S. McKinley Gray, III
North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Employment Law
T 252.672.5476
F 252.672.5477
E smg@wardandsmith.com
O New Bern, NC, Raleigh, NC
Practice Areas:
Agribusiness, Closely Held Companies, Education Law, Employment Litigation, In-House Counsel, Labor and Employment, Litigation, Local Counsel, Workplace Safety and Health
S. McKinley Gray, III
North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Employment Law
Ken leads the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group and is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Employment Law. 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.
Additionally, Ken regularly handles complex complaints and conducts sensitive internal corporate workplace investigations, including those regarding sexual harassment, inappropriate behavior, and malfeasance.
Ken is a frequent lecturer on employment discrimination, workplace retaliation, and wage and hour issues. He also serves in leadership roles with various legal and civic organizations. He is a former president of the Craven County Bar Association, a former two-term president of the United Way of Coastal Carolina Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Deacons of First Baptist Church of New Bern.
Honors and Distinctions
Please see the following websites for an explanation of the membership standards for the following recognitions: www.bestlawyers.com; businessnc.com/special-sections/legal-elite/; and www.superlawyers.com/north-carolina.
- J.D., magna cum laude, Campbell Law School, 1993. Business Editor, Campbell Law Review.
- B.S., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1990. Dean’s List. Johnston Scholar.
- American Bar Association — Sections: Labor and Employment Law; Litigation
- Craven County Bar Association (secretary/treasurer 1998-1999; president 1999-2000)
- North Carolina Bar Association — Committee: Quality of Life (co-chair 1995)
- North Carolina Bar Association — Sections: Labor and Employment Law; Litigation; Workers’ Compensation
- North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, Employment Law Specialty Advisory Committee Member
- North Carolina, 1993
- All state courts in North Carolina
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina
My motto is “work hard and play hard.”
The best thing about Ward and Smith is that we always put our clients first in anything we do. We try to look at the big picture for each client even if the particular client is only focused on the short term goal. Often, we demonstrate that the short term goal may not be in the client’s best interest, and the client is thankful that we are not afraid to say things that the client initially may not want to hear.
