I have a similar problem....

Situation:

I have 2 tabPanel, one with "reRender = true" and the other with "reRender = false".
First tabPanel have 2 tabs: "Query" and "Results". At firs tab, I put a button which reRender result dataTable located on second tab. This table show query results.

This works fine, but.... at result dataTable I have a column "Edit" for each row with an actionListener that's try to reRender both tabPanel to change "render" attribute...and this do not work. ActionListener method is never called.
If I put a4j:commandLink "Edit" outside dataTable, visible at begin, when table is empty because Search button is not presed (only for test) this works fine...

My test case:

<a4j:outputPanel id="idPanel">

<rich:tabPanel switchType="client" rendered="#{!editSolicitudTrademark.edicion}">

<rich:tab label="Query" >
<h:form id="form">
<h:panelGrid columns="1">
<a4j:commandButton value="#{tag.btnSearch}" actionListener="#{searchFiles.searchAll}" styleClass="button" reRender="idResultTable"/>
</h:panelGrid>
</h:form>
</rich:tab>

<rich:tab label="Result">
<h:form id="idFormResultado">
<rich:dataTable id="idResultTable" value="#{searchFiles.solicitudes}"
var="solicitud">
<rich:column id="idAccion" width="100">
<a4j:commandLink value="Edit" actionListener="#{editSolicitudTrademark.startEdition}"
reRender="idPanel" ajaxSingle="true">
</a4j:commandLink>
</rich:column>
</rich:dataTable>
</h:form>
</rich:tab>

</rich:tabPanel>

<rich:tabPanel id="idEdit" height="430px" switchType="client"
rendered="#{editSolicitudTrademark.edicion}" selectedTab="id">
<rich:tab label="TAB 1"></rich:tab>
<rich:tab label="TAB 2"></rich:tab>
<rich:tab label="TAB 3"></rich:tab>
</rich:tabPanel>

</a4j:outputPanel>

(In my case, I try to do that when the user press "edit", query tabPanel set "render = false" and second tabPanel change to "render = true".)

Best regards,