Utopia
Retirement System
Legal
Services
RFP
Questions
A. Background:
1.
Briefly describe your firm’s
background, size, and history pertinent to the requested services in this RFP.
Indicate which office will service URS.
2.
Describe the relevant special services
your firm provides, particularly those that may not be offered by other law
firms.
3.
Within the past three years, have
there been any significant developments in your firm such as changes in
ownership or restructuring? Do you anticipate any significant changes in the
future? Please describe.
4.
What is your firm’s policy as to
continuing legal education for its attorneys?
5.
Describe the on-line services,
publications and other resources maintained by your firm dealing with public
pension plans, including subscription services and periodicals. Will any of
these resources be available to URS’s staff?
6.
Has your firm or an attorney in your
firm’s employ ever been disciplined or censured by any regulatory body? If so,
describe the principal facts.
7.
How does your firm identify and
manage conflicts of interest?
8.
Are there any potential conflict of
interest issues for your firm in servicing URS? If so, describe them.
9.
Within the last five years, has your
firm, or a partner or attorney in your firm, been involved in litigation or
other legal proceedings relating to provision of legal services? If so, provide
an explanation and indicate the current status or disposition.
10. Does your
firm represent the board of trustees of any other pension plan? If so, list the
full name, address and telephone number of each of the pension plan and
telephone number of the Executive Director and General Counsel.
11. List and
describe any professional or personal relationship your firm has with the URS’s
plan sponsor or legislative oversight bodies during the past three years. Also
list any professional or personal relationships your firm’s attorneys may have
with the trustees and or staff members of URS.
12. List all
attorneys you would expect to render legal services to URS if your firm is engaged
to serve as fund counsel and the area of specialization of each. Describe the
role of each attorney who would be assigned to URS. Are any of the attorneys
listed pursuant to the prior question rated by Martindale Hubbell? If so
provide the Martindale Hubbell rating for each.
13. Describe
your legal team’s experience with similar work performed for other pension
clients. State whether or not the attorneys assigned to this team have any
responsibilities other than providing legal services, and if so, specify such
responsibilities.
14. Please describe your firm’s backup procedures
in the event one or more attorneys assigned to URS leave the firm. Identify the key attorney who will be the
primary contact and lead counsel in providing services to URS, whose continuing
status as such is an essential element of this contract.
15. Has any
pension plan represented by your firm been engaged in litigation during the
past three years, other than collection proceedings brought on behalf of the
plan? If so, without disclosing any information that is not a matter of public
record, describe the nature and cause of the proceedings, the course of the
litigation and the outcome if completed.
16. Has your
firm been asked to commence legal proceedings against a fund-client’s sponsoring local or state
governmental entity for which your firm was also rendering legal services? If
so, what steps and procedures did your firm employ?
Provide
three client references for whom your firm has performed work similar to that
requested in this RFP. Provide each
client’s in-house counsel’s (or, if none, CEO’s) name, address and telephone
number.
Identify all
public sector clients who have terminated their working relationship with you in the past three years
and a brief statement of your understanding of their reasons for doing so. Provide each such client’s in-house counsel’s
(or, if none, CEO’s) name, address and telephone number.
1.
What limitation on liability, if any,
do you impose through your contract?
2.
Describe the levels of coverage for
legal malpractice insurance and any professional liability insurance your firm
carries. List the insurance carrier(s) and each carrier’s rating by a
nationally recognized service.
3.
Describe your disaster recovery plan
and facilities.
Describe in detail the billing rates,
practices and policies of your firm that would apply if your firm were engaged
to serve as URS counsel
F.
Appendices:
Appendix A – Biographies
Include biographies for all attorneys listed in your
proposal. Indicate what year each attorney joined your firm and describe his or
her position, current responsibilities, areas of expertise, experience,
education, professional designations and memberships, and relevant publications
and presentations dealing with the representation of pension clients. (Note: Some
pension plans may want specific information about specialty areas of law if
they are seeking specific legal services versus general services.)
Appendix B – Sample Contract or
Agreement
F.
Other
Information:
1.
Describe any other processes and
provide any additional information that you believe to be relevant to the RFP
and your capability to provide the services requested.