Starting from 4-bromoacetophenone 1, the 4-bromo-β -hydroxydithiocinnamic acid 2 and the 4-bromo-β -hydroxydithiocinnamic acid hexyl ester 3 were prepared using carbon disulfide and potassium-tert-butylate as a base. Acting as a ligand, the acid gives 1,1-ethenedithiolato complexes with (Ph3P)2Pt(II) (4a), (Et3P)2Pt(II) (4b), dppePt(II) (4c), (Ph3P)2Pd(II) (4d), dppePd(II) (4e), and dppeNi(II) (4f). In contrast to the acid, the deprotonated ester 3 forms a monoanionic bidentate ligand. [O,S] Complexes of Pt(II) (5a), Pd(II) (5b) and Ni(II) (5c) were obtained. All complexes have been fully characterised using 1H NMR, 13C NMR and 31P NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy and elemental analyses. The molecular structures of the complexes 4b and 5a - 5c were determined by X-ray diffraction analyses.