About Us

Firm History & Philosophy

Nettesheim & Nettesheim was founded by Christoph and Christine Nettesheim in 2004. They met in law school in 1993 and were married in 1994. Their practice is based in Ventura, California and they litigate cases in Los Angeles and throughout California.

In 1992, the California Legislature formally recognized that a significant number of elders and dependent adults have disabilities, including mental and verbal limitations, which make them unable to ask for help and protection. It declared that, because elders and dependant adults are especially vulnerable, they are more subject to abuse, neglect, and abandonment. It passed the Elder and Dependant Adult Civil Protection Act, which proclaimed that California has a responsibility to protect its elders and dependant adults and it called on California's attorneys to take up this worthy cause.

At Nettesheim & Nettesheim, we believe that the elders in our society should be protected and revered. We believe that seniors have the right to respect and dignity as they age, no matter how vulnerable they may be. Our attorneys are committed to vindicating the rights of elders and to preventing elder abuse by providing compassionate legal representation for seniors and their families. We are dedicated to educating seniors, their families, health care providers, and other attorneys about elder abuse law, elder abuse prevention resources, and the signs of elder abuse.

For further information, please see our elder abuse and long-term care facilities, financial elder abuse, nursing home abuse, resources for consumers, and resources for California lawyers pages.

Our Attorneys

Christine M. Nettesheim

Firm member Christine M. Nettesheim focuses her practice on elder abuse, including nursing home abuse and neglect, financial elder abuse, and estate and trust litigation.  Mrs. Nettesheim also handles a wide variety of civil litigation, including matters involving fraud, real estate, and business disputes. Ms. Nettesheim was admitted to practice law in California in 1995 and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in 1995 and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1992. Ms. Nettesheim is a member of the State Bar of California and is bilingual in English and Spanish.  She is a founding ambassador advocate for CANHR, the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.

Christoph T. Nettesheim

Firm member Christoph T. Nettesheim focuses his practice on elder abuse, nursing home abuse and neglect, financial elder abuse, and estate and trust litigation. Mr. Nettesheim was admitted to practice law in California in 1995 and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in 1995 and his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Services degree from Georgetown University in 1988. 

Mr. Nettesheim is a member of CANHR, the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, the National Center on Elder Abuse, the Ventura County Bar Association, the Ventura Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the American Inns of Court.  He was a co-founder of the Public Interest Law Foundation at Loyola Law School where he won the American Jurisprudence Award for Constitutional Law.  Mr. Nettesheim is fluent in English, German, and Spanish.

In 2008, Mr. Nettesheim was nominated Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Ventura County Trial Lawyers Association.  He is a regular speaker at legal conferences on the subject of elder abuse, including for the California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, for the CPA/Law Society, and for the American Inns of Court.

Mr. Nettesheim has had published Court of Appeals and Supreme Court decisions in both elder abuse and business litigation, including: Covenant Care v. Superior Court (Inclan) (2001) 89 Cal.App.4th 928, 107 Cal.Rptr.2nd 291 (which was ultimately reviewed and affirmed by the Supreme Court at 32 Cal.4 771 (2004)); Berti v. Santa Barbara Beach Properties, LP (2006) 145 Cal.4th 74, (rev. denied 2007); S.B. Beach Properties v. Berti (2006) 39 Cal.4th 374.

Katherine J. Symmonds

Associate Katherine J. Symmonds focuses her practice on long term care abuse and neglect cases. She was admitted to practice law in California in 2010. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2010 and her Bachelor of Arts from McGill University in 2006.

Ms. Symmonds was a board member of the International Law Journal and earned three Cali Awards for high academic achievement at the University of San Diego School of Law. She is a member of the Ventura and the Santa Barbara County Bar Associations. Ms. Symmonds is fluent in English and Spanish.

Jacqueline P. Hoang

Associate Jacqueline P. Hoang focuses her practice on elder abuse, nursing home abuse and neglect, and financial elder abuse. Ms. Hoang was admitted to practice law in California in 2011 and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

She earned her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2010, her Master of Arts degree and teaching credential from Loyola Marymount University in 2007, and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University in 2005. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Hoang served as a Teach For America corps member and taught middle school English in Watts and South Los Angeles.

During law school, Ms. Hoang was a Comments Editor for the Journal of International Law and competed in Honors Moot Court. She earned a Cali Award and two Witkin Awards for high academic achievement and was awarded with a Pro Bono Bronze recognition award for her volunteer work. Ms. Hoang is fluent in English and Vietnamese.

For more information about Nettesheim & Nettesheim, please call us at 805-804-5315.