Briana Louise Couch v. Frank Bisignano, Commissioner of Social Security

• Court: District Court, E.D. California
• Decided: November 19, 2025
• Docket: 2:24-cv-01988
• Status: Unknown

Opinion

1 FORSLUND LAW, LLC Jacqueline A. Forslund # 154575 2 P.O. Box 4476 Sunriver, OR 97707 3 Telephone: 541-419-0074 4 Fax: 541-593-4452 Email: jaf@forslundlaw.com 5 Attorney for Plaintiff 6

7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 8 BRIANA LOUISE COUCH, ) Case No. 2:24-CV-01988-EFB 9 ) 10 Plaintiff ) STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ) ORDER FOR AWARD OF ATTORNEY’S 11 v. ) FEES UNDER THE EQUAL ACCESS TO ) JUSTICE ACT (EAJA) 12 FRANK BISIGNANO, ) 13 Commissioner of Social Security, ) ) 14 Defendant ) ) 15 ____________________________________) 16 IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED by and between the parties through their undersigned counsel, 17 subject to the approval of the Court, that Plaintiff be awarded attorney fees and expenses in the 18 amount of TEN THOUSAND dollars ($10,000.00) under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA), 28 19 U.S.C. § 2412(d). 20 After the Court issues an order for payment of EAJA fees and expenses to Plaintiff, the 21 government will consider the matter of Plaintiff’s assignment of EAJA fees and expenses to Plaintiff’s attorney. The government’s ability to honor the assignment will depend on whether the 22 fees and expenses are subject to an offset allowed under the United States Department of the 23 Treasury’s Offset Program pursuant to Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S.Ct. 2521 (2010). After the order of 24 EAJA fees and expenses is entered, the government will determine if they are subject to an offset. 25 If it is determined that Plaintiff’s EAJA fees and expenses are not subject to an offset under 26 Astrue v. Ratliff, 130 S.Ct. 2521 (2010) and the Department of Treasury’s Offset Program, then the 27 check for EAJA fees and expenses shall be made payable to Jacqueline A. Forslund, based upon 28 Plaintiff’s assignment of these amounts to Plaintiff’s attorney. 1 The parties agree that whether these checks are made payable to Plaintiff or Jacqueline A. > || Forslund, such checks shall be mailed to Plaintiffs attorney. 3 This stipulation constitutes a compromise settlement of Plaintiff's request for EAJA attorney 1 fees, and does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of Defendant under the EAJA or otherwise. Payment of the agreed amount shall constitute a complete release from, and bar to, any 5 and all claims that Plaintiff and/or Plaintiff's Counsel may have relating to EAJA attorney fees in 6 connection with this action. 4 8 Respectfully submitted, || Date: November 4, 2025 JACQUELINE A. FORSLUND 10 Attorney at Law 11 1 /s/Jacqueline A. Forslund JACQUELINE A. FORSLUND 13 Attorney for Plaintiff 14 Date: November 4, 2025 KIMBERLY A. SANCHEZ 1 Acting United States Attorney MATHEW W. PILE 16 Associate General Counsel Office of Program Litigation, Office 7 17 18 /s/Noah Schabacker 19 NOAH SCHABACKER Special Assistant United States Attorney 20 *By email authorization Attorney for Defendant

22 23 ORDER 24 || APPROVED AND SO ORDERED 25

DATED: November 19, 2025 litte. ABA EDMUND F. BRENNAN UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE Couch v. Bisignano Stipulation and Prepesed Order E.D. Cal. 2:24-cv-01988-EFB