Marie F. Straw, John P. Garcia v. Otis R. Bowen, M.D., Secretary of Health and Human Services, Defendant- Ralph E. Davis, Michael H. Pelton v. Otis R. Bowen, M.D., Secretary of Health and Human Services, Defendant

866 F.2d 1167 57 USLW 2492 , 13 Fed.R.Serv.3d 678 , 24 Soc.Sec.Rep.Ser. 489, Unempl.Ins.Rep. CCH 14499A Marie F. STRAW, John P. Garcia, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. Otis R. BOWEN, M.D., Secretary of Health and Human Services, Defendant- Appellant. Ralph E. DAVIS, Michael H. Pelton, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Otis R. BOWEN, M.D., Secretary of Health and Human Services, Defendant- Appellee. Nos. 87-4036, 87-4059, 87-4238 and 87-4243. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted Aug. 5, 1988. Decided Feb. 1, 1989. 1 Lloyd E. Hartford, Billings, Mont., for plaintiffs-appellees. 2 Frank Meglen, Asst. U.S. Atty., Billings, Mont., Carl E. Rostad, Asst. U.S. Atty., George F. Darragh, Jr., Asst. U.S. Atty., Great Falls, Mont., and Jeffrey C. Blair, Office of the Gen. Counsel, Denver, Colo., for defendant-appellant. 3 Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Montana. 4 Before ALARCON and BEEZER, Circuit Judges, and HENDERSON * , District Judge. THELTON E. HENDERSON, District Judge: I. INTRODUCTION 5 All four cases involve appeals of attorneys fees awarded to Lloyd Hartford, an attorney in Billings, Montana, who regularly represents social security…