Sec. 1.1506  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.
    (b) No award for the fee of an attorney or agent under these rules 
may exceed $75.00, or for adversary adjudications commenced on or after 
March 29, 1996, $125.00, per hour. No award to compensate an expert 
witness may exceed the highest rate at which the Commission pays expert 
witnesses. However, an award may also include the reasonable expenses of 
the attorney; agent, or witness as a separate item, if the attorney, 
agent or witness ordinarily charges its clients separately for such 
expenses.
    (c) In determining the reasonableness of the fee sought for an 
attorney, agent or expert witness, the Administrative Law Judge shall 
consider the following:
    (1) If the attorney, agent or witness is in private practice, his or 
her 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 witness ordinarily performs services;
    (3) The time actually spent in the representation of the applicant;
    (4) The time reasonably spent in light of the difficulty or 
complexity of the issues in the proceeding; and
    (5) Such other factors as may bear on the value of the service 
provided.
    (d) The reasonable cost of any study, analysis, engineering report, 
test, project or similar matter prepared on behalf of a party may be 
awarded, to

[[Page 270]]

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.
    (e) Fees may be awarded only for work performed after designation of 
a proceeding or after issuance of a show cause order.
[ 47 FR 3786 , Jan. 27, 1982, as amended at  61 FR 39899 , July 31, 1996]