Item - 2019.GL2.10

The General Government and Licensing Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Finance, to enter into retention agreements for a period of five years from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024 with the following recommended nine law firms having achieved the highest overall evaluation scores meeting all of the requirements that are consistent with the terms, conditions, and hourly rates of Request for Supplier Qualifications submissions which will also include insurance litigation files which were opened, but not resolved, prior to the March 31, 2019 contract expiry date, such agreements to be in a form and content that is satisfactory to the Executive Director, Corporate Finance, and the City Solicitor:
 

a.  Boghosian + Allen LLP;

b.  Borden Ladner Gervais LLP;

c.  Clyde & Co. LLP;

d.  Forbes Chochla LLP;

e.  Gowlings WLG;

f.  Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP;

g.  Lerners LLP;

h.  Loopstra Nixon LLP; and

i.   Shibley Righton LLP.

The General Government and Licensing Committee:

1.  Requested the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, in consultation with the Executive Director, Corporate Finance, the Chief Purchasing Officer, and the City Solicitor, to report back to the General Government and Licensing Committee at its meeting on June 24, 2019 with the following information:

a.  A breakdown of claim trends against the City of Toronto, the amount of money that has been paid out on claims, and mitigating measures that are being taken by the City to reduce the total number of claims;

b.  Details regarding aggregate claims, particularly those related to basement flooding; and

c.  Details regarding aggregate claims, particularly those on other related incidents.

The purpose of this report is to advise on the results of Request for Supplier Qualifications Number 9134-18-7160 for insurance claim defence legal services to supplement internal City Legal Services for the contract term of April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024, and to recommend entering into retention agreements with the nine highest scoring law firms.

The estimated costs identified in this report represent legal fees for insurance claim defence services. The estimated costs are not claim payments made to settle claims.