Foxborough Selectmen Put Legal Counsel Out to Re-Bid

After reviewing the town counsel process, the Foxborough selectmen decided in a 5-0 vote Tuesday night to re-bid for new legal representation.

All the law firms you placed bids to represent the town will have to submit new proposals to the board.

Town manager Kevin Paicos, who wasn't at the meeting as he is away on military duty, recommend the selectmen not re-bid the process and wanted the committee to chose a candidates from those who have met the minimum requirements.

In a letter to selectmen, Paicos said the board "is the ultimate arbiter of both the selection process and of the choice of Town Counsel as well. It must therefore choose a selection process and an Attorney with whom it is comfortable. For that reason, I would not suggest that you issue a new RFP as it will only delay the process further.

"I believe the current firms from proposing, provide substantial legal talent from which to choose, and the Board can make its choice from those candidates. In making their recommendation, I am not diverting from the course I recommended last week-namely of interviewing only the firms that meet the Minimum Qualifications. I recognize, however, that my recommendation is just that-advice to the Board exclusively must make, and with which it must be comfortable."
In fairness to not just going with the firms that meant the minimum requirements, the selectmen decided in fairness to offer those interested a chance to rebid for the position. Law firms who had their bids accepted will have to re-bid and put new proposals together.

Selectman Mark Sullivan said he had worked with big and small law firms and preferred working smaller ones, but he said he didn't have one preference of one over another.

"By no means am I saying who that might be," he said, adding he wanted the town to have quality legal counsel.

"I'm not leaning small or larger," said chairman Larry Harrington. "I want the best attorney we can find."

Attorney Paul DeRenis of Deutsch Williams had been servicing as the town counsel.