EPFO floats RFP to empanel law firms

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has floated a request for proposal to empanel law firms for legal opinion on various cases involving the retirement fund manager.

The empaneled law firms would render legal opinion on matters related to interpretation of various statutes related to EPFO, consumer cases, corporate and commercial matters, labour law matters, NCLT matters, property related cases, commercial agreements, MoUs, administrative matters, financial matters, service matters and taxation matters, the EPFO said in the RFP.

They would also be expected to draft commercial agreements, MoUs, notices and vet all amendments, rules and circulars issued by the EPFO.

“This empanelment would be in addition to and not in substitution of the existing panel of advocates,” the EPFO further said, adding that the law firm would be empaneled for its headquarters in New Delhi.

This invitation to respond to the RFP is open only to reputed and well-established registered companies, partnerships firms, LLPs having minimum 50 partners, associates, it said, adding that the firm or partners should have at least 10 years of experience in Supreme Court or High Court. One to two law firms may be empaneled.

The last date for submission of bids is October 21 and letters would be issued to the selected law firms by November 7.

This comes soon after the EPFO has finalised a legal framework document for a standardised policy to deal with litigation to ensure all cases are addressed in a time-bound manner and unnecessary cases are not pursued. There are about 31,000 cases involving the EPFO in various courts.

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