To a mixture of 2-(4-bromo-2-fluorophenyl)acetic acid (6 g, 25.7 mmol) in DCM (50 mL) was added ethyl 3-(4-amino-2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-2,2-dimethylpropanoate (7.45 g, 25.7 mmol), HATU (12.73 g, 33.5 mmol) and Et3N (10.74 mL, 77 mmol). Then the mixture was stirred at 25° C. for 12 h. The mixture was washed with brine and saturated NaHCO3 solution. The organic layer was dried over MgSO4, filtered and concentrated to yield a yellow oil of ethyl 3-(4-(2-(4-bromo-2-fluorophenyl)acetamido)-2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-2,2-dimethylpropanoate (12 g, 19.99 mmol, 78.0% yield): 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD) δ: 7.94 (d, J=2.0 Hz, 1H), 7.67 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 7.36-7.25 (m, 3H), 7.22 (d, J=8.4 Hz, 1H), 4.14 (q, J=7.2 Hz, 2H), 3.73 (s, 2H), 3.07 (s, 2H), 1.22 (t, J=7.2 Hz, 3H), 1.15 (s, 6H); ES-LCMS m/z 504 (M).
