There are provided (asymmetric) complex catalysts comprising metal complexes and Lewis acids as components, the metal complex being of formula (1): ##STR1##

wherein R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵, R⁶, R⁷ and R⁸ are the same or different and are independently hydrogen, halogen, alkyl or the like; one of R⁹ and R¹⁰ is hydrogen and the other is alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or the like; Q is a single bond or alkylene of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; M is a metal ion; and A is a balancing counter ion or ligand; processes for the production of these complex catalysts; processes for the production of (optically active) alcohol derivatives, characterized in that cyclic ether compounds are reacted with phenol derivatives in the presence of these complex catalysts; and further processes for producing (optically active) nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds by reacting these alcohol derivatives with halogenated nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds in the presence of a base.