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RFCA for Legal Services Agreements <br />October 20, 2015 <br />Page 2 <br />The law firm of Haight Brown & Bonesteel, LLP shall provide special legal counsel services to the <br />City to act as conflict counsel on cases when needed. The law firm shall provide service at a rate <br />of $225 per hour for attorneys and $125 per hour for paralegals. Conflict counsel is utilized in <br />matters where an employee and the City cannot be represented by the same attorney due to a <br />conflict of interest. <br />The law firm of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, APLC shall conduct personnel <br />investigations as needed. The law firm shall provide services at a rate of $310 per hour for <br />attorneys with travel time billed at $150 an hour. Paralegal services will be billed at a rate of $150 <br />an hour and transcription services by support staff will be billed at $60 an hour. <br />The law firm of Ferguson, Praet & Sherman, APLC has been providing legal services to the City <br />since early 2015 and is currently handling the City's defense in four employment matters. The City <br />wishes to continue utilizing the services of this firm for tort defense in employment cases. The law <br />firm shall provide service at a rate of $215 for attorneys. <br />STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT <br />Approval of this item supports the City's effort to meet Goal # 7 (Team Santa Ana), Objective #3 <br />(improve communication between all levels of the organization), Strategy B (promote fairness <br />and trust to ensure organizational behavior is consistent with City values). <br />FISCAL IMPACT <br />The tort defense services would be paid out of the Personnel Department's Risk Management <br />Liability Fund Account (account no. 08009051 — 62300). The funds for these Agreements are not <br />utilized until matters are assigned to special counsel. Funds expended under these Agreements <br />are monitored by the City Attorney's Office, the Finance Department, and Risk Management <br />through the review of invoices and setting the reserves associated with each matter. <br />Sonia R. Carvalho <br />City Attorney <br />Francisco Gutierrez <br />Executive Director <br />Finance & Management Services Agency <br />EXHIBITS: 1. Agreement with Alvarez, Glassman & Colvin. <br />2. Agreement with Haight, Bonesteel & Brown, LLP <br />3. Agreement with Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, APLC. <br />4. Agreement with Ferguson, Praet & Sherman, APLC. <br />25A -2 <br />