TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 4, 2026
COMMITTEE ON PROCUREMENT
Mr John P. Murray, Executive Director
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Issue purchase orders and enter into agreements for Contract 25-RFP-19 Legal Advisory Services Related to the District Financing Program with Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP for General Legal Advisory Consulting Services, in an amount not to exceed $250,000.00, and with Chapman and Cutler LLP for SRF/WIFIA Loan Program Legal Advisory Services, in an amounts not to exceed $205,650.00, Accounts 101-11000-612430, and 401-50000-612430, 767300, Requisitions 1645302 and 1645792
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Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to issue purchase orders and enter into agreements with Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (“Katten”) and Chapman and Cutler LLP (“Chapman”) for legal advisory services related to the District financing program for a five-year period beginning as of the respective agreement date. The purpose of these contracts is to provide General Legal Advisory Consulting Services and State Revolving Fund (SRF)/Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Loan Program Legal Advisory Services, respectively.
One or more eligible firms may be requested to provide legal advisory services for bond sales transactions. The District has identified eligible firms from the qualified respondents to this request for proposal (RFP) to serve as various counsel in any bond sale transactions during the five-year period; these lists of eligible firms can be found in the attached Attachment A. Authority to award for certain bond sale-related services will be presented at this board meeting, under separate board action, while the remaining bond sale-related counsel will be appointed at the time of each bond sale with approval by the Board of Commissioners. At the conclusion of the five-year period, the District may extend the life of the eligible lists for up to two (2) additional years in one-year increments pending Board approval, or it may terminate the lists at any time.
The request for proposal Contract 25-RFP-19 was advertised on September 18, 2025. Proposals were received by February 27, 2026. Ten (10) proposals to provide Legal Advisory Services Related to the District Financing Program were found responsive, and the top three (3) proposals in the category warranted interviews.
The RFP process was coordinated through the Procurement and Materials Management Department. The evaluation committee, which reviewed and evaluated the submitted RFPs, consisted of staff from the Treasury, Law, and Procurement and Materials Management Departments. Responses were evaluated according to the criteria defined in the RFP, and firms were ranked based on the numeric score calculated by the evaluation committee.
The committee reached a consensus that three proposers met the technical qualifications portion of the RFP to provide General Legal Advisory Services and Bond and Tax Counsel Services. These firms were interviewed by the committee and were requested to submit their best and final cost proposal offers. A final evaluation matrix, including the interview evaluations and the best and final offers, resulted in an overall top ranking for Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP. This top overall ranking was based on a composite evaluation score calculated from the committee’s individual evaluations for each firm’s experience, qualifications, technical approach, understanding of the project, financial stability, and cost of services.
Katten’s proposal for General Legal Advisory Services reflects an hourly rate charge of $250.00, in accordance with the hourly rate cap policy for outside counsel legal services adopted by the Board of Commissioners on March 15, 2018.
Katten is a law firm that has engaged in public finance for more than 30 years. The firm employs 15 attorneys focusing on municipal finance and has ranked in the top tier of law firms both nationally and locally.
The estimated expenditures for General Legal Advisory Services are $24,400.00 for 2026, $56,000.00 for 2027, $49,000.00 per year for 2028 through 2030, and $22,600.00 for 2031.
Inasmuch as the firm Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP possesses a high degree of professional skill, it is requested that the Director of Procurement and Materials Management be authorized to issue a purchase order and enter into an agreement for a five-year period beginning as of the agreement date, per Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act, in an amount not to exceed $250,000.00
The committee reached a consensus that three proposers met the technical qualifications portion of the RFP related to SRF/WIFIA Loan Program Legal Advisory Services. The three firms were interviewed by the committee and requested to submit their best and final cost proposal offers. A final evaluation matrix, including the interview evaluations and the best and final offers, resulted in an overall top ranking for Chapman and Cutler LLP. This top overall ranking was based on a composite evaluation score which was calculated from the committee’s individual evaluations for each firm’s experience, qualifications, technical approach to the work, understanding of the project, financial stability, registration with the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, and cost of services.
Founded in Chicago in 1913, Chapman and Cutler LLP has been one of the country's preeminent law firms in state and municipal finance. Headquartered in Chicago, Chapman law firm is focused on finance, representing market participants in all aspects of public finance, banking, and corporate finance and securities transactions. They have served as bond counsel to the District on numerous transactions since the 1930s.
The estimated expenditures for SRF/WIFIA Loan Program Legal Advisory Services are $205,650.00 and allocated as follows: for SRF, in the amount of $165,000.00 Account 401-50000-612430; for WIFIA, in the amount of $40,650.00, Fund 401-50000-767300.
Inasmuch as the firm Chapman and Cutler LLP possesses a high degree of professional skill, it is requested that the Director of Procurement and Materials Management be authorized to issue a purchase order and enter into an agreement for a five-year period beginning as of the agreement date, per Section 11.4 of the Purchasing Act, in an amount not to exceed $205,650.00.
The scope of work for legal consulting services does not provide a practical or cost-effective opportunity for direct or indirect subcontracting; therefore, no goals were included for these services. Work is awarded directly by the District to each firm appointed to participate in the bond sale.
Funds for 2026 are available in accounts 101-11000-612430, and 401-50000-612430, 767300. Funds for 2027 through 2031 are contingent on the Board of Commissioners’ approval of the District’s budget for those years.
Requested, Steven J. Lux, Treasurer, SJL
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Director of Procurement and Materials Management
Respectfully Submitted, Precious Brady-Davis, Chairperson Committee on Procurement
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for June 4, 2026
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