Cellino & Barnes law firm split continues to worsen

One of the partners at the top injury law firm Cellino & Barnes has accused the other of wanting to burn the offices to the ground as their messy business split continues to worsen. 

Ross M Cellino Jr, 60, filed a lawsuit earlier this year against his partner, Stephen E. Barnes, 59, in a bid to dissolve their practice.

Cellino’s efforts to break away from the firm have been described as ‘financial suicide’ for both partners, according to court documents filed last week in Buffalo, New York.

Ross M Cellino Jr, 60, (left) filed a lawsuit earlier this year against his partner, Stephen E. Barnes, 59, (right) in a bid to dissolve their Cellino & Barnes injury law firm

Barnes has been trying to stop Cellino from dissolving the Buffalo-headquartered firm that was established 20 years ago. Cellino wants to start a new firm with family members.

He claims Cellino threatened to burn the firm to the ground in August and also accused him of hiring an IT expert to allegedly try and steal proprietary information that he could then use for his new firm, the Buffalo News reports.

‘It is of vital importance to note that Ross, on multiple occasions, has expressed his desire to ‘burn C&B to the ground’,’ Barnes claims in court documents.

He added that Cellino said: ‘I don’t give a f**k, I will burn the place to the ground and start over with one lawyer. I have the resources. F**k it, f**k Steve and f**k Daryl. Let all these f**king lawyers spend the next 20 years with Steve.’ 

‘Ross is 60 years old; I am 59 years old. It has taken us more than 20 years to build the firm to the place where it is today.’

Barnes has been trying to stop Cellino (pictured above) from dissolving the Buffalo-headquartered firm that was established 20 years ago

Barnes has been trying to stop Cellino (pictured above) from dissolving the Buffalo-headquartered firm that was established 20 years ago

Cellino has said he can no longer work with Barnes because of numerous business disputes that have arisen between the two men.

Earlier reports speculated that the rift was due to ‘years of hard feelings’ between the pair ever since Barnes refused to hire his partner’s daughter in 2012 to avoid nepotism.

But Barnes’s girlfriend has worked at the firm for a number of years as does his brother.

A State Supreme Court judge is set to hear arguments for both sides in December.

Cellino & Barnes was established in the mid-1990s, specializing in personal injury claims which, at times, have led to multimillion-dollar compensations for their clients.

The firm claims on its website to have made more than $2 billion for its clients who have brought personal injury cases such as car accidents, industrial accidents and plane crashes.

They are headquartered in downtown Buffalo, New York.  

Cellino (pictured on right) has said he can no longer work with Barnes because of numerous business disputes that have arisen between the two men

Cellino (pictured on right) has said he can no longer work with Barnes because of numerous business disputes that have arisen between the two men

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk