New Schiff base ligand (L) synthesized by 1, 2-diphenylethane-1, 2-dione and dinitrophenyl hydrazine acts as a bidentate system with O and N as donors readily available for coordination with metal atoms. The metal complexes (ML) were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic methods including 1H-NMR (proton NMR, hydrogen-1 NMR), elemental analysis, FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), molar conductance, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Molar conductance and analytical studies confirmed that the complexes exhibit tetrahedral geometry. The antimicrobial activity of ligand and its metal complexes was assessed on different species of pathogenic fungi and bacteria. The results are suggestive of the fact that the synthesized compounds own notable antimicrobial properties.