Source: http://al.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20170419_0000246.SAL.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2018-04-26 09:34:30
Document Index: 377877030

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 406', '§ 406', '§ 405', '§ 2412', '§ 406', '§ 406', '§ 406', '§ 406']

RICHARD EVANS, Plaintiff,
This action is before the Court on the motion for fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b) (Doc. 27) filed by William T. Coplin, Jr., Esq., counsel for Plaintiff Richard Evans (“Plaintiff”). Defendant Acting Commissioner of Social Security (“the Commissioner”) has filed no response to the motion. Upon consideration, the Court finds that the § 406(b) motion (Doc. 25) is due to be GRANTED.[1]
On June 30, 2014, Plaintiff, at all times represented by Coplin, commenced this action for judicial review of an unfavorable final decision of the Commissioner under 42 U.S.C. §§ 405(g) and 1383(c)(3). (Doc. 1). In accordance with the Court's scheduling order (Doc. 3), the Commissioner filed her answer to the complaint (Doc. 9) and the record of the administrative proceedings (Doc. 10), and Plaintiff filed his brief identifying errors in the Commissioner's final decision (Docs. 11, 12). In response to Plaintiff's brief, the Commissioner filed her brief in support of the final decision (Doc. 15). The undersigned, by Memorandum Opinion and Order, reversed the decision of the Commissioner and remanded this action for further proceedings (Doc. 21) and Judgment was entered accordingly on March 12, 2015. (Doc. 22).
Plaintiff subsequently filed a motion for attorney's fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”), 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)[2] (Doc. 23), which the Court granted on May 8, 2015, awarding Plaintiff $2, 066.42 in attorney's fees and $492.96 in court costs and litigation expenses (Doc. 25). Following remand to the Social Security Administration (SSA), an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) issued a favorable decision for the Plaintiff on December 14, 2016. (Doc. 27-2). A notice of award of past-due benefits was issued March 20, 2017, which also advised that $17, 341.50, representing 25% of the total past due benefits, was being withheld to pay an approved representative's fee. (Doc. 27-3). Coplin filed the present § 406(b) motion on March 29, 2017, requesting that the Court award him a fee in the amount of $8, 845.12. (Doc. 27).
Jackson v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 601 F.3d 1268, 1271 (11th Cir. 2010).[3] “42 U.S.C. § 406(b) authorizes an award of attorney's fees where[, as here, ] the district court remands the case to the Commissioner of Social Security for further proceedings, and the Commissioner on remand awards the claimant past-due benefits.” Bergen v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec., 454 F.3d 1273, 1277 (11th Cir. 2006) (per curiam).
“Fed. R. Civ. P. 54(d)(2) applies to a § 406(b) attorney's fee claim.” Id. Rule 54(d)(2)(B)(i) provides that, “[u]nless a statute or a court order provides otherwise, [a] motion[ for attorney's fees] must be filed no later than 14 days after the entry of judgment.” Because Coplin's § 406(b) motion was filed within 14 days of the date of the Plaintiff's notice of award, the motion is timely.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Section 406(b)(1)(A) &ldquo;prohibits fee agreements from providing for a fee &lsquo;in excess of 25 percent of the total of the past-due benefits to which the claimant is entitled.&#39; &rdquo; Id. at 1285 (quoting 42 U.S.C. &sect; 406(b)(1)(A)). However &ldquo;the agreement, not the statute, provides the &lsquo;primary means by which fees are set.&#39; &rdquo; Id. (quoting Gisbrecht, 535 U.S. at 807). In retaining Coplin to represent him, Plaintiff entered into ...