The Schiff's base derived from 2-amino, 3-methylpyridine and an aryl aldehyde reacts with either RhCI(PPh 3) 3 or [Rh(μ-C1)(cyclooctene) 2] 2 in the presence of four equivalents of L (L = PPh 3, P(4-C1C 6H 4) 3, P(cyclohexyl) 3, AsPh 3, SbPh 3) to give a Rh III cyclometallated complex ( 2), in which the imine CH bond has oxidatively added to the metal. The complexes 2 react with reagents such as Br -, CN -, CH 3I, CNR (R = cyclohexyl, t-butyl), P(OCH 3) 3, CO, to give substitution products ( 3), in which the Cl has been replaced. The complexes 2 and 3, as well as some few Ir III analogs ( 4), have been isolated and characterized using 1 H, 31 P, and (occasionally) 13C NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the complex RhHI{2-(3-nitrobenzylidene)-3-methylpyridine} (PPh 3) 2 ( 3b) has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The complex shows a distorted octahedral structure with the following bond distances (Å) and angles (°): Rh-I, 2.771(2); Rh-N(1), 2.15(1); Rh-C(7′), 1.98(2); Rh-P(1), 2.326(5); Rh-P(2) 2.332(5); P-Rh-P, 159.7(2), N(1)-Rh-C(7′), 78.5(6). In the light of the NMR and X-ray data, it is suggested that the C(R)N moiety exerts a large trans influence.