High-profile law partners on road to divorce: report

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Papers have been filed to dissolve Cellino & Barnes, the large, well-known personal injury law firm, reports CBS Buffalo, N.Y. affiliate  WIVB-TV.

Documents were filed Wednesday in State Supreme Court ordering parties in the case to show why Cellino & Barnes shouldn't be dissolved.

Ross Cellino Jr. filed the lawsuit to dissolve the firm Wednesday in New York State Supreme Court, the station says.

Terry Connors, the attorney representing Cellino, told WIVB Wednesday night he had no comment.

Buffalo Lawyer Barry Covert observed, "If, in fact, it's true that Ross Cellino is seeking to dissolve the firm, then he is looking for it to be broken up. If that's in fact what the documents claim. Apparently the judge granted an order sealing the documents, and (so) … we can't look at those documents until they are unsealed by the court."

Cellino & Barnes has law offices in Buffalo, Rochester, Long Island and New York City in New York state and Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco and San Diego in California.

The case is expected to be argued May 19.

Cellino & Barnes, which is heavily advertised, claims to have won more than $2 billion in settlements and verdicts since its start almost 60 years ago. The firm's website says, "Ross Cellino, Sr. started practicing law in 1956 and founded Cellino & Likoudis in 1958."