Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca13-23-01683/USCOURTS-ca13-23-01683-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Robert B. Goss
Appellant
Denis McDonough
Appellee

Document Text:

United States Court of Appeals 

for the Federal Circuit ______________________

ROBERT B. GOSS,

Claimant-Appellant

v.

DENIS MCDONOUGH, SECRETARY OF 

VETERANS AFFAIRS,

Respondent-Appellee

______________________

2023-1683

______________________

Appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for 

Veterans Claims in No. 21-442, Judge Joseph L. Falvey, Jr.

______________________

Decided: December 9, 2024

______________________

KENNETH M. CARPENTER, Law Offices of Carpenter 

Chartered, Topeka, KS, argued for claimant-appellant. 

 PATRICK ANGULO, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil 

Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, argued for respondent-appellee. Also represented 

by BRIAN M. BOYNTON, PATRICIA M. MCCARTHY; JONATHAN 

KRISCH, CHRISTA A. SHRIBER, Office of General Counsel, 

United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC.

 ______________________

Case: 23-1683 Document: 37 Page: 1 Filed: 12/09/2024
2 GOSS v. MCDONOUGH

Before MOORE, Chief Judge, STOLL and CUNNINGHAM,

Circuit Judges.

MOORE, Chief Judge.

Attorney Robert Goss appeals a decision from the 

United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (Veterans Court) dismissing his appeal for lack of jurisdiction. 

For the following reasons, we reverse and remand.

BACKGROUND

In July 2009, veteran John H. Casey filed a Notice of 

Disagreement (NOD) with the United States Department 

of Veterans Affairs (VA) challenging denial of service connection for disabilities. In June 2010, Mr. Goss entered 

into a contingent fee agreement with Mr. Casey, under 

which Mr. Goss would represent Mr. Casey in his pursuit 

of benefits from the VA and receive twenty percent of any 

past-due benefits awarded, to be withheld by the VA and 

paid directly to Mr. Goss. On June 23, 2010, Mr. Goss filed 

with the VA Form 21-22a, Appointment of Individual as 

Claimant’s Representative, and the executed fee agreement. On June 28, 2010, the VA notified Mr. Casey that 

Mr. Goss had been appointed as his representative. In a 

letter dated January 26, 2011, Mr. Casey informed 

Mr. Goss he had terminated their attorney-client relationship. Mr. Goss withdrew as Mr. Casey’s representative on 

February 3, 2011.

On September 20, 2011, the VA Regional Office (RO) 

granted past-due benefits to Mr. Casey based on his July 

2009 NOD. On September 30, 2011, the RO found Mr. Goss 

and Mr. Casey had entered into a valid fee agreement and 

Mr. Goss was eligible for direct payment of fees by the VA 

pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 14.636. On October 5, 2011, 

Mr. Casey submitted an NOD, titled “Attorney Fees: Not 

Authorized,” challenging the payment of fees to Mr. Goss. 

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GOSS v. MCDONOUGH 3

J.A. 212.1 Mr. Casey argued Mr. Goss “never met with 

[him] to discuss [his] case,” and “never performed any work 

for [him] on [his] case.” Id. Notwithstanding Mr. Casey’s 

appeal, the VA released to Mr. Goss twenty percent of the 

past-due benefits awarded in September 2011 and twenty 

percent of additional past-due benefits awarded in February 2012. The fees remitted to Mr. Goss totaled $18,523. 

In response to Mr. Casey’s October 2011 NOD, the VA issued a Statement of the Case (SOC) denying Mr. Casey’s 

challenge to payment of Mr. Goss. Mr. Casey appealed to 

the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board).

The Board remanded Mr. Casey’s claim to the RO three 

times: in January 2016, June 2017, and May 2018. 

J.A. 135–43 (2016 remand decision); J.A. 100–08 (2017 remand decision); J.A. 60–71 (2018 remand decision). The 

Board recognized Mr. Casey’s NOD as contending “the payment of these fees was not warranted as the Veteran had 

terminated the services of [Mr. Goss] prior to any benefits 

being awarded.” J.A. 137. The Board thus interpreted

Mr. Casey’s NOD as a challenge to the reasonableness of 

Mr. Goss’ fee. Three separate times, the Board remanded 

Mr. Casey’s claim and instructed the RO to “[r]equest 

[Mr. Goss] to provide an itemized account for reasonable 

attorney fees and expenses.” J.A. 142; see also J.A. 106; 

J.A. 70. The Board also directed the RO to “readjudicate 

the claim addressing . . . the amount of [Mr. Goss’] reasonable attorney fees and expenses which represents his contribution to, and responsibility for, the benefits awarded.” 

J.A. 142; see also J.A. 107; J.A. 70. The Board repeatedly 

explained that “an attorney terminated prior to an award 

of benefits is only entitled to a fee that fairly and accurately 

reflects his/her contribution to [the] award of benefits even 

though the parties has signed a contingency fee 

1 “J.A.” refers to the Joint Appendix filed by 

Mr. Goss at ECF No. 15.

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4 GOSS v. MCDONOUGH

agreement.” J.A. 141. Each time, on remand, Mr. Goss 

was requested by the RO to provide such an itemized account so that a reasonableness determination could be 

made. Each time, Mr. Goss refused to provide the requested proof of his work. With no further explanation, the 

RO repeatedly denied Mr. Casey’s claim that the fee award 

was unreasonable without full reasons and bases as instructed by the Board. At no point did the VA, the RO, or 

the Board suggest that Mr. Casey’s claim, which remains 

unadjudicated to this day, failed to satisfy any particular 

filing requirements.

On November 3, 2020, the Board issued a decision finding Mr. Casey and Mr. Goss entered into a valid fee agreement, but the twenty percent fee was unreasonable. 

J.A. 28–41. The Board recounted its three previous remands, in which it gave “express directives” that the RO 

request from Mr. Goss an account of services rendered and 

provide an analysis “as to what fee fairly and accurately 

reflects [Mr. Goss’] contribution to and responsibility for 

the benefits awarded.” Id. at 37. “A review of the record 

reveal[ed] that, in August 2016, August 2017, and July 

2020, [t]he [RO] did send requests to [Mr. Goss] and his attorney to provide an itemized account for reasonable attorney fees and expenses which represented his contribution 

to, and responsibility for, the benefits awarded to [Mr. Casey] in the September 2011 and February 2012 rating decisions.” Id. at 36–37. Having not received such an 

accounting three times, the Board determined “any additional remands to obtain this information from [Mr. Goss] 

would be futile.” Id. at 37. The Board repeated for a fourth 

time that the VA was required, consistent with its three 

prior “express directives” “to make a specific determination, in consideration of the factors outlined in Scates, as to 

what fee fairly and accurately reflects [Mr. Goss’] contribution to and responsibility for the benefits awarded.” Id.; see 

id. at 36 (citing Scates v. Principi, 282 F.3d 1362, 1368–69

(Fed. Cir. 2002)). The Board explained again, “in a case

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GOSS v. MCDONOUGH 5

such as this, where an attorney is discharged prior to resolution of the claim, the attorney is entitled to ‘only a fee 

that fairly and accurately reflects his contribution to and 

responsibility for the benefits awarded.’” Id. at 38 (citations omitted) (quoting Scates, 282 F.3d at 1366). The 

Board further pointed out that the fee agreement entered

into by Mr. Casey and Mr. Goss permitted only a reasonable fee to be awarded in the event the attorney was discharged prior to the award of benefits:

[T]he fee agreement itself contains a clause specifically designed to address the situation here. Indeed, section 9 reads as follows: “DISCHARGE. 

Client may discharge Attorney at any time by sending a written notice to Attorney. If Attorney of 

Firm is discharged by client after Attorney or Firm 

performs, substantially performs, or contributes 

substantially to the results finally obtained by client, then client shall be liable to Attorney for payment of reasonable attorney’s fees and all expenses 

and costs paid by Firm.”

Id. at 39 (emphasis added by Board).

The Board then found a twenty percent fee was unreasonable because the NOD that resulted in past-due benefits was filed by Mr. Casey before he appointed Mr. Goss as 

his representative, and “during his time as representative, 

[Mr. Goss] did not assist with any appellate filings, and the 

only communication with VA consisted of submission of the 

Power of Attorney . . . and fee agreement, a request for a 

copy of the Veteran’s claims file, and his withdrawal of representation.” Id. at 39–41. The Board explained that the 

fee “is unreasonable, given the negligible amount of work 

performed by [Mr. Goss], pursuant to Scates, and the refusal to provide an accounting of work performed on behalf 

of the Veteran.” Id. at 41. Mr. Goss appealed to the Veterans Court.

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6 GOSS v. MCDONOUGH

Mr. Goss argued the Board lacked jurisdiction over the 

reasonableness of the fee award. The VA initially opposed 

Mr. Goss’ argument, contending the Board had jurisdiction 

under the facts of this case, and asked the Veterans Court 

to affirm. J.A. 2. On August 23, 2022, after Mr. Goss’ reply, the VA changed its position. The VA claimed that, after more than a decade of back-and-forth appeals and 

remands between the Board and the RO, the VA’s position 

had become that the VA Office of General Counsel, not the 

Board, has authority to consider reasonableness in the first 

instance. J.A. 257–58. The VA argued that the Board 

lacked jurisdiction to decide the reasonableness question in

the first instance and the Board’s decision addressing reasonableness should therefore be vacated. Id. While 

Mr. Goss agreed that the Board lacked jurisdiction to decide the reasonableness in the first instance, Mr. Goss opposed vacatur on the ground that the Veterans Court only 

has the authority to affirm, modify, reverse or remand. 

J.A. 260–61. Mr. Goss sought final resolution in his favor 

of Mr. Casey’s attorney fee appeal.

Rather than decide the legal question of jurisdiction, 

the Veterans Court accepted the parties’ agreement on the

issue. J.A. 1 (“[W]e accept the Secretary’s concession that 

the Board lacked jurisdiction to address the reasonableness of the amount of fees awarded to Mr. Goss . . . .”); 

J.A. 3 (“Seeing no reason to reject the parties’ agreement 

on the issue, the Court accepts the Secretary’s concession 

that the Board exceeded its jurisdiction . . . .”). The Veterans Court then vacated the portion of the Board’s decision 

addressing reasonableness of the fee award and dismissed 

the appeal for lack of jurisdiction. Mr. Goss appeals. We 

have jurisdiction under 38 U.S.C. § 7292.

DISCUSSION

Mr. Goss argues we should review the Veterans Court’s 

decision concerning his fee award because there remains 

uncertainty around his entitlement to keep the fee. The 

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GOSS v. MCDONOUGH 7

VA argues this case is moot because Mr. Casey has not continued to pursue his unreasonableness challenge (fourteen

years after Mr. Casey’s originally-filed challenge to the fee 

payment).2 Mr. Casey’s claim has been dismissed without 

resolution, and the VA conceded that Mr. Casey can bring 

a future challenge. See, e.g., Oral Arg. at 27:13–20; Bd. of 

Trustees of Univ. of Illinois v. Organon Teknika Corp. LLC, 

614 F.3d 372, 374–75 (7th Cir. 2010) (finding appellate jurisdiction when appellant challenged a suit “dismissed 

without resolution” because the appellant wanted “an order dismissing the University’s claim with prejudice, so 

that the controversy about the royalty rate would be over”). 

Because Mr. Casey’s challenge to Mr. Goss’ fee eligibility 

remains unadjudicated, this claim is not moot. 

We have jurisdiction to review “the validity of a decision of the [Veterans] Court on a rule of law or of any statute or regulation . . . or any interpretation thereof (other 

than a determination as to a factual matter) that was relied 

on by the [Veterans] Court in making the decision.” 

38 U.S.C. § 7292(a). Whether the Veterans Court lacks jurisdiction is an issue of statutory construction, see 

2 The tortured history of this case does not reflect 

well on the VA generally. The Board found Mr. Casey appealed reasonableness, J.A. 137, and remanded three separate times expressly directing the VA to adjudicate this 

pending claim by the Veteran, J.A. 135–43 (2016 remand 

decision); J.A. 100–08 (2017 remand decision); J.A. 60–71 

(2018 remand decision). Three times the VA simply denied 

the claim after Mr. Goss refused to provide the necessary 

information. Finally, after deciding it was futile to send 

Mr. Casey’s challenge back to the VA for a fourth time, the 

Board proceeded to review the merits of the Secretary’s denial of Mr. Casey’s challenge. J.A. 37–41. We share the 

Board’s frustration and applaud its repeated attempts to 

seek a resolution of the Veteran’s appeal.

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8 GOSS v. MCDONOUGH

38 U.S.C. § 7252, which we review de novo. Howard v. Gober, 220 F.3d 1341, 1343 (Fed. Cir. 2000).

This appeal presents, among other issues, whether the 

Board exceeded its jurisdiction by addressing the reasonableness of the amount of fees awarded to Mr. Goss. Both 

parties argue that the Board lacked jurisdiction to assess 

reasonableness in the first instance. Courts, however, are 

not bound by stipulations on questions of law. Sanford’s 

Estate v. Comm’r, 308 U.S. 39, 51 (1939) (“We are not 

bound to accept, as controlling, stipulations as to questions 

of law.”) (citations omitted); Technicon Instruments Corp. 

v. Alpkem Corp., 866 F.2d 417, 421–22 (Fed. Cir. 1989) (“If 

the stipulation is to be treated as an agreement concerning 

the legal effect of admitted facts, it is obviously inoperative; 

since the court cannot be controlled by agreement of counsel on a subsidiary question of law.” (quoting Swift & Co. 

v. Hocking Valley Ry. Co., 243 U.S. 281, 289 (1917))).

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may, “upon the Secretary’s own motion or at the request of the claimant, review a fee agreement . . . and . . . order a reduction in the 

fee called for in the agreement if the Secretary finds that 

the fee is excessive or unreasonable.” 38 U.S.C. 

§ 5904(c)(3)(A). A decision by the Secretary on reasonableness is appealable to the Board. 38 U.S.C. § 5904(c)(3)(B). 

There is thus no question the Board can review a determination of reasonableness. But the question before this 

court is whether the Board can review the merits of a reasonableness challenge after the VA has three times denied 

the Veteran’s claim and refused the Board’s express directive to provide full reasons and bases.

VA regulations specify requirements for fee agreements and payment of fees. See 38 C.F.R. § 14.636. The 

regulations give authority to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) to “determine whether an agent or attorney 

is eligible for fees.” 38 C.F.R. § 14.636(c)(4). Importantly, 

VA regulations require that “[f]ees permitted for services 

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GOSS v. MCDONOUGH 9

of an agent or attorney admitted to practice before VA must 

be reasonable.”3 38 C.F.R. § 14.636(e). This regulation, 

therefore, requires that fees be determined to be reasonable in order to be awarded to an attorney.

The Secretary detailed exactly how this reasonableness 

determination should take place. Where an attorney provides representation through the date of awarded benefits, 

a fee that does not exceed twenty percent of past due benefits is presumed reasonable. 38 C.F.R. § 14.636(f)(1). This 

presumption can be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence that a fee is unreasonable. Id. Thus, in most cases,

where the attorney continues representation through the 

award of benefits, the regulation provides a presumption of 

reasonableness. If this presumption is challenged by the 

Veteran, review is to be conducted by the VA Office of General Counsel. 38 C.F.R. § 14.636(i) (“The Office of the General Counsel may order a reduction in the fee called for in 

the agreement if it finds . . . that the fee is unreasonable.”).

In the unusual situation where an attorney is discharged or withdraws from representation before benefits 

are awarded, a reasonable fee is “one that fairly and accurately reflects his or her contribution to and responsibility 

for the benefits awarded. The amount of the fee is informed 

3 38 U.S.C. § 5904(c)(4) likewise allows only reasonable fees in cases arising under certain circumstances. The 

Secretary agreed at oral argument that, to be awarded, fees 

must be reasonable. Oral Arg. at 39:00–39:22. In a 

Rule 28(j) letter submitted to the court after oral argument, the Secretary pointed out that § 5904(c)(4) is not applicable in this case. ECF No. 35. To the extent that the 

Secretary is now suggesting for the first time that attorney 

fees may be awarded even if they are excessive or unreasonable, this argument is inconsistent with statute, the 

Secretary’s own regulations, and our binding precedent. 

Scates, 282 F.3d at 1365–66.

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10 GOSS v. MCDONOUGH

by an examination of the factors in paragraph (e) of this 

section.” 38 C.F.R. § 14.636(f)(2). The regulation lays out

in paragraph (e) eight “[f]actors considered in determining 

whether fees are reasonable,” which include “[t]he extent 

and type of services the representative performed,” and 

“[t]he amount of time the representative spent on the case.” 

38 C.F.R. § 14.636(e). By the clear language of the regulation, no presumption of reasonableness applies in a case

where an attorney withdraws or is discharged before an 

award of benefits. Thus, a fact finding must be made by 

the Secretary regarding the reasonableness of the fee 

award – such a fact finding must consider, as the regulation requires, the factors detailed in 38 C.F.R. § 14.636(e). 

Our decision in Scates requires the same: “In sum, an attorney with a contingent fee contract for payment of twenty 

percent of accrued veterans benefits awarded, discharged 

by the client before the case is completed, is not automatically entitled to the full twenty percent fee. He may receive 

only a fee that fairly and accurately reflects his contribution to and responsibility for the benefits awarded.” Scates, 

282 F.3d at 1366.4 

Finally, as acknowledged by the Board, even the fee 

agreement between Mr. Casey and Mr. Goss in this case 

contains the same requirement that only a reasonable attorney fee may be remitted when the attorney is discharged 

prior to the receipt of benefits. J.A. 39. Section 9, titled 

“DISCHARGE,” states: “If Attorney of [sic] Firm is discharged by client after Attorney or Firm performs, substantially performs, or contributes substantially to the results 

finally obtained by client, then client shall be liable to 

4 We note that the Scates decision was cited by the 

Board in each of its four decisions and in the briefing before 

this court. J.A. 141–42 (2016 Board decision); J.A. 107 

(2017 Board decision); J.A. 68–70 (2018 Board decision); 

J.A. 32–41 (2020 Board decision); Appellee’s Resp. Br. 3–4.

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GOSS v. MCDONOUGH 11

Attorney for payment of reasonable attorney’s fees and all 

expenses and costs paid by Firm.” J.A. 239–40 (emphasis

added). Mr. Goss was thus entitled to only a reasonable fee

by VA regulation, Federal Circuit precedent, and the terms 

of the fee agreement.

Mr. Goss, quite fairly, desires certainty and resolution 

of this now fourteen-year-old dispute over his entitlement

to the attorney fee award. Here, where the presumption of 

reasonableness does not apply, there needed to be a determination of reasonableness. The statute bestows upon the 

Secretary, not the Board, the authority to determine the 

reasonableness of the fee in the first instance. 38 U.S.C. 

§ 5904(c)(3)(A). The Board acknowledged that compliance 

by the RO—the AOJ in this case—with its directive to 

make a reasonableness determination “with full reasons 

and bases” was frustrated by Mr. Goss’ refusal to provide 

an account of the work performed on Mr. Casey’s case. 

J.A. 37. The Board concluded that the AOJ nonetheless issued multiple Supplemental SOCs and “[o]n each occasion, 

the AOJ has continued to deny the claim.” Id. at 30. While 

these decisions lack the reasons and bases repeatedly requested by the Board, the parties do not dispute that they 

amount to a denial of Mr. Casey’s claim regarding attorney 

fees. By statute, if the Secretary denies a challenge to the 

reasonableness of an attorney fee award, such a decision is 

appealable to the Board. Under these circumstances, the 

Board had jurisdiction to review the Secretary’s denial of 

Mr. Casey’s claim that the fee award was unreasonable.

The VA’s payment to Mr. Goss “permitted” the fee, 

which “must be reasonable.” 38 C.F.R. § 14.636(e). Indeed, 

the VA cited 38 C.F.R. § 14.636 in both its decisions awarding fees to Mr. Goss. J.A. 217–18; J.A. 268–70. We do not 

agree with the Veterans Court’s legal determination (predicated entirely on the concession by the Secretary) that the 

Board exceeded its jurisdiction in its November 2020 decision by reviewing the Secretary’s reasonableness determination. See 38 U.S.C. § 5904(c)(3)(B).

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12 GOSS v. MCDONOUGH

We therefore reverse the Veterans Court’s determination that it lacked jurisdiction over the Board’s decision 

and remand. The Board did not exceed its jurisdiction.

CONCLUSION

We have considered the parties’ remaining arguments 

and find them unpersuasive. We reverse the Veterans 

Court’s decision vacating the portion of the Board’s decision addressing reasonableness of the fee award and reinstate the Board’s decision addressing reasonableness. We 

remand this case to the Veterans Court for any further proceedings.

REVERSED AND REMANDED

COSTS

No costs.

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