The chiral intermediate (S)-1-(2′-bromo-4′-fluoro phenyl) ethanol 2 was prepared by the enantioselective microbial reduction of 2-bromo-4-fluoro acetophenone 1. Organisms from genus Candida, Hansenula, Pichia, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Sphingomonas and Baker's yeast reduced 1 to 2 in> 90% yield and 99% enantiomeric excess (ee). In an alternative approach, the enantioselective microbial reductions of methyl, ethyl, and tert- ...