Project Information

Bid Title

Litigation Defense Counsel, Workers Compensation Counsel & Special Conflict Counsel

Issuing Agency

City of Orange Township

Location

New Jersey

Published Date

Oct 24, 2025

Closing Date

Dec 4, 2025

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	Litigation Defense Counsel, Workers Compensation Counsel & Special Conflict Counsel
Category:	Bids and Request for Qualification (RFQs)
Status:	Open

Publication Date/Time: 10/24/2025 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 12/4/2025 1:00 PM Related Documents: RFQ - Litigation Defense Counsel Workers Compensation Counsel and Special Conflict Counsel -2026-revised

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Department of Law

Gracia Robert Montilus, City Attorney

Municipal Building

29 North Day Street, Second Floor

Orange, New Jersey 07050

REQUEST FOR

QUALIFICATIONS

Litigation/Defense Counsel Services

Workers’ Compensation Counsel Services &

Special Conflict Counsel Services

January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

SUBMISSION DEADLINE

1:00 PM – December 4, 2025

RFQ: Litigation/Defense Counsel Services

Workers’ Compensation Counsel Services &

Special Conflict Counsel Services

January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

Page 1

ABOUT THE CITY OF ORANGE TOWNSHIP

The City of Orange Township (“City”) is located in Essex County, New Jersey, and is home to

approximately 31,000 residents across 4 wards (North, South, East and West). Administration of City

government is overseen by an elected Mayor and a 7-member Municipal Council (1 member from each

ward and 3 at-large members), with day-to-day operations delegated to the City’s several departments.

Through the Business Administrator, the Department of Administration is responsible for, among other

things, overseeing the annual development of and advising the Mayor and Municipal Council on matters

involving the City.

PURPOSE OF REQUEST

The City is requesting proposals from qualified individuals and firms to provide Litigation/Defense

Counsel Services, Worker’s Compensation Counsel Services and Special Conflict Counsel Services. Proposal will

be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth in this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Using this RFQ, the

City intends to establish a pool of attorneys who will be available to provide legal services as needed which

shall be coordinated through the City’s Third Party Insurance Administrator (hereinafter “T.P.A.”). One or

more individual/firms may be selected to provide services. If selected, the governing body will approve a

resolution listing the individual and firms as approved Litigation/Defense Counsel, Workers’ Compensation

Counsel or Special Legal Counsel based on an hourly rate of $150.00 per hour. Litigation matters requiring

the defense of actions arising under the Torts Claims Act, N.J.S.A. 59:9-1 Et Seq., the Conscientious

Employee Protection Act, N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 Et Seq. (CEPA), Laws Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A. 10:5-

1 Et Seq. (LAD), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983 or actions involving disputes over contracts and/or challenges to

government actions shall be billed at the hourly rate of $150.00 per hour. Matters involving Special Conflict

Counsel shall be billed at the hourly rate of $150.00 per hour.

FORM AS TO SELECTION

If selected to provide services, the successful Respondent shall be forwarded a letter of engagement

that shall be binding on the Respondent and Respondent’s law firm, which includes indemnification,

insurance, termination and licensing provisions. It is also agreed and understood that the acceptance of the

representation shall be considered a release in full of all claims against the City arising out of, or by reason

of, the work done and materials furnished under this award.

TERM OF APPOINTMENT

The successful respondent shall be appointed for a period of twelve (12) months, beginning January

1, 2026 and continued through December 31, 2026.

RFQ: Litigation/Defense Counsel Services

Workers’ Compensation Counsel Services &

Special Conflict Counsel Services

January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

Page 2

SECTION I

INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 Introduction and Purpose

The City of Orange Township is soliciting Qualification Statements from interested persons and/or firms to provide

professional services, as more particularly described herein. Through a Request for Qualification process described

herein, person and/or firms interested in assisting the City with the provision of such services must prepare and submit a

Qualification Statement in accordance with the procedure and schedule in this RFQ. The City of Orange Township

will review Qualification Statements only from those persons and/or firms that submit a Qualification Statement which

includes all information required to be included as described herein (in the sole judgment of the City).

The City intends to qualify person(s) and/or firm(s) that (a) possess the professional, financial and administrative

capabilities to provide the proposed services, and (b) will agree to work under the level of compensation, terms and

conditions determined by the City to provide the greatest benefit to the taxpayers of the City.

1.2 Procurement Process and Schedule

The selection process is in accordance with the “New Jersey Local Unit Pay-to-Play”, Law and municipal ordinances

establishing the “pay-to-play” criteria. The City has structured a procurement process that seeks to obtain the desired

results described above, while establishing a competitive fair and open process to assure that each person and/or firm

is provided an equal opportunity to submit a Qualification Statement in response to the RFQ. Qualification Statements

will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth in Section 2 of this RFQ, which will be applied in the same

manner to each Qualification Statement received.

Qualification Statements will be reviewed and evaluated by the City Attorney of the City of Orange Township. The

Qualification Statements will be reviewed to determine if the Respondent has met the minimum professional,

administrative and financial areas described in this RFQ. Based upon the totality of the information contained in the

Qualification Statement, including information about the reputation and experience of each Respondent, the City

Attorney will evaluate and determine which Respondents are qualified (professionally, administratively and

financially) to be submitted to the Municipal Council for approval.

The RFQ process commences with the issuance of this RFQ. The steps involved in the process and the anticipated

completion dates are set forth in Table 1, Procurement Schedule. The City reserves the right to, among other things,

amend, modify or alter the Procurement Schedule upon notice to all potential Respondents.

All communications concerning this RFQ or the RFQ process shall be directed to the City’s Designated Contact

Person, in writing.

Qualification Statements must be submitted to, and be received by the Office of Procurement, via mail or hand delivery,

by 1:00 p.m. on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025. Qualification Statements will not be accepted by facsimile or

e- mail transmissions. Qualification Statement shall be opened in the City Attorney’s Office, located on the 2nd floor

of Orange City Hall, Orange, New Jersey.

RFQ: Litigation/Defense Counsel Services

Workers’ Compensation Counsel Services &

Special Conflict Counsel Services

January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

Page 3

TABLE I

ANTICIPATED PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

ACTIVITY DATE

1. Publication of Request for Qualifications October 23, 2025.

2. Commence Issuance of Request for Qualification Packages October 23, 2025.

3. Receipt of Qualification Statement December 4, 2025.

1.3. Conditions Applicable to RFQ.

 Upon submission of a Qualification Statement in response to this RFQ, the Respondent

acknowledges and consents to the following conditions relative to the submission and review and

consideration of its Qualification Statement:

 This document is an RFQ and does not constitute a Request for Proposals (RFP).

 This RFQ does not commit the City to issue an RFQ.

 All costs incurred by the Respondent in connection with responding to this RFQ shall be borne

solely by the Respondent.

 The City reserves the right (in its sole judgment) to reject for any reason any and all responses and to

eliminate any and all Respondents responding to this RFQ from further consideration for this

procurement.

 The City reserves the right, without prior notice, to supplement, amend, or otherwise modify this

RFQ, or otherwise request additional information.

 All Qualification Statements shall become the property of the City and will not be returned.

 All Qualification Statements will be made available to the public at the appropriate time, as

determined by the City (in the exercise of its sole discretion) in accordance with law.

 The City may request Respondents to send representatives to the City for interviews.

 Any and all Qualification Statements not received by the City’s Law Department Procurement by 1:00

p.m. on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2025, will be rejected.

 Neither the City, nor its officers, officials or employees shall be liable for any claims or damages

resulting from the solicitation or preparation of the Qualification Statement, nor will there be any

reimbursement to Respondents for the cost of preparing and submitting a Qualification Statement or

for participating in this procurement process.

1.4. Rights of City.

RFQ: Litigation/Defense Counsel Services

Workers’ Compensation Counsel Services &

Special Conflict Counsel Services

January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

Page 4

The City reserves the right to reject any and all submissions, if necessary, or to waive any informalities in

submissions and to accept any item, items or services in the submissions that are in the best interest of the

City. The City of Orange Township reserves the right to terminate services upon notice to the submitter.

1.5. Addenda or Amendments to RFQ

During the period provided for the preparation of responses to the RFQ, the City may issue addenda,

amendments or answers to written inquiries. Those addenda will be noticed by the City and will constitute a

part of the RFQ. All responses to the RFQ shall be prepared with full consideration of the addenda issued

prior to the Qualification Statement submission date.

1.6 Qualification Statement Format.

Qualification Statements must cover all information requested in this RFQ. Qualification Statements

which in the judgment of the City fail to meet the requirements of the RFQ or which are in any way

conditional, incomplete, obscure, contain additions or deletions from requested information, or contain

errors may be rejected.

SECTION 2

SCOPE OF SERVICES

2.1 It is the City’s intent to solicit Qualification Statements from Respondents that have expertise

in providing professional legal services as described below and as set forth in the attached Notice of

Solicitation for Responses. Respondents must demonstrate that they will have the continuing capabilities to

perform these services.

The City Attorney of the City of Orange Township seeks litigation and defense counsel to provide

outside counsel for the defense and representation of the City, its officers and employees. The subject matter

of such litigation includes, but is not limited to, Tort Claims Act, N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 et seq., Conscientious

Employee Protection Act, N.J.S.A. 34:19-1 et seq. (CEPA) Claims Laws Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A.

10:5-1 et seq. (LAD) claims, 42 U.S.C. sec. 1983 actions and contract matters and/or challenges to

governmental action. Counsel will have a close working relationship with the City’s Law Department.

The City is requesting Qualification Statements for Litigation/Defense Counsel, Workers’

Compensation Counsel and Special Conflict Counsel. Counsel will, on an “as needed” basis, be assigned

and required to provide representation in all aspects or litigation, including but not limited to, preparation of

pleadings, motions, and discovery documents; participation in all discovery including attendance at all

depositions; participation in and attendance at settlement conferences, pre-trial motions and trials.

Counsel may be called upon to attend meetings.

Counsel may also be called upon to provide other types of legal services of a specialized nature.

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541110Offices of Lawyers

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