Summary

Martje is widely known for her expertise in commercial arbitration and complex cross-border litigation, notably in the field of energy and technology, where she advises clients on critical strategic matters and has represented these companies in a range of arbitrations and court cases.

Martje has over ten years of experience in the oil and gas industry. This includes in-house experience gathered during a secondment to Shell's litigation department in Houston and her role as litigator at the Houston office of Haynes & Boone. Clients value Martje as an accomplished practitioner who can advise on both legal and economic issues in highly complex disputes.

Martje's expertise also includes disputes related to joint ventures and collaboration agreements and issues related to recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and annulment of arbitral awards, and related attachment proceedings.

Martje’s recent work includes advising and representing:

  • an international energy company in a gas price review arbitration under a long-term gas sales agreements under the ICC rules, successfully defending against a price decrease;
  • an international energy company in a gas price review arbitration under a long-term gas sales agreements under the UNCITRAL rules;
  • Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) and the Nigerian operating company Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) before the Dutch courts in a case under Nigerian law brought by four Nigerian farmers and environmental organisation Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth, Netherlands) to hold RDS and SPDC liable for oil spills from two underground pipelines and an oil well in the period 2004-2007;
  • Enel S.p.A. and Enelpower S.p.A. in its successful defence against the recognition and enforcement of a EUR 435 million foreign Albanian judgment, and a de novo review of the case applying Albanian law, including multiple attachment-related proceedings;
  • an international energy company in an ICC arbitration under New York law arising out of a long-term LNG purchase contract.

Qualifications

  • Profession

    Advocaat, admitted to the bar in the Netherlands in 2009

  • Languages

    Dutch, English

  • Education

    Utrecht University

    Macquarie University

    University of Nottingham

  • Additional positions

    Executive board member (treasurer) of the Dutch Arbitration Association

    Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration for the period 2021-2024

    Chair of the Gender Diversity Committee at De Brauw

Personal Assistant