Esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols including bulky secondary ones by using an equimolar amount of di-2-thienyl carbonate (2-DTC) in the presence of a catalytic amount of 4-(dimethylamino,)pyridine (DMAP) followed by addition of a catalytic amount of hafnium(IV) trifluoromethanesulfonate (Hf(OTf)(4)) afforded the corresponding esters in good to high yields.