NEW YORK CITY-After a four-year search, Clifford Chance US LLP, the world's largest law firm, signs a 20-year lease for 380,000 sf at 31 West 52nd St., the former headquarters space of Deutsche Bank.

NEW YORK CITY-Time Equities makes a nifty profit by selling a West Village multifamily property picked up last year at $16 million to Stonehenge Partners for $20.5 million.

NEW YORK CITY-Keeping on track to have a record-breaking year for leases more than 100,000 sf, Dewey Ballantine reups and expands into nearly 500,000 sf at 1301 Avenue of the Americas.

NEW YORK CITY-All the signs are pointing in the right direction that the economy is heading for an upturn and some industry heavyweights are paying attention to an increased activity of late.

NEW YORK CITY-A law firm specializing in customs, international trade and export issues has inked a deal for the entire 25th floor at 399 Park Ave. The moving day will be some time in November with the firm taking 23,778 sf.

LOS ANGELES- Robert K. Shibuya, who oversaw all of Insignia's business lines in the western region, takes on the role of executive director of Trammell Crow's national brokerage services group.

NEW YORK CITY-Apparel and accessory retailer ESPRIT is relaunching its operations in the United States by opening several New York Metropolitan area stores next year.

MELVILLE, NY-The REIT based here will exchange all of the outstanding shares of its Class B Common Stock in November for shares of its Class A Common Stock.