George Myrants
We are saddened to hear that George Myrants, a longstanding member of our profession, has passed away aged 97.
The following obituary is drawn from information provided by George’s family.
George was born in Berlin, Germany, on 7th November 1928. His family escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 to begin a new life in Australia. After completing an engineering degree at the Melbourne Institute of Technology, George took his first job in Patent Law, a role that sparked a lifetime passion for intellectual property and proved pivotal to his career.
A move to England, with his soon-to-be wife Renate (Renny), enabled George to develop his career in patents, trade marks, copyright, and design law, building a reputation for integrity and diligence, alongside a clear and analytical mind. He worked for London firm D. Young & Co, and also formed Lexique Ltd, where his German language fluency was put to good use in technical translation work.
In 1958, George formed Trademark Consultants Ltd, practising trade marks and patents. In 1977, he proudly authored a book titled ‘The Protection of Industrial Designs: A Practical Guide for Businessmen and Industrialists’, which was published by McGraw-Hill and is available in the WIPO library. Latterly, he was also a director of Trade Mark Wizards and continued to work into his nineties.
Alongside his strong work ethic, George was an active member of the local community. He volunteered with Harrow Round Table and Rotary, serving as Chairman and President respectively. He and Renny often hosted Rotary foreign exchange students. He was Treasurer of his local synagogue, and joint manager of the synagogue’s junior football team. He is remembered as an unfailingly warm, thoughtful, and generous man.
Sadly, George’s first wife, Renny, passed away in 1984. George is survived by their three children, Peter, Vivian, and Stuart; by his second wife of 39 years, Sandy, with whom he enjoyed extensive travel, music, and theatre; and by her children, Alyson and Chaim.
Oliver Oguz, Director of Trademark Wizards, provided the following tribute and memories of working with George:
George Myrants was a respected and well-known figure in the intellectual property profession, remembered not only for his long career in trade mark practice, but for the way he supported and encouraged people at the very beginning of theirs.
George built a practice at Trade Mark Consultants Co that combined high-quality work with trusted client relationships, and it was widely respected within the profession. He was already known as a disciplined and dedicated practitioner, with a quiet consistency that set the tone for those around him.
George was famously in the office by 6am every morning without fail. Even at weekends, when colleagues would quietly pop in to catch up on emails or clear a backlog, he would already be there. Over time, this helped shape the culture of the firm. For those who were shy about asking questions during busy office hours, weekends became a safe and unpressured space – a chance to sit down with George one-to-one, ask questions freely, and learn without judgement.
In truth, we all understood that this was also George’s own time as a partner of the firm – time he used to work through his ever-present to-do list and keep everything moving. He gave that time generously, even when he could just as easily have kept it to himself.
Those moments reflected both the demands he carried and the patience he showed, balancing responsibility with approachability in a way many will recognise and remember fondly.
He combined discipline with a relaxed and tolerant manner, creating an environment that felt supportive rather than pressured. He had an old-school approach to practice, which many found both grounding and reassuring.
One of George’s most defining professional qualities was his willingness to give people a chance. One of George’s most defining qualities was the complete absence of bias in how he gave opportunities. His approach was refreshingly simple. He was not concerned with university background, polish or pedigree. His question was straightforward and sincere: “Do you think that you might want to be a trade mark attorney?” If the answer was yes, he was prepared to give people a chance.
That clarity and openness allowed many to take their first real step into intellectual property law, often at a moment when they were still deciding whether the profession was right for them. He believed strongly in potential, attitude and curiosity, and was prepared to entrust people with responsibility early on. That approach was evident in the way he recruited and trained junior staff.
It was not uncommon for George to offer opportunities to those simply looking to understand whether intellectual property law was right for them, and then encourage them to step forward when circumstances arose. Many who began their careers under his supervision went on to build successful paths in IP, carrying with them the confidence that comes from being trusted early and supported while learning.
George was also tolerant and flexible in the way he ran his working environment. He understood the importance of team morale and was known for encouraging long lunch breaks when colleagues wanted time together, valuing cohesion and camaraderie alongside productivity.
Above all, George was a devoted family man. He spoke often and fondly of his family, and it was clear to those who worked with him that they were central to his life. That sense of care and understanding was reflected in the culture he fostered at work.
George Myrants will be remembered as someone who worked hard, believed in opening doors for others, and helped shape the early careers of many now working across the IP profession. His contribution lives on through the people he supported and the opportunities he created.