A clothespin-shaped binuclear trans-bis(2-aminotroponato)palladium(II) complex doubly linked with m-xylidene spacers [Pd2(C22H18N2O2)2] (1), has been synthesized and fully characterized using 1H and 13C NMR, FT–IR, high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis unequivocally established the specific structure of 1, including its trans-coordination, anti-conformation and three-dimensional clothespin-like shape, and confirmed highly regular crystal packing resulting from consecutive intermolecular π-stacking and CH–π interactions between the coordination platforms and the linkers.