Special Redevelopment Counsel Services

The City of East Orange, a municipal corporation in New Jersey, is soliciting Request for Qualifications (RFQs) for Special Redevelopment Counsel Services. The core objective is to procure qualified legal counsel to represent the City in various redevelopment matters, operating under the direction and supervision of the City’s Office of Corporation Counsel. The comprehensive scope of work includes, but is not limited to, general litigation experience and specialized knowledge of Local Redevelopment and Housing Law. This extends to expertise in land use law, tax abatements, local public contracts, and zoning regulations. Furthermore, the selected counsel will be responsible for reviewing Contracts of Sale, drafting crucial legal documents such as Redevelopment Agreements, Financial Agreements, and Escrow Agreements, and demonstrating specialized knowledge regarding Bonds. Services will be provided on an "as needed" basis, potentially requiring attendance at various municipal meetings. Prospective contractors must demonstrate robust professional, financial, and administrative capabilities to provide the required legal services effectively. Key qualifications include a proven record of litigation experience in Federal, Superior, Appellate, and Workers’ Compensation courts, along with specific expertise in Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, land use, tax abatements, public contracts, and zoning. Respondents are mandated to confirm appropriate federal and state licenses to perform legal activities. The submission must include resumes of key employees, particularly attorneys proposed for assignment to the City, highlighting relevant experience and qualifications. Additionally, applicants must disclose any judgments within the last three years related to professional malpractice and any bankruptcy or reorganization proceedings within the last ten years. References for similar services provided to municipal governments or other governmental entities within the past five years are also required. There are no mandatory pre-bid meetings or site visits specified in this RFQ document. All Request for Qualifications must be received by the City of East Orange no later than 12:00 P.M. on November 23, 2021. Submissions must be meticulously prepared, individually sealed, and either mailed or hand-delivered to the East Orange Division of Procurement, addressed to Lisa L. Jackson, Purchasing Agent, at East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, New Jersey 07018. Crucially, submissions forwarded via facsimile or email transmissions will be rejected. The comprehensive submission package requires one original (unbound), four copies, and one compact disk (CD) set, along with a suite of mandatory documents including, but not limited to, Business Entity Disclosure Certification, Non-Collusion Affidavit, Disclosure of Ownership Form, Insurance Requirement Acknowledgement Form (requiring minimum Professional Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per claim and $3,000,000 aggregate), EEO/Affirmative Action Compliance Notices, a New Jersey Business Registration Certificate, Professional Service Entity Information Form, Qualification Affidavit, and a Submission Form outlining cost details, including proposed hourly rates. Contact for inquiries and obtaining RFQ documents is Lisa L. Jackson, Purchasing Agent, reachable by phone at (973) 266-5162 or fax at (862) 444-0101.