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4. Provision of Criminal Prosecutorial Legal ServicesPROVISION OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTORIAL LEGAL SERVICES Eckberg Lammers, P.C. Joseph Van Thomme 1809 Northwestern Ave Stillwater, MN 55082 jvanthomme@eckberglammers.com Telephone: 651-351-2106 www.eckberglammers.com ECKBERGLAMMERS ATTORNEYS AT LAW City of Scandia, Minnesota March 17, 2021 SUBMITTED BY: ii TABLE OF CONTENTS FIRM BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................... 3 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 3 BRIEF HISTORY .............................................................................................................. 3 NUMBER OF ATTORNEYS AND AREAS OF PRACTICE........................................................... 3 ATTORNEY QUALIFICATIONS ...................................................................................... 4 DESIGNATED PRIMARY PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS ........................................................... 4 ATTORNEY RESUMES ..................................................................................................... 4 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS ................................................. 6 ACCESSIBILITY TO CITY, PERSONNEL, POLICE OFFICERS .................................................. 8 SUPPORT STAFF QUALIFICATIONS ................................................................................... 9 FIRM QUALIFICATIONS ............................................................................................... 10 CURRENT AND PREVIOUS MUNICIPAL LAW EXPERIENCE .................................................. 10 OFFICE ORGANIZATION, TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH, AND SUPPORT CAPABILITIES .............. 10 PROPOSED SERVICES .................................................................................................. 11 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING FIRM QUALIFICATIONS ......................................... 11 CRIMINAL PROSECUTION REFERENCES ................................................................ 12 FEES ............................................................................................................................. 13 CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FEES ...................................................................................... 13 MISCELLANEOUS BILLING MATTERS ............................................................................... 13 HARD COSTS ............................................................................................................... 13 CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT ..................................................................... 14 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 14 EXHIBIT A ..................................................................................................................... 15 EXHIBIT B ..................................................................................................................... 16 2 Proposal Summary Firm Eckberg Lammers, P.C. Attorneys 16 Experience Eckberg Lammers has been representing municipalities across Minnesota since 1949 and currently represents 18 communities across five counties, in criminal prosecution. Scope of Services Prosecution Legal Services Proposed Primary Attorney Joseph D. Van Thomme Proposed Assistant Attorneys Derek T. Archambault Kari E. O’Leary Thomas J. Weidner Anneliese McCahery Fees Annual Flat Fee for 2021, $1,200 monthly retainer 3 FIRM BACKGROUND Introduction Eckberg Lammers, P.C. is pleased to submit this Provision of Criminal Prosecutorial Legal Services to the City of Scandia, Minnesota. The true strength of the Eckberg Lammers Prosecution team is our focus on partnership with our municipal clients to provide unparalleled service. Our strong relationships coupled with our depth of knowledge in municipal prosecution allow us to provide the highest level of service. The Eckberg Lammers Prosecution team believes in providing compassionate, courageous, and cost-effective representation. We do this through frequent communication, consistent delivery of services, and training our municipal partners, including code enforcement and city administration. Quite simply, Eckberg Lammers will deliver prosecution services of the highest quality to the City of Scandia. Brief History Eckberg Lammers was established by Lyle Eckberg, who began the practice of law in 1949. Since its founding, the firm has served as civil, prosecution, employment, and special counsel for many municipalities throughout Minnesota. The firm’s attorneys and staff value the relationships made with police departments, staff, elected officials, and residents in the municipalities the firm serves. In addition to the firm’s representation of municipal clients, Eckberg Lammers maintains a general practice, offering legal services in Business and Commercial Law, Banking Law, Real Estate, Employment Law, Estate Planning, Probate and Guardianship, Mediation/Arbitration, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, and Family Law. This breadth of practice areas provide our attorneys a deeper insight into many of the issues facing the firm’s municipal clients. Number of Attorneys and Areas of Practice Eckberg Lammers currently employs 16 attorneys. The firm is recognized throughout the State of Minnesota for its criminal prosecution practice. This strength is reflected by the roster of our attorneys, with areas of practice provided in Exhibit A below. 4 ATTORNEY QUALIFICATIONS The proposed primary attorney for the City is Joseph Van Thomme. Joe will handle all aspects of the City’s Prosecution legal services in our proposed services. In addition to the attorneys designated as primary prosecuting attorneys, Eckberg Lammers offers a team approach to municipal prosecution. We have six experienced prosecuting attorneys who are able to provide comprehensive prosecution services. Of those six, four of the attorneys practices are 100% prosecution, and the remaining two at least 70% of their practice is focused on prosecution. This structure allows for competent, efficient prosecution services inside and outside the courtroom. Given our team approach, experienced prosecutors and staff are always available to provide timely assistance to the City. Designated Primary Prosecuting Attorneys Joseph Van Thomme Attorney Resumes Joseph D. Van Thomme, Prosecuting Attorney, Shareholder • Academic Training and Degrees: B.A. in Anthropology, B.A. in Philosophy, University of Minnesota, 2006; J.D. Hamline University School of Law, 2009. • Criminal Prosecution: 100% of his practice devoted to criminal prosecution; prosecutes at all arraignment, pretrial, omnibus, contested/evidentiary hearings and jury trials on behalf of Blaine, Ramsey, Woodbury, Bayport, Oak Park Heights, Mahtomedi, Faribault, Northfield, East Bethel, Lake St. Croix Beach, St. Mary’s Point, Circle Pines, Dundas, and Mendota. • Areas of Focus: Law enforcement training; Minnesota State Bar Association Criminal Law Section presenter; Board Member of Standpoint (formerly the Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project); Violence Free Minnesota Collaborative member; DWI Task Force member; Toward Zero Death (TZD) presenter; Washington County Human Trafficking Coalition member; presenter at Minnesota Historical Society’s Heritage Preservation Commission on Main Street Code Enforcement conference; firearms, DWI vehicle forfeitures, municipal code enforcement; appeals. • Prosecution Experience: Eleven years in municipal prosecution; five years of prosecution experience with Eckberg Lammers. Derek T. Archambault, Prosecuting Attorney • Academic Training and Degrees: B.A. in Political Science, B.A. in Communication Studies, University of St. Thomas, 2006; J.D., St. Thomas School of Law, 2009. • Criminal Prosecution: 100% of his practice is devoted to criminal prosecution; prosecutes at arraignment, pretrial, omnibus, contested/evidentiary hearings and jury trials. • Areas of Focus: Law enforcement training; Code Enforcement; Litigation; Appellate Practice; Minnesota Continuing Legal Education presenter; Member of the Twin 5 Cities Organized Retail Crime Association; Member of the Anoka County Prosecutors’ Association. • Prosecution Experience: Eleven years in municipal prosecution. Kari E. O’Leary, Prosecuting Attorney • Academic Training and Degrees: B.A. Norwegian and Middle East Studies, St. Olaf College, 2003, J.D. William Mitchell College of Law, 2009. • Criminal Prosecution: 100% of her practice is devoted to criminal prosecution; prosecutes at arraignment, pretrial, omnibus, contested/evidentiary hearings and jury trials. • Areas of Focus: Law enforcement training, Victim advocacy, Blueprint for Safety, firearms, municipal code enforcement, appeals. • Prosecution Experience: Eight years practice in criminal law, five years exclusively prosecution at the county and city level. Thomas J. Weidner, Prosecuting Attorney, Shareholder • Academic Training and Degrees: B.A., Augsburg College, 1985; J.D., William Mitchell College of Law, 1990. • Criminal Prosecution: Supervising Attorney of prosecution department; 75% of his practice is devoted to criminal prosecution. The remaining 25% devoted to civil litigation, including personal injury and civil rights litigation. • Areas of Focus: Law enforcement training; law enforcement and community policy and protocol development; trial skills development; prosecutes at arraignment, pretrial, omnibus hearings and jury trials; municipal code enforcement and Crime Free Multi-Housing training for building officials and property managers. • Prosecution Experience: 30+ years in municipal prosecution; all with Eckberg Lammers. Previous experience as Hennepin County Probation Officer. Anneliese McCahery, Prosecuting Attorney • Academic Training and Degrees: B.A. in Political Science & Justice and Peace Studies, University of St. Thomas, 2016; J.D., Mitchell Hamline School of Law, 2020. • Criminal Prosecution: A majority of her practice is devoted to criminal prosecution; prosecutes at arraignment, pretrial, omnibus hearings and jury trials; municipal code enforcement; law enforcement liaison for civil and criminal actions, including municipal code enforcement on behalf the firm’s clients. • Areas of Focus: Law enforcement training; Firearms Policy; Minnesota State Bar Association, Member; and Minnesota Women Lawyers, Member. • Prosecution Experience: Annie has a total of three years working in criminal law, one year as a certified student attorney in the Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office and two years serving as a certified student attorney/law clerk with Eckberg Lammers. 6 Rebecca S. Baack, Prosecuting Attorney • Academic Training and Degrees: B.A. in Legal Studies, Business and Spanish, Cum Laude, University of St. Thomas, 2004; J.D., William Mitchell College of Law, 2007. • Criminal Prosecution: 100% of her practice devoted to criminal prosecution; prosecutes at arraignment, pretrial, omnibus hearings and jury trials; municipal code enforcement; law enforcement liaison for civil and criminal actions, including municipal code enforcement on behalf the firm’s clients. • Areas of Focus: Law enforcement training, former Twin Cities Organized Retail Crime Alliance (TCORCA) board member; Tubman Family Alliance • Prosecution Experience: Thirteen years in municipal prosecution; seven years of prosecution experience at Eckberg Lammers. • Current position: Part time employment. Additional Information on Prosecuting Attorneys Joseph D. Van Thomme joined our firm in March 2014, after spending more than four years at an Anoka County firm. At his previous firm, Joe was lead prosecutor for the Cities of Ramsey, Bethel and Nowthen, and also represented the Town of Linwood on civil municipal matters. Since joining Eckberg Lammers, Joe prosecutes for all of our firm’s prosecution clients. Joe actively advises municipalities and their police agencies on vehicle forfeitures and administrative law and is actively involved in criminal and civil ordinance enforcement issues. Joe is a current board member for Standpoint (formerly known as Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project; member of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Criminal Law Section; and the section’s current Legislative and Diversity Representative to the State Bar. In 2013, Joe was also elected Chair of that organization, which has several hundred members and a focus on training criminal law lawyers and monitoring changes in the law. Joe is a member of the DWI Task Force and is a presenter at the annual state-wide Toward Zero Death (TZD) law enforcement conference. Joe has presented to the Minnesota Historical Society’s Heritage Preservation Commission on municipal code enforcement. He is also a member of the Washington County Human Trafficking Coalition and Violence Free Minnesota. Joe regularly coordinates trainings and educational materials for lawyers, police agencies and code enforcement officers, and is co-author of the firm’s newsletter. Joe also prepares and distributes case law updates to all agencies. Derek T. Archambault joined the firm in December of 2018. He devotes 100 percent of his practice to criminal prosecution and handles cases from charging through trial, sentencing, and appeals. He also works on municipal code enforcement and potentially dangerous/dangerous dog designations. Derek has argued criminal cases before the Minnesota Court of Appeals and prevailed. Derek has spent his entire legal career working in criminal prosecution. Derek regularly coordinates trainings and educational materials for police agencies, lawyers and code enforcement officers, and has presented at the annual Minnesota 7 Criminal Justice Institute. He is the co-author of our firm’s prosecution newsletter and prepares and distributes case law updates to all agencies. In 2020, Derek was recognized as a leader among our law enforcement partners for his work advising agencies on implementing and enforcing the Governor’s emergency executive orders. Derek is also a member of the Minnesota Organized Retail Crime Association (MNORCA), which is a statewide organization that allows retailers, financial institutions, prosecutors and law enforcement to stay updated on criminal activity affecting businesses, and serves as a mentor for the University of St. Thomas School of Law Mentee program. Kari E. O’Leary began working at Eckberg Lammers in April 2020. She focuses 100 percent of her practice on criminal prosecution. She has over eight years of criminal law experience and has exclusively prosecuted for five years. Prior to joining Eckberg Lammers, she prosecuted petty misdemeanor through felony level offenses at the Rice County Attorney’s Office and Morrison County Attorney’s Office. She has several years of appellate experience in the area of child protection prosecution and is prepared to handle any criminal appellate issues as they arise. Kari represents the firm’s municipal clients in Rice County, Dakota County and Washington County. She serves as the firm’s lead attorney for the cities of Northfield, Faribault, Dundas, and Morristown. Kari is committed to community service and outreach, particularly in the areas of education and training for the municipalities we represent. She believes that partnering closely with law enforcement and other justice partners provides effective prosecution and achieves fair outcomes. She is an advocate for victims and member of both the Hope Center Board and Blueprint for Safety. Thomas J. Weidner has prosecuted at Eckberg Lammers for more than 30 years. He has served as the lead prosecutor for the Cities of Woodbury, Northfield, Faribault, Bayport, Oak Park Heights, Lake St. Croix Beach, Mahtomedi, Lakeland, and St. Mary’s Point. Tom has also served as a special prosecutor in conflict situations for the Cities of Stillwater, Maplewood, Forest Lake, Cottage Grove, Oakdale and St. Paul Park. Tom has extensive trial experience, including appellate experience. In addition to his substantial prosecution duties, Tom maintains a private practice in civil litigation. Tom has focused on the development and implementation of the use of technology in prosecution. By innovating “paperless” file systems, electronic scheduling and the transfer of electronic reports and evidence, our firm can offer more effective prosecution services at a lower cost to our municipal clients and correspondingly reduce the pressure on police staff resources. Anneliese McCahery joined our firm in 2019 as a Certified Student Attorney for our prosecution department. Following graduation from law school this spring, she joined us full time. She has assisted with all aspects of Criminal Prosecution from complaints to jury trials. Prior to joining Eckberg Lammers, she worked as a Certified Student Attorney for Ramsey County Public Defender’s Office. Annie’s passion for community outreach expands into the organizations she is involved. Specifically, throughout law school she 8 was a member of Mitchell Hamline’s Criminal Law Society, Legal Association of Women Lawyers and Asian Law Students Association. Rebecca S. Baack worked as a full time prosecutor for the firm for five years before making the decision to become part-time, which allowed her to spend more time with her young children. Rebecca has been involved in the Tubman Family Alliance and is a former board member of the Twin Cities Organized Retail Crime Association (TCORCA). Accessibility to City, Personnel, Police Officers Because effective and comprehensive prosecution services require attorneys in court, available in the office and after-hours, the firm’s team approach is well-suited to serve the needs of the City. While Joe Van Thomme will be the primary attorney assigned to represent the City in court, the City and its law enforcement agency will become well acquainted with all of the firm’s prosecutors and support staff. The City can expect that many or all of the firm’s prosecutors will appear in court and handle the day-to-day tasks attendant to criminal prosecution. This approach has served the firm’s clients well and will ensure that the City of Scandia has effective and continuous representation in and out of court. To provide these services, our prosecution attorneys are available and accessible at all times day and night by mobile phone and all officers will be provided with each of our prosecution attorneys’ mobile phone numbers. During the week, while most prosecuting attorneys are in court, our office maintains at least one attorney who is available to field calls that have an immediate need for service by police officers. Additionally, our prosecution staff is available weekdays, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Our victim witness coordinator is available weekdays and upon request of victims, witnesses and police officers. Our firm also utilizes prosecution case management software. This system affords us maximum flexibility on file storage and retrieval as well as calendaring, electronic reminders, conflict management and off-site access. Our system is state-of-the-art, interfacing with the program as well as our mobile devices for trial and case management. Within this case management system, the firm tracks each project and matter with a step-by-step procedural list, allowing deadlines to be established and met. These capabilities allow the attorneys and staff to have daily on-demand access to work resources from any location. Our use of the system provides thorough security and systems control. Attorneys have remote capability with access to email and documents as needed, which allows us to share, edit and finalize documents for our clients on a continuous basis. Consistently delivering timely communication and work product to our clients is a source of pride for our prosecution group. 9 Support Staff Qualifications Missy Barstow, Prosecution Legal Assistant • Academic Training and Degrees: Legal Secretary Degree, Northeast Metro Technical College, 1991. • Areas of Focus: Responsible for the day-to-day responsibilities for the cities in Hennepin and Washington Counties. Missy also is responsible for managing and updating our criminal case management system and our evidence storage system. • Prosecution Experience: Missy worked at the Chisago County Attorney’s Office in the Criminal Division for 18 years, and has been a prosecution paralegal for the past three years with Eckberg Lammers. Julie Meredith, Prosecution Legal Assistant • Academic Training and Degrees: Paralegal Degree, Inver Hills Community College, 2008. • Areas of Focus: Manages the day-to-day operations of criminal prosecution for the cities in Anoka County. • Prosecution Experience: Julie has ten years of experience as a criminal law paralegal for a county attorney’s office and two years as a paralegal at Eckberg Lammers. Kelly Deweerd, Prosecution Legal Assistant • Academic Training and Degrees: Legal Assistant/Paralegal Degree, Gadsden Business College, 1991. • Areas of Focus: Manages the day-to-day operations of criminal prosecution for the cities in Washington, Rice, and Dakota Counties. • Prosecution Experience: Kelly has ten years of experience working as a prosecution assistant for a municipal prosecutor and has been a prosecution legal assistant for two years with Eckberg Lammers. Linda Wikoff, Prosecution Victim/Witness Coordinator, Legal Assistant • Academic Training and Degrees: Associate’s Degree in Human Services and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice (ongoing). • Areas of Focus: Manages the day-to-day operations of criminal prosecution as well as responsible for outreach, support and resource to Victim/Witnesses. • Prosecution Experience: Linda has 28 years of experience working with victims and witnesses in criminal prosecution. She worked a majority of her career for Tubman in both Ramsey County and Washington County, working at both misdemeanor and felony levels. Before joining Eckberg Lammers she was the Victim Witness Coordinator for the Washington County Attorney’s Office. 10 Taylor Thoreson, Prosecution Victim/Witness Coordinator, Legal Assistant • Academic Training and Degrees: Bachelors of Arts Degree in Social Work, Luther College, 2013. • Areas of Focus: Manages the day-to-day operations of criminal prosecution as well as responsible for outreach, support and resource to Victim/Witnesses. • Prosecution Experience: Taylor has seven years of experience working with victims and witnesses in criminal prosecution. She worked as a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate for 360 Communities and a Legal Advocate for Tubman before joining Eckberg Lammers. FIRM QUALIFICATIONS Current and Previous Municipal Law Experience Eckberg Lammers has historically maintained a significant focus in municipal and public-sector practice and, since its inception, has been one of the leading municipal law firms in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and beyond. See Exhibit B for the current resume of municipalities we serve. Office Organization, Technology, Research, and Support Capabilities Our prosecution department maintains a case management system separate from the rest of our firm for both privacy and efficiency. The computer system used by our prosecutors and staff provides maximum security and systems control. We maintain paperless files, which allow all our prosecutors and staff to access case files from any location, whether we are in court or at a police department. All attorneys have secure, remote laptop and smart-phone access to case file documents. Our attorneys utilize laptop computers for all court appearances, which allows for efficient e-mail communication and research capability, including immediate access to Minnesota Department of Public Safety records, MNCIS, MGA and Westlaw. This practice facilitates consistent and efficient communication and work product. Eckberg Lammers has been a pioneer in the use of technology among its peers in the criminal prosecution field. The firm has invested in advanced technology systems in areas of case management, data transactions including body worn cameras and dash cameras, and accessibility of documents to outside agencies. Our office also works closely with our law enforcement partners to reduce the City’s internal staffing time regarding document and video evidence duplication and transfer. We utilize a cloud- based secure electronic data transfer system that is compliant with all video storage formats. We work diligently to avoid unnecessary officer overtime for court appearances by being proactive in our trial preparation. Eckberg Lammers transitioned from a paper library to an electronic library over a decade ago. Our firm contracts with Westlaw to provide each of our attorneys with instant access to a number of Westlaw libraries; including Court of Appeals reported and unreported decisions, Minnesota Statutes Annotated, Attorney General Opinions, 11 and more. This allows our firm’s attorneys to perform the most comprehensive searches necessary to obtain the information needed expeditiously and thoroughly. In addition to this automated library, each attorney has access to the hard-bound Minnesota Statutes in their office, together with the soft cover West’s Minnesota Criminal Law Handbooks. Our attorneys subscribe to instant reporting services and attorney list-serves provided by the League of Minnesota Cities and the Minnesota State Bar Association. These services allow for timely peer discussion of criminal prosecution matters and distribute all Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court decisions as they are reported. Proposed Services Eckberg Lammers is uniquely qualified to represent the City of Scandia. Our prosecution team will provide the City with exceptional prosecution services for municipal ordinance violations, petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors, and gross misdemeanors. We also provide related legal advice, including, but not limited to, a working knowledge of existing city codes and assist in the development of City policies and guidelines for the efficient and effective management and prosecution of ever evolving situations within the City. It is the intent of our attorneys and staff to provide these services through diligent, timely, and effective communications on every level. Additional Information Regarding Firm Qualifications The core values of the Eckberg Lammers prosecution team are compassion, consistency, and courage. We believe each case deserves an individualized response to ensure that victims are protected, communities are kept safe, and the rights of defendants are respected. This means having compassion for victims and empathy for the broader community that deals with crime, and for the unique circumstances that some defendants may find themselves in. Our prosecutors seek long-lasting resolutions to each case on a consistent basis, with an eye toward fairness for all parties. Perhaps most importantly, our prosecutors have the courage to do the right thing. Our attorneys are skilled negotiators as it relates to resolving criminal cases and skilled litigators when it is time to go to trial. We regularly collaborate with community partners, such as victims’ advocacy groups, to ensure that cases are resolved in a way that protects victims’ rights and interests. 12 CRIMINAL PROSECUTION REFERENCES The City of Scandia is encouraged to contact any of Eckberg Lammers’ current or past clients. We have provided the contact information for the below references. City of Woodbury: Lee Vague, Chief of Police Woodbury City Hall 8301 Valley Creek Road Woodbury, Minnesota 55125 (651) 714-3500 lvague@ci.woodbury.mn.us Washington County Dan Starry, Sheriff Sheriff’s Office: 15015 62nd Street North Stillwater, MN 55082 (651) 430-4600 sheriff@co.washington.mn.us City of Ramsey: Jeff Katers 7550 Sunwood Drive NW Ramsey, MN 55303 (763) 427-6812 JKaters@cityoframsey.com 13 FEES Criminal Prosecution Fees We propose a flat fee retainer that encompasses all of the proposed prosecution services. The firm will prosecute all matters outlined in the Request for Proposals within the annual retainer fee described below. As such, the City of Scandia can be assured that the flat fee retainer will be the total billed in most months (supplemented by hard costs described below). 2021 2022 2023 Flat Fee (Annual amount) $14,400 $14,900 $15,400 Miscellaneous Billing Matters As described throughout this Response, Eckberg Lammers will provide prosecution services to the City at a convenient, cost-effective monthly flat fee. Accordingly, the efficiency and savings generated by this arrangement will be passed on to the City by eliminating the need for a redundant monthly billing summary of the services provided within the flat fee. The annual fee amount will be billed in twelve (12) equal monthly installments. In the event that there are additional costs to be billed to the City beyond the monthly retainer, the firm will provide the City with a detailed summary of those costs. Legal assistant services are never charged. Hard Costs Charges passed through at cost: • Courier or delivery charges • Process server fees • Civil filing fees (forfeitures) • Appellate binding services As part of the firm’s comprehensive flat fee for prosecution services, no charges are ever imposed for phone calls. The firm encourages City staff, law enforcement and personnel to contact any of our prosecuting attorneys and support staff without budgetary concerns. The firm has found this approach to be welcomed by cities, as it provides for unfettered access to legal advice without imposing financial pressure on the City nor financial boundaries in the pursuit of justice. 14 CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT The list of all public clients for which the firm currently provides services under a fee for services basis or on a retainer basis is contained on the previous pages of this Response. The firm does not foresee any potential conflict of interest with the City of Scandia that could result from such representation. Eckberg Lammers does not currently represent, and has not represented in the past, any public or private client where the representation may conflict with the firm’s ability to serve as criminal prosecutors for the City. Eckberg Lammers does not currently represent any real estate developers doing business with the City of Scandia, or anticipating doing business with the City of Scandia. The potential for conflicts of interest always exists. The firm maintains a conflict protocol and client registry as required under existing ethics standards for that purpose. The firm is keenly aware that representation of private individuals, real estate developers, contractors and others may impact its municipal clients, and Eckberg Lammers has worked to successfully avoid those conflicts over the years. In the rare event a conflict presents itself, the firm would promptly refer the case for representation, at no additional cost to the city, as we are professionally required to do, and if necessary, we would assist in making the requisite referrals and transition the file to other counsel in an efficient manner. The firm, as a matter of protocol, conducts a conflict check for each prosecution file opened by the firm. The firm also maintains a separate client list in its computer system which notes all clients and adverse parties. CONCLUSION The breadth and depth of our firm’s longstanding experience in representing municipal clients makes Eckberg Lammers uniquely qualified to provide superior, cost-effective prosecution services to the City of Scandia. Our firm has demonstrated an ability and willingness to maintain close, effective working relationships with its municipal clients. We have enjoyed tremendous success prosecuting for cities of all sizes due to our strong infrastructure and skilled, capable attorneys. The commitment of the prosecution team to our clients allow us to deliver the services requested. We welcome the opportunity to provide comprehensive criminal prosecution services to the City of Scandia. Respectfully submitted this 17th day of March, 2021. ECKBERG LAMMERS, P.C. /s/ Joseph Van Thomme Joseph Van Thomme 15 Exhibit A Attorney: Area(s) of Practice: Joseph D. Van Thomme Municipal Prosecution Derek T. Archambault Municipal Prosecution Kari E. O’Leary Municipal Prosecution Thomas J. Weidner Municipal Prosecution, Civil Litigation Rebecca S. Baack Municipal Prosecution Anneliese McCahery Municipal Prosecution, Civil Municipal, Civil Litigation Christopher T. Nelson Municipal Law, Civil Litigation, Labor and Employment Law Lida M. Bannink Municipal Law, Labor and Employment Law Nicholas J. Vivian Municipal Law, Banking and Finance, Business Law Thomas R. Loonan Municipal Law, Business Law Kevin S. Sandstrom Municipal Law, Civil Litigation Eric J. Sherburne Municipal Law, Banking and Finance Patrick J. Sweeney Municipal Law, Civil Litigation Mitchell S. Sell Civil Litigation Patrick J. Boley Estate Planning and Probate Jane M. Hill Estate Planning and Probate 16 Exhibit B Eckberg Lammers currently represents eighteen municipalities in criminal prosecution and fourteen total municipalities in a civil capacity – nine in Minnesota and five in Wisconsin. City Municipal Capacity Bayport Civil and Prosecution Blaine Civil and Prosecution Circle Pines Prosecution Crystal Prosecution Dundas Prosecution East Bethel Civil and Prosecution Faribault Prosecution Hudson, WI Civil (5/1/21) Lake St. Croix Beach Civil and Prosecution Mahtomedi Prosecution Mendota Civil and Prosecution Northfield Prosecution Newport Prosecution New Richmond, WI Civil Oak Park Heights Civil and Prosecution Ramsey Prosecution Robbinsdale Prosecution Scandia Civil St. Mary’s Point Civil and Prosecution St. Josephs, WI Civil Star Prairie, WI Civil Trade Lake, WI Civil Woodbury Prosecution