The cyclization of 2-amino-4'-bromobenzophenone (I) with ethyl 2-(methylthio)acetate (II) by means of tert-butyl hypochlorite in dichloromethane at 70 C gives 7-(4-bromobenzoyl)-3-(methylthio)-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-2-one (III), which is desulfurized by a treatment with Raney Nickel in THF yielding 7-(4-bromobenzoyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-2-one (IV). Finally, this compound is hydrolyzed with refluxing 3N NaOH and acidified with concentrated HCl.