Legal Services for Tort Litigation

Seminole County Board of County Commissioners has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for legal services focused on tort litigation, specifically seeking a legal firm to handle general liability defense for bodily injury and automobile liability claims. The procurement targets attorneys with extensive experience analyzing and litigating claims against Florida state and local governments, with potential coverage of occasional errors and omissions or employment practices claims. Proposers must submit comprehensive documentation including attorney resumes, writing samples, board certifications, and professional references. The evaluation will be conducted using a weighted scoring system: staff experience (30%), general firm experience (25%), government and presumptive heart claim experience (25%), and price proposal (20%), with scores assigned on a 0-5 point scale. Key dates for this opportunity include a question submission deadline of April 4, 2025, and a proposal submission deadline of April 16, 2025, at 2:00 pm, with electronic submissions required. The County intends to award one contract for tort litigation services administered through the Risk Management Division, with no guaranteed minimum number of cases.

While no specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned, the contract includes rigorous insurance requirements that will impact potential respondents. The legal services contract is structured for an initial three-year term, with options for two additional one-year renewals. Insurance requirements are comprehensive, including Workers' Compensation & Employers' Liability Insurance (with statutory coverage and $500,000 limits), Commercial General Liability Insurance ($1-2 million limits), Business Automobile Liability Insurance ($1 million combined single limit), and Professional Liability Insurance ($5 million per claim). The compensation structure will be based on fixed fees through individual purchase orders, with the first three months considered probationary. Though a specific contract value is not detailed, the extensive insurance and qualification requirements suggest a high-value, complex procurement targeting experienced legal firms specializing in government tort litigation. The County reserves the right to conduct reference checks and potentially require presentations from shortlisted proposers.