Ariel D. v. Bisignano
- Jerry Blackwell
- 0:22-cv-03030
- U.S. District Court · District of Minnesota
- 2
In Ariel D. v. Bisignano, Judge Blackwell granted attorney-fee authorization and ordered payment of $7,112 from past-due benefits.
Ariel D., the plaintiff’s counsel, and the government. The order requires $7,112 in attorney fees to be paid directly to counsel from Ariel D.’s past-due benefits.
What happened
In Ariel D. v. Bisignano, Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster issued a recommendation concerning the plaintiff’s request for attorney fees under federal law. No party filed a timely objection.
The district court reviewed the recommendation for clear error and found none. The order accepted the recommendation and granted the plaintiff’s motion for attorney-fee authorization.
Judge Jerry W. Blackwell awarded $15,112 in total fees, reduced by $8,000 in previously awarded Equal Access to Justice Act fees. The government must pay $7,112 directly to the plaintiff’s counsel from the plaintiff’s past-due benefits.
The detailed version
- Ariel D. v. Bisignano · No. 0:22-cv-03030
- Jerry W. Blackwell
- Jan. 9, 2026
Background
United States Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster issued a Report and Recommendation on December 5, 2025. The recommendation addressed Plaintiff Ariel D.’s motion for authorization of attorney fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b). The opinion states that no objections were filed within the permitted time.
Court’s Review
Because no timely objections were filed, the district court reviewed the Report and Recommendation for clear error under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 72(b). The court reviewed the recommendation and found no clear error.
Ruling
The court accepted the December 5, 2025 Report and Recommendation. It granted Plaintiff’s motion for authorization of attorney fees under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b).
The court awarded a total of $15,112 in fees, less $8,000 in Equal Access to Justice Act fees previously awarded. The government was directed to pay the remaining $7,112 directly to Plaintiff’s counsel out of Plaintiff’s past-due benefits. Judge Jerry W. Blackwell signed the order on January 9, 2026.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.