DR. DOROTHEE MINERS-SCHRAMM is a top-rated European arbitration lawyer with particular experience in technology, engineering and life sciences, including pharmaceuticals, medtech and biotech. She is also a member of the firm’s Global Life Sciences Leadership Council. Praised by clients as “impressive” and “most proactive and responsive,” she has strong advocacy skills and has prevailed in claims in excess of US$1.9 billion over the last few years. She is also regularly appointed as an arbitrator to decide high-value international disputes. Beyond her analytical and legal skills, Dorothee has developed several innovative arbitration tools, including:
- an interactive tool that helps clients build the best dispute resolution clause for any given contract tailored to the client’s preferences and policies;
- an algorithm that helps clients assess the likelihood of different litigation outcomes and determines a net claim value that estimates the client’s overall risk; and
- a self-calculating tool that helps companies calculate damages for complex claims with multiple elements in dispute.
A trusted and pragmatic adviser, Dorothee partners with her clients to efficiently develop robust strategies to achieve their business goals and avoid adverse exposure. Her hands-on experience as advisor, advocate and arbitrator spans a broad range of transactions, including contracts relating to the supply and distribution chain (e.g., sales and distribution agreements), contracts commercializing intellectual property (e.g., licensing and cross-licensing agreements), collaboration and partnership agreements (e.g., joint development, technical cooperation projects and joint ventures), disputes arising from large infrastructure and energy projects, contracts for works (e.g., construction and manufacturing agreements), contracts for services, and M&A transactions (e.g., share purchase and asset purchase agreements).
Clients have turned to Dorothee as a thought leader and trusted source of advice for managing exposure and commercial risk in times of crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Dorothee also advises clients in connection with avoiding contract disputes, questions relating to trade associations (in particular in the life sciences industry), the setting aside and enforcement of arbitral awards, execution and attachment proceedings, judicial assistance for foreign litigation and investigations, international litigation and private international law, including issues of jurisdiction, recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, and Swiss and German contract law.
In the GAR 100 of 2020 and 2019, Dorothee was described by sources as “especially impressive” and as “the most proactive and responsive outside counsel I have worked with in my long career as in-house counsel.” Chambers Europe and Chambers Global 2022 ranked Dorothee for Arbitration (International) and Arbitration Counsel (Switzerland), where clients comment "she has huge experience, " and "is very hard-working." In Chambers Global 2021, one client says: “In addition to her great legal skills and business acumen, she is extremely proactive, reliable and creative.” In Chambers Europe 2021, Dorothee is praised for her ability to “evaluate the position for the client in every detail so the client has a good understanding of perspective over a potential dispute.” According to Who’s Who Legal Switzerland 2016, Dorothee is praised as an “exceptionally analytical lawyer” who “knows her cases inside out,” especially when it comes to engineering and technology projects. She has also been recognized by Who’s Who Legal since 2017 in the sections “Thought Leaders – Arbitration” (Global and Switzerland), “Arbitration” (Global and Switzerland), and “Future Leaders – Arbitration.” Dorothee has recently been recognized in The Best Lawyers in Switzerland 2022 for Arbitration and Mediation.
Dorothee is a member of the firm’s Technology Committee and the COVID-19 Task Force. She regularly publishes and speaks at conferences on issues of international arbitration and private international law. Qualified in Switzerland, she holds law degrees with highest distinction from German and Swiss universities, and speaks English, German and French.