How can I change the line spacing for one paragraph in an HTML email template

I want to add html commands that will shorten the space between lines immediately before and just after a group of lines. The commands I've discovered on websites either don't function or need to be inserted between other commands.

The commands I've discovered on websites either don't function or need to be inserted between other commands. I experimented with commands like line-height=50 percent.

Here is the outcome.

Enterprise Analyst:

Resources for User Testing:

Here is the code:

<html><head>
  <meta name="generator" content=  "HTML Tidy for Linux/x86 (vers 25 March 2009), see www.w3.org">
  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
  <title>$BEGINSUBJECT()$NOTIFICATION() - $ITEMNUMBER()$FIELDVALUE(ID) $TTID()$ENDSUBJECT()</title>
  <style type="text/css">
  body {font-family:"Trebuchet MS", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size:12px;}
  a.attachlink:link { color: #0000FF }
  a.attachlink:visited { color: #0000FF }
  a.attachlink:hover { color: #006600 } 
  .itemTitle{ font-size:120%; padding: 0px;  color: #FFFFFF; border-bottom:thin solid Navy; background-color: Navy;  }
  .itemColor{ color: #FFFFFF;}
  td {padding:4px; vertical-align:top;} 
  td.sidebar{     color: #333;}
  .fieldNames {color: #333; white-space:nowrap; font-weight: bold;}
  .footer{ color: #818181; font-size:80%; font-style: italic; }
  .greyborder{background-color:#f7f7f7; border:thin #999 solid; width:auto;}
  </style></head>
<body>   <table>    <tbody><tr>      <td>        <table class="itemTitle">          <tbody><tr>            <td class="itemColor"> 
<b>$ITEMNUMBER()$FIELDVALUE(ID)</b> ($FIELDVALUE(TITLE)) <b>Requires Action</b> </td>          </tr>        </tbody></table>      </td>    </tr>    <tr>        <td>    <b> <table width="100%"> 
Please transition <b>$ITEMNUMBER()$FIELDVALUE(ID)</b> in state <b>$FIELDVALUE(STATE).</b><br> <br>      
To open $ITEMNUMBER()$FIELDVALUE(ID) $LINK(TRUE, click here.)       <font color="#ff0000">
Your prompt attention to this request is greatly appreciated.</font></td></tr>            <tr><td>   $IF(CANVIEW)<b>
$FIELDS(1) <tr> <td>
<font color="#FF0000">This is a SYSTEM GENERATED EMAIL. Please do not reply.<br></font></tr></td><tr><td>
Thank you!    <br>    </td>    </tr>    </tbody></table>    <hr color="navy"> <br> <font color="#d0d0d0" size="1">
Reference: $NOTIFICATION()</font></body></html>