The reaction of [Pd(acac)2] with pyridine-2,6-bis-(thiocarboxylic) acid (H-2pdtc) in chloroform affords [Pd(pdtc)]2, which has been used as starting material in the preparation of a variety of neutral and anionic complexes [Pd(pdtc)L]0,- containing the planar tridentate ligand pdtc. The X-ray structure of (n-Bu4N)[Pd(pdtc)Br] shows the pdtc dianion as a S,N,S-tridentate chelate ligand forming two strain-free palladacycles.