputes, and other matters. See the Areas of Practice page for more detailed information.

Andrew Sneathern – Partner

Andrew was born and raised in Mississippi County, Missouri. After attending college at Southeast Missouri State and graduating from the University of Tulsa Law School, Andrew returned home to take a position as city attorney for East Prairie, Missouri. He was then appointed by Governor Mel Carnahan to the position of prosecuting attorney for Mississippi County.

After a brief stop in Washington DC, where he met his wife, Andrew moved to Charlottesville and gained more criminal law experience working as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Spottsylvania and Albemarle County. Andrew focuses on criminal defense and family law. He is licensed to practice in all the courts in the Commonwealth and the Federal District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Education

B.S. Economics Southeast Missouri State University
J.D. University of Tulsa Law School

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense
Family Law

Admissions

Missouri 1996
Virginia 2005
Federal Western District of Virginia 2011

Professional Involvement

Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association

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Dean Lhospital – Partner

Dean comes to us from Wheaton, Illinois, a small western suburb of Chicago. He travelled west to Tucson for an undergraduate degree in English at the University of Arizona, then discovered the charms of the Old Dominion while attending law school at George Mason University. He stayed busy in law school as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Law, Economics and Policy, and Associate Editor of the Docket Call newspaper.Dean writes in his spare time, and has been published in the Human Rights and Globalization Law Review, and collaborated with U.S. District Judge Harold Baer in publishing the ABA best-selling Judges Under Fire: Human Rights, Independent Judges, and the Rule of Law, published in January 2011. His practice focuses on criminal defense, civil rights, and appeals. He is licensed to practice in all the courts in the Commonwealth, the Federal Court of the Western District of Virginia, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is married and has two dogs who can be found in the office on most Fridays.

Education

B.A. English, Magna Cum Laude, University of Arizona
J.D. George Mason University Law School

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense
Civil Rights
Appeals
Landlord-Tenant
Business

Admissions

Virginia 2008
Federal Western District of Virginia 2009
Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals 2009

Professional Involvement

Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association
7th District Representative, Board of Governors, VSB Young Lawyers Conference
Co-Chair, Charlottesville Albemarle Young Lawyers Section
Virginia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Member, Thomas Jefferson Inn of Court

Community Involvement

Member, Charlottesville Albemarle Criminal Justice Coalition
Former Board Member, Charlottesville Dialogue on Race Steering Committee
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Michael Lewis – Associate

Michael joined Sneathern and Lhospital in 2010. Previously, he clerked for the Honorable Crystal D. Mittelstaedt in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland, before moving to Virginia in 2008. He grew up in a small town in east Tennessee and earned a J.D. from University of Maryland School of Law. At Sneathern and Lhospital, Michael’s practice focuses on family law, personal injury litigation, and general civil litigation. He is licensed to practice in all the courts in the Commonwealth. In his spare time, Michael enjoys fishing and craft beers.

Education

B.A. Political Science University of Tennessee
J.D. University of Maryland

Practice Areas

Divorce
Custody
Visitation
Adoptions
Personal Injury

Admissions

Maryland 2007
Virginia 2008

Professional Involvement

Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association
Young Lawyers Section, Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association

Community Involvement

Eagle Scout
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Addison Barnhardt – Associate

Addison Barnhardt is a native of Orange and Charlottesville, Virginia.  He graduated from St. Anne’s-Belfield in 2001 and received his B.S. from Vanderbilt University.  After college, he moved to Los Angeles, California where he worked for Jeld-Wen, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of windows and doors.  After two years on the west coast, he decided to attend Vermont Law School where he earned two post-graduate degrees.  Addison returned home with his wife Willa, was admitted to the bar, and joined Sneathern & Lhospital, PLLC in 2012.

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Education

B.S. Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University
M.A. Magna Cum Laude, Environmental Law and Policy, Vermont Law School
J.D. Cum Laude, Vermont Law School

Practice Areas

Land Use
Real Property
Landlord Tenant
Civil Litigation
Family Law

Admissions

Virginia 2012

Professional Involvement

Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association
Young Lawyers Section, Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association
Member, Thomas Jefferson Inn of Court

Community Involvement

Boy’s Basketball Coach, Grymes Memorial School
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STAFF

Rachel Repko, Office Manager

Our yankee-in-chief Rachel comes to us from Fairfield, Connecticut. She moved to Virginia in 2004 to attend James Madison University, where she received a B.S. in Psychology, cum laude. She puts her powers of psychological manipulation to work keeping the office running smoothly and managing the egos of the attorneys. She enjoys horseback riding, gardening, and the beach, and has been with the company since 2010.

Chrissy Ratliff, Legal Assistant

Chrissy is our newest hire, joining the firm in July 2012. She has made herself invaluable in a short amount of time. Manning the front desk, she helps Sneathern and Lhospital make a good first impression. She went to the University of North Carolina at Asheville for Environmental Management and Policy. She likes art, photography, skiing, bicycling, and traveling. She and her husband have two dogs as well as fourteen chickens who make breakfast for them every day.

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