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Martijn Scheltema

Attorney-at-law • Partner

Martijn Scheltema joined Pels Rijcken in 1997 as a Supreme Court litigator. He handles cases in the area of private law in relation to the public sector, and expropriation. In addition, he handles cases concerning national and international commercial disputes regarding, inter alia, the annulment of arbitral awards and execution of arbitral awards and other judgments. Outside the Supreme Court practice, he also works on cases involving business human rights, climate change and Sustainable Development Goals. He advises governments and companies on the legal aspects of SDG of relevant legislation, tenders, more effective contractual systems than currently used and in transactions. Martijn is also involved in prominent proceedings in this area, advising on the effectiveness of ubiquitous national and international self- and co-regulation systems. A unique aspect of this business human rights practice involves human rights and artificial intelligence. He has published and lectured in both areas and speaks regularly at international conferences about business human rights. 

Martijn is currently a professor of private law at Erasmus University and chairman of the dispute resolution body of the Dutch CSR covenant for the garment and textile industry and has many other international positions in this area.

Recommendations

  • “Martijn's knowledge of business and human rights law is top-notch.” - Chambers Global, 2024
  • “Martijn is brilliant.” - Chambers Global, 2024
  • “Martijn Scheltema is a thought leader in his country, an excellent litigator." - Chambers Global, 2024
  • “He is a stellar legal thinker, a superb lawyer in every sense of the word.” - Chambers Global, 2024
  • “He will spare no effort to look at what a client needs.” - Chambers Global, 2024
  • "Martijn Scheltema is always available, swift in his thinking and gifted with an almost infallible memory." - The Legal 500, 2023
  • "Martijn Scheltema is not only admitted to the lower Courts of the Netherlands but also to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands." - The Legal 500, 2023
  • "Martijn Scheltema is very respected in the human rights world. Extremely bright and articulated. He is still the go-to person in Europe." - Chambers Europe, 2022
  • Key lawyer on Commercial litigation - The Legal 500, 2022
  • Key lawyer for Arbitration - The Legal 500, 2022