Cushman & Wakefield's James P. Quinn, Pamela J. Walsh and Kimberley Ellery represented Keefe Bruyette & Woods. The CB Richard Ellis team of Robert Alexander, Melissa Bazar, Howard Fiddle and Joan Meixner arranged expansion on behalf of the building owner, Equitable Life Assurance Society and asset manager, Lend Lease Real Estate Investments. According to C&W, the transaction started out as a sublease from Aon, which then negotiated a lease termination with the landlord, making the deal direct.

"This is a company that has forged a massive resurgence," explains Quinn, a C&W executive director. "We were able to negotiate for a contiguous floor in a building that the firm's top executives wanted to remain in for the long-term."

Located on Seventh Avenue between 51st and 52nd streets, the 54-story tower was built in 1985 for Equitable Life Assurance Society. Other tenants include Sidley Austin Brown & Wood, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and BNP Paribas.

In the past two years, Keefe Bruyette & Woods has expanded its New York City operations, opened new offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Hoboken, NJ and launched a London-based subsidiary. Additionally, the firm has bolstered its San Francisco operations with the addition of equity trading services, and added to its research division.