Brownlee is in private consulting practice. In 2003 she completed a sabbatical in Belize, Central America, where she consulted on implementation of new intellectual property laws with the firm of Glenn D. Godfrey & Company, Belize. Prior to her sabbatical, she served as of counsel to Morrison & Foerster, LLP, Brussels. She has also been associated with the Seattle firm of Foster Pepper & Shefelman, where she developed expertise in international intellectual property and computer law and advised on international trademark, copyright, and trade secret protection and enforcement.

In 1994 Brownlee relocated to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where she associated with the firm of Trenite Van Doorne (now Van Doorne). She founded, developed, and managed the firm's international Internet/e-commerce law practice, including development and management of in-house know-how and expertise. She also founded, developed, and managed the firm's intellectual property due diligence practice, assisting the corporate finance/merger and acquisition department, and managed all aspects of legal due diligence. Brownlee earned her B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, an M.A. in English from the University of Washington, and her J.D. from the University of Puget Sound, where she was lead editor of the law review. She has published numerous scholarly articles on intellectual property law and is also the author of Federal Acquisition Regulations: Intellectual Property and Related Rights.