Cioffi Slezak Wildgrube, P.C.

Attorneys Lauren Sharkey and Laurie Keniry will be giving a presentation on the legal and financial issues faced during the senior years on Tuesday, August 6 at 2:30 p.m. at The Eddy – Independent Living Building, One Glen Eddy Drive.

The presentation will explain what you need to know about estates, wills, trusts, long term planning, power of attorney, and health care proxies.

Anyone is welcome, and it is free to attend. If interested, feel free to stop by the Eddy Independent Living Building, One Glen Eddy Drive, Niskayuna, NY 12309 on Tuesday, August 6th at 2:30pm.

It’s the dog days of summer, and CSW would like to remind everyone to stay hydrated!

To help encourage staff to drink enough water this summer, the partners gifted everyone with a CSW Yeti water bottle!

Stay Hydrated, Stay Fabulous! - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

Each year, Montgomery County Office of the Aging presents the Fr. Joseph F. Girzone Crystal Pillar of the Community Award to an individual who has shown commitment to enhancing the quality of life for older citizens in Montgomery County.

In 2023, our very own Deb Slezak was the recipient of this award. This year, she had the honor of presenting it to one of her close friends, Rick Vertucci.

To read more about Rick’s contributions to the community, check out the link below:

https://officeforaging.com/richard-j-vertucci-received-the-2024-fr-joseph-f-girzone-crystal-pillar-of-the-community-award/

CSW was recently a gameday sponsor for the Amsterdam Mohawks collegiate baseball team. The Mohawks home games are played at the Rao Stadium at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam. Check out their schedule at the link below if you want to catch a game!

https://amsterdammohawks.com/schedule-results.aspx?year=2024

Attorney Lauren Sharkey was recently the subject of a Q&A article with regard to her writing process for NYSBA Bar Journal. Check it out at the link below!

https://nysba.org/writing-for-the-journal-qa-with-lauren-sharkey/

On May 23rd CSW sponsored a portion of the Fulton Montgomery Community College Foundation’s 30th Annual Golf Classic. The FMCC Foundation helps support and fund projects for the benefit of FMCC, and we are proud to offer our support to this cause.

FMCC Foundation 30th Annual Golf Classic - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

CSW Attorneys will soon be attending and participating in the annual Schenectady County Bar Association Trusts, Estates & Elder Law Practice Seminar, which will take place on May 15th at Union College. Attorneys will have the opportunity to earn 7.0 CLE credit hours on a variety of topics, including an annual Medicaid/Elder Law update, robust discussions of Irrevocable Medicaid Trusts, conversations surrounding cy pres proceedings and Article 17-A Guardianships, and a presentation by the Hon. Paul V. Morgan, Rensselaer County Surrogate. Other presenters will include our very own Deb Slezak, Laurie Keniry, and Amy Robinson. We hope that our friends and colleagues throughout the capital region will join us for this great event!

For more information, or to register to attend, please see the Agenda & Registration page at the following link:
https://schenectadycountybar.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/agenda-and-reg-0515-24.pdf

On June 6, 2024, Michelle Wildgrube will be presenting “All About Powers of Attorney for the Albany Guardian Society. This seminar will be presented both in person and virtually on Zoom from 1:30-3:00pm, and all are welcome to attend!

The seminar focuses on the use of Powers of Attorney, considerations in selection of an agent, and the powers granted to an agent. If you are interested in attending, please sign up at the following link:

https://albanyguardiansociety.org/event/all-about-powers-of-attorney/

CSW is honored to have been recognized as one of the best estate planning law firms by the Times Union.

The “best of” selection process is done through a curator, who ensures that the firms on the list are in good standing, hold all required credentials and certifications, have at least one attorney selected to SuperLawyers, and have a positive review pattern. The curatorial team continues to monitor each business to ensure they remain reliable and worthy of the community’s trust.

You can check out the Times Union Best of List at the link below:

The best estate planning attorneys near Albany | Will & Power of Attorney Lawyers (timesunion.com)

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the number one killer of women in America. To raise awareness and funds towards research and prevention, last month CSW participated in the American Heart Association’s National Wear Red Day. We are proud to support this initiative each year!

If you would like to learn about how to keep your heart healthy year round, or how to donate to the cause, please visit the American Heart Association’s website at the link below:

Go Red for Women | The American Heart Association’s signature women’s initiative

Go Red for Women! - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

End of Year Donations Round Up! Some of the organizations the staff and the firm have donated to this year... Ellis Medicine, The Legal Project, Samaritan Counseling, The New York Bar Foundation, YWCA NorthEastern NY, Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corporation, Schenectady Arc, American Cancer Society, Animal Protective Foundation of Schdy, Catholic Charities, Capital Region Chamber, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dementia Society of America, Habitat for Humanity, Liberty ARC, League of Women Voters, Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Montgomery County Office for Aging, Inc., City Mission of Schenectady, Planned Parenthood, StreetSoldiers - Schenectady, Schenectady Kids Arts Festival, Schenectady Rotary Club, among others! We love supporting these organizations to help them continue the good work that they all do.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!

This Socktober was our most successful yet! This year we were able to donate 1,356 pairs of socks to Things of My Very Own!

Thank you to everyone who participated in raising funds for a bulk purchase and those who brought in a sock donation. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Socktober Success! - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

On October 27th, attorneys Brent Frary, Amy Robinson, Diana Vance, and Deb Slezak attended The Legal Project’s 28th Anniversary Pro Bono Awards Breakfast with Champions! The breakfast celebrated The Legal Project and the pro bono attorneys who make the services provided by The Legal Project possible. Cioffi Slezak Wildgrube was also proud to serve as a sponsor of the event. We extend our congratulations to all of the award recipients!

If you would like to learn more about The Legal Project and the services it provides to our community, please check out their website at The Legal Project – Civil Legal Services – Albany, New York.

On October 27th, the 4th Judicial District Federation of Bar Associations is holding its fall program at Lake Placid. Attorney Lauren Sharkey is a presenter at the event, and will provide the Trust and Estates Update to attendees.

4th Judicial District Federation of Bar Associations Fall Program - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

CSW was proud to be a part of the 7th Annual Liberty ARC Denim and Diamonds BBQ fundraiser and concert in support of the Liberty Foundation. Deb Slezak, Mia Sanchez, and Brad Murray were all in attendance for the special event, and had a great time catching up with Liberty staff members, patrons, and members of the local community while enjoying some delicious food and live music by Skeeter Creek!
Congratulations to Liberty on a wonderful event! Interested in learning more about Liberty ARC and the services they offer? Check out their website here: https://www.libertyarc.org/.

Hooray for Socktober! CSW will again participate in the movement by collecting socks for Things of My Very Own – a local non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention services to children impacted by extensive abuse and/or neglect.

Children often enter the care system with little to no belongings. Donations help alleviate this issue, but socks are often an overlooked staple and are the most requested item at homeless shelters and crisis intervention centers.

CSW is doing its part to help ensure that Things of My Very Own has a stockpile of socks. Last year, we collected over 600 pairs!

If you would like to donate socks, a collection box will be set up in the CSW reception lobby for the entire month of October.

SOCKTOBER! - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

Earlier this month, attorney Brad Murray joined fellow Schenectady Rotary Club members in volunteering at the Keane Elementary Back to School BBQ. The weather was perfect and they had a great time interacting with students and parents!

Interested in learning more about the Schenectady Rotary Club and the work they do in the local community? Visit their page here: https://www.facebook.com/schenectadyrotary.

Attorneys Lauren Sharkey and Brad Murray recently had the pleasure of attending the campaign kickoff event for Deborah Kearns, who is campaigning for Albany County Surrogate’s Court in the 2024 election cycle. It was a fun event, and Lauren and Brad enjoyed catching up with fellow attorneys and friends from throughout the capital region. As the current Chief Clerk of the Albany County Surrogate’s Court, our office has worked closely with Ms. Kearns on numerous occasions, and we are excited for what the future may bring as we support her in this endeavor!

Deborah Kearns Campaign Kickoff - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

In support of Domestic Violence Awareness month, the CDWBA Domestic Violence Committee, Fourth Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee, and the Montgomery County Bar Association are holding a professional and business attire drive. Donations of new or gently used business and professional attire will go to the Domestic Violence Program of Fulton County at the Family Counseling Center, which provides victims of domestic violence with a variety of assistance, including employment aid.

Cioffi Slezak Wildgrube P.C. is sponsoring clothing donation boxes, which are located at multiple locations throughout the Capital District. If you would like to help, please feel free to donate your gently used business and professional attire the next time you are near any of the drop box locations. Donations are accepted from September 5, 2023 through October 16, 2023. Please see the flyer for more details.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, or if you would like to learn more about the services provided by the Family Counseling Center, please stop by their website at:

https://www.thefamilycounselingcenter.org/domestic-violence-program/

Congratulations to attorney Bradley Murray, who for the second year in the row was named to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers Risings Stars list in the practice area of Estate Planning and Probate!
Super Lawyers recognizes the top attorneys nationwide, across a variety of practice areas and firm sizes, using a patented process of independent research and peer input. The lawyers selected include those with many years of experience, as well as the Rising Stars of the profession. The Super Lawyers selection process selects attorneys on an annual, state-by-state basis using peer nominations and evaluations combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Super Lawyers Rising Star - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

Attorneys Amy Robinson and Brad Murray recently attended the Capital District Women’s Bar Association Installation Dinner at Brown’s Revolution Hall in Troy, NY. They enjoyed seeing lots of familiar faces, while honoring the remarkable accomplishments of women and allies in our local legal community. Cioffi Slezak Wildgrube was also proud to serve as a silver sponsor of the event. A huge congratulations to incoming CDWBA President Katelyn Primomo-Millwood and the entire Board, and to all of the award recipients. It was a great evening!

Capital District Women’s Bar Association Installation Dinner - Cioffi, Slezak, Wildgrube P.C. CSW is a law firm committed to providing exceptional legal services to individuals, their families and businesses.We believe in a family friendly work place where attorneys and staff support each other to excel professionally and individually.

Attorney Lauren Sharkey recently wrote an article for NYSBA, explaining the importance of estate planning. Check it out at the link below:

The Future’s Not What It Used To Be - You Need an Estate Plan Now - New York State Bar Association It took me five years of practicing trust and estates law to develop my own estate plan. The cobbler’s children have no shoes, right? I spent my days counseling clients on the importance of having a will and advance directives, at the very least, and could not find the time over a period of years ...