The intermolecular N-H insertion reaction of methyl α-diazo α-arylacetate with acetamide has been investigated using transition-metal complexes as catalysts. The Cu(II) complex Cu(hfacac)2 (hfacac represents hexafluoroacetylacetonate) has proven to be the most active catalyst to yield methyl N-acetyl-2-phenylglycin in good isolated yield (73–80%) with 3 mmol% of catalyst loading in reflux toluene.