The condensation of benzene with chloral hydrate in the presence of concentrated sulphuric acid gave rise to 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-tolyl)-ethane. The oxidation of this condensation product with potassium dichromate in dilute sulphuric acid at the boiling temperature yielded 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-(p-carboxyphenyl)-ethylene, the structure of which was shown by its oxidative degradation to 4,4′-dicarboxybenzophenone. When the oxidation of the same condensation product was carried out in the cold, with the aid of chromium trioxide in glacial acetic acid and acetic anhydride, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-carboxyphenyl)-ethane was obtained in a good yield. This last compound was converted to the dichloroethylenic-dicarboxylic acid upon refluxing with a methanolic solution of sodium hydroxide. The corresponding amide derivatives of both the dichloro and trichlorodicarboxylic acids were also prepared.