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Terry W. Bonnette

Partner
  • 200 Talon Centre Drive
    Suite 200
    Detroit, Michigan 48207

Profile

From law clerk to partner, Terry Bonnette’s entire legal career has focused on serving the firm’s clients with integrity, creativity, wisdom and wit. Terry’s practice encompasses traditional labor law and employment law counseling, training, and litigation. In the counseling realm, Terry covers a wide range of contract compliance and regulatory issues, including FMLA, Wage and Hour, and the ADA. He is also an experienced litigator, representing clients before state and federal courts, administrative agencies and arbitrators, on issues including employment discrimination, harassment, disability, and retaliation. Prior to law school, Terry was a speech and forensics coach at Bradley University, where he was on the speech and forensics team as an undergrad. He also coached at Illinois State University while in graduate school, and at Eastern Michigan University, where he coached forensics and served as an adjunct faculty member. In all, Terry coached an impressive 44 individual national champions during his forensics coaching career.  He draws upon that experience today to provide classroom-style training for both human resource professionals and front-line managers on topics such as discrimination and harassment prevention, civility in the workplace, and responding to requests for accommodation. He also created the firm’s Raising the Bar more than a decade ago - an educational series focused on increasing employer awareness of trending issues in employment law. Possessing outstanding presentation skills, Terry is frequently called upon by local, state, and national organizations, as well as the media, to speak on a wide range of labor and employment topics and workplace trends.

Honors & Awards

  • Michigan Go To Lawyer in Employment Law, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2021
  • Michigan Super Lawyers, 2019-2023
  • Leading Lawyers, Employment Management and Labor Management, 2018-2023

Memberships & Affiliations

Civic

  • Board Chair, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit
  • Advisory Board Member, Equality Research Center, 2014-2018

Professional

  • Member, State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section and Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
  • Member, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section and Litigation Section 
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News & Events

News

Speaking Engagements

Noted Presentations and Publications

Mr. Bonnette has presented, written, and co-authored articles on a number of topics, some highlights include:

  • "Reasonable suspicion? Addressing growing employee substance abuse trends," Michigan Lawyers Weekly, October 2023
  • "Substance Abuse Issues in Remote Work," American Society of Employers, September 2023
  • "What's Happening with The FMLA," Institute of Continuing Legal Education, April 2023
  • "Legal Compliance Issues in The World of Work," American Society of Employers, March 2023
  • “What is a Reasonable Accommodation in a Post-Pandemic Environment?” Ask the Lawyer Webinar, American Society of Employers, October 2021
  • “What Does It Mean to Be Disabled Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Comcast NewsMakers, August 2021
  • “Can employers make employees get vaccinated? And will they?” Daily Detroit Podcast, June 2021
  • “Litigating Employment Cases in a Remote World,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education, April 2021
  • “Time to Revisit the Remote Process for Legal Compliance,” Detroit Legal News Interview, January 2021
  • “2021 Labor and Employment Law Update,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar Webinar, January 2021
  • “Attorney weighs in on legality of vaccination mandates in the workplace,” Chanel 7 News Interview, December 2020
  • “Evolving Strategies for Bringing Back the Workforce,” American Society of Employers, December 2020
  • “Elephants and Donkeys in the Workplace: Best Practices to Keep It Civil in an Election Year,” Institute of Continuing Education, August 2020
  • “2020 Labor and Employment Law Update,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, January 2020
  • “Mobilizing Civility: Creating a Culture of Respect,” Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar, October 2019
  • “When Employee Rights Collide: LGBT Rights Under the Law,” American Society of Employers, August 2019
  • “Theft of Employer Property & Electronic Evidence: You Can't Take It With You-or Can You?" Institute of Continuing Legal Education, April 2019
  • “How Employers Can Be Compliant with Michigan’s New Paid Medical Leave Law,” Blog, Crain's Detroit Business, March 2019
  • “2019 Labor and Employment Law Update,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, January 2019
  • “Best Practices for Managing Competing ‘Rights’ in the Workplace,” MISHRM, October 2018
  • “How Technology Is Changing the Workplace, Hylant Group, September 2018
  • “Managing the ‘Tug of War’ Between Proactive Diversity & Inclusion Efforts and Legal Risk Concerns,” American Society of Employers, August 2018
  • “Virtual Employment Revisited,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, May 2018
  • "Technology & Communication: Legal Issues in Long-Term Care," HCAM/MCAL Spring Leadership Conference, March 2018
  • "Best Practices for Managing Competing 'Rights' in the Workplace," American Society of Employers, March 2018
  • “2018 Labor and Employment Law Update,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, January 2018
  • “Conducting Workplace Investigations,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, October 2017
  • “Social Media and Patients’ Rights,” Healthcare Association of Michigan, September 2017
  • “My Employees Won’t Work Saturdays, What Do I Do?” American Society of Employers, August 2017
  • “He Said, She Said. Who is More Credible?” Mid-Michigan Employment Law Workshop, June 2017
  • "Best Practices for Managing Competing 'Rights' in the Workplace," Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar, May 2017
  • “Making Credibility Determinations During Internal Investigations,” Institute of Continuing Legal Education, April 2017
  • “2017 Labor and Employment Law Update,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, January 2017
  • "Paying the Price For Employees Behaving Badly," Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar, October 2016
  • "He Said, She Said. Who is More Credible?" American Society of Employers, September 2016
  • "Intensive HR Labor and Employment Law Training Program," Nemeth Law Seminar, August 2016
  • "Inside the New Overtime Rules: Practical Guidelines for Employers," Nemeth Law's Webinar, June 2016
  • "Dealing with The Problem Employee," Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar, May 2016
  • "Hot Topics in Labor Law" and "Employer vs. Employee Side of Social Media Policy," HCAM/MCAL 2016 U.P. Education Conference, May 2016
  • "Ignorance is Not Bliss: Staying on Top of the Changing Legal Landscape," American Society of Employers, March 2016
  • "2016 Labor and Employment Law Update," Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar, January 2016
  • "Accommodating Pregnancy in the Long Term Care Environment," HCAM/MCAL Annual Convention, September 2015
  • "Hot Topics in Labor and Employment Law," LAHRA, September 2015
  • "Juggling the FMLA, PDA, ADA, Workers Comp, STD, LTD, and Your Handbook: Leave Policies That Work," Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar, May 2015
  • "Managing Religion In Long Term Care," HCAM/MCAL 2015 U.P. Education Conference, May 2015
  • “2015 Labor and Employment Law Update,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, January 2015
  • “Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Ask a Lawyer but didn’t Want to Pay For,” American Society of Employers, September 2014
  •  “So Your Employee is on the Sex Offender Registry,” American Society of Employers, September 2014
  •  “LGBT Discrimination in Long Term Healthcare,” Healthcare Association of Michigan, September 2014
  •  “Managing Religion in the Workplace: Tattoos, Body Piercings, Headwear,” Nemeth Law’s Raising the Bar, June 2014
  •  “Social Media: Employee Rights v. Residents’ Rights,” HCAM/MCAL 2014 U.P. Education Conference, May 2014
  •  “Hot Topics in Labor and Employment Law," LAHRA, May 2014
  • “Workplace Violence, Safety, and Security: Risk Assessment and Prevention,” Michigan HR Day, April 2014
  • "Workplace Violence, Safety, and Security: Risk Assessment and Prevention," Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar, September 2013
  • "FLSA/Wage and Hour Compliance," Sterling Education Services
  • "2013 Employment Law Update," Hylant Group
  • "2013 Labor and Employment Law Update," Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar
  • Co-authored, "Not Always Black and White," Michigan Lawyers Weekly
  • Co-authored, "Are Your Clients Prepared for a DOL Audit?," For The Defense (DRI)
  • “New Laws for 2012: Legislative Updates for Michigan,” DRI Employment Committee
  • “Pro Se Pro Ca: What to Expect When Litigating Against the Pro Se Plaintiff,” PLUS
  • “Trends in Wrongful Discharge and Retaliation Litigation,” ICLE
  • “Are you my Employer? Managing Contingent Workforce Issues,” MISHRM
  • “New Hires, Getting It Right from the Start,” and “If You’re Prepared to be Sued, You’re Less Likely to be Sued,” Employment Laws Made Simple, NBI
  • “2012 Labor and Employment Update,” AGIS
  •  “Social Networking Issues for the Public Employer,” Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association
  • “Hey! Get Outta My Face…book: Social Networking in the Workplace,”  Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar
  • “The Virtual Employee,” Michigan Business Professional Association Elite Series
  • “The Employee Free Choice Act: What Employers Need to Know Now,” Nemeth Law's Raising the Bar
  • “Identity Theft Prevention, Healthcare Association of Michigan,” September 2007
  • "Know Before You Go Offshore,” CORP! Magazine, Nov/Dec 2008
  • “Protecting Your Assets with Non-Compete Agreements,” CORP! Magazine, Summer 2007
  • “New Law Requires Unpaid Break Time for Nursing Mothers,” Employment Law 360
  • “Employee Privacy in the Electronic Age,” The Institute of Continuing Legal Education 35th Annual Labor and Employment Law Institute
  • “Tattoos, Body Piercings, and Headwear: Managing Risk When Employees Bring Religion to Work,” PLUS Journal

Blog Posts

Admissions

  • Michigan State Courts
  • Eastern District of Michigan
  • Western District of Michigan
  • Northern District of Ohio
  • Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • U.S. Supreme Court
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Education

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.), Wayne State University Law School
  • Master of Science (M.S.), Communication and Rhetoric, Illinois State University
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Communication, Bradley University

Licensed to Practice In

  • Michigan

News Highlights

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Woman-owned and led, Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer has exclusively represented management in the prevention, resolution, and litigation of labor and employment disputes for more than 30 years.

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