The presence of catalytic amounts of CeCl(3) improves yields and simplifies procedure in the Reformatsky reactions of ethyl bromofluoroacetate with aldehydes and ketones to generate diastereomeric mixtures of alpha-fluoro-beta-hydroxy esters, some of which can be separated by crystallization or column flash chromatography. Diastereomerically pure alpha-fluoro-beta-hydroxy acids are obtained by mild alkaline hydrolysis of the resolved alpha-fluoro-beta-hydroxy esters. Detailed NMR data of new alpha-fluoro-beta-hydroxy esters and alpha-fluoro-beta-hydroxy acids are also presented.