This paper describes the preparation of a new chiral building block containing a benzylic quaternary stereogenic center via the highly enantioselective PLE-mediated hydrolysis of dimethyl 2-(2-chloro-5-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylmalonate, as well as the absolute configuration of the new chiral building block, which has been elucidated through the formaltotalsynthesis of (−)-physostigmine.