Title
Outside Counsel Legal Services Contract - RFQu-25-0623 Request for Award (Ordinance S-52021) - Citywide
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into contracts with various law firms and lawyers to provide outside counsel services to the City on an as-needed basis as determined by the City Attorney for an initial three-year term, with one three-year option to extend. Further request to authorize the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item. The total value of the contracts will not exceed $30,000,000 for the initial three-year term.
Report
Summary
These contracts will provide outside counsel legal services to the City. The City Code authorizes the City Attorney to enter into agreements to provide legal services for the City. Upon approval of this request by the City Council, the City Attorney will enter into agreements with firms from the attached list of approved respondents to the RFQu. As needed, the City Attorney may also contract for other legal services, including services of attorneys, expert witnesses, and other legal advisors, or consultants consistent with the authority granted in the Phoenix City Code. Should the City Attorney contract with additional law firms and lawyers over the six-year aggregate period, funds will be disbursed under the authority of this ordinance, and such additional contracts are authorized by this approval.
Procurement Information
The existing list of qualified firms and attorneys that currently provide legal services to the City on an as-needed basis is set to expire on June 30, 2025. The Finance Department, Central Procurement Division, on behalf of the Law Department, issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQu) for law firms and lawyers to submit qualifications to be on a Qualified Vendor List (QVL) of qualified legal counsel for the City in a variety of areas of legal practice over the next six years. The Central Procurement Division received 55 offer submittals to the RFQu and determined, with the Law Department, that 52 offerors met the requirements and have been approved to be placed on the attached list to represent the City on a case-by-case basis (Attachment A).
In addition, existing outside counsel who will continue to provide legal services to the City for ongoing matters are specially designated on Attachment A. Moreover, consistent with the authority granted by City Code, and without further Council action, the City Attorney may, at his or her sole discretion, add law firms and lawyers to the list identified in Attachment A, throughout the term of the contract and within its aggregate value.
Contract Term
The contracts will begin on or about July 1, 2025, for a three-year term, with one three-year option to extend.
Financial Impact
The aggregate contracts value will not exceed $30,000,000 for the initial three-year term.
The individual agreements with outside counsel set forth specific rates and fees for legal services in accordance with proposals submitted during the RFQu or otherwise agreed to between the City Attorney and applicable law firms and lawyers.
Funding is available in the various departments' operating budgets, including the Law Department, and Self-Insured Retention Fund. Payments will be made from affected funding sources, primarily from 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 City Manager Jeffrey Barton and the Law Department.