TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF MAY 21, 2015
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Issue purchase orders and enter into agreements for Contract 15-RFP-11 Legal Services for Workers' Compensation Defense for the period June 1, 2015 through May 31, 2017 with Dennis Noble & Associates, P.C. in an amount not to exceed $170,000.00, Neuson Law, P.C. in an amount not to exceed $80,000.00, and Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C. in an amount not to exceed $50,000.00. Account 101-25000-601170. Requisitions 1394106, 1394107, and 1394108
Body
Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to issue purchase orders and enter into agreements with Dennis Noble & Associates, P.C., Neuson Law, P.C., and Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C. to provide legal services for Workers' Compensation Defense on an as-needed basis for the period June 1, 2015 through May 31, 2017. Services to be provided by legal counsel for Worker' Compensation claims include advice and counsel on disputed claims and litigated claims, processing of pro se settlements, and representation before arbitrators at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and on appeals.
On March 11, 2015, Request for Proposal 15-RFP-11 Legal Services for Workers' Compensation Defense was advertised. Eighty-three (83) firms were notified and twenty-two (22) firms requested proposal documents. The District received a total of eight (8) responsive proposals on March 26, 2015 from the following vendors: Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C., Neuson Law, P.C., Dennis Noble & Associates, P.C., Slavin & Slavin, LLC, Hennessy & Roach, P.C., Del Galdo Law Group, LLC, Leahy, Eisenberg & Fraenkel, LTD, and Roddy Law, LTD.
The proposals were evaluated by staff from the Human Resources and Procurement and the Materials Management Departments. The criteria for these evaluations were outlined in Request for Proposal 15-RFP-11 and included: understanding of the project; approach to the work; technical competence; personnel effectiveness; and affirmative action. Following the preliminary evaluation of proposals, excluding cost, six of the eight proposers were deemed to be finalists. Finalist interviews were conducted on April 15, 2015 and April 16, 2015. A solicitation was sent to the six finalists on April 23, 2015 for an unqualified "best and final" offer. The "best and final" offers were returned to the Director of Procurement and Materials Management on April 29, 2015.
Based on the evaluation of the proposals using the criteria described above and the pricing provided in the "best and final" offer, it is recommended that contracts be awarded to three firms: Dennis Noble & Associates, P.C, Neuson Law, P.C., and Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C. All three firms have attorneys on staff with extensive defense litigation experience before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission in Chicago and the firms demonstrated a clear understanding of the services being requested in 15-RFP-11.
Dennis Noble of Dennis Noble & Associates, P.C. has extensive experience and success in defending the District at the Commission level as well as at the Appellate level. Bridget Neuson of Neuson Law, P.C. has also been successful in representing the District, and as Ms. Neuson is both a nurse and an attorney, she provides a level of medical knowledge that is crucial in defending the District. Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C. demonstrated that they have extensive experience and success representing public entities both at the Commission as well as the Appellate level.
Inasmuch as the firms Dennis Noble & Associates, P.C., Neuson Law. P.C., and Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C. possess a high degree of professional skill, record of past success, competitive pricing as well as innovative strategies to help the District embrace the ongoing challenges at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, it is recommended that the Director of Procurement and Materials Management be authorized to issue purchase orders and enter into agreements per Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act.
In view of the foregoing, it is requested that the Director of Procurement and Materials Management be authorized to issue purchase orders and enter into agreements with Dennis Noble & Associates, P.C. in an amount not to exceed $170,000.00, Neuson Law, P.C. in an amount not to exceed $80,000.00, and Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen, P.C. in an amount not to exceed $50,000.00. The total amount of the two year contract is not to exceed $300,000.00.
Funds for the 2015 expenditure, in the amount of $87,500.00, are available in Account 101-25000-601170. The estimated expenditures for 2016 and 2017 are $150,000 and $62,500.00 respectively. Funds for the 2016 and 2017 expenditures are contingent on the Board of Commissioners' approval of the District's budget for those years.
Requested, Denice E. Korcal, Director of Human Resources
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Director of Procurement and Materials Management
Respectfully Submitted, Barbara J. McGowan, Chairman Committee on Procurement
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for May 21, 2015