Source: http://al.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20180503_0000282.SAL.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2018-05-27 15:39:21
Document Index: 428283213

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

DOROTHY JOHNSON, Plaintiff,
This action is before the Court on the Motion for Fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b) (Doc. 29) filed by William T. Coplin, Jr., Esq., counsel for Plaintiff Dorothy Johnson (“Plaintiff”). Defendant Acting Commissioner of Social Security (“the Commissioner”), has filed a Response to the motion (Doc. 30). Upon consideration, the Court finds that the § 406(b) motion (Doc. 29) is due to be GRANTED.[1]
On May 23, 2016, 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. 4), the Commissioner filed her answer to the complaint (Doc. 13) and the record of the administrative proceedings (Doc. 14), and Plaintiff filed her brief identifying errors in the Commissioner's final decision (Docs. 15, 16). In response to Plaintiff's brief, the Commissioner filed her brief in support of the final decision (Doc. 17). The undersigned, by Memorandum Opinion and Order, reversed the decision of the Commissioner and remanded this action for further proceedings (Doc. 23) and Judgment was entered accordingly on November 18, 2016 (Doc. 24).
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. 25), which the Court granted on December 21, 2016, awarding Plaintiff $1, 934.76 in attorney's fees (Docs. 27, 28). Following remand to the Social Security Administration (SSA), an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) issued a favorable decision for the Plaintiff on December 29, 2017. (Doc. 29-2). A notice of award of past-due benefits was issued March 28, 2018, which also advised that $11, 832.75, representing 25% of the total past due benefits, was being withheld to pay an approved representative's fee. (Doc. 29-3). Coplin filed the present § 406(b) motion on April 16, 2018, requesting that the Court award him a fee in the amount of $3, 897.99. (Doc. 29).
“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, including mailing time, the motion is found to be timely.