Rebecca is an experienced dispute resolution lawyer and litigator. She helps businesses to secure sensible commercial outcomes through strategic negotiation, alternative dispute resolution (including mediation) or litigation.
Rebecca’s clients operate in a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, construction, property development and food service. Given that disputes can arise in any number of different trading scenarios, she is adept at assimilating case-specific factual knowledge, enabling her to rapidly identify strengths and weaknesses in a party’s legal case, and armed with this knowledge, secure the best achievable outcome.
Whilst most commercial disputes will be contractual in nature, she is often confronted with passing off or intellectual property issues and is proficient at dealing with these.
As well as representing businesses involved in trading disputes, Rebecca brings a similarly robust and commercial approach to advising business stakeholders facing shareholder or partnership issues.
The whole team at Braeforge were impressed with how quickly you managed to get a grasp of the situation that we were dealing with. Your knowledge was invaluable and helped the process no end. The selection of other Counsel was also first class and we thank you again for drawing our case to a successful conclusion.
Arthur Dunne, Managing Director
Braeforge Limited trading as PensworthI have worked with Rebecca on various IP dispute matters over the years and she is always my first port of call when a client comes to me with a contentious matter. She is very responsive, her advice is always commercially sensible and she is an expert in managing client expectations. However, what sets her apart from other dispute resolution solicitors in my mind is her tenacious approach in progressing the matter to a conclusion.
Andy Bridle, Director
Bridle Intellectual Property LimitedI find that I can phone Rebecca directly and get a clear and commercially relevant answer to most legal questions. She has a knack of putting herself in your shoes; so she is also a good sounding board.
John deGraft-Johnson, Chairman
Powakaddy International LimitedRebecca always quickly works out the best outcomes, the best and easiest way to achieve them, and then works with you to realise them. You could not ask for a better solicitor on your team.
David Cox, Operations Director
Parker SteelRebecca is a great lawyer to work with, she is responsive, pro-active and pragmatic. She has helped our organisation on a number of occasions and the advice given has been commercial and timely, even if she is on holiday!
Kate Mayor
Head of Legal & Secretary to the Trustees, Charities Aid FoundationRebecca was excellent in helping navigate a challenging situation. Her skills and insight made everything much easier. I am grateful for the helping hand and reassurance. I was very pleased with the service received and was always kept informed. I would highly recommend.
Dr Rory Mackinnon
Expertise
- Commercial litigation
- Alternative dispute resolution (including mediation)
- Contractual disputes
- Advising owner-managed SMEs on risk
- Trademark, copyright and patent infringement and passing off
- Shareholder and partnership disputes
- Corporate defamation
Experience
- A Nelson & Co Ltd v Guna SPA, QBD, Commercial Court. Representing Nelsons in successful Commercial Court litigation against its former Italian distributor. Nelsons, the UK’s largest manufacturer of natural healthcare products best known for its Rescue Remedy, pursued a claim for an injunction and damages
- Representing Checkmate UK, a manufacturer of advanced flexible structures, in High Court litigation following an acquisition. Checkmate claimed an indemnity in relation to any losses suffered as a consequence of a connected dispute with a Norwegian third party being litigated in the first instance court and then Borgarting Court of Appeal in Norway
- Representing the largest independent retail pharmacy chain in the UK in relation to various contentious matters
- Representing a leading supplier to the food service sector in the UK, Ireland, France and Sweden in relation to various contentious matters
- Representing a minority shareholder in proceedings brought under section 994 of the Companies Act (the affairs of the company being conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the members or some part of them) and achieving a price for a shareholding four times that tendered under the terms of the company’s articles
- R (on the application of Assura Pharmacy Ltd) v National Health Service Litigation Authority (Family Health Services Appeal Unit)and other applications, QBD, Administrative Court. Representing an interested party, Canterbury Pharmacies Ltd, in this judicial review of three Pharmacy Appeal Committee decisions dismissing Assura’s appeals of three Primary Care Trust decisions (made by Fylde PCT, Calderdale PCT and South West Kent PCT, respectively). This was a judicial review in which the court gave practical guidance to assist both applicants and decision makers concerning the appropriate approach when deciding applications to admit a person to the NHS pharmaceutical list. This is a matter of commercial significance to those involved in the retail pharmacy sector
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Rebecca is ranked as a leading individual in the field of dispute resolution for the Kent region and the South East.
“Clients say she delivers ‘very practical and helpful advice’, is ‘excellent responding, and is always helpful and realistic’.” Chambers 2014
“The ‘assertive, tenacious’ Rebecca Tinham impresses sources again this year with her dedication to client service. ‘Highly creative in terms of her negotiation strategies’, clients benefit from Tinham’s enormous ‘wealth of experience’. Her foresight and intuition in negotiation is widely remarked upon. She ‘picks up subtle messages from either the client or the opponent’s side and reacts extremely quickly’.” Chambers 2013
“High praise from sources as a litigator who is ‘tenacious and forthright’ and who is ‘willing to front up to the opposition’. “Clients greatly admire her ‘very commercial and constructive’ approach.” Chambers 2012
Career
Rebecca qualified as a solicitor in 1999. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2015, she worked at the following firms:
- Banks Kelly Solicitors
- Vertex Law
- Furley Page