Thomas v. Commissioner of Social Security
- Lewis Liman
- 1:23-cv-04642
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Thomas v. Commissioner, Judge Liman awarded counsel $5,400 and ordered counsel to return $1,445.40 to Michael Thomas.
Michael Thomas and his counsel; the order awards counsel $5,400 and requires counsel to return $1,445.40 to Thomas.
What happened
In Thomas v. Commissioner of Social Security, Michael Thomas’s counsel asked for $5,400 in fees under a contingency-fee agreement with Thomas.
A magistrate judge recommended granting the request and ordering counsel to return $1,445.40 previously received under the Equal Access to Justice Act. No party objected to that recommendation.
Judge Liman adopted the recommendation in full, granted the request for $5,400, ordered counsel to return $1,445.40 to Thomas, and directed the clerk to close the case.
The detailed version
- Thomas v. Commissioner of Social Security · No. 1:23-cv-04642
- Lewis Liman
- Dec. 19, 2024
Background
Counsel for Plaintiff Michael Thomas moved for an award of $5,400 in attorneys’ fees under a contingency-fee agreement with Thomas. Counsel had previously received $1,445.40 under the Equal Access to Justice Act, a federal law that allows certain fee awards for work against the government.
Report and Recommendation
On December 3, 2024, Magistrate Judge Gorenstein recommended granting counsel’s motion for $5,400 and ordering counsel to return the $1,445.40 previously received under the Equal Access to Justice Act. The parties had an opportunity to object, but no party objected.
Ruling
The court adopted the Report and Recommendation in its entirety. Judge Liman granted counsel’s motion for an award of $5,400 and ordered counsel to return $1,445.40 to Michael Thomas. The court also directed the clerk to close the case.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.