Lacosamide has been submitted for regulatory approval in the United States and Europe for the treatment of epilepsy. Previous synthetic methods did not permit the elaboration of the structure-activity relationship (SAR) for the 3-oxy site in lacosamide. We report an expedient five-step stereospecific synthesis for N-benzyl (2R)-2-acetamido-3-oxysubstituted propionamide analogs beginning with D-serine methyl ester. The procedure incorporated alkyl (e.g. methyl, primary, secondary, and tertiary) and aryl groups at this position. The SAR for the 3-oxy site showed maximal activity in animal seizure models for small 3-alkoxy substituents.