Opinion
Case No. CIV-15-446-SPS
05-19-2017
MICHAEL D. NANNEY, Plaintiff, v. NANCY A. BERRYHILL, Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Defendant.
OPINION AND ORDER AWARDING ATTORNEY'S FEES TO THE PLAINTIFF UNDER THE EAJA
Plaintiff Michael D. Nanney was the prevailing party in this action under the Social Security Act. Following entry of Judgment, the parties filed a Stipulated Motion for Award of Attorney Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act [Docket No. 24] for a stipulated award of $5,000.00 in attorney's fees, pursuant to the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d).
Upon review of the record herein, the Court finds that said amount is reasonable and that the Commissioner should be ordered to pay it to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. See 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A) ("Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, a court shall award to a prevailing party other than the United States fees and other expenses, in addition to any costs awarded pursuant to subsection (a), incurred by that party in any civil action (other than cases sounding in tort)[.]"); see also Manning v. Astrue, 510 F.3d 1246, 1251 (10th Cir. 2007) ("The EAJA therefore permits attorney's fees reimbursement to financially eligible prevailing parties, who make a proper application, and not to their attorneys.").
Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Stipulated Motion for Award of Attorney Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act [Docket No. 24] is hereby GRANTED and that the Government is ordered to pay the above-referenced amount to the Plaintiff as the prevailing party herein. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if the Plaintiff's attorney is subsequently awarded any fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 406(b)(1), said attorney shall refund the smaller amount of such fees to the Plaintiff pursuant to Weakley v. Bowen, 803 F.2d 575, 580 (10th Cir. 1986).
DATED this 19th day of May, 2017.
/s/_________
Steven P. Shreder
United States Magistrate Judge
Eastern District of Oklahoma