Cellino & Barnes Explained

Cellino & Barnes was an American personal injury law firm based in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1998 by Ross Cellino Jr. and Steve Barnes, and dissolved in 2020 shortly before the death of the latter. The firm's status and high-profile dissolution inspired an off-Broadway play in 2024.^[1]

History

Cellino & Barnes originated as Cellino & Likoudis in 1958, founded by Ross Cellino's father. The firm had multiple offices in New York State in addition to a branch in Los Angeles, California.^[2] In 2017, Cellino & Barnes had 50 attorneys and 250 employees in their offices.^[3] The firm was well known nationally for their distinctive jingle, which became an internet meme.^[4]

In 2007, the firm was investigated for a scheme involving advancing settlement proceeds to clients contravening the state attorney ethics code.^[5] Cellino was issued a 6 month suspension from the practice of law and Barnes was issued a public censure. Cellino's suspension lasted a total of 19 months after undisclosed delays. Upon his return, Cellino was not as involved in running the firm as before.

Cellino filed to dissolve the firm in 2017 citing Barnes's denial of an attorney position to Cellino’s daughter Jeanna.^[6] The partners could not amicably dissolve the firm, leading to the appointment of a referee to make a binding decision in 2020. Upon the final dissolution of the firm in June 2020, the two attorneys formed separate agencies: Cellino Law and the Barnes Firm.

On October 2, 2020, Barnes and his niece Elizabeth were killed in the crash of a TBM 700 single-engine private airplane in Pembroke, Genesee County, New York.^{[7] [8] [9]} He was 61 years old. Upon his death, Barnes' brother Rich Barnes took control of the Barnes Firm.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cichon . Steve . Torn-Down Tuesday: Cellino & Barnes' media empire . October 2, 2020 . The Buffalo News . en.
2. Web site: Fink . James . Cellino & Barnes going coast-to-coast . www.bizjournals.com . October 3, 2020.
3. Web site: Erie County Court . Memorandum of Law in Support of Respondents' Motion to Dismiss the Petition . Reuters . October 2, 2020.
4. Web site: Rahmanan . Anna . A play about the infamous Cellino and Barnes is premiering Off Broadway . September 6, 2024 . Time Out New York . en.
5. Web site: Loudon . Bennett . 2020-06-17 . Cellino and Barnes finalizing their split . 2024-10-07 . Rochester Business Journal . en-US.
6. Web site: Kutner . Jeremy . Injured? Bruised egos, gobs of money, and the bitter feud that took down Cellino & Barnes, New York’s absurdly ubiquitous accident law firm. . New York Magazine . 7 August 2024.
7. Web site: Zremski . Jerry . Besecker . Aaron . Prominent lawyer Steve Barnes and niece killed in Genesee County plane crash . . October 2, 2020 . en.
8. Web site: Kim . Juliana . Steve Barnes, of Cellino & Barnes Law Firm, Dies in Plane Crash . . October 3, 2020 . October 3, 2020.
9. News: Roberts . Sam . October 8, 2020 . Steve Barnes, Partner in Law Firm With Cellino, Dies at 61 . en-US . The New York Times . January 19, 2023 . 0362-4331.