What the panel ordered
Petition for Reconsideration is denied.
Petition for Reconsideration of the March 1, 2021 Findings and Joint Order relating to division of attorney fees pursuant to a lien asserted by a former representative.
What was disputed, and how it came out
Each issue the panel decided, with the reasoning it gave. An outcome is what this panel did on this record — not a rule, and not a prediction.
The lien claimant was entitled to one-third of all fees awarded over the life of the cases based on its significant responsibility and care during representation, despite being dismissed before the final settlement.
From the decision · page 6After analyzing the record in view of applicable authority, I concluded that lien claimant exercised a significant level of responsibility and care in connection with its representation of the injured worker, as evidenced by the timeliness of its efforts after being retained leading to defendants' acceptance of the two claims, as well as by the caution it exercised in order to protect applicant's interests by refusing to release his file or potentially leave him without formal legal representation in the absence of a fully executed substitution or dismissal of attorneys. Equally importantly, I found that the entire value of the 2019 C&R lay in applicant relinquishing his right to future medical care, since the Appeals Board no longer had jurisdiction to award any other benefits by then. That right had been secured for Mr.