FIN 2020-10-26 Item 1A - Contract - 2021-2022 City Attorney Services

Browse Search

Mayor Allan Ekberg October 15, 2020 Page 4 OGDEN MURPHY WALLACE, P.L.L.C. STANDARD TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT General Rates The usual basis for determining our fees is the time expended by attorneys and paralegals of the firm. The rates for our services presently range from $170 to $515 per hour and change from time to time without notice, usually in January; however, our current rates are locked in until December 31, 2022. Our current rate schedule is always available upon request. Whenever it is appropriate, we will use associate attorneys, law clerks or legal assistants in our office to keep your costs as low as possible. Other Factors in Rates Although time expended and costs incurred are usually the sole basis for determining our fees, by mutual agreement billings to you for legal services may, in some instances, be based on a more comprehensive evaluation of the reasonable value of the firm's services. The firm is committed to charging reasonable fees for its services. In certain situations, factors other than the amount of time required will have a significant bearing on the reasonable value of the services performed. Such factors include: the novelty and complexity of the questions involved; the skill required to provide proper legal representation; familiarity with the specific areas of law involved; the preclusion of other engagements caused by your work; the magnitude of the matter; the results achieved; customary fees for similar legal services; time limitations imposed by you or by circumstances; and the extent to which office forms and procedures have produced a high quality product efficiently. In circumstances where our fees will be based on or include factors other than our normal hourly charges and costs, we will notify you promptly and prior to proceeding. Any basic document fee that we may charge in your business matters has been and will be set in light of these various factors. Billing Fees and Costs The City will not be charged for normal clerical or secretarial work, the expense of which has been calculated into our hourly rates for attorneys. Reimbursement will be made by the City for expenditures related to court costs and fees, copying, postage, computer-aided legal research when conducted on behalf of the City, mileage, and parking. Other expenses shall be reimbursed when authorized in advance by the City. We will bill the City monthly for services performed. Our bill will show the service provided, the date, the person providing the service, and the time expended in tenths of an hour. We will work with the City to develop and implement a billing and invoicing framework that meets the City's needs. At the City's preference, individual billing numbers can be established for each department, as well as for any specialty matter (e.g. litigation, contract negotiations, etc.) that arises.