The method I mentioned above is perhaps one of the easiest, as it doesn't use HF or other "dangerous" fluoro compounds. Most reactions use harmful substances and the handling is nasty, I guess there's no chance to avoid this.
I just found the following references: You can convert carboxy groups with HF/SF4 into CF3-groups:
W. R. Hasek, W. C. Smith, V. A. Engelhardt, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1960, 82, 543 – 551;
M. S. Raasch, J. Org. Chem. 1962, 27, 1406 – 1409;
D. G. Martin, F. Kagan, J. Org. Chem. 1962, 27, 3164 – 3168;
M. P. Mertens, S. E. Saheb, J. Heterocycl. Chem. 1965, 2, 491 – 491;
Y. Kobayashi, I. Kumadaki, S. Taguchi, Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1969, 17, 2335 – 2339.