United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-11-22 monographic deposited born digital 33 p. GA 1.13:RCED-95-36 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36 P0b002ee180388e8d f:rc95036 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36 RCED-95-36 Litigation Civil procedure Lawyers Legal services contracts Cost control Contractor payments Contract administration Legal fees Cost accounting Liability (legal) Letter Report RCED The Energy Department (DOE) has not kept centralized data on the costs it reimburses contractors for outside litigation; however, available data indicate that DOE spent about $40 million in fiscal year 1992 on costs linked to the legal defense of current and former contractors. Most costs were for legal fees, travel and administrative expenses, and consultant fees incurred by outside law firms hired by the contractors. These costs, however, were poorly controlled because DOE lacked effective criteria spelling out what costs it would reimburse. As a result, DOE was being billed at higher rates that other federal agencies for professional legal fees, travel, word processing, and photocopying. Furthermore, legal bills were being reimbursed with little or no departmental oversight. DOE has begun to strengthen its control over these costs. In particular, it issued specific cost guidelines and instituted procedures for periodically reporting all litigation costs. DOE is also establishing an audit function to enable it to conduct a detailed review of the bills it receives for legal services. Finally, DOE is trying to consolidate cases involving multiple contractors and law firms to improve case management and cut costs. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36.pdf GAO/RCED-95-36 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-95-36 Letter Report GAO/RCED-95-36; Managing DOE: The Department of Energy Is Making Efforts to Control Litigation Costs; Litigation Civil procedure Lawyers Legal services contracts Cost control Contractor payments Contract administration Legal fees Cost accounting Liability (legal)