Police Practices Defense Counsel Services & Insurance Coverage Defense Counsel Services

The City of East Orange, New Jersey, is soliciting Qualification Statements for two distinct professional legal services: Police Practices Defense Counsel Services and Insurance Coverage Defense Counsel Services. The core project aims to establish a pool of qualified attorneys to provide ongoing legal representation. For Police Practices Defense Counsel, the scope encompasses defending police officers in litigation arising from employment duties, including claims under the Tort Claims Act (N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 et seq.), Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA, N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 et seq.), Laws Against Discrimination (LAD, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1 et seq.), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 actions, contract disputes, and challenges to government actions. For Insurance Coverage Defense Counsel, the services involve negotiating insurance contract terms, advising the City on its rights and obligations, acting as legal representative for claims, presenting and negotiating recoveries, and pursuing claims through various adversarial proceedings such as declaratory judgment actions, mediation, or arbitration. Counsel for both services will collaborate closely with the City's Law Department and handle all aspects of litigation, from pleadings and discovery to trials and settlement conferences, on an as-needed basis. Prospective contractors must be qualified individuals or firms demonstrating professional, financial, and administrative capabilities. Specific requirements include knowledge and substantial experience pertinent to the requested legal services, particularly proven litigation experience in Federal, Superior, Appellate, and Workers’ Compensation courts. Respondents must comply with New Jersey statutes governing Affirmative Action (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq.), Business Registration of Public Contractors (N.J.S.A. 52:32-44), and Disclosure of Ownership (N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2). Additionally, firms must possess appropriate federal and state licenses, provide details on malpractice insurance coverage with a minimum of $1,000,000.00 per claim and $2,000,000.00 aggregate, and submit resumes of key attorneys who will be assigned to the City. There are no mandatory pre-bid meetings or site visits specified in this Request for Qualifications. Qualification Statements must be received by the City of East Orange no later than 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Submissions must be hand-delivered or mailed to the East Orange Office of Procurement, Attention Racquel Ferguson, at 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, New Jersey 07018. Electronic submissions via facsimile or email will not be accepted. Each legal service applied for requires a separate qualification statement. Respondents are required to submit one original (unbound), two copies, and one thumb-drive of their complete Qualification Statement. A non-refundable fee of $25.00 per RFQ packet is applicable if documents are picked up in person from the Division of Procurement. For inquiries, the primary contact is Racquel C. Ferguson of the Office of Procurement, reachable at (973) 266-5162. The hourly compensation rate for selected counsel will be $165.00 per hour for both police practices defense and insurance coverage defense matters.