Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer named among Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s In the Lead: Best Women-Led Law Firms

Oct. 7, 2024

Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; 248.260.8466; barbara@eafocus.com

Detroit – October 7, 2024 – Management-side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC is pleased to announce the firm has been recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a Best Women-Led Law Firm. To be considered for the legal publication’s inaugural ‘In the Lead’ Best Women-Led Law Firms program, firms must employ a minimum of four attorneys, be led by a woman (or women), and be based in Michigan. Contenders were also evaluated on a broad spectrum of additional criteria including:

Can demonstrate success in the local legal community through growth in revenue or employees.
Recognized as a best workplace because of employee support programs.
Can show a high level of employee morale.
Can demonstrate strong and consistent community engagement.
Has a record of promoting DE&I efforts designed to help women attorneys thrive professionally and diversify the profession.

Majority owner and managing partner Deborah Brouwer, along with co-owner Terry Bonnette, has carried on the vision that firm founder Patricia Nemeth (now of counsel to the firm) launched 32 years ago when the practice niche of management-side labor and employment law was dominated by men. That ongoing vision has always put the interests of the clients first; embraced a culture where the attorneys are collaborative—not competitive; allowed for flexibility in work hours; and accepted a workplace norm where women (and men) can reach their full potential and help others do the same.

A pioneer herself in labor and employment law, Brouwer defied early career advice that women couldn’t be attorneys – or if they did, could only practice divorce and family law. Ignoring naysayers helped her reach multiple milestones for herself and the firm—and she became the majority shareholder in 2020.

“I’m so proud to continue Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer’s tradition of being women-owned and women-led and thrilled that others also recognize our legacy,” Brouwer said. “It’s amazing how winning cases, serving hundreds of clients and creating our own success since 1992 has helped us overcome the patriarchal challenges associated with both the legal and business professions. It’s an honor to be named a Best Women-Led Law Firm and celebrate the accomplishments of female-led firms across Michigan!”

Now a career-long role model for female litigators and change agent for women in the profession, Brouwer has a bustling management-side labor and employment law practice, working with employers to establish productive and harmonious workplace environments. She provides counseling, training, and litigation services to a wide range of public and private sector and nonprofit clients and has extensive experience with claims of race, age, disability, gender, and religious discrimination and harassment, as well as claims brought under the FMLA and FLSA. She has appeared before state and federal administrative agencies and courts in multiple states and is also a skilled workplace investigator.

Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer has been long-active in NAMWOLF (National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms) and is a certified woman-owned business by WBENC (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council) and NWBOC (National Women Business Owners Corporation). The firm has also mentored women attorneys both within and outside of the firm, and created and supported alternative career tracks to support its staff’s personal commitments beyond work. Further, firm attorneys serve on multiple boards that have a special emphasis on protecting/promoting women, families, and vulnerable populations.

Brouwer, firm attorneys and the firm itself have won myriad legal awards and honors as a result of their work. This latest list will be featured in Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s October 21 issue in a special In the Lead Best Women-Led Law Firms section, individually highlighting each firm’s achievements.

About Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer PC

Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer specializes in employment litigation, traditional labor law, workplace investigations, and management consultation and training for private and public sector employers. The firm also provides arbitration and mediation services. Woman-owned and led since its founding in 1992, Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer exclusively represents management in the prevention, resolution and litigation of labor and employment disputes.