The Vendor is required to provide with substantial experience involving employee benefit matters and the legal issues relating to the management of pension and health and welfare funds in the public sector.
- The ideal candidate will possess outstanding experience and expertise, excellent communication skills, professional presence and maturity, and sensitivity to issues of managing public pension and health and welfare funds.
- The ideal candidate will also have strong management skills, appropriate political acumen, strategic agility, and the highest integrity and ethics.
- The law firm would agree to bill for services actually rendered on an hourly basis or on a retainer basis for routine services; litigation and other agreed-upon non-routine legal services would be considered outside any routine retainer arrangement.
- Provide advice on other various issues, including but not limited to: investment matters, real or potential conflict of interest situations, statute interpretation and legal interpretations as needed; and
- Provide other legal services as may be requested by the Boards, the Plan, and the agency from time to time.
- Advise the Boards concerning drafting and compliance of plan documents, with applicable state laws, collective bargaining agreements and administrative policies and procedures.
- Negotiate and draft investment contracts and other legal documents with investment consultants, custodians, investment managers and other services providers.
- Provide advice, review, and opinions related to benefits administration and investment of fund assets.
- Provide advice, review and opinions related to appeals of benefit determinations, and act as counsel in Board internal hearings
- Attend monthly Board meetings and committee meetings.
- Manage the ethics training required by the Pension Code, including but not limited to fiduciary duty training.
- Provide objective, third-party advice and counsel that will enable the Boards to make well informed and well-educated decisions regarding the Plan, the agency and their administration.
