Pels Rijcken stands out for its work with the State of the Netherlands as well as Dutch municipalities and provinces. Outside of this, the firm also represents domestic and international energy companies, banks and insurers. The firm handles an array of arbitration under various rules. The practice is jointly led by disputes specialists Willem Heemskerk and Mark Birnage; Heemskerk is the go-to for liability and compensation cases, while Birnage is a construction specialist who often handles construction arbitration. Supreme Court litigator Martijn Scheltema handles investment arbitration, setting-aside proceedings and the enforcement of arbitral awards.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘It has an excellent commercial practice (both in court cases and in arbitration cases) under the guidance of one of its leading partners, Willem Heemskerk.’
- ‘The firm truly covers the whole field of the law, both private law (including commercial law) and public law (including European law and competition law). It is active in both counselling and conducting legal and arbitral proceedings.’
- ‘Pels Rijcken’s arbitration group brings a particularly deep understanding of the interface between public and private law. I was impressed by the team’s thorough legal argumentation and deep understanding of the facts. The team is exceptionally well equipped to handle matters involving regulatory, state-related, or policy-driven aspects – something relatively unique in the Dutch market.’
- ‘The partners and associates at Pels Rijcken stand out for their intellectual rigour and calm, professional manner, even in high-pressure arbitration proceedings. Especially Willem Heemskerk, who argues his client’s case forcefully, but always in a manner that maintains a constructive working relationship between counsel.’
- ‘This practice stands out for combining deep legal expertise with a client-first mindset. The team is highly skilled yet approachable, practical, and responsive, translating complex challenges into clear, workable solutions with precision and efficiency.'
- ‘They are not only experts in their respective fields but also excellent communicators, able to provide clear, practical advice even under significant time pressure. I would like to specifically mention in this regard Ruben de Graaff, Sarah Deaney, Thijs Franssen and Willem Heemskerk.’
Key clients
- State of the Netherlands
- Province of North Holland
- Province of South Holland,
- Province of Utrecht
- Province of North Brabant
- Province of Limburg
- Province of Gelderland
- Province of Zeeland
- Municipality of Amsterdam
- Municipality of Rotterdam
- Municipality of The Hague
- Feadship Holland
Work highlights
Represented the Dutch State in a multi-billion euro arbitration against Shell and ExxonMobil about the Norg Underground Gas Storage.
Represented the Dutch State in a series of alternative dispute resolution proceedings concerning multi-million euro delay and disruption claims by the contractor MEET.
Represented Royal Van Lent Shipyard in NAI arbitration concerning a claim for payment of commission for brokerage services.
Practice head
Willem Heemskerk; Mark Birnage
Other key lawyers
Martijn Scheltema; Ruben de Graaff; Sarah Deaney; Thijs Franssen; Jeanile Weyne