Previously he served as Commissioner of the US Federal Trade Commission (1983-1990) serving as its head in 1984-85, and later as a member of the board of directors of the Irish Competition Authority where he held the criminal investigations and mergers portfolios. During that period, he was an active member of advisory committees for the EU Competition Directorate.
Following his graduation from the Cornell Law School, where he was articles editor of the Law Review, he practiced with Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro. From 1974-1983, Terry was professor of law at Vanderbilt School of Law teaching courses on antitrust law. Following his term on the FTC, he returned to private practice with the Pillsbury firm until his appointment in Ireland. In addition to Vanderbilt, he has taught antitrust law at Columbia Law School, Cornell Law School, Duke University School of Law, the Harvard Law School, Trinity College, Dublin, and the University of California Hastings College of Law.
Terry has served as chairman of several ABA Antitrust Section committees and two terms on its governing council. He is a life member of the American Law Institute and the Judicial Council of the U.S. (6th Cir.) and also serves on the advisory boards of the Antitrust Bulletin, Oxford Univ. Journal of Antitrust Enforcement and the Dublin Univ. Law Journal. He has also served as a Non-Governmental Advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission to the International Competition Network since 2005. Terry has consulted with many governments and their competition agencies on antitrust policy. He has written and spoken extensively on antitrust issues. He is listed as a leading antitrust and regulatory lawyer in many guides and directories.
While in private practice, Terry has worked on acquisitions/joint ventures in a very large number of industries and their review by numerous competition agencies. These would include the largest bank merger at that time, the largest telecommunications merger at that time and one of the largest petroleum company mergers. He has participated in civil and criminal investigations in many industries by both federal and state authorities. These would include some of the largest criminal cartel matters in recent history including the LIBOR, auto-parts, air cargo and marine hose matters.