Title 45—Public Welfare--Volume 1
PART 500—APPEARANCE AND PRACTICE
§ 500.1   Appearance and representation.
(a) An individual may appear in his or her own behalf, or may be represented by an attorney at law admitted to practice in any State or Territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
(b) A member of a partnership may represent the partnership.
(c) A bona fide officer of a corporation, trust or association may represent the corporation, trust or association.
(d) An officer or employee of the United States Department of Justice, when designated by the Attorney General of the United States, may represent the United States in a claim proceeding.
(e) In cases falling within the purview of subchapter B of this chapter, persons designated by veterans', service, and other organizations to appear before the Commission in a representative capacity on behalf of claimants will be deemed duly authorized to practice before the Commission if the designating organization has received a letter of accreditation from the Commission. Petitions for accreditation must be in writing, executed by duly authorized officer or officers, and addressed to the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States, Washington, DC 20579. Upon receipt of a petition setting forth pertinent facts as to the organization's history, purpose, number of posts or chapters and their locations, approximate number of paid-up memberships, statements that the organization will not charge any fee for services rendered by its designees in behalf of claimants and that it will not refuse on the grounds of non-membership to represent any claimant who applies for representation if the claimant has an apparently valid claim, accompanied by a copy of the organization's constitution, or charter, by-laws, and its latest financial statement, the Commission in its discretion will consider and in appropriate cases issue or deny letters of accreditation.
(f) A claimant may not be represented before the Commission except as authorized in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section.
§ 500.2   Notice of entry or withdrawal of counsel in claims.
(a) Counsel entering an appearance in a claim originally filed by a claimant in the claimant's own behalf, or upon request for a substitution of attorneys, will be required to file an authorization signed by the claimant.
(b) When counsel seeks to withdraw from the prosecution of a claim, he or she will be required to demonstrate that the client (claimant) has been duly notified.
(c) When a claimant advises the Commission that counsel no longer represents that claimant, a copy of the Commission's acknowledgment will be forwarded to that counsel.
§ 500.3   Fees.
(a) The amount of attorney's fees that may be charged in connection with claims falling within the purview of title I of the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949, as amended (22 U.S.C. § 1621-1627), is governed by the provisions of 22 U.S.C.1623(f).
(b) The amount of attorney's fees that may be charged in connection with claims falling within the purview of subchapter B of this chapter is governed by the provisions of section 10 of the War Claims Act of 1948, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2009).
(c) The amount of attorney's fees that may be charged in connection with claims falling within the purview of subchapter D of this chapter is governed by the provisions of section 1705(b)(6) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, Title XVII, Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, Public Law 114-328.
§ 500.4   Suspension of attorneys.
(a) The Commission may disqualify, or deny, temporarily or permanently, the privilege of appearing or practicing before it in any way to any person who is found after a hearing in the matter—
(1) Not to possess the requisite qualifications to represent others before the Commission; or
(2) To be lacking in character or integrity or to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct; or
(3) To have violated sections 10 and 214 of the War Claims Act of 1948, as amended, section 4(f) of the International Claims Settlement Act of 1949, as amended, or section 1705(b)(6) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, Title XVII, Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act.
(b) Contemptuous or contumacious conduct at any hearing will be ground for exclusion from that hearing and for summary suspension without a hearing for the duration of the hearing.
§ 500.5   Standards of Conduct.
The conduct of the members, officers and employees of the Commission, including its special Government employees, is governed by the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch set forth in 5 CFR part 2635 and the Supplemental Standards of Conduct for Employees of the Department of Justice set forth in 5 CFR part 3801.
§ 500.6   Disqualification of former employees.
The provisions of 18 U.S.C. 207 shall govern the post-employment appearance of former Commission members, officers, and employees, including special Government employees, in the capacity of agent, attorney or representative on behalf of claimants before the Commission.