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 NYC Limits Housing Discrimination Based on Criminal Background: Is ‘Criminal History’ History? by: John A. Snyder , Diane Krebs Massachusetts Makarevich: ‘Understandable’ Separation Agreement Language Aids Employer in Unpaid Wages Case by: Brian E. Lewis , Eve R. Keller Breastfeeding at Work Redefined: Puerto Rico’s New Code Ushers in Major Changes by: Sara E. Colón-Acevedo , Karina Rodríguez Civil Rights Enforcement following Columbia’s Settlement with the White House by: Amy Fabiano , Brigid Harrington Court Rules Pension Fund’s Position Was Not ‘So Baseless’ as to Mandate an Award of Attorneys’ Fees by: Robert R. Perry DOL Resurrects PAID Program: Employers Can Self-Report, Resolve Violations by: Justin R. Barnes , Jeffrey W. Brecher Tax-Loss Harvesting Part III: Investment Strategies by: Andie Kramer European Court of Justice Upholds Decision Annulling Harmonized Classification and Labeling of Titanium Dioxide by: Lynn L. Bergeson , Carla N. Hutton Beltway Buzz, August 8, 2025 by: James J. Plunkett Understanding Cash Collateral and DIP Financing Orders by: Financial Poise Faculty Mediation Done Right: Selecting, Preparing, and Presenting Your Case for Settlement by: Financial Poise Faculty Tariff Update: Reciprocal Tariffs and Other Recent Changes by: Lisa C. Mays , Jonathan Wang United States: US$12.2 Trillion Opportunity–Executive Order Paves the Way for Easier 401(k) Plan Access to Alternative Investments by: Ruth E. Delaney , Robert L. Sichel A WARNing for Maryland Employers: Mandatory Notice Requirements for Mass Layoffs or RIFs Are Now in Effect! by: Fiona W. Ong , Paul D. Burgin Trump Signs Executive Order Directing the DOL and SEC to Facilitate 401(k) Plan Access to Alternative Assets by: Adam W Scoll , Ira G. Bogner Upcoming Events Aug 21 2025 Crash Course: How to Acquire and Resuscitate Distressed Companies Sep 15 2025 US General Counsel Summit Sep 15 2025 Chief Litigation Officer Summit Aug 13 2025 TSCA 30/30 - August 13, 2025 Print
