King F. Tower

King has represented employers throughout Virginia (based in Richmond for 15 years before relocating to Roanoke) and the Eastern U.S. in all facets of employment and labor relations. Reflecting this breadth of experience, Best Lawyers in America named King as the 2023 Roanoke “Lawyer of the Year” for both Employment Law-Management and Labor Law-Management.

King regularly counsels and represents colleges and universities throughout Virginia, and leads the efforts of Woods Rogers' Higher Education team. He is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) and a frequent speaker at a wide variety of higher education conferences such as CUPA-HR (College and University Professional Association), the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV), and Woods Rogers's own Higher Education seminars. In addition, King currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law and previously taught at the William & Mary Law School. His experience working for and within higher education institutions gives him valuable insight into the myriad issues facing higher educational institutions.

King’s experience as a labor and employment attorney includes defending claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Title VII. He has extensive experience providing strategic guidance to clients on conducting internal audits of corporate compliance, employment policies, and other critical decisions. King also assists federal contractors in preparing affirmative action programs and represents them during government audits. King has served as lead negotiator in collective bargaining and has represented employers in grievance and arbitration proceedings.

King received an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for Employment Litigation and is recognized by Chambers USA - America’s Leading Business Lawyers for Labor and Employment Law. He is a frequent speaker at national and regional programs for organizations such as the American Bar Association, the Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee, and Virginia SHRM.

He is a contributing author to The Family and Medical Leave Act treatise, published by BNA (2nd Ed.).

A native of Roanoke, Va., King earned a J.D. from the William & Mary Law School and his B.A. from the University of Virginia. He is admitted to practice in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.

Recognition

Education

William & Mary Law School, J.D.

University of Virginia, B.A.

Admissions

Virginia

North Carolina

West Virginia

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia

U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina

U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina

U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia

U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia

U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit 

U.S. Supreme Court

• American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
• National Association of College and University Attorneys
• Roanoke Bar Association
• Roanoke Valley Society for Human Resources Management, Former Legislative Affairs Chair
• Roanoke Public Library, Former Advisory Board Member
• Virginia Bar Association, Labor Relations and Employment Law Section (2015-present), Young Lawyers Division, Chair (2004)

Multimedia

• Co-author, “Employment: North America, USA – Virginia,” Lexology Getting the Deal Through, September 19, 2023.
• Co-author, “Employment: North America, USA – Virginia,” Lexology Getting the Deal Through, October 17, 2022.
• Co-author, An Employment Law Guide: Employee Rights and Employer Responsibilities in Virginia, Virginia CLE, 2021.
• Co-author, Employment Law in Virginia, Virginia CLE, 2020.