Two series of new bidentate P-N ligands have been synthesized. Application of these ligands in the palladium catalysed allylic alkylation of crotyl chloride and cinnamyl chloride leads to the preferential formation of the branched product. A larger bite angle of the ligand leads to higher regioselectivity. Stoichiometric alkylation of the complex [Pd(C4H7){p-MeOC6H4C=N(CH2)(4)OPPh2}][O3SCF3] proceeds with 88% regioselectivity to the branched product.