Item 23 - Agreements and Amendments to Agreements for Legal Services

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Agreements and Amendments to Agreements for Legal Services November 21, 2023 Page 2 litigation regarding AC 2525 Main v. City of Santa Ana, for the period of November 21, 2023 to June 30, 2026, with an option to extend for up to one year, in an amount not to exceed $500,000, subject to non -substantive changes approved by the City Manager and City Attorney (Agreement No. 2023-XXX). 5. Authorize the City Manager to execute a legal services agreement with the law firm of Goldfarb & Lipman LLP for municipal advisory and litigation services, including but not limited to, defending the City in litigation challenging the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, housing, affordable housing, fair housing, rent stabilization, land use, and real property issues for the period of November 21, 2023 to November 30, 2026, with an option to extend for up to one year, in an amount not to exceed $500,000, subject to non -substantive changes approved by the City Manager and City Attorney (Agreement No. 2023-XXX). GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes DISCUSSION Liebert Cassidy & Whitmore The City has had a contractual relationship with LCW for special legal counsel services, primarily in the area of labor relations, labor negotiations, and representing the City in administrative hearings before the Public Employment Relations Board. This Agreement will provide the Human Resources Department with the resources necessary to efficiently meet the specialized legal needs of the City, on an as -needed basis. LCW has specialized experience and expert knowledge in the fields of employment and labor law matters. The Agreement is for an amount not to exceed $300,000 for a term beginning November 21, 2023 and ending December 31, 2026 with one optional one- year extension. The City has been a member of the Orange County Employment Relations Consortium for several years. This membership has an annual fee of less than $5,000 and provides the City with group training workshops, monthly newsletters covering employment relations developments, and annual access to LCW library services. This Agreement expires on December 31, 2023. However, the Human Resources Department is seeking approval to execute an agreement to renew the membership for another year through December 31, 2024, for a total amount not to exceed $5,000. If the membership is renewed at the end of each agreement term, the total annual fee will increase by 5% annually. Staff recommends approval of the agreements to provide the special legal and training/consulting services in an efficient manner, on an as -needed basis by the City. The two Agreement do not guarantee work for LCW.