48 C.F.R. § 6101.35

Current through October 31, 2024
Section 6101.35 - Standards of conduct; sanctions [Rule 35]
(a)Standards of conduct. All parties and their representatives, attorneys, and any expert or consultant retained by them or their attorneys shall obey directions and orders of the Board and adhere to standards of conduct applicable to such parties and persons. Standards applying to an attorney include the rules of professional conduct and ethics of the jurisdictions in which the attorney is licensed to practice, to the extent that those rules are relevant to conduct affecting the integrity of the Board, its process, or its proceedings.
(b)Sanctions. If a party or its representative, attorney, expert, or consultant fails to comply with any direction or order of the Board (including an order to provide or permit discovery) or engages in misconduct affecting the Board, its process, or its proceedings, the Board may make such orders as are just, including the imposition of appropriate sanctions. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to:
(1) Taking the facts pertaining to the matter in dispute to be established for the purpose of the case in accordance with the contention of the party who is not at fault;
(2) Forbidding the challenge of the accuracy of any evidence;
(3) Refusing to allow the party to support or oppose designated claims or defenses;
(4) Prohibiting the party from introducing into evidence designated claims or defenses;
(5) Striking pleadings or parts thereof, or staying further proceedings until the order is obeyed;
(6) Dismissing the case or any part thereof;
(7) Enforcing the protective order and disciplining individuals subject to such order for violation thereof, including disqualifying a party's representative, attorney, expert, or consultant from further participation in the case;
(8) Drawing evidentiary inferences adverse to the party; or
(9) Imposing such other sanctions as the Board deems appropriate.
(c)Denial of access to protected material. The Board may in its discretion deny access to protected material to any person found to have previously violated a protective order, regardless of who issued the order.
(d)Disciplinary proceedings -
(1)Sanctions. The Board may discipline individual party representatives, attorneys, experts, or consultants for violating any Board order, direction, or standard of conduct if the violation seriously affects the integrity of the Board, its process, or its proceedings. Sanctions may be public or private, and may include admonishment, reprimand, disqualification from a particular matter, referral to an appropriate licensing authority, or other action that circumstances may warrant.
(2)Suspension. The Board may suspend an individual from appearing before the Board as a party representative, attorney, expert, or consultant, if, after affording such individual notice and opportunity to be heard, a majority of the members of the full Board determine such a sanction is warranted.

48 C.F.R. §6101.35

83 FR 41010 , 9/17/2018