People: Amanda A. Sonneborn, Partner

Photo of Amanda A. Sonneborn, Partner

Amanda A. Sonneborn

Partner

Chicago
Direct: (312) 460-5525
Fax: (312) 460-7525
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Ms. Sonneborn is a partner in the Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.  She actively advises clients in the health care, construction, print media, hotel, gaming, manufacturing, transportation, and retail industries. 

Ms. Sonneborn has considerable experience in the area of Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) litigation.  Her ERISA and employee benefits litigation experience includes defense of claims for benefits, breach of fiduciary duty claims, cash balance plan claims, breach of contract claims, and ERISA Section 510 employment discrimination claims.  Ms. Sonneborn devotes a considerable amount of her practice to litigation of class-action and multi-plaintiff claims. 

Ms. Sonneborn is also particularly well-versed in the field of labor relations law.  Within this arena, she has represented clients in unfair labor practice proceedings, contractual arbitrations, representation proceedings, and Section 301 litigation.  She also has experience advising clients during union organizing campaigns.  In addition, she provides clients with day-to-day labor relations advice on a wide spectrum of topics, including independent contractor issues, neutrality agreements, and corporate campaigns.

Ms. Sonneborn has substantial experience with non-union employment issues as well.  She has represented clients in litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the WARN Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Minimum Wage Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.  Ms. Sonneborn also counsels various clients on day-to-day employment law matters and assists clients with revisions to employee handbooks, employee-related policies, and employment applications. 

Ms. Sonneborn leads various training courses with Seyfarth Shaw at Work®, including anti-harassment training and positive employee relations training.  She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Legal Writing Department at Chicago-Kent IIT College of Law.

Ms. Sonneborn is a partner in the Labor & Employment Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP.  She actively advises clients in the health care, construction, print media, hotel, gaming, manufacturing, transportation, and retail industries. 

Ms. Sonneborn has considerable experience in the area of Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) litigation.  Her ERISA and employee benefits litigation experience includes defense of claims for benefits, breach of fiduciary duty claims, cash balance plan claims, breach of contract claims, and ERISA Section 510 employment discrimination claims.  Ms. Sonneborn devotes a considerable amount of her practice to litigation of class-action and multi-plaintiff claims. 

Ms. Sonneborn is also particularly well-versed in the field of labor relations law.  Within this arena, she has represented clients in unfair labor practice proceedings, contractual arbitrations, representation proceedings, and Section 301 litigation.  She also has experience advising clients during union organizing campaigns.  In addition, she provides clients with day-to-day labor relations advice on a wide spectrum of topics, including independent contractor issues, neutrality agreements, and corporate campaigns.

Ms. Sonneborn has substantial experience with non-union employment issues as well.  She has represented clients in litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the WARN Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Minimum Wage Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.  Ms. Sonneborn also counsels various clients on day-to-day employment law matters and assists clients with revisions to employee handbooks, employee-related policies, and employment applications. 

Ms. Sonneborn leads various training courses with Seyfarth Shaw at Work®, including anti-harassment training and positive employee relations training.  She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Legal Writing Department at Chicago-Kent IIT College of Law.

Education

  • J.D., University of Illinois College of Law (2003)
    cum laude
    Lincoln Scholar; Research Assistant to the Honorable Governor Jim Edgar
    Editor Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal
  • MHRIR, University of Illinois (2003)
  • B.A., University of Illinois (1999)
    High Honors

Admissions

  • Illinois

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Circuits
  • U.S. District Court for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association (Labor & Employment and Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Sections)
    LEL Committee on Development of the Law under the National Labor Relations Act
    LEL Committee on Practice and Procedure under the National Labor Relations Act
    LEL Employee Benefits Committee
    TIPS Employee Benefits Committee -- Vice-Chair for Diversity
  • Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law (Associate Board Member)
  • National Immigrant Justice Center
  • Joffrey Ballet (Associate Board Member)
  • University of Illinois College of Law Alumni Board
  • University of Illinois Department of Political Science Board of Visitors

Presentations

  • “Employee Benefits: Why Breaking Developments Could Mean New Risks for You,” Business & Legal Resources webinar
  • “Pension Plan Investments 2011,” Practising Law Institute seminar
  • “Summary of Recent Litigation Involving Worker Misclassification” at the Chicago Bar Association Employee Benefits Seminar
  • “2010 ERISA Litigation Year in Review,” Seyfarth Shaw webinar
  • “The Dodd-Frank Act of 2010,” Business & Legal Resources webinar
  • "Executive Compensation Litigation" at the 4th Annual Executive Compensation Institute at the Chicago Bar Association
  • "Annual Labor Law Update" at the Kankakee Area Human Resources Managers Association
  • "Impact of Labor Law Reform on Union Organizing,” presented as part of the Seyfarth Shaw seminar, “The Impact of Labor Law Reform During Troubled Economic Times: What Employers Need To Know”

Publications

  • Contributing Editor for the ABA's The Developing Labor Law book
  • Contributing Editor for the ABA's Employee Benefits Law book
  • "What Health Care Employees Must Know to Comply with Military Leave Laws" for CCH Health Care Compliance Letter
  • "Update on Recent Trends in ERISA Fiduciary Breach Litigation" for ABA ERISA Litigation National Institute
  • Contributed to Congressional testimony for a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations of the Committee on Education and the Workforce on union corporate campaigns
  • Contributed to Congressional testimony for a joint hearing before the Senate and House Committees on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on recent National Labor Relations Board decisions