GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Office
of the Attorney General
ATTORNEY GENERAL
BRIAN L. SCHWALB
September 26, 2023
The Honorable Phil Mendelson, Chairman
Council
of the District of Columbia
John
A. Wilson Building
***
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington,
DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
Enclosed for consideration and approval by the Council
of the District of Columbia is proposed
emergency legislation, the "Contract No. DCCB-2023-F-0039 with Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll
PLLC Approval and Payment Authorization Emergency Act
of 2024" and accompanying
emergency declaration resolution
to approve the award of the proposed definitive multiyear
Contract Number DCCB-2023-F-0039 to Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC (Cohen Milstein).
This contract arranges outside legal counsel from Cohen Milstein
to assist the Office of the
Attorney General with the investigation
of and potential litigation against identified targets in the
housing industry for violations
of antitrust laws. The contract is a definitive multi-year,
contingency-fee contract with a not-to-exceed contract amount
of $90 million. The base period
of performance is from the date of award through five years thereafter. This contract will
definitize a letter contract awarded on May 26, 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact Deputy Attorney General Candyce Phoenix at (202)
788-2066 or Candyce.Phoenix@
dc.gov. I look forward to favorable consideration of this
contract.
Sincerely,
Brian
L. Schwalb
Attorney General
Enclosures
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at the request of the Attorney General
A PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To declare the existence
of an emergency with respect to the need to approve multi year Contract
No. DCCB-2023-F-0039 with Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC to provide legal
services
to the Office of the Attorney General.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the "Contract No. DCCB-2023-F-0039 with Cohen Milstein Sellers &
Toll PLLC Emergency Declaration Resolution
of 2023".
20 Sec. 2. (a) There exists a need to approve multiyear Contract No. Contract No. DCCB-
21 2023-F-0039 with Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC to provide legal services to the Office of
22 the Attorney General for an anti-trust matter.
23 (b) Because this is a multi year contract and involves expenditures in excess of $1 million
24 during a 12-month period, Council approval of this contract is required by section 451 of the
25 District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 803; D.C. Official
26 Code ยง 1-204.51 ).
27 (c) Council approval is necessary to allow the continuation of these vital services.
28 Sec. 3. The Council determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute
29 emergency circumstances making it necessaiy that the Contract No. DCCB-2023-F-0039 with
30 Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC Approval and Payment Authorization Emergency Act
of
31 2023 be adopted after a single reading.
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I Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately. 32