Shari Olefson

Shari Olefson (born Jan 10, 1963) is an American lawyer, and mediator, as well as a journalist and published author. Olefson has served as a legal, economic and real estate commentator on various news programs including CNBC, Fox News, and regular viewer call in question and answer segments including South Florida Channel 10 News.

Born in New York and raised in New York and Florida in an entrepreneurial Jewish family, Olefson holds a BA in Professional Writing and a BA in Psychology from Carnegie Mellon University.

Starting her legal career in 1989, Olefson, a member of the Florida, District of Columbia and New York Bars, quickly became known as a Bar Certified Real Estate specialist, focusing primarily on business and commercial real estate transactions, mediations, work outs and foreclosures. In 2003 she accepted an offer to serve as President and CEO of a Fortune 300 joint venture in the real estate law and title insurance industry. Olefson returned to practice law as a shareholder and partner at the 65 year old Florida law firm, Fowler White Boggs.

In 2007 Olefson authored "Foreclosure Nation: Mortgaging the American Dream" (Prometheus, New York, 2009). She is also the author of "An Immediate Look at the Best Practices for Assisting Distressed Homeowners in Florida (Aspatore Special Report), "The State of Foreclosure in the State of Florida," and "Florida Foreclosure - What Lawyers Need to Know Now," (Thomson Reuters), "Commercial Real Estate Market: Between a Rock and a Hard Place," (Thomson Reuters), and "Thinking about Starting a Foreclosure Defence Practice?"(Thomson Reuters. Olefson maintains a website and blog at www.foreclosurenationthebook.com.

Olefson has appeared on CNBC's "Market Alert," CNBC's "Call of the Wild," CNBC's "Power Lunch," Fox National News NY, Fox 13 News Tampa Bay, Studio 10 Tampa, Channel 10 WPLG, and Channel 6 WTVJ, WKXL AM Concord, Sirius Satellite Network Catholic Channel, WLW-AM Cincinnati, KFNN-AM Phoenix, KMED AM Medford, CNN- AM Houston, WIP-AM, WWRM-FM Tampa, KGAB-FM Cheyanne-Denver, KTRS AM St Louis, CBS Radio Network, WMET-AM Washington DC, WCCC-FM, WCBQ Raleigh, KVON- AM SAN Francisco, CKLW - AM Detroit, WKBK-AM Keene, WLKF-AM Dollars & Sense, WSGE-FM Charlotte, WNJC-AM Phillidelphia, KTKK-AM Salt Lake City, KCMN-AM Colorado Springs, Cable Radio Network, WDEV AM Burlington. She has been quoted in and written articles for the Las Vegas Sun, The Wall Street Journal, Real Estate Florida, The East Hampton Press, Tampa Business Examiner, Tampa Bay Online, Daily Business Review, St. Petersberg Times, The Albany Business Review, Bradenton Herald, Reuters, The South Florida Business Journal, Tampa Bay Business Journal, The Palm Beach Post, The Florida Times Union, The Oklahoma Journal Record, and Florida Today. She is also a frequent speaker for professional organizations and a Continuing Legal Education speaker for the Florida Bar.