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 APHIS Seeks Comment on Draft Environmental Documents for Deregulation of American Chestnut Developed Using Genetic Engineering by: Lynn L. Bergeson , Carla N. Hutton Active Shooter Incidents, Part III: Effective Preparedness, Training, and Strategies [Podcast] by: Karen Tynan Cross-Border Catch-Up: South Korea’s New Wage Enforcement Rules [Podcast] by: Goli Rahimi , Patty Shapiro Urgent FCA Enforcement Update by: MDRX Law Senate Bill 6 Positions Texas to Better Manage Large Electrical Loads and Strengthen Grid Reliability by: Eric Blumrosen , David G. Cabrales Buy Now, Pay Later: Regulatory Retreat in Washington, State Regulation on the Rise by: Claire N. Abrahamson The Dangers of Utilizing Compliance Consultants When Responding to an Audit by: MDRX Law EU Sets 2040 Climate Target – Key Legal and Policy Highlights from the European Commission’s Proposal by: Thomas Delille , Valerio Giovannini Foreign Companies, U.S. Risk: The False Claims Act Can Be a Global Compliance Risk by: David W. Simon , Pamela L. Johnston Contaminated Land in Western Australia: A Timely Reminder That Leases Must Comprehensively Address Land Contamination by: Simon Moen , Michael Hain July 8th, 2025 The One Big Beautiful Bill: A Closer Look at New and Rising Immigration Fees by: Raymond G. Lahoud U.S. Sanctions Review: A Recap of OFAC’s 2025 Enforcement Actions and a Look Ahead by: Adam Klauder , Mary Maloney Federal Reserve Board Enforcement Action Raises Concerns as to Reach of Regulators’ Jurisdiction by: Travis P. Nelson DOJ’s Final Rule on Bulk Data Transfers: A Road Map by: Elizabeth J. McEvoy WHD Drops Proposal to End Subminimum Wages for Workers with Disabilities by: Charles E. McDonald, III , Zachary V. Zagger Upcoming Events Jul 9 2025 July 9 WEBINAR | Crossing Borders: US Business Immigration Strategies for Israeli Companies Jul 9 2025 Employment Law in the US Jul 10 2025 Mandatory Roth Catch-up Jul 10 2025 Checkmate: Making the Right Moves in Complex Workplace Investigations Print