DEADLINE: 9TH OCTOBER, 2023
ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES (ECOWAS)
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST SELECTION OF LAW FIRMS FOR LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE ECOWAS COMMISSION (FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT)
1. The ECOWAS Commission intends to apply a portion of its budgeted funds for the Selection of Law Firms to provide Legal Services for the ECOWAS Commission under a Framework Agreement.
2. In accordance with the ECOWAS Procurement Code, the Legal Affairs Directorate is mandated to maintain a list of External Solicitors to support its delivery of service to the organisation. In this regard, the ECOWAS Commission is calling on eligible Law Firms proficient in Litigation Practice and other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mechanisms, to submit their Expressions of Interest and proposals.
3. The objective is to ensure timely provision of legal and advisory services; and the availability of External Solicitors to handle litigation and other disputes on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, before national and international courts/arbitration panels.
4. The scope of services to be provided will include inter alia, but not limited to the following:
- The selected Law Firms will be expected to work closely with the Director of Legal Affairs to assess, advise and develop strategies to achieve the objectives of the organisation in each assignment.
- The level of effort will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the complexities of the assignment.
5. The Framework Agreement will be for an initial period of one (1) year upon signature and may be renewed conditionally.
6. Profile of Law Firm: The legal services required, based on the types of cases at the ECOWAS Commission, will be under two (2) categories of Law Firms (A and B). Law Firms are not limited to submitting proposals for one category only, and may submit for either one or both categories.
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL:
- The Technical proposal shall include the Law Firm’s profile and the category or categories must be clearly stated in the submission.
- Interested Law Firms shall provide a signed cover letter and information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and experience as set out in the criteria below:
(1) CATEGORY A: LITIGATION AND ADVISORY SERVICES
Qualification of the Firm
- A copy of the certificate of incorporation/registration issued by the relevant authority that the firm is duly registered to carry out legal practice in any of the ECOWAS Member States. A minimum of fifteen (15) years is required.
- Evidence of three (3) years tax clearance certificate of the firm.
Experience of the Firm
- Demonstrate having a track record of handling litigation on behalf of organisations in the public sector, and large corporate organisations. This must be supported by evidence of cases handled, evidence of Judgments/Rulings from all Superior Courts. Proven track record of success rate is an advantage.
- Proven track record in handling complex matters and proceedings, especially in the areas of International and National Enforcement of Court Judgments; International Contractual Disputes, Employment/Staff Matters. Proven track record of success rate is an advantage.
(NB: The ECOWAS Commission would like to draw the attention of interested consultants to Article 117 of the revised ECOWAS Procurement Code on “Fraud and Corruption”, which provides information on fraudulent or corrupt practices in competition or contract execution. Furthermore, candidates are invited to take cognisance of the specific information on conflict of interest related to this consultancy service, under Article 118 of the revised ECOWAS Procurement Code).
7. The selection of Firms for Legal Services for ECOWAS Commission will be made in accordance with the Framework Agreement procedures as laid down in the Procurement Code. Interested Law Firms may obtain more information by contacting the Procurement Division at the email below during working hours, i.e., Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (GMT +1). Email:
ikkamara@ecowas.int with copy to sbangoura@ecowas.int; njai@ecowas.int; neremie@ecowas.int and uobidike@ecowas.int
8. Expressions of interest must include the Technical and Financial Proposals in two (2) separate passworded documents and must be submitted electronically to the following email addresses: ikkamara@ecowas.int with copy to sbangoura@ecowas.int ; njai@ecowas.int; neremie@ecowas.int and uobidike@ecowas.int
9. The subject of the email should read “Selection of Law Firms for Legal Services for the ECOWAS Commission (Framework Agreement)” and submitted no later than Monday, 9th October 2023 at 11:00 a.m. (GMT+1, Nigerian time).
Please note that only electronic submissions are allowed and physical submissions will not be accepted at the ECOWAS Commission
Commissioner for Internal Services
