ChemInform Abstract The methyl glyoxylate hemiacetal (I) is treated with acetamide (II) and then subjected to substitution of the hydroxy group, producing the N-acetylbromoglycinate (IV). This is coupled with Z-methoxyvinyllithium, generated from the Z/E-mixture of the bromovinyl methyl ether (VI), to give a low yield of the cis-2-(acetylamino)methoxybutenoate (VII) which is a direct precursor of the amino acid (VIII) mentioned in the title. This method has been developed in order to obtain pure (VII) in contrast to known procedures which form mixtures of (VII) and its E-isomer.