Biography

Ms. Sonneborn is an associate 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 is 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 neutrality agreements and corporate campaigns.

Ms. Sonneborn also 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 has substantial experience with non-union employment issues as well. She has represented clients in litigation under 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, cum laude (2003)
MHRIR, University of Illinois (2003)
B.A., University of Illinois, High Honors (1999)

Admissions

• Illinois

Courts

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of Illinois
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin