Empanelment of Advocates for Supreme Court and CAT for Panel Year 2026-29

LEGAL DIVISION ईपीएफओ मुख्य कार्यालय EPFO HEAD OFFICE कर्मचारी भविष्य निधि संगठन, श्रम एवं रोज़गार मंत्रालय, भारत सरकार EMPLOYEES' PROVIDENT FUND ORGANISATION MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA एनबीसीसी टॉवर, ब्लॉक-2, भूतल से चौथी मंजिल, पूर्वी किदवई नगर, नई दिल्ली - 110023 NBCC TOWER, BLOCK-2, GROUND TO 4TH FLOOR, EAST KIDWAI NAGAR, NEW DELHI – 110023 www.epfo.gov.in social_epfo officialepfo officialepfo socialepfo

E-44223/LC-15011/1/2022-LEGAL/3279 29.07.2026

EMPANELMENT OF ADVOCATES FOR SUPREME COURT OF INDIA AND CAT (PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI) FOR THE PANEL YEAR 2026-29 FOR EPFO HEAD OFFICE

I am directed to convey the approval of the Central Provident Fund Commissioner for empanelment of the following Advocates for representing EPFO before the Supreme Court of India and the Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi, for the panel year 2026–29:

Services of this panel of H.O. may also be utilised by the offices falling under jurisdiction of ACC (DL & UT). The above empanelled advocates shall be engaged on the terms and conditions as contained in EPFO Legal Framework Document as well as Circulars/Directives issued from time to time.

Terms and Conditions of empanelment are as follows:

1. Empanelment will only confer a right to be considered for legal work, if any, and not bind EPFO to award or give work to any Advocate, so empanelled, at any point of time during the term of engagement.

2. The allocation of cases/legal work shall be at the sole discretion of officers so authorized by EPFO.

3. Upon termination or non-renewal of term of empanelment, as the case may be, the Advocate shall return the brief(s) allocated to the Advocate by EPFO along with all other documents/records connected thereto with no objection certificate, if so required. No Advocate shall have the right to represent EPFO or undertake any activity upon expiry or termination of the term of engagement.

4. Cases involving similar issues/points of law or otherwise interlinked or clubbed may be entrusted to the same Advocate as far as possible, while care shall be taken to avoid concentration of cases in the hands of one Advocate/ a few advocates.

5. The empanelled Advocates shall not delegate cases and shall themselves deal with the same. They may have to coordinate and work with designated Senior Advocates, if any, engaged in the case as well as with the officers of EPFO, if required.

6. The empanelled Advocates shall not use EPFO’s name, logo, symbol, etc. on their letterhead, signboard, nameplate, pamphlets, etc., such as ‘Legal Advisor of EPFO,’ ‘Advocate of EPFO,’ etc. No empanelled Advocate shall represent himself as the Standing Counsel of EPFO before any court or forum unless specified as such by EPFO.

7. The Advocate shall ensure efficient and effective professional services and bestow commensurate attention in relation to matters of EPFO and conduct himself at all times in accordance with the Advocates Act, 1961 and rules laid down by the Bar Council of India, including rules regarding code of conduct and ethics.

8. The Advocate, while pursuing any case on behalf of EPFO, shall not act without instructions of EPFO and inform EPFO about the proceedings of each hearing by reporting mail and furnish copy of orders of each date without which the EPFO may not settle bills of payment.

9. The Advocate shall not seek any adjournment without any valid or cogent reasons. Under no circumstances, the matters entrusted by EPFO should go unattended before the Court, which shall be viewed as serious violation of conditions of empanelment and may entail taking back the brief or cancellation of such empanelment.

10. The performance of each empanelled Advocate shall be subject to periodical review in such form as may be prescribe in this behalf by the Competent Authority.

11. The empanelled Advocate shall maintain strict confidentiality of the cases or other matters handled on behalf of EPFO and shall not divulge any information to any third party or to the media. Any Advocate who is found to have violated the above condition shall be liable to have his empanelment cancelled immediately without further notice.

12. Refusal of any empanelled Advocate to take up a matter on behalf of EPFO, without proper justification or grounds, shall entail cancellation/withdrawal of engagement.

13. EPFO reserves the right to modify or relax the terms and conditions of engagement at any time and the right to verify the information submitted by the Advocate/ EPFO reserves the right law. The Advocates shall in full accept the terms and conditions of the empanelment as determined by EPFO from time to time.

14. The Advocate shall not advise any party or accept any case against EPFO in which he/she appeared or is likely to be called upon to appear for or advise which is likely to affect or lead to litigation against EPFO.

15. Timely appearance of the Counsel to contest the cases for EPFO in the Court is necessary. His/her absence in the Court, without any reasonable ground and notice in advance, will not be accepted.

16. EPFO sends the information to the panel advocates through e-mail regarding entrustment of a case and after receiving the e-mail, it is duty of the Panel Advocates to collect the brief/copy of petition along with assignment letter from the concerned office of EPFO at the earliest.

17. EPFO is free to engage any advocate of its own choice and an empanelled Advocate shall make no claim that he/she alone would be entrusted with EPFO’s legal matter(s).

18. Refusal by any advocate to accept any work without any reasonable cause (e.g., on grounds of conflict of interest) may entail removal of such advocate from the panel, forthwith without waiting for the empanelment period to expire.

19. The advocates shall accept the terms and conditions of the empanelment as determined by EPFO from time to time.

20. To ensure that there is effective check on the cases being conducted, the Advocates on the Panel must report the status of the cases after each date of hearing. Failure to submit status report will be ground for removal of the name of the lawyer concerned from the panel.

21. In cases where on the request of the Union of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment have also to be represented, no extra fee shall be paid to the advocate to watch and safeguard the interests of Union of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment.

22. If required, the advocate shall render all assistance to Special or Senior Counsel engaged cases before the Supreme Court or any other judicial body. If required, the advocate may be assigned matters to defend interest of CBT, EPF/EPFO before various legal forums within/out-side Delhi.

23. Keep EPFO informed and updated on all-important developments in the designated cases, dates of hearing, order of the court on the date of its pronouncement, supplying copy of orders/judgment etc.

24. Furnish monthly statement about the cases represented by him/her before the Supreme Court and their outcomes.

25. When any case attended by him/her is decided against the Organization, the Advocate concerned must give considered opinion regarding the reasons for such adverse order and the advisability of filing an appeal from such a decision not later than five working days of the order (Kuchha Copy).

26. Thirty percent of the fees payable to the counsel shall be deducted if the certified copy of the judgment is not handed over to the Legal cell of EPFO within three days (excluding the time taken by the Court in preparation of the copy) from the date of judgment.

27. An Advocate, empanelled with EPFO shall have the right to private practice which should not, however, interfere with or conflict with the efficient discharge of his duties as an empanelled Advocate of EPFO.

28. An Advocate empanelled with EPFO shall not advise any party or accept any case against EPFO in which he has appeared or is likely to be called upon to appear or advice.

29. Empanelment of an advocate shall be liable to be cancelled due to occurrence of any of the below mentioned reasons: