N-Cumyl benzamide (2), sulfonamide (8), and O-carbamate (11) compounds undergo directed ortho metalation under standard conditions to give, after quench with a variety of electrophiles, the substituted products 3, 9, and 12, respectively. Regiospecific and convenient approaches to phthalimides (7), 1, 2-benzisothiazole 1, 1-dioxides (10b), and ortho-substituted phenols (13a) and salicylamides (13b) are thereby established. The mild ...