Conflicts involving an R. Kelly lawyer arise ahead of his trial

 By Sonia Moghe and Lauren Del Valle, CNN

Updated 9:16 AM EDT, Fri June 18, 2021

(CNN)As R. Kelly shuffles his legal team two months ahead of trial, a federal judge is weighing potential conflicts involving one of his remaining attorney's past interactions with potential witnesses who may be involved in the trial.

Kelly is awaiting US District Judge Ann Donnelly's decision on a request from two of Kelly's long-time Chicago-based attorneys, Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard, to withdraw from the case. Kelly's remaining attorneys, Thomas Farinella and Nicole Blank Becker, said in court last week that the singer had terminated Greenberg and Leonard. Donnelly in court asked to hear about concerns about alleged conflicts Becker may have before approving Greenberg and Leonard's request to leave the case.

Becker officially became one of Kelly's attorneys of record for his Brooklyn federal racketeering case on April 19, but has represented him in other cases in Illinois, and appeared in court in Brooklyn at his initial appearance in July of 2019.

Becker was captured by cameras, including by CNN-affiliate WLS, at court in 2019 walking and talking with two women who identified themselves as girlfriends of Kelly at the time. An attorney who represented the women at one time said in a declaration filed by Greenberg and Leonard that was read in court Thursday, that Becker gave "legal advice" to the women, one of whom began cooperating with prosecutors in early 2020 after severing ties with Kelly. Becker denied in court that she gave the women legal advice.