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 Supreme People’s Court Fines Patentee for Failure to Report Amendment of Claims During Invalidation to Trial Court by: Aaron Wininger U.S. District Judge Blocks DHS Attempt to Terminate Haiti TPS Early by: Marion Boyer Key Changes to Chicago’s Labor Ordinances, Effective July 1, 2025 by: Jeffrey L. Rudd What’s New in Wireless - May 2025 by: Angela Y. Kung , Christen B'anca Glenn What’s New in Wireless - June 2025 by: Angela Y. Kung , Christen B'anca Glenn What’s New in Wireless - July 2025 by: Angela Y. Kung , Christen B'anca Glenn US Department of Labor Awards $2M to Help Workers Affected by Layoffs, Business Closures in Maine’s Coastal Region by: U.S. Department of Labor Sustainable Energy & Infrastructure M&A Activity — July 2025 by: Thomas R. Burton, III , Sahir Surmeli Department of Defense Employee Charged with Unlawful Retention of Classified Documents by: United States Department of Justice (DOJ) Judge Allows Justice Department’s iPhone Monopolization Suit to Proceed by: Bruce D. Sokler , Kristina Van Horn US Department of Labor Issues New Guidance to Provide Clarity for Farmers on H-2A Worker Regulations by: U.S. Department of Labor Dodging Duties: The Ninth Circuit Affirms an Expansive Application of the False Claims Act Consistent with Trump Administration Priorities to Target and Combat Customs Fraud and Tariff Evasion by: Eoin P. Beirne , Nick A. LaPalme Operator of Ganadores Ecommerce and Real Estate Business Opportunity Scam Faces Lifetime Ban as a Result of FTC Action by: Federal Trade Commission FTC Texas Man Charged Federally for Receipt and Transport of Explosives Intended for Use Against Law Enforcement by: United States Department of Justice (DOJ) FTC Takes Action to Prevent Anticompetitive Effects of Retail Gas Station Deal by: Federal Trade Commission FTC Upcoming Events Jul 8 2025 Environmental Essentials Webinar - EPA’s Proposed Repeal of the Carbon Pollution Standards for Power Plants: Implications for the Rest of Industry 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 Print
