REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE PERIOD OF May 1, 2018 TO JANUARY 31, 2020 INQUIRIES AND PROPOSALS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: GEORGE PHILLIPS-OLIVIER DIRECTOR, SUPPORT SERVICES 1801 SUPERIOR AVE, SUITE 400 CLEVELAND, OH 44114 1
l. General Information A. Purpose. This request for proposal (RFP) is to contract for legal services to be provided to the Board of Directors of the Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland (CEOGC), for the period (Date of contract award) May 1, 2018 to December January 31, 2020. B. Who May Respond: Only Attorneys who are currently licensed to practice law in Ohio and maintain an office in Ohio or law firms including such attorneys, may respond to the RFP. C. Instructions on Proposal Submission: 1. Closing Submission Date Proposals must be submitted no later than 1:00pm on April 20, 2018. 2. Inquiries: Inquiries concerning this RFP should be e-mailed to: Gpolivier@ceogc.org 3. Conditions of Proposal: All costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal responding to this RFP will be the responsibility of the Offeror and will not be reimbursed by CEOGC. 4. Instructions to Prospective Firms: Your proposal should be addressed as follows: George Phillips-Olivier Director, Support Services CEOGC 1801 Superior Ave, Suite 400 Cleveland, OH 44114 It is important that the Offer s proposal be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked in the lower left hand corner with the following information: Request For Proposal Sealed Proposal for Legal Services 2
Failure to do so may result in premature disclosure of your proposal. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to insure the proposal is received by CEOGC by the date and time specified above. Late proposals will not be considered. 5. Right to Reject: CEOGC reserves the right to reject and all proposals received in response to this RFP. A contract for the accepted proposal will be drafted based upon the factors described in this RFP. 6. Small and or Minority Owned Business: Efforts will be made by CEOGC to utilize small businesses, women and/or minority owned businesses. Offeror qualifies as a small business firm if it meets the definition of small business as established by the Small Business Administration (13 C.F.R. 121.201). 7. Notification of Award: It is expected a decision selecting the successful firm will be made within thirty (30) days of the closing date of the receipt of the proposals. Upon conclusion of final negotiations with the successful firm, all Offerors submitting proposals in response to this RFP will be informed, in writing, of the name of the successful firm. It is expected the contract shall be a contract for work performed within the specified contract time period and will be compensated for hours of work performed at an agreed up rate. 8. Description of Entity: CEOGC is a Community Action Agency that serves primarily Cuyahoga County, and Northeast Ohio. CEOGC is a nonprofit that has been determined to be exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. CEOGC has an annual budget of approximately $35 million and is governed by a board of directors which meets at scheduled intervals during the year. CEOGC employs approximately 450 people. Administrative offices are located at 1801 Superior Ave, Cleveland, OH 44114. CEOGC s mission is to invest in people, nurture their success and transform lives. We do this by addressing five key areas: 1) Enrolling children and families in early childhood education 2) Providing support services to sustain individuals and families to help people focus on bettering themselves and their families in the future. 3) Encouraging and teaching personal and professional development 4) Assisting people with job placement and earning a living wage or higher 5) Assisting individuals and families with home energy assistance programs and services 3
ll. Scope of Services: The Offeror shall be readily available to perform the following legal services as requested by the President and CEO and/or Board of Directors of CEOGC: 1) Representation and Consultation on all legal matters related to CEOGC Business involving Board of Directors 2) Review, Consultation and recommendations for regular updates to the CEOGC Corporate By-Laws and Governance process 3) Attend Board of Directors and Committee meetings as necessary and legal advice and recommendations as needed 4) Advice and Consultation as requested by the Board of Directors or CEO on all legal issues with related fees above the CEO s authorized contracting threshold to include: a. Advise on responses to subpoenas, court orders, and formal requests for information/action from outside attorneys b. Provide assistance on regulatory and Grant related matters as needed c. Assist Board of Directors in preparation of CEO and Senior Officer agreements as needed d. Review contracts and leases as needed e. Advise on individual labor and employment matters as needed f. Review Corporate Policy and Procedure Manuals as needed g. Other legal service as needed Although it is preferable for an attorney or a firm to submit a proposal covering all of the above areas, CEOGC will consider proposals of substantial subsets of these areas. Offeror shall be prepared to submit detailed billing statements for all services billed at an hourly rate, broken down into time increments of no more than one sixth of an hour or every ten minutes. Offeror shall also include written summaries of work performed. Ill. Proposal Contents: The Offeror, in its proposal, shall at a minimum, include the following; 1) Legal Experience. The Offeror should describe its legal experience, including the names, addresses, contact persons, and telephone numbers of at least three clients, preferably including clients similar to CEOGC. Experience should include the categories listed above in the scope of services and experience advising nonprofit organizations conducting similar programs and government funded services 2) Organization: Size, Structure, and area of Practice. If the Offeror is a firm, it should describe its organization, size, structure, areas of practice, and office location(s). Indicate, if appropriate, if the firm is a small or minority/owned 4
business. Also include a copy of your Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy if the firm has one. 3) Attorney Qualifications: Minimally, the Offeror should describe the qualifications of attorneys to be assigned representation. Descriptions should include: 1) Professional and educational background 2) Overall supervision to be exercised 3) Prior experience of the individual attorneys with respect to the required experience listed above. Only include resumes of attorneys likely to be assigned representation. Education, position in the firm, years and types of experience, and continuing professional education will be considered. 4) Price. The Offeror s proposed price should include information on the hourly billing rates of each attorney or other legal staff who is expected to work on this representation and charges for expenses, if any, such as legal research, copies, and faxes. Also include a monthly flat fee that will be charged to advise on routine matters that could be handled over the telephone or otherwise without extensive research or other legal work. CEOGC reserves the right to negotiate with the Offeror on the structure of the billing and/or retainer fee. IV. Proposal Evaluation 1) Submission of Proposals. All proposals shall include one (1) original and three (3) copies. 2) Evaluation Procedure and Criteria: The President and CEO will assemble an evaluation team to review proposals and make recommendations to the Board of Directors for final approval. The President and CEO and/or the Board of Directors may request a meeting with some qualified Offerors prior to the final selection. Proposals will be reviewed with the following criteria: 1) Proposed scope of work 2) Level of experience of the individual(s) identified to work this contract 3) The Offeror s experience with similar clients and legal matters 4) Response from references 5) Cost 6) Interviews if conducted 5