A series of metal(II) complexes of [6-(2′,5′-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-pyridylmethyl]bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (L) have been prepared. X-Ray crystal structures have been determined for L and its metal(II) chloride complexes for Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn and the results compared. The preparation and crystal structure of the unusual carbonato-bridged copper-tetramer [Cu₄(L)₄(CO₃)₂][BF₄]₄·5.2H₂O is also described. The solution-state structures of the complexes are deduced from their physicochemical and spectroscopic properties. The Zn(II) complex, [ZnCl₂(L)], shows inversion about the ligand amine group on the NMR timescale — results from a variable temperature NMR study are presented and allow estimation of the barrier to amine inversion as 56 ± 0.5 kJ mol⁻¹. Overall, it is found that the intramolecular steric interactions introduced by substitution of the tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (tpa)-skeleton by a single 6-aryl group result in significant changes to the structures and properties of the resulting metal complexes: in particular the aryl-substitution in L causes (i) a weaker ligand-field compared to tpa favouring high-spin complexes, (ii) a tendency toward lower coordination numbers, and (iii) hemilability in the Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes — the aryl-substituted leg of the ligand (L) is coordinatively labile.