Awards of Fees and Other Expenses

29 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart T
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

29 C.F.R. § 102.143 “Adversary adjudication” defined; entitlement to award; eligibility for award.

(a) The term adversary adjudication, as used in this subpart, means unfair labor practice proceedings pending before the Board on a complaint and backpay proceedings under §§ 102.52 through 102.59 pending before the Board on a Notice of Hearing at any time after October 1, 1984. (b) A Respondent in an adversary adjudication who prevails in that proceeding, or in a significant and discrete substantive portion of that proceeding, and who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of this section, is eligible to apply for an award of fees and other expenses allowable under the provisions of § 102.145. (c) Applicants eligible to receive an award are as follows: (1) An individual with a net worth of not more than $2 million; (2) A sole owner of an unincorporated business who has a net worth of not more than $7 million, including both personal and business interests, and not more than 500 employees; (3) A charitable or other tax-exempt organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) with not more than 500 employees; (4) A cooperative association as defined in Section 15(a) of the Agricultural Marketing Act (12 U.S.C. 1141j(a)) with not more than 500 employees; and (5) Any other partnership, corporation, association, unit of local government, or public or private organization with a net worth of not more than $7 million and not more than 500 employees. (d) For the purpose of eligibility, the net worth and number of employees of an applicant will be determined as of the date of the complaint in an unfair labor practice proceeding or the date of the Notice of Hearing in a backpay proceeding. (e) An applicant who owns an unincorporated business will be considered as an “individual” rather than a “sole owner of unincorporated business” if the issues on which the applicant prevails are related primarily to personal interests rather than to business interests. (f) The employees of an applicant include all persons who regularly perform services for remuneration for the applicant, under the applicant's direction and control. Part-time employees shall be included on a proportional basis. (g) The net worth and number of employees of the applicant and all of its affiliates will be aggregated to determine eligibility. Any individual, corporation, or other entity that directly or indirectly controls or owns a majority of the voting shares or other interest of the applicant, or any corporation or other entity of which the applicant directly or indirectly owns or controls a majority of the voting shares or other interest, will be considered an affiliate for purposes of this part, unless such treatment would be unjust and contrary to the purposes of the Equal Access to Justice Act (94 Stat. 2325) in light of the actual relationship between the affiliated entities. In addition, financial relationships of the applicant other than those described in this paragraph may constitute special circumstances that would make an award unjust. (h) An applicant that participates in an adversary adjudication primarily on behalf of one or more other persons or entities that would be ineligible is not itself eligible for an award.

29 C.F.R. § 102.144 Standards for awards.

(a) An eligible applicant may receive an award for fees and expenses incurred in connection with an adversary adjudication or in connection with a significant and discrete substantive portion of that proceeding, unless the position of the General Counsel over which the applicant has prevailed was substantially justified. The burden of proof that an award should not be made to an eligible applicant is on the General Counsel, who may avoid an award by showing that the General Counsel's position in the proceeding was substantially justified. (b) An award will be reduced or denied if the applicant has unduly or unreasonably protracted the adversary adjudication or if special circumstances make the award sought unjust.

29 C.F.R. § 102.145 Allowable fees and expenses.

(a) Awards will be based on rates customarily charged by persons engaged in the business of acting as attorneys, agents and expert witnesses, even if the services were made available without charge or at a reduced rate to the applicant. (b) No award for the attorney or agent fees under these Rules may exceed $75 per hour. However, an award may also include the reasonable expenses of the attorney, agent, or witness as a separate item, if the attorney, agent, or expert witness ordinarily charges clients separately for such expenses. (c) In determining the reasonableness of the fee sought for an attorney, agent, or expert witness, the following matters will be considered: (1) If the attorney, agent, or expert witness is in practice, that person's customary fee for similar services, or, if an employee of the applicant, the fully allocated cost of the services; (2) The prevailing rate for similar services in the community in which the attorney, agent, or expert witness ordinarily performs services; (3) The time actually spent in the representation of the applicant; and (4) The time reasonably spent in light of the difficulty or complexity of the issues in the adversary adjudicative proceeding. (d) The reasonable cost of any study, analysis, engineering report, test, project or similar matter prepared on behalf of an applicant may be awarded, to the extent that the charge for the service does not exceed the prevailing rate for similar services, and the study or other matter was necessary for preparation of the applicant's case.

29 C.F.R. § 102.146 Rulemaking on maximum rates for attorney or agent fees.

Any person may file with the Board a petition under § 102.124 for rulemaking to increase the maximum rate for attorney or agent fees. The petition should specify the rate the petitioner believes may be established and explain fully why the higher rate is warranted by an increase in the cost of living or a special factor (such as the limited availability of qualified attorneys or agents for the proceedings involved).

29 C.F.R. § 102.147 Contents of application; net worth exhibit; documentation of fees and expenses.

(a) An application for an award of fees and expenses under the Act must identify the applicant and the adversary adjudication for which an award is sought. The application must state the particulars in which the applicant has prevailed and identify the positions of the General Counsel in that proceeding that the applicant alleges were not substantially justified. Unless the applicant is an individual, the application must also state the number, category, and work location of employees of the applicant and its affiliates and describe briefly the type and purpose of its organization or business. (b) The application must include a statement that the applicant's net worth does not exceed $2 million (if an individual) or $7 million (for all other applicants, including their affiliates). However, an applicant may omit this statement if: (1) It attaches a copy of a ruling by the Internal Revenue Service that it qualifies as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) or, in the case of a tax-exempt organization not required to obtain a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service on its exempt status, a statement that describes the basis for the applicant's belief that it qualifies under such Section; or (2) It states that it is a cooperative association as defined in Section 15(a) of the Agricultural Marketing Act (12 U.S.C. 1141j(a)). (c) The application must state the amount of fees and expenses for which an award is sought. (d) The application may also include any other matters that the applicant wishes this Agency to consider in determining whether and in what amount an award should be made. (e) The application must be signed by the applicant or an authorized officer or attorney of the applicant. It must also contain or be accompanied by a written verification under oath or under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is true. (f) Each applicant, except a qualified tax-exempt organization or cooperative association, must provide with its application a detailed exhibit showing the net worth of the applicant and any affiliates (as defined in § 102.143(g)) when the adversary adjudicative proceeding was initiated. The exhibit may be in any form convenient to the applicant that provides full disclosure of the applicant's and its affiliates' assets and liabilities and is sufficient to determine whether the applicant qualifies under the standards in this part. The Administrative Law Judge may require an applicant to file such additional information as may be required to determine its eligibility for an award. (g)(1) Unless otherwise directed by the Administrative Law Judge, the net worth exhibit will be included in the public record of the fee application proceeding. An applicant that objects to public disclosure of information in any portion of the exhibit may submit that portion of the exhibit in a sealed envelope labeled Confidential Financial Information, accompanied by a motion to withhold the information from public disclosure. The motion must describe the information sought to be withheld and explain, in detail, why public disclosure of the information would adversely affect the applicant and why disclosure is not required in the public interest. The exhibit must be served on the General Counsel but need not be served on any other party to the proceeding. If the Administrative Law Judge finds that the information may not be withheld from disclosure, it will be placed in the public record of the proceeding. (2) If the Administrative Law Judge grants the motion to withhold from public disclosure, the exhibit will remain sealed, except to the extent that its contents are required to be disclosed at a hearing. The granting of the motion to withhold from public disclosure will not determine the availability of the document under the Freedom of Information Act in response to a request made under the provisions of § 102.117. Notwithstanding that the exhibit may be withheld from public disclosure, the General Counsel may disclose information from the exhibit to others if required in the course of an investigation to verify the claim of eligibility. (h) The application must be accompanied by full documentation of the fees and expenses for which an award is sought. A separate itemized statement must be submitted for each professional firm or individual whose services are covered by the application, showing the dates and the hours spent in connection with the proceeding by each individual, a description of the specific services performed, the rate at which each fee has been computed, any expenses for which reimbursement is sought, the total amount claimed, and the total amount paid or payable by the applicant or by any other person or entity for the services provided. The Administrative Law Judge may require the applicant to provide vouchers, receipts, or other substantiation for any expenses claimed.

29 C.F.R. § 102.148 When an application may be filed; place of filing; service; referral to Administrative Law Judge; stay of proceeding.

(a) An application may be filed after entry of the final order establishing that the applicant has prevailed in an adversary adjudication proceeding or in a significant and discrete substantive portion of that proceeding, but in no case later than 30 days after the entry of the Board's final order in that proceeding. The application for an award must be filed with the Board in Washington, DC, together with a certificate of service. The application must be served on the Regional Director and on all parties to the adversary adjudication in the same manner as other pleadings in that proceeding, except as provided in § 102.147(g)(1) for financial information alleged to be confidential. (b) Upon filing, the application will be referred by the Board to the Administrative Law Judge who heard the adversary adjudication upon which the application is based, or, in the event that proceeding had not previously been heard by an Administrative Law Judge, it will be referred to the Chief Administrative Law Judge for designation of an Administrative Law Judge, in accordance with § 102.34, to consider the application. When the Administrative Law Judge to whom the application has been referred is or becomes unavailable, the provisions of §§ 102.34 and 102.36 will apply. (c) Proceedings for the award of fees, but not the time limit of this section for filing an application for an award, will be stayed pending final disposition of the adversary adjudication in the event any person seeks reconsideration or review of the decision in that proceeding. (d) For purposes of this section the withdrawal of a complaint by a Regional Director under § 102.18 will be treated as a final order, and an appeal under § 102.19 will be treated as a request for reconsideration of that final order.

29 C.F.R. § 102.149 Filing of documents; service of documents; motions for extension of time.

(a) All motions and pleadings after the time the case is referred by the Board to the Administrative Law Judge until the issuance of the Administrative Law Judge's decision must be filed with the Administrative Law Judge together with proof of service. Copies of all documents filed must be served on all parties to the adversary adjudication. (b) Motions for extensions of time to file motions, documents, or pleadings permitted by § 102.150 or by § 102.152 must be filed with the Chief Administrative Law Judge, the Deputy Chief Administrative Law Judge, or an Associate Chief Administrative Law Judge, as the case may be, no later than 3 days before the due date of the document. Notice of the request must be immediately served on all other parties and proof of service furnished.

29 C.F.R. § 102.150 Answer to application; reply to answer; comments by other parties.

(a) Within 35 days after service of an application, the General Counsel may file an answer to the application. Unless the General Counsel requests an extension of time for filing or files a statement of intent to negotiate under paragraph (b) of this section, failure to file a timely answer may be treated as a consent to the award requested. The filing of a motion to dismiss the application will stay the time for filing an answer to a date 35 days after issuance of any order denying the motion. Within 21 days after service of any motion to dismiss, the applicant may file a response. Review of an order granting a motion to dismiss an application in its entirety may be obtained by filing a request with the Board in Washington, DC, pursuant to § 102.27. (b) If the General Counsel and the applicant believe that the issues in the fee application can be settled, they may jointly file a statement of their intent to negotiate toward a settlement. The filing of such a statement will extend the time for filing an answer for an additional 35 days. (c) The answer must explain in detail any objections to the award requested and identify the facts relied on in support of the General Counsel's position. If the answer is based on alleged facts not already in the record of the adversary adjudication, supporting affidavits must be provided or a request made for further proceedings under § 102.152. (d) Within 21 days after service of an answer, the applicant may file a reply. If the reply is based on alleged facts not already in the record of the adversary adjudication, supporting affidavits must be provided or a request made for further proceedings under § 102.152. (e) Any party to an adversary adjudication other than the applicant and the General Counsel may file comments on a fee application within 35 days after it is served and on an answer within 21 days after it is served. A commenting party may not participate further in the fee application proceeding unless the Administrative Law Judge determines that such participation is required in order to permit full exploration of matters raised in the comments.

29 C.F.R. § 102.151 Settlement.

The applicant and the General Counsel may agree on a proposed settlement of the award before final action on the application. If a prevailing party and the General Counsel agree on a proposed settlement of an award before an application has been filed, the proposed settlement must be filed with the application. All such settlements are subject to approval by the Board.

29 C.F.R. § 102.152 Further proceedings.

(a) Ordinarily, the determination of an award will be made on the basis of the documents in the record. The Administrative Law Judge, however, upon request of either the applicant or the General Counsel, or on the General Counsel's own initiative, may order further proceedings, including an informal conference, oral argument, additional written submission, or an evidentiary hearing. An evidentiary hearing will be held only when necessary for resolution of material issues of fact. (b) A request that the Administrative Law Judge order further proceedings under this section must specifically identify the disputed issues and the evidence sought to be adduced, and must explain why the additional proceedings are necessary to resolve the issues. (c) An order of the Administrative Law Judge scheduling further proceedings will specify the issues to be considered. (d) Any evidentiary hearing held pursuant to this section will be open to the public and will be conducted in accordance with §§ 102.30 through 102.43, except §§ 102.33, 102.34, and 102.38. (e) Rulings of the Administrative Law Judge are reviewable by the Board only in accordance with the provisions of § 102.26.

29 C.F.R. § 102.153 Administrative Law Judge's decision; contents; service; transfer of case to the Board; contents of record in case.

(a) Upon conclusion of proceedings under §§ 102.147 through 102.152, the Administrative Law Judge will prepare a decision, which will include written findings and conclusions as necessary to dispose of the application. The Administrative Law Judge will transmit the decision to the Board. Upon receipt of the decision, the Board will enter an order transferring the case to the Board and will serve copies on all the parties of the Judge's decision and the Board's order, setting forth the date of the transfer. (b) The record in a proceeding on an application for an award of fees and expenses includes the application and any amendments or attachments, the net worth exhibit, the answer and any amendments or attachments, any reply to the answer, any comments by other parties, motions, rulings, orders, stipulations, written submissions, the transcript of any oral argument, the transcript of any hearing, exhibits, and depositions, together with the Administrative Law Judge's decision and exceptions, any cross-exceptions or answering briefs as provided in § 102.46, and the record of the adversary adjudication upon which the application is based.

29 C.F.R. § 102.154 Exceptions to Administrative Law Judge's decision; briefs; action of the Board.

Procedures before the Board, including the filing of exceptions to the Administrative Law Judge's decision and briefs, and action by the Board, will be in accordance with §§ 102.46, 102.47, 102.48, and 102.50. The Board will issue a decision on the application or remand the proceeding to the Administrative Law Judge for further proceedings.

29 C.F.R. § 102.155 Payment of award.

To obtain payment of an award made by the Board, the applicant must submit to the Director of the Division of Administration, a copy of the Board's final decision granting the award, accompanied by a statement that the applicant will not seek court review of the decision. If such statement is filed, the Agency will pay the amount of the award within 60 days, unless judicial review of the award or of the underlying decision has been sought.

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