Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00153/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00153-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 864
Nature of Suit: Social Security - SSID Title XVI
Cause of Action: 42:205 Denial Social Security Benefits

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Young Cho 

Attorney at Law: 189870 

Law Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing 

12631 East Imperial Highway, Suite C-115 

Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 

Tel.: (562)868-5886 

Fax: (562)868-8868 

E-mail: rohlfing.office@rohlfinglaw.com 

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

Alisha Bailey 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ALISHA BAILEY, 

 Plaintiff, 

 vs. 

CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acting 

Commissioner of Social Security, 

 Defendant. 

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Case No.: 2:15-cv-00153-CMK 

STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR 

THE AWARD AND PAYMENT OF 

ATTORNEY FEES AND EXPENSES 

PURSUANT TO THE EQUAL 

ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT, 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2412(d) AND COSTS PURSUANT 

TO 28 U.S.C. § 1920 

 TO THE HONORABLE CRAIG M. KELLISON, MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT: 

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED by and between the parties through their 

undersigned counsel, subject to the approval of the Court, that Alisha Bailey be 

awarded attorney fees in the amount of two thousand nine hundred dollars 

($2,900.00) under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d). 

This amount represents compensation for all legal services rendered on behalf of 

Case 2:15-cv-00153-DMC Document 20 Filed 05/11/16 Page 1 of 5
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Plaintiff by counsel in connection with this civil action, in accordance with 28 

U.S.C. §§ 1920; 2412(d). 

 After the Court issues an order for EAJA fees to Alisha Bailey, the 

government will consider the matter of Alisha Bailey's assignment of EAJA fees to 

Young Cho. Pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S.Ct. 2521, 2529 (2010), the ability 

to honor the assignment will depend on whether the fees are subject to any offset 

allowed under the United States Department of the Treasury's Offset Program. 

After the order for EAJA fees is entered, the government will determine whether 

they are subject to any offset. 

 Fees shall be made payable to Alisha Bailey, but if the Department of the 

Treasury determines that Alisha Bailey does not owe a federal debt, then the 

government shall cause the payment of fees, expenses and costs to be made 

directly to Law Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing, pursuant to the assignment 

executed by Alisha Bailey. United States v. $186,416.00, 722 F.3d 1173, 1176 

(9th Cir. 2013) ($186,416.00 II) (ordering fees paid to counsel because of an 

assignment that did not interfere with a raised superior lien).1

 Any payments made 

shall be delivered to Young Cho. 

 

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 The Commissioner does not stipulate to the citation of $186,416.00 II, and will 

not participate in representing to this Court that it carries legal import in these 

proceedings. $186,416 II involved a different statute and very different factual 

circumstances than those presented here, or in other Social Security cases. 

Because the parties have agreed to the payment of EAJA fees, and the amount, and 

to avoid motion practice solely related to Plaintiff’s citation, the Commissioner 

agrees to this stipulation. The Commissioner reserves the right to challenge the 

applicability of $186,416 II to any Social Security case, and this Stipulation should 

not be construed as a waiver of such reservation. 

Alisha Bailey contends that U.S. v. $186,416.00 in U.S. Currency, 642 F.3d 753, 

757 (9th Cir. 2011) ($186,416.00 I) held that there is no functional difference 

between the CAFRA and EAJA in terms of “ownership” of the fee. U.S. v. Kim, 

Case 2:15-cv-00153-DMC Document 20 Filed 05/11/16 Page 2 of 5
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 This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Alisha Bailey's 

request for EAJA attorney fees, and does not constitute an admission of liability on 

the part of Defendant under the EAJA or otherwise. Payment of the agreed amount 

shall constitute a complete release from, and bar to, any and all claims that Alisha 

Bailey and/or Young Cho including Law Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing may 

have relating to EAJA attorney fees in connection with this action. 

This award is without prejudice to the rights of Young Cho and/or the Law 

Offices of Lawrence D. Rohlfing to seek Social Security Act attorney fees under 

42 U.S.C. § 406(b), subject to the savings clause provisions of the EAJA. 

DATE: May 9, 2016 Respectfully submitted, 

 LAW OFFICES OF LAWRENCE D. ROHLFING 

 /s/ Young Cho 

 BY: __________________ Young Cho Attorney for plaintiff Alisha Bailey 

DATE: May 9, 2016 PHILLIP A. TALBERT 

 Acting United States Attorney 

 

 

 /s/ Theophous H. Reagans

 THEOPHOUS H. REAGANS Special Assistant United States Attorney Attorneys for Defendant Carolyn W. Colvin, 

 Acting Commissioner of Social Security 

 (Per e-mail authorization) 

 

797 F.3d 696, 699 (9th Cir. 2015) holds that the Anti-Assignment Act invalidates 

an assignment but does not preclude the attorney from gaining an interest in the 

fees. 

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ORDER 

 Approved and so ordered: 

Dated: May 11, 2016 

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PROOF OF SERVICE 

STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES 

 I am employed in the county of Los Angeles, State of California. I am over 

the age of 18 and not a party to the within action. My business address is 12631 

East Imperial Highway, Suite C-115, Santa Fe Springs, California 90670. 

 On this day of May 9, 2016, I served the foregoing document described as 

STIPULATION FOR THE AWARD AND PAYMENT OF ATTORNEY FEES 

AND EXPENSES PURSUANT TO THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT, 

28 U.S.C. § 2412(d) AND COSTS PURSUANT TO 28 U.S.C. § 1920 on the 

interested parties in this action by placing a true copy thereof enclosed in a sealed 

envelope addressed as follows: 

Ms. Alisha Bailey 

P.O. Box 792 

Palo Cedro, CA 96073 

 I caused such envelope with postage thereon fully prepaid to be placed in the 

United States mail at Santa Fe Springs, California. 

 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California 

that the above is true and correct. 

 I declare that I am employed in the office of a member of this court at whose 

direction the service was made. 

Young Cho ___ /s/ Young Cho____________ TYPE OR PRINT NAME SIGNATURE

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