The Claisen rearrangement is a thermal rearrangement reaction discovered by Rainer Ludwig Claisen in which the allyl group of a phenolic allyl ether migrates ortho to the phenol group. Key characteristics of the Claisen rearrangement are the inversion of the migrating allyl carbon and the intramolecular, unimolecular nature of the reaction. The mechanism involves a cyclic transition state that allows for migration to the ortho position, or para if both ortho positions are blocked.