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JNtY OF N <br />COUNTY OF HAWAPI •_ '•• STATE OF HAWAPI <br />Tp OF NF' <br />RESOLUTION NO. 'BOG 25 <br />A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT OF LEONG <br />KUNIHIRO BROOKE & KIM, AS SPECIAL COUNSEL TO REPRESENT THE <br />COUNTY OF HAWAI`I, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES, WORKERS' <br />COMPENSATION DIVISION. <br />WHEREAS, Section 6-5.5 of the Charter of the County of Hawaii (hereinafter the <br />"Charter"), Special Counsel, provides that the Council may, by two-thirds vote of its entire <br />membership, authorize the employment of Special Counsel for any special matter presenting a <br />real necessity for such employment; and <br />WHEREAS, Section 6-5.5 of the Charter further states that any such authorization for <br />the employment of Special Counsel shall specify the compensation to be paid for services; and <br />WHEREAS, the County Department of Human Resources, Workers' Compensation <br />Division (hereinafter the "County") handles numerous workers' compensation cases and due to <br />the number and complexity of these cases, is still in need of assistance of Special Counsel; and <br />WHEREAS, on November 22, 2022, via professional services procurement, the County <br />executed a contract for Special Counsel assistance with Workers' Compensation cases with <br />Leong Kunihiro Brooke & Kim for Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00), with a <br />termination date of September 30, 2025; and <br />WHEREAS, the County is in the process of the evaluation and selection of Special <br />Counsel for Workers' Compensation cases via professional services procurement and needs <br />additional time to complete this process; and <br />WHEREAS, the County desires to extend the contract with Leong Kunihiro Brooke & <br />Kim for an additional period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days after September 30, 2025; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, Special Counsel represents the County in its most challenging workers' <br />compensation. claims, provides claims management oversight, makes recommendations <br />regarding settlement, negotiations, pertinent evaluations and investigation, and promotes <br />resolution and closure; and <br />WHEREAS, the Office of the Corporation Counsel does not have the expertise, <br />personnel, and resources to provide the same level of legal services rendered by Special Counsel; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, there is a real necessity for Special Counsel to continue representing the <br />County in its most challenging work; and <br />