Calling new shots in Cellino-Barnes war
Wait — which 8 should you call now?
The warring law partners behind Cellino & Barnes, the personal-injury firm known for its “Don’t wait, call 8” jingle, now have dueling toll-free phone numbers.
Ross Cellino — the partner with more hair — is suing Stephen Barnes to dissolve the Buffalo-based firm over disagreements about the company’s future.
While their firm has spent some $4.6 million on TV and radio ads to promote their longtime 1-800-888-8888 number, Barnes has also purchased a competing “high value” configuration.
He spent nearly $1 million for 1-800-800-0000 for his new law firm, The Barnes Firm, court records show. The number and the new firm’s name have been posted on at least one California billboard and in a YouTube ad.
The new $900,000 number and jingle, “Call The Barnes Firm now. One eight hundred, eiiiggghhht million,” doesn’t have the same catchy ring as the original.
And Cellino says it’s giving Barnes “an unfair head start with his own firm.”
“Barnes is now operating his own completely separate law firm, The Barnes Firm,” Cellino gripes in the Erie County suit.
“At the same time Barnes continues to be able to prevent me from establishing and operating my own independent law firm,” Cellino says.
Barnes previously proposed a deal where he would get their famous 1-800-888-8888 number in a split, an offer that Cellino rejected. They paid $1.7 million for that toll-free number, according to court papers.
Cellino now wants to slash advertising spending for the joint firm, noting that they already have “virtually ubiquitous name recognition among the general public.
“I do not believe that it makes financial sense to continue to make substantial cash outlays to support a brand that will soon cease to exist,” Cellino says.
“Once the dissolution proceed- ing is over the money that was saved (which will be significant) will be available to rebrand our respective new firms,” Cellino says.
He also accuses his estranged law partner of rerouting URLs associated with their firm to The Barnes Firm.
Barnes opposes the breakup of their lucrative firm.
“Why the f--k would you want to f--k this up when you are making $10 million a year,” Cellino recalls Barnes yelling at him in 2015, according to court papers.
Last month, Barnes accused Cellino of trying to destroy their firm.
“I don’t give a f--k,” Barnes claims Cellino told one of their former employees.
“I will burn the place to the ground and start over with one lawyer. I have the resources. F--k it, f--k Steve,” Cellino allegedly said, adding, “Let all these f--king lawyers spend the next 20 years with Steve.”