8-RFP 2026-04 Town Attorney Legal Services 1.21.26.pdf

Town of Hilton Head Island

Request for Proposal (RFP)

Solicitation Number: 2026-04

Project Name: Town Attorney Legal Services (Council Appointment)

Date Advertised: January 21, 2026

Note: This public body does not discriminate against faith-based organizations, nor does it discriminate against a bidder or offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by the laws of the State of South Carolina, including the South Carolina Human Affairs Law (S.C. Code Ann. § 1-13-80) and applicable provisions of the South Carolina Consolidated Procurement Code (S.C. Code Ann. Title 11, Chapter 35).

Transmittal Page

Offerors shall complete all information requested on this page and submit it with their proposal:

Proposal Submission:

Proposals will ONLY be accepted electronically via the Town’s procurement Portal which can be accessed using the link below:

hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com/portal

Date Advertised: January 21, 2026

Solicitation Number: 2026-04

Description/Title: Town Attorney Legal Services (Council Appointment)

Proposal Submittal Deadline: 3:00pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026

* Proposals will not be accepted after the stated time and date.

Proposals will be publicly opened via virtual conference at 9:30am Eastern Time on

Wednesday, February 11th, 2026. The link to participate in the virtual opening is provided in Section I of this RFP.

Deadline for Questions: 5:00pm Eastern Time on Monday, February 2, 2026

Questions should be submitted through the Town’s Procurement Portal using the “Ask a question” button.

Town Contact:

Jessica Cummings/Contracts Administrator/ jessicac@hiltonheadislandsc.gov/ (843) 384-5104

Vendor Name: Vendor Contact Name:

Vendor Mailing Address: Vendor Contact Phone:

City-State-Zip-Code: Vendor Contact Email Address:

By signature below, I certify that this bid is submitted in all respects fairly and without collusion or fraud. I agree that this bid shall be good and held open for a period of at least sixty (60) days from the Submittal Deadline. I agree to abide by all conditions of this solicitation and certify that I am authorized to sign this bid on behalf of the bidder.

Vendor Authorized Signature:

Signature Date

Name and Title of Signatory:

Name:

Title:

https://hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities mailto:jessicac@hiltonheadislandsc.gov

TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND

2026-04 Town Attorney Legal Services (Council Appointment)

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL TRANSMITTAL PAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

I. GENERAL INFORMATION & SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

III. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS & FORMATTING

IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND CONTRACT AWARD

V. STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENTS:

EXHIBIT A: CHECKLIST OF SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

EXHIBIT B: SAMPLE TOWN AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT C: SC ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ACT AFFIDAVIT

EXHIBIT D: SCOPE OF SERVICES

EXHIBIT E: REFERENCES

TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND

2026-04

Town Attorney Legal Services (Council Appointment)

I. GENERAL INFORMATION AND SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

The Town of Hilton Head Island (“Town”) is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified providers (“Offeror” or “Contractor”) for Town Attorney Legal Services (Council Appointment) in accordance with the specifications provided herein.

Proposals must be submitted by the Proposal Submittal Deadline shown on the Transmittal Page. Proposals will ONLY be accepted electronically via the Town’s Procurement Portal which can be accessed using the following link hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com. If electronic submittal poses a hardship, please notify the Town Contact person identified on the Transmittal Page.

Proposals will be publicly opened via virtual conference at the date and time indicated on the Transmittal Page. Only the names of Offerors will be provided at the opening. No pricing information will be shared at that time. To participate, please use the following meeting link and information.

Virtual Proposal Opening Link and Information Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 9:30 AM Eastern Time

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 232 185 617 920 31

Passcode: Gv2P5av6

All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing via the Town’s Procurement Portal using the “Ask a question” button. Questions will be publicly answered via the Procurement Portal. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check the “Public Q&A” tab under the “Messages” section on the procurement portal to access and review all vendor Q&A. Addendums may be issued for additional information and would also be posted via the Procurement Portal. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check the Procurement Portal for any addendums issued.

The Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received in response to this solicitation, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this request for proposal, if it is in the best interests of the Town. The Town reserves the right to refuse any and all proposals and to waive any technicalities and formalities. The Town reserves the right to waive any mandatory requirements in this solicitation if such requirement is unmet by the majority of Offeror’s, and such a waiver is determined to be in the best interest of the Town.

https://hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com/portal https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZmYyZDgwYmUtYzZmMi00NjUxLTllYTQtODAyYzY3ZDgwYzll%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%220532dcac-ed77-486e-9810-63efa5ac7c95%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22beedccd4-39ef-4a07-99dc-b2b276b52c4d%22%7d

This solicitation does not commit the Town to award a contract or issue a purchase order to procure any articles of goods or services. The Town shall not incur or pay for any costs associated with the preparation of Offeror proposals.

The Town does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex [including pregnancy and childbirth (or related medical conditions)], religion, age or disability in employment or in the provision of goods and services.

The Town is committed to providing opportunities for disadvantaged businesses (small, women-owned, and minority-owned, etc.) to fully and fairly compete for contracts and to supply goods and services to the Town of Hilton Head Island. In the event of a tied bid, a certified disadvantaged business will be awarded the contract over a non-disadvantaged business. Ties between two businesses of the same status will be settled by a random selection. To be considered, disadvantaged businesses must submit proof of current government certification with their bid.

The Town offers a Local Vendor Certification. Certified local vendors will receive a 5% price reduction, up to a maximum of $10,000, for bid evaluation purposes. This preference only applies to the evaluation, not the final contract price. To be eligible, vendors must be certified by the Town before the bid submission deadline and include a copy of the certification with their bid.

A copy of the Local Vendor Certification Form can be found in the Public Files Tab of this solicitation and can also be found on the Town’s Website:

Https://hiltonheadislandsc.gov/business/vendorpreference/

The Town is required under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, to upon request, make public and disclose all documents of, and documents incidental to, executed contractual arrangements. Therefore, Offerors, by submitting a bid in response to this solicitation, are acknowledging that all materials submitted in their response may be subject to such disclosure, regardless of any labeling of materials as “confidential” or “proprietary” or other similar notations.

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The scope of services is provided in Exhibit D of this RFP.

III. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND FORMATTING

Offerors are REQUIRED to submit all requested information and/or documentation outlined in this section of the solicitation. Any Offeror failing to do so may have their proposal rejected as being non-responsive and making them ineligible for contract award. Offeror must complete and return with their proposal the “Checklist of Proposal Submittal Requirements”, a copy of which is included in this solicitation as Exhibit A. Offeror shall submit the following information in their proposal:

For the Scope of Services requested in Exhibit D, please provide in your proposal the following information and format your proposal into sections as noted below:

https://hiltonheadislandsc.gov/business/vendorpreference/

1. Statement of Interest

• A letter describing interest in the appointment, relevant experience, and availability to attend meetings as scheduled.

2. Qualifications and Experience

• Summary of legal practice areas

• Resume or biography

• Description of municipal or governmental experience

• Office location(s)

3. References

• At least three professional references (government clients preferred).

4. Fee Information

• Proposed hourly rates for the attorney and any support staff

• Description of any additional billable expenses

• Fee information may be submitted within the letter or as a separate attachment

5. Statutory Compliance

• Completed South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act affidavit

• Proof of insurance or statement confirming ability to meet required coverage upon appointment

IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND CONTRACT AWARD

If a contract is awarded as result of this solicitation, such award shall be made to the Offeror with the highest rated proposal based on the stated evaluation criteria. Contract award, as well as contract continuation in subsequent fiscal periods, is subject to the availability of Town funds. If contract negotiations with the highest rated offeror are unsuccessful, the Town reserves the right to begin contract negotiations with the next highest rated Offeror.

A. CRITERIA

The proposal will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1. Overall Proposal: Demonstrated understanding of the scope of work as reflected by proposal - to include project design, methodology and approach and proposed schedule. (35%)

2. Quality of Work and Experience: Demonstrated quality of work on projects of similar size and complexity performed for referenced clients, includes qualifications and experience of personnel to be assigned to the project. (35%)

3. Fees: Total cost and fees to be charged. (15%)

4. References: Level of satisfaction expressed regarding the quality and timeliness of the work performed and with the demonstrated technical skills, responsiveness, attention to detail and overall performance of assigned personnel. (The Town reserves the right to only check references on those Offerors deemed to be "finalists" after initial scoring of proposals).

(15%)

Town Council will:

• Review all submissions

• Identify finalists

• Conduct interviews which may occur in executive session and/or special meetings under South Carolina law

• Appoint the Town Attorney at a properly noticed public meeting

Evaluation will be based on qualifications, governmental experience, availability, communication skills, and proposed fee structure.

Reservation of Rights Town Council reserves the right to accept or reject any submission, request additional information, interview any respondent, or appoint the attorney determined to best serve the Town’s interests. Issuance of this Notice does not obligate Council to appoint any specific attorney.

V. STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Offeror acknowledges it has read and understands the terms and conditions provided in the Town’s standard contract clauses attached hereto as Exhibit B, and Offeror also agrees that such clauses shall substantially form the basis for a contract between Offeror and Town.

Offeror also acknowledges that terms and conditions provided in this RFP, either in their entirety or relevant portions thereof, may be included and become part of any resulting contract.

The anticipated term of the resulting contract shall be one (1) year, commencing on execution, with the option to renew for up to four (4) additional years in any combination of renewal terms, upon the written mutual agreement of the parties.