Education

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), With Distinction, University of Michigan, 1973
  • Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Michigan, 1975
  • Juris Doctor (J.D.), Wayne State University School of Law, 1980

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

Photo of Deborah Brouwer
Partner
200 Talon Centre Drive
Suite 200
Detroit, Michigan 48207

T: (313) 567-5921
F: (313) 567-5928

Practice Overview

An attorney since 1980, 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
  • Treasurer, Board of Directors, Michigan Defense Trial Counsel
  • Vice-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
  • Member, The CLM

Noted Presentations and Publications

  • “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
  • Raising the Bar, “2018 Employment Law Update,” 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
  • Raising the Bar, “Dealing with The Problem Employee,” 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
  • Raising the Bar, “Successfully Defending Unemployment Claims,” Nemeth Law, P.C., October 2015
  • Raising the Bar, “Managing Religion in the Workplace: Tattoos, Body Piercings, Headwear,” Nemeth Law, P.C., June 2014
  • Michigan HR Day, “Workplace Violence, Safety, and Security: Risk Assessment and Prevention,” April 2014
  • Raising the Bar, “Workplace Violence, Safety, and Security: Risk Assessment and Prevention,” Nemeth Law, P.C., September 2013
  • Sterling Education Services, "Labor and Employment Law Update: Social Media Networking Sites and Employment Related Decisions," February 2013
  • Sterling Educational Services, “Privacy, Social Media and Employment Law in the Workplace,” January 2011
  • "Investigator Beware: Even Employees with Tangential Roles in Internal Investigations May be Deemed to ‘Oppose’ Discrimination Under Title VII,” Employment Law 360
  • Health Care Association of Michigan Annual Convention, “Identity Theft Issues in the Workplace,” September 2007; “Disciplining and Terminating Employees,” September 2004
  • Eastern Michigan University, “Strategic HR Management-Employment Law”
  • Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Conference, “Employment Law Made Easy”
  • Public Television Channel QTV (Delta College), “Non smoking Rules in the Workplace,” 2004
  • "Annual Survey of Employment and Labor Law," Co-author, Wayne Law Review, 2005-2010, 2012-2015
  • "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 

Honors and Distinctions

  • 2020 Leading Lawyers, Employment Management
  • 2019 Michigan Super Lawyers, Employment Litigation-Defense
  • 2019 Crain's Notable Women In Law
  • 2019 D Business Top Lawyer: Appellate Law
  • Class of 2018 "Women in the Law," Michigan Lawyers Weekly
  • Jessup International Law Moot Court Team, 1978-1979 and 1979-1980.

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