NEW YORK CITY, New York: Lawyers who previously worked for Luigi Mangione's and Sean "Diddy" Combs will now represent Harvey Weinstein at his third New York rape trial in March.

Lawyers Jacob Kaplan, Marc Agnifilo, and Teny Geragos said in court documents this week that they are now representing Harvey Weinstein. They are replacing his longtime lawyer, Arthur Aidala, who will now focus on Weinstein's appeals and civil cases instead of appearing in court.

Kaplan was part of Weinstein's original defense team in 2018. He is expected to play a major role in Weinstein's third trial. This trial centers on the accusation that Weinstein raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in a Manhattan hotel in 2013.

At a hearing in January, Weinstein said he "never assaulted anyone" and said his "spirit was breaking" after almost six years in prison.

The trial was supposed to begin on March 3, but a new date has not been set. Weinstein is scheduled to appear in court on March 4 for a status conference. Legal news outlet Law360 first reported the change in his legal team.

Kaplan and Agnifilo are also representing Mangione in both state and federal cases related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. They succeeded in getting terrorism charges dropped in the state case and blocking the death penalty in the federal case.

Agnifilo and Geragos previously represented Combs, where they secured a mixed verdict and acquittals on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. They are also part of the defense team for wealthy brothers Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander in their sex trafficking trial in Manhattan federal court.

Kaplan, Agnifilo, and Geragos are partners at the Manhattan law firm Agnifilo Intrater.

Weinstein's spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, said that after two previous trials, Weinstein believes a new strategy and fresh approach will give him the best chance moving forward.

In a divided verdict last June, Weinstein was found guilty of forcing oral sex on Miriam Haley. He was found not guilty of forcing oral sex on Kaja Sokola. The jury could not decide on the rape charge involving Jessica Mann because the jury foreperson refused to continue deliberations.

Weinstein and his lawyers argued that the retrial was unfair because jurors fought among themselves and bullied each other. Judge Curtis Farber, who will also oversee the third trial, rejected that claim and told Weinstein in January, "You had a fair trial."

At his first trial in 2020, Weinstein was convicted of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on Haley. However, New York's highest court later overturned those convictions and ordered a retrial. The Court of Appeals ruled that testimony about other allegations not directly related to the case had unfairly influenced the jury.

Weinstein and Aidala said they agreed to change Aidala's role on good terms. Aidala said their work is not finished and that they will continue fighting in the appeals courts.

Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison for the first-degree criminal sex act conviction involving Haley. The unresolved third-degree rape charge involving Mann carries a maximum sentence of four years, which is less than the time he has already served.