Mirjam is an English and German qualified insurance lawyer and litigator with over 20 years’ experience in conducting and resolving complex disputes, many of which have cross-border elements.
Her key areas of expertise are insurance/reinsurance, product liability, construction and general commercial disputes.
In addition to her contentious work, Mirjam frequently advises insurers on policy coverage under both English and German law. She also has extensive experience of drafting commercial agreements and standard terms.
Mirjam is bilingual (German/English) and also speaks conversational Portuguese.
Mirjam Schorr is fabulous – wonderful to work with, incredibly knowledgeable and always keeps an eye on what really matters to her clients.
The Legal 500 UK Testimonial
Expertise
- Insurance/reinsurance
- Litigation/arbitration
- Mediation
- Product liability
- Jurisdiction and applicable law
- Dispute resolution
- Travel law
Experience
Insurance
- Represented reinsurers in a multimillion-dollar coverage arbitration relating to business interruption losses caused by the Covid-19 lockdown.
- Acted for reinsurers in concurrent litigation and arbitration in South Africa over funds held in trust by an insolvent reinsured.
- Represented various excess insurers in a coverage dispute related to the withdrawal of metal-on-metal hip implants, and monitoring of underlying tort litigation in various US and European jurisdictions to advise insurers on potential exposure.
- Advised excess insurers in coverage dispute related to the withdrawal of allegedly defective knee implants.
- Successfully defended London Market insurers in coverage dispute in the German courts at first instance and appeal.
- Frequently advises on policy exclusions and aggregation issues.
- Drafted bespoke K&R policy under German law.
- Reviewed German law environmental liability wordings and drafted ancillary documentation.
Product Liability
- Defended the supplier and manufacturer of composite beams for high voltage direct current thyristor valves against allegations of supply of defective goods in a multimillion-pound dispute.
- Acted for the manufacturer of tyre recycling machinery in arbitration proceedings involving allegations of defective design and/or manufacture following a fire which destroyed the UAE recycling plant.
- Negotiated on behalf of a manufacturer of pressure relief valves in claims arising from the manufacture of allegedly defective valves resulting in a multitude of water leaks across the UK.
- Acted for the manufacturer of bearings following a helicopter crash involving several fatalities.
- Represented the manufacturer of plumbing equipment in a multitude of consumer claims.
- Represented the supplier of allegedly defective automotive parts in pre-action mediation with the car manufacturer.
- Defended manufacturers of solar panels in fire claims.
- Acted for a German manufacturer of wind turbines in UK litigation.
- Acted for German manufacturers of mesh implants in English group litigation.
- Defended a manufacturer of intra-ocular lenses in a multitude of English cases and acted as monitoring counsel for other jurisdictions.
German
- Being dual-qualified in Germany and England and with a cross-border practice, Mirjam typically advises on German law issues in English, and English law questions in German.
- Acts for German, Swiss and Austrian manufacturers and other commercial entities in the English courts, reporting to the client and taking instructions in German and advising on the differences in law and procedure in England and Germany.
- Permanent German law counsel to a travel company, assisting in the set-up of business in Germany, including drafting consumer terms, advice on marketing, and liaising with the Travel Guarantee Fund.
- Advised an English construction company on a German law joint venture agreement.
- Drafted and advised on numerous German law insurance policies (liability, K&R and property/BI policies).
- Advised corporates on compliance with local laws of product labels ahead of product launches in Germany.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recommended by The Legal 500 for Product Liability
Co-authored the chapter on product liability claims in the third edition of Insurance Disputes edited by the Right Honourable Lord Mance, Iain Goldrein QC and Professor Robert Merkin
Career
Mirjam qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales in 2006 and in Germany in 2003. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2024, she worked at:
- Kennedys
- Fishburns LLP
- Pritchard Englefield