§ 14.50   Status conference.

   (a) In any complaint proceeding, the Commission may, in its discretion,
   direct the attorneys and/or the parties to appear before it for a status
   conference. Unless otherwise ordered by the Commission, an initial status
   conference  shall  take place, at the time and place designated by the
   Commission staff, ten business days after the date the answer is due to be
   filed. A status conference may include discussion of:

   (1) Simplification or narrowing of the issues;

   (2) The necessity for or desirability of additional pleadings or evidentiary
   submissions;

   (3) Obtaining admissions of fact or stipulations between the parties as to
   any or all of the matters in controversy;

   (4) Settlement of all or some of the matters in controversy by agreement of
   the parties;

   (5) Whether discovery is necessary and, if so, the scope, type and schedule
   for such discovery;

   (6) The schedule for the remainder of the case and the dates for any further
   status conferences; and

   (7) Such other matters that may aid in the disposition of the complaint.

   (b)(1) Parties shall meet and confer prior to the initial status conference
   to discuss:

   (i) Settlement prospects;

   (ii) Discovery;

   (iii) Issues in dispute;

   (iv) Schedules for pleadings;

   (v) Joint statement of stipulated facts, disputed facts, and key legal
   issues; and

   (2) Parties shall submit a joint statement of all proposals agreed to and
   disputes remaining as a result of such meeting to Commission staff at least
   two business days prior to the scheduled initial status conference.

   (c) In addition to the initial status conference referenced in paragraph (a)
   of this section, any party may also request that a conference be held at any
   time after the complaint has been filed.

   (d) During a status conference, the Commission staff may issue oral rulings
   pertaining to a variety of interlocutory matters relevant to the conduct of
   a formal complaint proceeding including, inter alia, procedural matters,
   discovery, and the submission of briefs or other evidentiary materials.

   (e)  Parties  may  make, upon written notice to the Commission and all
   attending  parties  at  least  three business days prior to the status
   conference, an audio recording of the Commission staff's summary of its oral
   rulings. Alternatively, upon agreement among all attending parties and
   written notice to the Commission at least three business days prior to the
   status conference, the parties may make an audio recording of, or use a
   stenographer to transcribe, the oral presentations and exchanges between and
   among  the  participating  parties, insofar as such communications are
   “on-the-record”  as determined by the Commission staff, as well as the
   Commission staff's summary of its oral rulings. A complete transcript of any
   audio  recording or stenographic transcription shall be filed with the
   Commission as part of the record, pursuant to the provisions of paragraph
   (f)(2) of this section. The parties shall make all necessary arrangements
   for  the  use  of a stenographer and the cost of transcription, absent
   agreement to the contrary, will be shared equally by all parties that agree
   to make the record of the status conference.

   (f) The parties in attendance, unless otherwise directed, shall either:

   (1) Submit a joint proposed order memorializing the oral rulings made during
   the conference to the Commission by 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the business
   day following the date of the status conference, or as otherwise directed by
   Commission  staff. In the event the parties in attendance cannot reach
   agreement as to the rulings that were made, the joint proposed order shall
   include the rulings on which the parties agree, and each party's alternative
   proposed rulings for those rulings on which they cannot agree. Commission
   staff will review and make revisions, if necessary, prior to signing and
   filing the submission as part of the record. The proposed order shall be
   submitted both as hard copy and on computer disk in accordance with the
   requirements of § 14.51(d) of this subpart; or

   (2) Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section, submit to
   the  Commission  by 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the third business day
   following the status conference or as otherwise directed by Commission staff
   either:

   (i) A transcript of the audio recording of the Commission staff's summary of
   its oral rulings;

   (ii) A transcript of the audio recording of the oral presentations and
   exchanges between and among the participating parties, insofar as such
   communications are “on-the-record” as determined by the Commission staff,
   and the Commission staff's summary of its oral rulings; or

   (iii) A stenographic transcript of the oral presentations and exchanges
   between and among the participating parties, insofar as such communications
   are  “on-the-record”  as  determined  by the Commission staff, and the
   Commission staff's summary of its oral rulings.

   (g) Status conferences will be scheduled by the Commission staff at such
   time and place as it may designate to be conducted in person or by telephone
   conference call.

   (h) The failure of any attorney or party, following reasonable notice, to
   appear at a scheduled conference will be deemed a waiver by that party and
   will not preclude the Commission staff from conferring with those parties
   and/or counsel present.

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