One of Goldman Sachs' top energy bankers, Stephen Daniel, has retired, leaving the firm a year after his personal stock holdings in a pipeline company proved a point of controversy in a takeover deal.

Daniel's retirement was effective April 30, according to an internal Goldman memo. Daniel, age 49, retired as the investment bank's global energy co-head and also led its Houston office. He joined Goldman in 1994, the memo said. The memo announcing the April retirement was sent in late January.