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 Sixth Circuit Deepens Circuit Split: Kalshi Sports-Event Contracts Are Not “Swaps,” and the CEA Does Not Preempt State Gambling Laws by: Dennis M.P. Ehling , Louise Bowes Marencik Digging into Rollover Equity: A Recent Delaware Chancery Ruling Is a Cautionary Tale for Business Owners Taking Rollover Equity in M&A Deals by: Zachary Simon Proposed H.R. 10336 Would Balance Innovation, Access to Dietary Supplements—Yet Change the Definition by: Zachary S. Taylor , Jack Wenik Global AI and Data Compliance: Why U.S. Employers Can’t Afford a U.S.-Only Lens by: Matthew P. Gizzo , Cécile Martin The Inducement Trap: The First Circuit Subordinates PREPA Bondholders’ $8.5 Billion Claim Against the Commonwealth Under Section 510(b) by: Shane G. Ramsey Sonderling Takes DOL Helm: Expect Continued Focus on Employer Compliance Assistance by: Justin R. Barnes , Jeffrey W. Brecher This Week in 340B: September 29 – October 5, 2026 by: Emily J. Cook , Reuben Bank EB-2 NIW Green Card Case Study: Approval for Argentine Psychologist in Human Resources by: Colombo & Hurd Michigan v. DOE: D.C. Circuit Rejects DOE’s Use of Federal Power Act Emergency Powers to Block Plant Retirements by: Mark R Haskell , Emily S. Childress OCC Moves to Dismiss Multistate Challenge to Mortgage Escrow Preemption Actions by: John L. Culhane, Jr. , Alan S. Kaplinsky California Court of Appeal Finds Managers Not Liable for Whistleblower Retaliation by: Tracie L. Childs , Joel H. Kosh IRS Notice 2026-55: Potential Relief for Homebuilders in Opportunity Zones by: Bob Burton , Josh Prywes First Federal Appellate Fair Use Ruling on AI Training Rejects Non-Generative AI’s Use of Copyrighted Headnotes by: Seiko Okada, M.D., Ph.D. , Jeffrey S. Whittle Four New California Laws Reshape the Rules for Workplace AI by: Adam S. Forman , Nathaniel M. Glasser Forced Labor: Unions and Activists are Redefining the Legal Boundaries by: Joseph Anthony Turzi Upcoming Events Oct 12-13 2026 2026 Proxy Disclosure & 23rd Annual Executive Compensation Conferences Oct 19-20 2026 European Corporate Counsel Summit by Marcus Evans Oct 19-20 2026 IP Law Europe Summit by Marcus Evans Oct 28-29 2026 Future Lawyer USA Print
