Rebecca Keating

Rebecca is ranked as a Leading Junior by both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 in IT & Telecoms. Recent directory comments include: “Rebecca is all-around superb and the standout technology barrister at her call”, “Rebecca is a superb junior. Her advocacy, both on her feet and on paper, is precise, measured, and effective – Rebecca is genuinely excellent”, “Rebecca is a fantastic barrister and easily one of the best juniors at the tech bar” and “excellent: efficient, detailed and commercial. A brainbox when it comes to any and all IT and cyber disputes – she operates beyond her years.”

Rebecca has been shortlisted twice as Technology, Data and Crypto junior of the year at the Legal 500 Awards. Rebecca has won the Leading Technology Law Advisor (London) award in the Influential Businesswoman Awards and the Most Inspirational Technology Law Advocate (AI Legal Awards).

Rebecca’s experience includes disputes and advisory work ranging across all areas of technology including software, hardware, cloud services, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Rebecca has acted for start-ups, innovators and some of the largest technology companies in the world including Google, Apple, Amazon, Tesla, eBay and Spotify. From the customer side, her clients include government organisations, SME businesses and global companies.

Rebecca is Co-Chair of the Society for Computers and Law Women in Technology group, a committee member of the Technology and Construction Bar Association and is on the editorial committee of the Tech Disputes Network. Rebecca is an appointed member of the ICO’s Technology Advisory Panel and is listed in the Blockchain Lawyers’ Forum Arbitrator List.

Rebecca has published several articles on the topic of technology and the law in both national and international publications. She is the co-author of ‘A Practical Guide to Quantum Computing and the Law’ (Law Brief Publishing). She is also a contributing author to ‘The Law of Artificial Intelligence’ (Sweet & Maxwell) and the AI chapter of ‘The Encyclopedia of Information Technology Law’ (Sweet & Maxwell). She speaks regularly on the legal implications of emerging technologies such as quantum computing, AI and blockchain.

Rebecca has a longstanding interest in technology. Prior to joining Chambers, Rebecca worked at Dropbox’s European Headquarters. While at Dropbox she worked with companies across different industries and with Fortune 500 companies located in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. Her work focused on assisting clients in the large-scale deployment of cloud technology.

Featured Technology & Intellectual Property cases

Acted as junior counsel in the Post Office Group Litigation (Bates & Ors v the Post Office Ltd (No 6: Horizon Issues) [2019] EWHC 3408 (QB)), a group action brought by over 550 current and former sub-postmasters who alleged defects in the Post Office’s retail and accounting computer system.

Instructed in the Pan-Nox Emissions Litigation. Rebecca represents the Nissan Authorised Dealerships in the Nissan Renault Emissions Group Litigation. The core allegations in each case are that the manufacturers sold cars that did not comply with the requirements of the applicable regulatory regime because they contained software that cheated or subverted the emissions control regime. Reported decisions include [2024] EWHC 695 (KB), [2024] EWHC 1728 (KB), [2025] EWHC 2307 (KB) and [2026] EWHC 267 (KB).

Instructed in a number of cases arising out of the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems including a case concerning the alleged reverse engineering of an AI model and a contractual dispute arising out of the development of a first of its kind AI system for medical diagnostics.

Instructed as sole counsel in a claim worth hundreds of millions of pounds relating to the delayed implementation of a high-value gaming contract involving the transformation and replacement of an existing IT estate including novel AI elements.

Instructed by an international law firm as junior counsel in a multimillion-dollar LCIA arbitration arising out of a first of its kind technology project to develop infrastructure and studio technologies for one of the world’s leading television broadcasters. The arbitration hearing lasted four weeks and each side relied on four expert disciplines.

Instructed as junior counsel for a private sector business in TCC litigation worth hundreds of millions of pounds against a leading IT services consultancy concerning a terminated business transformation project.

Instructed as sole counsel for BT in a £85 million dispute concerning alleged unlawful means conspiracy and inducing or procuring a breach of contract.

Acted as junior counsel in a patent dispute regarding tools for the commercialisation of quantum computing technologies.

Acted as junior counsel in a multimillion-dollar ICC arbitration regarding delay in delivery of a strategic banking system for a foreign state.

Acted as sole counsel in a multi-day trial in relation to a claim for damages arising out of the design and build of a website. Rebecca has acted in various other cases arising out the defective and delayed design and build of websites and apps.

Acted as sole counsel in a multi-day arbitration hearing under the LCIA Rules regarding a software dispute. Issues included misrepresentation (both fraudulent and negligent) and breach of contract.

Instructed as sole and junior counsel in numerous claims both for suppliers and purchasers of software (bespoke and out-of-the-box), which include allegations of breach of contract (defects and delay), negligence and misrepresentation. Examples include several disputes arising out of alleged breaches of licensing agreements and misrepresentation in the provision of products and services, breach of contract claims arising out of the design of bespoke software and the provision of hardware, and advising on the termination of long-running software licensing agreements (by private clients and government bodies).

Instructed as sole counsel in various disputes involving cryptoassets (including Tulip Trading Limited v Bitcoin Association for BSV and others). Details of relevant cases are set out in the Fintech section below. Relevant issues considered include hacking, tracing and misuse of traditional bank accounts for cryptotrading.

Instructed as sole counsel defending a platform which facilitates tradespeople connecting with customers. The claim was brought by a user who allegedly suffered losses as a result of a scam profile. The case concerns the alleged duties of the platform provider to protect users against illicit use of the platform.

Instructed as sole counsel advising in relation to a substantial claim arising out of the removal of a business from an online marketplace.

Acted as sole counsel in providing advice on various statutory regimes applicable to the technology sector. For example, the applicability of the UK export regime to encryption software and an inventor seeking compensation under sections 40 and 41 of the Patents Act 1977.

Instructed in various telecoms claims including claims for breach of contract and negligence arising out of telecoms outages across Europe and claims regarding the termination of supply agreements in the telecoms sector.

Instructed as sole counsel in various claims seeking injunctive relief including withdrawing access to a company’s website and servers, the provision of information and access to data rooms, the return of confidential data and orders compelling updates to software.

Acted as sole counsel advising a director regarding ownership of a TikTok account and alleged failures to fulfil director’s duties.