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 White House Publishes Executive Orders Aimed at Accelerating Nuclear Energy by: Taylor Mayhall , Kyle W. Danish BETO Updates 45ZCF-GREET Model to Incorporate New Methods of Alternative Fuel Production by: Lynn L. Bergeson , Carla N. Hutton SEC Staff Declares Certain Protocol Staking Not a Security Transaction by: Kyle Jaep TSCA Section 21 Petition Seeks Reconsideration of 2024 Rule Regarding Procedures for Chemical Risk Evaluation by: Lynn L. Bergeson , Carla N. Hutton H-1B Registration Numbers for FY 2026 H-1B Cap Reveal an Increase in Selection Rate by: Claudia P. Martorell Beltway Buzz, May 30, 2025 by: James J. Plunkett State Department Pauses New Student and Exchange Visitor Visa Interviews: New Vetting Procedures Expected Soon by: Whitney Brownlow , Derek J. Maka GET YOUR FAX STRAIGHT: Court Grants Class Certification In TCPA Fax Blast Case by: Steven L. Rozenfeld Supreme Court Significantly Scales Back Scope of NEPA Review for Infrastructure Projects by: Robert M. Stonestreet Congress Unveils Highly Anticipated Cryptocurrency Market Structure Legislation by: Vivian K. Bridges , Joshua (Josh) Durham Oregon Federal Judge Strikes Down State Law Requiring Labor Peace Agreements for Cannabis Licensure and Certification – OLCC Will No Longer Enforce State Requirement by: Bianca M. Rodriguez , Keahn N. Morris International Students Face Visa Revocations and Status Terminations – What Does that Mean For Higher Education Institutions? by: Amy Fabiano , Brigid Harrington Landmark Supreme Court Decision Limits NEPA Review Scope: Agencies Granted ‘Substantial Deference’ in Environmental Assessments by: Steven G. Barringer , Kerri L. Barsh Rethinking University Research: Innovating the Innovation Ecosystem to Support Life Sciences and Personalized Medicine by: Antoinette F. Konski The Angel is in the Details: Grant Agreements that Matter by: Caren Croland Yanis Upcoming Events Jun 3 2025 FDA Update: Commissioner Makary at Month Three Jun 3 2025 Labor and Employment Law Mid-Year Update Webinar Jun 4 2025 Government Involvement in the Mortgage Market and Ginnie Mae Jun 6 2025 Healthcare Insights: Navigating Change Under the New Administration Print
