In memoriam – Klaus Böhlhoff

The IBA was greatly saddened to learn that Klaus Böhlhoff, former IBA President and Honorary Life Member, passed away on 3 December 2020 at the age of 86.

Klaus was admitted to the Bar in 1965. In 1966 he was made a partner in the German law firm Hengeler Mueller Weitzel Wirtz (now Hengeler Mueller) in Dusseldorf. Among his many accolades, he was awarded the Walter Oppenhoff Medal from the German Bar Association in 2001.

Klaus joined the IBA as a young lawyer and was a member for nearly 50 years. He became Chair of the Section on Business Law (SBL) from 1991–1992 and went on to become IBA President from 1998–2000. He was very actively involved in setting up the IBA’s Human Rights Institute with Ross Harper from 1995.

At the 2012 IBA Annual Conference in Dublin, Klaus was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award recognising his lasting contribution to the IBA and to the advancement of the rule of law worldwide. In receiving his award, he said it had given him ‘tremendous satisfaction’ to see the institution the IBA has become today.

Francis Neate, himself a former IBA President and an Honorary Life Member, describes Klaus as ‘a dear friend whose recent death will be grieved by his many friends in the IBA. He and his supportive and equally charming wife, Mary-Ann, will be sadly missed at IBA events by their many friends’.

‘I first met Klaus at the IBA Biennial Conference in Berlin in 1980,’ recalls Neate. ‘Shortly after my first IBA conference in 1979, members of the US Embassy in Tehran had been taken hostage and I found myself acting for Bank of America, which had the bulk of the dollars deposited by Bank Markazi in London. As a result, I was asked to speak again at the IBA Biennial Conference in 1980 in Berlin, where Klaus was in charge of the proceedings of the IBA Banking Committee and invited me to become a Vice-Chairman.’

‘Klaus went on, and I followed in his footsteps, to Chairmanship of the Banking Committee, then to the Chair of the SBL, which was at that time the real driving force of the IBA, then to Presidency of the IBA,’ explains Neate.

‘It was easy to like Klaus,’ says Neate. ‘He was always welcoming, open and friendly. I doubt that it was ever in his nature to be difficult or unreasonable. He attracted friendship, admiration and often affection from all those he worked with. That never meant that he was a pushover. It just meant that he was supremely amiable, polite and reasonable as well as highly intelligent. Moreover, he was usually right in his opinions and judgements.’

‘We travelled together a lot over the years for the IBA,’ continues Neate. ‘Many of these visits were very short, often just two or three days. The purpose always was to promote the IBA and to meet the local legal fraternity. In the course of these visits, I was invariably struck by how easy it was to like and be impressed by the local lawyers. This was often due to Klaus’ own easy charm and friendliness, which brought the best out of these encounters. He possessed a delightful combination of academic heft with a sometimes mischievous sense of humour.’

‘The conference of the SBL in Hong Kong, followed by a visit to China, stands out as a masterpiece of legal tact and diplomacy on Klaus’ part,’ says Neate. ‘He thoughtfully gifted a pile of Western law books on behalf of the IBA to an unsmiling, highly formal Beijing Minister of Justice.’

Neate adds that ‘it was throughout Klaus’ time as an officer that the IBA, and especially the SBL, steadily and successfully grew – in numbers, income and above all as a force in the world. We must have been doing something right. Klaus was at the forefront for more than 20 years and his contribution was significant and enduring.’

Proffesor Hans-Jürgen Hellwig, a former partner of Klaus’ at Hengeler Mueller, says ‘Klaus Böhlhoff was exceptional, as a lawyer, as an IBA leader, as a human being and as a friend to whom I owe so much. My thoughts are with his wife Mary-Ann’.

Jacques Buhart, a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, and also an Honorary Life Member of the IBA, had the privilege to work with Klaus on many occasions but recounts two memories in particular.

‘First, the SBL meeting in Cannes in 1992, when Klaus was chair of the SBL. After the splendid fireworks on the beach, I went to Klaus’ presidential suite in the Carlton hotel, which was magnificent. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce the president of the All China Lawyers Association, who was attending the IBA meeting for the first time with two or three other Chinese colleagues. The introduction was made by Jingzhou Tao, the famous Chinese-French lawyer. Klaus delivered a most welcoming presentation to the president of ACLA.’

‘Secondly, thanks to this first presentation, Klaus was able to organise the first seminar by the IBA in China, in Guangzhou, on “Joint ventures in China”,’ adds Buhart. ‘Klaus chaired the seminar, which was attended by several lawyers from Europe and Asia, but also by several lawyers from various provinces of China. Klaus was a pioneer and if one day the IBA can organise its annual meeting in China, it would be thanks to these first steps, which were taken by Klaus.’

‘When I think of those who are the very best of our profession, Klaus is at the top of that list,’ says Mark Ellis, the IBA’s Executive Director. ‘He was the President of the IBA when I was hired as its new director and became a dear friend. The IBA is a much better organisation because of Klaus’s contributions.’

The IBA President, Horacio Bernardes Neto, says ‘if there is one person who personified the very best of the IBA, it was Klaus Böhlhoff. Klaus and his leadership as President of the IBA set a high bar for those who followed his footsteps. He was a truly delightful man, a great friend and a passionate supporter of the IBA, to which he gave a huge amount of time, energy and devotion over many years. He will be missed by all who had the special privilege of knowing him’.

The IBA extends its sincere condolences to Klaus’ colleagues, friends and family.