Request for Qualifications: Police Practices Defense Counsel Services & Insurance Coverage Defense Counsel Services

The City of East Orange, New Jersey, is soliciting Qualification Statements from experienced law firms and individuals to establish a pool of qualified attorneys for two critical legal service areas: Police Practices Defense Counsel Services and Insurance Coverage Defense Counsel Services. For police practices, the City requires litigation and defense counsel to represent police officers facing legal actions arising from their employment duties, including Tort Claims Act, CEPA, LAD, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 actions, contract matters, and challenges to government actions. For insurance coverage, the City seeks counsel with substantial experience in negotiating insurance contract terms, advising on rights and obligations under policies, acting as legal representatives for claims, presenting claims, negotiating recoveries, and pursuing claims through various adversarial proceedings such as declaratory judgment actions, mediation, or arbitration. These services will be provided on an "as needed" basis and involve representation in all aspects of litigation, including pleadings, motions, discovery, depositions, settlement conferences, and trials. Qualified respondents must demonstrate extensive expertise and a continuing capability to perform these specialized legal services. Key qualifications include a proven record of litigation experience in Federal, Superior, Appellate, and Workers' Compensation courts. Firms must submit resumes of key employees and specific attorneys who will be assigned to the City, along with a narrative statement detailing their understanding of the City's needs and goals. Mandatory compliance is required with New Jersey statutes such as N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. (Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunities), N.J.S.A. 52:32-44 (Business Registration of Public Contractors), and N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2 (Disclosure of Ownership). Respondents must also disclose any immediate relatives who are City employees or elected officials and provide limits of their professional malpractice insurance coverage. The selection process will be fair and open, adhering to the New Jersey Local Unit Pay-to-Play Law. Qualification Statements must be submitted by 12:00 P.M. on Thursday, November 19, 2020. Submissions must be hand-delivered or mailed to the East Orange Office of Procurement, attention Lisa Jackson, at East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, New Jersey 07018. Electronic submissions via facsimile or email will not be accepted. A separate qualification statement is required for each legal service area applied for. While the RFQ packet can be downloaded from the City's website, picking up a physical copy on-site incurs a non-refundable fee of $25.00. Compensation for successful respondents will be based on an hourly rate of $125.00 for both Police Practices Defense Counsel and Insurance Coverage Defense Counsel services.