Ashley Sharek, Esq.
Founding Attorney
Sharek Law Office, LLC
shareklaw.com

Being a woman in business is, for Ashley Sharek, a family affair. Her entrepreneurial lineage traces back four generations to her great-grandmother, the owner of a jewelry store later passed down to Sharek’s grandmother.

“I think being a businesswoman is something that’s in my blood,” Sharek says.

“Entrepreneurship is definitely not for everyone and not for the weak at heart.”

Sharek, a practicing attorney for over a decade, didn’t inherit her business — she created a business around what people inherit. In 2018, she opened Sharek Law Office, a boutique law firm focused on estate planning, special needs planning, probate and elder law. In the years that followed, Sharek worked diligently to gain new clients and grow her firm, which now includes a team of four women she hired to help her in the office. The company serves all counties in Western Pennsylvania — an asset to families in Pittsburgh’s surrounding rural areas, which often lack access to legal services for specific estate plans.

A finalist for the 2021 Best Attorney in Pittsburgh City Paper’s Best of Pittsburgh Readers’ Poll and a finalist in TribLive’s 2022 Best of the Best Community Choice Awards, it’s no secret that Sharek’s work goes beyond just business. The moments she’s spent getting to know her clients and educating the community stand out as some of the highlights in her career. This is perhaps most evident through the time Sharek spends outside the office, when she visits senior centers and over 55 communities around the city to give seminars about how people can protect their families and legacies through estate planning.

“I don’t assume everyone I meet is going to need my services but if they learn something that can help them, a family member, or a friend, that’s always my goal,” she says.

What is Sharek’s advice to other women in business?

“Don’t be afraid to fail and don’t worry about what other people think,” she says. “I pride myself on taking a different approach to my business and the practice of law.”

The best advice Sharek has ever received is, “If you’re not learning, you’re not growing.”

“I think continuing to educate ourselves in our fields is a key to success and business development,” she says.

For more than 10 years, Pittsburgh Magazine has spotlighted exceptional businesswomen within our pages and at quarterly networking events. Join us for a vibrant conversation with our four inspiring honorees and a keynote speaker at our Women & Business Awards.

Our next in-person event:

When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Where: Alloy 26 located in Nova Place
Ticket Price: $40 with $20 benefitting The Children’s Institute
Get tickets here