LEGALAMENDED

City of Lemon Grove Staff Report First Amendment Legal Services 2026-05-19

Lemon Grove Amends Legal Services Contract with BW&S

$16,100 per month retainer for first 70 hours; $230/hour partners & $210/hour associates under retainer; $250/hour partners & $230/hour associates over 70 hours; Special Legal Services $310/hour; Litigation $330/hour; Paralegal $190/hourCity of Lemon GroveBURKE, WILLIAMS & SORENSEN LLPMay 19, 2026

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Description

The City of Lemon Grove approved a First Amendment to its Legal Services Agreement with Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP, establishing a $16,100 monthly retainer for the first 70 hours and increasing hourly rates for general, special, and litigation services. The amendment, effective May 2026, includes an automatic retainer increase after one year and CPI-based annual rate adjustments beginning in 2028, contingent on positive performance reviews.

Contract Details

Contract Amount

Vendor

BURKE, WILLIAMS & SORENSEN LLP

Agency

City of Lemon Grove, CA

Contract Type

LEGAL

Document Date

May 19, 2026

Contract Term

Original agreement effective March 2, 2021; First Amendment effective May 2026, with automatic retainer and rate increase after one year in May 2027 and annual CPI-based increases commencing July 1, 2028

Renewal Date

2027-05-31

Renewal Info

As of May 2027, the monthly retainer automatically increases to $17,500 for the first 70 hours, with partner rates for general services increasing to $250/hour and associates to $230/hour; excess-hours rates increase to $260/hour for partners and $240/hour for associates. Beginning July 1, 2028, and on July 1 each year thereafter, rates automatically increase by $5/hour or by the CPI percentage change for the San Diego-Carlsbad area, whichever is greater, with the CPI-based increase capped at 3.5%, subject to a positive annual performance evaluation by a majority of the City Council.

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