Paul Drinkwater/NBCPaula Deen seems to be living by the motto "out with the old and in with the new" these days.
Less than a week after the famous chef (whose career has been crumbling following her infamous N-word controversy) announced that she's dropped her agent of over 10 years, NBC News reports that Deen has also said sayonara to her lawyers and hired a brand-new legal team today.
The 66-year-old, previously represented by Georgia-based law firm Oliver Maner LLP, has brought on a reported "world class" team of "legal heavy hitters" from Morgan Lewis, an international firm based in Washington, D.C.
Additionally, Deen has brought on powerhouse Hollywood attorney Patricia Glaser to provide general legal oversight on the celeb's case and her future career.
Glaser is known for representing Keith Olbermann during his lawsuit with Current TV after being fired from the the Al Gore-founded cable network less than a year after bringing his signature Countdown show to it, and Conan O'Brien when the successful Late Night host turned unsuccessful Tonight Show host was fired by NBC. O'Brien ended up with a $45 million settlement for himself and his staff.
Along with Glaser, the attorneys in Deen's new legal team are said to have years of experience in wrongful termination and other employment matters, which makes a lot of sense considering the celeb's current situation.
The Southern cook has been dumped by a slew of business partners, including the Food Network, JCPenney, Sears, Walgreens and Smithfield Foods, since the scandal broke. Walmart announced that it will "not place new orders" for her merchandise "beyond those already committed," while Target has decided to "phase out" her products.
Caesars Entertainment Corporation, which runs several Deen-themed restaurants at four of its properties, has severed its ties with the chef, and Novo Nordisk, a diabetes drug company that hired Deen as its spokeswoman, has put all of Deen's promotional commitments on hold.
Moreover, Ballantine Books, which was set to release her upcoming cookbook Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up, announced that it has canceled the title's publication, despite the book being No. 1 on Amazon's best-seller list.
Here's to hoping Deen's new team can help the star turn over a new leaf (of lettuce, of course).