CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORP
SB-2/A, 1998-06-29
NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANKS
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     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 29, 1998.
                                                     Registration No. 333-52279
    
================================================================================


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

   
                          PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1
                                       TO
    
                                    FORM SB-2
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                ________________

                         CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
                 (Name of small business issuer in its charter)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                 <C>                               <C>
            Virginia                            6021                        54-1874630
(State or other jurisdiction of     (Primary Standard Industrial         (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)      Classification Code Number)      Identification Number)
</TABLE>

                                10641 Lee Highway
                             Fairfax, Virginia 22030
                                 (703) 934-9200
    (Address and telephone number of registrant's principal executive offices
                        and principal place of business)
   
                              L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                         Cardinal Financial Corporation
                                10641 Lee Highway
                             Fairfax, Virginia 22030
                                 (703) 934-9200
            (Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
    

                          Copies of Communications to:
   
   Wayne A. Whitham, Jr., Esquire                   George P. Whitley, Esquire
       R. Brian Ball, Esquire                              LeClair Ryan
Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins             707 E. Main Street, 11th Floor
  1021 East Cary Street, 16th Floor                  Richmond, Virginia 23219
      Richmond, Virginia 23219                            (804) 783-2003
           (804) 643-1991
    
     Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as
practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective.
     If this form is filed to  register  additional  securities  for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the  Securities  Act,  check the following box and
list the Securities Act registration  statement number of the earlier  effective
registration statement for the same offering. [ ] ____________
     If this form is a  post-effective  amendment  filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the  Securities  Act,  check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration  statement number of the earlier effective  registration  statement
for the same offering. [ ] ____________
     If this form is a  post-effective  amendment  filed pursuant to Rule 462(d)
under the  Securities  Act,  check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration  statement number of the earlier effective  registration  statement
for the same offering. [ ] ____________
     If delivery of the  prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
check the following box. [ ]
   
    
         The registrant hereby amends this  registration  statement on such date
or dates as may be necessary to delay its  effective  date until the  registrant
shall file a further amendment which specifically  states that this registration
statement shall  thereafter  become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of
the  Securities  Act of 1933 or until the  registration  statement  shall become
effective on such date as the  Commission,  acting pursuant to Section 8(a), may
determine.

================================================================================

<PAGE>
   
Information   contained  herein  is  subject  to  completion  or  amendment.   A
registration  statement  relating  to these  securities  has been filed with the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission.  These  securities may not be sold nor may
offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration  statement  becomes
effective.  This  Prospectus  shall  not  constitute  an  offer  to  sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these  securities
in any state in which such offer,  solicitation  or sale would be unlawful prior
to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.
    

   
                   SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JUNE 29, 1998
    
                                2,600,000 Shares

               [CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION LOGO APPEARS HERE]


                                  Common Stock
   
         All of the  shares  of common  stock,  $1.00  par  value  (the  "Common
Stock"),  offered hereby are being sold by Cardinal  Financial  Corporation (the
"Company").  Prior to this  Offering,  there has been no public  market  for the
Common  Stock.  The Common  Stock has been  approved  for  listing on The Nasdaq
SmallCap Market under the symbol "CFNL."
    
   
         It is anticipated  that the public  offering price for the Common Stock
will be in the range of $10.00 to $11.00 per share. See  "Underwriting"  for the
factors considered in determining the public offering price.
    
   
         See "RISK  FACTORS"  beginning  on page 6 for a  discussion  of certain
factors that should be considered by prospective  purchasers of the Common Stock
offered hereby.
    
   THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY ARE NOT SAVINGS OR DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS OR OTHER
  OBLIGATIONS OF A BANK OR SAVINGS ASSOCIATION AND ARE NOT INSURED BY THE BANK
       INSURANCE FUND OF THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION OR ANY
                           OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.

  THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
  EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SECURITIES
        AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED
   UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION 
                     TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
==================================================================================================================
                                                                     Underwriting             Proceeds to the
                                         Price to Public             Discount (1)               Company (2)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                         <C>                         <C>                       <C>
Per Share...........................        $                           $                         $
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total (3)...........................        $                           $                         $
==================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
    
   
(1)  The Company has agreed to indemnify the Underwriters  against certain civil
     liabilities,  including  liabilities  under the  Securities Act of 1933, as
     amended. See "Underwriting."
    
(2)  Before deducting expenses payable by the Company estimated at $________.
(3)  The Company has granted the  Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to
     390,000  additional  shares of Common Stock at the Price to Public less the
     Underwriting  Discount  solely to cover  over-allotments,  if any.  If such
     option is exercised in full, the total Price to Public,  total Underwriting
     Discount,  and total  Proceeds to the Company will be $______,  $______ and
     $______, respectively. See "Underwriting."
   
         The  shares  of  Common   Stock  are  being   offered  by  the  several
Underwriters  named herein,  subject to prior sale, when, as and if delivered to
and accepted by them and subject to certain conditions. The Underwriters reserve
the  right to  reject  orders in whole or in part and to  withdraw,  cancel,  or
modify the offer without notice. It is expected that certificates for the shares
will  be  available  for  delivery   against   payment   therefor  on  or  about
______________,  1998, at the offices of Scott & Stringfellow,  Inc.,  Richmond,
Virginia.
    
Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.
                                Interstate/Johnson Lane
                                      Corporation
                                                             Ferris, Baker Watts
                                                                 Incorporated
   
               The date of this Prospectus is _____________, 1998
    

<PAGE>





                   [GRAPHIC OMITTED (MAP OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA)]

















   
         IN CONNECTION  WITH THE OFFERING,  THE  UNDERWRITERS  MAY OVER-ALLOT OR
EFFECT  TRANSACTIONS  WHICH STABILIZE OR MAINTAIN THE MARKET PRICE OF THE COMMON
STOCK AT A LEVEL ABOVE THAT WHICH MIGHT  OTHERWISE  PREVAIL IN THE OPEN  MARKET.
SUCH  TRANSACTIONS  MAY BE EFFECTED ON THE NASDAQ  SMALLCAP MARKET OR OTHERWISE.
SUCH  STABILIZING,   IF  COMMENCED,   MAY  BE  DISCONTINUED  AT  ANY  TIME.  SEE
"UNDERWRITING."
    


                                       2
<PAGE>

                               PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
   
         The following summary is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed
information  and the  Company's  consolidated  financial  statements  and  notes
thereto  appearing  elsewhere in this Prospectus.  Unless the context  indicates
otherwise,  the  information  in this  Prospectus  assumes  no  exercise  of the
Underwriters'  over-allotment  option.  Prospective  investors  should  consider
carefully the information set forth under the heading "Risk Factors."
    
   
         This  Prospectus  contains  forward-looking   statements  that  discuss
certain risks and  uncertainties  and other factors that may cause the Company's
actual  results  to  differ   materially  from  the  results  discussed  in  the
forward-looking statements.  Factors that might cause such a difference include,
but are not  limited  to,  those  factors  set  forth  under the  heading  "Risk
Factors."
    
                                   The Company
   
         Cardinal Financial  Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered
in Fairfax,  Virginia which currently  operates  Cardinal Bank, N.A.  ("Cardinal
Bank") in  Fairfax,  Virginia  and  intends  to  organize  and  establish  three
community banks in the Manassas/Prince William County, Reston/Loudoun County and
Alexandria/Arlington County markets in northern Virginia (the "Additional Banks"
and with Cardinal Bank, collectively, the "Banks").  Collectively, these markets
are among the most affluent and fastest growing areas in Virginia.
    
   
         The Company intends to pursue a community  banking strategy by offering
a broad range of banking  products to  individuals,  professionals  and small to
medium-sized  businesses,  with an  emphasis on  personalized  service and local
decision-making  authority.  Management's expansion strategy includes attracting
experienced  local management  teams who will have  significant  decision-making
authority  at the local bank  level and local  independent  boards of  directors
consisting  of  individuals  with strong  community  affiliations  and extensive
business  backgrounds  and  business  development  potential  in the  identified
markets. Each management team will operate in a manner that provides responsive,
personalized  services.  The Company will provide credit policies and procedures
as well as centralized back office functions to provide corporate, technological
and marketing support to the Banks.
    
   
         The  Company  was  formed in late  1997,  principally  in  response  to
perceived  opportunities  resulting from the takeovers of several Virginia-based
banks by regional bank holding companies.  Since January 1, 1997, four community
banks headquartered in northern Virginia have been acquired, and the acquisition
of a fifth community bank is pending. Collectively,  these banks had deposits of
approximately  $1.0 billion.  Moreover,  in 1997 three statewide banks,  Central
Fidelity  National Bank,  Signet Bank,  N.A. and Jefferson  National Bank,  with
substantial  northern  Virginia  operations were acquired by large  out-of-state
bank holding  companies.  At June 30, 1997, those three acquired statewide banks
had  deposits  in the  Company's  targeted  market area of  approximately  $1.75
billion.
    
   
         In the  Company's  market  area,  the  bank  consolidations  have  been
accompanied  by the  dissolution  of local boards of directors and relocation or
termination  of  management  and  customer  service  professionals.  The Company
believes  that local  banking  industry  consolidation  has  disrupted  customer
relationships as the larger regional financial  institutions  increasingly focus
on larger corporate customers,  standardized loan and deposit products and other
services.  Generally,  these  products  and  services  are offered  through less
personalized  delivery  systems,  which has created the demand for high quality,
personalized services to small and medium-sized businesses and professionals. In
addition, consolidation in the local market has created opportunities to attract
experienced bankers from banks that have been acquired. Furthermore, uncertainty
over possible future  acquisitions  has enabled the



                                       3
<PAGE>

Company to attract officers from banks that have not been acquired.  As a result
of these  factors,  management  believes the Company has a rare  opportunity  to
attract its targeted  banking  customers and  experienced  management  personnel
within the Company's identified markets.
    
   
         The Company's  business strategy is to successfully  penetrate selected
northern  Virginia  markets by  operating  a  locally-oriented  organization  of
independently managed community banks,  combined with technological,  marketing,
financial  and  managerial  support  at the  holding  company  level.  The major
elements of this strategy include:

         Expand the Company's  market share in the central Fairfax County market
         through Cardinal Bank;

         Establish loan  production  offices in the Company's  three  additional
         identified markets in anticipation of future openings of the Additional
         Banks;

         Target small and medium-sized  business  customers,  professionals  and
         individuals   that   demand  the   attention   and   service   which  a
         community-oriented bank is well suited to provide;

         Deliver a broad array of modern  banking  products and  services  using
         up-to-date technology and a decentralized operating strategy with local
         decision-making; and

         Maintain   centralized   support   functions,   including  back  office
         operations,  credit  policies  and  procedures,   investment  portfolio
         management,   administration,  and  human  resources  and  training  to
         maximize  operating  efficiencies  and  facilitate   responsiveness  to
         customers.  Each of the Additional Banks will operate with a uniformity
         of service and products  that will be  associated  with the  "Cardinal"
         name.
    
   
         The Company's Board of Directors  consists of 11 individuals,  seven of
whom formerly were founding directors of First Patriot  Bankshares  Corporation,
the  holding  company  for  Patriot  National  Bank,  headquartered  in  Reston,
Virginia.  First  Patriot was  organized  in 1990 and in 1997 was acquired by an
out-of-state  bank holding company.  John H. Rust, Jr., the Company's  Chairman,
served as Chairman of First  Patriot.  Until he joined the Company in late 1997,
L. Burwell Gunn,  Jr., the  Company's  President  and Chief  Executive  Officer,
served as Executive Vice President and Commercial  Division head for the Greater
Washington  Region for  Crestar  Bank.  The last 13 years of Mr.  Gunn's 25 year
career with Crestar all involved service in the northern  Virginia area. Each of
the  Company's  five other  executive  officers  has 14 or more years of banking
experience in northern Virginia.  The Company's directors and executive officers
have made a significant  investment in the Company. This financial commitment by
management,  coupled with the  Company's  strategy,  is intended to result in an
organization that is focused on creating shareholder value. See "Management."
    
   
         The Company  raised  $10.57  million from the sale of Common Stock in a
private placement. Proceeds of such private placement have been used in part for
organizational and pre-opening expenses, and proceeds totaling $8.0 million were
used to  capitalize  Cardinal  Bank,  which opened on June 8, 1998.  The Company
intends to use the proceeds of this Offering to open three additional  community
banks.  Each of the Additional Banks will operate under the "Cardinal" name with
appropriate  modifiers to denote its distinct market area. The first  Additional
Bank is  expected to be in the City of Manassas  (the  "Manassas/Prince  William
Bank") and will serve Manassas and Prince William County.  The other  Additional
Banks will be in western  Fairfax County (the  "Reston/Loudoun  Bank"),  serving
western Fairfax County and Loudoun County,  and in either the City of Alexandria
or Arlington County (the  "Alexandria/Arlington  Bank"),  serving the Alexandria
and Arlington communities.  The Company intends that the Manassas/Prince William
Bank will open in the first quarter of 1999. Either the  Reston/Loudoun  Bank or
the Alexandria/Arlington  Bank is expected to open in the third quarter of 1999,
and the other  will open in the first  quarter  of 2000.  The order in which the
Additional Banks



                                       4
<PAGE>

open, and their  respective  opening  dates,  will be influenced by a variety of
factors,  including the availability of suitable sites and the receipt of proper
regulatory approvals.
    
   
         Prior  to  opening  the  Additional   Banks,  the  Company  intends  to
establish,  through its Cardinal Bank  subsidiary,  loan  production  offices in
Manassas, Alexandria and the Reston area of Fairfax County to establish customer
relationships,  brand  awareness  and a  pipeline  of loan  business.  The  loan
production  offices are expected to be staffed by personnel who will  ultimately
be employed by the respective Additional Banks when they open for business.
    
   
         The Company  believes  that each Bank's  ability to compete  with other
financial  institutions  in its  respective  market area will be enhanced by its
posture  as a locally  managed  bank with a broad base of local  ownership.  The
proposed  directors of each of the Additional Banks, most of whom reside or work
in the  market  area  in  which  their  respective  Banks  will  operate,  own a
significant  amount of Common  Stock.  In addition,  the Company  anticipates  a
significant  percentage  of the shares of Common Stock sold in the Offering will
be sold to  individuals  residing  in the  areas  served  or to be served by the
Banks. The Company believes that local ownership of the Common Stock is a highly
effective means of attracting customers and fostering loyalty to the Banks.
    
   
         The address of the Company's  principal  executive offices is 10641 Lee
Highway,  Fairfax,  Virginia 22030,  and the Company's  telephone number at such
address is (703) 934-9200.
    
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                  The Offering
<S>                                                           <C>
Common Stock offered......................................    2,600,000 shares (1)
Common Stock outstanding prior to the Offering............    1,409,509 shares
Common Stock to be outstanding after the Offering.........    4,009,509 shares (1)
Use of Proceeds...........................................    To  capitalize  and fund  certain  costs  incurred  in the
                                                              organization  of  the  Additional  Banks,  and  for  other
                                                              general corporate purposes.  See "Use of Proceeds."
Nasdaq SmallCap Market symbol.............................    "CFNL"
</TABLE>
    
___________________

(1)  Excludes  up to  390,000  shares of Common  Stock  which may be sold by the
     Company  upon  exercise  of  the  over-allotment   option  granted  to  the
     Underwriters. See "Underwriting."

                                  Risk Factors

         An investment in the  securities  offered hereby  involves  substantial
risks  including,  among  others,  the  risks  associated  with  the lack of any
operating history of each Bank. See "Risk Factors."


                                       5
<PAGE>

                             SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA
   
         The following  summary  financial data for the three months ended March
31,  1998 are  derived  from the  financial  statements  and  other  data of the
Company.  The  financial  statements  were  audited by KPMG Peat  Marwick,  LLP,
independent  auditors.  The summary financial data should be read in conjunction
with the financial statements of the Company,  including the accompanying notes,
included elsewhere herein.
    
                                                               March 31, 1998
                                                              -----------------

Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents..............................           $9,676,049
Other assets...........................................              485,272
                                                                 -----------
Total assets...........................................           10,161,321
Total liabilities......................................               36,458
                                                                 -----------
Shareholders' equity...................................          $10,124,863
                                                                 ===========
                                              
Income Statement Data:                        
Net interest income....................................              $99,620
Total expenses.........................................              284,920
                                                                 -----------
Net income (loss)......................................            $(185,300)
                                                                 ===========

                                  RISK FACTORS
   
         Prospective  investors  should consider  carefully,  in addition to the
other  information  contained in this  Prospectus,  the  following  risk factors
before  purchasing  shares of the Common Stock offered  hereby.  This Prospectus
contains certain forward-looking statements,  which statements can be identified
by the use of  forward-looking  terminology  such as  "may,"  "will,"  "expect,"
"anticipate,"  "estimate"  or  "continue"  or  the  negative  thereof  or  other
comparable  terminology.   The  Company  cautions  readers  that  the  following
important factors,  among others, in some cases have affected, and in the future
could affect,  the Company's actual results and could cause the Company's actual
results in 1998 and beyond to differ  materially  from  those  expressed  in any
forward-looking statements made herein.
    
   
         No  Operating  History for the Banks.  Cardinal  Bank opened on June 8,
1998.  None of the Additional  Banks is even in the  organizational  stage. As a
bank holding company, the Company's  profitability will depend entirely upon the
operations  of the  Banks.  The  operations  of the Banks will be subject to the
risks inherent in the  establishment of a new business and,  specifically,  of a
new bank.  The likelihood of the success of each of the Banks must be considered
in light of the expenses,  complications,  and delays frequently  encountered in
connection with the development of a new bank and the competitive environment in
which each Bank will operate.  Typically,  new banks incur  substantial  initial
expenses and often are not  profitable  on an annual basis until  several  years
after commencing business.  While implementing its growth strategy,  the Company
does not  anticipate  profitable  operations on a  consolidated  basis for three
years.  To  commence  business,  each of the Banks must also  attract and retain
officers and  employees.  There can be no  assurance  that any of the Banks will
ever operate  profitably  or that the impact of one or more of their  respective
operations will not have a material  adverse impact on the results of operations
and financial condition of the Company.
    


                                       6
<PAGE>
   
         Dependence on Bank Directors.  The Company believes that the successful
development  and initial  operation of each Bank will also be largely  dependent
upon the efforts of its proposed  directors,  most of whom have been identified.
See  "Management."  None of the proposed  directors of the  Additional  Banks is
obligated to serve as a director of, or to otherwise remain associated with, his
or her Bank. The failure of the proposed directors to continue to participate in
the management of the Additional  Banks could have a material  adverse effect on
the operations of such Banks and the Company.
    
         No Assurance of Regulatory  Approvals  for the  Additional  Banks.  The
Company  must  secure the  approval  of the Board of  Governors  of the  Federal
Reserve  System (the "Federal  Reserve") and of the Virginia  State  Corporation
Commission  (the "SCC") to own the common stock of each  Additional  Bank.  Each
Additional  Bank must also obtain approval of its charter  application  from the
Office of the  Comptroller  of the  Currency  (the  "OCC") and  approval  of its
application for deposit insurance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(the  "FDIC").  No  assurances  can be given as to when or whether any or all of
such approvals will be obtained.
   
         The Company anticipates that final approval of the applications for the
Manassas/Prince    William   Bank,    the    Reston/Loudoun    Bank,   and   the
Alexandria/Arlington  Bank will be conditioned upon a minimum  capitalization of
each Bank of  approximately  $8.0 million.  The OCC has the authority to require
more or less capital.  If more capital were  required,  the Company would likely
fund the  increased  capitalization  through  the use of net  proceeds  from the
Offering or through loans from third-party  financial  institutions  (subject to
obtaining regulatory  approval).  There can be no assurance,  however,  that the
Company would be able to obtain third-party  financing on acceptable terms or in
amounts sufficient to fund any increase in mandated capitalization minimums. The
use by the Company of  borrowed  funds for  capitalization  of the Banks will be
less  favorable to the Company's  financial  condition  than the use of Offering
proceeds for this  purpose.  See  "Business"  and  "Government  Supervision  and
Regulation."
    
   
         If one or more of the  Additional  Banks do not receive  the  necessary
regulatory  approvals,  the Company will devote the proceeds of this Offering to
support  the  growth of  Cardinal  Bank and such of the  Additional  Banks  that
receive the necessary  approvals and open for business.  The Company anticipates
that such  growth  would be achieved  through  branching.  Additionally,  if the
organization  of one or more  of the  Additional  Banks  is not  completed,  the
Company may devote part of the proceeds of this Offering to the acquisition of a
controlling  interest  in one or  more  existing  banks.  The  Company  has  not
identified any existing bank that it would seek to acquire or merge with in such
event.
    
   
         Lack of  Established  Trading  Market and Possible  Volatility of Stock
Price.  Prior to this  Offering,  there has been no market for the Common Stock.
There can be no  assurance  as to the  liquidity of any markets that may develop
for the Common  Stock,  the  ability  of  holders of Common  Stock to sell their
securities,  or the  price  at  which  holders  would  be  able  to  sell  their
securities.  The  initial  public  offering  price of the Common  Stock has been
determined  solely by  negotiations  among the Company and Scott & Stringfellow,
Inc.,  Interstate/Johnson  Lane Corporation and Ferris, Baker Watts Incorporated
as representatives (the  "Representatives") of the several underwriters named in
this Prospectus (the  "Underwriters") and may bear no relationship to the market
price of the Common Stock after this Offering.  See  "Underwriting."  The market
price of the  Common  Stock  could be  subject to  significant  fluctuations  in
response to variations in quarterly and yearly  operating  results  (which could
include  substantial  operating  losses  in the  near  term as a  result  of the
pre-opening  expenses  associated  with each  Additional  Bank and the  start-up
losses expected from Cardinal Bank),  general trends in the Company's  industry,
and other  factors.  Furthermore,  it is likely that in some future  quarter



                                       7
<PAGE>

the Company's  operating results will be below the expectations of public market
analysts and  investors.  In such an event,  the price of the Common Stock would
likely be materially adversely affected. In addition, the stock market in recent
years has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been
unrelated  or  disproportionate   to  the  operating   performance  of  affected
companies. These broad fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of the
Common Stock.
    
   
         Dependence on Senior Management.  The Company's development to date has
been  largely  the result of  contributions  of certain of the senior  executive
officers of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries,  including  John H. Rust,  Jr.,
Chairman  of the  Company's  Board of  Directors,  L.  Burwell  Gunn,  Jr.,  the
Company's  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer,  Joseph L.  Borrelli,  the
Company's  Chief  Financial  Officer,  F. Kevin  Reynolds,  the  Executive  Vice
President  and  Senior  Lending  Officer  of  Cardinal  Bank,  who,  subject  to
regulatory  approval,  is  slated  to be the  President  of  Cardinal  Bank  and
Christopher W.  Bergstrom,  the Executive  Vice  President of the Company,  who,
subject  to  regulatory  approval,   is  slated  to  be  the  President  of  the
Manassas/Prince  William  Bank.  The loss of the services of one or more of such
individuals  could have a material adverse effect on the Company's  business and
development.  No  assurance  can be  given  that  replacements  for any of these
officers could be employed if these officers' services were no longer available.
Mr. Gunn is the only executive officer with an employment contract.  The Company
does not  maintain  and has no plans to maintain  key man life  insurance on its
senior officers. See "Management."
    
   
         No  Dividends.  The Company has not paid cash  dividends  on its Common
Stock and in the near-term  intends to retain any future earnings to finance its
growth.  As  the  Company's   business   operations  will  be  conducted  almost
exclusively  through the Banks,  the  Company's  ability to pay dividends on the
Common Stock in the future will be directly  dependent on the dividends  paid by
the Banks to the  Company.  The  ability  of the Banks to pay  dividends  to the
Company  will be subject  to the  profitability  of the Banks and to  government
regulations   that  limit  the  aggregate  amount  of  cash  dividends  paid  to
shareholders  based on retained earnings and then-current  income levels.  There
can be no  assurance  that the Banks'  future  earnings  will  support  dividend
payments to the Company. Additionally, there is no restriction on the ability of
the Company to issue shares of stock with  preferential  dividend  rights in the
future. See "Dividend Policy," "Government Supervision and Regulation -- Payment
of Dividends," and "Description of Capital Stock - Preferred Stock."
    
   
         Dilution.  Purchasers of Common Stock in the Offering  will  experience
immediate  dilution  of $1.69 in the net  tangible  book  value per share of the
Common Stock from the public  offering price assuming a public offering price of
$10.50 per share.  Moreover,  in the  near-term,  the Company  expects  that the
organization  of the  Additional  Banks will result in dilution of the Company's
return on equity and earnings per share. See "Dilution."
    
   
         Strong  Competition.  The Banks will encounter strong  competition from
the  financial  institutions,  including  other new banks,  in their  respective
primary  market  areas.  In addition,  established  financial  institutions  not
already  operating in any of the Banks' primary market areas may, under Virginia
law,  open  branches  in such areas at future  dates.  In the conduct of certain
aspects of their respective banking businesses, the Banks also will compete with
savings  institutions,  credit  unions,  mortgage  banking  companies,  consumer
finance companies,  insurance companies,  and other institutions,  some of which
are not subject to the same degree of regulation  and  restriction  imposed upon
the Banks.  Many of these competitors have  substantially  greater resources and
lending  limits  than the Banks will have and offer  certain  services  that the
Banks will not provide.  In addition,  many of these  competitors  have numerous
branch offices located throughout their extended market areas which provide them
with a competitive  advantage which the Banks will not have.  Furthermore,  as a
consequence of legislation



                                       8
<PAGE>

enacted  by the  United  States  Congress,  out-of-state  banks are  allowed  to
commence  operations and compete in the Banks' market areas. No assurance can be
given that such  competition  will not have an adverse  impact on the  financial
condition  and  results  of  operations  of the  Banks  or that the  Banks  will
ultimately be able to successfully compete with other financial  institutions in
their  respective  markets.   See  "Business  --  Competition"  and  "Government
Supervision and Regulation -- Interstate Banking."
    
   
         Credit Risk;  Adequacy of Allowance for Loan Losses.  There are certain
risks inherent in making all loans,  including  risks with respect to the period
of time over which loans may be repaid, risks resulting from changes in economic
and industry  conditions,  risks inherent in dealing with individual  borrowers,
and, in the case of a collateralized  loan,  risks resulting from  uncertainties
about the future value of the  collateral.  Each Bank will maintain an allowance
for loan  losses  based  on,  among  other  things,  historical  experience,  an
evaluation of economic conditions, and regular reviews of delinquencies and loan
portfolio quality.  Management's judgment as to the adequacy of the allowance is
based upon a number of  assumptions  about future events which it believes to be
reasonable  but which may or may not be valid.  Thus,  there can be no assurance
that charge-offs in future periods will not exceed the allowance for loan losses
or that  additional  increases  in the  allowance  for loan  losses  will not be
required.  Additions to the allowance for loan losses would result in a decrease
of the Company's net income and, possibly, its capital.
    
   
         Potential  Adverse Impact of Changes in Interest  Rates.  The Company's
profitability  will be dependent to a large extent on the net interest income of
the Banks, which is the difference between the respective Banks' interest income
on  interest-earning  assets and the Banks' interest expense on interest-bearing
liabilities.  The Company,  like most financial  institution  holding companies,
will  continue  to be affected  by changes in general  interest  rate levels and
other economic factors beyond the Company's control.
    
   
         Dependence on Local Economic Conditions.  The success of the Company is
dependent  to a certain  extent  upon the  general  economic  conditions  in the
geographic  markets  served by the Banks.  Although  the  Company  expects  that
economic conditions will continue to be favorable in these markets, no assurance
can be given that these economic  conditions  will continue.  Adverse changes in
economic  conditions in the geographic markets that the Banks serve would likely
impair the Banks'  ability to collect loans and could  otherwise have a negative
effect on the  financial  condition  of the  Company.  See  "Business  -- Market
Areas."
    
   
         Anti-Takeover Provisions.  Certain provisions of the Company's Articles
of Incorporation could delay or frustrate the removal of incumbent directors and
could make a merger,  tender offer or proxy  contest  involving the Company more
difficult, even if such events could be perceived as beneficial to the interests
of the shareholders. These provisions, among others, provide for staggered terms
for the Board of Directors, provide that directors may be removed only for cause
and only by the  affirmative  vote of the holders of more than two-thirds of the
Company's outstanding voting stock,  authorize the Board of Directors to fix the
rights and preferences of the shares of the Company's preferred stock, and limit
the ability of  shareholders  to call a special  meeting.  In addition,  certain
provisions of state and federal law may also have the effect of  discouraging or
prohibiting a future takeover attempt in which shareholders of the Company might
otherwise  receive a  substantial  premium for their  shares  over  then-current
market prices. To the extent that these provisions are effective in discouraging
or preventing  takeover  attempts,  they may tend to reduce the market price for
the Common Stock offered hereby. See "Description of Capital Stock."
    


                                       9
<PAGE>
   
         Management  Ownership and Control.  Directors and executive officers of
the Company and proposed  directors of the Additional Banks currently own in the
aggregate  approximately 46% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, although
such individuals'  percentage  ownership is expected to decline to less than 17%
following  the  Offering.  To the extent they vote  together,  the directors and
executive  officers  of the Company and the Banks will have the ability to exert
significant  influence over the election of the Company's Board of Directors and
other  corporate  actions  requiring  shareholder  approval.  See "Management --
Ownership of the Common Stock."
    
   
         Elimination of Director and Officer  Liability.  The Company's Articles
of Incorporation  eliminate the monetary  liability of directors and officers to
the Company and its  shareholders  to the maximum  extent  permitted by Virginia
law.  Under  Virginia law, the liability of a director or officer who engages in
willful  misconduct,  a knowing  violation of the criminal law or any federal or
state securities law is not limited. Except in these cases, the liability of the
Company's officers and directors is eliminated,  which means, for example,  that
they  cannot be held  liable  for  monetary  damages  for  negligent  or grossly
negligent acts.
    
   
         Government  Regulation.  The banking  industry is subject to  extensive
governmental supervision,  regulation and control, which has materially affected
the business of financial institutions in the past and is likely to do so in the
future.  Regulations  affecting the banking industry may be changed at any time,
and the  interpretation  of those  regulations  by examining  authorities of the
banking  industry  is also  subject to change.  There can be no  assurance  that
future changes in legislation, administrative regulations or governmental policy
will not adversely  affect the banking industry and the business of the Company.
See "Government-Supervision and Regulation."
    
                                 USE OF PROCEEDS
   
         The net proceeds to the Company  from the sale of  2,600,000  shares of
Common Stock in the Offering are  estimated to be  approximately  $25.2  million
($29.0 million if the Underwriters' over-allotment option is exercised in full),
based  upon an  assumed  public  offering  price of  $10.50  per share and after
deducting  the  underwriting  discount and expenses  payable by the Company.  Of
these net proceeds,  the Company  intends to use  approximately  $8.0 million to
capitalize  each of the  Additional  Banks,  in each case upon  receipt of final
regulatory approvals.
    
   
         Any  remaining  balance of the net proceeds  from the Offering  will be
available for general corporate purposes aimed primarily at the expansion of the
Company's  business.  While the Company  does not intend  actively to search for
opportunities to expand into additional markets,  it may consider  opportunities
that arise from time to time, which could occur through acquisitions of existing
institutions or branches.  The Company has no specific  acquisition plans at the
current time other than the Additional Banks. See "Business -- Growth Strategy."
    
   
         Pending the  capitalization  of the Additional  Banks, the Company will
lend all or part of the net  proceeds of the  Offering to Cardinal  Bank,  which
will invest such funds in short or  medium-term  interest-bearing  securities or
loans,  including  loans that are originated by loan  production  offices in the
market areas of the Additional  Banks. As and when the Company requires funds to
capitalize an Additional Bank,  Cardinal Bank will repay to the Company proceeds
of this Offering previously loaned by the Company to Cardinal Bank.
    

                                       10
<PAGE>
   
         If one or more of the  Additional  Banks do not receive  the  necessary
regulatory  approvals,  the Company will devote the proceeds of this Offering to
support  the  growth of  Cardinal  Bank and such of the  Additional  Banks  that
receive the necessary  approvals and open for business.  The Company anticipates
that such  growth  would be achieved  through  branching.  Additionally,  if the
organization  of one or more  of the  Additional  Banks  is not  completed,  the
Company may devote part of the proceeds of this Offering to the acquisition of a
controlling  interest  in one or  more  existing  banks.  The  Company  has  not
identified any existing bank that it would seek to acquire or merge with in such
event.
    

                             MARKET FOR COMMON STOCK
   
         The Common Stock has been  approved for listing on The Nasdaq  SmallCap
Market under the symbol "CFNL," subject to official notice of issuance. Prior to
this  Offering,  no shares of Common Stock have  traded.  As of the date of this
Prospectus,  there were  1,409,509  shares of Common Stock  outstanding  held by
approximately 88 shareholders of record.
    

                                 DIVIDEND POLICY
   
         The Company has not declared or  distributed  any cash dividends to its
shareholders  and it is not likely that any cash  dividends will be declared for
several years.  The Board of Directors of the Company intends to follow a policy
of retaining any earnings to provide funds to operate and expand the business of
the Company and the Banks for the foreseeable future. The future dividend policy
of the Company is subject to the  discretion  of the Board of Directors and will
depend upon a number of factors, including future earnings, financial condition,
cash  requirements,  and general business  conditions.  The Company's ability to
distribute cash dividends will depend entirely upon the Banks'  abilities to pay
dividends to the Company.  As national banks, the Banks will be subject to legal
limitations  on the amount of dividends  each is permitted to pay.  Furthermore,
neither the Banks nor the  Company may declare or pay a cash  dividend on any of
their  capital  stock if they are  insolvent  or if the payment of the  dividend
would render them  insolvent or unable to pay their  obligations  as they become
due  in the  ordinary  course  of  business.  See  "Government  Supervision  and
Regulation - Payment of Dividends."
    
                                    DILUTION
   
         At March  31,  1998,  the  Company  had a net  tangible  book  value of
approximately  $10.12 million,  or $7.18 per share.  Net tangible book value per
share  represents  the  amount  of  the  Company's  shareholders'  equity,  less
intangible assets,  divided by the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding.
Dilution per share to new investors represents the difference between the amount
per share paid by  purchasers  of shares of Common  Stock in the  Offering  made
hereby  and the pro  forma net  tangible  book  value per share of Common  Stock
immediately  after  completion of the  Offering.  After (i) giving effect to the
sale by the Company of  2,600,000  shares of Common Stock  offered  hereby at an
assumed  public  offering price of $10.50 per share,  (ii)  deducting  estimated
offering  expenses,  and (iii) giving effect to the application of the estimated
net  proceeds as set forth under "Use of  Proceeds,"  the pro forma net tangible
book value of the Company at March 31, 1998 would have been approximately $35.33
million,  or $8.81 per share.  This  represents  an  immediate  increase  in net
tangible book value of $1.63 per share to existing shareholders and an immediate
dilution of $1.69 per share to new investors.  The following  table  illustrates
this per share dilution:
    


                                       11
<PAGE>
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         <S>                                                                          <C> 
         Assumed public offering price per share..............................        $10.50
         Net tangible book value per share at March 31, 1998..................          7.18
         Increase per share attributable to new investors.....................          1.63
                                                                                       -----
         Pro forma net tangible book value per share after the Offering.......          8.81
         Dilution per share to new investors..................................          1.69
                                                                                       -----
                                                                                      $10.50
                                                                                       =====
</TABLE>
    
   
         Assuming the Underwriters'  over-allotment option is exercised in full,
pro forma net tangible book value upon completion of the Offering would be $8.90
per share, the immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of shares
to existing shareholders would be $1.72 per share, and the immediate dilution to
new investors would be $1.60 per share.
    
   
         The  following  table sets forth on a pro forma basis,  as of March 31,
1998 (a) the number of shares of Common Stock  purchased  from the Company prior
to the Offering and the number of shares purchased in the Offering,  and (b) the
total consideration and average price per share paid to the Company with respect
to Common Stock held by the existing  shareholders of the Company and to be paid
by new investors in the Offering at an assumed  public  offering price of $10.50
per share.
    
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                                                  Average
                                                                                                                 Price Per
                                             Shares Purchased (1)              Total Consideration                 Share
                                         ---------------------------     -------------------------------    ------------------
                                             Number       Percent              Amount         Percent
<S>                                        <C>            <C>                <C>              <C>                <C>  
Existing shareholders..................    1,409,509       35.2%             $10,571,000       27.9%              $7.50
New investors..........................    2,600,000       64.8%              27,300,000       72.1%             $10.50
                                           ---------       -----              ----------       -----
  Total................................    4,009,509      100.0%             $37,871,000      100.0%
                                           =========      ======             ===========      ======
</TABLE>
    
_____________________
     
(1)  Excludes  up to  390,000  shares of Common  Stock  which may be sold by the
     Company  upon  exercise  of  the  over-allotment   option  granted  to  the
     Underwriters. See "Underwriting."
    
   
         All shares of Common Stock outstanding on March 31, 1998 were issued in
a private  placement,  are restricted and may be resold only in accordance  with
Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 144. See "Description of Capital Stock -
Shares Eligible for Future Sale."
    
                                 CAPITALIZATION
   
         The following table sets forth the consolidated  capitalization  of the
Company at March 31,  1998,  and as adjusted  to reflect  the sale of  2,600,000
shares of Common Stock  pursuant to the Offering at an assumed  public  offering
price of $10.50 per share, based on the midpoint of the anticipated range of the
public  offering  price for the Common  Stock,  and the  application  of the net
proceeds therefrom as set forth under "Use of Proceeds."
    

                                       12
<PAGE>
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                          March 31, 1998 (1)
                                                                  --------------------------------
                                                                     Actual         As Adjusted
<S>                                                                <C>              <C> 
Shareholders' equity:
Common stock, $1.00 par value; 50,000,000 shares
  authorized, 1,409,509 shares issued; 4,009,509 shares
  issued, as adjusted..........................................    $1,409,509        $4,009,509
Preferred stock, $1.00 par value; 10,000,000 shares
  authorized; none issued......................................             -                 -
Uncollected subscriptions receivable (2).......................       (99,977)          (99,977)
Additional paid-in capital.....................................     9,145,809        31,754,809
Accumulated deficit............................................      (330,478)         (330,478)
                                                                  -----------         ---------
Total shareholders' equity.....................................   $10,124,863       $35,333,863
                                                                  ===========       ===========
</TABLE>
    
_________________________
   
(1)  Excludes  up to  390,000  shares of Common  Stock  which may be sold by the
     Company  upon  exercise  of  the  over-allotment   option  granted  to  the
     Underwriters. See "Underwriting."

(2)  Represents stock  subscriptions  for which payment had not been received at
     May 4, 1998. Since May 4, 1998, all such subscriptions have been paid.
    

                      MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
                OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
   
         The Company was in a development  stage until  Cardinal Bank  commenced
operations on June 8, 1998. The Company has funded its start-up and organization
costs through $10.57 million raised in a private  placement of Common Stock. For
the periods ended December 31, 1997 and March 31, 1998, net losses were $145,178
and $185,300,  respectively. While implementing its growth strategy, the Company
does not  anticipate  profitable  operations on a  consolidated  basis for three
years. At March 31, 1998, shareholders' equity was $10.12 million. Cash and cash
equivalents  totaled  $9.68 million at March 31, 1998, of which $8.0 million was
used to  capitalize  Cardinal  Bank,  which opened on June 8, 1998.  The Company
believes that the net proceeds of the Offering  will satisfy the Company's  cash
requirements and enable it to capitalize the Additional Banks. Accordingly,  the
Company does not anticipate that it will be necessary to raise  additional funds
for the  operation  of the  Company  and the Banks over the next 36 months.  For
additional  information  regarding material expenditures during such period, see
"Use of Proceeds." For additional  information  regarding the plan of operations
for the Company and the Banks, see "Business" and "Management."
    
Year 2000 Compliance
   
         As the year 2000  approaches,  an important  business issue has emerged
regarding how existing  software  programs and operating systems can accommodate
this date value.  Many existing  application  software products were designed to
accommodate  a two-digit  year.  For example,  "98" is stored on the systems and
represents  1998 and "00"  represents  1900. The Company  utilizes a third-party
vendor for processing its primary banking applications. In addition, the Company
also uses several other third-party vendors for ancillary computer applications.
All third  party  vendors  for the  Company's  banking  applications  either are
already  Year  2000  ready or are in the  process  of  modifying,  upgrading  or
replacing their computer  applications to ensure Year 2000  compliance.  Because
the Company was



                                       13
<PAGE>

recently  formed,  all its data  processing  equipment  is new and is Year  2000
ready. The Company does not expect to incur any material expense to replace data
processing  equipment.  The Company has a Year 2000 compliance  program where it
reviews the Year 2000 issues that may be faced by its third-party vendors. Under
such program, the Company is examining the need for modifications or replacement
of all non-Year  2000 ready  pieces of software.  Because the Company is new, it
has had the  opportunity  to screen  its  third-party  vendors  and those it has
chosen either are Year 2000 ready or in the process of becoming  compliant.  All
of the Company's data processing vendor contracts have Year 2000 clauses,  which
allow the  Company to test for  compliance  and to cancel  without  penalty if a
vendor does not meet its Year 2000  compliance  plan.  The  Company's  Year 2000
compliance program provides that all critical data processing  applications will
be tested and that testing will be completed on or before March 31, 1999. If any
software is not Year 2000 ready at March 31, 1999,  the vendor  contract will be
terminated  and  an  alternative  vendor  will  be  selected.  The  Company  has
identified  alternative  vendors,  should they be necessary.  The Company's loan
policy includes Year 2000 risk management parameters and, because the Company is
new,  it has no Year  2000  credit  risk at this  time.  The  Company  does  not
currently  expect that the cost of its Year 2000 compliance  program,  including
possible  remediation  costs,  will be material to its  financial  condition and
expects that it will satisfy such compliance program without material disruption
of  its  operations.  In the  event  that  the  Company's  significant  vendors,
including  its  correspondent,  The Federal  Reserve  Bank of  Richmond,  do not
successfully  and timely achieve Year 2000  compliance,  however,  the Company's
business,  results of  operations  or  financial  condition  would be  adversely
affected.
    

                                    BUSINESS

General
   
         Cardinal Financial  Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered
in Fairfax, Virginia which currently operates Cardinal Bank in Fairfax, Virginia
and  intends  to  organize  and   establish   three   community   banks  in  the
Manassas/Prince William County,  Reston/Loudoun County and  Alexandria/Arlington
County markets in northern Virginia.  Collectively,  these markets are among the
most affluent and fastest growing areas in Virginia.
    
   
         The Company intends to pursue a community  banking strategy by offering
a broad range of banking  products to  individuals,  professionals  and small to
medium-sized  businesses,  with an  emphasis on  personalized  service and local
decision-making  authority.  Management's expansion strategy includes attracting
experienced  local management  teams who will have  significant  decision-making
authority  at the local bank  level and local  independent  boards of  directors
consisting  of  individuals  with strong  community  affiliations  and extensive
business  backgrounds  and  business  development  potential  in the  identified
markets. Each management team will operate in a manner that provides responsive,
personalized  services.  The Company will provide credit policies and procedures
as well as centralized back office functions to provide corporate, technological
and marketing support to the Banks.
    
   
         The  Company  was  formed in late  1997,  principally  in  response  to
perceived  opportunities  resulting from the takeovers of several Virginia-based
banks by regional bank holding companies.  Since January 1, 1997, four community
banks headquartered in northern Virginia have been acquired, and the acquisition
of a fifth community bank is pending. Collectively,  these banks had deposits of
approximately  $1.0 billion.  Moreover,  in 1997 three statewide banks,  Central
Fidelity  National Bank,  Signet Bank,  N.A. and Jefferson  National Bank,  with
substantial  northern  Virginia  operations were acquired by large  out-of-state
bank holding  companies.  At June 30, 1997, those three acquired statewide banks
had  deposits  in the  Company's  targeted  market area of  approximately  $1.75
billion.
    


                                       14
<PAGE>
   
         In the  Company's  market  area,  the  bank  consolidations  have  been
accompanied  by the  dissolution  of local boards of directors and relocation or
termination  of  management  and  customer  service  professionals.  The Company
believes that local industry  consolidation has disrupted customer relationships
as the  larger  regional  financial  institutions  increasingly  focus on larger
corporate customers,  standardized loan and deposit products and other services.
Generally,  these  products and services are offered  through less  personalized
delivery  systems,  which has created the demand for high quality,  personalized
services to small and medium-sized  businesses and  professionals.  In addition,
consolidation  in  the  local  market  has  created   opportunities  to  attract
experienced bankers. Bank acquisitions have dislocated  experienced and talented
management personnel due to the elimination of redundant functions and the drive
to  achieve  cost  savings.  Additionally,   uncertainty  over  possible  future
acquisitions  has helped enable the Company to attract  officers from banks that
have not been acquired.  As a result of these factors,  management  believes the
Company has a rare  opportunity  to attract its targeted  banking  customers and
experienced management personnel within the Company's identified markets.
    
   
         Initial  Capitalization  of the  Company.  The  Company  raised  $10.57
million from the sale of Common Stock in a private  placement.  Proceeds of such
private  placement  have been used in part for  organizational  and  pre-opening
expenses,  and proceeds  totaling $8.0 million were used to capitalize  Cardinal
Bank,  which opened on June 8, 1998. The Company  intends to use the proceeds of
this Offering to open three  additional  community  banks by  capitalizing  such
banks and seeking  local  deposits  to fund loan  growth.  The Company  plans to
establish the Additional Banks in the Manassas/Prince William County market, the
Reston/Loudoun  County market and the  Alexandria/Arlington  County market.  The
Company  anticipates the Additional  Banks will open during the first quarter of
1999,  in the  third  quarter  of  1999  and  in  the  first  quarter  of  2000,
respectively.  Although it is expected  that the Manassas / Prince  William Bank
will be the first Additional Bank to open, no firm decisions have been made. The
order in which the Additional  Banks open, and their  respective  opening dates,
may be  influenced  by a variety  of  factors,  including  the  availability  of
suitable sites and the receipt of regulatory approvals.
    
   
         Experienced  Board and  Management.  The  Company's  Board of Directors
consists of 11  individuals,  seven of whom formerly were founding  directors of
First Patriot Bankshares  Corporation,  the holding company for Patriot National
Bank, headquartered in Reston, Virginia. First Patriot was organized in 1990 and
in 1997 was acquired by an out-of-state bank holding company. John H. Rust, Jr.,
the Company's Chairman,  served as Chairman of First Patriot.  Company directors
who were former First Patriot  directors  include the chairs of First  Patriot's
loan, audit, strategic planning, compensation and marketing committees. Until he
joined the Company in late 1997, L. Burwell Gunn,  Jr., the Company's  President
and Chief Executive  Officer,  served as Executive Vice President and Commercial
Division head for the Greater  Washington  Region for Crestar Bank.  The last 13
years of Mr.  Gunn's 25 year career with  Crestar  all  involved  service in the
northern Virginia area. Each of the Company's five other executive  officers has
14 or more years of banking experience in northern Virginia. See "Management."
    
Strategy of the Company
   
         The Company's  business strategy is to successfully  penetrate selected
northern  Virginia  markets by  operating  a  locally-oriented  organization  of
independently  managed  community  banks.  The major  elements of this  strategy
include:



                                       15
<PAGE>

         Expand the Company's  market share in the central Fairfax County market
         through Cardinal Bank;

         Establish loan  production  offices in the Company's  three  additional
         identified markets in anticipation of future openings of the Additional
         Banks;

         Target small and medium-sized  business  customers,  professionals  and
         individuals   that   demand  the   attention   and   service   which  a
         community-oriented bank is well suited to provide;

         Deliver a broad array of modern  banking  products and  services  using
         up-to-date technology and a decentralized operating strategy with local
         decision-making; and

         Maintain   centralized   support   functions,   including  back  office
         operations,  credit  policies  and  procedures,   investment  portfolio
         management,   administration,  and  human  resources  and  training  to
         maximize  operating  efficiencies  and  facilitate   responsiveness  to
         customers.  Each of the Additional Banks will operate with a uniformity
         of service and products  that will be  associated  with the  "Cardinal"
         name.
    
         Management intends to gain market share by attracting customers through
a superior level of prompt and  personalized  banking  service.  The goal of the
Company's  organizers  and management is to create a  customer-driven  financial
institution that provides high value to its customers by delivering  customized,
quality products and services. Management believes that such an institution will
appeal to  customers  who  prefer  to  conduct  their  banking  business  with a
locally-managed  financial institution that demonstrates both a genuine interest
in their financial affairs and an ability to cater to their financial needs.

         The Company's  directors and executive officers have made a significant
investment in the Company. This financial commitment by management, coupled with
the Company's strategy, is intended to result in an organization that is focused
on creating shareholder value.

         Decentralized  Operating  Strategy.  The  foundation  of the  Company's
strategy is to operate a  multi-community  bank  organization  which  emphasizes
decision-making  at  the  local  bank  level  combined  with  strong  corporate,
technological,  marketing,  financial  and  managerial  support.  The  Company's
operating model is for each bank to operate with local  management and boards of
directors  consisting  of  individuals  with  extensive  knowledge  of the local
community and the authority to make credit decisions.  The Company believes this
operating  strategy  will  enable  the Banks to  attract  customers  who wish to
conduct their business with a locally owned and managed  institution with strong
ties and an active commitment to the community.
   
         Centralized  Corporate Support.  The Company will provide oversight and
various  services to the Banks,  including  technology,  finance and accounting,
human resources, credit administration, internal audit, compliance, loan review,
marketing,   retail  administration,   administrative   support,   policies  and
procedures,  product development and item processing. By providing such services
and  oversight,  the  Company  expects  not only to  achieve  monetary  savings,
compared  to the  costs if the  Banks  were  individually  responsible  for such
functions,  but also expects to achieve a uniformity of  operations  and service
that will be  associated  with the  "Cardinal"  name in the  Company's  northern
Virginia  markets.  The Banks' principal focus will be to generate  deposits and
loans.  This  corporate  support  system  will  enable  the  Company  to achieve
administrative  economies of scale while  capitalizing on the  responsiveness to
client needs of its decentralized  community bank network. With the support from
its  significant   investment  in  infrastructure,   particularly  a  management
information  system which will link the Company to the Banks and facilitate data
processing,  compliance, and reporting requirements, the Company believes it has
the operational and administrative  capacity to accommodate the Additional Banks
and effectively manage the Company's growth for the foreseeable future.
    


                                       16
<PAGE>

Growth Strategy

         Following the Offering, the Company intends to focus on the development
of the Additional  Banks and the growth of Cardinal Bank.  Each Bank's growth is
expected to come from within such Bank's  primary  service area through loan and
deposit business. The Company will focus on acquiring market share, particularly
from  large  bank  holding  companies,   by  emphasizing  local  management  and
decision-making  and  through  delivering   personalized  services  to  business
customers and individuals. Specifically, the Company's competitive strategy will
consist  of  approving  loan  requests  quickly  with a  local  loan  committee,
operating with flexible, but prudent, lending policies, personalizing service by
establishing a long-term banking relationship with the customer, and maintaining
the  requisite  personnel  to ensure a high level of service.  While the Company
does not currently intend to actively search for expansion  opportunities beyond
its designated markets,  the Company may consider  opportunities that arise from
time to time, which could occur through acquisitions of existing institutions or
branches.  The  Company has no specific  acquisition  plans at the current  time
other than the establishment of the Additional Banks.
   
         The Company  intends to organize  and open three  additional  community
banks in northern  Virginia and anticipates that all such banks will be national
banks.  Each of the Additional Banks will operate under the "Cardinal" name with
appropriate  modifiers to denote its distinct market area. The first  Additional
Bank is expected to be the Manassas/Prince  William Bank and will serve Manassas
and Prince William County. The other Additional Banks will be the Reston/Loudoun
Bank,   serving   western   Fairfax   County  and   Loudoun   County,   and  the
Alexandria/Arlington Bank, serving the Alexandria and Arlington communities. The
Company  intends  that the  Manassas/Prince  William Bank will open in the first
quarter of 1999. Either the Reston/Loudoun Bank or the Alexandria/Arlington Bank
is expected to open in the third quarter of 1999, and the other will open in the
first quarter of 2000. Although it is expected the Manassas/Prince  William Bank
will be the first Additional Bank to open, no firm decisions have been made. The
order in which the Additional  Banks open, and their  respective  opening dates,
will be  influenced  by a variety of  factors,  including  the  availability  of
suitable sites and the receipt of proper regulatory approvals.
    
         Prior to opening the Additional Banks,  management of the Company first
will  identify  an  individual  who  will  serve  as the  president,  as well as
additional  individuals  who will  serve on the local  board of  directors.  The
Company  believes that a management  team that is familiar with the needs of its
community can provide higher quality personalized service to its customers.  The
local  management  team  will  have  a  significant  amount  of  decision-making
authority  and  will  be  accessible  to  its  customers.  As a  result  of  the
consolidation  trend in the northern  Virginia  area,  the Company's  management
believes  there  are  significant  opportunities  to  attract  experienced  bank
managers  who would like to join an  institution  promoting a community  banking
concept.

         In addition, prior to opening the Additional Banks, the Company intends
to establish,  through its Cardinal Bank subsidiary,  loan production offices in
Manassas, Alexandria and the Reston area of Fairfax County to establish customer
relationships,  brand  awareness  and a  pipeline  of loan  business.  The  loan
production  offices are expected to be staffed by personnel who will  ultimately
be  employed by the  respective  Additional  Banks when they open for  business.
Loans  originated in the loan production  offices are expected to be transferred
by Cardinal Bank to the respective Additional Banks when they are opened.

         Each Bank will have a local board of directors  which will be comprised
of  prominent  members  of  the  community,   including   business  leaders  and
professionals.  These  directors not only will operate



                                       17
<PAGE>

the Banks, but also will act as ambassadors of their respective Banks within the
community and will be expected to promote the business development of each bank.
The  directors  and  officers of the Company and the  proposed  directors of the
Additional  Banks are active in the civic,  charitable and social  organizations
located in the local  communities.  It is anticipated  that members of the local
management  teams  will  hold  leadership  positions  in a number  of  community
organizations, and continue to volunteer for other positions in the future.
   
         The Company  believes  that each Bank's  ability to compete  with other
financial  institutions  in its  respective  market area will be enhanced by its
posture  as a locally  managed  bank with a broad base of local  ownership.  The
proposed  directors of each of the Additional Banks, most of whom reside or work
in the  market  area  in  which  their  respective  Banks  will  operate,  own a
significant  amount of Common  Stock.  In addition,  the Company  anticipates  a
significant  percentage  of the shares of Common Stock sold in the Offering will
be sold to  individuals  residing  in the  areas  served  or to be served by the
Banks.  The Company  believes that local ownership of the Company's Common Stock
is a highly effective means of attracting customers and fostering loyalty to the
Banks.
    
   
    
Market Areas
   
         The target market includes areas in and around Fairfax County including
the independent  cities of Fairfax and Alexandria,  as well as Arlington County,
Manassas,  and Prince William and Loudoun counties.  Interstates 95, 495, and 66
all pass through the market area and provide  efficient  access to other regions
of the state.  Prominent  local  newspapers,  the Washington Post and Washington
Times,  and a number of radio and  television  stations  provide  diverse  media
outlets.  The broad exposure of television,  print media and radio offer several
opportunities to explore effective  advertising and public relations avenues for
the Company.
    
   
         The Company plans to establish banking  operations in four locations in
the broad target market,  each  representing a separate market.  These distinct,
but contiguous  markets are: (1) the City of Fairfax and central Fairfax County;
(2) the City of Manassas and Prince William  County;  (3) the City of Alexandria
and  Arlington  County;  and,  (4) Reston and Herndon  (both in western  Fairfax
County),  together with Loudoun County. As of 1997,  Fairfax County, the city of
Fairfax, Prince William County, the city of Manassas, Arlington County, the city
of  Alexandria  and Loudoun  County  each ranked in the top ten for  Virginia in
median household income, and collectively the population of the area represented
24.4% of the state's  total  population.  State income tax receipts for the area
represented  37.9% of the total  income tax  receipts  collected  by Virginia in
1995.
    
Central Fairfax County and City of Fairfax
   
         The  Fairfax  market  includes  the city of Fairfax as well as suburban
Vienna,  Merrifield and Tysons  Corner.  Fairfax County and the city of Fairfax,
when combined,  had a population of 933,309 in 1997, which  represented an 11.3%
increase from 838,206 in 1990. In 1997,  Fairfax  County had a median  household
income of  $73,108,  and the city of Fairfax  had a median  household  income of
$62,656, which ranked them first and third,  respectively,  in Virginia. Fairfax
County's median  household income exceeded the state median of $30,854 by 136.9%
and  represented  growth of 23.1% since 1990.  Likewise,  the city of  Fairfax's
median  household  income  exceeded the state  median by 103.1% and  represented
growth of 22.9% since 1990. Collectively as of June 30, 1997, Fairfax County and
the city of  Fairfax  had $10.9  billion  of total  commercial  bank and  thrift
deposits with 62.1% concentrated with the top four financial  institutions.  The
market  has over 75  million  square  feet of office  space,  another 35 million
square feet of industrial/hybrid space and, when viewed together, represents the
sixth largest office space market in the country.
    



                                       18
<PAGE>

Prince William County and City of Manassas
   
         The Prince  William County market  includes the city of Manassas.  When
combined,  Prince  William  County and the city of Manassas had a population  of
286,750 in 1997,  which  represented  a 17.7%  increase from 243,643 in 1990. In
1997,  Prince William County had a median household  income of $56,642,  and the
city of Manassas  had a median  household  income of $54,733,  which ranked them
fifth and eighth,  respectively,  in Virginia.  Prince William  County's  median
household  income exceeded the state median by 83.6% and  represented  growth of
14.7%  since 1990.  Likewise,  the city of  Manassas'  median  household  income
exceeded the state median by 77.4% and  represented  growth of 17.3% since 1990.
Collectively as of June 30, 1997, Prince William County and the city of Manassas
had $1.4  billion  of total  commercial  bank and  thrift  deposits  with  70.3%
concentrated with the top four financial institutions. The market had a civilian
labor force of  approximately  135,000 with the most common job  classifications
being professional services,  retail trade,  construction and government.  Major
employers  include  Dominion  Semi-Conductor  (a joint  venture  between IBM and
Toshiba), Lockheed Martin, Prince William Hospital, GTE and Giant Food.
    
Arlington County and City of Alexandria
   
         This  market  includes   Arlington  County,  the  city  of  Alexandria,
Springfield and the Newington/Lorton  area. When combined,  Arlington County and
the city of Alexandria had a population of 294,264 in 1997, which  represented a
4.3%  increase  from  282,119 in 1990.  In 1997,  Arlington  County had a median
household  income of $55,590,  and the city of Alexandria had a median household
income of $51,589, which ranked them sixth and tenth, respectively, in Virginia.
Arlington  County's median  household  income exceeded the state median by 80.2%
and represented growth of 24.4% since 1990.  Likewise,  the city of Alexandria's
median  household  income  exceeded  the state  median by 67.2% and  represented
growth of 24.4% since 1990.  Collectively as of June 30, 1997,  Arlington County
and the city of Alexandria had $4.9 billion of total  commercial bank and thrift
deposits with 66.0% concentrated with the top four financial  institutions.  The
market's employment is  well-distributed  between the public and private sector.
Significant public sector employers include the U.S. Department of Defense,  the
city of Alexandria,  and the Washington  Metropolitan  Transit Authority.  Major
private  sector  employers  include MCI  Telecommunications,  USAirways  and the
Washington Post.
    
Western Fairfax / Loudoun County
   
         The western  Fairfax market  includes  Reston,  Herndon,  Chantilly and
Dulles,  which  are all  located  in close  proximity  to  Dulles  International
Airport.  This  market  has a large  inventory  of  office  space  comprised  of
industrial/hybrid  space,  hotel space and retail space.  Major employers in the
western Fairfax market include American Mobile Satellite  Corporation,  Cordant,
Student Loan Marketing  Association (Sallie Mae), Oracle Systems,  United Parcel
Service, Aetna Life Insurance,  Computer Sciences Corporation,  AT&T, Electronic
Data Systems and Volt Technical Services.
    
   
         Loudoun County had a population of 128,719 in 1997, which represented a
49.4%  increase  from  86,129  in 1990.  In 1997,  Loudoun  County  had a median
household  income of $58,938,  which ranked it fourth in Virginia,  exceeded the
state median by 91.0%,  and  represented  growth of 12.8% since 1990. As of June
30,  1997,  Loudoun  County  had $1.0  billion  of  total  deposits  with  59.9%
concentrated with the top four banking institutions.
    

                                       19
<PAGE>
   
The Banks

         Cardinal Bank opened on June 8, 1998,  and the Company  intends to open
the  Additional  Banks  by  capitalizing  each  of  the  Additional  Banks  with
approximately $8.0 million and seeking local deposits to fund loan growth.
    
   
         The Banks  will  engage in the  commercial  banking  business  in their
respective  communities.  The Company  believes  that there is a demand for, and
that the  northern  Virginia  communities  described  herein will  support,  new
locally operated  community  banks.  Although the Company could obtain a banking
presence in the  identified  markets by opening branch offices of Cardinal Bank,
management  of the Company  believes  that  separate  banks with their own local
boards of directors and their own policies,  tailored to the local market,  is a
preferable approach.  Each Bank will provide personalized banking services, with
emphasis on the financial needs and objectives of individuals, professionals and
small to medium-sized  businesses.  Additionally,  substantially  all credit and
related  decisions  will be made by the  Banks'  local  management  and board of
directors, thereby facilitating prompt response.
    
         The principal business of each Bank will be to accept deposits from the
public and to make loans and other  investments.  The principal sources of funds
for each Bank's loans and investments are expected to be demand,  time,  savings
and other deposits,  repayment of loans, and borrowings.  In addition, a portion
of the net proceeds of this  Offering,  once  contributed to the capital of each
Additional  Bank,  will  be  used by each  Additional  Bank to fund  loans.  The
principal source of income for each Bank is expected to be interest collected on
loans and other investments. The principal expenses of each Bank are expected to
be interest paid on savings and other deposits,  employee  compensation,  office
expenses,  and other  overhead  expenses.  Initially,  the Banks  will not offer
trust, fiduciary or investment services.

         The Company is committed to providing high quality banking products and
services to the Banks'  customers and has made a  significant  investment in its
advanced  automated  operating  accounting system which supports virtually every
banking  function.  The system  provides the technology that fully automates the
branches, processes bank transactions,  mortgages, loans and electronic banking,
conducts  data base and direct  response  marketing,  provides  cash  management
solutions,  streamlined  reporting and  reconciliation  support as well as sales
support.
   
         With this investment in technology,  the Company offers  Internet-based
delivery  products for both  consumers and commercial  customers.  Customers can
open accounts, apply for loans, check balances, check account history,  transfer
funds,  download images of checks,  pay bills,  download active  statements into
QuickenTM or Microsoft MoneyTM, use interactive  calculators and transmit e-mail
with the Company over the Internet.  This is an inexpensive  way for the Company
to expand its geographic  borders and branch activities while providing the kind
of services one would expect from the larger banks.
    
   
         The Company also offers  customers the  convenience  of digital  imaged
checks that make it easy to reconcile  statements,  organize  and store  account
information  while  streamlining  the back  office.  Every  item is  imaged  and
available for  inspection.  Among the many  features,  check imaging  allows for
instant  statement  reconstruction  for research  which can be faxed or e-mailed
directly to a customer's personal computer.
    


                                       20
<PAGE>

Customers
   
         Management believes that the recent bank consolidation  within northern
Virginia   provides   a   significant   opportunity   to  build  a   successful,
locally-oriented franchise. Management of the Company further believes that many
of  the  larger  financial  institutions  do  not  emphasize  a  high  level  of
personalized service to the small and medium-sized  commercial,  professional or
individual retail customers.  The Company intends to focus its marketing efforts
on attracting  small and  medium-sized  businesses  and  professionals,  such as
physicians,  accountants and attorneys.  Because the Company intends to focus on
businesses and professionals,  management believes that the majority of its loan
portfolio will be in the commercial  area with an emphasis placed on originating
sound,  profitable  commercial  and  industrial  loans  secured by real  estate,
accounts receivable, inventory, property, plant and equipment.
    
         Although the Company  expects to concentrate  its lending to commercial
businesses,  management  also  anticipates  that it will  attract a  significant
amount of professional and consumer  business.  Management  expects that many of
its customers  will be the principals of the small and  medium-sized  businesses
for  whom the  Banks  will  provide  banking  services.  Management  intends  to
emphasize  "relationship  banking" in order that each customer will identify and
establish  a comfort  level  with bank  officers  who come to  understand  their
customers' business and financial needs in depth.  Management intends to develop
its retail  business with  individuals who appreciate a higher level of personal
service, contact with their lending officer and responsive  decision-making.  It
is  further  expected  that most of the  Company's  business  will be  developed
through its lending  officers and local  boards of directors  and by pursuing an
aggressive strategy of making calls on customers throughout the market area.

Products and Services

         The  Company  intends to offer a broad  array of banking  products  and
services  to its  customers.  The  proceeds  from the  Offering  will enable the
Company to proceed to organize the  Additional  Banks.  Cardinal Bank  currently
provides,  and the  Additional  Banks are  expected  to  provide,  products  and
services that are substantially similar to those set forth below.
   
         Loans.  Through each Bank, the Company intends to offer a wide range of
short to long-term commercial and consumer loans, which are described in further
detail below. The Company has established  pre-determined  percentage  levels as
targets for the  division of the  Company's  loan  portfolio  across the various
categories  of loans.  The Company  expects that  commercial  loans,  commercial
mortgage loans,  residential mortgage loans,  consumer loans and credit card and
other  loans  will  account  for  approximately   35%,  20%,  30%,  8%  and  7%,
respectively,  of its loan  portfolio.  The Company  believes  that this initial
division  reflects  the current  credit  demands of its  markets and  provides a
sufficient amount of diversification to avoid over-reliance on one category. The
Company may adjust these  levels from time to time as the credit  demands of the
community change and as each Bank's business evolves.
    
   
         Credit  Policies.  With  respect to each  Bank's  loan  portfolio,  the
Company will oversee credit  operations  while still granting local authority to
each Bank. The Company's chief credit officer will be primarily  responsible for
maintaining  a quality loan  portfolio and  developing a strong  credit  culture
throughout the entire organization. The chief credit officer will be responsible
for  developing  and  updating  the  credit  policies  and  procedures  for  the
organization.  The Board of Directors of any Bank



                                       21
<PAGE>

may make exceptions to these credit policies and procedures as appropriate,  but
any such exception must be documented and made for sound business reasons.
    
   
         Credit quality will be controlled by the chief credit  officer  through
compliance  with the Company's  credit  policies and  procedures.  The Company's
risk-decision  process  will be  actively  managed in a  disciplined  fashion to
maintain an  acceptable  risk profile  characterized  by  soundness,  diversity,
quality,  prudence,  balance and  accountability.  The Company's credit approval
process will consist of specific  authorities  granted to the lending  officers.
Loans  exceeding a  particular  lending  officer's  level of  authority  will be
reviewed and considered for approval by an officers' loan committee and, then, a
Bank's  Board of  Directors.  In addition,  the chief  credit  officer will work
closely with each lending  officer at the Bank level to ensure that the business
being solicited is of the quality and structure that fits the Company's  desired
risk profile.
    
   
         Under  its  credit  policies,  the  Company  will  generally  limit the
concentration  of credit risk by a particular Bank in any loan or group of loans
to 20% of that Bank's capital. Such concentration limit pertains to any group of
borrowers  related as to the source of repayment  or any one specific  industry.
Furthermore,  each Bank will establish limits on the total amount of that Bank's
outstanding loans to one borrower, which will be set below legal lending limits.
Any loan that a Bank proposes to make that will exceed such  established  limits
will require the prior approval of the Company's Board of Directors.
    
   
         Commercial  Loans.  The  Company  expects to make  commercial  loans to
qualified  businesses in its market area. The Company's  commercial lending will
consist  primarily  of  commercial  and  industrial  loans for the  financing of
accounts receivable,  inventory, property, plant and equipment. The Company also
expects to offer Small Business  Administration  guaranteed  loans ("SBA loans")
and factoring arrangements to certain of its customers.
    
   
         Commercial  business loans  generally have a higher degree of risk than
residential mortgage loans, but have commensurately  higher yields.  Residential
mortgage loans generally are made on the basis of the borrower's ability to make
repayment  from his  employment  and other income and are secured by real estate
whose value tends to be easily ascertainable.  In contrast,  commercial business
loans  typically  are  made  on the  basis  of the  borrower's  ability  to make
repayment  from cash flow from its business and are secured by business  assets,
such as commercial real estate, accounts receivable, equipment and inventory. As
a result,  the  availability  of funds for the repayment of commercial  business
loans may be  substantially  dependent  on the success of the  business  itself.
Further,  the collateral for commercial  business loans may depreciate over time
and cannot be appraised with as much precision as residential real estate.
    
   
         To manage these risks,  the  Company's  policy is to secure  commercial
loans  with  both the  assets of the  borrowing  business  and other  additional
collateral and guarantees that may be available.  In addition,  the Company will
actively monitor certain measures of the borrower,  including advance rate, cash
flow, collateral value and other appropriate credit factors.
    
   
         Commercial  Mortgage  Loans.  The  Company  also  expects to  originate
commercial mortgage loans. These loans are primarily secured by various types of
commercial real estate,  including  office,  retail,  warehouse,  industrial and
other  non-residential  types of  properties  and are made to the  owner  and/or
occupiers of such property.  The Company  expects these loans to have maturities
generally ranging from one to 10 years.
    
   
         Commercial  mortgage  lending  entails  significant   additional  risk,
compared with residential mortgage lending.  Commercial mortgage loans typically
involve  larger loan balances  concentrated  with



                                       22
<PAGE>

single  borrowers  or groups of related  borrowers.  Additionally,  the  payment
experience  on  loans  secured  by  income  producing  properties  is  typically
dependent on the successful operation of a business or a real estate project and
thus may be subject,  to a greater  extent,  to adverse  conditions  in the real
estate market or in the economy generally.  The Company's commercial real estate
loan  underwriting  criteria  require an  examination  of debt service  coverage
ratios, the borrower's creditworthiness and prior credit history and reputation,
and the Company  generally  requires  personal  guarantees  or  endorsements  of
borrowers.  The Company also  carefully  considers  the location of the security
property.
    
   
         The Company expects that loan-to-value  ratios for commercial  mortgage
loans will not exceed 75%,  with higher  ratios  permitted  if the  borrower has
unusually  strong  general  liquidity,  net worth and cash  flow.  Loan-to-value
ratios will not exceed 85% or, if a SBA guaranty has been obtained, 90%.
    
   
         Residential  Mortgage  Loans.  The Company expects that its residential
mortgage  loans will consist of  residential  first and second  mortgage  loans,
residential  construction  loans and home equity  lines of credit and term loans
secured by first and second  mortgages on the  residences  of borrowers for home
improvements, education and other personal expenditures. Management expects that
the Company will make mortgage  loans with a variety of terms,  including  fixed
and  floating  or variable  rates and a variety of  maturities.  Maturities  for
construction  loans will generally  range from six to 12 months for  residential
property  and  from  12  to  18  months  for  non-residential  and  multi-family
properties.
    
   
         Residential  mortgage  loans  generally  are  made on the  basis of the
borrower's  ability to make  repayment  from his employment and other income and
are secured by real estate whose value tends to be easily  ascertainable.  These
loans  will be made  consistent  with the  Company's  appraisal  policy and real
estate  lending  policy,  which will  detail  maximum  loan-to-value  ratios and
maturities.  Loans for  owner-occupied  property  will  generally be made with a
loan-to-value  ratio of up to 80% for  first  liens  and 75% for  junior  liens.
Higher  loan-to-value  ratios may be allowed based on the  borrower's  unusually
strong general liquidity, net worth and cash flow. Loan-to-value ratios for home
equity lines of credit will generally not exceed 75%. If the loan-to-value ratio
exceeds 90% for residential  mortgage loans, the Company will obtain appropriate
credit  enhancement  in  the  form  of  either  mortgage  insurance  or  readily
marketable collateral.
    
   
         Construction  lending entails  significant  additional risks,  compared
with residential mortgage lending.  Construction loans often involve larger loan
balances  concentrated  with single  borrowers  or groups of related  borrowers.
Construction  loans also involve  additional risks attributable to the fact that
loan funds are advanced upon the security of property under construction,  which
is of uncertain value prior to the completion of construction.  Thus, it is more
difficult  to evaluate  accurately  the total loan funds  required to complete a
project and related  loan-to-value ratios. To minimize the risks associated with
construction  lending,  the Company limits  loan-to-value ratios for residential
property to 85% and for non-residential  property and multi-family properties to
80%, in addition to its usual credit analysis of its borrowers.
    
   
         Management  expects that the loan-to-value  ratios described above will
be  sufficient  to  compensate  for  fluctuations  in the real estate  market to
minimize the risk of loss.
    
   
         Consumer  Loans.  The  Company  expects  that its  consumer  loans will
consist primarily of installment  loans to individuals for personal,  family and
household purposes.  The specific types of consumer loans expected to be made by
the Banks include home improvement loans, debt  consolidation  loans and general
consumer lending.
    

                                       23
<PAGE>
   
         Consumer loans may entail greater risk than residential  mortgage loans
do, particularly in the case of consumer loans that are unsecured, such as lines
of credit, or secured by rapidly depreciable assets such as automobiles. In such
cases, any repossessed  collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide
an adequate source of repayment of the  outstanding  loan balance as a result of
the greater likelihood of damage, loss or depreciation. The remaining deficiency
often does not  warrant  further  substantial  collection  efforts  against  the
borrower. In addition, consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower's
continuing  financial  stability,  and  thus  are more  likely  to be  adversely
affected by job loss, divorce, illness or personal bankruptcy.  Furthermore, the
application  of various  federal  and state  laws,  including  federal and state
bankruptcy and  insolvency  laws, may limit the amount which can be recovered on
such loans.  Such loans may also give rise to claims and  defenses by a consumer
loan  borrower  against  an  assignee  of such loan such as the  Company,  and a
borrower may be able to assert against such assignee claims and defenses that it
has against the seller of the underlying collateral.
    
   
         The  Company's  policy for consumer  loans is to accept  moderate  risk
while minimizing  losses,  primarily through a careful analysis of the borrower.
In evaluating  consumer loans,  the Company will require its lending officers to
review the borrower's level and stability of income, past credit history and the
impact of these  factors on the  ability of the  borrower to repay the loan in a
timely manner.  In addition,  the Company will require that its banking officers
maintain an appropriate margin between the loan amount and collateral value. The
Company  expects that many of its consumer  loans will be made to the principals
of the small and  medium-sized  businesses  for whom the Banks  provide  banking
services.
    
   
         Credit Card and Other  Loans.  The Company also expects to issue credit
cards to certain of its  customers.  In determining to whom it will issue credit
cards,  the Company  intends to evaluate the  borrower's  level and stability of
income, past credit history and other factors.  Finally,  the Company expects to
make additional loans that may not be classified in one of the above categories.
In making such loans, the Company will attempt to ensure that the borrower meets
the Company's credit quality standards.
    
         Deposits. Management intends to offer a broad range of interest-bearing
and  noninterest-bearing  deposit  accounts,  including  commercial  and  retail
checking  accounts,  money  market  accounts,  individual  retirement  accounts,
regular  interest-bearing  savings  accounts and  certificates of deposit with a
range of maturity date options.  Management anticipates that the primary sources
of deposits will be small and medium-sized  businesses and individuals within an
identified  market. In each identified  market,  senior management will have the
authority  to  set  rates  within  specified   parameters  in  order  to  remain
competitive with other financial  institutions.  All deposits will be insured by
the FDIC up to the maximum  amount  permitted  by law.  The  Company  expects to
implement a service charge fee schedule,  which will be  competitive  with other
financial  institutions  in a Bank's  market  area,  covering  such  matters  as
maintenance  fees on checking  accounts,  per item  processing  fees on checking
accounts, returned check charges and other similar fees.

         Specialized Consumer Services.  Management intends to offer specialized
products and services to its customers, such as lock boxes, travelers checks and
safe deposit services.

         Courier Services.  The Company expects to offer courier services to its
business  customers.   Courier  services  permit  the  Company  to  provide  the
convenience  and  personalized  service  its  customers  require  by  scheduling
pick-ups of deposits.



                                       24
<PAGE>

         Telephone and Internet  Banking.  The Company  believes that there is a
strong demand within its market for telephone banking and internet banking. Both
services  allow  customers  to  access  detailed  account  information,  execute
transactions  and pay  bills  electronically.  Management  believes  that  these
services are particularly  attractive for its customers,  as it will enable them
to conduct  their  banking  business and monitor their bank accounts from remote
locations.  Management  of the Company  believes  that  telephone  and  internet
banking will assist the Banks in  attracting  and  retaining  customers and will
also encourage its customers to maintain their total banking  relationships with
the Company.

         Automatic Teller Machines ("ATMs"). The Company plans to have an ATM at
each  office  of  each  Bank.   Management   intends  to  make  other  financial
institutions'  ATMs available to its customers and to offer  customers a certain
number of free ATM transactions per month.

         Other  Products and  Services.  The Company  intends to evaluate  other
services such as trust services,  brokerage and investment services,  insurance,
and other permissible activities. Management expects to introduce these services
as they become economically viable.

Competition
   
         Banks generally compete with other financial  institutions  through the
selection of banking products and services offered, the pricing of services, the
level of service provided, the convenience and availability of services, and the
degree of  expertise  and the  personal  manner in which  services  are offered.
Virginia  law permits  statewide  branching by banks.  Consequently,  commercial
banking in  Virginia is highly  competitive.  Many large  banking organizations,
several of which are controlled by  out-of-state  holding  companies,  currently
operate in the Company's targeted market areas. In addition, competition between
commercial  banks and  thrift  institutions  (savings  institutions  and  credit
unions)  has  intensified  significantly  by the  elimination  of many  previous
distinctions  between  the  various  types  of  financial  institutions  and the
expanded  powers  and  increased  activity  of thrift  institutions  in areas of
banking which  previously had been the sole domain of commercial  banks.  Recent
legislation, together with other regulatory changes by the primary regulators of
the various financial institutions, has resulted in the almost total elimination
of practical  distinctions  between a commercial bank and a thrift  institution.
Consequently,  competition among financial  institutions of all types is largely
unlimited  with respect to legal ability and authority to provide most financial
services.  Furthermore,  as a consequence of legislation recently enacted by the
United States Congress,  out-of-state banks not previously allowed to operate in
Virginia  are  allowed to  commence  operations  and  compete  in the  Company's
targeted market areas. See "Government  Supervision and Regulation -- Interstate
Banking and Branching."
    
   
         Each of the Banks will face  competition  from other banks,  as well as
thrift institutions,  consumer finance companies,  insurance companies and other
institutions in the Banks'  respective  market areas.  Some of these competitors
are not subject to the same degree of regulation  and  restriction  imposed upon
the Banks.  Many of these competitors also have broader  geographic  markets and
substantially  greater  resources  and  lending  limits than the Banks and offer
certain  services  such as trust  banking  that the  Banks are not  expected  to
provide in the near term. In addition,  many of these  competitors have numerous
branch offices  located  throughout the extended  market areas of the Banks that
the  Company  believes  may  provide  these  competitors  with an  advantage  in
geographic  convenience that the Banks do not have at present.  Such competitors
may also be in a  position  to make  more  effective  use of media  advertising,
support services,  and electronic technology than can the Banks. Currently there
are 27 other  commercial  banks,  7 savings  institutions,  and 30 credit unions
operating in the Company's targeted market areas.
    

                                       25
<PAGE>

Legal Proceedings
   
         In the ordinary course of operations,  the Company and the Banks expect
to be parties to various legal proceedings.  At present, there are no pending or
threatened  proceedings  against  the  Company  or any of the  Banks  which,  if
determined adversely,  would have a material effect on the business,  results of
operations, or financial position of the Company or any of the Banks.
    
Properties
   
         The Company's  headquarters  and Cardinal Bank's office is at 10641 Lee
Highway,  Fairfax,  Virginia. The premises are held under a 10 year lease, which
began  January  1, 1998.  The  building,  which the  Company  has  substantially
renovated,  is a three-story  brick structure,  containing 9,000 square feet. It
has five teller stations,  one drive-through  window and a walk-up ATM and night
depository.
    
Employees
   
         At May 31, 1998, the Company had 14 full time employees,  none of which
is  represented  by a union or covered  by a  collective  bargaining  agreement.
Management considers employee relations to be good.
    
                                   MANAGEMENT

Directors and Executive Officers of the Company
   
         Currently,  the Company's Board of Directors includes 11 directors. The
following  sets forth certain  information  regarding  the  Company's  executive
officers  and  directors  as of the  date of this  Prospectus  and for  previous
periods of at least five years. The Company's Articles of Incorporation  provide
for a classified Board of Directors,  so that, as nearly as possible,  one-third
of the  directors  are elected each year to serve  three-year  terms.  Executive
officers  of the  Company  serve at the  discretion  of the  Company's  Board of
Directors.
    
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                          Director          Term
        Name                          Age             Position                             Since           Expires
        ----                          ---             --------                             -----           -------
<S>                                    <C>   <C>                                            <C>             <C> 
Robert M. Barlow                       68    Director and Vice Chairman                     1997            2000
Wayne W. Broadwater                    74    Director                                       1997            2001
Nancy K. Falck                         68    Director and Secretary                         1997            1999
L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.                   53    Director, President and Chief Executive        1997            1999
                                             Officer
Anne B. Hazel                          58    Director                                       1997            2000
Harvey W. Huntzinger                   71    Director                                       1997            2001
Jones V. Isaac                         66    Director                                       1997            1999
Dale B. Peck                           52    Director                                       1997            2000
James D. Russo                         51    Director and Treasurer                         1997            2000
John H. Rust, Jr.                      50    Director and Chairman                          1997            2001
H. Steve Swink, Ph.D.                  56    Director                                       1997            1999
</TABLE>
    

                                       26
<PAGE>

         Biographical  information for each of the Directors is set forth below.
With the exception of Messrs.  Gunn, Peck and Swink and Mrs.  Hazel,  all of the
Directors were formerly  directors of First Patriot  Bankshares  Corporation,  a
Virginia  corporation  and  the  holding  company  for  Patriot  National  Bank,
headquartered in Reston,  Virginia ("First Patriot").  On August 1, 1997, United
Bankshares, Inc., a West Virginia corporation ("UBS"), acquired First Patriot in
a Merger,  pursuant to which,  among other  things,  each  shareholder  of First
Patriot  received a cash payment for his or her shares and Patriot National Bank
merged into United Bank, a subsidiary of UBS.

         Robert M. Barlow  served as Vice  Chairman of First Patriot and Patriot
National  Bank.  Mr.  Barlow  also served as  Chairman  of the  Director's  Loan
Committee for Patriot  National  Bank.  Mr. Barlow was the founder and principal
shareholder of a group of companies  engaged in construction,  manufacturing and
real estate in northern  Virginia for the past 38 years.  In 1995, he sold these
ventures and is now retired.

         Wayne W. Broadwater  served as Chairman of the Marketing  Committee for
Patriot National Bank. A retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, he served
as President  and CEO of Shipmates,  Ltd., a chain of tool and equipment  rental
and sales  companies  that he founded in 1972 until its sale in 1997. He is past
President of the National  Capital  Area Rental  Association.  He is involved in
civic organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce,  the American Legion, Fleet
Reserve Association and the Izaak Walton League.

         Nancy K. Falck was  Secretary  of First  Patriot and  Patriot  National
Bank.  Ms.  Falck also  served as  Chairman of the  Compensation  Committee  for
Patriot  National  Bank.  She is a former member of the Fairfax  County Board of
Supervisors  (1980-1987) and Fairfax County School Board (1976-1979).  Ms. Falck
worked in  Virginia as a research  bacteriologist  and also spent time as a high
school teacher.  She is active in community affairs and is past President of the
Board of Directors of the Family Respite Center (a day program that helps people
with  Alzheimer's  disease) and is a Commissioner on the Fairfax Area Council on
Aging.  She has  also  served  as past  president  of such  associations  as the
Northern Virginia Mental Health  Association,  the Social Center for Psychiatric
Rehabilitation,  the Washington  Council of Governments and the Junior League of
Northern Virginia. From 1970 to 1978, she served on the Board of Visitors of the
College of William and Mary.

         L. Burwell Gunn,  Jr. is President and Chief  Executive  Officer of the
Company,  having  recently  completed 25 years of service with Crestar Bank. Mr.
Gunn  has  managed  a wide  variety  of  diverse  commercial  banking  functions
including equipment leasing, trade finance/international banking, special assets
(loan workouts) and lower, middle and upper market commercial functions. He left
Crestar as Executive  Vice  President and  Commercial  Division Head for Greater
Washington  Region. He has served on the Boards of Directors for United Virginia
Leasing Corporation and Crestar Bank, N.A. He is a past Chairman of the Board of
Directors for the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of
many local civic and charitable entities. Mr. Gunn was honorably discharged from
the U.S. Army in 1972 as a Captain.

         Anne B.  Hazel  serves as a  Director  of the  Corcoran  Museum of Art,
Washington,  D.C., the Florida House, Washington,  D.C., the Morikani Museum and
Japanese  Gardens  Foundation,  Delray  Beach,  Florida and the Concert  Hall at
Mizner Park, Boca Raton,  Florida. In addition Mrs. Hazel is active with the UNC
Alumni  Association,  the Boca Raton Historical  Society,  the Junior Leagues of
Boca Raton,  Florida and Washington,  D.C. among many other civic endeavors.  In
the past she has  held  management  positions  with  the Boca  Raton  Historical
Society,  the Boca Raton Community



                                       27
<PAGE>

Redevelopment  Agency and The Morikani Museum and Japanese  Gardens.  Mrs. Hazel
graduated  from the  University  of North  Carolina with a BA in English and Art
History.
   
         Harvey W.  Huntzinger  served as  Chairman  of the  Strategic  Planning
Committee  for First  Patriot.  He served in the U.S.  Army from 1946 to 1967 in
numerous  command,  staff and management  jobs relative to aviation  operations,
research,   development  and  engineering.  Upon  retirement,  he  joined  TRW's
engineering  department  in support of a  helicopter  research  development  and
prototyping phase. He is a founder of National Systems  Management  Corporation,
which was organized in 1972, and has been President and CEO since 1983.
    
   
         Jones V. Isaac was  Treasurer of First  Patriot.  Mr. Isaac also served
several terms as Chairman of the Audit Committee for Patriot  National Bank. Mr.
Isaac was the Administrator of Finance and  Administration  for the Construction
Specifications  Institute  where he was employed  from 1967 until 1995.  In this
capacity,  Mr. Isaac was  responsible for the financial,  budgetary,  office and
building  administration  of CSI,  as well as the  administration  of its  staff
benefits programs. Currently, Mr. Isaac is President of Isaac Enterprises, Inc.,
a service oriented firm incorporated in the State of Maryland.
    
         Dale B. Peck is a partner with Beers & Cutler,  PLLC,  Certified Public
Accountants.  Prior to joining his present  firm,  Mr. Peck founded and operated
his own practice.  In addition, he has functioned as Chief Financial Officer for
a group of  financial  services  companies  and began  his  career  with  Arthur
Andersen & Co. in 1968.  A graduate  of Old  Dominion  University,  Mr. Peck has
served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Fairfax  County  Chamber of
Commerce,  has been an Advisory Board member of George Mason Bank and many civic
and charitable associations.

         James D. Russo  served a term as  Chairman of the Audit  Committee  for
Patriot  National Bank. Mr. Russo is currently the Senior Vice President,  Chief
Financial Officer and Treasurer of Shire Laboratories,  Inc. ("Shire"),  and has
held these  positions  since May 1994.  Shire,  a  pharmaceutical  research  and
development company, creates and uses its advanced drug delivery technologies to
develop clinically  needed,  cost effective  therapeutic  products suited to the
managed care  market.  Prior to joining  Shire,  Mr. Russo served as Senior Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Versar, Inc. in Springfield,
Virginia  from 1992 to 1994.  Mr. Russo was the Senior Vice  President and Chief
Financial Officer of ICF Kaiser International, Inc. from 1986 to 1992. From 1981
to 1986, Mr. Russo was Vice President of Finance and Treasurer and served on the
Board of  Directors  of PRC  Engineering,  Inc.  in New York,  a  subsidiary  of
Planning  Research  Corporation,  where he managed the  international  financial
operations of the consulting engineering firm.

         John H.  Rust,  Jr.  was  Chairman  of the Board of First  Patriot  and
Patriot  National  Bank.  Mr.  Rust also  served as  Chairman  of the  Executive
Committee for First Patriot and Patriot  National Bank. Mr. Rust is currently of
counsel in the law firm of McCandlish  and Lillard.  Mr. Rust is a member of the
Virginia  House of  Delegates,  the former Vice  Chairman of the Virginia  State
Board of  Elections  and a former  President of the Central  Fairfax  Chamber of
Commerce.
   
         H. Steve  Swink,  Ph.D.  is the  President  of the coffee,  vending and
roasting  group  of U.S.  Office  Products  Company,  the  largest  supplier  of
breakroom products in America.  Prior to joining U.S. Office Products, Dr. Swink
served as Vice President and Chief Operating  Officer for Coffee Butler Service,
Inc. headquartered in Alexandria,  Virginia. Under his leadership, Coffee Butler
grew  to  become  one of the  top  three  independently  owned  coffee  products
companies in the nation. Dr. Swink has a distinguished  record of public service
and  currently   serves  on  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  American



                                       28
<PAGE>

Heart   Association/Northern   Virginia   Chapter,   the  Cultural  Alliance  of
Washington,  D.C., The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, The Fairfax County Chamber of
Commerce (Past Chairman), and the Northern Virginia Community Foundation.  He is
also an active member of the Greater  Washington Board of Trade, and is involved
with a number of other civic and  professional  organizations.  Dr.  Swink holds
Bachelor of Science  and Master of  Education  degrees  from  Mississippi  State
University  and  received  his  Doctorate  of  Philosophy   from  Georgia  State
University.
    
Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors
   
         Joseph L. Borrelli,  CPA - Mr. Borrelli (age 50) is the Chief Financial
Officer for the Company and  Cardinal  Bank.  Mr.  Borrelli has over 25 years of
accounting and banking  experience  beginning  with Deloitte & Touche  (formerly
Haskins & Sells) conducting  audits of banks and in senior financial  management
positions  with  Citibank,  Perpetual  Savings,  John Hanson Savings and Crestar
Bank.  His most recent  position was with  Crestar Bank as the Regional  Finance
Manager for the greater  Washington  Region.  He is past  President  of the D.C.
Chapter  of  Financial  Executives  Institute  and is a member  of the  American
Institute of CPA's and the Virginia Society of CPA's.
    
   
         F. Kevin  Reynolds - Mr.  Reynolds (age 38) is Executive Vice President
and Senior Lending Officer of Cardinal Bank and, subject to regulatory approval,
is slated to become the President of Cardinal Bank. Mr. Reynolds has served in a
variety of positions in his 15 years of banking experience beginning as a credit
analyst and commercial trainee at the National Bank of Washington. After leaving
to join  American  Security  Bank he gained  experience in lending to government
contractors, real estate developers, and businesses. In 1991 Mr. Reynolds joined
George  Mason Bank to help create the  commercial  lending  group and became the
senior  lending  officer  responsible  for all facets of the  bank's  commercial
lending business. In addition to his many civic activities,  Mr. Reynolds is the
current  Chairman of the American Heart  Association,  Northern  Virginia and is
Treasurer and Vice President of Westwood Country Club.
    
   
         Christopher W. Bergstrom - Mr.  Bergstrom (age 38) is an Executive Vice
President  and  Commercial  Lending  Officer  of the  Company  and,  subject  to
regulatory  approval,  is slated to be President of the Manassas/Prince  William
Bank when it opens.  Mr.  Bergstrom will establish a loan  production  office in
Prince William County,  his home. Mr.  Bergstrom had a 16-year career at Crestar
Bank  where he served in a variety of retail and  commercial  functions.  He has
managed several  commercial  lending groups in addition to gaining experience in
sales management,  credit administration,  planning and budgeting, and personnel
recruitment.  In addition, he has served in a variety of civic roles,  including
serving on the Boards of Directors of the Arlington and  Alexandria  Chambers of
Commerce and the Advisory Board of the McIntire School of Commerce's  Center for
Small and Emerging Business.
    
         Eleanor  Schmidt - Ms.  Schmidt (age 37) is a Vice President and Retail
Banking  Head of the  Company  with  over 17 years  of  branch  and  operational
experience with  NationsBank.  She has managed multiple  branches in the Fairfax
area serving a large and diverse  deposit and loan base.  She is  experienced in
retail banking, retail operations,  branch security, and consumer compliance and
customer service. She has been a leader in the Fairfax community for the past 15
years in a variety of business and civic  organizations  and currently serves on
the Industrial  Development Authority in the City of Fairfax, is a member of the
Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, the
Leadership  Fairfax  Class of 1998,  and is  active  with  the  Kiwanis  Club of
Fairfax.  She is the treasurer of the City of Fairfax Chocolate Lover's Festival
Committee and serves on the Fairfax



                                       29
<PAGE>

City  Independence  Day  Celebration  Committee.  She  has  been  honored  as an
outstanding volunteer in the City of Fairfax for the past two years.
   
         Carl E. Dodson - Mr.  Dodson (age 43) joined the Company in May 1998 as
its  Senior  Vice  President  and  Chief  Credit  Officer  and has 14  years  of
commercial  banking  experience.  Mr.  Dodson  began  his  career  as one of the
founding  officers of Palmer  National Bank  ("Palmer") in  Washington,  D.C. At
Palmer, in addition to being the senior commercial  lending officer,  Mr. Dodson
implemented  procedures  involving  the lending  function  of Palmer,  including
establishing  the loan  review,  credit  operations  and  credit  administration
functions.  While at Palmer, he oversaw the growth of its loan portfolio to $100
million before  Palmer's sale to George Mason Bank ("George  Mason") in 1996. At
that  time,  he  joined  George  Mason  as  Senior  Vice   President  of  Credit
Administration.  In 1997, Mr. Dodson left George Mason to become Chief Financial
Officer of C.C. Pace  Resources,  Inc. Mr.  Dodson  received a B.A. in economics
from the  University of Virginia and a M.B.A.  from the University of Virginia's
Darden School of Business Administration.
    
Security Ownership of Management

         The  following  table  sets  forth  information  as of March  31,  1998
regarding  the  number  of  shares of  Common  Stock  beneficially  owned by all
directors and by all directors  and  executive  officers as a group.  Beneficial
ownership  includes  shares,  if any,  held in the  name  of the  spouse,  minor
children or other relatives of the nominee living in such person's home, as well
as shares,  if any,  held in the name of  another  person  under an  arrangement
whereby the director or  executive  officer can vest title in himself at once or
at some future time.
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                       Common Stock
       Name                                         Beneficially Owned                  Percentage of Class
       ----                                         ------------------                  -------------------
<S>                                                      <C>                                   <C>  
Robert M. Barlow                                          67,500                                4.79%
Wayne W. Broadwater                                       27,000                                1.92
Nancy K. Falck                                            26,667                                1.89
L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.                                      18,500                                1.31
Anne B. Hazel                                             13,334                                0.95
Harvey W. Huntzinger                                      67,500                                4.79
Jones V. Isaac                                            30,000                                2.13
Dale B. Peck                                              26,667                                1.89
James D. Russo                                            53,600                                3.80
John H. Rust, Jr.                                         35,000                                2.48
H. Steve Swink, Ph.D.                                     30,000                                2.13
All present executive officers and
  directors as a group (16 persons)                      437,101                               31.01%
</TABLE>
    
   
         The  percentage  ownership  of  directors  and  executive  officers  is
expected to decline to less than 11% following the Offering.
    
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners

         No one is known to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of
the issued and outstanding Common Stock of the Company.



                                       30
<PAGE>

Executive Compensation
   
    
         The following table shows, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997,
the cash compensation paid by the Company, as well as certain other compensation
paid or accrued for that year, to the named Executive  Officer in all capacities
in which he served:

                           Summary Compensation Table
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                        Annual Compensation(1)
                                                -------------------------------------
                                                                                                   All Other
                                                Year          Salary(2)        Bonus            Compensation(3)
                                                ----          ---------        -----            ---------------

<S>                                             <C>            <C>            <C>                  <C>     
L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.                            1997           $27,174        $25,000              $    981
  President and Chief Executive Officer
- ----------------
</TABLE>
(1)  All benefits that might be  considered of a personal  nature did not exceed
     the  lesser of  $50,000  or 10% of total  annual  salary  and bonus for the
     officer named in the table.

(2)  Amount reflects a partial year. Mr. Gunn's annual salary is $150,000.

(3)  Amounts  reflect COBRA  payments to Mr. Gunn's former  employer to continue
     insurance benefits.

Compensation and Other Employment Arrangements
   
         On September 30, 1997, Mr. Gunn entered into an employment  contract to
serve as President and Chief Executive  Officer of both the Company and Cardinal
Bank and to perform such services and duties as each entity's Board of Directors
may designate. Under the contract, Mr. Gunn is entitled to an annual base salary
of $150,000. Any increases in base salary are at the discretion of the Boards of
Directors. In addition, Mr. Gunn earned a bonus in 1997 of $25,000 in connection
with the completion of various  aspects of the  organization  of the Company and
Cardinal Bank, and may be entitled to up to an additional  $50,000 in connection
with the first year of  operations of the Company and Cardinal  Bank,  and up to
$50,000 per year for future performance.
    
         The  contract is for a term of three  years and may be extended  for at
least two  additional  years.  Mr. Gunn serves at the pleasure of the  Company's
Board of Directors.  If, during the term of the contract,  Mr. Gunn's employment
is terminated  without cause,  Mr. Gunn will be entitled to a severance  payment
equal to his annual base salary at that time.  The  contract  also  provides for
certain non-competition  covenants for a period of one year following Mr. Gunn's
termination.
   
         During each year under his  three-year  employment  contract,  Mr. Gunn
will be granted an option to purchase  7,048 shares of Common Stock at $7.50 per
share;  however,  the  grant of any  option  for any  particular  year  shall be
conditioned on the Company's financial  performance's  exceeding certain amounts
budgeted for that year.
    
   
         Neither the Company nor Cardinal Bank provides any  compensation to its
directors for service on the respective Board of Directors.
    

                                       31
<PAGE>
   
         Any future  transactions  between  the  Company  and its  officers  and
directors,  as well as transactions with any person who acquires five percent or
more of the  Company's  voting  stock will be on  substantially  the same terms,
including interest rates and security for loans, as those prevailing at the time
for comparable transactions with others.
    
Bank Directors
   
         With the exception of Mrs.  Hazel and Dr.  Swink,  the directors of the
Company also are the  directors of Cardinal  Bank.  The Company  intends that at
least one Company  director will serve on the Board of each Additional Bank. The
Company  has  identified  a  number  of  individuals  who have  indicated  their
willingness  to serve as organizers and directors of the  Additional  Banks.  As
none of the Additional Banks is yet in the organizational stage, the composition
of the Boards of the  Additional  Banks has not been finally  determined  and no
individual may serve as an Additional Bank director without regulatory approval.
The Company expects that the directors of the Additional  Banks will include the
following individuals.
    
   
         George E.  Barlow  (age 41) is  currently  President  and  co-owner  of
Division 7, Inc.  and  Vice-President  and  co-owner  of Prospect  Waterproofing
Company.  Serving  the  construction  industry,  Division 7, Inc. is a materials
distribution company and Prospect Waterproofing Co. is a waterproofing specialty
subcontractor.  Prior to the  purchase of Division 7 and  Prospect in 1994,  Mr.
Barlow was Chief  Executive  Officer of  Insulated  Building  Systems,  Inc.,  a
manufacturer and fabricator of insulation products.  Mr. Barlow is a graduate of
The Wharton  School of the  University of  Pennsylvania  and has an MBA from The
Goizueta Business School of Emory University.
    
   
         David  L.  Broadwater  (age  40)  is  managing  partner  of  Broadwater
Investments  II, Real Estate  Development and Management Co. located in northern
Virginia.  Prior to forming  his present  firm,  Mr.  Broadwater  served as Vice
President of Operations of Shipmates,  Ltd. a large  equipment  rental and sales
company headquartered in Manassas, Virginia.
    
   
         Russell  A.  DeCarlo,  DDS (age  53),  a  lifetime  area  resident,  is
self-employed  with a private dental practice in northern  Virginia for the past
27 years. After completing  undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia,
Dr. DeCarlo graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 1969 and completed
military  service in the USN 1969/71.  He was an initial  investor and member of
the Advisory  Board of Patriot  National Bank since its  inception in 1990.  Dr.
DeCarlo has served on several Boards of Directors for  residential  and business
properties,  including  Pinecrest  Office Park and Edsall Terrace in Alexandria,
Virginia and Angelfish Condo in Ocean City, Maryland.
    
   
         Theresa  A.  Gascoigne  (age 48) is a  graduate  of the  University  of
Maryland with a B.A. in Business  Administration  and the Washington  School for
Secretaries.  She worked for Securities  Investor  Protection  Corporation,  The
American Federation of State, County and Municipal  Employees,  The Construction
Specifications Institute and the Early California Industries. She is a member of
the  Country  Club of Fairfax  and many civic and  charitable  organizations  in
Virginia.
    
   
         Roy F.  Goggin,  Jr.  (age 53)  established  his own  certified  public
accounting  firm in  1988.  His  accounting  experience  spans  over  25  years.
Specializing in taxation and accounting,  his practice serves a wide spectrum of
small and medium-sized  businesses in northern Virginia. He received his B.S. in
Business  Administration from Virginia  Commonwealth  University and his M.S. in
Taxation from American University in Washington,  D.C. He is active in a variety
of  professional and civic endeavors and is a past President of the Falls Church
Rotary Club.
    


                                       32
<PAGE>
   
         Andrew  P.  Hinton  (age  47) is an  attorney  with the  United  States
Government,  and has responsibilities  involving  adjudication of administrative
appeals in an administrative tribunal within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Previously,  he  worked  for 16 years at the  International  Monetary  Fund (the
"IMF"),  providing  financial  and  economic  expertise  in support of the IMF's
country lending  programs.  Mr. Hinton also has real estate business  experience
since 1973, with  involvement in land  development and brokerage,  redevelopment
and sale of inner-city residential buildings, and financial analytic support for
prospective office building projects. He founded and was President of Washington
Capital Realty,  Inc.,  involved in  non-residential  real estate brokerage.  In
addition to Mr. Hinton's legal training,  he holds an MBA in finance and an M.A.
in economics,  both from Virginia Tech in  Blacksburg,  Virginia.  Mr. Hinton is
active in several northern Virginia community organizations.
    
   
         Mervin D. Issac (age 34) is currently  Senior  Manager of Operations at
Cable & Wireless,  Inc.  Cable & Wireless  ("C&W") is an industry  leader in the
Global  Telecommunications  industry.  He is  responsible  for all private line,
data, internet and voice operations at C&W. Prior to his management position, he
was a Senior Data Engineer at C&W  responsible  for capacity  planning,  network
architecture,  traffic flow engineering and network resilience design. Mr. Isaac
also served in the United States Navy from  1982-1987 as an aviation  electronic
technician.
    
   
         Earl F. Lockwood (age 67) is co-founder,  Chairman, President and Chief
Executive  Officer of Betac  International  Corporation which he formed in 1980.
Betac is a  worldwide  technology  firm  located in  Alexandria,  Virginia.  Mr.
Lockwood is a graduate of the College of Engineering, University of Kentucky. He
also attended the International School of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the
University of Chicago.  Mr. Lockwood is a Director of the Professional  Services
Council,  Chairman of the Board of the Securities  Affairs Support  Association,
Senior Advisory Board for the Joint Military  Intelligence  College  Foundation,
Inc. and the Board of Trustees of Hampton-Sydney College.
    
   
         Virginia  C. Mars (age 68) is a former  teacher  and was a Director  of
Mars  Foundation  until 1990.  For years she has been very active in a number of
civic and  charitable  endeavors.  Mrs. Mars  currently  serves on the Boards of
Vassar  College,  the  Wildlife  Preservation  Trust  International,  the McLean
Revitalization Corporation, The Cathedral Chapter, Washington National Cathedral
and Cathedral  Choral  Society and the National  Symphony  Orchestra,  where she
earned  the  distinction  of being  the only  woman  to serve as  president.  In
addition, she has served on the Boards of the American University, Johns Hopkins
University  American  Contemporary  German  Studies,  and the Langley  School of
McLean, among many others. Mrs. Mars received her B.A. and teacher certification
from Vassar.
    
   
         John R. Muha,  II (age 40)  graduated  from George Mason  University in
1981 with a Bachelor of Science  degree in Business  Administration.  Mr. Muha's
career in insurance began as a bond underwriter with the Chubb Group. In 1994 he
co-founded Franey, Parr & Muha, Inc., and currently serves as its President. Mr.
Muha is a member  of the  Board of  Directors  and  serves  as the  Underwriting
Chairman for Crab Apple  Insurance  Company and is a member of the  Professional
Insurance  Agents  Association.  He is an  Accredited  Advisor in insurance  and
serves on the  advisory  boards of several  insurance  carriers.  Mr.  Muha is a
member of the George  Mason  University  Patriot  Club,  the Fairfax  Chamber of
Commerce,  the  National  Association  of  Industrial  and Office  Parks and St.
Timothy's Church.
    
   
         Philip M.  Reilly  (age 56) is the Vice  President,  Finance  and Chief
Financial  Officer  of Kol  Bio-Medical  Instruments,  a regional  marketer  and
distributor of high technology  medical  devices.  A former



                                       33
<PAGE>

Marine Corps  Officer and Vietnam  veteran,  he holds an MBA in Finance from the
N.Y.U. Stern School of Business.  He serves on the Executive Committee and Board
of Directors of the Medmarc  Insurance  Company.  Currently the Vice Chairman of
the Virginia Health Care Foundation, he is a past Chairman of the Fairfax County
Chamber of Commerce,  the Fairfax Arts Council,  the Fairfax-Falls Church United
Way and is a past awardee of the Washington Post Cup as Fairfax County's Citizen
of the Year. He also served as Vice Chairman - North of the Virginia  Chamber of
Commerce, and chaired the Virginia Business Health Care Task Force.
    
   
         John A. Rollison,  III (age 47) is President of Rollison Tire and Auto,
a business he has owned and operated  since 1972 in  Woodbridge,  Virginia.  Mr.
Rollison is a member of the House of Delegates representing the 52nd District in
Prince  William  County.  He is a  director  of the  Prince  William  Chamber of
Commerce and an  Alternate  Commissioner  on the  Interstate  Commission  on the
Potomac  River  Basin.  Mr.  Rollison  is a  graduate  of  Virginia  Polytechnic
Institute and State University.
    
   
         Dietmar  S.  Tech  (age 55) is a  founder  and  principal  owner of LSA
Incorporated, which was organized in 1982, and since then has been the President
in charge of  corporate  operations  and head of the LSA  Photonics  and Optical
Wireless Communications Division. LSA provides systems engineering,  acquisition
management, and technical support services to the Government and industry. Prior
to founding LSA, Mr. Tech was a Director of Operations with SYSCON  Incorporated
supporting  various Navy airlaunched  weapon system programs.  From 1966 through
1971 Mr. Tech held various  positions from analyst through  Department Head with
Litton Ingalls  Shipbuilding  Division  supporting  the  development of the LHA,
Spruance Class  Destroyers,  and Surface Effect Ship. From 1962 to 1966 Mr. Tech
worked  for  the  Department  of the  Navy  as an  operations  research  analyst
addressing  logistics  systems design and  effectiveness  issues.  He received a
degree in Physics from Rutgers University in 1964.
    
   
         William  T.  Theros  (age 48) was the former  owner of McLean  Rentals,
Inc., a major equipment rental dealer in the northern  Virginia region.  He sold
McLean  Rentals,  Inc. in 1996 after growing the firm from one to nine locations
and currently works with his son at Theros  Equipment,  Inc.,  which sells large
construction  equipment.  Previous to his owning McLean Rentals,  Inc., he spent
seven years with the  Montgomery  County Police  Department.  He graduated  from
University  of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science  degree in Criminal  Justice,
then furthered his studies at George  Washington  University,  graduating with a
Masters of Science in Special Studies - Criminal Justice.
    
   
         Ms. Jana Yeates  (age 56) is the  founder  and  co-owner of  Employment
Enterprises,  Inc., the parent company of Temporary Solutions, Inc. and Checks &
Balances,  Inc.  a  $40+  million  employment  services  enterprise  located  in
Manassas,  Virginia.  Temporary Solutions,  Inc. continually ranks as one of the
Top 50 women-owned businesses in the Washington  metropolitan area, as published
by the Washington  Business  Journal.  Ms. Yeates has received numerous business
awards including being recognized as "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Inc. Magazine
and Ernst & Young, and by being inducted into the "Entrepreneur Hall of Fame" at
the University of North  Carolina.  In addition to serving on numerous state and
local  advisory and civic boards,  she is a past President of the Prince William
County  Greater  Manassas  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  serves on the  Boards of
Directors of Prince William Health Systems,  Prince William  Hospital Board, and
the Manassas Chapter of the American Red Cross among others.
    


                                       34
<PAGE>

                      GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
   
         The  following  discussion  is a  summary  of the  principal  laws  and
regulations that comprise the regulatory framework applicable to the Company and
the  Banks.  Other  laws and  regulations  that  govern  various  aspects of the
operations  of banks  and  bank  holding  companies  are not  described  herein,
although  violations of such laws and  regulations  could result in  supervisory
enforcement action against the Company or a Bank. The following descriptions, as
well as  descriptions  of  laws  and  regulations  contained  elsewhere  in this
Prospectus,  summarize the material terms of the principal laws and  regulations
and are  qualified  in  their  entirety  by  reference  to  applicable  laws and
regulations.
    
         As a bank holding  company,  the Company is subject to regulation under
the  Bank  Holding  Company  Act of  1956  (as  amended,  the  "BHCA")  and  the
examination and reporting requirements of the Federal Reserve. Under the BHCA, a
bank holding company may not directly or indirectly acquire ownership or control
of more than 5% of the voting shares or  substantially  all of the assets of any
additional  bank or merge or  consolidate  with  another  bank  holding  company
without  the prior  approval  of the Federal  Reserve.  The BHCA also  generally
limits the activities of a bank holding company to that of banking,  managing or
controlling  banks,  or any other  activity which is determined to be so closely
related to banking or to  managing or  controlling  banks that an  exception  is
allowed for those activities.
   
         As a national bank, Cardinal Bank is subject to regulation, supervision
and  examination  by the OCC.  The  Additional  Banks  also are  expected  to be
national banks, supervised by the OCC in the same fashion and to the same extent
as Cardinal Bank.  Cardinal Bank is also subject to regulation,  supervision and
examination  by the FDIC.  Federal law also governs the  activities in which the
Banks may engage,  the investments they may make and limits the aggregate amount
of loans that may be  granted to one  borrower  to 15% of a bank's  capital  and
surplus.  Various  consumer and compliance laws and regulations  also affect the
Banks' operations.
    
   
         The earnings of the Banks,  and  therefore the earnings of the Company,
are  affected  by  general  economic  conditions,  management  policies  and the
legislative  and  governmental   actions  of  various  regulatory   authorities,
including those referred to above.
    
   
         The OCC will conduct regular examinations of the Banks,  reviewing such
matters as the adequacy of loan loss reserves, quality of loans and investments,
management  practices,   compliance  with  laws,  and  other  aspects  of  their
operations.  In addition to these regular  examinations,  the Banks must furnish
the OCC with periodic  reports  containing a full and accurate  statement of its
affairs. Supervision,  regulation and examination of banks by these agencies are
intended primarily for the protection of depositors rather than shareholders.
    
         Insurance of Accounts,  Assessments  and  Regulation  by the FDIC.  The
deposits  of  Cardinal  Bank are  insured by the FDIC up to the limits set forth
under  applicable  law. The deposits of Cardinal Bank are subject to the deposit
insurance  assessments  of the Bank  Insurance  Fund  ("BIF")  of the FDIC.  The
Additional Banks will be subject to the same assessments.
   
         The FDIC has  implemented  a risk-based  deposit  insurance  assessment
system  under which the  assessment  rate for an insured  institutions  may vary
according to  regulatory  capital  levels of the  institution  and other factors
(including supervisory evaluations).  Depository institutions insured by the BIF
that are "well  capitalized",  are  required to pay only the  statutory  minimum
assessment of $2,000 annually for deposit  insurance,  while all other banks are
required to pay premiums ranging from .03%



                                       35
<PAGE>

to .30% of  domestic  deposits.  These  rate  schedules  are  subject  to future
adjustments  by the FDIC. In addition,  the FDIC has authority to impose special
assessments from time to time. However,  because the legislation enacted in 1996
requires  that both Savings  Association  Insurance  Fund  ("SAIF")  insured and
BIF-insured  deposits  pay a pro  rata  portion  of  the  interest  due  on  the
obligations issued by the Financing Corporation ("FICO"),  the FDIC is assessing
BIF-insured  deposits an  additional  1.30 basis  points per $100 of deposits to
cover those obligations.
    
         The FDIC is authorized  to prohibit any  BIF-insured  institution  from
engaging in any activity that the FDIC determines by regulation or order to pose
a serious threat to the respective  insurance fund.  Also, the FDIC may initiate
enforcement actions against banks, after first giving the institution's  primary
regulatory  authority an opportunity to take such action. The FDIC may terminate
the deposit  insurance of any depository  institution if it determines,  after a
hearing,  that the  institution  has engaged or is engaging in unsafe or unsound
practices,  is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations,  or has
violated any  applicable  law,  regulation,  order or any  condition  imposed in
writing by the FDIC. It also may suspend deposit  insurance  temporarily  during
the  hearing  process  for  the  permanent  termination  of  insurance,  if  the
institution has no tangible  capital.  If deposit  insurance is terminated,  the
deposits  at the  institution  at  the  time  of  termination,  less  subsequent
withdrawals,  shall  continue  to be insured for a period from six months to two
years,  as  determined  by  the  FDIC.   Management  is  aware  of  no  existing
circumstances  that could  result in  termination  of  Cardinal  Bank's  deposit
insurance.

         Capital.  The OCC and the Federal  Reserve have issued  risk-based  and
leverage capital guidelines  applicable to banking organizations they supervise.
Under the  risk-based  capital  requirements,  the Company and Cardinal Bank are
each  generally  required  to  maintain  a  minimum  ratio of total  capital  to
risk-weighted  assets (including certain  off-balance sheet activities,  such as
standby  letters of  credit) of 8%. At least half of the total  capital is to be
composed of common equity,  retained earnings and qualifying perpetual preferred
stock, less certain intangibles ("Tier 1 capital"). The remainder may consist of
certain   subordinated  debt,  certain  hybrid  capital  instruments  and  other
qualifying  preferred  stock  and a limited  amount  of the loan loss  allowance
("Tier 2 capital" and, together with Tier 1 capital, "total capital").
   
         In  addition,  each of the  Federal  banking  regulatory  agencies  has
established   minimum   leverage   capital   ratio   requirements   for  banking
organizations. These requirements provide for a minimum leverage ratio of Tier 1
capital  to  adjusted  average  quarterly  assets  equal to 3% for bank  holding
companies  that are  rated a  composite  "1" and 4% for all other  bank  holding
companies.  Bank holding  companies are expected to maintain higher than minimum
capital ratios if they have  supervisory,  financial,  operational or managerial
weaknesses, or if they are anticipating or experiencing significant growth.
    
   
         The  risk-based  capital  standards of the OCC and the Federal  Reserve
explicitly  identify  concentrations  of credit risk and the risk  arising  from
non-traditional  activities, as well as an institution's ability to manage these
risks, as important  factors to be taken into account by the agency in assessing
an institution's  overall capital adequacy.  The capital guidelines also provide
that an institution's exposure to a decline in the economic value of its capital
due to  changes in  interest  rates be  considered  by the agency as a factor in
evaluating a bank's capital adequacy.  The OCC and the Federal Reserve also have
recently issued  additional  capital  guidelines for bank holding companies that
engage in certain trading activities.
    


                                       36
<PAGE>
   
         Other  Safety  and  Soundness  Regulations.   There  are  a  number  of
obligations  and  restrictions  imposed  on bank  holding  companies  and  their
depository  institution  subsidiaries by Federal law and regulatory  policy that
are  designed  to reduce  potential  loss  exposure  to the  depositors  of such
depository  institutions  and to the  FDIC  insurance  funds  in the  event  the
depository  institution  becomes  in danger of  default  or is in  default.  For
example,  under a policy of the Federal  Reserve  with  respect to bank  holding
company  operations,  a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of
financial  strength  to its  subsidiary  depository  institutions  and to commit
resources to support such institutions in circumstances where it might not do so
otherwise. In addition, the "cross-guarantee"  provisions of Federal law require
insured  depository  institutions under common control to reimburse the FDIC for
any loss  suffered  or  reasonably  anticipated  by the BIF as a  result  of the
default of a  commonly  controlled  insured  depository  institution  or for any
assistance  provided  by the FDIC to a commonly  controlled  insured  depository
institution  in  danger  of  default.  The  FDIC  may  decline  to  enforce  the
cross-guarantee  provision  if it  determines  that  a  waiver  is in  the  best
interests of the BIF. The FDIC's claim for  reimbursement  is superior to claims
of shareholders of the insured depository institution or its holding company but
is  subordinate  to claims of  depositors,  secured  creditors  and  holders  of
subordinated  debt (other than  affiliates) of the commonly  controlled  insured
depository institution.
    
   
         The Federal  banking  agencies  also have broad  powers  under  current
Federal  law to take  prompt  corrective  action to resolve  problems of insured
depository  institutions.  The Federal  Deposit  Insurance Act requires that the
federal banking  agencies  establish five capital levels for insured  depository
institutions - "well capitalized," "adequately capitalized," "undercapitalized,"
"significantly  undercapitalized,"  and "critically  undercapitalized."  It also
requires or permits such agencies to take certain  supervisory actions should an
insured   institution's   capital  level  fall.  For  example,   an  "adequately
capitalized"  institution is restricted  from accepting  brokered  deposits.  An
"undercapitalized" or "significantly  undercapitalized" institution must develop
a  capital  restoration  plan  and is  subject  to a  number  of  mandatory  and
discretionary  supervisory actions. These powers and authorities are in addition
to  the  traditional  powers  of the  Federal  banking  agencies  to  deal  with
undercapitalized institutions.
    
   
         Federal regulatory  authorities also have broad enforcement powers over
the Company and the Banks,  including  the power to impose fines and other civil
and  criminal  penalties,  and to appoint a receiver  in order to  conserve  the
assets  of any  such  institution  for  the  benefit  of  depositors  and  other
creditors.
    
   
         Payment of  Dividends.  The  Company  is a legal  entity  separate  and
distinct  from the Banks.  Virtually  all of the  revenues of the  Company  will
result from dividends paid to the Company by the Banks.  Under OCC regulations a
national  bank may not  declare a dividend in excess of its  undivided  profits,
which will mean that each Bank must  recover any start-up  losses  before it may
pay a dividend to the Company.  Additionally,  a national bank may not declare a
dividend if the total amount of all dividends,  including the proposed dividend,
declared by the  national  bank in any  calendar  year  exceeds the total of the
national  bank's  retained  net income of that year to date,  combined  with its
retained net income of the two preceding years,  unless the dividend is approved
by the OCC. A national bank may not declare or pay any dividend if, after making
the  dividend,  the  national  bank would be  "undercapitalized,"  as defined in
regulations  of the OCC.  The  Company  is  subject to state laws that limit the
amount of dividends  it can pay. In addition,  the Company is subject to various
general  regulatory  policies  relating to the payment of  dividends,  including
requirements to maintain adequate capital above regulatory minimums. The Federal
Reserve has indicated that banking  organizations should generally pay dividends
only if (1) the organization's net income available to common  shareholders over
the past  year has been  sufficient  to fund  fully  the  dividends  and (2) the
prospective



                                       37
<PAGE>

rate of earnings retention appears  consistent with the  organization's  capital
needs, asset quality and overall financial  condition.  The Company expects that
these laws,  regulations or policies will  materially  impact the ability of the
Banks  and,  therefore,  the  Company  to pay  dividends  in the early  years of
operations.
    
         Community Reinvestment.  The requirements of the Community Reinvestment
Act  ("CRA")  are   applicable  to  the  Bank.  The  CRA  imposes  on  financial
institutions an affirmative  and ongoing  obligation to meet the credit needs of
their  local  communities,  including  low and  moderate  income  neighborhoods,
consistent with the safe and sound operation of those institutions.  A financial
institution's  efforts in meeting community credit needs currently are evaluated
as part of the examination process pursuant to twelve assessment factors.  These
factors also are considered in evaluating mergers, acquisitions and applications
to open a branch or facility.
   
         Interstate  Banking  and  Branching.  Current  Federal  law  authorizes
interstate  acquisitions of banks and bank holding companies without  geographic
limitation. Effective June 1, 1997, a bank headquartered in one state is able to
merge  with a bank  headquartered  in another  state,  as long as neither of the
states has opted out of such  interstate  merger  authority  prior to such date.
States are  authorized  to enact laws  permitting  such  interstate  bank merger
transactions  prior to June 1, 1997, as well as  authorizing a bank to establish
"de novo" interstate branches.  Virginia enacted early "opt in" laws, permitting
interstate bank merger  transactions.  Once a bank has established branches in a
state  through an  interstate  merger  transaction,  the bank may  establish and
acquire  additional  branches  at  any  location  in  the  state  where  a  bank
headquartered  in that state could have  established or acquired  branches under
applicable Federal or state law.
    
         Economic  and  Monetary  Polices.  The  operations  of the  Company are
affected not only by general economic  conditions,  but also by the economic and
monetary policies of various regulatory authorities.  In particular, the Federal
Reserve regulates money, credit and interest rates in order to influence general
economic  conditions.  These  policies have a  significant  influence on overall
growth and  distribution of loans,  investments and deposits and affect interest
rates charged on loans or paid for time and savings  deposits.  Federal  Reserve
monetary  policies  have had a significant  effect on the  operating  results of
commercial  banks in the  past  and are  expected  to  continue  to do so in the
future.

                          DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
   
         The  following  summary  description  of the  material  features of the
capital  stock of the  Company is  qualified  in its  entirety by  reference  to
applicable  provisions of Virginia law and the Articles of  Incorporation of the
Company (the "Articles") and the Bylaws of the Company (the "Bylaws"), which are
exhibits to the Registration Statement on file with the Commission.
    
Authorized and Outstanding Capital Stock

         The  authorized  capital  stock of the Company  consists of  50,000,000
shares of Common  Stock,  par value $1.00 per share,  and  10,000,000  shares of
Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share. Immediately following the closing of
the offering, the Company estimates that there will be an aggregate of 4,009,509
shares of Common Stock issued and  outstanding  and no shares of Preferred Stock
issued and  outstanding.  As of March 31, 1998,  there were 1,409,509  shares of
Common Stock issued and outstanding held by approximately 88 holders of record.



                                       38
<PAGE>

Common Stock

         The holders of Common  Stock are  entitled to one vote per share on all
matters voted on by shareholders,  including elections of directors, and possess
exclusively all voting power except as otherwise  required by law or provided in
any resolution  adopted by the Company's  Board of Directors with respect to any
class or series of Preferred  Stock.  The Articles do not provide for cumulative
voting for the election of directors.  Subject to any preferential rights of any
outstanding class or series of Preferred Stock designated by the Company's Board
of Directors from time to time, the holders of Common Stock are entitled to such
dividends  as may be  declared  from  time  to time by the  Company's  Board  of
Directors from funds available therefore,  and upon liquidation will be entitled
to receive pro rata all assets of the Company available for distribution to such
holders.  The holders of Common Stock have no preemptive  or other  subscription
rights,  and there  are no  conversion  rights or  redemption  or  sinking  fund
provisions with respect to the Common Stock.

Preferred Stock
   
         The Company's Board of Directors is authorized,  without further action
of the  shareholders  of the  Company,  to provide for the issuance of shares of
Preferred  Stock,  in one or more  classes or  series,  and to fix for each such
class or series such  designations,  rights and preferences as are stated in the
resolution  adopted  by the  Company's  Board  of  Directors  providing  for the
issuance  of such  class  or  series  and as are  not  prohibited  by law.  Such
Preferred  Stock shall rank prior to the Common Stock as to dividend  rights and
liquidation preferences.  Preferred Stock may have full or limited voting rights
and may be convertible into shares of Common Stock, which could adversely affect
the voting power of the holders of Common  Stock.  In addition,  the issuance of
Preferred  Stock by the Board of  Directors  could be  utilized,  under  certain
circumstances, as a method of preventing a takeover of the Company. There are no
shares of  Preferred  Stock  outstanding  and the Company has no present plan or
agreement for the issuance of Preferred  Stock,  although it may determine to do
so in the future.
    
Certain Provisions of the Company's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
   
         The  Articles  and  Bylaws  contain  provisions,  in  addition  to  the
authority of the Board of Directors to issue shares of Preferred  Stock  without
shareholder  action, that may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change
in control of the  Company.  The  Articles  and Bylaws  provide,  subject to the
rights of any holders of Preferred  Stock: (i) that the Board of Directors shall
be divided  into  three  classes  and at each  annual  meeting  of  shareholders
thereafter one class shall be elected each year to serve a three-year term; (ii)
that directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of
holders of more than two-thirds of the Company's outstanding voting stock; (iii)
that a vacancy on the Board shall be filled by the remaining directors; and (iv)
that special  meetings of the  shareholders may be called only by the President,
by the Chairman of the Board, or by the Board of Directors and may not be called
by the shareholders.  The Bylaws require advance  notification for a shareholder
to bring  business  before a  shareholders'  meeting or to nominate a person for
election as a director.
    
         The Articles  also  require  that any  amendment to the Articles or any
merger  or share  exchange  to which  the  Company  is a party or any  direct or
indirect sale, lease,  exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all
of the  Company's  property,  other  than in the  usual  and  regular  course of
business,  must be approved by the  affirmative  vote of a majority of the votes
entitled to be cast by each voting group  entitled to vote on such  amendment or
transaction;  provided,  however,  that  if such  amendment  or  transaction  is
approved by less than  two-thirds  of the Company's  Directors,  holders of more
than  two-thirds of the issued and  outstanding  shares of the Company's  Common
Stock must vote in favor of such amendment or transaction.


                                       39
<PAGE>

Affiliated Transactions

         The  Virginia  Stock  Corporation  Act (the  "Virginia  Act")  contains
provisions  governing  "Affiliated   Transactions"  designed  to  deter  certain
coercive two-tier takeovers of Virginia  corporations.  Affiliated  Transactions
include certain mergers and share exchanges,  material dispositions of corporate
assets  not  in  the  ordinary  course  of  business,  any  dissolution  of  the
corporation proposed by or on behalf of an "Interested  Shareholder" (as defined
below), or reclassifications,  including reverse stock splits, recapitalizations
or mergers of the  corporation  with its  subsidiaries  which have the effect of
increasing the percentage of voting shares  beneficially  owned by an Interested
Shareholder  by more than 5%. For purposes of the Virginia  Act, an  "Interested
Shareholder" is defined as any beneficial owner of more than 10% of any class of
the voting securities of a Virginia corporation.

         Subject to certain exceptions discussed below, the provisions governing
Affiliated  Transactions  require that, for three years  following the date upon
which any shareholder becomes an Interested Shareholder,  a Virginia corporation
cannot  engage in an Affiliated  Transaction  with such  Interested  Shareholder
unless approved by the  affirmative  vote of the holders of more than two-thirds
of the outstanding  shares of the corporation  entitled to vote,  other than the
shares beneficially owned by the Interested Shareholder,  and by a majority (but
not less than two) of the "Disinterested  Directors." A "Disinterested Director"
means,  with  respect  to a  particular  Interested  Shareholder,  a member of a
corporation's  board of  directors  who (i) was a  member  before  the  later of
January  1,  1988  and the date on which an  Interested  Shareholder  became  an
Interested  Shareholder and (ii) was recommended for election by, or was elected
to fill a vacancy  and  received  the  affirmative  vote of, a  majority  of the
Disinterested  Directors then on the  corporation's  board of directors.  At the
expiration  of the three year  period,  these  provisions  require  approval  of
Affiliated  Transactions  by the  affirmative  vote of the  holders of more than
two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the corporation  entitled to vote, other
than those beneficially owned by the Interested Shareholder.

         The principal  exceptions to the special  voting  requirement  apply to
Affiliated  Transactions  occurring after the three-year  period has expired and
require  either  that  the   transaction  be  approved  by  a  majority  of  the
Disinterested  Directors  or that the  transaction  satisfy  certain  fair price
requirements of the statute.  In general,  the fair price  requirements  provide
that the shareholders  must receive the highest per share price for their shares
as was paid by the  Interested  Shareholder  for his  shares or the fair  market
value of their shares,  whichever is higher.  The fair price  requirements  also
require that,  during the three years preceding the announcement of the proposed
Affiliated  Transaction,  all required  dividends  have been paid and no special
financial  accommodations have been accorded the Interested Shareholder,  unless
approved by a majority of the Disinterested Directors.

         None of the  foregoing  limitations  and  special  voting  requirements
applies to an Affiliated  Transaction with an Interested Shareholder (i) who was
an Interested  Shareholder on the date the  corporation  first became subject to
the provisions of the Virginia Act governing  Affiliated  Transactions by virtue
of its having 300  shareholders  of record or (ii) whose  acquisition  of shares
making such a person an Interested Shareholder was approved by a majority of the
corporation's Disinterested Directors.

         The  provisions of the Virginia Act governing  Affiliated  Transactions
are  inapplicable  to  transactions  with the Company until the Company has more
than 300  shareholders  of record.  In  addition,  the  Affiliated  Transactions
provisions  provide that, by affirmative vote of a majority of the voting shares
other than shares owned by any Interested Shareholder,  a corporation may adopt,
by  meeting  certain  voting  requirements,  an  amendment  to its  articles  of
incorporation  or bylaws providing



                                       40
<PAGE>

that the Affiliated  Transactions provisions shall not apply to the corporation.
The Company has not adopted such an amendment.

Control Share Acquisitions

         The Virginia Act contains provisions  regulating certain "control share
acquisitions,"  which are transactions causing the voting strength of any person
acquiring  beneficial ownership of shares of a public corporation in Virginia to
meet or exceed certain threshold  percentages (20%, 33-1/3% or 50%) of the total
votes  entitled to be cast for the election of directors.  Shares  acquired in a
control share  acquisition  have no voting  rights unless  granted by a majority
vote of all outstanding  shares other than those held by the acquiring person or
any officer or employee  director of the  corporation.  The acquiring person may
require that a special meeting of the shareholders be held to consider the grant
of voting rights to the shares acquired in the control share acquisition. If the
acquiring person's shares are not accorded voting rights (or if no request for a
special meeting is made by an acquiror),  the corporation  may, if authorized by
its charter and bylaws  prior to the control  share  acquisition,  purchase  the
acquiring  person's  shares at their  cost to the  acquiring  person.  If voting
rights are approved and the acquiring  person controls 50% or more of the voting
power, all shareholders  other than the acquiring person have dissenters' rights
which enable them to receive the "fair value" of their  shares.  "Fair value" is
not less than the  highest  price paid in the  control  share  acquisition.  The
provisions  of the  Virginia  Act  relating to control  share  acquisitions  are
inapplicable  to a  corporation  until it has more  than 300  shareholders.  The
Virginia Act permits  corporations  to opt-out of its  provisions  by adopting a
bylaw or charter provision prior to a control share acquisition stating that the
control  share  provisions  of the Virginia Act shall not apply.  The  Company's
Bylaws  contain a provision  opting-out of the control  share  provisions of the
Virginia Act.

Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers

         As permitted by the Virginia Act, the Articles contain provisions which
indemnify  directors and officers of the Company to the full extent permitted by
Virginia law and eliminate the personal  liability of directors and officers for
monetary  damages  to the  Company  or its  shareholders  for  breach  of  their
fiduciary duties,  except to the extent such  indemnification  or elimination of
liability is prohibited by the Virginia  Act.  These  provisions do not limit or
eliminate the rights of the Company or any  shareholder to seek an injunction or
any  other  non-monetary  relief in the  event of a breach  of a  director's  or
officer's  fiduciary duty. In addition,  these  provisions  apply only to claims
against a director  or officer  arising out of his role as a director or officer
and do not relieve a director or officer from liability if he engaged in willful
misconduct  or a knowing  violation  of the criminal law or any federal or state
securities law.
   
         In  addition,  the  Articles  provide for the  indemnification  of both
directors  and  officers for expenses  incurred by them in  connection  with the
defense or settlement  of claims  asserted  against them in their  capacities as
directors and officers.  This right of  indemnification  extends to judgments or
penalties  assessed  against  them.  The Company  has  limited  its  exposure to
liability for indemnification of directors and officers by purchasing  directors
and officers liability insurance coverage.
    
Transfer Agent and Registrar
   
         American  Stock  Transfer & Trust Company will serve as transfer  agent
and registrar for the Common Stock.
    


                                       41
<PAGE>

Shares Eligible for Future Sale
   
         Upon  consummation  of the  Offering,  the Company will have  4,009,509
shares of Common  Stock  outstanding.  All of the shares  issued in the Offering
(plus any shares  issued upon the exercise of the  Underwriters'  over-allotment
option) will be freely tradeable without  restriction or registration  under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the  "Securities  Act"),  unless owned by an
affiliate of the Company, subject to the lock-up agreements described below. All
shares  issued  prior  to the  Offering,  as well as any  other  shares  held by
"affiliates"  of the  Company  are  subject  to  resale  restrictions  under the
Securities  Act.  An  affiliate  of an issuer is  defined  in Rule 144 under the
Securities  Act as a person  that  directly or  indirectly,  through one or more
intermediaries,  controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the
issuer. Rule 405 under the Securities Act defines the term "control" to mean the
possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of
the  management  and  policies of the person  whether  through the  ownership of
voting  securities,  by contract,  or  otherwise.  All  directors  and executive
officers of the Company will likely be deemed to be affiliates.  See "Management
- -- Ownership of the Common  Stock."  Shares held by affiliates and shares issued
prior to the  Offering  may be  eligible  for sale in the  open  market  without
registration in accordance with the provisions of Rule 144. Upon consummation of
the  Offering,  the shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Offering  will be
"restricted securities," within the meaning of Rule 144.
    
   
         In  general,  under Rule 144 any person (or  persons  whose  shares are
aggregated) who has beneficially  owned  restricted  securities for at least one
year, including affiliates,  and any affiliate who holds shares sold in a public
offering,  may sell, within any three-month period, a number of such shares that
does not exceed  the  greater  of (i) 1% of the then  outstanding  shares of the
Common  Stock or (ii) the  average  weekly  trading  volume of the Common  Stock
during the four calendar weeks  preceding the sale.  Rule 144 also requires that
the  securities  must be sold in  "brokers'  transactions,"  as  defined  in the
Securities  Act, and the person selling the securities may not solicit orders or
make any  payment  in  connection  with the offer or sale of  securities  to any
person  other  than the broker who  executes  the order to sell the  securities.
After  restricted  securities are held for two years, a person who is not deemed
an  affiliate  of the Company is  entitled  to sell such  shares  under Rule 144
without  regard to the volume and manner of sale  limitations  described  above.
Sales of shares by  affiliates  will  continue  to be  subject to the volume and
manner of sale limitations.
    
         No prediction  can be made of the effect,  if any, that future sales of
shares of Common Stock,  or the  availability  of shares for future sales,  will
have on the market  price  prevailing  from time to time.  Sales of  substantial
amounts of shares of Common  Stock,  or the  perception  that such  sales  could
occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price of the shares.

                                  UNDERWRITING

         Subject  to the  terms and  conditions  contained  in the  Underwriting
Agreement,  the underwriters named below (the "Underwriters"),  for whom Scott &
Stringfellow,  Inc., Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation and Ferris, Baker Watts
Incorporated,  are  acting  as  representatives  (the  "Representatives"),  have
severally  agreed to purchase  from the  Company,  and the Company has agreed to
sell to the Underwriters  named below, the respective number of shares of Common
Stock set forth opposite each Underwriter's name below:



                                       42
<PAGE>

         Underwriter                                            Number of Shares

Scott & Stringfellow, Inc............................
Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation..................
Ferris, Baker Watts Incorporated.....................

         The Underwriting Agreement provides that the obligations of the several
Underwriters  thereunder  are subject to approval  of certain  legal  matters by
counsel  and to  various  other  conditions.  The  nature  of the  Underwriters'
obligations  is such that they are  committed to purchase and pay for all of the
shares of Common Stock if any are purchased.
   
         The  Underwriters  propose to offer the Common  Stock  directly  to the
public  at the  public  offering  price  set  forth  on the  cover  page of this
Prospectus and to certain securities dealers at such price less a concession not
in excess of $ per share.  The Underwriters may allow, and such selected dealers
may reallow,  a concession  not in excess of $ per share to certain  brokers and
dealers.  After the  offering,  the price to public,  concession,  allowance and
reallowance may be changed by the Representatives.  The Underwriters have agreed
that  they  will not sell  shares of  Common  Stock in the  Offering  to any one
purchaser if such purchaser would beneficially own more than five percent of the
issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock after the Offering.
    
   
         The  Company  has granted to the  Underwriters  an option,  exercisable
during the 30-day  period after the date of this  Prospectus,  to purchase up to
390,000 additional shares of Common Stock to cover  over-allotments,  if any, at
the  same  price  per  share  as  the  initial  shares  to be  purchased  by the
Underwriters  from the Company.  To the extent the  Underwriters  exercise  this
option,  each  of  the  Underwriters  will  be  committed,  subject  to  certain
conditions,  to  purchase  such  additional  shares  in  approximately  the same
proportion as set forth in the above table.  The  Underwriters may purchase such
shares  only to  cover  over-allotments,  if any,  made in  connection  with the
Offering.
    
         The executive  officers and directors of the Company,  have agreed that
they will not offer,  sell,  contract  to sell or grant an option to purchase or
otherwise  dispose of any shares of the Common  Stock,  options or  warrants  to
acquire shares of Common Stock or any securities  exercisable for or convertible
into Common Stock owned by them or acquired in the Offering,  in the open market
or otherwise, for a period of 90 days from the date of this Prospectus,  without
the prior written consent of the Underwriters.

         The Company has agreed to indemnify the  Underwriters  against  certain
liabilities or to contribute to payments that the  Underwriters  may be required
to make in respect thereof.
   
         Prior to the  Offering,  there has been no market for the Common Stock.
The Common Stock has been  approved for listing on The Nasdaq  SmallCap  Market;
however,  there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Common
Stock will develop or be  sustained.  See "Market for Common  Stock." The public
offering  price for the Common Stock will be determined by  negotiation  between
the Company and the  Underwriters.  Among the factors that will be considered in
such negotiations are the prospects for the Company and the industry in which it
competes,  an assessment of the Company's  management,  its proposed operations,
the  prospects  for future  earnings of the  Company,  the present  state of the
Company's  development,  the general condition of the securities  markets at the
time of the Offering,  the demand for the Common Stock, and the market prices of
and demand for the  publicly-traded  common  stock of  comparable  companies  in
recent  periods.  The  Underwriters  intend to make a market in the Common Stock
following completion of the Offering.
    


                                       43
<PAGE>
   
         In  order  to  facilitate  the  Offering  of  the  Common  Stock,   the
Underwriters  may engage in transactions  that stabilize,  maintain or otherwise
affect  the  price of the  Common  Stock.  Specifically,  the  Underwriters  may
overallot  in  connection  with the  Offering  creating a short  position in the
Common Stock for its own account.  In addition,  to cover  overallotments  or to
stabilize  the price of the Common  Stock,  the  Underwriters  may bid for,  and
purchase,  shares of Common Stock in the open market.  Finally, the Underwriters
may reclaim selling  concessions allowed to a dealer for distributing the Common
Stock in the Offering,  if the Underwriters  repurchase  previously  distributed
Common  Stock  in  transactions  to  cover  short  positions,  in  stabilization
transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the
market  price  of  the  Common  Stock  above  independent   market  levels.  The
Underwriters are not required to engage in these activities,  and may end any of
these activities at any time.
    
   
    
                                 LEGAL OPINIONS

         Certain  legal  matters in  connection  with the Common  Stock  offered
hereby are being  passed upon for the Company by  Williams,  Mullen  Christian &
Dobbins, P.C., Richmond,  Virginia. Certain legal matters in connection with the
Offering  are  being  passed  upon  for the  Underwriters  by  LeClair  Ryan,  A
Professional Corporation, Richmond, Virginia.


                                     EXPERTS
   
         The balance sheets of the Company as of March 31, 1998 and December 31,
1997 and the statements of operations,  shareholders'  equity, and cash flows of
the Company  for the period  from  January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and for the
period from November 24, 1997 (date of inception) to December 31, 1997 have been
included in this  Prospectus in reliance on the report of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP,
independent  accountants,  upon  the  authority  of  said  firm  as  experts  in
accounting and auditing.
    

                              AVAILABLE INFORMATION
   
         The Company has filed with the United  States  Securities  and Exchange
Commission  (the  "Commission")  a  Registration  Statement  on Form  SB-2  (the
"Registration  Statement")  under the  Securities Act with respect to the Common
Stock offered hereby.  For further  information  with respect to the Company and
the  Common  Stock  offered  by  this  Prospectus,  reference  is  made  to  the
Registration   Statement  and  the  exhibits  filed  as  a  part  thereof.   The
Registration  Statement,  including exhibits, may be inspected without charge at
the public reference facilities maintained by the Commission at Judiciary Plaza,
450 Fifth Street,  N.W.,  Washington,  D.C. 20549,  and at its regional  offices
located at CitiCorp  Center,  500 West  Madison  Street,  Suite  1400,  Chicago,
Illinois 60661 and 7 World Trade Center,  13th Floor,  New York, New York 10048.
Copies of all or part of the  Registration  Statement  may be obtained  from the
Commission's principal office in Washington, D.C. upon payment of the prescribed
fees. Statements contained in this Prospectus as to the contents of any contract
or  other  documents  referred  to are  not  necessarily  complete,  and in each
instance  reference is made to the copy of the contract or other  document filed
as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, each such statement being qualified
in all respects by such reference.
    


                                       44
<PAGE>
   
         Prior  to the  Offering,  the  Company  has  not  been  subject  to the
informational  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the  "Exchange   Act"),  and  accordingly  has  not  filed  reports  and  other
information  pursuant thereto with the Commission.  As a result of the Offering,
however,  the Company will become subject to the  informational  requirements of
the  Exchange Act and will  furnish the reports and other  information  required
thereby to the  Commission.  The Company also will furnish annual reports to its
shareholders  containing audited financial statements of the Company, as well as
quarterly reports containing unaudited financial information.
    



                                       45
<PAGE>


                         CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
   
                         INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
    
                      MARCH 31, 1998 AND DECEMBER 31, 1997

   
    

   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                                                                                            <C>
                                                                                                                               Page

Independent Auditors' Report................................................................................................   F-2
Balance Sheet as of march 31, 1998 and December 31, 1997....................................................................   F-3
Statements of Operations for the period ended January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and the period from November
  24, 1997 (date of inception) to December 31, 1997.........................................................................   F-4
Statements of Shareholders' Equity for the period ended January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and the period from
  November 24, 1997 (date of inception) to December 31, 1997................................................................   F-5
Statements of Cash Flows for the period ended January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and the period from November 
  24, 1997 (date of Inception) to December 31, 1997.........................................................................   F-6
Notes to Financial Statements...............................................................................................   F-7

</TABLE>
    



                                      F-1
<PAGE>

Independent Auditors' Report



The Board of Directors
Cardinal Financial Corporation:


We  have  audited  the  accompanying   balance  sheets  of  Cardinal   Financial
Corporation  (the  Company) as of March 31, 1998 and December 31, 1997,  and the
related statements of operations,  shareholders'  equity, and cash flows for the
period from  January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and for the period from  November
24, 1997 (date of inception) to December 31, 1997.  These  financial  statements
are the  responsibility of the Company's  management.  Our  responsibility is to
express an  opinion  on these  consolidated  financial  statements  based on our
audits.

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted  auditing
standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  An audit also includes
assessing the  accounting  principles  used and  significant  estimates  made by
management,  as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion,  the financial  statements  referred to above present fairly, in
all material respects,  the financial position of Cardinal Financial Corporation
as of March 31, 1998 and December 31,  1997,  and the results of its  operations
and its cash flows for the period from January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and for
the period from  November 24, 1997 (date of  inception) to December 31, 1997, in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.



                                             /s/ KPMG Peat Marwick LLP


Washington, DC
April 29, 1998



                                      F-2
<PAGE>

                         CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

                                 Balance Sheets

                      March 31, 1998 and December 31, 1997
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                   March 31,            December 31,
Assets                                                                                  1998                    1997
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<S>                                                                      <C>                               <C>      
Cash and cash equivalents                                                $         9,676,049               4,283,454
Subscriptions receivable (note 2)                                                    202,132               4,509,652
Property and equipment, net (note 3)                                                 279,700                       -
Other assets                                                                           3,440                   2,740
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total assets                                                             $        10,161,321               8,795,846
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Liabilities:
     Borrowings (note 4)                                                 $                 -                 185,000
     Accounts payable and accrued expenses                                            36,458                  59,591
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total liabilities                                                                     36,458                 244,591
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shareholders' equity
     Common stock, $1 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized,  
         1,409,509 and 1,174,988 outstanding at March 31, 1998
         and December 31, 1997, respectively                                       1,409,509               1,174,988
     Uncollected subscriptions receivable                                            (99,977)                (99,977)
     Additional paid in capital                                                    9,145,809               7,621,422
     Accumulated deficit                                                            (330,478)               (145,178)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total shareholders' equity                                                        10,124,863               8,551,255
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity                              $         10,161,321               8,795,846
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                See accompanying notes to financial statements.



                                       F-3
<PAGE>

                         CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

                            Statements of Operations

   For the period ended January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and the period from
           November 24, 1997 (date of inception) to December 31, 1997

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                   March 31,   December 31,
                                                                                        1998              1997
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<S>                                                                                <C>                 <C>      
Income - interest income                                                  $          101,236              7,041
Expense - interest on borrowing                                                        1,616              2,724
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Net interest income                                                                   99,620              4,317

Other expenses:
     Salary and benefits                                                             120,289             66,918
     Occupancy                                                                        58,497             42,500
     Professional fees                                                                61,461             18,142
     Other operating expenses                                                         44,673             21,935
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total expenses                                                                       284,920            149,495
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Net loss before income taxes                                                        (185,300)          (145,178)
Provision for income taxes (note 6)                                                        -                  -
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Net loss                                                                  $         (185,300)          (145,178)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basic and diluted loss per common share                                                (0.14)             (0.12)

Weighted-average shares outstanding                                                1,370,422          1,174,988
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                See accompanying notes to financial statements.



                                       F-4
<PAGE>

                         CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

                       Statements of Shareholders' Equity

   For the period ended January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and the period from
           November 24, 1997 (date of inception) to December 31, 1997

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                               Common      Additional                   Uncollected
                                                                stock         paid-in     Accumulated  subscription
                                                           subscribed         capital        deficit     receivable           Total
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                  <C>                    <C>             <C>            <C>           <C>       
Balance, November 24, 1997                           $              -               -              -             -                -

Issuance of 1,174,988 shares of common stock
     par value $1, at $7.50 per share, net of costs         1,174,988       7,621,422              -       (99,977)       8,696,433
Net loss                                                            -               -       (145,178)            -         (145,178)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Balance, December 31, 1997                                  1,174,988       7,621,422       (145,178)      (99,977)       8,551,255

Issuance of 234,521 shares of common stock par
     value $1, at $7.50 per share, net of costs               234,521       1,524,387              -             -        1,758,908
Net loss                                                            -               -       (185,300)            -         (185,300)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Balance, March 31, 1998                              $      1,409,509       9,145,809       (330,478)      (99,977)      10,124,863
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

                See accompanying notes to financial statements.



                                       F-5
<PAGE>

                         CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

                            Statements of Cash Flows

   For the period ended January 1, 1998 to March 31, 1998 and the period from
           November 24, 1997 (date of inception) to December 31, 1997
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                  March 31,            December 31,
                                                                                       1998                    1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                                                      <C>                              <C>      
Cash flows from operating activities:
     Net loss                                                            $         (185,300)               (145,178)
     Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash operating activities:
              Depreciation                                                            2,500                       -
              Increase in other assets                                                 (700)                 (2,740)
              Increase (decrease) in accounts payable and
                  accrued expenses                                                  (23,133)                 59,591
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              Net cash used in operating activities                                (206,633)                (88,327)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cash flows from investing activities - purchase of fixed assets                    (282,200)                      -
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cash flows from financing activities:
     Proceeds from stock issuance, net                                            1,758,908               8,696,433
     Decrease (increase) in subscription receivables                              4,307,520              (4,509,652)
     (Repayment) proceeds of borrowings                                            (185,000)                185,000
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Net cash provided by financing activities                                    5,881,428               4,371,781
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents                                         5,392,595               4,283,454

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period                                  4,283,454                       -
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period                               $        9,676,049               4,283,454
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
    
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.



                                       F-6
<PAGE>

CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Notes to Financial Statements

March 31, 1998 and December 31, 1997

===============================================================================


   (1)   Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

         Organization

         Cardinal   Financial   Corporation  (the  "Company")  was  incorporated
         November 24, 1997 under the laws of the  Commonwealth  of Virginia as a
         holding company whose activities will consist of investment in a wholly
         owned  subsidiary,  Cardinal Bank,  National  Association  (the "Bank")
         which was  established in April 1998. In connection  with the formation
         of the Company, 50,000,000 shares of $1 par value stock were authorized
         and 1,409,509 and 1,174,988  were  outstanding as of March 31, 1998 and
         December 31, 1997, respectively.

         Basis of Financial Statement Presentation

         The financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis and in
         conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.  In preparing
         the financial statements,  management is required to make estimates and
         assumptions  that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities
         as of the date of the balance  sheet and  revenues and expenses for the
         period. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.

         Cash and Cash Equivalents

         For purposes of reporting cash flows,  the Company has defined cash and
         cash  equivalents  as those amounts  included in a money market account
         and due from banks.

         Property and Equipment

         Property  and   equipment   are  stated  at  cost,   less   accumulated
         depreciation and amortization.  Amortization of leasehold  improvements
         is computed using the straight-line method over the useful lives of the
         improvements or the lease term,  whichever is shorter.  Depreciation of
         property and equipment is computed using the straight-line  method over
         their estimated useful lives ranging from 3 to 7 years.

         Income Taxes

         Deferred tax assets and liabilities are reflected at currently  enacted
         income tax rates  applicable  to the period in which the  deferred  tax
         assets or  liabilities  are  expected to be  realized  or  settled.  As
         changes  in tax laws or rates are  enacted,  deferred  tax  assets  and
         liabilities are adjusted through the provision for income taxes.

                                                                     (Continued)

                                       F-7
<PAGE>


CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Notes to Financial Statements


===============================================================================

   (1)   Continued

         Earnings Per Share

         In 1997, the Financial  Accounting  Standards Board issued Statement of
         Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 128, Earnings per Share. SFAS
         No. 128 replaced the calculation of primary and fully-diluted  earnings
         per share with basic and diluted earnings per share.  Basic and diluted
         loss per common share was computed by dividing net loss by the weighted
         average  number  of  shares  of common  stock  outstanding  during  the
         periods.  There were no common stock  equivalents  outstanding at March
         31, 1998 and December 31, 1997, respectively.

         New Accounting Standards

         On January  1, 1998 the  Company  implemented  Statement  of  Financial
         Accounting  Standards  No.  130  (SFAS  130),  Reporting  Comprehensive
         Income. The disclosures required under SFAS 130 have been excluded from
         the   financial   statements   since  the   Company  had  no  items  of
         Comprehensive income at March 31, 1998.

         In April 1998, the American  Institute of Certified Public  Accountants
         issued  Statement of Position 98-5,  Reporting on the Costs of Start-Up
         Activities  (SOP 98-5).  SOP 98-5 requires that costs  incurred  during
         start-up  activities,  including  organization  costs,  be  expensed as
         incurred.  SOP 98-5 is effective  for financial  statements  for fiscal
         years  beginning  after  December 15, 1998, but the Company has elected
         early adoption.


   (2)   Subscription Receivable

         Subscription  receivable  represent stock  subscribed for which payment
         has yet to be received.  Subscription  receivable  of $202,132 at March
         31, 1998 and $4,509,652 at December 31, 1997 were collected as of April
         29, 1998.


   (3)   Property and Equipment, Net

         Property and equipment at March 31, 1998 consists of the following:

         Furniture and equipment                                    $    128,795
         Leasehold improvements                                          153,405
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                         282,200

         Accumulated depreciation                                          2,500
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                    $    279,700
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                     (Continued)

                                       F-8
<PAGE>

CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Notes to Financial Statements

===============================================================================

   (4)   Borrowings

         The Company  borrowed  $185,000 from related  parties in order to begin
         operations.  The interest rate on the  borrowings  is 8.5 percent.  The
         Company repaid the borrowings plus accrued interest in January 1998.


   (5)   Commitments

         The  Company  entered  into a lease for office  space for a term of ten
         years  beginning   January  1998.  This  lease  is  subject  to  annual
         increases,  as well as  allocations  of real  estate  taxes and certain
         operating expenses.

         Minimum future rental payments under the noncancelable  operating lease
         are as follows:

                                                               Amount
               -------------------------------------------------------

               April 1, 1998 to December 31, 1998        $     33,452
               1999                                            86,130
               2000                                           106,457
               2001                                           109,650
               2002                                           112,933
               Thereafter                                     617,463
               -------------------------------------------------------

                                                         $  1,066,085
               -------------------------------------------------------



         The rent  expense for the three months ended March 31, 1998 was $16,726
         and $0 for the period ended December 31, 1997.


   (6)   Provision for Income Taxes

         The provision for income taxes consists of the following:

                                       March 31, 1998         December 31, 1997
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------

         Current                      $             -                      -
         Deferred                                   -                      -
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------

                                      $             -                      -
         -----------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                     (Continued)

                                       F-9
<PAGE>

CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Notes to Financial Statements


===============================================================================

   (6)   Continued

         The provisions  for income taxes are reconciled to the amount  computed
         by  applying  the  federal  corporate  tax rate of 34 percent to income
         before taxes as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                               March 31, 1998         December 31, 1997 
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    
                                                                                                           
<S>                                                          <C>                               <C>         
         Income tax (benefit) at federal corporate rate      $          (63,002)               (40,861)    
         Nondeductible expenses                                             171                  1,947     
         Change in valuation allowance                                   62,831                 38,914     
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    
                                                                                                           
                                                             $                -                      -     
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    
</TABLE>
         
         The  tax  effects  of  temporary   differences  between  the  financial
         reporting basis and income tax basis of assets and  liabilities  relate
         to the following:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                               March 31, 1998        December 31, 1997
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
<S>                                                          <C>                                <C>
         Deferred tax assets:                                                                             
              Organization and other costs                   $           13,829                 14,570    
              Net operating loss carryforwards                           89,521                 24,344    
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                                                          
         Total gross deferred assets                                    103,350                 38,914    
                                                                                                          
         Less valuation allowance                                      (101,745)               (38,914)   
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                                                          
         Net deferred tax assets                                          1,605                      -    
                                                                                                          
         Deferred tax liabilities:                                                                        
              Depreciation                                                1,605                      -    
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                                                          
         Total gross deferred tax liabilities                             1,605                      -    
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
                                                                                                          
         Net deferred tax asset                                               -                      -    
         ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   
</TABLE>
         
         Deferred income taxes reflect temporary  differences in the recognition
         of revenue and  expenses  for tax  reporting  and  financial  statement
         purposes,  principally  because certain items, such as depreciation and
         amortization   are  recognized  in  different   periods  for  financial
         reporting and tax return purposes.  A valuation allowance in the amount
         of  $101,745  has  been   established  for  deferred  tax  assets,   as
         realization is dependent upon generating future taxable income.

         The Company has a net  operating  loss  carryforward  of  approximately
         $263,000 at March 31, 1998.


================================================================================


                                       F-10
<PAGE>
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                   <C>
===============================================       =============================================== 

No dealer,  salesman or other  person has been              
authorized to give any  information or to make
any   representation  not  contained  in  this
Prospectus,   and  if  given  or  made,   such
information  or  representation  must  not  be
relied upon as having been  authorized  by the
Company.  This  Prospectus does not constitute                        2,600,000 Shares           
an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer                                                   
to  buy  any   securities   other  than  those                                                   
specifically  offered  hereby  or an  offer or                                                   
solicitation in any jurisdiction to any person             [CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION LOGO]   
to whom it is  unlawful  to make an  offer  or                                                   
solicitation.  Neither  the  delivery  of this                                                   
Prospectus nor any sale made hereunder  shall,                                                   
under   any    circumstances,    create    any                          Common Stock             
implication  that  there has been no change in                                                   
the  affairs  of the  Company  since  the date                                                   
hereof  or  that  the  information  herein  is                                                   
correct as of any time  subsequent to its date                                                   
or the date hereof.                                                                              
                                                                                                 
              ______________________                                                             
                                                                                                 
                 Table of Contents                                   __________________          
                                          Page
                                                                         PROSPECTUS              
Prospectus Summary...........................3                       __________________          
Summary Financial Data.......................6                                                   
Risk Factors.................................6                                                   
Use of Proceeds.............................10                                                   
Market for Common Stock.....................11                                                   
Dividend Policy.............................11                                                   
Dilution....................................11                                                   
Capitalization..............................12                   Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.      
Management's Discussion and Analysis of                                                          
   Financial Condition and Results of                                       
   Operations...............................13                    Interstate/Johnson Lane
Business....................................14                         Corporation
Management..................................26                              
Government Supervision and Regulation.......35                                             
Description of Capital Stock................38                      Ferris, Baker Watts                  
Underwriting................................42                          Incorporated                                
Legal Opinions..............................44                                                        
Experts.....................................44                                                       
Available Information.......................44                                                             
Index to Financial Statements..............F-1                                , 1998      
                                               
                                                                    
Until            , 1998, all dealers effecting
transactions  in the Common Stock,  whether or
not participating in this distribution, may be
required to deliver a  Prospectus.  This is in
addition  to  the  obligation  of  dealers  to
deliver   a   Prospectus    when   acting   as
Underwriter  and with  respect to their unsold
allotments or subscriptions.

===============================================       ===============================================
</TABLE>
    
<PAGE>



                                     PART II

                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS


Item 25.  Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                                                              <C>
Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee..............................................$ 9,735*
National Association of Securities Dealers Examination Fee.......................................$ 3,789*
NASDAQ SmallCap Market Listing Fee...............................................................$ 9,400*
Printing Expenses................................................................................$10,000
Accounting Fees and Expenses.....................................................................$40,000
Legal Fees and Expenses..........................................................................$60,000
Blue Sky Fees and Expenses.......................................................................$10,000
Miscellaneous Expenses...........................................................................$10,000

Total...........................................................................................$152,924
                                                                                                 =======
</TABLE>
                                                                         
- ---------------
  *  Represents actual expenses.  All other expenses are estimates.
   
    
Item 27.  Exhibits

         The following exhibits are filed on behalf of the Registrant as part of
this Registration Statement:

Exhibit No.                       Description
   
1                 Form of Underwriting Agreement *
3.1               Articles of Incorporation
3.2               Bylaws
4                 Form of Stock Certificate *
5                 Opinion of Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins, P.C. *
10                Employment  Contract for L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
21                List of Subsidiaries
23.1              Consent  of  Williams,   Mullen,  Christian  &  Dobbins,  P.C.
                  (included in Exhibit 5 above) *
23.2              Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP*
24                Powers of Attorney (included on signature page)
27                Financial Data Schedule

- --------------------------
*  Filed herewith.
    
   
    

<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

         In accordance  with the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that
it meets all of the  requirements  for filing on Form SB-2 and  authorized  this
Registration  Statement  to be signed on its behalf by the  undersigned,  in the
City of Fairfax, Commonwealth of Virginia, on June 16, 1998.

                                       CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION



                                       By: /s/ L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer


         In accordance  with the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in
the capacities and on the dates indicated:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
               Signature                                      Title                                  Date

<S>                                             <C>                                              <C>
          /s/ L. Burwell Gunn                   President, Chief Executive Officer
- ----------------------------------------                   and Director                          June 16, 1998
            L. Burwell Gunn                       (Principal Executive Officer)   
                                                

         /s/ Joseph L. Borrelli                 (Principal Financial Officer and                 June 16, 1998
- ----------------------------------------          Principal Accounting Officer)  
           Joseph L. Borrelli                    

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
            Robert M. Barlow

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
          Wayne W. Broadwater

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
             Nancy K. Falck

<PAGE>

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
             Anne B. Hazel

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
          Harvey W. Huntzinger

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
            Jones V. Isaac

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
             Dale B. Peck

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
            James D. Russo

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
           John H. Rust, Jr.

                   *                                         Director                            
- ----------------------------------------                                              
            H. Steve Swink
</TABLE>

         * L. Burwell Gunn, Jr., by signing his name hereto, signs this document
on behalf of each of the  persons  indicated  by an asterisk  above  pursuant to
powers of attorney duly executed by such persons and  previously  filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the Registration Statement.



Date:  June 16, 1998                   /s/ L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
                                       Attorney-in-Fact


<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit No.                      Description
- -----------                      -----------

1                 Form of Underwriting Agreement *
3.1               Articles of Incorporation
3.2               Bylaws
4                 Form of Stock Certificate *
5                 Opinion of Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins, P.C. *
10                Employment  Contract for L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
21                List of Subsidiaries
23.1              Consent  of  Williams,   Mullen,  Christian  &  Dobbins,  P.C.
                  (included in Exhibit 5 above) *
23.2              Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP*
24                Powers of Attorney (included on signature page)
27                Financial Data Schedule

- --------------------------
*  Filed herewith.










                                                                       Exhibit 1



                        [FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT]


                               ____________ Shares

                         CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION

                                  Common Stock

                           ___________________________

                             Underwriting Agreement
                           ___________________________




SCOTT & STRINGFELLOW, INC.
  As Representative of the Several
  Underwriters Named in Schedule I hereto
909 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219                                      ____________, 1998

Dear Sirs:

         Cardinal Financial Corporation, a Virginia corporation (the "Company"),
proposes,  subject to the terms and conditions  stated herein, to issue and sell
to Scott &  Stringfellow,  Inc.  (the  "Representative")  and the several  other
underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (collectively,  with the Representative,
the  "Underwriters")  an aggregate of ________ shares (the "Firm Securities") of
Common  Stock,  $1.00 par value per share,  of the Company (the "Common  Stock")
and, at the election of the Underwriters,  up to ________ additional shares (the
"Optional  Securities")  of Common Stock.  The Firm  Securities and the Optional
Securities that the Underwriters  elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof
are collectively called the "Securities."

         1.     Representations and Warranties.

         The Company  represents  and  warrants  to, and agrees with the several
Underwriters that:

<PAGE>

         (a)    In  connection  with  the  transactions   contemplated  by  this
Underwriting Agreement (the "Agreement"),  a registration statement on Form SB-2
(File No.  ___________)  and as a part  thereof  a  preliminary  prospectus,  in
respect of the  Securities  has been prepared by the Company in conformity  with
the  requirements  of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act") and has
been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") in the
form heretofore delivered to you; such registration  statement,  as amended, has
been declared  effective by the  Commission;  no other  document with respect to
such registration  statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission;  and
no stop order suspending the  effectiveness of such  registration  statement has
been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or threatened
by the Commission  (any  preliminary  prospectus  included in such  registration
statement  or filed with the  Commission  pursuant to Rule 424(a)  under the Act
being hereinafter called a "Preliminary  Prospectus";  the various parts of such
registration  statement,  including  all  exhibits  thereto  and  including  the
information  contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b)  under the Act in  accordance  with Section 5(a) of this
Agreement  and  deemed by virtue of Rule 430A  under the Act to be a part of the
registration statement at the time it was declared effective, each as amended at
the time such part  became  effective,  being  herein  called  collectively  the
"Registration  Statement"  and the final  prospectus,  in the form  first  filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b), being hereinafter called the "Prospectus");

         (b)    No order  preventing  or suspending  the use of any  Preliminary
Prospectus has been issued by the Commission,  and each Preliminary  Prospectus,
at the  time of  filing  thereof,  conformed  in all  material  respects  to the
requirements  of the  Act  and  the  rules  and  regulations  of the  Commission
thereunder,  and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to  state a  material  fact  required  to be  stated  or  necessary  to make the
statements  therein,  in light of the circumstances  under which they were made,
not misleading;  provided,  however,  this representation and warranty shall not
apply to any  statements  or omissions  made in reliance  upon and in conformity
with  information  furnished  in writing  to the  Company by or on behalf of any
Underwriter through you expressly for use therein;

         (c)    The Registration  Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements  thereto will conform, in all material respects to the
requirements  of the  Act  and  the  rules  and  regulations  of the  Commission
thereunder and do not and will not as of the applicable effective date as to the
Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable filing
date as to the  Prospectus  and any amendment or supplement  thereto  contain an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated  therein or necessary to make the statements  therein not  misleading;
provided,  however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in



                                      -2-
<PAGE>

conformity with information  furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf
of any Underwriter through you expressly for use therein;

         (d)    Neither  the  Company  nor  its  wholly-owned  subsidiary  bank,
Cardinal Bank, N.A., a national banking association (the "Bank"),  has sustained
since  the date of the  latest  audited  financial  statements  included  in the
Prospectus any material loss or interference its business from fire,  explosion,
flood or other calamity,  whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor
dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree,  otherwise than as set
forth or expressly contemplated in the Prospectus;

         (e)    Since the respective  dates as of which  information is given in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,  except as otherwise set forth or
expressly contemplated therein, (i) there has not been any change in the capital
stock  or long  term  debt of the  Company  or the  Bank,  respectively,  or any
material  adverse change,  or any development  involving a prospective  material
adverse  change,  in or affecting  the general  affairs,  management,  financial
position,  stockholders'  equity or results of operations of the Company and the
Bank taken as a whole and (ii) there have been no  transactions  entered into by
the Company or the Bank,  other than  transactions  entered into in the ordinary
course of business,  that are material  with respect to the Company and the Bank
taken as a whole;

         (f)    The Company and the Bank have good and  marketable  title to all
real property and good and  marketable  title to all personal  property owned by
them, in each case free and clear of all liens,  encumbrances and defects except
such as are described in the Prospectus or such as do not materially  affect the
value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be
made of such  property by the Company and the Bank;  and any real  property  and
buildings  held under  lease by the  Company and the Bank are held by them under
valid,  subsisting  and  enforceable  leases  with  such  exceptions  as are not
material and do not interfere  with the use made and proposed to be made of such
property and buildings by the Company and the Bank;

         (g)    The  Company  and the Bank have been duly  incorporated  and are
validly  existing  as  corporations  in good  standing  under  the laws of their
respective  jurisdictions of incorporation,  with power and authority (corporate
and  other)  to own or lease  their  respective  properties  and  conduct  their
respective  businesses  as described in the  Prospectus;  and each has been duly
qualified as a foreign  corporation  for the  transaction  of business and is in
good  standing  under the laws of each  other  jurisdiction  in which it owns or
leases   properties,   or  conducts  any   business,   so  as  to  require  such
qualification,  except  where the  failure to so  qualify  would not result in a
material  adverse effect on the Company and the Bank taken as a whole;  and each
of  the  Company  and  the  Bank  holds  all  material  licenses,  certificates,
authorizations  and permits  from  governmental  authorities  necessary  for the
conduct of its business as described in the Prospectus;



                                      -3-
<PAGE>

         (h)    The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus;  all of the issued  shares of capital stock of the Company have been
duly and validly  authorized and issued,  are fully paid and  nonassessable  and
conform to the description of the capital stock of the Company  contained in the
Prospectus;  there are no  preemptive  or other  rights to  subscribe  for or to
purchase any  securities of the Company under the Articles of  Incorporation  of
the Company or under Virginia law; except as described in the Prospectus,  there
are no  warrants,  options or other  rights to purchase  any  securities  of the
Company  which have been granted by the  Company;  and neither the filing of the
Registration   Statement  nor  the  offering  or  sale  of  the   Securities  as
contemplated  by this Agreement  gives rise to any rights for or relating to the
registration of any securities of the Company;

         (i)    All outstanding shares of capital stock of the Bank are owned by
the Company  free and clear of any  perfected  security  interest  and any other
security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances; and, other than the Bank, the
Company  does not own or  control,  directly  or  indirectly,  any  corporation,
association or other entity;

         (j)    The Securities  have been duly  authorized  and, when issued and
delivered  against payment therefor as provided  herein,  will be validly issued
and fully paid and  nonassessable  and will  conform to the  description  of the
Securities contained in the Prospectus;

         (k)    The  issuance  and sale of the  Securities  being issued at each
Delivery Date (as  hereinafter  defined) by the Company and the  performance  of
this  Agreement and the  consummation  by the Company of the other  transactions
herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of
any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default  under,  or result in
the creation or imposition of any lien,  charge or encumbrance upon any property
or assets of the Company or the Bank pursuant to, any indenture,  mortgage, deed
of trust,  loan agreement or other  agreement or instrument to which the Company
or the Bank is a party or by which the  Company or the Bank is bound or to which
any of the  property or assets of the  Company or the Bank is subject,  nor will
such  action  result in any  violation  of the  provisions  of the  Articles  of
Incorporation  or Bylaws of the Company or the Articles of Association or Bylaws
of the Bank or any  statute or any  order,  rule or  regulation  of any court or
governmental  agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or the Bank or
any of their respective  properties;  and no consent,  approval,  authorization,
order,  registration or  qualification of or with any such court or governmental
agency or body is required for the issuance  and sale of the  Securities  or the
consummation by the Company of the transactions  contemplated by this Agreement,
except  such  consents,  approvals,  authorizations,  orders,  registrations  or
qualifications  as may be required under the Act, under state securities or Blue
Sky laws, and under the rules of the



                                      -4-
<PAGE>

National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the "NASD") in connection with
the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters;

         (l)    There are no legal or governmental  proceedings pending to which
the Company or the Bank is a party or of which any of their respective  property
or assets is subject, which, if determined adversely to the Company or the Bank,
would  individually or in the aggregate,  have a material  adverse effect on the
financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company
and the Bank taken as a whole and, to the best of the  Company's  knowledge,  no
such  proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental  authorities or
by others;

         (m)    KPMG Peat Marwick LLP,  which has  certified  certain  financial
statements  of the  Company and the Bank,  are  independent  public  accountants
within the meaning of the Act and the rules and  regulations  of the  Commission
thereunder;

         (n)    All  employee   benefit   plans   established,   maintained   or
contributed  to by the Company or the Bank comply in all material  respects with
all applicable  requirements of the Employee  Retirement  Income Security Act of
1974,  as  amended  ("ERISA")  and no such  plan  has  incurred  or  assumed  an
"accumulated  funding  deficiency" within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or
has incurred or assumed any material  liability to the Pension Benefit  Guaranty
Corporation;

         (o)    The consolidated  financial statements of the Company,  together
with related notes, as set forth in the  Registration  Statement  present fairly
the consolidated financial position and the results of operations of the Company
at the indicated  dates and for the indicated  periods,  all in accordance  with
generally accepted accounting  principles,  consistently  applied throughout the
periods  presented  except as noted in such  financial  statements and the notes
thereon,  and all adjustments  necessary for a fair  presentation of results for
such periods have been made; and the selected financial  information included in
the  Prospectus  presents  fairly the  information  shown  therein  and has been
compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein;

         (p)    The Company and the Bank have filed all  federal,  state,  local
and foreign  income and  franchise  tax returns that have been required to filed
(or have  received  extensions  with respect  thereto)  other than those filings
being contested in good faith, and have paid, or made adequate reserves for, all
taxes  indicated  by said  returns and all  assessments  received by them to the
extent  that such taxes  have  become  due and are not being  contested  in good
faith;

         (q)    No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the
Company  and  the  Bank,  on  the  one  hand,  and  the   directors,   officers,
shareholders,



                                      -5-
<PAGE>

customers or suppliers  of the Company or the Bank,  on the other hand,  that is
required by the Act or by the rules and  regulations  thereunder to be described
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus which is not so described;

         (r)    The  Company  and the Bank  have not  taken  and will not  take,
directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted
or which might  reasonably  be expected to cause or result in  stabilization  or
manipulation  of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale
or resale of the Securities;

         (s)    This Agreement has been duly authorized,  executed and delivered
by the Company and  constitutes a valid and binding  agreement of the Company in
accordance with its terms; and

         (t)    The Securities have been approved for trading, subject to notice
of issuance, on the SmallCap Market of the Nasdaq System.

         2.     Purchase and Sale of the Securities.

         Subject to the terms and conditions  herein set forth,  (a) the Company
agrees  to sell  to the  Underwriters,  and  each  of the  Underwriters  agrees,
severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per
share of $_____ , the number of Firm  Securities (to be adjusted by you so as to
eliminate  fractional  shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate number of
Firm Securities to be sold by the Company by a fraction,  the numerator of which
is the aggregate  number of Firm Securities to be purchased by such  Underwriter
as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto, and the
denominator of which is the aggregate  number of Firm Securities to be purchased
by all the Underwriters  from the Company  hereunder and (b) in the event and to
the extent  that the  Underwriters  shall  exercise  the  election  to  purchase
Optional  Securities  as  provided  below,  the  Company  agrees  to sell to the
Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to
purchase from the Company, at the same purchase price set forth in clause (a) of
this  Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional  Securities  as to which
such  election  shall  have  been  exercised  (to  be  adjusted  by you so as to
eliminate  fractional  shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional
Securities  by a  fraction,  the  numerator  of which is the  maximum  number of
Optional  Securities which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto,  and the denominator
of  which  is  the  maximum  number  of  Optional  Securities  which  all of the
Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder .

         The  Company  grants the  Underwriters  the right to  purchase at their
election up to _______________  Optional  Securities,  at the purchase price per
share set forth in the  preceding  paragraph,  for the sole  purpose of covering
overallotments in the sale of the



                                      -6-
<PAGE>

Firm  Securities.  Any such election to purchase the Optional  Securities may be
exercised  no more than once by written  notice from you to the  Company,  given
within a period of 30 days after the date of this  Agreement,  setting forth the
aggregate  amount of the Optional  Securities  to be  purchased  and the date on
which such Optional Securities are to be delivered,  as determined by you but in
no event  earlier than the First  Delivery Date (as defined in Section 4 hereof)
or, unless you otherwise agree in writing,  earlier than two or later than seven
business days after the date of such notice.

         3.     Offering by the Underwriters.

         Upon  authorization by you of the release of the Firm  Securities,  the
Underwriters  propose to offer the Firm  Securities  for sale upon the terms and
conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

         4.     Delivery and Payment.

         Certificates  in definitive  form for the Securities to be purchased by
each Underwriter  hereunder,  and in such  denominations  and registered in such
names as you may request  upon at least two  business  days' prior notice to the
Company,  shall be  delivered  by or on  behalf  of the  Company  to you for the
account of each  Underwriter,  against payment of the purchase price therefor by
certified or official bank check in next day funds  (unless the Company  desires
settlement  in  same  day  funds,  in  which  case  the  Company  shall  pay the
Underwriters for any costs associated with settlement in same day funds), all at
the  offices of Scott &  Stringfellow,  Inc.,  909 East Main  Street,  Richmond,
Virginia.  The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect
to  the   Firm   Securities,   10:00   a.m.,   Richmond,   Virginia   time,   on
__________________,  1998, or at such other time and date as you and the Company
may agree upon writing and, with respect to the Optional Securities, 10:00 a.m.,
Richmond,  Virginia  time, on the date specified by you in the written notice of
the  Underwriters'  election to purchase  such Optional  Securities,  or at such
other time and date as you and the Company may agree upon in writing.  Such time
and date for  delivery  of the Firm  Securities  is  herein  called  the  "First
Delivery Date," such time and date for delivery of the Optional  Securities,  if
not the First  Delivery Date, is herein called the "Second  Delivery  Date," and
each such time and date for  delivery is herein  called a "Delivery  Date." Such
certificates  will  be made  available  to the  Underwriters  for  checking  and
packaging at least  twenty-four hours prior to each Delivery Date at the offices
of Scott &  Stringfellow,  Inc. in  Richmond,  Virginia  or such other  location
designated by the Underwriters to the Company.

         5.     Agreements of the Company.

         The Company agrees with the Underwriters:



                                      -7-
<PAGE>

         (a)    To prepare the Prospectus in a form  reasonably  approved by you
and to file such  Prospectus  pursuant to Rule  424(b)  under the Act within the
time period  prescribed or, if applicable,  such earlier time as may be required
by Rule  430A  under  the  Act;  to  make  no  amendment  or  supplement  to the
Registration  Statement or Prospectus  which shall be reasonably  disapproved by
you promptly after reasonable  notice thereof;  to advise you, promptly after it
receives  notice  thereof,  of the time when any  amendment to the  Registration
Statement  has  been  filed  or  becomes  effective  or  any  supplement  to the
Prospectus  or any  amended  Prospectus  has been filed and to furnish  you with
copies  thereof;  to file  promptly  all  reports  and any  definitive  proxy or
information  statements  required to be filed by the Company with the Commission
subsequent  to the date of the  Prospectus  and for so long as the delivery of a
prospectus  is  required  in  connection  with  the  offering  or  sale  of  the
Securities;  to advise you,  promptly after it receives notice  thereof,  of the
issuance  by the  Commission  of any stop  order or of any order  preventing  or
suspending  the use of any  Preliminary  Prospectus  or the  Prospectus,  of the
suspension of the  qualification  of the  Securities for offering or sale in any
jurisdiction,  of the  initiation or  threatening of any proceeding for any such
purpose,  or of any request by the Commission for the amending or  supplementing
of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information;  and,
in the event of the  issuance  of any stop order or of any order  preventing  or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending
any  such  qualification,  to use  promptly  its  best  efforts  to  obtain  its
withdrawal;

         (b)    Promptly  from  time to time to  take  such  actions  as you may
reasonably  request to qualify the  Securities  for  offering and sale under the
securities laws of such  jurisdictions  as you have requested and to comply with
such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings  therein in such
jurisdictions  for as long as may be necessary to complete the  distribution  of
the Securities,  provided that in connection  therewith the Company shall not be
required  to qualify as a foreign  corporation  or to file a general  consent to
service of process in any jurisdiction;

         (c)    To furnish  the  Underwriters  with  copies of the  Registration
Statement  and the  Prospectus  in such  quantities as you may from time to time
reasonably  request during such period following the date hereof as a prospectus
is required to be delivered in  connection  with offers or sales of  Securities,
and, if the delivery of a  prospectus  is required and if at such time any event
shall  have  occurred  as a result of which the  Prospectus  as then  amended or
supplemented  would  include an untrue  statement of a material  fact or omit to
state any material fact  necessary in order to make the statements  therein,  in
the light of the  circumstances  under which they were made when such Prospectus
is delivered, not misleading,  or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary
during such period to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with
the Act, to notify you and upon your request  prepare and furnish without charge
to each



                                      -8-
<PAGE>

Underwriter  and to any dealer in securities as many copies as you may from time
to time  reasonably  request of an amended  Prospectus  or a  supplement  to the
Prospectus  which  will  correct  such  statement  or  omission  or effect  such
compliance;

         (d)    As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date
(as defined  below),  to make  generally  available to its security  holders and
deliver  to you an  earnings  statement  covering a period of at least 12 months
beginning  after the effective  date of the  Registration  Statement  which will
satisfy  the  provisions  of Section  11(a) of the Act (for the  purpose of this
subsection  5(d) only,  "Availability  Date" means the 45th day after the end of
the fourth  fiscal  quarter  following  the fiscal  quarter  that  includes  the
effective date of the Registration Statement, except that, if such fourth fiscal
quarter is the last quarter of the Company's  fiscal year,  "Availability  Date"
means the 90th day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter);

         (e)    To  furnish  to  the  holders  of  the  Securities  as  soon  as
practicable  after the end of the each fiscal year an annual report (including a
balance sheet and statements of operations,  changes in stockholders' equity and
cash  flows  of the  Company  and its  consolidated  subsidiaries  certified  by
independent  public  accountants)  and, as soon as practicable  after the end of
each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year  (beginning with the fiscal
quarter  ending  after  the  effective  date  of  the  Registration  Statement),
consolidated  summary financial  information of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail;

         (f)    During a period of five  years  from the  effective  date of the
Registration  Statement,  to  furnish  to you  copies  of all  reports  or other
communications  (financial or other) furnished to  shareholders,  and deliver to
you (i) as soon as they are  available,  copies  of any  reports  and  financial
statements  furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities
exchange on which any class of  securities of the Company is listed or the NASD;
and (ii) such  additional  information  concerning  the business  and  financial
condition of the Company as you may from time to time reasonably request;

         (g)    For a  period  of  120  days  from  the  effective  date  of the
Registration  Statement,  not to  offer,  sell,  contract  to sell or  otherwise
dispose of any securities of the Company which are substantially  similar to the
Securities  (other than the  Securities or pursuant to (i) employee stock option
or  stockholder  dividend   reinvestment  plans,  (ii)  merger  and  acquisition
transactions,  or (iii)  currently  outstanding  warrants)  without  your  prior
written consent;

         (h)    To apply the net proceeds  from the sale of the  Securities  for
the purposes set forth in the Prospectus;


                                      -9-
<PAGE>

         (i)    To notify the Representative of the the filing of a registration
statement wit the Commission  pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934,  as  amended,  to furnish  the  Representative  with a copy of such
registration   statement,   and  promptly  inform  the   Representative  of  its
effectiveness; and

         (j)    To use its best efforts to cause the Common Stock to be approved
for quotation on the Nasdaq SmallCap Market (the "Nasdaq System").

         6.     Payment of Expenses.

         The Company agrees with the several  Underwriters that the Company will
pay  or  cause  to be  paid  the  following,  whether  or not  the  transactions
contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated:  (i) the
fees,  disbursements  and expenses of the Company's  counsel and  accountants in
connection with the  registration of the Securities  under the Act and all other
expenses  in  connection  with  the  preparation,  printing  and  filing  of the
Registration  Statement,  any  Preliminary  Prospectus  and the  Prospectus  and
amendments  and  supplements  thereto and the mailing and  delivering  of copies
thereof  to  the  Underwriters  and  dealers;  (ii)  the  cost  of  printing  or
reproducing  this  Agreement,  the Blue Sky  Survey and any other  documents  in
connection  with the offering,  purchase,  sale and delivery of the  Securities;
(iii) all expenses in connection  with the  qualification  of the Securities for
offering  and sale under  state  securities  laws as  provided  in Section  5(b)
hereof,  including  the  reasonable  fees and  disbursements  of counsel for the
Underwriter in connection  with such  qualification  and in connection  with the
Blue Sky Survey;  (iv) the filing fees incident to securing any required  review
by the  NASD of the  terms  of the  sale  of the  Securities;  (v)  the  cost of
preparing stock  certificates;  (vi) the costs or expenses of any transfer agent
or registrar;  (vii) all fees relating to the quotation of the Securities on the
Nasdaq  System;  and  (viii)  all  other  costs  and  expenses  incident  to the
performance of its obligations  hereunder  which are not otherwise  specifically
provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided
in this Section,  Section 8 and Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all
of their own costs and  expenses,  including  the fees of their  counsel,  stock
transfer taxes on resale of any of the  Securities by them, and any  advertising
expenses connected with any offers they may make.

         7.     Conditions to Obligations of the Underwriters.

         The obligations of each Underwriter hereunder,  as to the Securities to
be delivered at each Delivery Date, shall be subject, in its discretion,  to the
condition that all  representations  and warranties and other  statements of the
Company  are,  at and as of the date  hereof and each  Delivery  Date,  true and
correct and the  condition  that the  Company  shall have  performed  all of its
obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed,  and the following additional
conditions:



                                      -10-
<PAGE>

         (a)    The  Registration  Statement is effective;  if the filing of the
Prospectus,  or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant to Rule 424(b), the
Prospectus, and any such supplement,  will be filed in the manner and within the
time period required by Rule 424(b);  no stop order suspending the effectiveness
of the Registration  Statement shall have been issued and no proceeding for that
purpose  shall  have  been  initiated  or,  to the  knowledge  of  the  Company,
threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the
part of the  Commission  shall  have  been  complied  with  to  your  reasonable
satisfaction;

         (b)    On each Delivery Date, LeClair Ryan, A Professional Corporation,
counsel  for the  Underwriters,  shall  have  furnished  to you such  opinion or
opinions,  dated such dates,  with respect to the  incorporation of the Company,
the  validity  of the  Securities  being  issued  on  such  Delivery  Date,  the
Registration  Statement,  the  Prospectus,  and other related matters as you may
reasonably  request,  and such  counsel  shall  have  received  such  papers and
information  as they may  reasonably  request  to enable  them to pass upon such
matters;

         (c)    On each Delivery Date,  Williams,  Mullen,  Christian & Dobbins,
counsel for the  Company,  shall have  furnished to you their  written  opinion,
dated such dates, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:

                (i)    The Company and the Bank have been duly  incorporated and
         are validly existing as corporations in good standing under the laws of
         their respective  jurisdictions of incorporation,  with corporate power
         and authority to own or lease their  respective  properties and conduct
         their  respective  businesses as described in the  Prospectus;  and the
         Company and the Bank are duly  qualified to do business and are in good
         standing in each  jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or
         conducts business so as to require such qualification;

                (ii)   The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth
         under the caption "Description of Capital Stock" in the Prospectus, and
         all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly
         and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and
         conform to the description  contained in the  Prospectus;  there are no
         preemptive  or  similar  rights to  subscribe  for or to  purchase  any
         securities  of the Company under the Articles of  Incorporation  of the
         Company or under Virginia law;  except as described in the  Prospectus,
         there are no  warrants  or options to purchase  any  securities  of the
         Company  which have been  granted by the  Company;  to the best of such
         counsel's knowledge,  neither the filing of the Registration  Statement
         nor the  offering or sale of the  Securities  as  contemplated  by this
         Agreement gives




                                      -11-
<PAGE>

         rise  to  any  rights  for  or  relating  to  the  registration  of any
         securities of the Company; and the form of the certificates  evidencing
         the Securities complies with all formal requirements of Virginia law;

                (iii)  The  Registration  Statement has been declared  effective
         under the Act and, to the best knowledge of such counsel, no stop order
         suspending the  effectiveness  of the  Registration  Statement has been
         issued  and no  proceeding  for that  purpose  has been  instituted  or
         threatened under the Act;

                (iv)   The Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued
         and delivered  against  payment  therefor as provided  herein,  will be
         validly  issued and fully  paid and  nonassessable  and  conform to the
         description of the Securities  contained in the Prospectus,  as amended
         or supplemented;

                (v)    All  outstanding  shares of capital stock of the Bank are
         owned  by  the  Company  free  and  clear  of  any  perfected  security
         interests, claims, liens or encumbrances;

                (vi)   To the best of such  counsel's  knowledge,  there  are no
         legal or governmental  proceedings  pending to which the Company or the
         Bank is a party or of which any  property  or assets of the  Company or
         the Bank is subject  which,  if determined  adversely to the Company or
         Bank, would  individually or in the aggregate,  have a material adverse
         effect on the financial  position,  stockholders'  equity or results of
         operations  of the Company  and the Bank taken as a whole;  and, to the
         best of such counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or
         contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

                (vii)  This  Agreement  has been duly  authorized,  executed and
         delivered by the Company;

                (viii) The issue and sale of the Securities and the  performance
         of this  Agreement  by the  Company and the  consummation  of the other
         transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not result in a breach
         or  violation  of any of the terms or  provisions  of, or  constitute a
         default  under,  or result in the creation or  imposition  of any lien,
         charge or  encumbrance  upon any  property  or assets of the Company or
         Bank pursuant to, any material indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
         agreement  or other  agreement or  instrument  known to such counsel to
         which the Company or Bank is a party or by which the Company or Bank is
         bound or to which any of the  property or assets of the Company or Bank
         is  subject,  nor will  such  action  result  in any  violation  of the
         provisions of the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company or
         the Articles of  Association or Bylaws of the Bank or of any statute or
         any order,  rule or




                                      -12-
<PAGE>

         regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental agency or
         body  having  jurisdiction  over  the  Company  or Bank or any of their
         respective properties;

                (ix)   No consent, approval, authorization,  order, registration
         or qualification of or with any court or governmental agency or body is
         required for the issuance and sale of the  Securities by the Company or
         the consummation by the Company of the other transactions  contemplated
         by this  Agreement,  except such as have been  obtained  under the Act,
         such as may be required  under state  securities or Blue Sky laws,  and
         under  the  rules  of the NASD in  connection  with  the  purchase  and
         distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters; and

                (x)    The  Registration  Statement and the  Prospectus  and any
         further amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior to
         such  Delivery Date (other than the  financial  statements  and related
         schedules and other  financial  and  statistical  information  included
         therein and  information  furnished  for use therein,  as to which such
         counsel  need  express no  opinion)  comply as to form in all  material
         respects with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations
         thereunder;  nothing  has come to their  attention  which leads them to
         believe that, as of the effective  date of the  Registration  Statement
         and as of each Delivery Date, either the Registration  Statement or the
         Prospectus  or, as of its date,  any further  amendment  or  supplement
         thereto made by the Company  prior to the Delivery  Date (in each case,
         other than the financial statements and the related schedules and other
         financial and statistical  information  included  therein,  as to which
         such counsel need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement of a
         material  fact or omits to state a material  fact required to be stated
         therein or necessary to make the  statements  therein,  in the light of
         the  circumstances  under which they were made,  not  misleading.  With
         respect to such statement,  such counsel may state that their belief is
         based upon the procedures set forth therein, but is without independent
         check or verification.

In rendering  such opinion,  such counsel may rely as to matters of fact, to the
extent deemed proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and
the Bank and public officials.

         (d)    At 10:00  a.m.,  Richmond,  Virginia  time,  on the date of this
Agreement  and also at each  Delivery  Date,  KPMG Peat  Marwick  LLP shall have
furnished  to you a letter or letters,  dated the  respective  dates of delivery
thereof,  in form and substance  satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in
Annex I hereto;


                                      -13-
<PAGE>

         (e)    (i) Neither the Company nor the Bank shall have sustained  since
the date of the latest audited financial  statements included in the Prospectus,
any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion,  flood
or other  calamity,  whether  or not  covered  by  insurance,  or from any labor
dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree,  otherwise than as set
forth or expressly contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective
dates as of which  information is given in the  Prospectus  there shall not have
been any change in the  capital  stock or  long-term  debt of the Company or the
Bank or any change,  or any development  involving a prospective  change,  in or
affecting the general affairs,  management,  financial  position,  stockholders'
equity or  results  of  operation  of the  Company  or the Bank taken as a whole
otherwise than as set forth or  contemplated  in the  Prospectus,  the effect of
which,  in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so
material and adverse as to make it  impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with
the public  offering or the  delivery  of the  Securities  being  issued at such
Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Prospectus; and

         (f)    On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of
the following:  (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities
generally on the New York Stock  Exchange or the Nasdaq  System;  (ii) a general
moratorium on commercial  banking activities in New York or Virginia declared by
federal,  New  York  State  or  Virginia  authorities;  (iii)  the  outbreak  or
escalation of hostilities  involving the United States or the declaration by the
United  States of a national  emergency  or war, if any such event  specified in
this clause (iii) would have such a materially adverse effect, in your judgment,
as to make it  impracticable  or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the
delivery of the  Securities on the terms and in the manner  contemplated  in the
Prospectus;  or  (iv)  such a  material  adverse  change  in  general  economic,
political,  financial or international conditions affecting financial markets in
the  United  States  having a  material  adverse  impact  on  trading  prices of
securities  in  general,  as,  in  your  judgment,  makes  it  impracticable  or
inadvisable  to proceed with the offering or delivery of the  Securities  on the
terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

         (g)    The Company  shall have  furnished  or caused to be furnished to
you copies of agreements  between the Company and each of the executive officers
and directors of the Company specified by you, in form and content  satisfactory
to you, pursuant to which such persons agree not to offer,  sell, or contract to
sell, or otherwise dispose of, any shares of Common Stock  beneficially owned by
them or any securities convertible into, or exchangeable for, Common Stock on or
before the 120th day after the date of this Agreement without your prior written
consent;

         (h)    The Company  shall have  furnished  or caused to be furnished to
you on the date of this  Agreement  and on the  Delivery  Date  certificates  of
officers  of  the  Company  satisfactory  to  you  as to  the  accuracy  of  the
representations  and  warranties  of




                                      -14-
<PAGE>

the Company herein at and as of the date hereof and the Delivery Date, as to the
performance by the Company of all of its  obligations  hereunder to be performed
at or prior to the Delivery Date, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a)
and (e) of this  Section  and as to such  other  matters  as you may  reasonably
request; and

         (i)    The Common  Stock  shall have been  approved  for trading on the
Nasdaq System.

         8.     Indemnification and Contribution.

         (a)    The Company will  indemnify and hold  harmless each  Underwriter
against any losses,  claims damages or liabilities,  joint or several,  to which
such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon (i) any breach of any representation,  warranty,  agreement
or covenant of the Company  herein  contained  or (ii) any untrue  statement  or
alleged  untrue  statement  of a  material  fact  contained  in any  Preliminary
Prospectus,  the Registration  Statement or the Prospectus,  or any amendment or
supplement,  or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged  omission
to state therein a material  fact required to be stated  therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading,  and will reimburse each Underwriter
for any legal or other  expenses  reasonably  incurred by it in connection  with
investigating,  preparing to defend or defending,  or appearing as a third party
witness in  connection  with,  any such  action or claims as such  expenses  are
incurred;  provided,  however,  that the Company shall not be liable in any such
case to the extent that any such loss, claim,  damage or liability arises out of
or is based upon an untrue  statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus,  the Registration Statement
or the  Prospectus  or any  amendment  or  supplement  in  reliance  upon and in
conformity  with written  information  furnished to the Company by you expressly
for use therein.  This indemnity  agreement will be in addition to any liability
which the Company may otherwise have.

         (b)    Each  Underwriter  will  indemnify and hold harmless the Company
against any losses,  claims damages or liabilities,  joint or several,  to which
the  Company may become  subject,  under the Act or  otherwise,  insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based  upon any untrue  statement  or alleged  untrue  statement  of a
material  fact  contained  in  any  Preliminary  Prospectus,   the  Registration
Statement or the Prospectus,  or any amendment or supplement, or arise out of or
are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated  therein or necessary to make the  statements  therein not
misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue
statement or alleged untrue  statement or omission or alleged  omission was made
in any Preliminary Prospectus,  Registration Statement or



                                      -15-
<PAGE>

Prospectus  or  any  such  amendment  or  supplement  in  reliance  upon  and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter
through you  expressly for use therein;  and will  reimburse the Company for any
legal or other expenses  reasonably  incurred by the Company in connection  with
investigating,  preparing to defend or defending,  or appearing as a third party
witness  in  connection  with,  any such  action or claim as such  expenses  are
incurred.  This indemnity  agreement will be in addition to any liability  which
any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company  acknowledges  that for purposes
of this Section 8 the statement set forth in ______________ on the cover page of
the  Prospectus,   the  statement  on  page  __  of  the  Prospectus  concerning
stabilization  and  over-allotment  by the  Underwriter,  and under the  heading
"Underwriting" in the Preliminary  Prospectus and the Prospectus  constitute the
only  information   furnished  in  writing  by  or  on  behalf  of  the  several
Underwriters for inclusion in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus,  and
you confirm, as the Representative, confirm that such statements are correct.

         (c)    Promptly after receipt by an indemnified  party under subsection
(a) or (b) above of notice of the  commencement of any action,  such indemnified
party  shall,  if a  claim  in  respect  thereof  is  to  be  made  against  the
indemnifying  party  under such  subsection,  notify the  indemnifying  party in
writing  of  the  commencement  thereof;  but  the  omission  so to  notify  the
indemnifying  party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to
any indemnified  party otherwise than under such  subsection,  unless and to the
extent that such  indemnifying  party did not otherwise learn of such action and
such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying  party of substantial
rights  and  defenses.  In case any such  action  shall be brought  against  any
indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement
thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to
the  extent  that it shall  wish,  jointly  with any  other  indemnifying  party
similarly  notified,  to assume the defense  thereof,  with  counsel  reasonably
satisfactory  to  such  indemnified  party;  provided,   however,  that  if  the
defendants  in any such  action  include  both  the  indemnified  party  and the
indemnifying  party and the indemnified party shall have been advised by counsel
that  representation of such indemnified party and the indemnifying  party would
present such counsel with a conflict of interest under  applicable  standards of
professional  conduct due to actual or  potential  differing  interests  between
them, the  indemnified  party or parties shall have the right to select separate
counsel to defend such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. It
is understood  that the  indemnifying  party shall,  in connection with any such
action or  separate  but  substantially  similar or related  actions in the same
jurisdiction  arising out of the same general  allegations or circumstances,  be
liable  for the  reasonable  fees  and  expenses  of only one  separate  firm or
attorneys   together  with  appropriate  local  counsel  at  any  time  for  all
indemnified  parties not having actual or potential differing interests with any
indemnified  party.  Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying  party to such
indemnified  party of its  election so to appoint  counsel to defend such action
and



                                      -16-
<PAGE>

approval by the indemnified party of such counsel,  the indemnifying  party will
not be liable for any  settlement  entered into without its consent and will not
be liable to such indemnified  party under this Section 8 for any legal or other
expenses  subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the
defense  thereof unless (i) the indemnified  party shall have employed  separate
counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence,  (ii) the
indemnifying  party shall not have employed counsel  reasonably  satisfactory to
the  indemnified  party to represent the  indemnified  party within a reasonable
time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying  party
has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at
the expense of the  indemnifying  party; and except that, if clause (i) or (iii)
is applicable,  such liability shall be only in respect of the counsel  referred
to in such  clause  (i) or  (iii).  Notwithstanding  the  immediately  preceding
sentence and the third preceding  sentence,  if at any time an indemnified party
shall have requested an indemnifying  party to reimburse the  indemnified  party
for fees and expenses of counsel, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be
liable for any settlement of any proceeding  effected without its consent if (i)
such  settlement  is  entered  into  more  than 30 days  after  receipt  by such
indemnifying  party of the aforesaid  request and (ii) such  indemnifying  party
shall not have reimbursed the indemnified  party in accordance with such request
prior to the date of such settlement.

         (d)    If  the  indemnification  provided  for  in  this  Section  8 is
unavailable  to or  insufficient  to hold  harmless an  indemnified  party under
subsection  (a) or (b)  above in  respect  of any  losses,  claims,  damages  or
liabilities  (or actions in respect  thereof)  referred  to  therein,  then each
indemnifying  party  shall  contribute  to the  amount  paid or  payable by such
indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect  thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative  benefits  received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other from the offering of the Securities.  If,  however,  the allocation
provided by the  immediately  preceding  sentence is not permitted by applicable
law,  then each  indemnifying  party  shall  contribute  to such  amount paid or
payable  by such  indemnified  party in such  proportion  as is  appropriate  to
reflect  not only such  relative  benefits  but also the  relative  fault of the
Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the
statements  or  omissions  which  resulted in such  losses,  claims,  damages or
liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other
relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company
on the one hand and the  Underwriters  on the other shall be deemed to be in the
same  proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering  (before  deducting
expenses) received by the Company bear to the total  underwriting  discounts and
commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table
and footnote ___ thereto on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault
shall be determined  by reference to, among other things,  whether the untrue or
alleged untrue  statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission
to state a material fact



                                      -17-
<PAGE>

relates  to  information  supplied  by  the  Company  on  the  one  hand  or the
Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
information  and  opportunity  to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the  Underwriters  agree that it would not be just and equitable
if  contributions  pursuant to this  subsection (d) were  determined by pro rata
allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take into account
the  equitable  considerations  referred to above in this  subsection  (d).  The
amount  paid or  payable  by an  indemnified  party as a result  of the  losses,
claims,  damages or liabilities  (or actions or proceedings in respect  thereof)
referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or
other expenses  reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating  or  defending  any such  action  or  claim.  Notwithstanding  the
provisions of this  subsection  (d), (i) the  provisions of the Agreement  Among
Underwriters  shall  govern   contribution  among  the  Underwriters,   (ii)  no
Underwriter  (except as provided in the Agreement Among  Underwriters)  shall be
required  to  contribute  any  amount in excess of the amount by which the total
price at which the Securities  underwritten  by it and distributed to the public
were  offered  to the  public  exceeds  the  amount  of any  damages  that  such
Underwriter  has  otherwise  been  required  to pay by reason of such  untrue or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged  omission.  Notwithstanding  the
provisions   of  this   subsection   (d),   no  person   guilty  of   fraudulent
misrepresentation  (within  the  meaning of  Section  11(f) of the Act) shall be
entitled to  contribution  from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.  The Underwriters'  obligations under this subsection (d) are
several in  proportion  to their  respective  underwriting  obligations  and not
joint.

         (e)    The  obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend,
upon the same terms and  conditions,  to each  officer,  director,  employee and
agent of the Underwriter  and each person,  if any, who controls any Underwriter
within the meaning of the Act; and the  obligations  of the  Underwriters  under
this  Section 8 shall be in  addition  to any  liability  which  the  respective
Underwriters  may  otherwise  have and  shall  extend,  upon the same  terms and
conditions,  to each officer and director of the Company and to each person,  if
any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

         9.     Substitution of Underwriters.

         (a)    If  any  of the  Underwriters  fail  (other  than  for a  reason
sufficient  to justify the  termination  of this  Agreement)  to purchase on the
Delivery  Date the  Securities  agreed to be purchased on such  Delivery Date by
such  Underwriter,  the remaining  Underwriters  may find one or more substitute
underwriters to purchase such



                                      -18-
<PAGE>

Securities or make such other  arrangements as the remaining  Underwriters  deem
advisable or the remaining  Underwriters  may agree to purchase such  Securities
upon the terms set forth in this Agreement.  If no such  arrangements  have been
made within 36 hours after such Delivery  Date,  the Company will be entitled to
an  additional  period of 24 hours within  which to find one or more  substitute
underwriters  reasonably  satisfactory to the remaining Underwriters to purchase
such Securities on the terms set forth in this Agreement.

         (b)    In any such case, the remaining Underwriters or the Company will
have the right to postpone  the  Delivery  Date for not more than five  business
days in order that necessary  changes and arrangements  (including any necessary
amendments or supplements to the  Registration  Statement or Prospectus)  may be
effected  by  the  remaining  Underwriters  and  the  Company.  If  neither  the
nondefaulting  Underwriters nor the Company makes arrangements  pursuant to this
Section 9 within the period stated for the purchase of the  Securities  that the
defaulting  Underwriters  agreed to  purchase,  this  Agreement  will  terminate
without liability on the part of the  nondefaulting  Underwriters to the Company
and without  liability  on the part of the  Company,  except in both  cases,  as
provided in Sections 5, 8 and 11. This  Section 9 will not affect the  liability
of the defaulting Underwriters to the Company or the nondefaulting  Underwriters
arising out of such default. A substitute underwriter will become an Underwriter
for all purposes of this Agreement.

         10.    Representations and Warranties to Survive.

         The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and
other  statements of the Company and the several  Underwriters,  as set forth in
this Agreement or made by them, respectively,  pursuant to this Agreement, shall
remain in full force and effect,  regardless of any  termination or cancellation
of this  Agreement  or any  investigation  (or any  statement  as to the results
thereof) made by or on behalf of the  Underwriters or any controlling  person of
any  Underwriter,  or the  Company,  or any officer or  director or  controlling
person of the  Company,  and  shall  survive  delivery  of and  payment  for the
Securities.

         11.    Termination and Payment of Expenses.

         (a)    This Agreement  shall be subject to termination in your absolute
discretion,  by notice given to the Company prior to the delivery of any payment
for the  Securities,  if prior to such time there shall have occurred any of the
following:  (i) a suspension  or material  limitation  in trading in  securities
generally on the New York



                                      -19-
<PAGE>

Stock  Exchange or the Nasdaq  System;  (ii) a general  moratorium on commercial
banking activities in New York or District of Columbia declared by federal,  New
York State or District of Columbia authorities; (iii) the outbreak or escalation
of  hostilities  involving  the United States or the  declaration  by the United
States of a  national  emergency  or war,  if any such event  specified  in this
clause (iii) would have such a materially  adverse effect, in your judgment,  as
to make it  impracticable  or  inadvisable  to proceed  with the offering or the
delivery of the  Securities on the terms and in the manner  contemplated  in the
Prospectus;  or  (iv)  such a  material  adverse  change  in  general  economic,
political,  financial or international conditions affecting financial markets in
the  United  States  having a  material  adverse  impact  on  trading  prices of
securities  in  general,  as,  in  your  judgment,  makes  it  impracticable  or
inadvisable  to proceed with the offering or delivery of the  Securities  on the
terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

         (b)    If this  Agreement  shall be  terminated  pursuant to Section 10
hereof,  the Company  shall not then be under any  liability to any  Underwriter
except  as  provided  in  Section 6 and  Section 8 hereof;  but if for any other
reason the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because
any  condition to the  obligations  of the  Underwriters  set forth in Section 7
hereof is not satisfied,  because of any termination pursuant to this Section 11
or because of any  refusal,  inability  or failure on the part of the Company to
perform any agreements herein or comply with the provisions hereof other than by
reason of a default by any of the Underwriters,  the Company will be responsible
for and will  reimburse  the  Underwriters  upon  demand  for all  out-of-pocket
expenses,  including fees and disbursements of counsel,  reasonably  incurred by
the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase,  sale and delivery of
the  Securities.  Nothing  in this  Section  10 shall be deemed to  relieve  the
Underwriter of its liability,  if any, to the Company for damages  occasioned by
its default hereunder.

         12.    Notices.

         In all  dealings  hereunder,  you  shall  act on  behalf of each of the
Underwriters,  and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement,  request,  notice or agreement on behalf of any  Underwriter  made or
given by you. All statements,  requests,  notices and agreements hereunder shall
be in writing or by  telegram if promptly  confirmed  in writing,  and if to the
Underwriters  shall be  sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent by mail,
telex or facsimile  transmission  to Scott &  Stringfellow,  Inc., 909 East Main
Street, Richmond,  Virginia 23219, Attention:  Corporate Finance Department; and
if to the Company  shall be  sufficient  in all respects if delivered or sent by
mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in
the Prospectus,  Attention:  __________________.  Any such statements, requests,
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof provided,  however,
that any  notice to any  Underwriter  pursuant  to  Section  12 hereof



                                      -20-
<PAGE>

shall be delivered  or sent by mail,  telex or  facsimile  transmission  to such
Underwriter, which will be supplied to the Company by you upon request.

         13.    Successors.

         This  Agreement  shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit
of, the  Underwriters  and the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 8
and 11 hereof,  the  officers and  directors  of the  Company,  the officers and
directors,  employees and agents of any Underwriter and each person who controls
the  Company  or  any  Underwriter,   and  their  respective  heirs,  executors,
administrators,  successors  and assigns,  and no other person shall  acquire or
have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.  No purchaser of any of the
Securities from any Underwriter  shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason
merely of such purchase.

         14.    Time of the Essence.

         Time shall be of the essence in this Agreement.

         15.    Business Day.

         As used  herein,  the term  "business  day" shall mean any day when the
Commission's office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

         16.    Applicable Law.

         This  Agreement  shall be construed in accordance  with the laws of the
State of New York.

         17.    Captions.

         The  captions  included  in this  Agreement  are  included  solely  for
convenience of reference and shall not be deemed to be a part of this Agreement.

         18.    Counterparts.

         This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties in any
number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all
such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.


                                      -21-
<PAGE>

         If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding,  please sign
and return to us two counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you,
this letter and such  acceptance  hereof shall  constitute  a binding  agreement
among each of the  Underwriters  and the  Company.  It is  understood  that your
acceptance of this Agreement on behalf of each of the  Underwriters  is pursuant
to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement Among  Underwriters,  the form
of which will be submitted to the Company for  examination,  upon  request,  but
without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.


                                       Very truly yours,

                                       CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION



                                       By: _____________________________________
                                           L. Burwell Gunn, Jr.
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer



Accepted as of the date hereof
at Richmond, Virginia:

SCOTT & STRINGFELLOW, INC.
  As Representative of the Underwriters

By: ___________________________________
Name: _________________________________
Title: ________________________________



                                      -22-
<PAGE>


                                   SCHEDULE I

                                  Underwriters
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                      <C>                         <C>
                                                                                     Optional Securities
                                                                                      to be Purchased if
                                                         Firm Securities                Maximum Option 
Underwriter                                              to be Purchased                  Exercised
- -----------                                              ---------------                  ---------

Scott & Stringfellow, Inc.
Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation
Ferris, Baker Watts Incorporated

</TABLE>





         TOTAL







                                      -23-
<PAGE>

                                     ANNEX I

         Pursuant  to  Section  7(d) of the  Underwriting  Agreement,  KPMG Peat
Marwick LLP shall furnish letters to the Representative to the effect that:

         1.     They are  independent  public  accountants  with  respect to the
Company  and its  subsidiary  within the  meaning of the Act and the  applicable
published rules and regulations thereunder;

         2.     In their opinion,  the consolidated audited financial statements
audited by them and included in the  Registration  Statement  or the  Prospectus
comply  as to form in all  material  respects  with  the  applicable  accounting
requirements of the Act or the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  as
applicable, and the related published rules and regulations thereunder;

         3.     On  the  basis  of  limited  procedures,   not  constituting  an
examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, consisting
of a reading of the latest unaudited financial  statements made available by the
Company,  inspection  of the minute  books of the Company and the Bank since the
date of the latest  audited  financial  statements  included in the  Prospectus,
inquiries of officials of the Company and the Bank responsible for financial and
accounting  matters and such other  inquiries and procedures as may be specified
in such  letter,  nothing  came to their  attention  that caused them to believe
that:

                (A)    the unaudited  consolidated financial statements included
         in the  Registration  Statement or the  Prospectus  do not comply as to
         form  in  all  material   respects  with  the   applicable   accounting
         requirements of the Act and published rules and regulations  thereunder
         or are not presented in conformity with generally  accepted  accounting
         principles applied on a basis substantially consistent with that of the
         audited consolidated  financial statements included in the Registration
         Statement or Prospectus;

                (B)    (i) as of a  specified  date not more than five  calendar
         days prior to the date of delivery of such letter,  there have been any
         changes in the capital stock,  short-term debt or long-term debt of the
         Company, or any decreases in consolidated total assets or stockholders'
         equity as compared with amounts  shown on the most recent  consolidated
         balance sheet included in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, and
         (ii) for the  period  from the  date of the  most  recent  consolidated
         financial   statements  included  in  the  Registration   Statement  or
         Prospectus  to  such   specified  date  there  were  any  decreases  in
         consolidated  net interest  income or the total or per share amounts of
         net income as compared with the  corresponding  period in the preceding
         year,  except  in each  case  for



                                      -24-
<PAGE>

         increases or decreases which the Prospectus  discloses have occurred or
         may occur or which are described in such letter; and

         4.     In addition to the audit  referenced in their report included in
the  Registration  Statement  and the  Prospectus  and the  limited  procedures,
inspection of minute books,  inquiries and other  procedures  referred to above,
they have carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an audit in
accordance with generally accepted auditing  standards,  with respect to certain
amounts,  percentages  and  financial  information  which are  derived  from the
general  accounting  records of the  Company and the Bank,  which  appear in any
Preliminary  Prospectus,  the  Prospectus,  or in Part II of, or in exhibits and
schedules to, the Registration  Statement specified by the  Representative,  and
have compared  certain of such amounts,  percentages  and financial  information
with  the  accounting  records  of the  Company  and  have  found  them to be in
agreement.



                                      -25-



                                                                       Exhibit 4


       NUMBER                                                      SHARES       

                    [CARDINAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION LOGO]

                                                               SEE REVERSE FOR
                                                             CERTAIN DEFINITIONS


          INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

                         CARDINAL FINANICAL CORPORATION

        The Corporation is authorized to issue 50,000,000 Common Shares -
                              Par Value $1.00 each


This  certifies  that  _____________________________________  is  the  owner  of
______________________________________  fully paid and non-assessable  Shares of
the above  Corporation  transferable only on the books of the Coproration by the
holder hereof in person or by duly  authorized  Attorney upon  surrender of this
Certificate properly endorsed.

In Witness  Whereof,  the said  Corporation  has caused this  Certificate  to be
signed by its duly  authorized  offiers  and to be  sealed  with the Seal of the
Corporation.

Dated __________________________



______________________________                    ______________________________
           SECRETARY/TREASURER                                         PRESIDENT

                                      
<PAGE>

         The  shares  of  stock  represented  by the  certificate  have not been
registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities  Act"),
and no transfer, sale, assignement,  pledge,  hypothecation or other disposition
of the shares  represented by the certificate may be made except (A) pursuant to
an effective  registration  statement under the Secruties Act and any applicable
state  securities  laws or (B) pursuant to an exemption  from the  provisions of
Section  5 of the  Securities  Act,  and the  rules  and  regulations  in effect
thereunder, and applicable state securities laws.













         The following  abbreviations,  when used in the inscription on the face
of this certificate,  shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations.  Additional  abbreviations may also
be used though not in the list.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         <S>                                      <C>
         TEN COM - as tenants in common           UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - ___________Custodian____________(Minor) 
         TEN ENT - as tenants by the entireties     under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act_________________(State)                 
         JT TEN  - as joint tenants with right                                             
                   of survivorship and not as                                     
                   tenants in common                                
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                                         <C>
                                                                            PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER 
                                                                                IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE     
For value received, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _____________________________________ 
                                                                            |                                     |
____________________________________________________________________________|_____________________________________|
          PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS OF ASSIGNEE

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Shares

represented  by the  within  Certificate,  and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints_________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________ Attorney to transfer the said
Shares on the books of the within-named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated_________________________________

            In presence of                                                  _________________________________________


______________________________________

</TABLE>



                                                              Exhibit 5 and 23.1



               [WILLIAMS, MULLEN, CHRISTIAN & DOBBINS LETTERHEAD]



                                  June 26, 1998




Board of Directors
Cardinal Financial Corporation
10641 Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA  22030

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         This letter is in reference to the Registration Statement on Form SB-2,
as  amended,   (the  "Registration   Statement")  filed  by  Cardinal  Financial
Corporation  (the  "Company")  with the Securities and Exchange  Commission (the
"Commission") for the registration  under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the "Act"),  of 2,990,000 shares of the Company's common stock, par value $1.00
per share (the "Common  Stock"),  which shares are proposed to be offered to the
public  pursuant  to an  Underwriting  Agreement  filed  as an  exhibit  to  the
Registration Statement (the "Offering").

         We have examined such corporate  proceedings,  records and documents as
we considered necessary for the purposes of this opinion.

         The  opinion  expressed  herein  is  limited  in  all  respects  to the
application of the law of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

         Based  on  the   foregoing,   and  subject  to  the   limitations   and
qualifications  set forth  herein,  it is our  opinion  that the  aforementioned
shares of Common Stock,  when issued against  payment  therefor  pursuant to the
Offering,  will be validly issued,  fully paid and non-assessable under the laws
of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

         Our opinion is expressed as of the date that shares of Common Stock are
issued pursuant to the Offering against payment  therefor,  and we do not assume
any  obligation  to update or  supplement  our  opinion to  reflect  any fact or
circumstance  subsequently  arising or any change in law subsequently  occurring
after  such date.  We hereby  consent  to the  filing of


<PAGE>

this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and
to the  reference to us under the caption  "Legal  Opinions"  in the  Prospectus
forming a part of the Registration Statement.

                                           Very truly yours,

                                           WILLIAMS, MULLEN, CHRISTIAN &
                                               DOBBINS


                                           By: _________________________________




                                                                    Exhibit 23.2


The Board of Directors
Cardinal Financial Corporation:


We consent to the use of our report  included herein and to the reference to our
firm under the heading "Experts" in the prospectus.



                                        /s/ KPMG Peat Marwick LLP


Washington, D.C.
June 26, 1998



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