Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00312/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-00312-3/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Commissioner of Social Security
Defendant
Karyn Renee Elliott
Plaintiff

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Brian C. Shapiro 

Attorney at Law: 192789 

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 

Karyn Renee Elliott 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

KARYN RENEE ELLIOTT,

 Plaintiff, 

 vs. 

CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acting 

Commissioner of Social Security, 

 Defendant. 

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Case No.: 2:15-cv-00312-AC

STIPULATION FOR THE AWARD 

AND PAYMENT OF ATTORNEY 

FEES PURSUANT TO THE EQUAL 

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

§ 2412(d) AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

 TO THE HONORABLE ALLISON CLAIRE, MAGISTRATE JUDGE OF 

THE DISTRICT COURT: 

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED by and between the parties through their 

undersigned counsel, subject to the approval of the Court, that Karyn Renee Elliott 

be awarded attorney fees in the amount of THREE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED 

FIFTY dollars ($3650) 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 Plaintiff by counsel in connection with this civil action, in accordance 

with 28 U.S.C. §§ 1920; 2412(d). 

Case 2:15-cv-00312-AC Document 20 Filed 04/06/16 Page 1 of 5
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 After the Court issues an order for EAJA fees to Karyn Renee Elliott, the 

government will consider the matter of Karyn Renee Elliott's assignment of EAJA 

fees to Brian C. Shapiro. The retainer agreement containing the assignment is 

attached as exhibit 1. 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 Karyn Renee Elliott, but if the Department of 

the Treasury determines that Karyn Renee Elliott 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 Karyn Renee Elliott. 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 Brian C. Shapiro. 

 

1

 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. 

Karen Elliot 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, 

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

Case 2:15-cv-00312-AC Document 20 Filed 04/06/16 Page 2 of 5
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 This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Karyn Renee 

Elliott'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 Karyn Renee Elliott and/or Brian C. Shapiro 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 Brian C. Shapiro 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: March 29, 2016 Respectfully submitted, 

 LAW OFFICES OF LAWRENCE D. ROHLFING 

 /s/ Brian C. Shapiro 

 BY: __________________ Brian C. Shapiro Attorney for plaintiff Karyn Renee Elliott 

DATED: April 5, 2016 

BENJAMIN B. WAGNER 

United States Attorney 

 

 /s/ Paul Sachelari

 PAUL SACHELARI Special Assistant United States Attorney Attorneys for Defendant Carolyn W. Colvin, 

 Acting Commissioner of Social Security 

 (Per e-mail authorization) 

 

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

fees. 

Case 2:15-cv-00312-AC Document 20 Filed 04/06/16 Page 3 of 5
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[PROPOSED] ORDER 

IT IS ORDERED that fees and expenses in the amount of $3650 as 

authorized by 28 U.S.C. § 2412, be awarded subject to the terms of the Stipulation. 

DATE: April 5, 2016 

 

Case 2:15-cv-00312-AC Document 20 Filed 04/06/16 Page 4 of 5
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Case 2:15-cv-00312-AC Document 20 Filed 04/06/16 Page 5 of 5