Exhibit 99.1

Corinthian Mortgage Corporation Claims Damages by Units of Summit
Financial Group and Seeks Injunction

    MOOREFIELD, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 2004--On December 26,
2003, Summit Financial, LLC and Shenandoah Valley National Bank,
subsidiaries of Summit Financial Group, Inc. (OTCBB: SMMF), and
various employees of Summit Financial, LLC were served with a Petition
for Temporary Injunction and a Bill of Complaint filed in the Circuit
Court of Fairfax County, Virginia by Corinthian Mortgage Corporation.
The filings allege various claims against Summit Financial, LLC and
Shenandoah Valley National Bank arising out of the hiring of former
employees of Corinthian Mortgage Corporation and the alleged use of
trade secrets. The individual defendants have also been sued based on
allegations arising out of their former employment relationship with
Corinthian Mortgage and their current employment with Summit
Financial, LLC.
    The plaintiff seeks damages in the amount proven at trial on each
claim and punitive damages in the amount of $350,000 on each claim.
Plaintiff also seeks permanent and temporary injunctive relief
prohibiting the alleged use of trade secrets by Summit Financial and
the alleged solicitation of Corinthian's employees.
    Summit Financial, LLC and Shenandoah Valley National Bank, after
consultation with legal counsel, believe that plaintiff's claims are
without foundation and that meritorious defenses exist as to all the
claims.
    A hearing on plaintiff's request for preliminary injunctive relief
is scheduled for January 22, 2004. Summit Financial Group, Inc. will
continue to evaluate the claims in the Corinthian lawsuit and intends
to vigorously defend against them. Summit Financial Group, Inc.
believes that the lawsuit is without merit and will have no material
adverse effect on the Company. Management of Summit Financial Group,
at the present time, is unable to estimate the impact, if any, an
adverse decision may have on the Company's results of operations or
financial condition.

    Summit Financial Group, Inc. is a financial holding company with
total assets of $790 million. Summit operates thirteen banking
locations through its three wholly owned subsidiary banks, Summit
Community Bank headquartered in Moorefield, West Virginia, Capital
State Bank, Inc. in Charleston, West Virginia, and Shenandoah Valley
National Bank in Winchester, Virginia. Summit also operates Summit
Financial, LLC, a residential mortgage loan originator located in
Herndon, Virginia and organized during third quarter 2003.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined
by federal securities laws. These statements may address issues that
involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions
made by management. Actual results could differ materially from
current projections. Please refer to Summit's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for a summary of important factors
that could affect Summit's forward-looking statements. Summit
undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date
of this press release.

    CONTACT: Summit Financial
             Robert S. Tissue, 304-530-0552
             rtissue@SummitFGI.com