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 Greatest Hits of Employment Law for In-House Counsel: DEI and Looking Ahead for 2026 - (Posted On Friday, March 27, 2026) Top of the Wheel- A Conversation with North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley - (Posted On Friday, January 23, 2026) Fast Pass Through the Employer’s Legal Landscape- Lap 1 - (Posted On Monday, January 12, 2026) 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) Pagination Page 1 Next page Next › Current Legal Analysis EPA Announces Release of Draft Fungicide Strategy and Seeks Public Comment by: James V. Aidala , Barbara A. Christianson USDA Announces Organizational Changes that Move Personnel Outside of DC Region by: Food and Drug Law at Keller and Heckman The Invisible Disability: An Employer’s Guide to Mental Health and the ADA by: Fiona W. Ong California AG Issues Warning Letter to Baby Food Manufacturers re Heavy Metal Testing Disclosures by: Food and Drug Law at Keller and Heckman Super Micro’s Export Control Issues: Compliance and Financial Reporting Implications by: Olga Usvyatsky SEC Adopts Inflation-Based Adjustment to 'Qualified Client' Thresholds for Performance Fees by: Michael S. Didiuk , Alexa Warner Federal Court Blocks Arizona From Enforcing Gambling Laws Against Prediction Markets by: Carl E. Kennedy , Matthew F. Kluchenek DOJ Lawsuit Against Cloudera Alleges Discrimination Tied to PERM‑Related Hiring Practices by: Cole F. Heyer Jarkesy Challenges Reach State Administrative Proceedings, but Seventh Amendment Still Stops at Federal Line by: Benjamin Lajoie DOJ Fraud Section Launches West Coast Strike Force to Target Health Care Fraud in Arizona, California, Nevada and other Western States by: Lawrence M. Kraus , Lauren P. Carboni The Korea Defense Market Is Open – Here’s What U.S. Companies Need to Know Before They Walk In by: Aron C. Beezley , Nathaniel J. Greeson The Southern Poverty Law Center in the Crosshairs: The Indictment and the Difficult Road Ahead by: Gary Chodes , Timothy Keane Industry Comments Received on New Clean Fuels Proposed Rule: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly by: Timothy J. Urban , Kimberly J. Pinter Federal Judge Blocks End of Yemen TPS by: Ian P. Band Beyond the Pump: The Iran War’s Adverse Impact on U.S. Health Care by: Julius W. Hobson, Jr. , Mark W. Weller Upcoming Events May 21 2026 From Fake Citations to Sanctions: AI Failures by Lawyers, Judges, & BigLaw in 2026 Jun 11 2026 Preparing Law Students for AI in Transactional Practice: What Law Schools Should Know (Pres. by Spellbook and Wickard) May 12 2026 Insurance Coverage Master Class series: Generative AI and the Future of Coverage Litigation May 14 2026 Insurance Coverage Master Class series: Getting To It: Commercial General Liability Coverage for Rip and Tear Print
