Mediation is the next step for attorneys Ross Cellino and Stephen Barnes regarding their ongoing dispute over their decision to dissolve their firm or continue practicing together. The trial has been scheduled for January 14, 2020, should the issue not be resolved in mediation.

The dispute began in 2017 when Cellino filed a lawsuit in an effort to dissolve Cellingo & Barnes PC, which is a well-known personal injury law firm with its headquarters in Buffalo. The reason the firm was so known throughout the community was because of its marketing efforts that included an easy-to-remember contact number and a catchy jingle. The duo was also parodied in an SNL skit and through various viral videos.

Issues have been ongoing and many have been focused on the finances of the firm.

Originally, mediation had been schedule for 2017 but was delayed several times since then. The attempts to resolve the issues in play have been contentious, despite a previously long-term and successful relationship between the two attorneys.

According to an attorney who is familiar with the case, there is no telling whether or not a mediator will be able to get the men to reconcile their differences this time around. Both intend to launch separate firms once the existing issue is resolved, but in the meantime they are in limbo. But the attorney familiar with the case stated that both Cellino and Barnes are good men and the hope is that “… they work things out one way or the other.”