Monika Brohamer – Premier Automotive

Monika Brohamer serves as the general counsel at Premier Automotive, a privately owned automotive group with 40 locations across eight states, including California, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, and Georgia. Premier Automotive is deeply committed to growth and positively impacting the community.

Monika Brohamer | Premier Automotive | General Counsel

Premier Automotive operates in one of the most highly regulated industries, which presents significant legal challenges. The biggest challenge currently facing Premier Automotive is keeping up with the ever-increasing federal and state regulations. This is particularly challenging in an environment where profit margins are tightening due to higher interest rates.

“My role is to navigate the complexities of our highly regulated industry, ensuring we stay compliant while managing costs. At Premier Automotive, we’re committed to business growth and positively impacting our community,” Brohamer says.

Empowering communities

One of the most significant projects at Premier Automotive is its charitable organization, Giving Hope. This organization was founded in response to the community crisis following Hurricane Katrina and has grown to include food banks in multiple locations, including New Orleans, Kansas City, Monterey, California, Escondido, California, and Hawaii. Giving Hope also supports other charitable efforts, such as orphanages, support for trafficked women, and reintegration programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. Premier Automotive encourages employee engagement with these initiatives by offering paid time off for charity events and appointing a Giving Hope Administrator at each dealership to organize events like school backpack drives and book donations for kids. Annual award ceremonies recognize the dealerships that give back the most to their communities, and fundraising galas involving employees and vendors further support these efforts.

The expansion of Premier Automotive allows for the growth of Giving Hope, as more resources become available with every car sold. This close relationship between the company’s business success and its charitable initiatives is a testament to Premier’s commitment to positively impacting the community.

Another critical area of focus for Brohamer is mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and compliance. She spearheads and manages acquisitions from start to finish, ensuring that all employees are trained and up to date with compliance programs. When a new dealership joins Premier Automotive, Brohamer visits the location to promote the company culture and explain the importance of the Giving Hope mission.

“My approach to compliance is proactive and pragmatic, balancing business interests with regulatory requirements,” she explains. “This involves preventing issues through training and guidance on best practices rather than reacting to problems after they occur.”

Brohamer’s involvement in the legal and business sides of operations allows her to understand and address the needs of both areas effectively.

Looking to the future, Premier Automotive aims to continue growing and expanding its legal and compliance departments in line with its overall growth. Brohamer’s leadership and dedication to the company’s business success and philanthropic mission drive this growth. Through her efforts, Premier Automotive can navigate the complex legal landscape of the automotive industry while maintaining a strong commitment to community service and employee development.

Enhancing efficiency

Brohamer is at the forefront of integrating AI technology to improve efficiency within the legal department and the organization. She believes in embracing AI but with a cautious approach to ensure it is used appropriately and complies with all laws. AI is utilized in contract review and management, form creation, and other tasks typically performed by junior lawyers or paralegals. Beyond the legal department, AI is being incorporated to address operational challenges, such as phone calls, appointment setting, and tracking service productivity.

This year, Premier Automotive has shifted its focus from an aggressive acquisition phase, which saw a more than 50% increase in locations in just over two years, to improving existing processes. One of the key projects for 2024 includes changing pricing models to maximize compliance and customer satisfaction without sacrificing profitability. The integration of AI is expected to play a significant role in enhancing these processes and improving overall efficiency.

Premier Automotive’s legal team is small but efficient, consisting of just two lawyers. This small team size means that Brohamer and her colleague are deeply involved in every aspect of the business, from handling day-to-day legal matters to participating in strategic decision-making. While the limited size of the team can be challenging, particularly regarding time management and the need to delegate litigation to outside counsel, it also allows for a more hands-on approach and closer collaboration with other departments.

Employee retention and recruitment are ongoing challenges for Premier Automotive, especially in the legal department. While Brohamer cannot speak to the legal department’s hiring practices due to its limited size, she notes that the company is focused on adding value to employees, improving company culture, and generating future talent, particularly for challenging positions like mechanics.

“Premier Automotive stands out for its commitment to philanthropy and community involvement, which is significant in its recruitment and retention strategies,” she says.

From finance to law

Brohamer’s interest in law developed after completing her undergraduate degree at Oakland University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Finance and minoring in Management Information Systems. Initially geared towards finance, her first job as a financial planner proved pivotal.

“My employer encouraged me to pursue an advanced degree or certification,” Brohamer says. She chose law for its broader career options.

Brohamer attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Oakland University, excelling academically. She served as Senior Associate Editor of the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, graduated magna cum laude, and was a 100% scholarship recipient.

After over a decade in private practice, the opportunity to move in-house presented itself. Although separate from her original plan, Brohamer embraced the challenge. “After practicing law for over ten years, the transition to an in-house position seemed like a natural progression,” Brohamer says.

Despite her high-speed work life, Brohamer enjoys things at a slower pace when it comes to her personal life. She is married with two daughters, and they live in the country, where they raise dogs, ducks, and chickens. She enjoys gardening and exploring her artistic side in her free time.

“Satisfaction comes with finding meaning in whatever you do. Knowing what I do at work benefits the community, and what I do at home benefits my family, which is what makes me feel fulfilled,” Brohamer remarks.