Stephen Barnes, of Famous Cellino & Barnes Injury and Comp Firm, Dies in Plane Crash

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 | 0

The cofounder of a nationally known injury and workers' compensation firm was killed in the crash of a small plane near Buffalo, New York, on Friday.

Stephen Barnes
(thebarnesfirm.com)

Stephen Barnes, who helped launch Buffalo-based Cellino & Barnes more than 30 years ago, was killed, along with his niece, Elizabeth, the daughter of another attorney at the firm, according to news reports.

The firm, which handles workers' comp, third-party claims, construction accidents, Jones Act and other tort actions, was known for its frequent television commercials and jingle, “Don't wait — call 8,” the subject of a "Saturday Night Live" TV skit.

“Steve was a friend, colleague, partner and mentor to so many people across our firm,” said The Barnes Firm in a statement. “Steve and Elizabeth will be sorely missed by many.”

The firm had recently split and Barnes had formed his own firm, although the Cellino & Barnes website continues to list him as an attorney. The founders had differed over management of the firm and compensation for employees, news outlets reported.

“He was always a fearless advocate for his clients,” Ross Cellino said, according to a news report. “His passing is a significant loss for the legal community.”

Until its dissolution three months ago, Cellino & Barnes employed 50 lawyers at offices around New York state and in California. At one time, the firm earned a reported $10 million for each partner. Barnes' brother, Richard Barnes, said The Barnes Firm would continue its work.

“I plan to spend the rest of my law career honoring the memory of my brother,” he told The Buffalo News.

Stephen Barnes, 61, had served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a Gulf War veteran, according to his firm’s website. He attended the University of Buffalo Law School.

“He was a very funny guy, with a great sense of humor. And he was a very generous guy,” said Robert Schreck, managing attorney for Cellino & Barnes, who had planned to manage the new firm. “Any time I went to Steve with a request to donate to a charity — Hospice, Ronald McDonald House or anything else — he would write a check, immediately. And quite often, those were personal checks from Steve, not Cellino & Barnes checks.”

The plane went down about 30 miles from the Buffalo airport. Barnes was a licensed pilot and the plane was registered to the law firm. After the National Transportation Safety Board announced it will not travel to the scene to investigate, two New York state lawmakers wrote a letter Saturday, urging the agency to commit to a full inquiry.

Local law enforcement officials, however, have said the federal involvement is unnecessary.