REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR REAL ESTATE ATTORNEYS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that submissions will be received by the Finger Lakes Regional Land Bank Corporation (the “Land Bank”) to provide legal services in relation to the acquisition and disposition of property. This Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) is a process designed to serve the Land Bank’s best interests to locate individual attorneys and firms in the Finger Lakes Region who are able and willing to provide legal representation to the Land Bank in the acquisition and disposition of property. The Land Bank is expecting to dispose of a multitude of properties in 2021 and 2022 and expects that more than one real estate attorney will be necessary to handle the volume. All responses will be treated as confidential and reviewed only by the Land Bank. Responses must be received at the Finger Lakes Regional Land Bank by email at jmcgrath@co.seneca.ny.us on an open and rolling basis.

General Background

The Finger Lakes Regional Land Bank Corporation was approved by New York State Urban Development Corporation d/b/a Empire State Development, pursuant to Article 16 of the New York State Not-for Profit Corporation Law in 2015. The Finger Lakes Regional Land Bank is a not-for-profit formed in 2015 by the Seneca County Board of Supervisors to facilitate the return of vacant and abandoned properties to productive use. The Land Bank’s work includes the acquisition and resale of properties to qualified buyers/investors including nonprofit housing developers like Habitat for Humanity, Land Bank-managed renovation of properties to sell in move-in or rehab ready condition, and long-term holding and assembly of certain properties to facilitate future development projects. For more information, visit www.flrlandbank.org .

GENERAL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

A proposal submitted in response to this RFQ is to be formatted as follows to assure consistency:

Section A. Understanding of the Scope of Services to be provided for the Land Bank

Section B. Proposed Fee Schedule

Section C. Qualifications & Experience

Section D. Resume & Qualifications of Key Personnel

Section E. Client/Reference List

Section F. Conflict of Interest(s): This section should disclose any potential conflicts of interest that the firm may have in performing these services for the Land Bank.

Section G. Miscellaneous/Other information (This section is for any further pertinent data and information not included elsewhere in the RFQ).

MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS

1.       The Land Bank will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any firm in preparing or submitting a proposal. All responses shall provide a straightforward, concise delineation of the firm’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFQ. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.

2.       The contents of the proposal submitted by a successful firm and this RFQ may become part of the contract for these services. The successful firm will be expected to execute said contract with the Land Bank.

3.       The Land Bank reserves the right to reject any and all responses received or to negotiate separately in any manner necessary to serve the best interests of the Land Bank.

INDEMNIFICATION

A successful firm shall defend, indemnify, and save harmless the Land Bank, its employees and agents, from and against all claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of, or in consequence of, any negligent or intentional act or omission of the successful firm, its employees or agents, to the extent of its or their responsibility for such claims, damages, losses, and expenses.

Non-Collusive Certification

By submission of this RFQ, each firm and each person signing on behalf of any firm certifies, and in the case of a joint proposal each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of his knowledge and belief:

(1) The prices in this proposal have been arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other firm or with any competitor; and

(2) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this proposal have not been knowingly disclosed by the firm and will not knowingly be disclosed by the firm prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other firm or to any competitor; and

(3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the firm to induce any other person, partnership, or corporation to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

EVALUATION OF RESPONSES             

Responses will be independently reviewed on the basis of the criteria listed below:

1.       Proven record of experience, including referrals, in providing the type of services detailed herein.

2.       Ability to provide services in a cost-effective and timely manner.

3.       Personnel qualifications.

4.       Understanding of the services requested (including completeness and clarity of submission), the Land Bank and the qualitative nature of the services detailed herein.

5.       Additional criteria described below.

MANDATORY MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

1.       Must be an attorney admitted to practice in the State of New York and maintain a bona fide principal office in the State of New York preferably in the Finger Lakes Region.

2.       Must have sufficient support staff available to provide all real estate legal services required by the Land Bank including, but not limited to, legal research, preparation and administration of contracts and title curatives, and the preparation of all documents necessary.

3.       If attendance is required, the firm must agree that services in connection with attendance at regularly scheduled meetings of the Land Bank Board will be billed at hourly rates specified in the proposal, or included in the retainer. Additional general counsel, litigation, special meeting attendance, and other legal services will be billed at hourly rates specified in the proposal.

PROPOSED FEE SCHEDULE

1.       The proposed fee schedule should define the billing cycle used by the firm.

2.       The proposed fee schedule should define whether billing is strictly hourly, strictly an annual retainer, or a combination of retainer plus an hourly schedule for items not included in the retainer.

3.       Include partners, associates, and paralegal that would be primarily responsible for the work accomplished in this proposal.

4.       It is anticipated that there will be periodic communications via phone, fax, email, or other medium.

These brief communications are either to be covered in the retainer, or if billed on an hourly basis, the hourly rates and time thresholds for the billings are both to be specified.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Responses can be emailed to jmcgrath@co.seneca.ny.us

Joe McGrath
CEO/President
Finger Lakes Regional Land Bank Corporation
315-539-1667


Click here for full PDF of the RFQ