United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao_comptroller_general legislative 2016-06-23 U.S. Government Publishing Office 1996-05-30 monographic deposited born digital 6 p. GA 1.13:B-255868.2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2 P0b002ee18fd43714 f:2558682 DGPO 2016-06-23 2016-06-23 GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2 machine generated eng fdlp COMPTROLLERDECISION GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2 B-255868.2 Comptroller General Decision

1. A protester may be reimbursed for the costs of a non-lawyer representative of filing and pursuing the protest based upon a contingent fee agreement that provides that costs are only payable if the protester obtains the contract or if costs are awarded, to the extent that the hours and rate claimed are adequately documented and reasonable.<p/>2. The claimed hourly rate of a protester's non-lawyer representative for filing and pursuing a sustained protest is considered excessive, where it exceeds the rates that would reasonably be charged in the representative's locale to perform similar services.<p/>3. A protester is not entitled to reimbursement of its costs of pursuing its cost claim before the General Accounting Office where the contracting agency's handling of the protester's claim was reasonable and expeditious. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2/html/GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2/pdf/GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2.pdf GAO/B-255868.2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-B-255868-2 Comptroller General Decision GAO/B-255868.2; E&R, Inc.--Claim for Costs; Title 5 Section 504 5 U.S.C. 504 Title 10 Section 2306(b) 10 U.S.C. 2306(b) Title 31 Section 3554(c)(1)(A) 31 U.S.C. 3554(c)(1)(A)