What the buyer needs
AI summaryThe City of East Orange is seeking Qualification Statements from onshore U.S. organizations for police practices defense counsel and insurance coverage defense counsel services. Police practices counsel will represent city police officers in employment-related litigation, including Tort Claims Act, CEPA, LAD, and 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 actions, while insurance coverage counsel will negotiate insurance contracts, advise on City rights, and pursue claims. Interested respondents must submit all questions by November 30, 2026. Electronic Qualification Statements are due via the Procurement Portal no later than December 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM, as only electronic proposals will be accepted. The City's Corporation Counsel and Purchasing Agent will evaluate submissions to select the most advantageous proposals. Evaluation criteria include experience and reputation, availability for City meetings, litigation experience and results, and pertinent government experience.
Scope of work
- Defense and representation of City police officers in employment-related litigation
- Litigation under Tort Claims Act, CEPA, LAD, and 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983
- Negotiating terms and conditions of City insurance contracts
- Advising the City on rights and obligations under insurance contracts
- Acting as legal representative for claims under City insurance contracts
- Presenting claims and negotiating recoveries under insurance contracts
- Pursuing insurance claims via declaratory judgment, mediation, arbitration, or adversarial proceedings
- Attending meetings and providing specialized legal services on an as-needed basis
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Experience and reputation in the field | Not specified |
| Availability to accommodate the required meetings of the City | Not specified |
| Litigation experience and results in the areas of law described in Section 2 | Not specified |
| Pertinent government experience | Not specified |
Minimum qualifications
- Demonstrated litigation experience in Federal court
- New Jersey Business Registration Certificate (N.J.S.A. 52:32-44)
- Compliance with Affirmative Action and EEO requirements (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq., N.J.A.C. 17:27)
- Professional Liability Insurance with minimum $1,000,000.00 each claim and $2,000,000.00 aggregate
- Resumes and names of attorneys assigned to provide legal services
- Past five years of similar experience with municipal or other government entities
Documents to include with your response
- Business Entity Disclosure Certification
- Non-Collusion Affidavit
- Disclosure of Ownership Form
- Insurance Requirement Acknowledgement Form
- Mandatory Equal Employment Opportunity Notice Acknowledgement
- Professional Service Entity Information Form
- Qualification Affidavit
- Submission Form
- Acknowledgement of Corrections, Additions or Deletions Form
- Letter of Qualification
How to submit
- Method
- Electronic via Procurement Portal
- Instructions
- ONLY ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS SHALL BE ACCEPTED. Submitted via Procurement Portal at https://vendors.planetbids.com/portal/85923/bo/bo-detail/147304
