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Nicolas Wiegand
Partner

Dr. Nicolas Wiegand

Rechtsanwalt | Head of APAC International Arbitration

Languages
  • German
  • English
  • French
  • Spanish

Nicolas Wiegand specialises in international commercial and investment arbitration with a focus on corporate, joint venture, licensing and IP, supply, distribution and trade disputes, in particular in the pharmaceutical/life sciences, technology, (renewable) energy as well as mobility sectors. He is highly experienced with arbitration in, relating to, or involving parties from Asia, Europe and the US.

Born, raised and educated in Germany and Switzerland, and having lived and worked for many years in both common law (California, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia) and civil law (Germany, Switzerland) jurisdictions, Nicolas is very experienced in handling cases under both legal traditions. He has acted in more than 150 international arbitrations under all major arbitration rules as well as ad hoc cases governed by a broad range of different substantive laws. He also has experience with investment and other disputes involving states and state-owned enterprises or authorities.

Arbitrator experience

Nicolas is a highly experienced arbitrator. To date, he has sat in well over 50 international cases covering a wide range of both civil and common law jurisdictions, including Korea, Germany, New York, California, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Switzerland,  Thailand, England & Wales and PRC, but also Brazil, Vietnam, Spain, Malaysia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and others. His cases are seated at the major arbitration hubs worldwide. He is included on the panel of arbitrators of all leading arbitral institutions.

His background

Nicolas joined CMS in 2006. He founded the CMS Hong Kong office and has been the head of the CMS arbitration practice for the Asia-Pacific region for over a decade. In January 2020, he has been appointed co-head for the firm's dispute resolution practice. In 2021, he also became the head of the firm's US presence and US/Americas related arbitration practice.

Nicolas is regularly engaged as a speaker at international arbitration conferences and has held offices with or sits on the Court of several arbitral institutions (including LCIA, HKIAC and others).
 

Awards & Recognitions
01
  • Quote
    „Nicolas Wiegand ist äußerst gestanden und erfahren im Bereich der europäischen Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit.“
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, Mandant, 2026
  • Quote
    "Nicolas is a top-shelf counsel and arbitrator"
    Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal) – Arbitration Thought Leader
  • Quote
    „Nicolas Wiegand zeichnet sich durch seine Fähigkeiten als Berater und Schiedsrichter aus. […].“
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, Mandant, 2026
  • Quote
    "He covers the common and civil law worlds with aplomb"
    Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal) – Arbitration Thought Leader
  • Quote
    "Nicolas is a top-shelf counsel and arbitrator"
    Lexology Index – Arbitration 2025 (formerly Who's Who Legal)
  • Quote
    "He is known for his sensible, commercially-minded approach and deep knowledge of arbitral procedure"
    Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal) – Arbitration Thought Leader
  • Quote
    „Nicolas Wiegand, eine Meisterleistung.“, Mandant
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2025
  • Quote
    „Nicolas Wiegand war in dem oben erwähnten Schiedsverfahren außergewöhnlich gut. Er war ein idealer Vorsitzender der Beratungen des Gerichts und machte die gesamte schwierige und manchmal hektische Anhörung und die Arbeit nach dem Schiedsspruch so einfach wie möglich.“, Mandant
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2025
  • Quote
    „Nicolas Wiegand - ein hervorragender Anwalt, einer der besten, die ich je erlebt habe, und auch ein hervorragender Schlichter.“, Mandant
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2025
  • Quote
    „Dies ist ein ausgezeichnetes Team. Ich habe mit Benjamin Lissner, Torsten Lörcher und Nicolas Wiegand zusammengearbeitet. Sie sind ausnahmslos führend auf dem Gebiet der Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit und hervorragende Praktiker.“, Mandant
    The Legal 500 Deutschland, 2025
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für Konfliktlösung
    JUVE Handbuch, 2024/2025
  • Quote
    Listed for Arbitration / Dispute Resolution / Mediation
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2024 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    "Nicolas is one of the best arbitrators in the Asian market" "He is very smart and quick" "He is highly sought after as an arbitrator"
    Who's Who Legal 2023 – Arbitration Global Leader
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für Konfliktlösung
    JUVE Handbuch, 2023/2024
  • Quote
    „Oft empfohlen“ für Konfliktlösung
    JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
  • Quote
    Listed for Arbitration / Dispute Resolution / Mediation
    Deutschlands beste Anwälte 2023 – Handelsblatt in Kooperation mit Best Lawyers
  • Quote
    „hat sich beeindruckend entwickelt“, Wettbewerber
    JUVE Handbuch, 2022/2023
  • Quote
    "A client asserts that they have 'always respected him as an outstanding lawyer, as well as an approachable and trustworthy consultant to our company,' adding: 'He is a great strategist and always develops his ideas and strategies further to improve our position.'"
    Chambers Global, 2022
  • Quote
    "Recommended" for Dispute Resolution
    JUVE German Commercial Law Firms 2022 (GCLF)

Publications

  • "HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules", Verlag C.H. Beck, Baden-Baden 2021 (gemeinsam mit Dr. Markus Altenkirch)
  • "Investitionsschutz entlang der Seidenstraße: Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit und Chinas neue "Seidenstraßengerichte""; ICC Germany-Magazin, (6) Mai-November 2018, p. 32 (together with Tom Christopher Pröstler)
  • "How China-seated arbitration awards have been enforced overseas – the German perspective", CIETAC.com newsletter 10/2015 (together with Falco Kreis)
  • "Arbitration is becoming increasingly Asian", Business Law Magazine 03/2015 (together with Tom Christopher Pröstler)
  • "Mock Arbitrations" in: Arbitration Insights, Essays in Honour of Neil Kaplan, Hong Kong 2012 (together with Dr Klaus Sachs)
  • Commentary on the recognition and enforcement of arbitration awards (German title: Handbuch des Zwangsvollstreckungsrechts, Kapitel 10: Anerkennung und Vollstreckung von Schiedssprüchen), Verlag C. H. Beck 2009
  • "Schiedsvereinbarung und -verfahren für Gesellschafterstreitigkeiten", Anwaltsblatt 2007, p. 396 ff
  • "Die Sicherungsgesellschaft - Der Sicherungsvertrag bei der Sicherungsübereignung als BGB-Gesellschaftsvertrag", Münchener Universitätsschriften, Verlag C.H. Beck, München 2006

Memberships & Roles

  • Panel of arbitrators of KCAB International, Seoul
  • Panel of arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)
  • Panel of arbitrators of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC)
  • Panel of arbitrators of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)
  • Panel of arbitrators of the Asian International Arbitration Center (AIAC)
  • Panel of arbitrators of the South China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission/Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA)
  • Panel of arbitrators of the Indian Institute of Arbitration & Mediation (IIAM)
  • International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA)
  • Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
  • German Insitution of Arbitration (DIS)
  • International Bar Association (IBA)
  • ABIE Germany (Australian Business in Europe)
  • IPBA (Inter-Pacific Bar Association)
  • Chinaforum Bayern e.V.

Lectures list

  • HKIAC Roadshow (July 2013): Making Deals - Maximising Opportunities and Managing Risks in Asia (Panel 1: Challenges and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards in Asia)
  • ICC YAF Global Conference 2013, New York, World Café Session: What makes a good arbitrator?
  • YAAP/ICC YAF Vienna Conference 2013: Young approaches to arbitration (Panel 1: Case management challenges in high profile arbitrations)
  • Generations in Arbitration Hong Kong 2012: Shadow Tribunals – Good Deal or Ordeal?

Education

  • 2005: PhD at the University of Munich on secured transactions and corporate law
  • Trainee lawyer with Higher Regional Court Munich including stint abroad with Alston & Bird, LLP., New York
  • 2002 - 2006: Research assistant for a German Federal Court of Justice lawyer
  • 2003 - 2004: Research assistant at the Institute for Civil Law at the University of Munich
  • 2002: Graduated in law from the University of Munich
  • 1999 - 2001: Banking training and employed in the corporate clients department of Credit Suisse
  • From 1998: Law studies at the University of Munich

Insights by Nicolas

CMS Reception at JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week 2026

15 Jan 2026

CMS at JP Morgan Healthcare Conference 2026

12 Jan 2026

CMS - Meet our experts at the International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference

02 Nov 2025

CMS - Meet our experts at the International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference

15 Sep 2024
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