This study explores the synthesis of cyclic cis -vicinal phenyl ethylenes from oxotriphenylhexanoates. The reaction is a BBr 3 -promoted cyclization of 1,6-ketoesters ( 1 ) to five-membered diketo compounds ( 2 ). The synthesis is interesting as it constitutes one of the few examples of modular stereoselective synthesis of structures with a cis -oriented vicinal diphenylethylene. The core structure of 2 can be smoothly derivatized, which makes it a promising synthetic building block for further stereoselective synthetic applications.