You probably still have the song stuck in your head. Eight-eight-eight, eight-eight-eight-eight. For decades, that jingle was the soundtrack of New York television. Ross Cellino and Steve Barnes weren't just personal injury lawyers; they were a cultural phenomenon, a "billboard royalty" duo that turned a Buffalo-based practice into a multi-state empire worth millions.
Then it all stopped.
By 2017, the partnership that looked like a lifelong marriage of marketing and litigation was essentially a burning building. People were shocked. Why would two men making upwards of $1 million a month each decide to torch the most recognizable brand in the industry? Honestly, it wasn't a sudden explosion. It was a slow, agonizing rot fueled by family drama, power struggles, and a fundamental disagreement over how to run a law firm in the 21st century.
The Breaking Point: It Actually Started With Family
Most people assume the split was about money. In reality, it was about a job offer—or a lack of one. Ross Cellino wanted to bring his daughter, Jeanna Cellino, into the firm as an attorney. Steve Barnes said no.
Barnes reportedly cited concerns about nepotism, which sounds reasonable until you look at the firm's payroll. At the time, Barnes’s own brother and his longtime girlfriend were already working there. This felt like a targeted snub to Cellino. It wasn't just a business disagreement anymore; it was personal. When Cellino filed for dissolution in May 2017, he didn't just want a "divorce." He wanted his name back. He wanted to be able to build a legacy for his kids without asking for permission from a partner he no longer trusted.
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The legal battle that followed was nothing short of a circus. They couldn't even agree on how to answer the phones. At one point, the firm was forced to have receptionists alternate calls—one for Ross, one for Steve—just to keep things "fair."
Lawsuits, Shredded Paper, and a Massive Ego Trip
While the public was making memes about the jingle, the two partners were fighting over every stapler and server in the office. Barnes didn't want the firm to dissolve. Why would he? They had over 250 employees and offices from Buffalo to Los Angeles. They were printing money. Barnes fought the dissolution tooth and nail, leading to years of mediation and high-stakes litigation in the Buffalo Supreme Court.
The drama reached a peak with allegations of "data theft." Barnes accused Cellino of hiring an IT director from a competitor to sneak in and map out the firm's database. Cellino countered that he owned 50% of the company and had every right to see how the software worked. It was petty. It was expensive. And it was destroying the very brand they spent decades building.
"We should've stayed together," Cellino later admitted in a 2023 interview. "It was a mistake to break it up."
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But by the time he realized that, the bridge wasn't just burned—it was vaporized.
The Tragic End of an Era
By June 2020, the ink was finally dry on the settlement. The firm was officially dead. They split the assets, the lawyers, and the cases. Ross formed Cellino Law, and Steve formed The Barnes Firm. The legendary phone number—the 888-8888 one—was briefly put on ice, a silent monument to a dead partnership.
But then, the story took a dark turn.
On October 2, 2020, just months after the split was finalized, Steve Barnes was piloting his small Socata TBM-700 airplane from New Hampshire to Buffalo. Something went wrong at 28,000 feet. He told air traffic control "everything's fine," but minutes later, the plane plummeted in a "spiral dive," crashing in Genesee County. Barnes and his niece, Elizabeth, were killed instantly.
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The man who had fought so hard to keep the firm together never got to see his new solo venture truly take flight.
What Cellino and Barnes Looks Like Today
If you're driving through New York or California today, you'll see the remnants of the war. You’ve got the two separate entities now.
- Cellino Law: Led by Ross Cellino, this firm leans heavily on the family legacy. His daughters, Annmarie and Jeanna, are part of the team. They’ve kept a version of the old branding, still using the iconic yellow and black color scheme.
- The Barnes Firm: After Steve's death, his brother Rich Barnes took the helm. They've expanded aggressively, particularly on the West Coast, and even kept a variation of the old jingle. It’s a bit surreal to hear a slightly different version of the song that made Steve famous.
Lessons from the Legal World's Biggest Breakup
The saga of what happened with Cellino and Barnes is a masterclass in why partnership agreements matter. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have a "buy-sell" agreement or a clear path for succession, a single argument about a hire can end a billion-dollar empire.
If you're currently in a business partnership, take a look at your dissolution clauses. Most people don't think about the "divorce" when things are going well, but as Ross and Steve proved, things can get ugly fast. Make sure your roles are clearly defined and that there's a neutral third party to settle disputes before they end up in the New York Post.
For those of us who grew up with the commercials, the split represents the end of a specific kind of 90s-era "loud and crass" marketing. The industry has moved on, but the story of the two guys from Buffalo who conquered the airwaves—and then lost it all to a feud—is still the ultimate cautionary tale of American business.
Next Steps for Business Owners:
- Review your partnership agreement for "deadlock" provisions.
- Establish clear rules for hiring family members to avoid future conflict.
- Ensure all digital assets and client databases have clear ownership protocols in case of a split.