The synthesis of various substituted fluoren-9-ones has been accomplished by a novel palladium-catalyzed cyclocarbonylation of o-halobiaryls. The cyclocarbonylation of 4'-substituted-2-iodobiphenyls produces very high yields of 2-substituted fluoren-9-ones bearing either electron-donating or electron-withdrawing substituents. 3'-Substituted 2-iodobiphenyls afford in excellent yields with good regioselectivity 3-substituted fluoren-9-ones. This chemistry has been successfully extended to polycyclic and heterocyclic fluorenones.