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NEWPORT BEACH, CA—A 10-year legal action by theEpiscopal Diocese of Los Angeles—which encompassesthe counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura, SantaBarbara, Orange and a portion of Riverside—against SaintJames Parish here over ownership of local parish propertyhas been settled. The settlement came after the parish's appeal toa decision made by an Orange County Superior Court, which theplaintiff's side is calling definitive in the state of Californiaand “precedent-setting” throughout the country.

John R. Shiner, a partner at Bryan CaveLLP, led a team of attorneys, including BrentRychener, to represent the Diocese, a regional branch ofthe national Episcopal church, against the parish, a local branchthat had applied for and been granted membership to the Diocese. Heand Eric Sohlgren, an attorney with Payne& Fears who represented the parish—tell GlobeSt.comthat for differences over religious doctrine, in 2004 members ofSaint James Parish decided to split off from the Diocese and form achurch of a separate denomination using the same property. TheDiocese argued that the property belonged to it and not to theparishioners, thus creating the legal dispute. Shiner says anOrange County Superior Court issued a landmark opinion upholdingclaims by the Diocese and affirming its ownership of the disputedproperty.