Who are the people behind Alexander Ramage Associates?
The firm was established by trade mark professionals to specialise in trade marks. The practice is owned and managed by the experienced Trade Mark Attorney team of Eric and Maggie Ramage, working with their dedicated fully trained staff. All client work is handled by or under the direct supervision of a qualified professional.
Although based in Surrey the firm attracts clients from all over the United Kingdom and overseas. Many are from the west coast of California where Maggie practised before her marriage in 1988.
B.A. (ERIC) RAMAGE (Partner, trade mark attorney, trade mark and design litigator)
Eric is a fellow of the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, practising exclusively in trade marks and designs. Having read Economics and History at Strathclyde University he joined the trade mark profession in 1969, and qualified in 1972. He is a Trade Mark Attorney on the UK register of Trade Mark Attorneys, and a European Trade Mark Attorney practising before OHIM (the European trade marks office based in Alicante, Spain). He has completed the Nottingham Law School course in trade mark litigation and was accredited as one of the UK's first specialist Trade Mark and Design Advocate-Litigators.
In addition to heading the Litigation team, Eric supervises our domain name management and domain name dispute resolution practice.
After spells in private practice and industry, Eric was one of the founding partners in a trade mark practice established in Lincoln's Inn in 1978, and became the trade mark partner of the patent attorneys with which it later amalgamated. He left that practice in 1989 to establish Alexander Ramage Associates. He has tutored Advanced Trade Mark Law and Practice at the annual residential crammers for the Institute's final examinations for entry on to the register of trade mark attorneys, and has lectured on similar courses and lecture programmes for many years. He is now a member of the Joint Examining Board. Eric was on the Institute's governing Council for many years and is currently a member of its Litigator Accreditation Board and of the Litigator Conduct Committee. He is a member of Council of the European Community Trade Mark Association (ECTA), and is Chair of the Policy Advisory Body of the UK domain naming authority, Nominet UK, of which he has been a member since 1999.
Eric is a member of the International Sheep Dog Society and owns and exhibits a vintage truck. He shares an enthusiasm for canal boats with his wife and partner Maggie, and has been trying, since 1963, to find time to master the five string banjo.
Contact: eric@ramage.co.uk
MARGARET RAMAGE (Partner, trade mark attorney)
Maggie is a UK Trade Mark Attorney and a European Trade Mark Attorney. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys and is current President of the Institute. She has been active on the governing council of the Institute for many years having acted as Treasurer, before being elected 2nd Vice President then 1st Vice president before her election as president. Maggie is also a member of INTA, ECTA and of MARQUES, and has lectured at the International Conferences of both INTA and MARQUES, and has lectured on a number of occasions in the United States, China and Japan.
Maggie studied trade mark law while working in patent administration, and in 1982 became head of European Trade Marks for the California-based Raychem Corporation.
She was seconded in 1987 to the Corporation's Head Office near San Francisco, where she took responsibility for world-wide trade mark affairs.
She later returned to England to marry, becoming assistant trade marks manager of the then Beecham Group (now part of GlaxoSmithKline) before moving to British Telecommunications as Trade Marks Manager. Maggie became a partner in Alexander Ramage Associates in 1991. Her clients include start up firms and multi-nationals and range from medical practitioners to financial institutions, bath and beauty care specialists and mobile telecom providers.
Her hobbies include walking her three border collie dogs, and spending time on her canal boat.
Contact: maggie@ramage.co.uk
PHILIPPA FRAYNE (Associate, trade mark attorney)
Philippa is a UK registered Trade Mark Attorney, and a European Trade Mark Attorney practising before OHIM. She joined Alexander Ramage Associates in a paralegal capacity in 1990, after spending some time working in Belgium, and decided to qualify as a Trade Mark Attorney after studying for the examinations of the Institute of Legal Executives. In addition to being a Member of the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, Philippa is also a member of the European Communities Trade Mark Association.
Philippa has a very strong private client base, but has considerable skills in portfolio management, having acted for a number of multi-national clients over the years. She has been an examiner in Trade Mark Law for entry on to the register of trade mark attorneys, for some years. Philippa enjoys aerobics, running and any fitness-oriented outdoor pursuits.
Contact: philippa@ramage.co.uk
PAUL KELLY (Associate, trade mark attorney)
Paul started his career in 1986 with the Irish Patent Office. While there he took a Diploma in Legal Studies and in 1989 moved to England to join the trade marks department of a multi-national brand owner based in London. In 1993, he moved to Manchester and sat and passed the final examinations to qualify as a UK trade mark attorney. For the next fourteen years Paul worked for some of the top flight trade mark firms in the Midlands and London before returning to Ireland in 2007 for personal reasons. In 2008 Paul returned to England to resume his career as a UK Trade Mark Attorney with Alexander Ramage Associates.
Paul has a particularly strong franchise-client base, and frequently works with Eric on contentious issues. He is currently studying on a part time basis at Nottingham Law School to gain his certificate as a Trade Mark and Design Advocate-Litigator.
Paul takes a keen interest in soccer, but refuses to divulge the identity of his favourite team, but we have all noted he frequently visits some ‘old friends’ in Manchester!
Contact: paul@ramage.co.uk
CLARE ROLFE (Paralegal and Assistant to Eric Ramage)
Clare joined the firm in 2008, and holds the degree of LLB (Hons) from the University of Surrey. She took the Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice at Guildford College of Law before joining the firm.
Clare assists Eric Ramage.
Contact: clare@ramage.co.uk
MATTHEW HARRIS (Paralegal and Assistant to Maggie Ramage)
Matthew joined the firm in January 2010 with a view to qualifying as a trade mark attorney. At present he works primarily as a paralegal assistant to Maggie Ramage.
He holds a BA Hons degree in Classics specifying Ancient History with Archaeology, which he obtained at Newcastle University (graduating in July 2008).
Contact: matthew@ramage.co.uk
FORMALITIES and ADMINISTRATION
Left to right: Bernadette Abela (Records Supervisor) Sandie Cox (Office Manager/Accounts) Rebecca Lehec (Renewals Supervisor)
Bernadette joined the firm in 1997 after working for trade mark and patent attorney firms in England and Hong Kong. She has extensive experience of records and formalities.
Contact: bernadette@ramage.co.uk.
Sandie has been with the firm since 1993. She is our Office Manager, and deals with the day to day administration of the practice. She also looks after all personnel issues and heads up the accounts department.
Contact: sandie@ramage.co.uk.
Rebecca initially joined the firm in 1994 to work as Eric's secretary, before leaving temporarily to start her family. Following her return she trained to take over the role of renewals supervisor,
a job to which we think the discipline of bringing up three young children has made her particularly well suited.
Contact: beccy@ramage.co.uk.
LAST BUT BY NO MEANS LEAST...
The 'Working Border Collies'
