Rosemary Gill Kenyon

Rose Kenyon’s professional experience involves over 45 years of practice that includes all aspects of employment and labor law in a wide variety of industries. Rose has advised both private and public companies, including their senior executives and boards of directors, on significant employment law risk management matters and potential claims, government audits and investigations, serious discrimination, harassment and misconduct investigations, corporate governance matters, executive employment agreements and compensation and employment matters in mergers and acquisitions. 

Rose is a trusted advisor to employers on their most strategic and high risk employment issues, and clients describe Rose as a "…very talented lawyer" and “very strong and practical” (Chambers USA). She is a frequent speaker on emerging employment and labor law trends and regularly conducts training for human resources professionals and managers.

Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Rose served for 13 years as in-house counsel for Carolina Power & Light Company (now known as Duke Energy), having served as Deputy General Counsel.

Rose is a past Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee.

Early in her career, Rose practiced with a business law firm in Richmond, Virginia.

Recognition

• North Carolina Bar Foundation (NCBF), Endowed Justice Fund Honoring Rosemary Gill Kenyon (2024)
• Fellow, American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
• Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers, Labor & Employment (2008-2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Employment Law - Management (2016-2025)
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment (2024-2025)
• Women of Justice Award, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly (2012, 2019)
• North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society
• Business North Carolina Legal Elite, Employment (2024)
• Super Lawyers
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers (2012-2024)
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers, Top 50 Women (2014)
• Academy of Women of the YWCA of the Greater Triangle, Inducted 2004
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rated
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation

Clerkships

• Volunteer Clerk for the Honorable W. Earl Britt, District Court Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina

Education

• University of Notre Dame, J.D., 1979
• Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame, IN), B.A., magna cum laude, 1976

Bar & Court Admissions

• American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
  • Fourth Circuit Credentials Committee (2022-2024)
• North Carolina Symphony, Board of Trustees (2021-present) 
  
  • Secretary (2023-present)
  • Executive Committee (2023-present)
• North Carolina Bar Association
  • Board of Governors (2005-2008)
  • Chair, Strategic Planning and Emerging Trends Committee (2008-2011)
  • Chair, Women in the Profession Committee (2001-2004)
  • Chair, Dispute Resolution Section (1995-1996)
  • Council Member, Corporate Counsel Section (1989-1997)
  • Sections of Labor and Employment, Litigation and Dispute Resolution
• American Bar Association
  • Sections of Labor and Employment, Litigation and Dispute Resolution
• Wake County Bar Association and Tenth Judicial District Bar
  • Grievance Committee (2013-2016)
  • Strategic Planning Committee (2015-2016)
• Saint Mary’s College Alumnae Association, Board of Directors (Notre Dame, IN) (2015-2021) 
  • Committee Chair and Member of Executive Committee  
• Community Music School of Wake County, Board of Directors (2014-2022)
  • President (2019-2022)
  • Secretary (2017-2019)
  • Member of Executive Committee (2016-2022)
  • Chair of Search Committee for Executive Director (2018)
• Habitat for Humanity of Wake County
  • Board Chair (2011-2013)
  • Board of Directors (2005-2013)
  • Honorary Co-Chair, Women’s Build (2014)
  • Honorary Chair, 17th Annual Holiday Home Tour & Party (2017)
• Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council
  • President (1992-1995)
  • Board of Directors (1986-1995)

• Served as lead in-house employment and labor counsel to a Fortune 500 company for 13 years, during a period of rapid change that included major workforce restructurings, union organizational activity, numerous employment based lawsuits and claims (including several multiple plaintiff suits and systemic claims), multiple OFCCP audits (including corporate headquarters and glass ceiling), among other things.
• Lead employment lawyer in numerous merger and acquisition transactions in a wide range of industries that included the resolution of significant transition issues regarding the misclassifications of workers (e.g., wage and hour, independent contractor), leased employee arrangements, liability for significant paid-time-off balances, professional employer organization arrangements, non-competition agreements, executive employment agreements, and cross-border issues, among other things.
• Conducted internal investigations into misconduct, embezzlement, harassment, threats of workplace violence and other wrongdoing, for both publicly-traded and private companies.
• Represented employers in the development of employment agreements, severance and non-competition agreements for senior level officers of both private and publicly-traded companies and private institutions of higher education.
• Represented CEOs and senior level officers of both private and publicly-traded companies, and private institutions of higher education, in connection with their employment agreements in a wide range of industries, including the institutional health care, pharmaceutical, banking, technology and manufacturing industries, and in higher education.
• Represented national and global companies in major reorganizations and downsizings of their workforces, including the relocation of offices, in a wide-variety of industries including the pharmaceutical, hospitality, technology, utility and manufacturing industries.
• Provided strategic and risk management advice on sensitive and high-risk employment decisions and processes, corporate governance and the development of system-wide policies and handbooks.
• Successfully defended employers in federal and state court and before administrative agencies against whistleblower claims under federal and state laws, systemic and individual claims of race discrimination, and sensitive harassment and gender discrimination claims, employment contract claims, wage and hour claims, classification issues, and in government audits.