Boston, MA – A Providence attorney has been put on notice by a federal judge that his billing records will be closely examined in the future. The judge, Allison D. Burroughs, made this warning after awarding plaintiff Jose Gomes Ferreira Vaz half of the attorneys’ fees he had requested as the prevailing party in his appeal against the Social Security Administration’s denial of his disability benefits claim.
Judge Burroughs expressed concerns over the billing practices at Green & Greenberg, the law firm representing Vaz. The government had opposed the award of attorneys’ fees, citing issues with the billing records submitted by Vaz’s attorney, Morris Greenberg. The government argued that the plaintiff’s time billed by Greenberg was inadequately documented and called the counsel’s timesheets “facially implausible.”
Although Burroughs acknowledged the concerns raised by the government about the billing practices of Greenberg’s firm, she also recognized that Vaz was the prevailing party. Therefore, she awarded him 50 percent of the requested fee amount, which totaled $2,754.55. However, the judge cautioned Greenberg that any future suspicious billing practices would be dealt with more severely.
Greenberg declined to comment on the issue. Without access to the billing records, Andover commercial litigator Andrew Botti refrained from speculating on whether Greenberg’s billing practices fell within the judge’s range of “sloppy to deceitful.” Botti emphasized that the legal profession has significantly improved in terms of documenting time billed for matters over the years.
Burroughs’ fee award follows her previous order entering judgment on the government’s motion to voluntarily reverse the denial of benefits. The judge ordered the Social Security Administration’s Appeals Council to reassess the evidence and conduct further proceedings.
In conclusion, Burroughs has raised concerns regarding the billing practices at Green & Greenberg law firm while awarding fees to the prevailing party in an appeal against the Social Security Administration. Greenberg has been cautioned about potential future consequences for suspicious billing. The legal profession has made notable advancements in documenting time billed for matters. Burroughs’ decision follows an earlier order to reevaluate the denial of benefits in Vaz’s case.