Special Conflict Counsel Services for City Council

The City of East Orange, New Jersey, is soliciting Qualification Statements from highly experienced and qualified legal professionals and firms to provide Special Conflict Counsel Services for its City Council. This critical role involves rendering legal services exclusively in situations where a determined legal conflict of interest ethically and legally disqualifies the internal Law Department from representing the City Council. The comprehensive scope of work includes defending claims specifically related to the City Council, initiating and defending lawsuits on behalf of the City Council, preparing detailed reports, and offering expert advice and counsel on a broad range of issues such as litigation, municipal regulations, and local ordinances. Furthermore, the selected counsel will be responsible for effective interaction with the City Administration on pertinent legal issues, liaising with the City’s insurance carrier regarding liability matters, and attending meetings as requested by the Mayor and Council. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeks to establish a roster of approved counsel based on their proven capabilities to handle complex municipal legal challenges. Prospective contractors must demonstrate stringent qualifications to be considered. Applicants, whether individuals or firms, are required to have a minimum of ten (10) years of continuous experience providing legal services to a municipal or government entity within the State of New Jersey prior to the submission date. It is mandatory that the proposing attorney or law firm possesses sufficient staff and resources to effectively satisfy the outlined scope of services. The lead attorney submitting the response must be licensed and in good standing with the Bar Association of the State of New Jersey, coupled with at least ten (10) years of experience in the litigation of municipal matters and/or direct experience serving as Special Counsel to Governing Bodies. A critical requirement is professional liability insurance coverage of at least $1,000,000.00 per claim and aggregate, underwritten by a carrier with an AAA rating from Best Insurance Digest. Additionally, respondents must certify that they have not represented any adverse parties or claims against the City of East Orange within the past three years. This procurement follows a fair and open process, adhering to the New Jersey Local Unit Pay-to-Play Law (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5 et seq.) and relevant municipal ordinances, ensuring a transparent and equitable selection. Qualification Statements must be meticulously prepared and received by the City of East Orange no later than 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 10, 2019. Submissions must be either mailed or hand-delivered to the East Orange Office of Procurement, addressed to Lisa Jackson, at East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, New Jersey 07018. Crucially, submissions forwarded via facsimile or email will be strictly rejected. Each Qualification Statement must be submitted individually in a sealed envelope and include one original, four copies, and one compact disk (CD) set of the complete submission. Required documentation encompasses a Bidder’s Affidavit, Non-Collusion Affidavit, Disclosure of Ownership Form, Insurance Requirement Acknowledgement, Mandatory Equal Employment Opportunity Notice Acknowledgement, a copy of the Certificate of Employee Information Report, a copy of the New Jersey Business Registration Certificate, Professional Service Entity Information Form, Qualification Submission Form, Acknowledgement of Corrections, Additions or Deletions Form, Statement of Indebtedness Form, Agreement for Payment of Commodity/Service Form, Letter of Intent, and Letter of Qualification. While no specific bid security or performance bonds are mentioned, the comprehensive insurance requirements are mandatory. For inquiries or to obtain copies of the Request for Qualifications, interested parties should contact Lisa Jackson at the Office of Procurement via phone at (973) 266-5162 or fax at (973) 678-8059. The maximum compensation for services is set at $30,000.00, billed at an hourly rate of $125.00, with a contract term not exceeding one year from the award date.