Lauren E. Sharkey is a partner at Cioffi • Slezak • Wildgrube P.C., a women-owned and operated law firm located in Schenectady, NY.
Lauren practices in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, guardianships, elder law, business law and real estate law. Lauren is admitted to the New York Bar and to the United States Supreme Court Bar.
She enjoys getting to know families and helping them navigate legal issues through effective communication and compassionate problem-solving with her clients. She feels strongly that it is important to provide her clients with easy-to-understand guidance and options so that families can make informed decisions when it comes to their legal matters.
Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Business Management from Pace University and a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School. In 2011, she joined Cioffi • Slezak • Wildgrube P.C. as a law clerk.
Professionally, Lauren was appointed to serve on the Character and Fitness Committee for the Third Judicial District in 2019 for a five- year term, which involves interviewing New York State Bar applicants prior to their admission to the bar several times per year. From 2019 – 2022, Lauren was selected as a Rising Star in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate by SuperLawyers.com. She is an active member of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), a legal organization with approximately 50,000 attorney members. She currently serves on NYSBA’s Executive Committee. Lauren is also a former chair of the NYSBA Young Lawyers Section and a current member of the NYSBA Elder Law and Special Needs Law Section’s Executive Committee and the Trust and Estates Law Section’s Executive Committee. Being involved in these organizations helps her to stay up to date and informed about current legal issues for her clients.
Locally, Lauren is the President of the Schenectady County Bar Association and a member of its Trusts, Estates, and Elder Law Committee. In addition, she is a member of the Capital District Women’s Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).
As a lifelong resident of the Capital District, Lauren is committed to our region and its residents. Lauren volunteers on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Ellis Medicine and is currently servicing as its Vice Chair. Lauren also serves on the New York Bar Foundation (the charitable arm of NYSBA) Board of Directors, a non-profit organization that financially supports law-related programs of legal service organizations, nonprofits, and bar associations throughout New York State.
Lauren resides in Niskayuna (where she grew up) with her spouse, two children, cat and dog. She enjoys practicing yoga, playing soccer, gardening, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.
