People mingle and chat in a modern, spacious event hall with tall ceilings, an open staircase, and tables with drinks and food. Some stand near the bar, while others gather in small groups throughout the space as Stewart Banner attends the grand opening of UNC Kenan-Flagler’s new business school building.

BRAWW Law Of Counsel, Stewart Banner, returned to Chapel Hill in early November to celebrate a milestone for his alma mater: the grand opening of Steven D. Bell Hall, the newest academic building at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. Stewart, who earned his MBA at UNC, joined alumni, faculty, business leaders, and distinguished guests for a multi-day series of events marking the building’s official debut.

A New Landmark for Business Education

Steven D. Bell Hall represents a major investment in the future of business education at UNC. Designed to expand capacity for the school’s rapidly growing programs, the building supports more than 3,400 students, including over 1,100 undergraduate business majors and more than 200 minors. 

The building, designed with flexible, technology-enabled classrooms, will support hybrid and online instruction, host conferences and case competitions, and provide dedicated communal spaces to foster academic and professional connections. Additional features include:

Three people walk toward the glass entrance of Steven D. Bell Hall at night, where Stewart Banner attends the grand opening of UNC Kenan-Flagler’s new business school building. The area is well-lit, with modern architecture and brick detailing visible on the right side.
  • A four-story interior atrium
  • A 50-seat outdoor tiered teaching space
  • Extensive open-air terraces and natural light
  • New green spaces surrounding the building
  • Sustainability-focused elements such as solar panels and energy-efficient systems

Bell Hall is engineered to meet LEED Gold standards, with a goal of ultimately achieving LEED Platinum. It also aligns with UNC’s ambitious Three Zeroes Initiative for net-zero water usage, zero waste to landfills, and zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Insights From Industry Innovator Jason Kilar

A highlight of the weekend was hearing from this year’s featured speaker, Jason Kilar, former CEO of WarnerMedia and co-founder/CEO of Hulu. Kilar, who also held leadership roles at Disney and Amazon, delivered a keynote rich with personal insights and lessons from his career across media and technology.

Kilar spoke candidly about the opportunities and ethical challenges emerging from artificial intelligence, particularly its impact on education, content creation and distribution, and business strategy. The session concluded with an engaging audience Q&A, where he addressed questions from several hundred attendees on innovation, leadership, and navigating increasingly changing new technologies.

A person in a suit and blue shoes stands by a white, columned gazebo outdoors, surrounded by trees and sunlight, as Stewart Banner attends the grand opening of UNC Kenan-Flagler’s new business school building.

A Meaningful Return to Chapel Hill

For Stewart, the event was both a celebration and a homecoming. He had the opportunity to reconnect with the campus, tour the impressive new facility, and engage in conversations about the evolving intersection of business, technology, and leadership, areas that continue to inform his perspective as an attorney at our firm.

Continuing to Lead in Law and Business

Stewart’s participation in the grand opening reflects BRAWW Law’s broader commitment to staying engaged with business education, leadership innovation, and the professional communities that help the firm better serve our clients..

We are proud to celebrate this milestone with him and look forward to seeing how Bell Hall will impact the next generation of business leaders, who will need to rely upon expert legal advice and representation.