Steve E. Barnes, the former partner of Cellino & Barnes Law Firm, one of the most well-known personal injury law firms in the nation, dies in a plane crash in upstate New York on Friday morning, according to a lawyer who knew about the incident.
A small plane piloted by Barnes went down in a wooded area near Pembroke, N.Y., around 32 miles east of Buffalo, Kathleen Bergen, according to a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Barnes and his niece, Elizabeth Barnes, who was in her late 20s, were on the board, according to the lawyer.
William A. Sheron Jr., Genesee County sheriff, said in a statement, “Residents saw the plane, which was traveling from east to west, go down at 11:46 a.m. and explode in some woods near Boyce Road.”
The sheriff confirmed that a man and a woman had died, but “did not immediately identify them.”
“The plane, a TBM 700 aircraft that can carry up to seven people, left New Hampshire around 10:18 a.m. and was supposed to land in Buffalo less than two hours later,” Sheron said.
About 30 years ago, Barnes and Ross M. Cellino Jr. established Cellino & Barnes Law Firm, a personal injury law firm in Buffalo, which became famous for its catchy jingles on national television.
The firm employed over 50 lawyers in five offices in New York State. It also had offices in California.
In June, Barnes and Cellino announced that they were breaking the firm and going their separate ways after a three-year legal battle between them.
In 2017, Cellino filed a lawsuit against Barnes and the law firm due to clashes over a few management issues.
Barnes is survived by three children. He took ownership of the firm’s satellite office in Buffalo, planning to rename it for The Barnes Firm.
In a statement, The Barnes Firm said, “Steve was a friend, colleague, partner and mentor to so many people across our firm. Steve and Elizabeth will be sorely missed by many.” Expressing “great sadness” for the death of his former colleague, Cellino told The Times, “He was always a fearless advocate for his clients. His passing is a significant loss for the legal community.”
