King F. Tower

King has represented employers throughout Virginia and the Eastern U.S. in all facets of employment and labor relations. Reflecting this breadth of experience, Best Lawyers in America has named King as the Roanoke “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law-Management and Labor Law-Management in 2023 (both), 2025 (Employment), 2026 (Employment) and 2027 (Labor). In 2026, King was recognized as a BTI Client Service All-Star, one of only 26 attorneys nationwide to earn this recognition for the second consecutive year.

King’s experience as a labor and employment attorney includes defending numerous employment related claims through trial, with reported cases in state and federal courts in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Illinois. King has also become an experienced appellate advocate, having appeared and argued multiple cases before the Supreme Court of Virginia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. A permanent member of the Fourth Circuit’s Judicial Conference, King’s personally argued appellate cases include:

• Garten Trucking LC v. NLRB, 139 F.4th 269 (4^th 2025)
• Kendrick v. Carter Bank & Trust, Inc., No. 24-1377, 2025 WL 879703 (4^th March 21, 2025)
• Palmer v. Liberty University, Inc., 72 F.4th 52 (4^th 2023)
• Robinson v. Priority Automotive Huntersville, Inc., 70 F.4th 776 (4^th 2023)
• Minor v. Bostwick Laboratories, Inc., 669 F.3d 428 (4^th 2012)

In addition, King has been instrumental in several other appellate matters, including the landmark case of Doss v. Jamco, Inc., 254 Va. 362, 492 S.E.2d 441 (1997).

King regularly counsels and represents colleges and universities throughout Virginia, leading 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 Washington and Lee University School of Law and previously taught at William & Mary Law School. His experience working for and within higher education institutions gives him valuable insight into the myriad issues facing these clients.

Long recognized as one of Virginia’s leading experts in Labor Law, King has represented clients during union organization campaigns, served as lead negotiator in collective bargaining and has represented employers in grievance and arbitration proceedings, as well as in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board. King served as lead counsel in the precedent-setting Board case of Kroger Limited Partnership I Mid-Atlantic, 368 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2019), affd, 989 F.3d 1034 (D.C. Cir. 2021) (involving nonemployee union access to property). King also has extensive experience providing strategic guidance to clients on conducting internal audits of corporate compliance, employment policies, and other critical decisions.

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 Virginia Bar Association 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 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 - 2021), Young Lawyers Division, Chair (2004)
• Virginia State Bar, Litigation Section
• Washington and Lee School of Law, Adjunct Professor, 2014 - present
• Western Virginia Workforce Development Board, Former Chair

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.