Claudia Niederer was born in Lucerne, Switzerland. She completed a three-year apprenticeship with Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) in Zug in 1981, and continued working for the bank until the beginning of 1982, at which time she moved to California. In the USA Claudia worked for the Oakland law firm Farrow, Schildhause & Wilson as a legal secretary for an attorney practising mainly in the corporate, family, probate and bankruptcy areas. In January 1987, she left Farrow, Schildhause & Wilson, together with the attorney she was working for, and both joined Moore, Clifford, Wolfe, Larson & Trutner, a well-known Oakland insurance defence firm. She continued working as a legal secretary but also undertook paralegal functions in the firm. Claudia returned to Switzerland in May 1989, since when she has worked for Howard Rosen Solicitors as a paralegal and contract administrator. She is also a director of Rosetrust AG. Claudia speaks German and English.