Legal Services

Agency:	City of Dublin
State:	Ohio
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541110 - Offices of Lawyers
Posted Date:	Mar 22, 2024
Due Date:	Apr 12, 2024
Bid Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

Attachment Preview

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SEALED PROPOSALS will be received in the Office of the City Manager at 5555 Perimeter

Drive, Dublin, Ohio 43017 until 2:00 P.M. ET, April 12, 2024. All qualified firms are invited to

submit proposals to the City of Dublin for the following:

Legal Services

SUBMIT:

Three (3) bound copies OR a digital .pdf format file of all

requested documentation must be received on or before 2:00 P.M.

ET, April 12, 2024

ADDRESS BOUND COPIES TO:

City of Dublin

Office of the City Manager

Attention: Megan O’Callaghan

5555 Perimeter Drive

Dublin, Ohio 43017

E-MAIL DIGITAL COPY TO:

mocallaghan@dublin.oh.us

MARK OUTSIDE OR SUBJECT LINE: RFP – Legal Services

Purpose of Request

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit resumes from qualified attorneys

and/or law firms who desire to serve the City of Dublin in the capacity of the director of

law. Presently, the city contracts with a law firm for law director services.

The City of Dublin

FORM OF GOVERNMENT

The City operates under a Council-Manager Plan form of government. The City Manager is the

chief administrative and law enforcement officer of the City. City Council performs the legislative

Legal Services RFP – Page 2

functions of government and consists of seven members. Council members are elected by

residents to four-year terms, with three at-large seats and four ward seats. Council elections are

held in November of odd-numbered years and are non-partisan.

City Council members have been granted certain powers by the Ohio Constitution, the laws of the

State of Ohio and Dublin Revised Charter. Council exercises those powers by or through the

adoption of ordinances and resolutions. Among other things, the Charter gives City Council the

authority to create and abolish departments; audit city accounts and records; conduct inquiries

and investigations; levy taxes; enact ordinances establishing police, sanitary and other regulations

contemplated by Article XVIII, Section 3 of the Ohio State Constitution; adopt a budget; and

appropriate funds.

Under the Charter, the City Manager appoints the director of law, subject to the consent and

approval of Council.

Responders are encouraged to visit the City’s website at http://www.dublinohiousa.gov to learn

about the City’s history, events, activities, projects and initiatives.

Scope of Services

In accordance with Section 6.04 of the Charter and Section 31.03 of the Dublin Codified

Ordinances, the director of law shall be the legal counsel for the City and all offices, departments,

boards and commissions thereof in matters relating to their official duties, including

representation of the City and its elected officials, public officials, or employees in any civil claim,

demand, or cause of action arising out of such official’s or employees’ service to and for the City.

The director of law also performs other duties as required by the Charter, by ordinance, by

Council, or by the City Manager.

When required to do so by City Council, the director of law shall prosecute or defend for and on

behalf of the city on complaints, suits and controversies in which the City is a party, and such

other suits, matters and controversies as directed by ordinance or resolution to prosecute or

defend.

The director of law or designee shall attend all regular and special meetings of City Council,

Council committees, and the Planning and Zoning Commission. The director of law shall also

attend meetings of the Board of Zoning Appeals, Architectural Review Board, and other board

and commission meetings and/or other meetings related to the City as requested or directed by

the City Manager.

Additional duties of the director of law not specifically set forth in the City Charter or ordinance,

shall include but not be limited to the following, as may be determined, updated or revised by

the City Manager:

Legal Services RFP – Page 3

 Provides routine legal advice, electronic communication, telephone, and personal

consultations with City Council, the City Manager, deputy city managers, department

heads, and other City staff.

 Performs research and interprets laws, court decisions and other legal authorities in order

to prepare legal opinions and to advise the City Council, City Manager, and other City

staff.

 Prepares and reviews ordinances, resolutions, agreements, contracts, forms, notices,

certificates, deeds and other documents as necessary and required by the City.

 Prosecutes cases in Mayor’s Court and municipal court; appears on the City’s behalf in

court at all stages including trials and appeals; advises police as to the legal questions

regarding enforcement of criminal and traffic laws; advises the director of court services

as to the legal questions covering the handling of criminal and traffic cases.

 Advises on matters relating to risk management.

 Advises on all State and Federal laws, legal matters, etc.

 Performs legal work pertaining to property acquisition, property disposals, public

improvements, easements, right-of-way vacations, eminent domain, annexations, etc.

 Performs legal work pertaining to legal documents as required by the City’s zoning code.

 Represents the City in enforcement of City codes and zoning regulations through

administrative and judicial actions.

 Attends meetings with the development community and staff and drafts agreements

related to development.

 Defends the City in litigation that is not covered by liability insurance, as necessary.

 Initiates litigation on behalf of the City, as requested by City Council.

 Attends meetings and discussions with the city, county, state, and federal officials and

other governmental officials.

 Provides guidance and advice on City labor and employment-related personnel matters,

including, but not limited to, labor agreements, personnel policies, handbooks and

administrative orders, training, FLSA, FMLA and leave management, Workers’

Compensation, Veterans’ Preference, employee investigations, OPERS, employee

disciplinary and grievance matters as well as the handling of interest and grievance

arbitration. May include labor negotiations as requested by the City Manager.

 Performs all legal services incident to public improvements and issuance of notes and

bonds in payment thereof or makes arrangements for the hiring of special counsel.

 Advises on matters relating to economic development.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

All Proposals must include the following:

A. General overview of the attorneys and/or Firm.

B. Name of the partner/principal who will be designated director of law and the

person likely to be the principal deputy (substituting when the director of law is

not available).

Legal Services RFP – Page 4

C. Names of attorneys to serve as assistant directors of law, corresponding to

subject areas of: planning and zoning; labor and employment; economic

development and development; finance and taxation; public records and open

meetings; police legal advisory; eminent domain; real estate; environmental;

construction; and prosecution.

D. With respect to individual attorneys identified in (B) and (C), biographical

information including but not limited to:

 Name of individual(s), with resumes;

 Length of employment with firm;

 Specialization;

 Legal training;

 Scholastic honors and professional affiliations;

 Date of admittance to the Ohio Bar;

 Years of practice;

 Municipal or other local public sector experience;

 Years of experience as a director or law or similar position, with cities

represented and references for each;

 Knowledge of, and experience with Ohio Revised Code; Ohio Constitution;

federal laws applicable to municipalities (e.g., ADA; FHAA; 42 U.S.C. §1983);

 Litigation experience and track record;

 Whether the partner/principal or likely associates have ever been successfully

sued for malpractice, been the subject of complaints filed with the State Bar,

or had discipline imposed by the State Bar, please provide information on the

nature of the incident, the dates on which the matter began and was

concluded, and the results of the situation.

E. Description of preferred working relationship between the director of law and the

City Council, City Manager, department heads, and other members of the City

staff.

F. Detailed assessment of office space and technology needs to be on-site and

accessible to the City Manager and staff.

G. References, preferably from past local government or local public sector

clients/employers. Please include name, address, email address, and work

telephone number for each reference.

H. Detailed information regarding the firm or attorney’s proposed fee schedule for

routine legal services and for any variation for non-routine/special services. Also,

please include any specific expenses for which the firm or individual attorney will

claim reimbursement from the City including type and unit rate (i.e. mileage,

reproduction of documents, travel expenses, conference registrations or

professional association memberships, etc.). The Proposal shall include cost

proposals for the following services:

Legal Services RFP – Page 5

1. Routine Services (Included in Retainer):

 Attending all regular and special Council meetings.

 Attending all regular and special Planning and Zoning Commission

meetings.

 Attending other Council committee or board and commission meetings

upon the request of the chair or City Manager, or applicable department

head.

 Drafting ordinances and resolutions arising in the normal course of

municipal operation upon request of the City Manager or Council.

 Drafting all other routine documents, legal memoranda, and legal

opinions as requested by the City Manager, Council, or department

head.

 Providing legal advice relating to matters of public law to City officials

as necessary or upon request and attending meetings and/or

conferences as requested by City officials.

 Responding to the City Manager, Council members, board and

commission members, and staff about legal matters.

 Attending meetings and discussions with City, County, Township, State

and Federal officials and other governmental officials.

 Attending meetings with the development community and staff.

 Attending meetings with senior staff, including but not limited to weekly

department head meetings and Council agenda meetings, and biweekly

Planning and Zoning Commission agenda meetings.

 Preparing and updating standard contract/bid forms for use by all City

departments.

 Providing legal updates and training for boards and commissions.

 Providing legal updates and training for City departments, e.g., police

training.

 Overseeing the representation of the City in any case where insurance

counsel is retained by the carrier.

 Representing the City in all matters related to annexation.

 Representing the City in the court of common pleas or Franklin County

Environmental Court in appeals from quasi-judicial proceedings on

administrative matters, under Chapter 2506 of the Revised Code or

similar provision.

 Land acquisition shall be a part of routine services on matters defined

as normal real estate contractual issues. Regarding ROW land

acquisition being carried out under the City’s Eminent Domain

authority, all steps in the ROW acquisition process through the

presentation of an offer(s) to purchase, the receipt of counteroffer(s),

and all early negotiations up to the filing and prosecuting an

appropriation case will be considered routine services.

 Termination counseling, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, Title VII, PPACA,

Ohio Revised Code, Workers’ Compensation statutes, Collective

Bargaining statutes, USERRA, COBRA, and HIPAA related questions,

and other general legal advice related to labor and human resource

matters shall be included as routine services.

Attachment Preview

Sign-up for a Free Trial, Government Bid Alerts

See Also