Arjan Scheltema heads the Financial law, Capital Markets and Structured Finance department and specialises in advising financial institutions, private equity and debt investors in domestic and international financing transactions. His main areas of expertise relate to finance, structured finance, capital markets, factoring, portfolio acquisitions and distressed debt transactions.

Arjan is considered the market leader in covered bonds programmes having set up fourteen out of eighteen covered bonds programmes in the Netherland (since the first transaction in 2005) and was already involved in the first covered bond transaction in the Netherlands, which was the ABN AMRO Covered Bond programme and all conditional pass through transaction in Europe(including the first IFR 2013 award winning programme for NIBC). Arjan has also fulfilled a key role in the legislative process for the initial and revised Dutch covered bonds legislation and regularly advises the Dutch Association of Covered Bonds Issuers. He is also a member of the European Round Table for Covered Bonds Legislation of the VdP. 

Arjan is also market leader in the field of securitisations, having adviced in more than 100 public and private securitisations, including the Dutch Securitisation Award winning Bastion RMBS securitisation, the Magoi consumer loan securitisation in which a significant risk transfer was achieved, and other transactions such as the Essence and Dutch MBS transactions, the DRMP and SRMP transactions and Dolphin, Green Apple, Lowlands and Hypenn transactions. Arjan has also played an important role in the standardisation of Dutch securitisation transaction documentation and regularly advises the Dutch Securitisation Association. He often publishes and lectures on subjects in his field.

Arjan graduated from Leiden University in 1997, where he was also a lecturer from 1998 until 2002 and obtained his Doctorate in Law in 2003. He joined NautaDutilh in 2002. Arjan is admitted to the Amsterdam Bar.

Arjan is recommended in various expert guides:

The Legal500, 2022: "Particularly in the field of covered bonds and RMBS, Arjan is the leading counsel in the Dutch market"

Chambers Global 2020: (Band 1) "One client says that Arjan Scheltema is a "go-to lawyer" in corporate (covered) bond matters. He advises an enviable array of multinational financial institutions on mortgage-backed securitisations and covered bond transactions. Scheltema receives additional praise for being "very knowledgeable and realistic".

IFLR1000 2020 (Market Leader): "His involvement in many different transactions enables him to bring very wide technical experience to the field of covered bonds. Very extensive knowledge of the market, and is very creative."

Chambers Global 2019: (Band 1) "unequalled breadth of experience in covered bonds" and clients also value his "excellent structuring expertise and drive to find smart solutions".

IFLR1000 2019 (Market leader): Arjan is classified as market leader and is regarded as "creative and responsive".

Chambers Global 2018: (Band 1) "He is a market leader for securities and structured finance matters, and is highly regarded for his work on covered bonds" and "very bright when it comes to technical legal elements."

IFLR1000 2018 (highly regarded): “The go-to person within NautaDutilh and the Netherlands when it comes to covered bonds.” and “Arjan Scheltema is pleasant to work with and delivers on promises.”

Chambers Global 2017: (Band 1) "Expert in the field" Arjan Scheltema is "a pleasure to work with," according to clients, who add that "he is calm, reflective and observant. He resolves discussions on complex matters with transaction parties swiftly and smoothly."