Michael (Mike) Ray is the managing shareholder of the firm’s Charlotte office. Mike represents and counsels employers on the full spectrum of labor and employment matters. Mike regularly litigates class and collective actions under federal and state law in North Carolina and across the country, and has successfully tried multiple cases to a complete defense verdict in forums across the country.
Mike has extensive experience in high-stakes litigation and strives to help employers reach practical and creative solutions to their problems. Mike understands that there is no “one size fits all” approach to labor and employment matters, and he regularly partners with companies to achieve strategies and solutions that meet both their legal and business objectives.
In his 15+ years at Ogletree Deakins, Mike has numerous successes including decertifying classes in class/collective actions, winning cases at trial, and making favorable law for employers in the appellate courts. Mike has litigated cases in forums across the country, ranging from Pacific Northwest to the Southeast, and various places in between. Mike has been recognized as a Best Lawyer in North Carolina and previously was named a Super Lawyer “Rising Star” for 2013-2019.
In addition to his practice, Mike is a regular speaker and author on the labor and employment issues facing employers.
Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins back in 2005, Mike served as a law clerk for current Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Thomas Saylor.
