WELCH v. Nancy A. Berryhill, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant-Appellee. (2019)

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

Ronald A. WELCH, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Bill LATOUR, Esquire, Real-party-in-interest-Appellee, Nancy A. Berryhill, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant-Appellee.

No. 18-56424

Decided: February 21, 2019

Before: GRABER, W. FLETCHER, and OWENS, Circuit Judges.

Ronald A. Welch, Pro Se Bill LaTour, Esquire, Pro Se Michael K, Marriott, Esquire, Assistant Regional Counsel, Social Security Administration, Office of the General Counsel, San Francisco, CA, for Defendant-Appellee

MEMORANDUM **

This case is before us for the second time. Previously, upon Plaintiff Ronald Welch’s appeal, we vacated the judgment for attorney fees and remanded for the district court to explain its reasons for the fee award to real-party-in-interest Bill LaTour, Plaintiff’s lawyer in the underlying Social Security benefits case. Welch v. Latour, 714 F. App'x 766 (9th Cir. 2018) (unpublished). The district court has now provided a detailed explanation for the award.

We review for abuse of discretion the amount of a fee award under 42 U.S.C. § 406(b). Parrish v. Comm’r of Soc. Sec. Admin., 698 F.3d 1215, 1219 (9th Cir. 2012). Applying that standard of review, we affirm. The district court carefully considered Plaintiff’s arguments and all the required factors, and its reasoning and result are permissible.

AFFIRMED.

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