The City seeks proposals from law firms and solo practitioners with a minimum of 15 years’ experience in defending, representing, and advising New York municipalities. Selected firms/attorneys will be expected to defend, litigate, and provide legal advice, counsel, services, consultation, and opinions to the City as needed due to conflicts or as determined by Corporation Counsel, in one or more of the following areas: a) General Civil Litigation and Insurance Coverage Matters • All types of municipal and tort/civil litigation claims, administrative claims, commercial claims, Article 78 proceedings, and other civil litigation involving the municipal functions of the City. • Insurance coverage disputes, claims, and risk management. Must have expertise in reviewing and interpreting insurance policies, including general liability, property, workers’ compensation, public officials’ liability, employment practices liability, cyber liability, and excess/umbrella coverage. Must have ability to represent the City in coverage disputes with insurers, including declaratory judgment actions, mediation, arbitration, and litigation, and handle bad faith insurance claims and disputes over duty to defend and indemnify. b) Police Misconduct • Police civil rights actions brought under Title 42, Section 1983 of the United States Code (42 U.S.C. §1983). c) Real Estate • Real estate transactions (sales, acquisitions, leasing). • Preparing and reviewing contracts, deeds, easements, mortgages, and related instruments. • Reviewing and analyzing title reports, surveys, and resolving related issues. • Real estate litigation, including RPAPL proceedings and eminent domain. d) Constitutional Law • Constitutional law claims, including due process violations, Fair Housing Act, ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and other claims against government entities and officials. e) Labor and Employment Law Counsel • State and federal employment matters and administrative proceedings involving claims such as discrimination, unlawful workplace harassment, retaliation, invasion of privacy, and wage relations. • Matters involving negotiations of collective bargaining agreements, union grievances, unfair labor practices actions or proceedings, arbitrations, and disciplinary proceedings. • Matters and proceedings before the Public Employment Relations Board, National Relations Board, and other state and federal courts. f) Land Use and Environmental Counsel • Matters involving land use and planning, including but not limited to, property acquisition, property disposals, public improvements, right-of-way issues, public and private easements, dedications, public utilities, zoning issues, and compliance with New York State and Federal environmental laws, including State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and Brownfield’s clean‐up and development. g) Bond Counsel: • Municipal bonding, bond law, and arbitrage. • The applicant must demonstrate a high degree of knowledge and experience with municipal bonds of at least five million dollars, refinancing of existing bonds, assisting municipalities to structure its debt service so as to minimize impact to the taxpayers, and preparing bond resolutions in accordance with New York General Municipal Law.
