Phenylpalladium(II) complexes of the type PdIPh(NN), with NN = N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmeda) or 2,2′-bipyridyl (bpy), can be conveniently prepared in 70–95% yield by oxidative addition of iodobenzene to bis(dibenzylideneacetone)palladium(O) in the presence of the appropriate nitrogen donor ligand. The bromo analogues were obtained in only 5–12% yield in this way. The complex PdIPh(tmeda) ( 1a) reacts readily with MeLi to give PdMePh(tmeda) ( 3) in 88% yield, whereas PdIPh(bpy) ( 2a) gives PdMePh(bpy) ( 4) and PdMe 2(bpy) in varying ratios. The formation of PdMe 2(bpy) was found to result from the synergistic action of lithium iodide and methyllithium. Pure PdMePh(bpy) ( 4) was obtained in 82% yield via ligand-exchange from PdMePh (tmeda) ( 3). The crystal structures of PdIPh(NN) ( 1a, 2a) and PdMePh(NN) ( 3, 4) complexes were determined by X-ray diffraction studies. The results show that the phenyl group is alw ays oriented perpendicular to the coordi 3 (14.3(2)°). The PdN bond distances in the tmeda complexes (2.127(6)–2.210(3) Å) are larger than those in the bpy-coordinated complexes (2.070(8)–2.144(8) Å). Similarly, the PdC(Me) bond distances (2.5703(8) and 2.575(1) Å) are larger than the PdC(Pb) bond distances (1.985(3)–1.996(10)Å).