CITY OF TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP #LCS-011-060526

LABOR COUNSEL SERVICES

The City of Torrington is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) for qualified law firms or individual attorneys interested in providing legal services to the City in matters involving collective bargaining, labor law, personnel and employee relations. The City seeks legal counsel with proven municipal experience, negotiation skills, and expertise in state and federal labor laws.

Interested parties should submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements and directions herein.

Specifications may be obtained at the office of the Purchasing Agent or by accessing the City’s website at www.torringtonct.gov. Proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “RFP #LCS-011-060526 LABOR COUNSEL SERVICES” (with the cost proposal submitted in a separate sealed envelope, clearly marked).

All questions must be submitted by email to Pennie Zucco, Purchasing Agent at pennie_zucco@torringtonct.org by Wednesday May 27, 2026 by 12:00 noon. All questions determined to be of interest to all prospective firms will be answered in writing and provided to all firms by an addendum which will be posted on the City of Torrington web site.

Except as authorized by Ms. Zucco, no vendor may contact any other employee or elected or appointed official of the City of Torrington with respect to the RFP or the submission of a proposal.

The City of Torrington reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals; to waive any informalities; or to accept any proposal deemed in the best interests of the City of Torrington.

Each respondent shall supply one (1) original and four (4) exact copies in a sealed envelope bearing on the outside the name of the firm, full address, name of the project for which the proposal is submitted and the date and time this proposal is due.

All proposals will be considered valid for a period of ninety (90) days.

There will not be a public opening of this bid MBE’s, WBE’s and SBE’s ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Pennie Zucco, Purchasing Agent City of Torrington May 2, 2026 http://www.torringtonct.gov/ mailto:pennie_zucco@torringtonct.org

RFP #LCS-011-060526

LABOR COUNSEL SERVICES

PURPOSE:

The City of Torrington is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) for qualified law firms or individual attorneys interested in providing legal services to the City in matters involving collective bargaining, labor law, personnel and employee relations. The City seeks legal counsel with proven municipal experience, negotiation skills, and expertise in state and federal labor laws.

Interested parties should submit a proposal in accordance with the requirements and directions herein.

The firm(s) must provide full disclosure of all existing client relationships that currently or prospectively may give rise to conflicts of interest and disqualification as governed by the codes and rules of professional responsibility and conduct promulgated by the American Bar Association and the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut.

PROPOSALS RECEIVED:

All proposals must be in a sealed envelope and received prior to 11:00 AM, Friday, June 5, 2026 at the office of the Purchasing Agent, City of Torrington, 140 Main Street, Room 206, Torrington, Connecticut 06790. Any proposal received after this date and time will not be accepted. Sealed envelope(s) should be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope, including all outer packaging, such as DHL, FedEX, UPS, etc.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The City has six collective bargaining units with membership of approximately 280 full time employees. Included within this membership is a uniformed Police Department of 89 Officers and a full time Fire Department of 54 Fire Fighters. There is also a group of remaining employees that are unaffiliated (non-union). There are currently no contracts open. However, beginning in the first quarter of 2026, negotiations will begin on several labor contracts.

CONTRACT PERIOD:

Prices offered on the proposal schedule shall be firm for the specified period. The City and the contractor(s), if mutual agreement is reached, may extend the contract for up to two additional years. Any extension shall be at the same price, terms, and conditions as the previous year;

however, the owner has the sole discretion to reject or accept such extension. Evaluation for extension of the contract will be done yearly at the anniversary date of each of the contracts, but in no case shall the duration of this contract exceed five (5) years in total.

SCOPE OF SERVICES:

Legal Counsel will be required to provide legal advice and counsel to the Mayor, Human Resources and Corporation Counsel and others as expressly authorized on a variety of matters pertaining to collective bargaining, labor law, personnel and employee relations. The delivery of legal services is to be coordinated through the Human Resources and Corporation Counsel.

Examples of legal services include:

Compliance with state and federal employment laws, including, but not limited to MERA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, ADEA, FLSA, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, OSHA and ACA Unemployment compensation ADA labor matters Discrimination, anti-harassment Litigation Wage, hour and overtime standards Mediation Arbitration (Grievance and Interest) Collective bargaining and labor contract administration and interpretation Employment practices, workplace policies and procedures Be accessible to the City to provide legal assistance and counsel as applicable All other matters typically associated with municipal labor law, State and Federal labor law, personnel and employee relations Other services as may be directed by the Mayor and/or Human Resources and Corporation

Counsel.

Provide updates to City management on recent case law involving labor and employment law matters.

Provide training to City personnel on labor and employment law The selected firm(s) must employ and make available to the City, counsel that are admitted in good standing to the bar of the State of Connecticut and the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL:

Part A. Proposal Instructions: Experience and Qualifications By submitting a proposal, you represent that you have thoroughly examined and become familiar with the scope of services outlined in this RFP and you are capable of performing the work to achieve the City’s objectives. Respondents should clearly describe the specific legal services for which their proposal is submitted with the understanding this Request for Proposal is intended for legal services for labor, personnel, employee relations and workers compensation matters.

All respondents are required to submit the information detailed below. Responses shall be organized and presented in the order listed below. Responses should be presented in appropriate detail herein and presented and clearly marked in order within this written proposal.

1. Table of contents to include clear identification of the material provided by section and number.

2. A letter of transmittal indicating the firm’s interest in providing the service and any other information that would assist the City in making a selection. This letter must be signed by a person legally authorized to bind the firm to a contract.

3. Name and telephone number of person(s) to be contacted for further information or clarification.

4. A background and qualifications statement including, name of firm/individual, capabilities and description and history of your firm and the servicing office.

5. Include a list of not less than three municipal client references (cities or town) for which services similar to those outlined herein have been provided within the past five (5) years or are currently being provided. This list shall include the following information:

A. Name of the city/town;

B. When the legal services were provided;

C. Type of legal services provided by the firm; and

D. Name and address and telephone number of the principal contact of the city/town.

6. List of personnel to be assigned to this project, including the principal contact attorney.

Please list the number of years of experience in their current position, municipalities served and their roles in providing services. Also provide their resumes and document the chain of command for these individuals.

7. Understanding the Scope of Work. Include information that explains your firm’s ability to perform, implement and administer these services, emphasizing experience with other municipalities. Summarize all areas of expertise and experience as related to municipal labor law, State and Federal labor law, personnel and employee relations.

8. A detailed description of how the law firm or individual attorney will supply legal services to the City and general approach to serving as Legal Counsel for the services referenced herein including availability and responsiveness.

9. A listing of any grievances filed, with the outcome, against the law firm or individual attorney within the past five (5) years.

10. Describe what method of communication your firm utilizes to provide updates of pertinent information, such as new public acts, rulings and trends. For example: newsletters, electronic mailings, other.

11. A concluding statement as to why the Respondent is best qualified to meet the needs of the City, including any other information relative to this proposal.

12. DO NOT include any cost information in Part A. Failure to comply will be cause for rejection of your proposal.

Part B. Fee Proposal – Submitted in a Separate Sealed Envelope, clearly marked.

1. In a separately sealed envelope, The Bidder shall submit a single blended hourly rate for the Attorney and staff. The hourly rate is to be complete and is to include all incidental costs such as secretarial, copying and mailing expenses expected during the normal course of business. Alternative cost solutions may also be proposed.

2. The term of appointment will be three (3) years with two possible one (1) year extensions in the City’s discretion. Each firm/individual submitting a proposal is requested to detail their fee proposal on a three (3) year basis.

Proposal Requirements / Format:

Proposals shall consist of two separate sections; Part A shall consist of the Technical Proposal, Qualifications and References and Part B shall consist of the Fee Proposal. Each part is to be submitted in duplicate in separate, opaque envelopes.

The City will not be liable for any costs incurred by bidders in preparing proposals or associated costs. The offeror shall furnish the City such additional information as may reasonably be required to evaluate the proposals.

Proposal Evaluation and Basis of Award The City will review and evaluate all proposals to determine whether the Firm has submitted a complete proposal that adequately demonstrates that they meet the minimum technical and experience qualifications and they have the proper facilities, personnel and background to satisfactorily execute the full scope of Services; otherwise, the proposal will be rejected. The evaluation will include interviews of qualified firms. Attorneys who will be assigned the work must attend the interview.

Copies Required: Each respondent must submit one (1) original clearly marked and four (4) exact copies in a sealed envelope bearing on the outside the name of the firm, full address, name of the project for which the proposal is submitted and the date and time this proposal is due.

PROPOSAL DEADLINE:

These proposals must be received by the City no later than Friday, June 5, 2026 at 11:00 A.M. The sealed envelope containing the proposal must be enclosed in another envelope marked RFP #LCS-011-060526, LABOR COUNSEL SERVICES.

Proposals received after the date and time prescribed shall not be considered for engagement award and shall be returned to the respondents.

Proposals delivered by US Postal Service or FedEx, UPS should be clearly marked on the outside of envelope(s) and be addressed to: Ms. Pennie Zucco, Purchasing Agent, City of Torrington, 140 Main Street, Room 206, Torrington, CT 06790.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

Oral Agreements - Any alleged oral agreement or arrangement made by a respondent with any agency or employee will be superseded by the written agreement.

Amending or Canceling Requests - The City of Torrington reserves the right to amend or cancel this RFP, prior to the due date and time, if it is in the best interest of the City to do so.

Rejection for Default or Misrepresentation - The City of Torrington reserves the right to reject the proposal of the firm which is in default of any prior engagement for misrepresentation.

Procedures: The extent and character of the labor counsel services to be performed by the firm shall be subject to the general control and approval of the Corporation Counsel. The firm shall not comply with requests and/or orders issued by those other than those noted or their designees acting within their authority for the City. Any change to the engagement must be approved by the Corporation Counsel.

Termination: Subject to the provision below, the engagement may be terminated by the City upon thirty (30) days advance written notice to the other party; but if any work or service hereunder is in progress, but not completed as of the date of termination, then this engagement may be extended upon written approval of the City until said work or services are completed and accepted.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

Collusion – By responding, the firm implicitly states that the proposal is not made in connection with any competing firm submitting a separate response to the RFP, and is in all respect fair and without collusion or fraud. It is further implied that the firm did not participate in the RFP development process, had no knowledge of the specific contents of the RFP prior to its issuance, and that no employee of the City participated directly or indirectly in the firm’s proposal preparation. The respondent shall be required to complete and submit the Non-collusive Statement incorporated herein with their proposal.

NON-DISCRIMINATION:

The respondent agrees and warrants that in the performance of the contract pursuant to this solicitation he/she will not discriminate or permit discrimination against any person or group of persons on the grounds of sex, race, color, religion, age, marital status, ancestry, national origin, past history of mental disorder, mental retardation or physical disability or other basis in any manner prohibited by the laws of the United States, the State of Connecticut or the City of Torrington.

WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL:

Proposals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the proposal date. No firm shall withdraw or cancel their proposal for a period of ninety (90) days after the proposal closing date of Friday, June 5, 2026 11:00AM. The successful respondent shall not withdraw, cancel or modify their proposal.

INSURANCE

Certificate of Insurance: All insurance policies must include a Waiver of Subrogation whereby the insured waives its right to subrogate against the City, its subsidiaries, employees, volunteers, directors and officers. Proof of proper insurance coverage, Workers Compensation Insurance, Liability and Property damage, and Vehicle Insurance shall be filed with the City of Torrington Purchasing Agent within 10 days after the award of the bid. The Certificate of Insurance must name the City of Torrington, 140 Main St., Torrington, CT, its subsidiaries, employees, volunteers, directors & officers as the “Additional Insured” and filed with the Purchasing Agent prior to commencement of work. Renewal Certificates of Insurance must be mailed to the Purchasing Agent 10 days prior to the expiration of the required coverage.

INDEMNIFICATION

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Bidder shall indemnify and hold harmless the City and their respective consultants, agents, and employees from and against all claims, damages, losses and expenses, direct, indirect or consequential (including but not limited to fees and charges of attorneys and other professionals and court and arbitration costs) arising out of or resulting from the performance of the Firm’s work, provided that such claim, damage, loss or expense is caused in whole or in part by any negligent act or omission by the Firm, or breach of its obligations herein or by any person or organization directly or indirectly employed or engaged by the Firm to perform or furnish services, or anyone for whose acts the Firm may be liable, regardless of whether or not it is caused in part by a party indemnified hereunder.

As to any and all claims against the City or any of its consultants, agents or employees by any employee of Firm, by any person or organization directly or indirectly employed by Firm to perform or furnish any of the work, or by anyone for whose acts Firm may be liable, the indemnification obligation under this section shall not be limited in any way by any limitation on the amount of type of damages, compensation or benefits payable by or for Firm under worker’s or workman’s compensation acts, disability benefit acts or other employee benefit acts.

FEDERAL PROCUREMENT

Any procurement made pursuant to a federal award or subject to reimbursement, in whole or in part, with federal funds must comply with the City of Torrington’s purchasing procedures, state law, and the applicable Federal Procurement Requirements, including 2 CFR § 200.322 ("Procurement of recovered materials"), 2 CFR § 200.323 ("Contract cost and price"), 2 CFR §

200.324 ("Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity review"), 2 CFR § 200.325 ("Bonding requirements"), and 2 CFR § 200.326 ("Contract provisions"). In the event of any conflict between Town, State, or federal requirements, the most stringent requirement must be used. (See 2 CFR § 200.318.) City employees must comply with funding agency requests for review of technical specifications or procurement documents as provided in 2 CFR § 200.324.

The City of Torrington reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal to best serve its interest or to hold the proposals for 90 days before decision.

The City of Torrington reserves the right to make an award based solely on the proposals or to negotiate further with one or more respondent.

Acceptance of any firm’s response does not place the City of Torrington under any obligation to accept the lowest priced response.

INCURRING COSTS:

The City of Torrington is not liable for any cost incurred by any respondent prior to the issuance of a contract and purchase order.

STIPULATIONS:

A contract issued as the result of a RFP shall not be considered exclusive. The City reserves the right to contract with other vendors for similar services when deemed appropriate.

The City maintains the right to withhold payment for unsatisfactory work product until such time that the defect is corrected.

The City reserves the right to cancel the contract at any time with no cost to the City. Any violations of the contract specifications shall be deemed to be justification to cancel the contract.

Should it become necessary for the City to write a letter notifying the contractor of unsatisfactory work, it will become the first step in terminating the contract for cause. If it is necessary to repeat this procedure, the third letter will constitute notice of termination of the contract for cause. The City’s decision shall be final and without recourse or cost to the City. Furthermore, the City reserves the right to deduct from the vendor’s invoices any costs incurred due to the cancellation of a contract for cause. If the cancellation is for budgetary considerations or is based upon the discretionary right of the City then the cancellation shall be upon thirty (30) days written notice.

The City reserves the right not to award the continuation of a multiple year contract. The award of each year's contract is contingent upon adoption and approval of budgetary funds for this purpose.

LABOR COUNSEL SERVICES

RFP LCS-011-060526

PROPOSAL PAGE

Issued: May 1, 2026 Reply Date: June 5, 2026

THE PROPOSAL MUST BE SIGNED BY THE RESPONDENT TO BE ACCEPTED:

COMPANY NAME SIGNATURE AND TITLE

We, the undersigned submit our proposal to provide Labor Counsel Services for the City of Torrington for a policy period of three years in accordance with the Scope of Services outlined in this request and submit for your consideration the following:

RESPONDENT CHECKLIST

We have submitted the following for your review:

1. Letter of Transmittal ______

2. Statement of Firms Experience & Qualification ______

3. Resume of Key Personnel ______

4. Fee Schedule ______

5. Non-Collusive Statement ______

6. Submit four (4) exact copies of proposal ______

Receipt of Addenda is acknowledged:

Addendum No. ______ Date_______ Addendum No. ______ Date_______ Addendum No. ______ Date_______

We understand that the proposal page must be submitted with this request and be signed by an authorized agent of our organization to be accepted by the City of Torrington.

Date: ________________

Name of Organization: _________________________________

Address of Local Office: _________________________________

Address of Principal Office: _________________________________

Federal Tax Identification Number (FEIN) __________________

Name and Title of Agent Submitting Proposal (Who may be contacted with questions regarding this proposal).

Telephone Number:_______________________ Fax Number:___________________________

Name and Title of Individual with engagement authority:

CITY OF TORRINGTON

RFP #LCS-011-060526

NON-COLLUSION STATEMENT

The company submitting this proposal certifies that it is being submitted without any collusion, communication or agreement as to any matter relating to it with any other respondent or competitor. We understand that this proposal must be signed by an authorized agent of our company to constitute a valid proposal.

Date______________

Name of Company: _________________________________

Name and Title of Agent: _________________________________

By (SIGNATURE): ______________________________________

Address ______________________________________

Telephone Number: _________________________________

Email Address:

Federal Tax Identification Number: (FEIN) ___________________________________________

RFP #LCS-011-060526

COST PROPOSAL PAGE

SEPARATE SEALED ENVELOPE

The undersigned,_________________________ _doing business in the City/Town of ________________ submits herewith, in conformity with the general terms and conditions and specifications for the above-mentioned public bid, the following proposal for: Legal

Services - Labor and Workers

Compensation

List of Personnel: Year 1

7/1/26-6/30/27 Year 2

7/1/27-6/30/28 Year 3

7/1/28-6/30/29

Senior Partners $ hr $ hr $ hr

Partners/Senor Counsel $ hr $ hr $ hr

Counsel $ hr $ hr $ hr

Senior Associates $ hr $ hr $ hr

Junior Associates $ hr $ hr $ hr

Law Clerks $ hr $ hr $ hr

Paralegals $ hr $ hr $ hr

Note: No Charges for Secretarial or normal copying costs will be considered. Other costs incurred must be billed at actual costs.

DO NOT include any cost information in Part A. Failure to comply will be cause for rejection of your bid.

Payment Terms: % Discount Days Net ______Days

Company Name Date Phone Email

Address City State Zip Code

Name (Print) Title

Sign Receipt Of Addenda Is Acknowledged (If Applicable):

No. Date No. Date

RFP #LCS-011-060526

EXCEPTIONS

This form must be signed and returned.

EXCEPTIONS

The undersigned bidder proposes the following exceptions for Legal Services - Labor and Workers Compensation.

Exceptions will be considered to the product or service specifications only. All other conditions or agreements submitted in response to the bid, unless specifically requested, will be rejected.

Any and all price changes related to these exceptions are specifically stated herewith.

Exception Price Change Show (+ / -)

Name (Print) Phone

Sign Date

Title

Federal Tax Identification Number (FEIN)