Pd(OAc)2 or Pd(TFA)2 affords orthometallated palladium(II) complexes, [PhNC(CMe2)(N-η1-Ph)CNCH2Py]PdX (X = Cl (5); X = OAc (6); X = TFA (7)), respectively. The crystal and molecularstructures are reported for compounds 2, 3, 5 and 6. The application of these novel palladacyclic complexes to the Heck reaction with aryl halide substrates was examined.