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   ¡ £ ¢ £ £ Ê ¤ Ê ¥ « ¦ Ê § Ê ¨ E ©  ª Ê §˜ü(§˜ü(Ø'^        3| x    ª    È¿         È¿    È¿    È    H  Ý
 ƒ   ! ÝÝ    Ýñ ¥ñÓ= €   
    Ð   X       d     Ð            d= Óñ¥ññ¥ñÓ= €   žÜ  XÐ   X       d     Ð            d= Óñ¥ññ §ññ¦ñÔ% €    Ôñ¦ññ§ññ§ñÔ% €    Ôñ§ñÑ7 €   žÜ  X  X       dì                  dÈ 7 ÑÑ    
 ÑÑ €  ?T  Ññ ñÑ     Ññ ñà@    ââ ì àòòUNITED€STATES€COURT€OF€APPEALS€FOR€VETERANS€CLAIMSóó€ˆÐ   	 °      ÐÌÌà@    ""% ì àòòNo.€97„875óóˆÐ   	 xÈ   ÐÌòòà@    ;; ì àMitchell€Scates,€Jr.,€Appellant,óóˆÐ   	 P	    ÐÓ     ÓÌà@ @  ššM ì àòòv.óóÐ   	 (x   ÐÌà@ @  ÖÖE ì àòòHershel€W.€Gober,€óóÐ   	  P	   Ðà@ @  ��: ì àòòActing€Secretary€of€Veterans€Affairs,€Appellee.óóÐ   	 ì<	
   ÐÌòòKenneth€B.€Mason,€Jr.,€Intervenor.óóÐ   	 Ä   Ðñ¡ñÓ    Óñ¡ñÌÌà@       ì àOn€Intervenor's€Motion€for€Review€En€BancˆÌÌñ ¡ñÓ   Óñ¡ñ€Ì(Argued€June€7,€2000à@    ìì* ì àˆà     àà    p àDecided€€€ñ ¨ñ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ñ¨ññ©ñAugust€14,€2000ñ©ññªñÔ% €    Ôñªñ€€€)Ð   	 Lœ   Ðñ ¡ñÓ     Óñ¡ñÌÌà@    ìì* ì àòòˆÌÓ     ÓÓ    Óà     àMitchell€Scatesóó,€òòpro€seóó.òòÐ   	 üL   ÐÌà     àR.€Randall€Campbellóó,€with€whom€òòRobert€E.€Coyóó,€Acting€General€Counsel;€and€òòRon€Garvin,Ð   	 Ô$   ÐóóAssistant€General€Counsel,€all€of€Washington,€D.C.,€were€on€the€brief,€for€the€appellee.Ð   	 À   ÐÌòòà     àKenneth€M.€Carpenter,€óóof€Topeka,€Kansas,€was€on€the€brief€for€Kenneth€B.€Mason,€Jr.,€asÐ   	 ˜è   Ðintervenor.ÌÌòòà     àJames€C.€McKay,€óóof€Washington,€D.C.,€was€on€the€brief€as€amicus€curiae€for€the€appellant.òòÐ   	 \ ¬   ÐóóÌà     àBefore€NEBEKER,€òòChief€Judge,€óóand€KRAMER,€FARLEY,€HOLDAWAY,€IVERS,€Ð   	 4"„    Ðà     àSTEINBERG,€and€GREENE,€òòJudges.óóÐ   	  #p!   ÐÓ   ¬   ÓÓ    ÓÓ    €     ÓÓ      €  ÓÌÓ   €    ß   Óñ ¢ñÓ      Óñ¢ññ¢ñÓ   Á   ÓÓ     Óñ¢ñà     àNEBEKER,€òòChief€Judgeóó:€This€appeal€involves€a€dispute€between€the€appellant,€veteranÐ   	 ø$H #   ÐMitchell€Scates,€and€the€intervenor€and€appellant's€former€attorney,€Kenneth€Mason,€over€a€20%Ïcontingent€fee€agreement.€€Mr.€Scates€appeals€an€April€30,€1997,€Board€of€Veterans'€Appeals€(BoardÏor€BVA€)€decision€which€determined€that€Mr.€Mason€was€eligible€for€the€payment€of€attorney€feesÏwithheld€by€the€Secretary€from€past„due€benefits,€purportedly€pursuant€to€38€U.S.C.€ðð€5904(d)(3),Ïfor€legal€services€rendered€by€Mr.€Mason€on€behalf€of€Mr.€Scates.€€In€October€1999,€a€panel€of€thisÏCourt€reversed€the€Board€decision;€€the€Court€held€that€the€fee€agreement€had€been€abrogated€uponÐ    D-”(/   Ðthe€termination€of€the€attorney„client€relationship€in€1994€and€that€no€right€to€the€20%€contingentÏfee€survived.€€Ìâ
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 âà     àThe€intervenor€sought€and€was€granted€review€by€the€full€Court.òò€€Scates€v.�Westóó,€13Ð   	 b²   ÐVet.App.�304€€(2000)€(en€banc€order),€òòwithdrawing€óó13€Vet.App.€98€(1999).€€The€intervenor€then€filedÐ   	 »   Ða€motion€to€dismiss€this€appeal€because,€he€argued,€the€Board,€and€therefore€this€Court,€lackedÏjurisdiction€to€decide€that€he€was€eligible€to€receive€the€withheld€fee.€€Since€it€is€appropriate€to€raiseÏthis€jurisdictional€issue€at€any€time€during€the€pendency€of€the€appeal,€we€entertain€it,€agree€that€theÏBoard€lacked€jurisdiction€in€this€matter,€and€will€vacate€the€Board€decision,€with€directions.€€òòSee€InÐ   	 o	   Ðthe€Matter€of€the€Fee€Agreement€of€Wickóó,€40€F.3d€367,€370€(Fed.€Cir.€1994).Ð   	 xÈ
   ÐÌà@    ™™) ì àI.€ˆÌà     àA€review€of€the€record€on€appeal€reveals€that€in€April€1996,€a€VA€regional€office€(RO)Ï"processed€an€award€in€the€amount€[of€$154,119.00]"€on€behalf€of€the€appellant.€€Record€(R.)€at€98.€ÏPursuant€to€the€contingent€fee€agreement€on€file,€the€RO€"withheld€$30,823.00€from€[the€appellant's]Ïretroactive€benefits€òòpending€a€decision€by€the€Board€of€Veterans€Appeals€on€the€issue€of€yourÐ   	 ŽÞ   Ðattorney's€entitlementóó€to€direct€payment€out€of€the€past„due€amount."€€òòId.óó€(emphasis€added).€€The€ROÐ   	 ç7   Ðfurther€informed€the€appellant€that€"the€records€in€this€case€[were]€being€transferred€to€the€Board€ofÏVeterans€Appeals€òòfor€a€determination€of€eligibility€for€payment€of€attorney€fees€óófrom€any€past„dueÐ   	 ™é"   Ðbenefits."€€R.€at€99€(emphasis€added).€€In€April€1997,€the€Board€determined€that€the€intervenor€wasÏ"òòeligible€for€payment€of€attorney€fees€óófrom€past„due€benefits."€€R.€at€2€(emphasis€added).€€TheÐ   	 K›&   Ðappellant€had€discharged€him€nearly€two€years€before€the€RO€granted€the€long„disputed€benefits€withÏfull€retroactivity,€and€the€fee€agreement€is€silent€on€payment€of€fees€upon€termination€of€the€attorney„¼client€relationship.€€The€gravamen€of€the€intervenor's€argument€is€twofold:€€First,€the€Secretary€isÏrequired€by€statute€to€decide€whether€to€award€a€withheld€contingency€fee€prior€to€any€review€by€theÏBoard,€and,€second,€the€Board,€as€part€of€its€original€jurisdiction,€is€authorized€to€decide€only€theÏreasonableness€of€the€fee,€not€eligibility€to€receive€it.Ìà     àTitle€38€of€the€United€States€Code€generally€contemplates€a€progression€of€claimsÏadjudication€from€the€initial€decision€at€the€agency€of€original€jurisdiction,€usually€an€RO,€to€reviewÏby€the€Board€acting€as€a€quasi„appellate€body.€€òòSee€óó38€U.S.C.€ðððð€511(a),€7104(a);€38€C.F.R.€ðððð€19.9,Ð   	 l*¼%8   Ð20.1104€(1999).€€Specifically,€section€511(a)€€provides€in€pertinent€part:Ð   	 Å+':   ÐÓ      €  Óà8     àThe€Secretary€shall€decide€all€questions€of€law€and€fact€necessary€to€a€decision€by€theÏSecretary€under€a€law€that€affects€the€provision€of€benefits€by€the€Secretary€toÏveterans€or€the€dependents€or€survivors€of€veterans.€Ó   €    E   ÓÐ    Ð Ð   Ð38€U.S.C.€ðð€511(a).€€In€turn,€the€Board's€general€jurisdiction€is€limited€to€the€review€of€"[a]ll›Ïquestions€in€a€matter€which€under€section€511(a)€of€[title€œ38,€U.S.€Codeò
ò,ó
ó]›€is€subject€to€a€decision€byÐ   	 .	~   Ðthe€Secretary."€€38€U.S.C.€ðð€7104.€€As€a€departure€from€this€normal€claim€adjudication€œprocess,€the›ÏBoard€is€specifically€provided€with€original€œjurisdiction€as€to€fee€agreements,›€to€"review"€œsua›€sponteÏor€at€the€request€of€either€œparty›€a€fee€agreement€filed€with€the€œBoard,€and›€œit€"may›€order€a€reductionÏin€the€fee€called€for€in€the€agreement€if€the€Board€finds€that€the€fee€is€excessive€or€unreasonable."€Ï38€U.S.C.€ðð�œ5904(c)(2).›€€ÌœÌ›à@    ‘‘) ì àII.ˆÌà     àIn€òòCox€v.€Westóó,€149€F.3d€œ1360,€1365›€(Fed.€Cir.€1998),€the€United€States€Court€of€AppealsÐ   	 öF   Ðfor€the€Federal€Circuit€œ(Federal€Circuit)€considered›€an€attorney's€claim€for€entitlement€to€a€feeÏœwithheld€under›€section€5904(d)€(i.e.,€a€direct„payment€œcase).€›€Implicitly€acknowledging€theÏadjudication€progression€at€the€agency€level€in€the€context€of€a€œclaim›€for€direct€payment€of€aÏcontingency€fee€by€the€Secretary,€the€Federal€Circuit€concluded€that€the€attorney's€claim€"requiresÏthe€Secretary€to€make€a€decision€'under€a€law€that€affects€the€provision€of€benefits€by€the€SecretaryÏto€œveterans.'"›€€òòIdóó.€(quoting€38€U.S.C.€ðð€511(a)).€€The€Federal€Circuit€also€noted€that€sectionÐ   	 \"   Ð5904(c)(2)€œprovided›€the€œBoard€only€the›€authority€to€review€for€"òòreasonableness.óó"€€òòIdóó.€at€1364.€€TheÐ   	 eµ$   Ðauthority€to€review€fee€agreements€for€"eligibility"€does€not€appear€in€the€œstatute€(òòcfóó.›€Norman€J.Ð   	 ¾&   ÐSinger,€òòœSutherland›€Statutory€Construction€ðð€47.23€€óó(œ5th›€ed.€1992)€(discussing€the€maximÐ   	  g(   Ð"œòòexpressio›€œunius›€est€exclusion€œalteriusóó›"));€however,€under€our€œcaselaw›,€œit€appears€that€eligibility›€toÐ   	 p!À*   Ðcharge€a€fee€in€non„direct„payment€cases€may€be€reviewed€by€the€BVA€in€the€first€ñ ¢ñÑ   ?T  ÑÑ   H° ÑÑ
   
 Ññ¢ññ ¡ñÑ   ?T  ÑÑ   H° ÑÑ
   
 Ññ¡ñinstance€as€aÏcomponent€of€its€section€5904(c)(2)€authority€to€review€for€reasonableness€(òòseeóó€òòIn€ñ ¡ñÑ   ?T  ÑÑ   H° ÑÑ
   
 Ññ¡ññ  ñÑ   ?T  ÑÑ   H° ÑÑ
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 Ññ ñre€Fee€AgreementÐ   	 "$r.   Ðof€Stanleyóó,€10�Vet.App.€104€(1997)).€Ð   	 {%Ë 0   Ðñ ¥ñÑ   ?T  Ññ¥ññ ¥ñÑ   H° Ññ¥ññ ¥ñÑ
   
 Ññ¥ññ  ñÑ   ?T  ÑÑ   H° ÑÑ
   
 Ññ ñà     àIn€the€instant€appeal,€which€involves€a€direct„payment€contingency„fee€agreement,€the€agencyÏof€original€jurisdiction€never€made€a€decision€concerning€the€award€œof€the€withheld€attorney›€œfees€›Ïñ œñÑ   ?T  ÑÑ   H° ÑÑ
   
 Ññœñœto›€the€intervenor€under€section€511(a).€€Rather,€the€RO€œforwarded›€the€matter€to€the€Board€for€aÏ"determination€of€eligibility."€€R.€at€99.€€The€Board,€which€has€the€limited€œoriginal€jurisdiction€to›Ïreview€fee€agreements€for€œreasonableness€or€excessiveness,›€concluded€that€the€intervenor€wasÐ   	 8,ˆ':   ÐÑ   ?T  ÑÑ   H° ÑÑ
   
 Ñ"òòeligible€for€payment€of€attorney€fees€óófrom€past„due€benefits,"€œand,€quoting€from€VA›€Gen.€œCoun›.Ð   	 °      ÐœPrec›.€22„95€(Sept.€28,€1995),€the€Board€concluded€that€œ"VA€may€directly›€pay€[the]€attorney€fees."€Ï€R.€at€2,€9.€€Because€we€read€œòòCoxóó›€œas›€holding€that€the€Board€does€not€have€œoriginal€jurisdiction›€toÐ   	 b²   Ðœconsider€under€section€5904(c)(2)€any€issues€regarding€entitlement€to€attorney€fees€in€direct„paymentÏcases,€we€hold›€that€all€œissues›€involving€entitlement€or€eligibility€for€attorney€fees€under€direct„¼payment€contingency„fee€agreements,€œas€contrasted€with€the€issues€of€reasonableness€andÏexcessiveness,€must›€first€be€addressed€by€the€RO€in€accordance€with€the€normal€adjudicationÏprocedures€œand›€cannot€be€the€subject€of€sua€œsponte€or€other€original€(on€motion)›€BVA€review.€€òòSeeÐ   	 o	   ÐCox,€supra;€œcf.€In›€re€Fee€Agreement€of€Stanleyóó,€10€œVet.App.›€104,€108€(1997)€(in€context€of€non„Ð   	 xÈ
   Ðdirect„payment€agreement€Court€affirmed€BVA's€decision€that€attorney€was€ineligible€for€œfees€fromÏclient›€because€there€was€no€final€BVA€œdecision).Ìà     àThe€matter€of€attorney€fees€remains€pending€before€the€Secretary€by€virtue€of€the€feeÏagreement€filed€in€this€case.›€€After€notice€to€the€appellant€and€intervenor,€and€an€opportunity€to€beÏheard,€that€claim€should€be€œdecided€by€the€RO.›€€The€aggrieved€party€may€then€file€a€Notice€ofÏDisagreement€and€pursue€an€appeal€to€the€Board€and€this€Court€if€so€desired.€€òòSee€Coxóó,€149€F.2d€atÐ   	 ŽÞ   Ðœ1362;òò€cf.›€Hanlin€v.€United€Statesóó,€__�F.3d.�__,�__,€No.€99„5062,€slip€op.�at€3€œ(Fed.€Cir.›€June€2,€2000)Ð   	 ç7   Ð(alternatively,€œunder›€28€U.S.C.€ðð€1491(a)(1),€Court€of€Federal€Claims€has€jurisdiction€to€considerÏœ"a›€non„frivolous€claim€alleging€the€existence€of€a€œcontract›"€by€œ"an›€attorney€seeking€relief€for€non„¼payment€of€fees€by€the€œVA.").›€€Our€decision€today€does€not€decide€the€question€of€the€effect€of€theÏtermination€of€the€attorney„client€relationship€between€Mr.€Mason€and€Mr.€Scates€and€leaves€thatÏquestion€for€decision€at€the€initial€administrative€level.€€Neither€does€the€Court€express€any€view€asÏto€the€œreasonableness€or€excessiveness›€of€the€fee€œcalled€for€in€this€agreement›€since€the€factsÏsurrounding€œsuch€issues›€must€be€developed€in€the€adjudication€of€the€pending€claim.€€The€Board'sÏdecision€is€VACATED€for€want€of€œoriginal€jurisdiction›€to€decide€eligibility€for€œdirect›€payment€ofÏa€withheld€contingency€fee€œunder›€ðð�œ5904(d),€and€the€matter€is€ñ ¥ññŸñÔ% €    ÔñŸññ¥ñREMANDED€to€the€Board€withÏdirections€to€dismiss€the€matter€of€direct„payment€fee€eligibility€as€referred€to€the€Board€by€the€RO.€Ïñ œñòòñœññ ŸññžñÔ% ‡    ÔñžññŸññ�ñòòñ�ññ ¤ññ£ñÔ% €    Ôñ£ññ¤ññ¤ñÔ% €    Ôñ¤ñSee€In€the€Matter€of€the€Fee€Agreement€of€Wick,€supra.ñ œñóó›Ð   	 x-È(:   Ð›Ð   	 x-È(:   Ð›Ó      Óñœññ Ÿñ›ñŸññ�ñóóñ�ññ ŸññžñÔ% †   M-   ÔñžññŸñ›