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 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) Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Agreements with Non-Supervisory Employees: New Limitations from the NLRB - (Posted On Wednesday, March 01, 2023) Pagination Page 1 Next page Next › Current Legal Analysis Trending in Telehealth: March 2025 by: Amanda Enyeart California Pay Reports Are Due on May 14—Are You Ready? by: James A. Patton , Christopher W. Olmsted State Privacy Regulators Announce Formation of Privacy ‘Supergroup’ by: Lauren N. Watson Enhancing Efficiency in Foreign Defense Sales: Key Takeaways from Recent Executive Order by: Daniel H. Petkoff , Erin L. Felix Digital Dollars, Not Investments: SEC Staff Weighs in on Stablecoins by: A.J. S. Dhaliwal , Mehul N. Madia Federal Judge Order Suspends Termination of Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan (CHNV) Parole Program by: Amanda M. Mullane Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Explores Regulatory Risks in Gaming Ecosystems by: A.J. S. Dhaliwal , Mehul N. Madia New York AG Sues Earned Wage Access Companies for Allegedly Unlawful Payday Lending Practices by: A.J. S. Dhaliwal , Mehul N. Madia In Welcome News for Tax Whistleblowers, IRS Whistleblower Office Releases Operating Plan by: Mary Jane Wilmoth CFPB Announces It Will Not Prioritize Oversight of Repeat Offender Registry by: A.J. S. Dhaliwal , Mehul N. Madia Competition Currents | April 2025 by: Tonya M. Esposito , Justin P. Hedge FISHING FOR INFO?: Not Enough To Reel In A CIPA Claim! by: Blake Landis Supreme Court Ends Circuit Split with Ruling That Plaintiffs Can Seek RICO Damages for Certain Personal Injury Claims by: Jared H. Pliner , James W. Matthews Private Market Talks: Navigating Turbulence with Adams Street Partners’ Bill Sacher [Podcast] by: Michael Saliba CLEAR, UNMISTAKABLE, COMPELLING: Court Compels Arbitration Based On Inclusion Of AAA Rules by: Kayla Kershen Upcoming Events Apr 30 2025 Workplace Horizons 2025 Apr 23 2025 Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) Essentials: Compliance Strategies and Litigation Insights Apr 23 2025 Rooftop Reception at IAPP Global Privacy Summit 2025 Apr 24 2025 Latest Developments in Intellectual Property Enforcement and Procurement Print
