Career
Claus is honorary chairman and of counsel at Von Wobeser y Sierra. As the firm’s founder, he has played a key role in its growth and has more than forty years of experience in dispute resolution.
As honorary chairman and of counsel, Claus contributes his extensive experience in complex international arbitrations, strategic litigation, and high-stakes transactions. He also provides invaluable mentorship within the firm, ensuring leadership continuity and upholding its core values of integrity and excellence.
Claus is renowned globally for his advocacy skills and strategic thinking in highly complex disputes in both litigation and arbitration. He has acted in more than two hundred international arbitration and conciliation proceedings, either as arbitrator or counsel, under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the ICSID Additional Facility, among others.
Currently, Claus is also the President of the Mexican chapter of the ICC, and a member of the Governing Board of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). He has previously served as President of the Latin American Arbitration Association, Vice President of the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) of the ICC, Co-Chair of the Arbitration Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA), President of the Arbitration Commission of the Mexican chapter of the ICC, and a member of the LCIA.
Throughout his professional career, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to pro bono work. Claus has been a leading voice in Latin America in this matter and, together with four other lawyers, drafted the Probono Standards for the American Continent. These Standards served as a basis for the Mexican Pro Bono Network and later were adopted by the IBA globally.
In 2017, Claus won the Lifetime Achievement Award from Chambers and Partners for his contribution to the legal profession. He has also been recognized by Chambers and Partners Global, Chambers and Partners Latin America, Global Arbitration Review 100, The Legal 500, Latin Lawyer 250, Latin Lawyer National, Latin American Corporate Counsel Association, Who’s Who Legal Global Elite, Who’s Who Thought Leaders, Who’s Who Legal Arbitration, Who’s Who Legal Mexico, Benchmark Litigation, among other publications.
Professional Memberships
Member of the International Court of Arbitration, International Chamber of Commerce, 1982-1988.
President of the Commission of Arbitration, International Chamber of Commerce, 1987-2016.
Professor of Arbitration, Escuela Libre de Derecho, since 1994.
Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, since 1998.
Member of the Mexican Mediation Institute (Instituto Mexicano de Mediación), since 2000.
President of the Mexican Bar Association (Barra Mexicana, Colegio de Abogados), 2001-2002.
Member of the Board of Directors, American Arbitration Association, 2003-2015.
President of the Mediation Committee, International Bar Association, 2003-2004.
Co-President of the Arbitration Committee, International Bar Association, 2005-2006.
Member of the Mexican Institute of Arbitration (Instituto Mexicano de Arbitraje), since 2005.
Vice President of the International Court of Arbitration, International Chamber of Commerce, 2006-2015.
Arbitrator of the panel elected by the President of the World Bank and the Administrative Council of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, 2011-2017.
Member of the Administrative Council, International Court of Arbitration, since 2015.
Member of the Board of Sicana, provider of arbitration and other dispute resolution services of the International Chamber of Commerce, 2015 - 2020.
Member of the London Court of International Arbitration, 2016 - 2020.
President of the Latin American Arbitration Association, 2020-2023.
President of the International Chamber of Commerce México, since 2020.
Experience
Doctor of Law in Commercial & European Law Studies (PhD), Université de Droit, d'Economie et de Sciences Sociales, (Paris II), Paris.
Law Degree (J.D.), Escuela Libre de Derecho, Mexico City.
