Biography

Sonia Macias Steele is an associate in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Ms. Steele's practice includes counseling employers with respect to the design and administration of employee benefit plans; advising clients on matters including compliance and strategic direction; performing due diligence reviews for mergers and acquisitions; and conducting client training in employee benefits. Her focus includes 401(k) and other defined contribution retirement plans, defined benefit retirement plans, equity compensation and other non-qualified plans, and health and welfare plans. Her experience also includes defending single-plaintiff and class action ERISA actions. She has also counseled clients regarding benefits-related issues under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Prior to law school, Ms. Steele worked more than five years as a human resources and employee benefits professional for a national energy company with a unionized workforce. Her experience in human resources gives her unique insight into the operational and administrative challenges that employers face when implementing benefit plans and applying benefits laws.

Education

J.D., Duke University School of Law (2003)
M.B.A., Duke University Fuqua School of Business (2003)
B.A., Georgetown University (1996)

Admissions

• Illinois

Courts

• Illinois Supreme Court
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois