Town Attorney Legal Services (Council Appointment)

The Town of Hilton Head Island is soliciting sealed proposals for Town Attorney Legal Services through a Council Appointment process, with proposals due by 3:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, submitted electronically via the Town's Procurement Portal. The primary objective is to engage a qualified legal services provider to serve as Town Attorney and deliver comprehensive municipal legal counsel, including attendance at Town Council meetings held on the second Tuesday of each month, standing committee meetings on the second Monday of each month, and workshops typically held on the last Tuesday of the month. Required deliverables and services encompass advising on procedural and substantive legal matters, drafting and reviewing ordinances, resolutions, contracts, deeds, and agreements, representing the Town in civil litigation or coordinating with outside counsel, providing guidance on Freedom of Information Act matters, and supporting staff interpretation of Land Management Regulations. Minimum qualifications require offerors to hold a Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school, maintain active membership in good standing with the South Carolina Bar, maintain a practice in Beaufort County, South Carolina, and possess a minimum of five years of civil practice experience in municipal law, land use, zoning, contracts, real estate, torts, and litigation, with government advisory experience strongly preferred. The deadline for submitting questions is 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday, February 2, 2026. Evaluation criteria consist of overall proposal understanding and approach (35%), quality of work and experience with similar projects and personnel qualifications (35%), proposed fees (15%), and references regarding work quality and timeliness (15%), with public proposal opening scheduled for 9:30 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, via Microsoft Teams virtual conference. Town Council will review submissions, identify finalists, conduct interviews which may occur in executive session, and appoint the Town Attorney at a properly noticed public meeting.

The Local Vendor Preference is not applicable to this Request for Qualifications for professional services; however, certified local vendors may receive a five percent price reduction applied for evaluation purposes only, with a maximum reduction cap of ten thousand dollars, though the final contract price will reflect the original bid amount without adjustment. In the event of a tied bid, certified disadvantaged businesses receive preference over non-disadvantaged businesses. Offerors must submit the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act affidavit confirming E-Verify participation, proof of insurance or a statement confirming ability to meet the required coverage of one million dollars each of general liability and professional liability insurance upon appointment, and complete reference forms with government clients preferred. The anticipated contract term is one year from execution with options to renew for up to four additional years in any combination upon mutual written agreement, with compensation based on mutually agreed-upon rates outlined in a fee schedule that will be fixed for the first two years of the agreement. The RFP does not commit the Town to award a contract or obligate it to incur costs associated with proposal preparation, and the Town reserves the right to accept or reject any submissions, request additional information, waive irregularities, or cancel the solicitation if in the Town's best interest. No specific award value or budget range is identified in the procurement documents.