Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_18-cv-06299/USCOURTS-cand-4_18-cv-06299-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Alex M. Azar II
Defendant
Center for Environmental Health
Plaintiff
Center for Food Safety
Plaintiff
Scott Gottlieb
Defendant
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Defendant

Document Text:

FEE STIPULATION AND ORDER 1

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GEORGE A. KIMBRELL (Pro Hac Vice) 

RYAN D. TALBOTT (Pro Hac Vice) 

Center for Food Safety 

2009 NE Alberta St., Suite 207 

Portland, OR 97211T: (971) 271-7372 / F: (971) 271-7374 

Emails: gkimbrell@centerforfoodsafety.org 

 rtalbott@centerforfoodsafety.org 

Counsel for Plaintiffs 

DANIEL K. CRANE-HIRSCH 

Trial Attorney 

Consumer Protection Branch 

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division 

PO Box 386 

Washington, DC 20044-0386 

Telephone: 202-616-8242 

Fax: 202-514-8742 

daniel.crane-hirsch@usdoj.gov 

Counsel for Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY and CENTER 

FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

ALEX M. AZAR II, SECRETARY OF U.S. 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 

SERVICES; NORMAN E. SHARPLESS, M.D., 

ACTING COMMISSIONER OF FOOD AND 

DRUGS;1 and U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 

Defendants. 

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Case No.: 4:18-cv-06299-YGR

FEE STIPULATION AND ORDER 

1

 Norman E. Sharpless, M.D. became Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs on April 

5, 2019. By operation of Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(d), Dr. Sharpless is automatically substituted as a 

party for former Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Scott Gottlieb, M.D. 

Case 4:18-cv-06299-YGR Document 35 Filed 06/11/19 Page 1 of 5
FEE STIPULATION AND ORDER 2

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IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between the Plaintiffs on the one 

hand (the Center for Food Safety and the Center for Environmental Health) and the Defendants 

on the other (Alex M. Azar, Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human 

Services; Norman E. Sharpless, Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs, U.S. Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA); and the United States Department of Health and Human Services 

(HHS)); and 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiffs are to be awarded the sum of $45,227.35 in 

attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. 

§ 2412. 

Within sixty (60) days after the Court endorses and “so orders” this Stipulation, FDA 

and/or HHS shall remit the amount of $43,071.99 to the Center for Food Safety in full 

satisfaction of Plaintiffs’ fees and expenses. Such amount shall be remitted by Electronic Funds 

Transfer to an account to be specified by counsel for the Plaintiffs, and said counsel shall provide 

to counsel for the Defendants, within five business days after the Court endorses and “so orders” 

this Stipulation and Order, all information necessary for FDA and/or HHS to effectuate the 

Electronic Funds Transfer. 

In addition, within ten days after the Court endorses and “so orders” this Stipulation and 

Order, the Department of Justice will submit a request to the Judgment Fund for immediate 

payment of $2,155.36 to the Plaintiffs in full satisfaction of Plaintiffs’ claim for costs incurred in 

this matter. Assuming that the United States Treasury officials who administer the Judgment 

Fund determine that payment of the settled costs is properly made from the Judgment Fund, 

payment will be made either by a United States Treasury check, payable to the Center for Food 

Safety, or by an Electronic Funds Transfer. 

The payments described in the preceding paragraphs shall be the full and final settlement 

of any and all claims that any of the Plaintiffs, and any of their current or former attorneys, and 

any of their respective heirs, executors, successors, and assigns, may now have or may hereafter 

acquire against the Defendants, and/or against FDA or the United States of America, pursuant to 

any statute or rule or regulation, for attorneys’ fees, expenses, or costs incurred in connection 

with this action, with the exception of any future action brought to enforce the consent decree 

Case 4:18-cv-06299-YGR Document 35 Filed 06/11/19 Page 2 of 5
FEE STIPULATION AND ORDER 3

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entered by the Court. Other than what is specifically set forth in this Stipulation and Order, the 

Plaintiffs and their counsel expressly waive and release the Defendants, FDA, and the United 

States of America from all claims and liability for attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs that 

Plaintiffs or their current or former counsel may now have or may hereafter acquire in 

connection with any and all claims and causes of action that were or have been asserted in this 

action, or concerning any of the matters alleged in this action, with the exception of any future 

action brought to enforce the Consent Decree entered by the Court. “Future action[s] brought to 

enforce the Consent Decree” includes but is not limited to Plaintiffs’ right to seek further EAJA 

reimbursement in the event that: (1) Defendant moves the Court for an extension of time for one 

or more of the FSMA deadlines established by the Consent Decree; (2) Plaintiffs disagree that 

such an extension is warranted and file an opposition to Defendant’s motion; and (3) the Court 

denies Defendant’s motion. 

This Stipulation and Order shall not be construed to include a finding or concession that 

the position of the Defendants, FDA, or the United States of America or their counsel in this 

litigation, or in the events leading up to this litigation, was not substantially justified, or that the 

Defendants, FDA, or the United States of America are liable as a matter of law for the payment 

of any attorneys’ fees, expenses, or costs. The provision for attorneys’ fees, expenses, and costs 

in this Stipulation and Order is solely by agreement of the parties and shall not serve as 

precedent in any other case. 

Case 4:18-cv-06299-YGR Document 35 Filed 06/11/19 Page 3 of 5
FEE STIPULATION AND ORDER 4

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For Plaintiffs: 

Date: June 7, 2019 /s/ George Kimbrell 

GEORGE A. KIMBRELL (admitted Pro Hac 

Vice) 

RYAN D. TALBOTT (admitted Pro Hac Vice) 

Center for Food Safety 

2009 NE Alberta Street, Suite 207 

Portland, OR 97211 

T: (971) 271-7372 

Emails: 

gkimbrell@centerforfoodsafety.org 

rtalbott@centerforfoodsafety.org 

For Defendants: 

Date: June 7, 2019 JOSEPH H. HUNT 

 Assistant Attorney General 

DAVID M. MORRELL 

Deputy Assistant Attorney General 

GUSTAV W. EYLER 

Director 

 ANDREW E. CLARK 

 Assistant Director 

 Consumer Protection Branch 

 /s/ Daniel K. Crane-Hirsch DANIEL K. CRANE-HIRSCH 

 Trial Attorney 

 Consumer Protection Branch 

 U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division 

 P.O. Box 386 

 Washington, D.C. 20044-0386 

 Telephone: 202-616-8242 

 Fax: 202-514-8742 

daniel.crane-hirsch@usdoj.gov

Of Counsel: 

ROBERT P. CHARROW 

General Counsel 

STACY CLINE AMIN 

Chief Counsel 

Food and Drug Administration 

Deputy General Counsel 

Department of Health and Human Services 

Case 4:18-cv-06299-YGR Document 35 Filed 06/11/19 Page 4 of 5
FEE STIPULATION AND ORDER 5

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ANNAMARIE KEMPIC 

Deputy Chief Counsel for Litigation 

JULIE B. LOVAS 

Senior Counsel 

Office of the Chief Counsel 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration 

10903 New Hampshire Avenue 

White Oak 32, Room 4520 

Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002 

ENTERED AND DATED this _____ day of ____________, 2019. 

________________________________ 

United States District Court Judge 

Case 4:18-cv-06299-YGR Document 35 Filed 06/11/19 Page 5 of 5