4a-Substituted 1,1-dimethyl or 1-carbomethoxy-1-methyl hydrofluorenes carrying various substituents in the aromatic ring could be conveniently synthesized by Pd(0)-catalyzed Heck reaction. The required bromobenzyl-substituted ethylidene cyclohexane substrates were derived from Hagemann's ester (methyl analogue) via condensation with appropriate benzyl bromide, hydrolytic decarboxylation of the ester