About Dr. Marya A.
Dr. Marya A. Postner combines a scientific upbringing with long experience at the patent bar. She built a legal career that moves between courts and examination offices. Colleagues describe her as methodical; clients have relied on her for technical matters that require clarity and steady judgment.
Her academic path began at Georgetown University, where she earned a B.S. in Biology in 1987. She continued at Princeton University, completing an M.A. in 1989 and a Ph.D. in 1993. After several years in science and research, she returned to law school and received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 1996. That combination of a scientific doctorate and a law degree set the stage for a practice focused on intellectual property.
Postner joined Cooley Godward Kronish LLP and rose to the partnership. Her role at the firm has involved both counseling clients on patent strategy and handling courtroom and appellate matters. She has experience representing clients before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, as well as in district and circuit courts. At the firm she has worked on matters that require translating complex technical issues into legal arguments. She is known for careful preparation and for explaining technical concepts in plain terms.
Her admissions include the California bar, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Those credentials reflect a practice that spans patent prosecution, post-grant proceedings, and litigation. Her scientific training in biology informs how she assesses inventions and advises on patentability, claim scope, and prior art. In court and at the PTO she has addressed disputes that hinge on technical fact patterns and claim construction.
Over the years she has balanced prosecution work with adversarial matters, handling filings, oppositions, and appeals when disputes arise. She continues to practice at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, where her work centers on intellectual property matters involving complex technical subject matter.
