S. McKinley Gray, IIILabor and Employment AttorneyWard and Smith, P.A.Websitewww.wardandsmith.comOrganization ProfileFull ProfileConnectEmail252-672-5476 Professional Biography Ken leads the Labor and Employment practice. His practice experience encompasses various areas of employment-related litigation. He advises clients and litigates cases involving all forms of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and breach of employment contracts from small start-up companies to Fortune 500 corporations. Ken is a frequent lecturer on employment discrimination, workplace retaliation, workers' compensation, and wage and hour law issues. He has been rated by his peers as being "preeminent" in his fields of law and serves in leadership roles with various legal and civic organizations. Ken is a former president of the Craven County Bar Association, a former two-term president of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Coastal Carolina, and Chairman of the Deacons of First Baptist Church of New Bern. More Legal and Business Bylines From S. McKinley Gray, III The Art of Effective Disciplinary Documentation: A Practical Guide for Manufacturing Managers - (Posted On Saturday, June 21, 2025) Key Employment Law Issues Employers Need to Watch in 2025 - (Posted On Tuesday, January 14, 2025) Part 1 in Heatwaves of Drama: A Case Study in "What Not to Do" for Southeastern HR Professionals - (Posted On Friday, December 13, 2024) Turning Back Overtime – Texas Judge Strikes Down Salary Threshold Increase - (Posted On Tuesday, November 19, 2024) Legal Showdown Continues: FTC Appeals Court Ruling Against Non-Compete Ban - (Posted On Thursday, October 24, 2024) Having the Talk: How Employers Should Prepare for Difficult Disciplinary Situations - (Posted On Tuesday, May 14, 2024) Raising the Rate: DOL Expands Overtime Protections to Millions of Workers - (Posted On Wednesday, April 24, 2024) The EEOC Issues a Proposed Rule Regarding the Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act - (Posted On Friday, September 15, 2023) NLRB Turning Up the Heat Over Employee Handbooks - (Posted On Monday, August 14, 2023) Employers Take Note: New Laws Provide Protections for Pregnant and Nursing Employees - (Posted On Wednesday, March 08, 2023) Pagination Page 1 Next page Next › Current Legal Analysis Texas Business Organizations Code: Key Amendments Under SB 29 by: Elizabeth Hadley , Christopher M. LaVigne Regulatory Trend: Safeguarding Mental Health in an AI-Enabled World by: Paul D. Squire , Jennifer Bauer Controversial New York Judicial Reorganization Bill Likely to Soon Head to Governor’s Desk by: Joseph T. Burns President Trump Nominates Two for NLRB, Aiming to Restore Quorum by: Gabriel D. Gomez , Sara J. Robertson A Quick Look at Benefits and Executive Compensation Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill by: William P. Sweeney , John D. Martini OSH Law Primer, Part XIV: Did OSHA Get It Wrong? Understanding Judicial Review Under the OSH Act by: Ryan J. Swink FDA Authorizes JUUL Labs ENDS Products for U.S. Market by: Azim Chowdhury , LieAnn Van-Tull AI Implications in Senate and House Committees’ Versions of FY 2026 NDAA, and the Pentagon Awards Four AI Contracts Up to $200 Million Each — AI: The Washington Report by: Bruce D. Sokler , Alexander Hecht FDA Extends Comment Period on Method for Ranking Chemicals in Food for Post-Market Assessments by: Lynn L. Bergeson , Carla N. Hutton APHIS Updates Practices for Reviewing Petitions Seeking a Determination of Nonregulated Status for Organisms Altered or Produced through Genetic Engineering by: Lynn L. Bergeson , Carla N. Hutton McDermott+ Check-Up – July 18, 2025 by: Debra Curtis , Julia Grabo President Trump Announces Nominees for Two Vacant Seats on the National Labor Relations Board by: Erin E. Schaefer , Steven M. Swirsky Pennsylvania Appellate Court Latest to Acknowledge PSQIA Privilege by: Judy C. Selmeci OCC Handbook Change is Latest Move in Administration’s Shift on Lending Discrimination by: Travis P. Nelson Nevada Puts New Retirement Savings Program Into Gear by: David C. Castleberry Upcoming Events Jul 23 2025 The National Association of Women Lawyers 2025 Annual Meeting Jul 21 2025 The Big, Beautiful Webinar Series - Part One: An Introduction to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Jul 23 2025 Navigating Emerging AI Legislation Jul 23 2025 CEQA Reform Legislation Webinar Print
