Ambassador Gray was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He earned his Bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Harvard University and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the Law School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. Following his graduation from university, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. After law school, he clerked for Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1968-69).

At the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr, his practice focused on a range of regulatory matters, with emphasis on environment, energy, antitrust, public health, and information technology. Ambassador Gray served as counsel to the Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief during the Reagan Administration. While working as White House Counsel, he was one of the principal architects of the 1991 Clean Air Act Amendments. He served as chairman of the Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice of the American Bar Association 2000-2002.

Ambassador Gray has served on the boards of numerous charitable, educational, and professional organizations. For Harvard University, he has been a member of the Committee to Visit the College and of the Committee on University Development. He is the recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal and the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of North Carolina Law School.