Britney Spears’ lawyer Mathew Rosengart no longer represents singer after finalizing conservatorship litigation

CNN
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Mathew Rosengart, the attorney who represented Britney Spears for the past three years and successfully argued for her release from a court-ordered conservatorship, is no longer representing the singer, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Rosengart’s resignation comes as all disputes over Spears’ former conservatorship have been resolved, restoring the pop star’s independence and freeing her from the probate system.

Two months ago, under Rosengart’s representation, Spears reached a settlement with her estranged father, avoiding a potentially heated trial and ending their contentious dispute over legal fees that had persisted beyond the end of his guardianship in November 2021.

With the settlement reached and all other details related to Spears’ litigation finalized, Rosengart, who is a Los Angeles-based partner at Greenberg Traurig, is focusing on his heavy workload for other clients, said The source.

At the time of the settlement, Rosengart told CNN, “It has been our honor and privilege to represent, protect and defend Britney Spears,” calling her a “brilliant and courageous icon and artist of historic and epic proportions.”

Rosengart did not respond to CNN’s request for comment regarding the end of his working relationship with Spears.

Spears hired Rosengart — a former federal prosecutor — in the summer of 2021, after working with a court-appointed attorney for most of her conservatorship, which she was placed under in 2008.

Rosengart became a key figure in Spears’ efforts to end her conservatorship. She often credited him with protecting her and restoring her civil liberties. Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, served as the singer’s conservator for most of her 13 years, overseeing his adult daughter’s finances and medical decisions.

In June 2021, Spears gave explosive testimony in court, begging the judge to release her from the conservatorship, which she called “abusive.”

“I just want my life back. It’s been 13 years and it’s enough,” Spears told the judge, claiming she was forced by her management and her father to go on tour against her wishes, that she couldn’t drink coffee, that she had been put on lithium, which made her feel “drunk”, and that she was not allowed to get married or have a baby as she wanted.

In July 2021, Spears testified again, making a tearful plea for the judge to remove her father from his conservatorship, leading to the court’s decision to grant Spears her own attorney. She retained Rosengart to argue her case.

Two months after working with Rosengart, the court suspended Spears’ father as conservator, then ultimately ended the conservatorship less than two months later.

Rosengart – who has also represented Hollywood figures such as Sean Penn and Steven Spielberg in legal cases – was hailed as a hero by legions of #FreeBritney supporters, becoming an important figure throughout the legal saga. As Spears’ case captivated the world, the lawyer was frequently the subject of memes and viral posts on social media, nicknamed by some fans “RosenGod.”

Spears and Rosengart have a close bond that is atypical of standard attorney-client relationships.

When Rosengart was hired in July 2021, Spears posted on her Instagram: “Now with real representation today…I feel GRATITUDE and BLESSED!!!! » In February 2022, the star shared a photo of the two in matching pink outfits, writing, “This man changed my life. »

In Spears’ memoir, “The Woman in Me,” published last year, she wrote that Rosengart’s legal strategy led her to legal victory. “He told me I deserved credit for what happened,” Spears wrote in the book.

Since ending her conservatorship, Spears has published her memoir and released two singles, “Hold Me Closer” with Elton John and “Mind Your Business” with will.i.am. She also married and divorced trainer and actor Sam Asghari.

Throughout Spears’ legal battle, numerous accusations have been made against her father in legal filings regarding financial abuse and abuse of his role as conservator. The elder Spears has always maintained there was no wrongdoing on his part, saying the court approved every step of the conservatorship. When Spears reached a settlement with her father last April, her lawyer, Alex Weingarten, told CNN that he “would have liked to have had a trial so the truth would come out.”

“Jamie would love nothing more than to release all the details and has nothing to hide, but unfortunately that is not the case,” Spears’ father’s lawyer said, adding that he “loves his daughter and worked tirelessly to protect her.” »

But Spears wanted to end her long legal battle.

“As she wished, her freedom now includes the fact that she will no longer need to appear in court or be involved in this case,” Rosengart told CNN in April.

“Although the guardianship ended in November 2021, his desire for freedom is now truly fulfilled,” he said.