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 scope of work involves providing comprehensive legal representation to the City in municipal redevelopment matters. This includes offering specialized expertise in critical areas such as Local Redevelopment and Housing Law, land use law, tax abatements, local public contracts, and zoning regulations. Selected counsel will also be responsible for reviewing Contracts of Sale, drafting various essential agreements including Redevelopment Agreements, Financial Agreements, and Escrow Agreements, and demonstrating specialized knowledge of municipal bonds. All services will be performed under the direct supervision and direction of the City's Office of Corporation Counsel and will be provided on an "as needed" basis, potentially involving attendance at various meetings and other specialized legal tasks as required by the City. Prospective legal counsel must possess robust professional, financial, and administrative capabilities suitable for providing the specified services effectively. Key qualifications include a proven record of litigation experience in Federal, Superior, Appellate, and Workers’ Compensation courts, coupled with a deep understanding of municipal corporation law and relevant New Jersey statutes. Respondents are required to submit comprehensive information detailing their business organization, principals, and compliance with all applicable affirmative action requirements (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq.), and must demonstrate active business registration in New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 52:32-44). Furthermore, firms must provide resumes of all attorneys who will be assigned to the City, disclose any prior engagements with the City or litigation against it within the last five years, and confirm appropriate federal and state licenses. Professional liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 aggregate per policy period is mandatory. There are no mandatory pre-bid meetings or site visits indicated for this RFQ. Responses to this Request for Qualifications must be received by the City of East Orange no later than 11:00 A.M. on November 14, 2024. Submissions must be either mailed or hand-delivered to Racquel Ferguson, Purchasing Agent, at the East Orange Division of Procurement, located at East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, New Jersey 07018. Facsimile or email submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances. Each submission requires one original, two copies, and one thumb-drive set of the sealed proposal. While no specific bid security, such as a bid bond, is mandated for this RFQ submission phase, successful respondents, if selected, will be awarded a contract for a period of one year, with terms, amount, indemnification, insurance, termination, and licensing provisions to be determined and approved by the governing body and the Office of Corporation Counsel. For inquiries or to obtain copies of the RFQ document, interested parties should contact Racquel Ferguson, Purchasing Agent, at (973) 266-5162, or via facsimile at (862) 444-0101.