Empowering You Through Education & Counsel
People needing legal help deserve to know that their lawyer will listen to them and take their case seriously and respectfully. Legal matters can be stressful and difficult to navigate. We understand that you may be facing the single most important challenge or the biggest opportunity in your lifetime.
As experienced attorneys, we recognize the need to be creative and flexible to meet the individual needs of each of our clients. Our team will counsel and guide you throughout the process to help you achieve the results you deserve.
Located in Dripping Springs, Texas, and serving the greater Austin area, our team is committed to delivering results that align with your goals.
![Cristina Nelson [Principal Attorney] & Pam Pannes [Special Counsel]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f6aed75e7782a384ad8a590/1620084033450-CMULAKAWE3CBK2YYYHHQ/IMG_3798.jpg)
Cristina Nelson [Principal Attorney] & Pam Pannes [Special Counsel]
Our Team
Cristina Nelson
Principal Attorney & Mediator
Originally from Brownsville, Texas, Cristina has lived in the Dripping Springs area since 2014.
Cristina attended Harvard University for her undergraduate degree and the University of Texas School of Law for her law degree.
She began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Andrew. S. Hanen of the Southern District of Texas (Brownsville Division) then moved to San Antonio where she worked for a large law firm for several years handling complex commercial litigation cases and appeals in state and federal court proceedings.
Her big law experience allowed Cristina to practice a wide breadth of civil litigation, working on complex civil cases that included fiduciary, probate, contract, insurance, real estate, deceptive trade practices, banking, employment, bankruptcy, construction, theft of trade secrets, and oil and gas issues.
She now focuses on helping individuals and small businesses plan for the future and continues to enjoy a practice involving a wide range of areas such as probate, estate planning, family law, and business entity formation. Cristina is also a fervent mediator who assists people in resolving their issues outside of the courtroom.
Cristina is married to a biomedical engineer who enjoys making electric guitars. Together, they are raising two young boys and two heelers with whom they spend as much time as possible outside of the office.
Pam Pannes
Special Counsel
Pam Pannes began her legal career more than two decades ago as an Assistant District Attorney for the City of New York, Bronx County. For nearly a decade, she fought to protect families, the community, and institutions in the city's toughest borough.
Today, she brings that extensive negotiation and litigation experience to a very personal and client-focused law practice. She understands that when crises hit families, a spouse or parent will do anything they can to protect their loved ones. Whether it is a matter of divorce or defending a loved one in a criminal proceeding, Pam is a uniquely skilled, tough and effective advocate who puts her clients' best interests above all else.
Pam graduated from The University of Texas at Austin as a Phi Beta Kappa in 1993 and from Fordham School of Law in 1996. After leaving New York City, Pam lived overseas in Paris, London, and Rome with her husband and three children. In 2011 Pam relocated to Texas, where she grew up, and established a home in Dripping Springs with her family and two Labrador dogs.
Pam was an active volunteer in all of her children’s schools, working extensively in their classrooms and to organize PTA events and fundraisers. She has helped local organizations and projects in Dripping Springs, including RED Arena, Empty Bowls Project, and the Dripping Springs High School Dating Violence Aware Board that supports the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center.
Arturo Cisneros Nelson
Retired District Judge
Mediations & Consultations
Arturo Cisneros Nelson, also known as A.C. Nelson, is a retired district judge who is a native of the Rio Grande Valley. Originally licensed in 1978, he handled cases on both the defense and plaintiff’s sides that included a wide breadth of issues, such as municipal law, trade-name infringement, commercial litigation, products liability, real estate, medical malpractice, family law, and criminal defense.
Prior to taking the bench in 2006, his practice focused primarily on mediations to such an extent that he handled over 500 mediations. Between 2006 and 2021, Judge Nelson sat on the 138th Judicial District Court of Cameron County, Texas, a court of general jurisdiction. During his tenure, he started and maintained the Indigent Defense Pretrial Office and program in Cameron County for 10 years, a program that won a State Gideon Award. He also initiated and maintained the Cameron County Divert Court (Drug Treatment Court) for 11 years. He is the recipient of the following awards:
Professionalism Award from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism and the Cameron County Bar Association
Pillar of Justice Award from the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office
J.T. Canales Award from the Latino Law Students Association at the University of Michigan
Legal Education & Proficiency Award from the Cameron County Bar Association in 2009, 2010, and 2016
Golden Trowel Award for Exceptional Service from the Grand Lodge of Texas A.I. & A.M. and the Rio Grande Lodge #81
The annual Criminal Law Seminar in Cameron County is named after him. He has been married for over 50 years and is the father of 3 children and the proud grandfather of 7 grandchildren. He received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&I University Kingsville in 1973 and his Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1977.
Samantha Strange
Legal Assistant
Samantha provides countless services to the Law Offices of Cristina Nelson, often wearing many different hats. She has capitalized on her extensive and broad professional experience to serve as our office manager. She is often the first point of contact for new clients and is readily available to assist clients throughout their relationship with the firm.
Samantha’s upbringing as a military child instilled in her an appreciation for travel and cultures. After relocating extensively during her childhood, she and her family settled in the Oak Hill area of Austin.
Samantha lives with her husband, two youngest children, and a menagerie of animals. Her oldest son has made her a proud Navy mom.
Areas of Practice
Estate Planning & Probate
When the term “estate planning” is used, most people envision a will or a trust; however, in reality, an estate plan involves much more. Our firm uses a comprehensive approach to address a variety of planning issues, such as planning for any future incapacity and protection for minor beneficiaries. We are experienced in a variety of techniques to address complex scenarios presented by blended families, same-sex relationships, and family-owned businesses, to name a few examples.
When handling probate issues, each estate is different and we bring a variety of experience to every case. We assist executors (when a Will exists), administrators (when no Will exists), creditors, heirs, and devisees in the administration of estates and claims against estates. We also assist trustees in administering trusts and trust beneficiaries in making sure they are being treated fairly.
Mediation
Offering experienced Mediation and Legal Guidance throughout Hays County, Travis County, and the surrounding Central Texas Area.
Mediation is an alternative to litigation that allows you to resolve your legal disputes amicably with the help of a neutral third party. By avoiding a contentious courtroom battle, you can take control over the outcome of your case, often saving money, time, and stress.
We are experienced mediators who help opposing parties control their case’s outcome. As attorneys, we also help parties use the mediation process to achieve their goals.
Please note: The Law Offices of Cristina Nelson PLLC cannot be both your attorney and your mediator. These two roles conflict with each other; an attorney offers legal advice to their client while a mediator does not. For example, you might choose to retain one of our attorneys to represent you throughout your case, including during mediation to help negotiate on your behalf, or you could hire one of our attorneys to be the mediator in your case, to help you and the other party or parties to reach a reasonable resolution.
Family Law
Family law matters, including divorce and child custody decisions, can be emotional and painful life changes.
Cristina Nelson and Pamela Pannes, known for their extensive case preparation and attention to detail, believe that the most successful measure of their advocacy is their ability to amicably resolve cases in an efficient and cost-effective manner for clients. They work through family law matters with a personal, compassionate, and flexible approach to meet each client’s unique needs.
Although they prefer to settle family matters without litigation, Cristina and Pamela have a successful record of zealously representing clients in mediation and in the courtroom. By putting their clients’ needs at the center of their work, Pamela and Cristina can protect the things most important to their clients – their family and their independence.
Criminal Defense
We understand that being arrested or accused of a crime can be an extremely stressful and frightening experience. Criminal charges not only threaten your freedom, but may also impact your finances, employment and family. Hiring an experienced defense attorney is an important first step to protect your future.
Unlike many criminal defense attorneys, Pamela Pannes has practiced as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, earning deep experience in all elements of the criminal court system.
She spent nearly a decade as a Bronx County prosecutor for the City of New York, thriving in some of the most pressure-packed situations which arise in criminal cases. An expert negotiator, Pamela is known for her meticulous case preparation as she vigorously defends her clients’ rights. Pamela is as comfortable taking a case all the way through trial as she is achieving a pre-trail case disposition which delivers the best possible results.
Corporate
We understand the various legal needs of businesses. We have the experience to address legal services for a wide range of business concerns, including company formation, governance and management, and business transactions (commercial leases, franchise agreements, sale of goods and services agreements, employment and confidentiality agreements, and contracts between vendors and suppliers.
If you are in need of a business attorney, we are here to help. Our attorneys help clients with an assortment of transactional business needs, such as forming business entities, corporations, limited liability companies, general partnerships, limited partnerships, or non-profits to better assist them in achieving their business goals. For a consultation on how we can assist you in meeting your business goals, contact us now.
