Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01717/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01717-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Commissioner of Social Security
Defendant
Ben Smith
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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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

Ben Smith

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BEN SMITH,

Plaintiff,

vs.

CAROLYN W. COLVIN, Acting

Commissioner of Social Security,

Defendant.

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Case No.: 1:13-cv-01717-JLT

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

TO THE HONORABLE JENNIFER L. THURSTON, 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 Ben Smith be 

awarded attorney fees and expenses in the amount of THREE THOUSAND 

SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY dollars ($3750) 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 1:13-cv-01717-CDB Document 22 Filed 02/06/15 Page 1 of 4
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After the Court issues an order for EAJA fees to Ben Smith, the government 

will consider the matter of Ben Smith'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 Ben Smith, but if the Department of the 

Treasury determines that Ben Smith 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 Ben Smith. 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.

 

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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.

Ben Smith 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.

Case 1:13-cv-01717-CDB Document 22 Filed 02/06/15 Page 2 of 4
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This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Ben Smith'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 Ben Smith

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: February 4, 2015 Respectfully submitted,

 LAW OFFICES OF LAWRENCE D. ROHLFING

/s/ Brian C. Shapiro

 BY: __________________

 Brian C. Shapiro

 Attorney for plaintiff Ben Smith

DATED: February 4, 2015 

BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney 

/s/ Tina Saladino

 

 Tina Saladino

 Special Assistant United States Attorney 

 Attorneys for Defendant Carolyn W. Colvin, 

Acting Commissioner of Social Security 

 (Per e-mail authorization)

Case 1:13-cv-01717-CDB Document 22 Filed 02/06/15 Page 3 of 4
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ORDER

IT IS ORDERED that fees and expenses in the amount of $3750 as authorized by 28 

U.S.C. § 2412 be awarded subject to the terms of the Stipulation.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 6, 2015 /s/ Jennifer L. Thurston 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:13-cv-01717-CDB Document 22 Filed 02/06/15 Page 4 of 4