Bean Named General Counsel of the Year by St. Louis Business Journal

Eight Corporate Counsel Award honorees chosen by publication for 2026

Howl Bean II, general counsel for St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership), has been named the 2026 General Counsel of the Year by the St. Louis Business Journal. Bean was among nine honorees chosen for this year’s Corporate Counsel Awards.

Among his many career accomplishments, Bean led legal negotiations and key agreements for St. Louis’s new nonstop flight to London Heathrow Airport, which debuted in April. Industry research and peer city benchmarks show that non-stop service to Europe can generate between $50 million and $100 million annually for a metro economy. Bean drafted the $4.5 million incentive package to secure the flight.

An award ceremony took place on June 11, and the winners were honored in a special awards section in the June 12 issue of the St. Louis Business Journal.

To see the counselors chosen for the 2026 awards, click here.

A feature article on the career of Bean can be found here.