(a) By whom. An individual may participate on the individual's own behalf; a member of a partnership may represent the partnership; and an officer may represent a corporation, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or governmental entity. A person may be represented in a proceeding by an attorney at law admitted to practice and in good standing before the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court of any State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, or the Court of Appeals or the District Court for the District of Columbia.

(b) Authority to act. When an officer or an attorney acting in a representative capacity appears in person, submits a document to the Commission using the Filing Online system as a principal account holder, or signs a paper filed with the Commission, the personal appearance, online submission, or signature, shall constitute a representation to the Commission that that individual is authorized to represent the particular person on whose behalf the individual acts. Any individual appearing before or transacting business with the Commission in a representative capacity may be required by the Commission or the presiding officer to file evidence of the individual's authority to act in such capacity.

(c) Notice of appearance and withdrawal of appearance. An individual intending to appear before the Commission or its presiding officer in a representative capacity in a proceeding before the Commission shall file with the Commission a notice of appearance in the form prescribed by the Secretary unless that individual is named in an initial filing of the person whom the individual represents as the individual to whom communications from the Commission in regard to the filing are to be addressed. An individual whose authority to represent a person in a specific Commission proceeding has been terminated shall file a timely notice of withdrawal of appearance with the Commission.

(d) Standards of conduct. Individuals practicing before the Commission shall conform to the standards of ethical conduct required of practitioners by the District of Columbia Rules of Professional Conduct.

(e) Disqualification and suspension. After hearing, the Commission may disqualify and deny, temporarily or permanently, the privilege of appearing and practicing before it in any way to any individual who is found not to possess the requisite qualifications, or to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct. Contumacious conduct at any hearing before the Commission or its presiding officer shall be grounds for exclusion of any individual from such hearing and for summary suspension for the duration of the hearing by the Commission or the presiding officer.