Selection of Law Firms for Legal Servies for the ECOWAS Commission (Framework Agreement)
23 Sep, 2023REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Selection of Law Firms for Legal Servies for the ECOWAS Commission
(Framework Agreement)
Reference No. 1-ECW/OoTP/LAD/18-09/ne 18th September 2023
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 Prac
tice 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.
Availability of Staff
The firm must have at least five (5) lawyers, each with a minimum of five (5) years’ post call to bar
experience. This should be supported by their Curriculum Vitae (CV) and qualification certificates.
The firm should have at least two (2) administrative staff supported by their CVs.
Qualification and experience of Key Professional Staff (Team Lead)
The Team Lead/Head must be a citizen of one of the ECOWAS Member States and have:
A minimum of fifteen (15) years post call to bar experience.
A minimum of ten (10) years’ working experience in core legal practice.
Proven track record before the Superior Courts of Record up to Supreme Court.
(2) CATEGORY B: LITIGATION & ADVISORY SERVICES
Qualifications 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
ten (10) 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.
Availability of Staff
The firm must have at least three (3) lawyers, each with a minimum of five (5) years’ post call to
bar experience. This should be supported by their Curriculum Vitae (CV) and qualification
certificates.
The firm should have at least one (1) administrative staff supported by their CV.
Qualification and experience of Key Professional Staff (Team Lead)
The Team Lead/Head must be a citizen of one of the ECOWAS Member States and have:
A minimum of ten (10) years post call to bar experience.
A minimum of five (5) years’ working experience in core legal practice.
Proven track record before the Superior Courts of Record up to Supreme Court.
ESSENTIAL: OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR CATEGORIES A & B
The firm must have a physical office located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The firm must be proactive and able to respond to the Client’s needs for services in a timely manner.
Firms can form Joint Ventures to increase their chances of qualifying.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT:
Fluency in any of the ECOWAS official languages (English, French or Portuguese), oral and written
is essential.
Knowledge of a second official language would be an advantage.
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL:
The Financial Proposal must include professional fees estimates based on the category(ies)
applied for and should not include VAT or other additional taxes of any nature.
(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
