1. (a) The Commissioner, with or without request by any party of record, may order the parties or their attorneys to appear at a designated time for a pre-hearing conference to consider:

   1. (1) Simplification of the issues.
   2. (2) Presentation of issues of law, adjudication of which may simplify or eliminate issues of fact.
   3. (3) Admissions and stipulations of fact which will avoid unnecessary evidence and testimony.
   4. (4) Identification of documents to be offered at the hearing.
   5. (5) Identification of and numerical limit upon experts and other witnesses.
   6. (6) Discovery and production of documents, records, data and other information.
   7. (7) Other matters as may aid in trial of the proceedings.
2. (b) Any objection or amendment to the application, notice of hearing, investigative report, any pleading or order commencing a proceeding shall be made at the pre-hearing conference. No objection or amendment will be allowed after the pre-hearing conference except upon good cause.
3. (c) Actions taken at the pre-hearing conference may be embodied in a preliminary order, which order shall control subsequent proceedings and shall be binding on all parties, whether or not present, unless modified to prevent manifest injustice.
4. (d) Notice of the time and place of a pre-hearing conference shall be as prescribed by order of the Commissioner and shall be served by regular mail upon all parties of record.

Transferred from 625:1-1-12 (see Editor's Note at beginning of this Chapter)