Daniel Terrell, special counsel at Baker Botts in Dallas.

After guiding the sale of his Dallas-based power company, former Stream Energy general counsel Daniel Terrell has returned to private practice, joining Baker Botts as special counsel in Dallas.

Terrell started work at Baker Botts on Monday, more than two months after NRG Energy purchased Stream Energy's retail electricity and natural gas business for $300 million plus working capital.

Terrell, who spent the last nearly 12 years as a GC at three companies, said he decided while working on the deal—and knowing he would need to find a new position once it closed—that he wanted to build a corporate practice focusing on energy clients for the next phase of his career. He said his practice will include M&A, joint ventures, corporate governance and counseling.

After the Stream Energy deal closed Aug. 1, Terrell said he interviewed with a number of firms in Dallas, but realized Baker Botts, with depth in its energy and technology practices, was the best fit for him.

"The Dallas office particularly was such a standout for me—the quality of the folks and just the sheer size when it comes to the corporate practice, and what they are doing at the firm as a whole on the technology side," he said.

At Stream Energy, Terrell was executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary. Prior to that, he was chief legal officer and corporate secretary at PHL Group, a portfolio company of Energy Capital Partners. He moved in-house in 2008 as vice president and general counsel of The Shaw Group in Louisiana.

Early in his career, he worked at Baker Donelson and Peragine & Lea.

Tim Durst, the partner-in-charge of Baker Botts' Dallas office, said in a press release that Terrell brings GC experience to the firm along with a background in the power industry.

"Dan is well-known in the market for counseling clients through difficult litigation challenges, governance issues and deal opportunities," Durst said.