Source: http://or.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20190306_0000310.DOR.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2020-07-11 05:22:38
Document Index: 365843979

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 406', 'art, 535', '§ 2412', '§ 406', '§ 406', '§ 406']

FindACase™ | Cari L. V. v. Commissioner Social Security Administration
Cari L. V. v. Commissioner Social Security Administration
CARI L. V. Plaintiff,
Before the court is Plaintiff Cari L. V.' s[1] Unopposed Motion and Memorandum for Attorney fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b). Although Plaintiff is the claimant in this case, the real party in interest to this motion is her attorney, Kathryn Tassinari ("Tassinari") of Harder Wells Baron & Manning, P.C. ("Harder Wells"). The Commissioner does not oppose the motion, but merely acts in a manner similar to "a trustee for the claimant[]." Gisbrecht v. Barnhart, 535 U.S. 789, 798 (2002). Having reviewed the proceedings below and the amount of fees sought, the court concludes that Harder Wells is entitled to fees under Section 406(b) in the amount of $$20, 251.88.[2]
Plaintiff protectively filed her application for disability insurance benefits on July 19, 2011, alleging disability as of April 5, 2009. The claims were denied initially and on reconsideration. An ALJ held hearings on February 20, 2014, and July 21, 2014. On January 15, 2015, the ALJ issued an unfavorable decision finding that Plaintiff was not disabled under the Act. The Appeals Council denied Plaintiffs request for review.
On September 27, 2016, Plaintiff filed a Complaint in this court seeking review of the Commissioner's final decision. On October 11, 2017, the court granted the parties' stipulated motion for remand for further administrative proceedings. On remand, Plaintiff was awarded retroactive benefits, finding her disabled as of July 2010. (Mot. Att'y Fees Ex. A at 1, ECF No. 29-2.)
On January 11, 2018, Plaintiff was awarded attorney fees in the amount of $4, 154.62 under the Equal Access to Justice Act ("EAJA"), 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d). (Order, ECF No. 27.) On January 25, 2019, Plaintiff filed the instant petition for attorney fees under § 406(b) in the amount of $24, 406.50, less the amounts previously received by Plaintiffs counsel under the EAJA. The Commissioner does not oppose the motion.
Under Gisbrecht, the court must first examine the contingency fee agreement to determine whether it is within the statutoiy 25 percent cap. Id. at 800. The court also must '"review for reasonableness fees yielded by [contingency fee] agreements.'" Crawfordv. Astrne, 586 F.3d 1142, 1152 (9th Cir. 2009) (en banc) (quoting Gisbrecht, 535 U.S. at 808)). As set forth in Crawford, the court must apply the following factors: (1) the character of the representation, (2) the results achieved, (3) any delay attributable to the attorney requesting the fee, (4) whether the benefits of the representation were out of proportion with the time spent on the case, and (5) the risk assumed by counsel in accepting the case. Id. at 1151-52.
Here, the terms of the contingent-fee agreement between Plaintiff and Harder Wells are within the statutory limits of § 406(b). The $20, 251.88 in attorney fees Harder Wells seeks do not exceed 25 percent of the past due benefits awarded to Plaintiff.[3] (Mot. Supp. Att'y Fees at 1 & Ex. 5 at 3, ECF No. 35.) Thus, the terms of this agreement are within the statute's limit.
The court has reviewed the record in the case, the motion, and the supporting materials including the award of benefits, the fee agreement with counsel, and the recitation of counsel's hours and services. Applying the standards set by Crawford, the court finds the requested fees reasonable. There is no indication that Harder Wells was either ineffective or dilatory, and they achieved a favorable result for Plaintiff. Furthermore, the amount of fees requested is not out of proportion to the work performed by Harder Wells, and the benefits are not so large in comparison to the amount of time counsel spent that a reduction of the fees requested is justified. Finally, Harder Wells does not assert any risks unique to this case, and the court identifies none. Harder Wells does not seek an adjustment to the requested fee based on risk factors and the court concludes no such adjustment is warranted. In short, after applying the Gisbrecht factors, as interpreted by Crawford, the court finds that Plaintiffs counsel has demonstrated that a 25 percent fee is reasonable for this case.
For these reasons, Plaintiffs Motion for Attorney Fees Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b) (ECF No. 29) is GRANTED and Harder Wells is awarded $24, 406.50 in attorney fees. In light of the $4, 154.62 in EAJA fees previously awarded, the Commissioner is directed to send the send the balance of $20, 251.88, less any applicable processing or user fees as ...