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**OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE**LA 200, John Adams Building, 110 Second              Street, S.E.              Washington, DC 20540-1999
_______________________JUANITA JOHNSON      Appellee (Employed),                    v.                           Case No.  99-AC-326(DA)OFFICE OF THE ARCHITECT  OF THE CAPITOL      Appellant      (Employing Office),_______________________
Before the Board of Directors: Susan S. Robfogel,              Chair; Barbara L. Camens, Alan V. Friedman; Roberta L. Holzwarth;              Barbara Childs Wallace, Members.

**ORDER**

The Board issued its decision, on February 25,              2002, affirming the Hearing Officer's conclusion that the Complainant              prevailed in her discrimination claim under the Americans with Disabilities              Act, and upholding the Hearing Officer's award to the Complainant              of back pay and interest, compensatory damages, and attorney's fees              and costs. However, the Board remanded to the Hearing Officer for              further proceedings the remedial issue of the Complainant's reassignment.              That matter is presently before the Hearing Officer.

On March 22, 2002, the Complainant's counsel              filed a motion with the Hearing Officer for the award of attorney's              fees and costs in connection with the appellate stage before the              Board. On April 2, 2002, the Employing Office filed its opposition              to that motion. The Hearing Officer issued his Memorandum and Order,              dated April 22, 2002, concluding that the Board should address the              attorney's fees and costs claim connected with the appellate proceeding              before us.

We believe that the disputed appellate stage              attorney's fees and costs claim would be reviewed most efficaciously              by the Hearing Officer, who will also be considering any additional              attorney's fees and costs claims in connection with the remanded              proceeding. While section 9.03 of the Office's Procedural Rules              contemplates the Board initially entertaining attorney's fees, we              envisage that provision as being operative where a Hearing Officer              has no active role in a case; e.g., where the Board issues a dispositive              decision requiring no Hearing Officer implementation action.

In earlier proceedings before the Hearing Officer,              on appeal to the Board, and now in opposition to this attorney's              fee claim, the Employing Office repeatedly has argued, *inter              alia,* that the attorney-client relationship is between Complainant's              exclusive bargaining agent and the law firm appearing on the Complainant's              behalf. The Hearing Officer rejected those contentions in his Supplemental              Decision and we affirmed his conclusion, without discussion, in              our February 25, 2002 decision, at page 1. We agree with the Hearing              Officer that the attorney- client relationship is between the Complainant              and the law firm appearing on her behalf and that the retainer agreement              between the Complainant's exclusive bargaining representative and              the law firm permits the firm to recover its fees at the market              rate. *See,*Blum v. Stenson, 465 U.S. 886 (1984); Save              Our Cumberland Mountains v. Hodel, 857 F.2d 1516 (D.C. Cir.              1998) (en banc); Preseault v. United States, 2002 U.S. Claims              LEXIS 124 (Fed. Cl. May 22, 2002).

Accordingly, we refer to the Hearing Officer              Complainant's Counsel's claim for attorney's fees and costs related              to the appellate stage of this proceeding culminating in the Board's              issuance of its decision, dated February 25, 2002.

*It is so ordered.*

Issued July 2, 2002, at Washington,              D.C.

CERTIFICATE              OF SERVICE

I, the undersigned employee of the Office of              Compliance, certify that on the date indicated below I served the              following Order of the Board of Directors upon the below named persons,              addressed to them at the address indicated.

Sarah Starrett, Esquire              Beins, Axelrod & Kraft, P.C.              1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW              Suite 704              Washington, DC 20036-2001              Via Facimile 202-328-7300              and First Class Mail

Edgard Martinez, Esquire              Via Facsimile 202-226-8700

Office of the Employment Counsel              Office of the Architect of the Capitol              Ford House Office Building, Rm H2-202              Second & D Streets, SW              Washington, DC 20515              and First Class Mail

Signed in Washington, D.C. this 2nd day of July              2002

_____________              Kisha Harley              Hearing Clerk              Office of Compliance

 

Questions or comments regarding this service? Contact wwwadmin@compliance.gov.
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