<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76548</law_id><section_number>2.2-510.1</section_number><catch_line>Open negotiation for employment of special counsel</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="2.2">Administration of Government</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">Organization of State Government</unit><unit label="part" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="B">Department of Law</unit><unit label="chapter" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="5">Department of Law</unit><unit label="article" level="5" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>No <span class="dictionary">state agency</span> or state agent shall enter into a contingency fee <span class="dictionary">contract</span> for legal services in which contingency fees and expenses are reasonably anticipated to exceed $100,000 until an open and competitive negotiation process has been undertaken in accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title; purpose; declaration of intent" href="/2.2-4300/">2.2-4300</a> et seq.), applied <span class="dictionary">mutatis mutandis</span>. The <span class="dictionary">contract</span> shall be awarded to the attorney or firm that submits the most competitive proposal to provide such services considering the cost of the services, the qualifications of the attorney or firm to provide the services, the experience of the attorney or firm with similar legal matters, legal expertise generally, and such other relevant factors as may be identified by the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span>.
		The provisions of this section shall not apply to any <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> for legal fees entered into pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Legal service in civil matters" href="/2.2-507/">2.2-507</a> for the purpose of implementing the Virginia Debt Collection Act (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Policy of the Commonwealth; collection of accounts receivable" href="/2.2-4800/">2.2-4800</a> et seq.).</p></section></text><history>2002, c. 196.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
