NOTE: This disposition is nonprecedential.

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ______________________ TIMOTHY N. SHIELDS, Claimant-Appellant v. ROBERT A. MCDONALD, SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, Respondent-Appellee ______________________ 2016-1072 ______________________ Appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in No. 14-1704, Chief Judge Lawrence B.

Hagel. ______________________ JUDGMENT ______________________ ROBERT PAUL WALSH, Law Office of Robert P. Walsh, Battle Creek, MI, argued for claimant-appellant.

MARK E. PORADA, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washing- ton, DC, argued for respondent-appellee. Also represented by BENJAMIN C. MIZER, ROBERT E. KIRSCHMAN, JR., SCOTT D. AUSTIN; Y. KEN LEE, BRANDON A. JONAS, Office of General Counsel, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC. ______________________ THIS CAUSE having been heard and considered, it is ORDERED and ADJUDGED:

PER CURIAM (O’MALLEY, WALLACH, and TARANTO, Circuit Judges).

AFFIRMED. See Fed. Cir. R. 36.

ENTERED BY ORDER OF THE COURT

August 9, 2016 /s/ Peter R. Marksteiner Date Peter R. Marksteiner Clerk of Court