The occurrence of the γ-lactam unit in the framework of various biologically active compounds has greatly contributed to the design and development of new synthetic transformations to access this important structural motif. Among the numerous methods developed so far, those based on transition metal catalysis are of high value as they generally allow efficient and selective access to functionalized γ-lactams under rather mild reaction conditions. An overview of the recent advances in this field is presented herein. Metal-catalyzed processes are reviewed by highlighting their specificity and applicability, and the mechanistic rationale is presented where possible.