Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. General corporate maintenance and corporate governance (e.g. General Counsel). Each Proposer should have experience in the following areas: corporate, corporate governance, professional ethics, contract matters, environmental law, insurance, technology, intellectual property, administrative law, eDiscovery, privacy and information security, general and partnership tax, government relations and governmental agency law. Each Proposer should also identify its representation as a General Counsel of any public sector or governmental clients in the past three years. As part of its representation as General Counsel, each Proposer should also have experience in: A. Answering, responding to, responding to and defending appeals, and general knowledge of requests made under Rhode Island’s Access to Public Records Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 38- 2-1, et seq.); B. General knowledge of, ensuring compliance with, and responding to and defending complaints under the Open Meeting Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-1, et seq.); and C. General knowledge of, ensuring compliance with, and responding to and defending bid protests under the State Purchasing Act (R.I. Gen. Laws § 37-2-1, et seq.), including, but not limited to, negotiating and drafting contracts, procurements, and prosecuting and defending contract claims. Proposers should indicate experience in legal advisory and representation for public board meetings, including indicating attendance, executing meeting minutes, and planning and assisting in board materials review. 2. Public finance. Each Proposer should have experience in public finance, including knowledge and ability to close complex tax-exempt and taxable financing. 3. General litigation. Each Proposer should have experience in the following areas of litigation: business litigation, employment litigation, contract disputes, and complex commercial transaction litigation. Proposers should include in their responses whether they represented plaintiffs or defendants in those areas of litigation; should indicate the number of litigation cases handled by your firm over the past two (2) years; and the number of attorneys and other professionals (e.g. paralegals) in your litigation department. Proposers should also describe how they manage litigation and how they control litigation expenses. Each Proposer should also identify its representation of any public sector or governmental clients in litigation matters in the past three years. 4. Labor and employment. Each Proposer should describe its experience and resources in the following employment litigation areas: (i) defense of employment matters in various venues (e.g. workers’ compensation; unemployment; Human Rights Commission); (ii) defense of employment litigation in various venues (including administrative agencies; state and federal court); (iii) affirmative litigation in the employment area; and (iv) alternative dispute resolution/mediation. Each Proposer should describe its experience and resources in the following employment law areas: (i) handling of employee grievances and internal investigations; (ii) sexual harassment prevention and investigation; (iii) discrimination prevention and investigations; (iv) affirmative action compliance, (v) workplace policies, procedures and handbooks; (vi) employment taxes, (vii) FMLA; (viii) benefit plans; (ix) insurance (including, but not limited to, medical, workers’ compensation, disability and D&O liability); (x) wage and hour compliance, (xi) whistleblower and retaliation claims, (xii) performance management and termination, (xiii) workplace safety; and (xiv) ADA claims. Each Proposer should also identify its representation of any public sector or governmental clients in labor and employment matters in the past three years. 5. Real Estate. Each Proposer should describe its experience and resources in real estate matters, including, but not limited to: real estate closing, real estate liens and encumbrances, and real estate conveyances, licenses, and leases. Each Proposer should also identify its representation of any public sector or governmental clients in real estate matters in the past three years. 6. Transactional work and tax credit incentives. Each Proposer should describe its experience and resources in transactional matter and tax credit incentive matters, including, but not limited to: general commercial transactions, tax credit transactions, drafting and enforcing tax credit agreements, and collaboration between state and quasi-state agencies relative to the awarding or redeeming tax credits pursuant to tax credit agreements. Each Proposer should also identify its representation of any public sector or governmental clients in transactional matters or tax credit incentive matters in the past three years.
