Abstract The crystal structure of the title compound has been determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. There is little angle strain in the complex which has two carboxylate ions and one alkoxide ion bound to cobalt(III). These conclusions agree with IR, CD and NMR spectral data except that 1H coupling constants show that the conformation of the malate ligand differs slightly in solid and solution. The three ammonia ligands have different 1H chemical shifts and different rates of hydrogen exchange in D2O.