Kinetic resolution of racemic 4-N,N-dimethylaminomethyl[2.2]paracyclophane with 50% sodium tetrachloropalladate and (R)-N-acetylphenylalanine under basic conditions resulted in the formation of a (S-p)-planar chiral palladacycle (35%, >99% ee). Similarly use of 100 mol% sodium tetrachloropalladate resulted in higher levels of conversion and recovery of (S-p)-4-N,N-dimethylaminomethyl[2.2]paracyclophane (41%, >97% ee).