An efficient route for the asymmetric synthesis of alpha,alpha-disubstituted alpha-amino acids derivatives (1, 2, and 3) starting from readily available epoxy silyl ethers (6) has been developed. High enantiomeric purity can be realized by the present method using a combination of MABR rearrangement of a chiral epoxide and Curtius rearrangement. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.