Ken Carlson is a certified mediator who has practiced labor & employment law exclusively since 1993. The majority of his practice now involves serving as a mediator or arbitrator, primarily focusing on various areas of employment law. As a certified mediator, Ken mediates cases in both federal and state courts throughout North Carolina, and in other states upon request. He is also fine with mediating in-person, virtually, or through a combination of the two — whichever the parties prefer.
Ken is a former chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, currently serves on the Council of the Labor & Employment Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, and is a Fellow with the American Bar Foundation. He is consistently named to Business North Carolina’s annual “Legal Elite”, to the list of North Carolina “Super Lawyers,” and to the Best Lawyers in America for labor & employment law and/or alternative dispute resolution.
Ken is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars, and has written numerous articles and CLE materials on such diverse matters as mediating in a manner to help avoid impasse, “best practices” for a successful mediation, legal ethics in mediation, and the pros and cons of employment law arbitration. In addition to his mediation and legal practice, Ken is an adjunct professor at the Wake Forest University School of Law where he teaches courses in negotiation and trade secrets/unfair competition.
The legal areas in which Ken primarily serves as a mediator or arbitrator include:
- Discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful discharge
- Breach of employment contract
- FLSA/wage & hour
- ERISA/benefits
- Trade secret/covenant not to compete issues
Education
- Wake Forest University School of Law – J.D., 1990
- Yale Divinity School – Master of Divinity, 1981
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – B.A., English, 1976
Memberships & Affiliations
- Adjunct Professor, Wake Forest University School of Law
- American Bar Association
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Council Member, Labor & Employment Section of the NC Bar Association
- Former Past Chair and Council Member, Dispute Resolution Section of the NC Bar Association
- Past Editor, NC Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section Newsletter and Labor & Employment Section Newsletter
Honors & Recognitions
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow (2015 – present)
- Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce, Government Affairs Committee, Member and Former Chairman
- Advisory Board Member and Current Chair, The Salvation Army of Greater Winston-Salem (2019 – present)
- Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, Inc., Former Chairman
- Samaritan Ministries, Former Board Member