T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on a nd i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T RA CH EL M . STO K ES, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. C OMMI S S I ON E R OF T HE S OC I AL S E C UR I T Y A DMI NI S T R AT I ON , D ef

endant- A pp el l ee . N o. 10- 35628 D . C. N o . 3 : 0 8 - c v - 0 1 2 0 9 - PK ME MOR AN DU M *

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, a n a tto rn e y a n d th e r e a l- p a r ty - in - in te r e s t in th is ap p e a l, ap p e a ls the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s or de rw hi c h gr a nt e d i n pa r ta nd de ni e d i n pa r tG r a f’ s m ot i on f or 

# FI LED MA Y09 2 011 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSB ec ause the part i es ar e f am i l i arw i th the fa ct s, w e r ec i t e them here on l y a s 1 ne c e s s a ry t o e xpl a i n ourde c i s i on. 2 a tto rn e y s ’ f

e e s . W e h a v e ju r is d ic tio n o v e rth is ap p e a l p u r s u a n t to 2 8 U .S .C . § 1291, a nd w e r e ve r s e a nd r e m a nd. 1 T he di s tr i c tc ourtba s e d i t s de c i s i on t o r e duc e the f e e a w a r d f

r om the 22% of p ast -d u e b en efi t s req u est ed b y G raf t o 1 5 % o f p ast -d u e b en efi t s o n tw o g ro u n d s: ( 1 ) d e la y s c au s e d b y G r a f ; a n d ( 2 ) th e s iz e o f

th e p a s t- d u e b e n e f

its r e c o v e r e d in r e l a t i on t o ar e a s onabl e e s t i m a t e of the c om pl e xi ty of

the r e pr e s e nt a t i on a nd the nu m ber of hou rs nece ss ary f ai rl y t o con du ctthatre pres ent at i on (her ei naft er re fe rr ed t o as the fe e’ s “ prop ort i on al i ty” ). T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s f

ir s t g r o u n d

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i tf r om the a c c um ul a t i on of be ne f i t s dur i ng the pe nde nc y of the ca se i n cou rt . ” G isb rech t v. B a rn h a rt , 5 3 5 U .S . 7 8 9 , 8 0 7 (2 0 0 2 ). G ra f’s vol unt a ry 3% r e duc t i on— f r om the c ontr a c tua l 25% of pa s t - due be ne f

i t s t o a r e que s t e d 22% of

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e e r e que s t e d by $2, 011. T he 60 da y s of de l a y G r a f

c aus e d i n the di s tr i c tc our ta dde d tw o m onths of pa s t - due benefi t s a t$1 14 0. 20 per m on th; t aki ng 25 % of thi s a m ou ntw ou l d h ave i ncre as ed3

hi s f e e by onl y $570. T he r e f or e , the di s tr i c tc our tabus e d i t s di s c r e t i on i n ba s i ng an y p arto f i t s red u ct i o n o f th e aw ard o n d el ay. T he di s tr i c tc ourtw a s w i thi n i t s di s c r e t i on i n r e duc i ng the f e e ba s e d on the f e e ’ s pr oport i ona l i ty . T he di s tr i c tc our tha s aduty t o pe r f orm a n “ i nde pe nde nt c he c k” “ t o a s s ur e tha t[ the f e e s ] y i e l d r e a s onabl e r e s ul t s i n pa rt i cular cases . ” I d. at 8 0 7 ( e m p h a s is a d d e d ) . T h e d is tr ic t c o u r t in th is c a s e f o u n d th a t a n e f

f e c tiv e h o u r ly ra t e of $45 3. 75 w as un re as on abl e i n l i gh tof the fa ctthatthe di stri ctcourt pr oc e e di ngs w e r e l a r ge l y unc ont e s t e d by the S oc i a l S e c ur i ty C om m i s s i one r . T he r e c or d s upport s tha tthi s w a s a“ r e l a t i ve l y s i m pl e ” l i t i ga t i on c oupl e d w i th a s ig n if ic a n t r e c o v e ry o f

p a s t- b e n e f

its . T h u s , th e d is tr ic t c o u r t d id n o t ab u s e its di s c r e t i on i n r e duc i ng the f e e a m ounton thi s gr ound. G raf co n t en d s th ati n l i g h to f th e h i g h ri ski n v o l v ed i n so ci al secu ri ty cases, the di stri ctcourtabused i t s di sc re t i on i n reduci ng the fe e per ce nt age. T hi s c ou rt h a s s ta te d th a t “th e d is tr ic t c o u rt s h o u ld lo o ka t th e c o m p le x ity a n d r is kin v o lv e d in the spec i f i c c ase a ti s s ue t o de t e rm i ne how m uc h r i s k the f i rm a s s um e d i n t a ki ng the ca se . ” Cr aw

f ord v . A s tr ue , 58 6 F . 3d 11 42 , 11 53 (9th C i r. 20 09 ) ( en banc) ( e m pha s i s a dde d) . G r a f c om pl e t e l y i gnor e s thi s gui da nc e , i ns t e a d di s c us s i ng generalpo l i cyconsi dera t i on s and the general l y hi gh ri sk i n l i t i gat i ng soci al se curi ty c as es . A tno po i ntdo es G ra f m ake a ny spec i fi c c on t ent i on s w i th res pect4

t o th is c a s e ’ s c om pl e xi ty a nd r i s k. M or e ove r , the di s tr i c tc our tc ons i de r e d the r i s ks o f th is s p e c if

ic c a s e a n d s ta te d th a t “[ u ]n d e rth e c ir c u m s ta n c e s p r e s e n te d in th is c a s e , th is c o u rt c o n c lu d e s th a t th e c o n c e rn s o u tlin e d ab o v e ab o u t p r o p o r tio n a lity ar e notal l ay ed by the ri sks und ert aken i n repres ent i ng thi s pl ai nt i ff . ” T here fore , the r e i s no ba s i s f

orhol di ng the di s tr i c tc our tabus e d i t s di s c r e t i on i n r e duc i ng G ra f’ s f ee aw ar d i n l i gh tof the com pl exi ty and ri sk i nv ol ved i n thi s c as e. T h erefo re, th i s case i s RE V E RS E D a nd R EM A N D ED . O n r e m a nd, the d is tr ic t c o u rt s h a ll d e te rm in e ar e a s o n ab le f e e s ta rtin g w ith th e f

e e v o lu n ta r ily r e duc e d by G r a f

— 22% of

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i t s — a nd w i thouta ddi t i ona l r e duc t i on due t o d el ay.