(SS) Purser v. Commissioner of Social Security

Filing 22

Stipulation for the award and payment of attorney fees and expenses pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act ; Order, signed by Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean on 7/15/2021. (Rosales, O.)

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1 2 3 4 5 6 Jonathan O. Peña, Esq. CA Bar ID No.: 278044 Peña & Bromberg, PLC 2440 Tulare St., Ste. 320 Fresno, CA 93721 Telephone: 559-439-9700 Facsimile: 559-439-9723 Email: info@jonathanpena.com Attorney for Plaintiff, James Arthur Purser 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA FRESNO DIVISION 9 10 11 JAMES ARTHUR PURSER, Plaintiff, 12 v. 13 Case No. 1:20-cv-00916-EPG STIPULATION FOR THE AWARD AND PAYMENT OF ATTORNEY FEES AND EXPENSES PURSUANT TO THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT; ORDER 14 ANDREW SAUL, Commissioner of Social Security, 15 Defendant. 16 IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED by and between the parties through their undersigned counsel, 17 18 19 20 21 subject to the approval of the Court, that Plaintiff be awarded attorney fees and expenses in the amount of FOUR HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN DOLLARS and 89/100 ($477.89) 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 22 with 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d). 23 After the Court issues an order for EAJA fees to Plaintiff, the government will consider the 24 matter of Plaintiff’s assignment of EAJA fees to counsel. Pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 560 U.S. 586, 25 598, 130 S.Ct. 2521, 177 L.Ed.2d 91 (2010), the ability to honor the assignment will depend on 26 whether the fees are subject to any offset allowed under the United States Department of the 27 Treasury’s Offset Program. After the order for EAJA fees is entered, the government will determine 28 whether they are subject to any offset. 1 Fees shall be made payable to Plaintiff, but if the Department of the Treasury determines that 2 Plaintiff does not owe a federal debt, then the government shall cause the payment of fees, expenses 3 and costs to be made directly to Counsel, pursuant to the assignment executed by Plaintiff. Any 4 payments made shall be delivered to Plaintiff’s counsel, Jonathan O. Peña. This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Plaintiff’s request for EAJA attorney 5 6 fees, and does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of Defendant under the EAJA or 7 otherwise. Payment of the agreed amount shall constitute a complete release from, and bar to, any 8 and all claims that Plaintiff and/or Counsel including Counsel’s firm may have relating to EAJA 9 attorney fees in connection with this action. This award is without prejudice to the rights of Counsel and/or Counsel’s firm to seek Social 10 11 Security Act attorney fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b), subject to the savings clause provisions of the 12 EAJA. 13 Respectfully submitted, 14 15 Dated: July 7, 2021 16 /s/ Jonathan O. Peña JONATHAN O. PEÑA Attorney for Plaintiff 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Dated: July 7, 2021 PHILLIP A. TALBERT Acting United States Attorney DEBORAH LEE STACHEL Regional Chief Counsel, Region IX Social Security Administration By: _*_Ellinor R. Coder Ellinor R. Coder Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Attorneys for Defendant (*Permission to use electronic signature obtained via email on July 7, 2021). 25 26 27 28 -2- 1 2 ORDER Based upon the parties’ Stipulation for the Award and Payment of Attorney Fees and Expenses 3 Pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act (ECF No. 21), IT IS ORDERED that fees and expenses in 4 the amount of $477.89 as authorized by 28 U.S.C. § 2412 be awarded subject to the terms of the 5 Stipulation. 6 IT IS SO ORDERED. 7 8 Dated: July 15, 2021 /s/ UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 -3-

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