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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 CON Best Best & Krieger LLP - Affordable Housing Project NegotiationsAGREEMENT FOR LEGAL SERVICES BY AND BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION — HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY AND BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP THIS AGREEMENT FOR LEGAL SERVICES (the "Agreement") is made as of the 22,nd day of March, 2022 by and between THE COIVIMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PME1 T COMMISSION — HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY, a public body (the "CDC -HA"), and BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP (the "FIRM"). This Agreement sets forth the parties' mutual understanding concerning legal services to be provided by the FIRM and the fee arrangement for said services. Article 1. Retainer. The CDC -HA hereby retains the FIRM to assist it in affordable housing project negotiations, advise the CDC -HA board, and conduct research and prepare documents related to these matters — all subject to this Agreement. Article 2. Effective Date and Term. This Agreement shall be effective on March 22, 2022 and continue until written notice of cancellation. This Agreement may be terrninated at any time by either party with sixty days' written notice to the other. Notice of termination by the FIRM shall be given to the City Attorney. Article 3. Scope of Services. The CDC -HA shall have the right in its sole discretion to determine the particular services to be perfomied by the FIRM under this Agreement. Under this Agreement, the services to be performed by the FIRM shall be limited to providing advice and counsel and drafting documents, as necessary, related to the CDC -HA and its role as a housing authority vis-a-vis the real property on which Morgan Tower (including the Nutrition Center), Kimball Tower, and the Kimball Senior Center are located and their development (the "SCOPE OF SERVICES" and services provided thereunder, "LEGAL SERVICES"). Representation by the FIRM of the CDC -HA in any litigation matters — whether within or without the SCOPE OF SERVICES — shall be the subject of a separate engagement letter. It is expected that the FIRM will work with the City Attorney and CITY staff. Article 4. follows: Compensation. Compensation paid under this Agreement shall be as Elizabeth W. Hull, Esq. Partner $325/hr Brian W. Byun, Esq. Of Counsel $2901hr Isaac Rosen, Esq, Associate $250/hr Abraham Galva. Sanchez, Esq. Associate $2351br Paralegals and Research Analysts $100 - $195/hr 2022 Agreement Legal Services Pagel of City of National City and Best Best & Krieger LLP A. The FIRM shall not use more than one attorney for the same specific task without the CDC-HA'S approval. The FIRM may use the minimum number of attorneys for this engagement consistent with good professional practice after consulting with and obtaining approval by the CDC -HA. B. The FIRM agrees to document a plan and budget consistent with the SCOPE OF SERVICES to be agreed to by the City Attorney and the FIRM. The CDC -HA shall not be obligated to pay the FIRM amounts not discussed, budgeted, and agreed to before being incurred by the FIRM. C. The CDC -HA has appropriated or otherwise duly authorized the payment of an amount not to exceed $5,000 for LEGAL SERVICES and out-of-pocket disbursements pursuant to this Agreement. I. no event shall thetotal fees plus out-of-pocket disbursements exceed this amount without written authorization of the CDC -HA. D. The FIRIVI shall keep the CDC -HA advised monthly as to the level of attorney hours and client services performed under Article 1. The FIRM will not charge the CDC HA for travel time; however, the FIRM may charge for work performed for the CDC -HA during any travel time. E. The CDC -HA further agrees to reimburse the FIRM, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article, for telephone, fax, mail, messengers, federal express deliveries, document reproduction, client -requested clerical overtime, lodging, and similar out- of-pocket expenses charged by the FIRM as a standard practice to its clients generally, with the exception of travel and meals. In any billing for disbursements, the FIRM shall provide the CDC -HA with a statement breaking down the amounts by category of expense. The following items shall not be reimbursed, unless the CDC -HA has specifically agreed otherwise: (1) Word Processing, clerical or secretarial charges, whether expressed as a dollar disbursement or time charge. (2) Storage of open or closed files, rent, electricity, local telephone, postage, receipts or transmission of telec pier documents, or any other items traditionally associated with overhead. (3) Photocopy charges in excess of $.15 (fifteen cents) per page. (4) Auto mileage rates in excess of the rate approved by the Internal Revenue Service for income tax purposes. (5) Secretarial overtime. Where case requirements demand overtime, the CDC -HA will consider reimbursement on a case -by -case basis. The CDC -HA will not reimburse overtime incurred for the convenience of the FBI' 5 failure to meet deadlines known in advance. (6) Equipment, books, periodicals, research materials, Westlaw Le is or like items. (7) Express charges, overnight mail charges, messenger services or the like, without the CDC -HA' S prior consent. The CDC -HA expects these expenses to be 2022 Agreement Page 2 of 8 City of National City and Legal Services Best Best & Krieger LLP incurred in emergency situations only. Where case necessity requires the use of these services, the CDC -HA will consider reimbursement on a case -by -case basis. (8) Travel and meals. (9) Late payment charge or interest. Due to the nature of the CD - HA' S payment process, the CDC -HA will not pay any late charges or interest charges to bills. Every effort will be made to pay bills promptly. F. Bills from the FIRM should be submitted to City Attorney, 1243 National City Boulevard, National City, CA 91950-4301. The individual time and disbursement records customarily maintained by the FIRM for billing evaluation and review purposes shall be made available to the CDC -HA in support of bills rendered by the FIRM. G. The FIRM agrees to forward to the CDC -HA a statement of account for each one -month period of services under this Agreement, and the CDC -HA agrees to compensate the FIRM on this basis. The FIRM will consult monthly with the CDC -HA as to the number of attorney hours and client disbursements which have been incurred to date under this Agreement, and as to future expected levels of hours and disbursements. H. Billing Format. Each billing entry must be complete, discrete and appropriate. (1) Complete. (a) Each entry must name the person or persons involved. For instance, telephone calls must include the names of all participants. (b) The date the work was performed must be included. (c) The hours should be billed in .10 hour increments. (d) The specific task performed should be described, and the related work product should be reference ("telephone call re: trial brief," "interview in preparation for deposition"). (e) The biller's professional capacity (partner, associate, paralegal, etc.) should be included. (2) Discrete: Each task must be set out as a discrete billing entry; neither narrative nor block billing is acceptable. (3) Appropriate. (a) The CDC -HA does not pay for clerical support, administrative costs, overhead costs, outside expenses or excessive expenses. For example, the CDC -HA will not pay for secretarial time, word processing time, air conditioning, rental of equipment, including computers, meals served at meetings, postage, online research, or the overhead costs of sending or receiving faxes. Neither will the CDC -HA pay for outside expenses such as messenger delivery fees, outside photocopying, videotaping of depositions, investigative services, outside computer litigation support services, or overnight mail. (b) Due to the nature of the CDC -HA' S payment process, the CDC -HA will not pay any late charges. Every effort will be made to pay bills promptly. I. Staffing. Every legal matter should have a primarily responsible attorney and a paralegal assigned. Ultimately, staffing is a CDC -HA decision, and the CDC-HA'S 2022 Agreement Page 3 of 8 City of National City and Legal Services Best Best & Krieger LLP representative may review staffing to insure that it is optimal to achieve the goals of the engagement at the least cost. (1) Paralegals are to be used to the maximum extent possible to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness. All tasks typically considered associate work should be considered for assignment to a paralegal. Written authorization from the CDC -HA must be had before associate hours billed exceed paralegal hours billed. (2) Once an attorney is given primary responsibility for an engagement, that person should continue on the legal matter until the matter is concluded or the attorney leaves the FIRM. The CDC -HA will not pay the costs of bringing a new attorney up to speed. (3) If more than one attorney is going to perform the same task, prior approval from m the CDC -HA must be had. This includes document review. Article 5. Independent Contractor. The FIRM shall perform services as an independent contractor. Itis understood that this contract is for unique professional services. Accordingly, the duties specified in this Agreement may not be assigned or delegated by the FIRM without prior written consent of the CDC -HA. Retention of the FIRM is based on the particular professional expertise of the individuals rendering the services required in the Scope of Services. Article 6. Confidentiality of Work. All work performed by the FIRM including but not limited to all drafts, data, correspondence, proposals, reports, and estimates compiled or composed by the FIRM pursuant to this Agreement is for the sole use of the CDC -HA. All such work product shall be confidential and not released to any third party without the prior written consent of the CDC -HA. Article 7. Compliance with Controlling Law. The FIRM shall comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, regulations, and policies of the federal, state, and local governments as they pertain to this Agreement. In addition, the FIRM shall comply immediately with any and all directives issued by the CDC -HA or its authorized representatives under authority of any laws statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations. The laws of the State of California shall govern and control the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Article 8. Acceptability of Work. The CDC -HA shall decide any and all questions which may arise as to the quality or acceptability of the services performed and the manner of performance, the acceptable completion of this Agreement and the amount ofcompensation due. If the FIRM and the CDC -HA cannot agree to the quality or acceptability of the work, the manner ofperformance, or the compensation payable to the FIRM in this Agreement, the CDC -HA or the FIRM shall give to the other written notice. Within ten (10) business days, the FIRM and the CDC -HA shall each prepare a report which supports their position and file the same with the other party. The CDC -HA shall, with reasonable diligence, determine the quality or acceptability of the work, the manner ofperformance or the compensation payable to the FIRM. Article 9. Indemnification. The FIRM agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the CDC -HA and its agents, officers, employees, and volunteers harmless from and against all claims asserted or liability established for damages or injuries to any person or property, including injury to the FIRM'S employees, agents, or officers, which arise from or are connected with or caused or 20Z2 Agreement Legal Services Page 4 of 8 City of National City and Best Best & Krieger LLP claimed to be caused by the acts or omissions of the FIRM and its agents, officers, or employees in performing the work.or other obligations under this Agreement, and all expenses of investigating and defending against same; provided, however, that this indemnification and hold harmless shall not include any claims or liability arising from the established sole negligence or willful misconduct of the CDC -HA, its agents, officers, employees, or volunteers. Article 10. Insurance. The FII, at its sole cost and expense, shall purchase and maintain throughout the term of this Agreement, the following insurance policies: A. Professional Liability Insurance (errors and omissions) with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per claim. B. Automobile Insurance covering all bodily injury and property damage incurred during the performance of this Agreement, with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident. Such automobile insurance shall include owned, non -owned, and hired vehicles. The policy shall name the CDC -HA and its officers, agents, employees, and volunteers as additional insureds, and a separate additional insured endorsement shall be provided. C. Commercial General Liability Insurance, with minimum limits of either $2,000,000 per occurrence and S4,000,000 aggregate, or $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate with a $2,000,000 umbrella policy, covering all bodily injury and property damage arising out of its operations, work, or performance under this Agreement. The policy shall name the CDC -HA and its officers, agents, employees, and volunteers as additional insureds, and a separate additional insured endorsement shall be provided. D. Workers' Compensation Insurance in an amount sufficient to meet statutory requirements covering all of FIRM' S employees and employers' liability insurance with limits of at least $1,000,000 per accident. In addition, the policy shall be endorsed with a waiver of subrogation in favor of the CDC -HA. Said endorsement shall be provided prior to commencement of work under this Agreement. E. The aforesaid policies shall constitute primary insurance as to the CDC -HA, its officers, officials, employees, and volunteers, so that any other policies held by the CDC -HA shall not contribute to any loss under said insurance. Said policies shall provide for thirty (30) days prior written notice to the CDC-HA's Risk Manager, at the address listed in subsection G below, of cancellation or material change. F. If required insurance coverage is provided on a "claims made" rather than "occurrence" form, the FIRM shall maintain such insurance coverage for three years after expiration of the term (and any extensions) of this Agreement. In addition, the "retro" date must be on or before the date of this Agreement. G. The Certificate Holder for all policies of insurance required by this Section shall be: City of National City c/o Risk Manager 1243 National City Boulevard National City, CA 91950-4397 H. Insurance shall be written with only insurers authorized to conduct business in California that hold a current policy holder's alphabetic and financial size category rating of not 2022 Agreement Legal Services Page 5 of City of National City and Best Best & Krieger LLP less than A:VII according to the current Best's Key Rating Guide, or a company of equal financial stability that is approved by the CITY'S Risk Manager. In the event coverage is provided by non - admitted "surplus lines" carriers, they must be included on the most recent List of Approved Surplus Line Insurers ("LASLI") and otherwise meet rating requirements. I. This Agreement shall not take effect until certificate(s) or other sufficient proof that these insurance provisions have been complied with, are filed with and approved by the CDC -HA' S Risk Manager. If the FIRIVM does not keep all insurance policies required by this Article 10 in full force and effect at all times during the term of this Agreement, the CDC -HA may treat the failure to maintain the requisite insurance as a breach of this Agreement and terminate the Agreement as provided herein. J. All deductibles and self -insured retentions in excess of $10,000 must be disclosed to and approved by the CDC -HA. CDC -HA reserves the right to modify the insurance requirements of this Article 10, including limits, based on the nature of the risk, prior experience, insurer, coverage, or other special circumstances. K. If the FIRM maintains broader coverage or higher limits (or both) than the minimum limits shown above, the CDC -HA shall be entitled to the broader coverage or higher limits (or both) maintained by the FIRM. Any available insurance proceeds in excess of the specified minimum limits of insurance and coverage shall be available to the CDC -HA. Article 11. Dru2 Free Work Place. The FIRM agrees to comply with the CDC -HA' S Drug -Free workplace requirements. Every person awarded a contract by theCDC-HA for the provision of services shall certify to the CDC -HA that it will provide a drug -free workplace. Any subcontract entered into by the FIRM pursuant to this Agreement shall contain this provision. Article 12. Non -Discrimination Provisions. The FIRM shall not discriminate against any subcontractor, vendor, employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, physical handicap, or medical condition. The FIRM will take positive action to insure that applicants are employed without regard to their age, race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, physical handicap, or medical condition. Such action shall include but not be limited to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, including apprenticeship. The FIRM agrees to post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment any notices provided by the CDC -HA setting forth the provisions of this non-discrimination clause. Article 13. Notification of Change in Form. The FIRM has the right to effect changes in form including but not limited to: the change in form from a partnership to a professional law corporation; the change in form of any partner or partners from an individual or individuals to a professional law corporation; the change in form of any corporate partner or partners to any individual partners. The CDC -HA shall be promptly notified in writing of any change in form. Article 14. Notices. In all cases where written notice is to be given under this Agreement, service shall be deemed sufficient if said notice is deposited in the United States mail, postage paid. When so given, such notice shall be effective from the date of mailing of the notice. 2022 Agreement Legal Services Page 6 of City ofNational City and Best Best & Krieger LLP Unless otherwise provided by notice in writing from the respective parties, notice to the Agency shall be addressed to: City Attorney City of National City 1243 National City Boulevard National City, CA 91950-4397 cc: Executive Assistant to the City Attorney City of National City 1243 National City Boulevard National City, CA 91950-4397 and to: cbe11 'nationalcityca.gc v leahrn ,natia alcityc . goer Notice to the FIRM shall be addressed to: Elizabeth W. Hull, Esq. Best Best & Krieger ELF 18101 Ton Karman Ave., Suite 1000 Irvine, CA 92612 and to: Elizabeth.hullgbbklaw.com jjannine.south@bbidaw.com Nothing contained in this Agreement shall preclude or render inoperative service or such notice in the manner provided by law. Article 15. Administrafiive Provisions. A. Time qf Essence. Time is of the essence for each provision of this Agreement. B. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which .shall be deemed an original, but all of which, together, shall constitute but one and the same instrument. C. Headings. Any captions to, or headings of, the sections or subsections of this Agreement are solely for the convenience of the parties hereto, are not a part of this Agreement, and shall not be used for the interpretation or determination of the validity of this Agreement or any provision hereof. D. 'a ifornia Law. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of California. The venue for any legal action arising under this Agreement shall be in either state or federal court in the County of San Diego, State of California. E. Integrated Agreement. This Agreement including attachments and exhibits contains all of the agreements of the parties and all prior negotiations and agreements are merged 2022 Agreement Page 7 of City of National City and Legal Services Best Best & Krieger UP in this Agreement. This Agreement cannot be amended or modified except by written agreement, and mutually agreed upon by the CITY and the CDC -HA. F. `vraility. The unenforceability, invalidity, or illegality of any provision of this Agreement shall not render the other provisions unenforceable, invalid, or illegal. C. Waiver. The failure of the CDC -HA to enforce a particular condition or provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of that condition or provision or its enforceability. H. Con''ict o"Interest. During the term of this Agreement, the FIRM shall not perform services of any kind for any person or entity whose interests conflict in any way with those of the CDC -HA. This prohibition shall not preclude the CDC -HA from expressly agreeing to a waiver of a potential conflict of interest under certain circumstances. I. No Obligations to Third Parties. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the execution and delivery of this Agreement shall not be deemed to confer any rights upon, or obligate any of the parties hereto, to any person or entity other than the parties hereto. J. Exhibits and Schedules. The Exhibits and Schedules attached hereto are hereby incorporated herein by this reference for all purposes. To the extent any exhibits, schedules, or provisions thereof conflict or are inconsistent with the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall control. K. Construction. The parties acknowledge and agree that i each party is of equal bargaining strength, ii each party has actively participated in the drafting, preparation and negotiation of this Agreement, and (iii) any rule or construction to the effect that ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not apply in the interpretation of this Agreement, or any portions hereof, or any amendments hereto. 1 WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the date and year first above written. THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION — HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY By: Alejandro Sotelo-Solis, Chair APPROVED AS TO FORM: By: Charles E. Bell, Jr. General Counsel 2022 Agreement Legal Services Page 8 of BEST BEST & SEE LLP (Corporation — signatures of to corporate officers) tiers) (Partnersh.ip — one signature) .e proprietorship - one signature) B Elizabeth Wagner Hull Title: Partner City of National City and Best Best & Krieger LLP