You couldn’t get away from it. If you lived in New York, California, or basically anywhere with a TV in the last thirty years, that jingle is tattooed on your brain. Eight-eight-eight, eighty-eight, eighty-eight. It was catchy. It was everywhere. And then, suddenly, the most famous partnership in personal injury law wasn't a partnership anymore.
People always ask me, "What happened to Cellino & Barnes?" Usually, they expect some boring corporate merger story. Honestly, the reality is way more like a soap opera than a legal filing. It involves a bitter family feud, a secret six-figure phone number battle, and a tragic ending that nobody saw coming.
The Bromance That Built an Empire
Ross Cellino Jr. and Stephen Barnes didn't just stumble into success. They built a machine. Back in the 90s, they realized that if you shout loud enough and put your face on every billboard from Buffalo to Brooklyn, people will call you when they slip on a sidewalk.
They were pulling in over $1.5 billion in settlements. That is "private jet and multiple mansions" kind of money. For a long time, it worked. Cellino was often seen as the face—the guy you’d want to grab a beer with. Barnes was the strategist, the former Marine who ran the firm with military-grade precision.
But behind those matching suits and the "Don't Wait, Call 8" slogan, things were getting weird.
Why the 2017 Lawsuit Changed Everything
In May 2017, Ross Cellino did the unthinkable. He sued his own partner to dissolve the firm. Imagine being so fed up with your business partner that you'd rather burn the whole billion-dollar house down than spend another day in the office with them.
The gossip mill went nuts. The biggest rumor? Nepotism.
Cellino wanted to hire his daughter, Jeanna, at the firm. Barnes reportedly said no. He didn't want the firm turning into a family hand-me-down. The irony? Barnes already had his own brother and his girlfriend on the payroll. You can see why Ross was a bit salty about that.
It Wasn't Just About the Daughter
While the daughter-hiring drama made for great headlines, the rift was deeper. They had fundamentally different ideas about how to grow.
- Geography: Barnes wanted to go national. He was obsessed with the California market and expanding the brand across the West Coast.
- Philosophy: Cellino reportedly wanted to keep things more "boutique" and focused on New York.
- Control: After Cellino served a brief legal suspension in the mid-2000s (for some technical issues regarding client loans), Barnes took more of the reins. When Cellino came back, he found he wasn't the "equal" partner he used to be.
The legal battle lasted three years. Three years! They spent millions of dollars on lawyers just to figure out how to stop being partners. They couldn't even agree on who got the phone number.
The Battle for 888-888-888
You might think a phone number is just a phone number. Not for these guys. That number was their identity. During the divorce—and yeah, it was basically a corporate divorce—they fought over who got to keep the digits.
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Eventually, they settled. The firm officially dissolved in June 2020.
Ross went off to start Cellino Law.
Steve launched The Barnes Firm.
They split the staff, split the office space, and even split the jingle. If you listen to the ads now, they sound eerily similar, like two exes trying to use the same "our song" with different lyrics.
The Tragedy of October 2020
Just as the dust was settling and the two new firms were finding their footing, the story took a dark turn.
In October 2020, Stephen Barnes was piloting his small Socata TBM-700 plane near Buffalo. His niece, Elizabeth, was with him. The plane crashed in a wooded area in Pembroke, New York. There were no survivors.
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It was a shock. Regardless of the lawsuits and the bickering, Barnes was a titan in the legal world. Even Ross Cellino, who had spent years fighting him in court, released a statement calling him a "fearless advocate."
It felt like a jagged, unfinished end to a legendary rivalry.
Where Are They Now? (2026 Update)
If you're walking around Buffalo or NYC today, you'll still see the billboards. But they're separate now.
Cellino Law is still a massive player in the Northeast. Ross has leaned heavily into the "local" feel, often featuring his family in the branding. He actually admitted in a 2021 interview that he had some regrets about the split, saying "we should've stayed together."
The Barnes Firm is still a powerhouse, too. After Steve's death, his brother Richard Barnes took the lead. They’ve kept that aggressive, high-energy marketing style that Steve loved, especially in California and New York.
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The "Cellino & Barnes" name is technically dead, but the ghost of the partnership is everywhere. There’s even a play about them! Cellino v. Barnes had a massive run Off-Broadway recently because people are still fascinated by how two guys who made so much money together could end up hating each other so much.
What This Means for You
If you’re looking for a lawyer, don't just call the number from the jingle. Here is what you should actually do:
- Check the Specific Attorney: Both firms grew so big that you likely won't talk to a "Cellino" or a "Barnes." Ask who is actually handling your file.
- Look at Recent Settlements: A firm's success in 2005 doesn't help you in 2026. Look at what they've won in the last 24 months.
- Interview Two Firms: Since they are now rivals, you can literally call both Cellino Law and The Barnes Firm to see who gives you a better vibe. They are both built on the same foundation, but their cultures have diverged significantly.
The era of the "Mega-Duo" is over. We’re in the era of the solo empire now. Just goes to show—no matter how many billions you make, you can't always buy a way to get along.