Seyfarth Shaw Partner Anita Ponder Honored by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley at Chicago Women's History Month Celebration

Contact:
Kevin Livingston, National Director of Public Relations
(312) 460-6681 / (212) 218-5272, klivingston@seyfarth.com

Chicago (March 24, 2011) —Seyfarth Shaw LLP is pleased to announce that Anita Ponder, a partner in the firm’s Government Contracts and Construction practice groups, has been honored by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Chicago Commission on Human Relations Advisory Council on Women as part of the city's celebration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day and Women's History Month. During the celebration, Mayor Daley issued a proclamation marking Tuesday, March 8 as SAGES Day in Chicago to honor past recipients of the SAGE Award.

Ponder is a 2006 recipient of the SAGE Award, which is presented annually to women from diverse backgrounds for leadership in mentoring, workplace and community advocacy, and local and global human rights initiatives.

Ponder concentrates her practice in government contracts, government procurement and government relations. She represents major corporations, mid-sized and small businesses as well as government agencies. Her law practice focuses on advising bidders and contractors on government regulations, laws, policies and legislation; preparing responsive bid proposals, small business subcontracting plans, bid protests and equitable contract claims; drafting and negotiating contracts; resolving contract disputes; obtaining contract payments; facilitating contract compliance, including assisting clients to meet contract participation goals for small businesses; representing contractors in suspension and debarment proceedings; and structuring competitive strategic alliances and relationships between majority- and minority-owned businesses.

Ponder is known as one of the foremost attorneys in Illinois in government contracting at the city, county and state level. She is nationally renowned for handling a range of supplier diversity issues involving minority, women-owned and small businesses, which includes assisting these companies obtain certification eligibility with federal, state, local and non-profit certifying agencies nationwide.

She was also honored as a 2009 Business Leader of Color by Chicago United. Ponder is a past recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s “Woman in Business Advocate of the Year” award. 

Seyfarth Shaw has over 750 attorneys located in 10 offices throughout the United States, including: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., as well as internationally in London. Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, corporate, and real estate. The firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business and social fabric. Clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state and local governmental and educational entities. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.