Title
Authorization to Enter into Agreements with Selected Lawyers and Law Firms to Provide Outside Counsel Services (Ordinance S-43671)
Description
Request to authorize the City Attorney, through the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into legal services agreements with various selected lawyers and law firms to provide outside counsel services to the City on an as-needed basis as determined by the City Attorney. Further request to authorize the City Controller to disburse funds in an amount not to exceed $16,500,000 total for FY 2017-2018 and FY 2018-2019 for purposes of this ordinance.
Report
Summary
The City Attorney's Office issued a request for proposals from lawyers and law firms to provide outside counsel services to the City in numerous selected legal areas. The responses were evaluated by Brad Holm, City Attorney; Sharon Haynes, Assistant Chief Counsel; and Colleen Nathans, Assistant Risk Management Administrator.
The City Attorney is authorized to enter into agreements as needed to provide legal services for the City of Phoenix. Upon approval, the City Attorney will enter into agreements with firms presently and regularly performing services for the City from the attached list of approved respondents to the RFP (Attachment A). The City Attorney may from time-to-time, on an as-needed basis, contract for other legal services, including services of attorneys, expert witnesses, and other legal advisors or consultants, under Phoenix City Code 2-10 and 43-2.
Contract Term
The contract term will be from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019, with an option to extend the contracts for one additional year.
Financial Impact
The request amount represents an approximate $500,000 increase over the current two-year period of FY2015-2017. The following summarizes expenses over the past eight fiscal years.
Fiscal Year Amount Spent
09/10 $7,188,285
10/11 $6,149,667
11/12 $6,416,437
12/13 $5,264,921
13/14 $5,650,762
14/15 $6,889,329
15/16 $7,706,237
16/17 $7,533,220 (projected)
The individual agreements set forth specific rates and fees for legal services, in accordance with proposals submitted during the procurement. The agreements will include a prompt-payment discount of 2%. With that 2% discount, the Law Department has also saved approximately $140,000 over the last two fiscal years.
Funds are available in various department budgets, including the Law Department and Self-Insured Retention Fund. Payments will be made from affected funding sources, primarily the Self-Insured Retention Fund or the General Fund on an individual case or legal assignment basis.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Milton Dohoney, Jr. and the Law Department.