BASF: Why do you donate to the BASF Foundation?
Ashok Ramani (AR): Because I have observed first-hand that the money I donate is used efficiently for a good purpose.
BASF: What program are you most interested in supporting and why?
AR: The Bay Area Minority Law Student Scholarship, because, particularly in these hard times, we lawyers must do what we can to help talented, diverse students attend our local law schools.
BASF: Do you have a personal story to share about your own involvement with this program?
AR: Having served for the past few years on the scholarship selection committee, it is gratifying and humbling to watch the recipients, many of whom overcame extraordinary obstacles to become the first in their family even to attend college, flourish in law school.
BASF: What would you be if you weren’t a lawyer?
AR: A bartender, dog-shelter veterinarian, or both.
BASF: What is your proudest accomplishment?
AR: Though I have been fortunate to work with exceptional colleagues on interesting cases (including several successful trials), and have been blessed with a wonderful wife and daughter, answering this question now seems premature, like picking my favorite part of a book that I am still reading. Allow me to get back to you in a few decades.
BASF: Do you have a favorite quotation?
AR: Sun Tzu: “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”
Ashok Ramani focuses his practice on patent and trade-secret matters. He has represented clients in federal and state courts as well as before the US International Trade Commission in Section 337 investigations. Mr. Ramani's notable results include securing two nine-figure settlements (one of which followed a successful ten-week jury trial), obtaining preliminary injunctions against former employees on trade secret misappropriation claims, and achieving mid-trial voluntary dismissal by the plaintiff (with Mr. Ramani's clients and the other defendant paying nothing).