(SS) Hodson v. Commissioner of Social Security ( 2022 )

1 Meghan O. Lambert, Esq. Osterhout Berger Disability Law, LLC 2 521 Cedar Way, Suite 200 Oakmont, PA 15139 3 Phone: 412-794-8003 4 Meghan@mydisabilityattorney.com CA Bar ID: 258040 5 Attorney for Plaintiff, Patricia D. Hodson 6 PHILLIP A. TALBERT United States Attorney 7 PETER K. THOMPSON, Bar ID 5890 8 Acting Regional Chief Counsel, Region IX Social Security Administration 9 MARY TSAI, CA SBN 216963 Special Assistant United States Attorney 10 160 Spear Street, Suite 800 11 San Francisco, California 94105 Tel: (510) 970-4864 12 Fax: (415) 744-0134 E-mail: Mary.Tsai@ssa.gov 13 Attorneys for Defendant 14 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 15 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA SACRAMENTO DIVISION 16 17 PATRICIA D. HODSON, Case No. 2:22-cv-00048-AC 18 Plaintiff, STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER FOR THE AWARD OF ATTORNEY FEES 19 v. UNDER THE EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT (EAJA) 20 KILOLO KIJAKAZI, 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d) 21 Acting Commissioner of Social Security, 22 Defendant. 23 TO THE HONORABLE ALLISON CLAIRE, MAGISTRATE JUDGE OF THE 24 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT: 25 The Parties through their undersigned counsel, subject to the Court’s approval, stipulate 26 that Plaintiff be awarded attorney fees in the amount of SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS and 27 00/100 ($700.00) and no costs under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), 28 U.S.C. 1 §§ 2412(d), 1920. This amount represents compensation for all legal services rendered on behalf 2 of Plaintiff by counsel in connection with this civil action, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. §§ 3 2412(d), 1920. 4 After the Court issues an order for EAJA fees to Plaintiff, the government will consider 5 the matter of Plaintiff’s assignment of EAJA fees to counsel. Pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 560 6 U.S. 586, 598, 130 S.Ct. 2521, 177 L.Ed.2d 91 (2010), the ability to honor the assignment will 7 depend on whether the fees are subject to any offset allowed under the United States Department 8 of the Treasury’s Offset Program. After the order for EAJA fees is entered, the government will 9 10 determine whether they are subject to any offset. 11 Fees shall be made payable to Plaintiff, but if the Department of the Treasury determines 12 that Plaintiff does not owe a federal debt, then the government shall cause the payment of fees to 13 be made directly to counsel, pursuant to the assignment executed by Plaintiff. Any payments 14 made shall be delivered to Plaintiff’s counsel, Meghan O. Lambert at 521 Cedar Way, Suite 200, 15 Oakmont, Pennsylvania 15139. 16 This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Plaintiff’s request for EAJA 17 attorney fees, and does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of Defendant under the 18 EAJA, or otherwise. Payment of SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS and 00/100 ($700.00) in 19 EAJA attorney fees shall constitute a complete release from, and bar to, any and all claims that 20 Plaintiff and Plaintiff’s attorney, Meghan O. Lambert, including Osterhout Berger Disability 21 Law, LLC, may have relating to EAJA attorney fees in connection with this action. 22 This award is without prejudice to the rights of Plaintiff’s attorney to seek Social Security 23 Act attorney fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b), subject to the savings clause provisions of the EAJA. 24 25 26 27 Respectfully submitted, Dated: July 13, 2022 /s/ Meghan O. Lambert 3 MEGHAN O. LAMBERT 4 Attorney for Plaintiff Dated: July 13, 2022 PHILLIP A. TALBERT 6 United States Attorney PETER K. THOMPSON 7 Acting Regional Chief Counsel, Region IX g Social Security Administration 9 By: __/s/ Mary Tsai* Mary Tsai 10 Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Attorneys for Defendant 11 (*Permission to use electronic signature 12 obtained via email on 7/13/2022). 13 14 || IT IS SO ORDERED: 15 DATE: July 14, 2022 tAttton— Lane 16 ALLISON CLAIRE 17 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 3.