A palladium-catalyzed arylation of an olefin with aryl halide and/or substituted aryl halide is conducted in a liquid polar organic solvent, and (ii) secondary or tertiary amine that boils (1) below the boiling temperature of the solvent if only one solvent is used or (2) below the boiling temperature of at least one, but not necessarily all, of the solvents if more than one is used. With the reaction mixture so formed (which comprises olefinically-substituted aromatic compound, amine-hydrohalide and solvent) is mixed a concentrated aqueous solution of inorganic base having a base strength greater than the base strength of the amine. This converts amine-hydrohalide to free amine and alkali metal halide, and forms (i) an aqueous phase containing dissolved alkali metal halide, and (ii) an organic phase comprising olefinically-substituted aromatic compound, amine and solvent. After separating these phases, amine is distilled off from the organic phase under low temperature and pressure conditions that suppress thermal oligomerization of the olefinically-substituted aromatic compound contained in the organic phase. The organic phase, when substantially freed of amine, is subjected to a palladium-catalyzed carboxylation with carbon monoxide and water and/or alcohol. The relatively high specific gravity of the aqueous phase greatly facilitates the phase separation, and enables efficient recovery of amine and recycle of solvent.