Education
- Juris Doctor (J.D.), Wayne State University School of Law, 1980
- Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Michigan, 1975
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), With Distinction, University of Michigan, 1973
State Bar Admissions
- Michigan
Licensed to Practice In
- Michigan state courts
- U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan
- U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Second, Fifth and Sixth Circuits
- U.S. Supreme Court
Deborah Brouwer

Partner
200 Talon Centre Drive
Suite 200
Detroit, Michigan 48207
Practice Overview
Ms. Brouwer practices exclusively in labor and employment law, with particular experience in the defense of lawsuits against employers, including claims of race, age, religion, national origin, gender and disability discrimination, harassment and retaliation, as well as FLSA, FMLA and non-competition suits. She also provides harassment training and conducts discrimination and harassment investigations for employers. She has extensive experience in appearing before administrative agencies, including the EEOC, MDCR, MIOSHA, OSHA and the NLRB. She also appears frequently before the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Chair, Board of Directors, Assured Family Services
- Vice President, Board of Directors, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel
- President, Board of Trustees, Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation
- Member, American Bar Association, Litigation Section
- Member, DRI
- Member, State Bar of Michigan, Appellate Section and Labor and Employment Law Section
- Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society/Advocates Guild
Noted Presentations and Publications
- Fox 2 News Interview, “Protesters' Rights at Work,” What can your employer do if you are seen in violent protests? January 2021
- WWJ Radio Interview regarding “can your employer mandate you get the COVID vaccine?” December 2020
- “Holiday Parties in 2020 with a twist,” Mighigan Lawyers Weekly, December 2020
- “Pandemic Performance Reviews Pose Challenges for Managers,” Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Detroit Legal News and HR.com, August 2020
- “Is a furlough a kinder, gentler lay-off?” Detroit Legal News, April 2020
- WADL, News NOW, Interview regarding Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Harvey Weinstein and the Coronavirus, March 2020
- “Weinstein verdict should have employers looking at their sexual harassment policies and practices,” Detroit Legal News, February 2020
- WWJ Radio Interview regarding business travel due to the Coronavirus Outbreak in China, February 2020
- Fox 2 News Interview, new laws and trends impacting the workplace. “Legalization on sports betting in the workplace-online betting.” Discrimination in the workplace. What is appropriate/not appropriate conduct in the workplace, “Going along to get along,” January 2020
- “Company drug use policies predominate Michigan's recreational marijuana law,” Detroit Legal News, November 2019
- “Emerging Trends in Employment Litigation: Hot Issues in a #MeToo World,” Michigan Defense Trial Counsel (MDTC) Annual Meeting and Conference, June 2019
- “Making Sure That Your Employment Agreements Mean What They Say: Recent Roadblocks for Mandatory Arbitration Provisions and Shortened Limitations Periods,” Co-Author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 35, No. 4 - 2019
- “New federal overtime rules could boost some pay for some workers,” Interview, Detroit Free Press, March 2019
- “ ‘Tis the Season…for personal injury claims,” Detroit Legal News, November 2018
- “Kids, These Days, Can Get Away With Filing Lawsuits,” Co-author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 35, No. 1 - 2018
- “2018 Employment Law Update,” Raising the Bar, Nemeth Law, P.C., January 2018
- “Introducing Nuance to the Whistleblowers’ Protection Action,” Co-Author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 34, No. 3 - 2018
- “Welcome to the United States! Passport, attorney-client information, and trade secrets, please,” Co-author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 34, No. 1 - 2017
- "The Disfavoring of Non-Compete Agreements For Low-Income Wage Earners," Co-author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 33, No. 3 - 2017
- "The FLSA Changes Are Coming: Business Considerations and Implementation Strategies," Co-author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 33, No. 2 - 2016
- "Trade-Secrets Litigation under Michigan Law and the New Defend Trade Secrets Act," Co-author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 33, No. 1 - 2016
- “Employer v. Employee Side of Social Media Policy,” NADONA 29th Annual Convention and Expo, November 2016
- “Dealing with The Problem Employee,” Raising the Bar, Nemeth Law, P.C., May 2016
- “Study Suggests Some Employers May Disfavor Job Seekers Who Disclose a Disability,” Co-author, Michigan Defense Quarterly, Volume 32, No. 3 - 2016
- Fox 2 News, The Job Shop, "What they cannot ask you during a job interview," February 2016
- “Successfully Defending Unemployment Claims,” Raising the Bar, Nemeth Law, P.C., October 2015
- “Managing Religion in the Workplace: Tattoos, Body Piercings, Headwear,” Raising the Bar, Nemeth Law, P.C., June 2014
- “Workplace Violence, Safety, and Security: Risk Assessment and Prevention,” Michigan HR Day, April 2014
- “Workplace Violence, Safety, and Security: Risk Assessment and Prevention,” Raising the Bar, Nemeth Law, P.C., September 2013
- "Labor and Employment Law Update: Social Media Networking Sites and Employment Related Decisions," Sterling Education Services, February 2013
- “Privacy, Social Media and Employment Law in the Workplace,” Sterling Educational Services, January 2011
- "Investigator Beware: Even Employees with Tangential Roles in Internal Investigations May be Deemed to ‘Oppose’ Discrimination Under Title VII,” Employment Law 360, February 2009
- "Internal Employer Investigation of Discrimination Complaints: Proceed with Caution,” Detroit Legal News, February 2009
- “Recent Interpretations of the Bullard-Plawecki Employee Right to Know Act,” LACHES, August 2008
- Health Care Association of Michigan Annual Convention, “Identity Theft Issues in the Workplace,” September 2007; “Disciplining and Terminating Employees,” September 2004
- “Strategic HR Management-Employment Law,” Eastern Michigan University, 2005 and 2007
- “Employment Law Made Easy,” Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Conference, November 2005
- “Annual Survey of Employment and Labor Law," Co-author, Wayne Law Review, 2005-2010, 2012, 2014-2015, 2019
- “Non smoking Rules in the Workplace,” Public Television Channel QTV (Delta College), 2004
Honors and Distinctions
- Best Lawyers® in America, Labor Law-Management | Litigation-Labor and Employment, 2021
- Leading Lawyers, Employment Management, 2020
- Michigan Go To Lawyer in Business Law, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2020
- Michigan Super Lawyers, Employment Litigation-Defense, 2019, 2020
- Crain's Notable Women In Law, 2019
- DBusiness Top Lawyer: Appellate Law, 2019
- Class of 2018 "Women in the Law," Michigan Lawyers Weekly
- Jessup International Law Moot Court Team, 1978-1979 and 1979-1980
News
- December 30, 2020
Nemeth Law partner named a ‘Michigan Go To Lawyer’ in business law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly - December 28, 2020
Employer Alert: Nemeth Law on effect of COVID relief bill on paid leave obligations - December 17, 2020
Employer Alert: EEOC Provides Guidance on Workplace Policies Mandating COVID-19 Vaccinations - November 5, 2020
Nemeth Law is repeat honoree of Metropolitan Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® - September 18, 2020
Nemeth Law attorneys named to 2020 Michigan Super Lawyers - August 26, 2020
Nemeth Law attorneys named to The Best Lawyers in America© list for 2021 - August 24, 2020
Nemeth Law partner named vice president of Michigan Defense Trial Counsel board - August 4, 2020
Pandemic performance reviews pose challenges for managers; tips for evaluating performance in the COVID-19 era - May 7, 2020
Nemeth Law founder featured in Leading Lawyers magazine; firm partners also named to 2020 Leading Lawyers list - April 30, 2020
Executive Order Lift Restrictions - April 20, 2020
Is a furlough a kinder, gentler lay-off? Yes and no, says Nemeth Law labor and employment attorney - April 10, 2020
Non-Coronavirus Items You May Have Missed - April 3, 2020
Nemeth Law Covers Executive Order 2020-36 - April 2, 2020
Nemeth Law Provides Takeaways from DOL and IRS on Paid Leave - April 1, 2020
Nemeth Law Responds to Today's Frequently Asked Question - March 31, 2020
Department of Labor Clarification, Q & A - March 30, 2020
Nemeth Law: DOL Poster Required Posting in all Facilities - March 27, 2020
Nemeth Law Provides Takeaways on Biggest Questions - March 26, 2020
Nemeth Law Provides Highlights on Relief Package - March 23, 2020
Essentials of the Executive Order - March 19, 2020
Staying Compliant with the ADA During the COVID-19 Pandemic - March 18, 2020
Employer Alert: FMLA Expansion and Paid Leave Requirements in Light of Coronavirus - COVID-19 Update
- Nemeth Law is here to help you
- February 25, 2020
Should the police be called? Harvey Weinstein verdict should have employers looking at their sexual harassment policies and practices - November 18, 2019
Nemeth Law partner Deborah Brouwer named a 2020 DBusiness Top Lawyer - November 13, 2019
There will still be ‘parties for hosting,’ but company drug use policies predominate Michigan’s recreational marijuana law - September 3, 2019
Nemeth Law partners named to 2019 Michigan Super Lawyers - January 2, 2019
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely labor and employment topics in the third and fourth quarters of 2018 - November 20, 2018
’Tis the season…for personal injury claims? As office holiday parties get more adventurous, risk of harm to employees rises - August 6, 2018
Deborah Brouwer named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly Women in the Law Class of 2018 - May 22, 2018
Supreme Court decision gives employers an ‘epic’ win: employment agreements barring class action lawsuits and requiring individual claims arbitration are enforceable under Federal Arbitration Act - March 28, 2018
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely labor and employment topics in first quarter 2018 - February 6, 2018
Time’s Up campaign compels employers to purposefully address sexual harassment in the workplace - November 21, 2017
’Tis the season…for sexual harassment claims? As wave of sexual harassment allegations hit multiple sectors, Nemeth Law attorney offers suggestions for holiday work parties - October 23, 2017
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely labor and employment topics in third quarter 2017 - July 13, 2017
Nemeth Law attorneys named to Michigan Defense Trial Counsel board, committee positions - April 5, 2017
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely labor and employment topics in first quarter 2017 - January 6, 2017
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely labor and employment topics - June 30, 2016
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely employment issues - April 1, 2016
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely employment issues - March 3, 2016
Nemeth Law attorney cautions employers to follow guidelines on pre-employment questions in on-line recruiting - December 23, 2015
Nemeth Law attorneys discuss timely employment issues - December 22, 2015
Nemeth Law attorney named board chair of Assured Family Services (AFS) - November 18, 2015
Nemeth Law attorney offers tips for navigating holiday work parties and celebrations