Britney's Lawyer Bails Out

Lawyer retained by Spears won't violate court orders to rep singer in conservatorship battle

By Gina Serpe Feb 07, 2008 10:15 PMTags

Sam Lutfi may not yet have received the papers informing him of his temporary restraining order, but another member of Team Britney just got served.

Adam Streisand, Spears' would-have-been attorney (and, yes, distant cousin to Babs), has confirmed he will not be representing Spears in any challenge to her father's court-appointed control of her affairs.

"At the request of Britney Spears, Adam Streisand, a Partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP, met with her yesterday to discuss her legal rights in connection with the conservatorship over her person and estate," the esteemed law firm said in a statement Thursday.

"Following that meeting, Mr. Streisand learned that the court had issued orders that prevent Ms. Spears from retaining counsel of her own choosing, and on that basis, Mr. Streisand has decided he will not represent her at this time."

Streisand was not present Thursday for an emerency hearing in the conservatorship case. Nor were Britney's parents. Instead, there were father Jamie Spears' lawyers, Jeryll S. Cohen and Vivian Thoreen; Britney's court-appointed counsel, Samuel Ingham; and Andrew Wallet who is temporary coconservator of the "Toxic" singer's estate with Jamie.

The afternoon session was closed to the public, but it is believed Britney is trying to wrest control of her estate away from her father and Wallet.

Streisand powwowed Wednesday afternoon with Spears and her paparazzo beau Adnan Ghalib, just hours after the singer's release from the psych ward of UCLA Medical Center.

Three days earlier, the attorney had appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Spears' behalf. He said he had been retained by Spears over the weekend, after visiting her at the hospital, and that he was present at the Monday hearing at her behest in an attempt to remove Jamie Spears as point person for her estate and welfare.

The Spears patriarch, along with independent third-party attorney Wallet, was granted temporary conservatorship over his daughter's decision making last Friday. Streisand asked Commissioner Reva Goetz  to replace the duo with Howard Grossman, Spears' business manager, and the Northern Trust Bank.

During Streisand's brief time in court, he also let slip that Spears' estate is currently worth $40 million and that the troubled pop star is in the midst of a $17 million IRS audit.

The attorney was unable to divulge any more info during his brief court appearance, as Goetz quickly booted Streisand from the courtroom. The commissioner stated she was not convinced that Spears was in any state to properly retain an attorney and that Streisand therefore had no business being in court.

During the same hearing, the commissioner extended the reign of Jamie and Wallet's conservatorship over Britney until Feb.14.