Alex Arato, associate general counsel of CA Inc., recently described his law department’s RFP process. As reported in InsideCounsel, Jan. 2009 at 58, Arato solicits around five to seven firms for proposals on individual matters. That number makes sense (See my post of Oct. 26, 2007: seven tips for more effective RFPs.).
Surprisingly to me, since I have done more than a dozen competitive bids, Arato feels that “The hard part is trying to figure out which firms to ask to bid.” He always tries to select some firms that would be new for CA to use, which is a good practice (See my post of Aug. 13, 2008: 8 tips on RFPs.). He attaches information about the lawsuit and expects responses within about 10 business days (See my post of Sept. 28, 2008: twelve weeks for RFP process.). Among the important criteria he evaluates are cost projections and alternative billing arrangements.