The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About09-City Attorney ORIGINAL CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION From: JAMES F. PENMAN City Attorney Subject: Resolution Authorizing the City Attorney to Increase the Hourly Rate Paid to the Law Firm of Arias, Lockwood & Gray Dept: CITY ATTORNEY Date: December 14,2004 Synopsis of Previous Council Action: The Council has approved the hiring of the law firm of Arias, Lockwood & Gray to represent the City and employees in several pending lawsuits. Recommended motion: Adopt the Resolution. ./~ Signature Contact person: James F. Penman Phone: 5255 Supporting data attached: Ward: FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: Source: Finance: Council Notes: f1 II .. .' ::t/1 ;7 tlt5.rv~. dJOtJ't' J 1:; /' Agenda Item No. (1 ;.2/;20/0,/ RLS/ed[lncrease.RCA 122004] STAFF REPORT Council Meeting Date: December 20. 2004 TO: FROM: DATE: AGENDA ITEM: Mayor and Common Council James F. Penman, City Attorney December 20, 2004 Resolution of the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino Authorizing the City Attorney to Increase the Hourly Rate Paid to the Law Firm of Arias, Lockwood & Gray. The law firm of Arias, Lockwood & Gray (AL&G) currently represents the City and Redevelopment Agency in thirty-one (31) active lawsuits. The City and Redevelopment Agency currently pay AL&G $125 per hour for attorneys and $50 per hour for paralegals for legal representation in litigation. The current rate has been in effect since January 1,2003. AL&G has requested the City to raise the rate to $135 per hour for attorneys and $60 per hour for paralegals for all litigation handled by them (see attached letter). The County of San Bernardino pays outside attorneys $135 per hour and paralegals $65 per hour to handle litigation. The City Attorney's office requests authority to increase the hourly rate paid to AL&G to $135 for attorneys and $60 per hour for paralegals on all litigation cases currently handled by the firm, effective January 3, 2005. The last general increase in attorneys' fees on files handled by Mr. Arias's firm was effective November 1,2002. Attorneys' fees were increased atthat time from $110 per hour to $125 per hour. Paralegal rates were not increased at that time. Joseph Arias handles the trials of all cases referred to AI&G. Mr. Arias has 34 years of experience with over 200 jury trials to verdict. RLS/ed [Increase. S taftReport] Th::,?artners i 1'" ,\.'\ II'-"CUI.: 1'0 1(,\11 [) L.\\(' 1'11<.'1 ARIAS, LOCKWOOD & GRAY Riverside Office 3403 Tenth Street, SUlle 810 \ RIVer!l1de, CA 92501 plwne (9091 684.8400 Fax (9091 684.8402 'Ana., LockWOOd & G"y "e \ ) members of The Partners, An \ Incorporated Lilw Flrm " "- Josepb Arias Christopher D. Locl~wood Jordan N. Gray Bernhard A. Aaen Urian G. Thorne Eric pl. Strong Jonathan C. Watts Laura Tall Liu Richard D. Luczal~ T auya D. S. IIcbir Carl Arias ArllIl Dayabn Attorneys at Law' 325 W. Hospitality Lane, Suite 200 San Bernardino, CA 92408 Phon" (909) 885-1229 FaX' (909) 885.7880 '"'" c:::-, ::2 November 29, 2004 <- c-:-..:. = Co C~) C) -. .~ -< i~; ~~ .-J ;_.'~ James Penman City Attorney City of San Bernardino 300 North "D" Street San Bernardino, CA 92418 ,-..- (-....I. i"'i\ ':::J c.) -< ::-~:J ~'-'-l ".., c:- :D -:..J "--J Dear Mr. Penman, I am writing to request a modest increase in our fee structure which will enable us to keep up with the ever rising costs of running a law office. Currently our fees are: $125 per hour for attorneys and $50 per hour for paralegals. I am requesting an increase to $135 per hour for attorneys and $60 per hour for paralegals. If this request is granted, I propose to start it on January 2, 2005. As you may know, the County of San Bernardino voluntarily raised its rates to $135 per hour for attorneys and $65 for paralegals when our new contract went into effect last June. I want to assure you that I am very grateful for our long-standing and mutually beneficial business relationship, I have been representing the City for about 25 years and am most appreciative of the repeat business. As you know, I and Christopher Lockwood are the attorneys who primarily work on City cases although other associates, mainly Laura Tall Liu, also assist. Given 34 years of experience with over 200 jury trials to verdict and an A-V rating in Martindale-Hubbell, and Mr. Lockwood's 20 years of experience doing legal research, writing and appellate work, I believe our rates are quite fair. November 29, 2004 Page 2 Thank you for your consideration. Very truly yours, . ./~ 4-~08~ Je; Arias of Arias, Lockwood & Gray JA:nji RESOL~OQO~Y 2 RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMON COL'NCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO AUTHORIZING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO I;\ICREASE THE 3 HOURLY RATE PAID TO THE LAW FIRM OF ARIAS, LOCKWOOD & GRAY. 4 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY 5 OF SAN BERNARDINO AS FOLLOWS: 6 SECTION 1. That the Mayor and Common Council authorize a rate increase to the law firm of 7 Arias, Lockwood & Gray to the rate of $135.00 per hour for attorneys and $60.00 per hour for 8 paralegals effective January 3, 2005. 9 SECTION 2. The rate increase is effective on all lawsuits currently being handled by the law firm 10 of Arias, Lockwood & Gray for the City of San Bernardino and its Redevelopment Agency. II I I I 12 /I! 13 /I! 14 /I! 15 I I ! 16 /II 17 /II 18 19 /II 20 /I! 21 /II 22 I ! / 23 /I! 24 /I! 25 I ! / 26 /II 27 /I! 28 RLSicd [Increase Res 122004] , RESOLlJTIO:\f OF THE MAYOR Al\'D COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO AUTHORIZING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO INCREASE THE HOURLY RATE PAID TO THE LAW FIRM OF ARIAS, LOCKWOOD & GRAY. 3 I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the Mayor and 4 Common Council of the City of San Bernardino at a meeting 5 thereof, held on the 6 wit: 7 COUNCIL MEMBERS: 8 ESTRADA 9 LONGYILLE 10 MCGINNIS day of . 2004, by the following vote, to AYES NAYS ABST AIN ABSENT 1 I DERRY 12 KELLEY 13 JOHNSON 14 MCCAMMACK 15 16 CITY CLERK 17 18 The foregoing Resolution is hereby approved this 19 2004. day of 20 21 22 23 Approved as to form and legal content: 24 JAMES F. PENMAN, 25 City Attorney 26 27 By: L ?;~ 28 ()I RLS/ed [lllerease Res 122004 ] 2 JUDITH Y ALLES, Mayor City of San Bernardino (/) c "" a ~ r- - '" ..... .... .... ..... 'D 'D '" ..... .... .... ..... 'D 'D i3:;~ o....lIt e t>l ~ 08= lit t>l ~ ~H ~ ~ r;; 'D~ to.> H ~;;.j W ~t::" :dO\n ~~i3 :00 n lit ~ Ell ~ :~~ .... z o lit lit ~~ t>:I "3 .:-:Jm ~, :::s - :1) .l) ._~ -. ;::, ~" ... <: 0 -:=l :a "'~ <n no 3'" ",=- ~~ - <C ~ "'t: C ~ o +- C LoLl .... U1 C> .... o o .... U1 C> .... o o ~t:~ ~ ~ ~ t:" ~ ~ '" ~ 5: ~ t>l C ~ ~!5 &l tii ~ lit t:" 'D t>l '" >< '" ...., o H n H 2: '" Z ~ ~ i () n "'~t>l ! ~~ I "'~ -0"3 ::J; <:t ..... Q.) c ... .... U1 o .... U1 o '" ..... .... .... ..... 'D 'D =W'" H"'= ~~~ o ~ t>l~ = t>l n ~::<l :oo~~ ~~~ O\;;.jQ ~ - .... w Q >-c ~:c Cl)ca uE QOol ~::: ...", lI>CI) (3_ >0 - > .- - ui;3 .... o o .... o o '" ..... .... .... ..... 'D 'D lit....'" g;~~ li~ H gJ ~ Z H 0 ~o E:; n :d :00 0 e; 'D '" .... o .... ~ tD ~ ~ n ~ H :d Eli;- z lit o lit - R Sl H ~ ~ .... o o .... o o 0\ ..... .... .... ..... 'D 'D ~ ~.~ I~~ ~ x n H &l ~ ~ ~ ~ 0, w .... '" lit n c :.. 0 t<I z~:g gj~~ ~ g; C H Z o .... o o .... o o 0\ ..... .... .... ..... 'D 'D ::c ,." n= m> ~..... ,.,,"" c 0- "'~ :...n ~o z;:: 0;:: p~ Z!" ~ C_e: ;::zr- ",>r- "'oz "'0> ~:3~ cn~> md~ Zn> >00 "';::0 ~3:::D Cl-"" z:J'" "'m'" .P~o ",,,,"" zzC') ....>0 S}3:~ ....m:o ",>- "'z'" >oe: "'>..... coo ",o::c "'", "!m "'''' z.'" >m ;:z m;;j $;'" 0"" >f' oz Oc "';:: ~~ o '" ~fi3 :d H "l "l ""0 "TIC') Z'" C') ;pme: :s:!;;;'Z m'-t om- -n~ g <Dr- ,.. ViQ ~ zm,.." mP ;;: "'m -0 $Zb ;;1~ :o::c ~, ::c m -0<>> ,."m;;: ::c<o -me: g::~ X Vi o -c:n~ ~~c: :..~S Ig< o :c rn m<-1 ~'s:;!o ~:og \0 ~ ..... 'D ,." 0 ... ... .... o e: :;; ;;: > e: -ooS: ~~~ 0,.",." >::c..... l'!! 0 .!:!:l $! ..... '" n ..z o~~ H U)e ~~~ >i :-:X 0.0 ",r- :d t>:I~ t>lZ::C I ~o t<I :0 t:" C') t<I ,.. n z >i 0 n ~ H ..... ~ ; z :00 0 ~ g o z ~ ~ >< f= m ~ 0 H C') X 0 :;:: '" :;:: t>:I - Z =1 ~ ~ pI z co e: ;;:.... ~ 'D ::c ~C/) 00 ::l::l' (1)(1) .....0.. O)c -<a> oJ> 0_ ::In ~o -'::l 0"..... C -. .....::l -'C 00) ::l..... III -. o ::IJ::l (1)C/) g::l' -.C1) <C1) (1)..... 0..- > 3 _o-l Oc'< ~"", ~ - co ",<II Q.3~ CO"", c.. '< ~ 0.,. " -..- S:;-~5" ;0_ , c" ",.- 0..' .. 0.. - '" a c .., -::r - a 3 !:2 ., {; 3 .. a n ~ " ;; '" ~ 6" 0.. '" ..... w o ..... 'D 'D U1 ..... .... o ..... 'D 'D ~n <D> <Dr- -/>-- .." ""0 0::0 ::Oz 3:5> a to.> U1 ~ c.c Q