Britney Spears' ex-manager dropped his appeal of a judge's ruling that he must stay away from the singer until 2012, according to his appellate court attorney.
Osama "Sam" Lutfi instead will concentrate on his civil suit against the pop star and her parents, which is currently under a separate appeal, said attorney Joseph D. Schleimer.
In April 2009, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb directed Lutfi and attorney Jon Eardley to stay at least 100 yards from the pop star, her two young sons and her homes.
Bobb's ruling extended until April 28, 2012, a temporary order she issued against both men in January 2009. Bobb has since retired from the bench.
Lawyers for Lutfi filed papers shortly thereafter with the 2nd District Court of Appeal. They maintained during the hearings before Bobb that the three-year stay-away order was too harsh a measure and there was no evidence Lutfi had caused the pop star substantial emotional distress as alleged by lawyers for her father, Jamie Spears.
Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet share co-conservatorship powers over the 28-year-old singer's estate.
Spears' father maintained Lutfi and Eardley have tried to undermine the conservatorship established by Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz in early 2008 after the singer exhibited behavior that resulted in her hospitalization at UCLA Medical Center.
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Lutfi sued Spears and her parents in February 2008, alleging he was defamed in passages of a book written by the singer's mother, Lynne Spears.
Lynne Spears is appealing a judge's ruling last August which denied her motion to have the case against her dismissed on grounds it infringed on her right to free speech.
In the appeal, Lynne Spears' lawyers maintain Lutfi is "libel-proof" because his reputation allegedly was already so low before her book was published that the contents could not have damaged his image further.
