Vladimir Lobastov, a senior lawyer at EPAM presented at the Alternatives to Dispute Resolution session of the annual seminar hosted by ALFA International, a global network of independent law firms, on 11-13 March 2010 in Palm Desert, California.

The seminar, which was attended by in-house lawyers from world leading corporations and consultants of international law firms, discussed issues surrounding Product Quality Control during the global economic downturn. The participants shared their views on the latest amendments to the international and national product quality control legislation, International Alternate Dispute Resolution, and foreign partners lawsuits.

Alternatives to Dispute Resolution session was focused on the alternatives to litigation, in particular, mediation and arbitration, which are considered as less costly alternatives to litigation. Leading international experts discussed the development of alternative dispute resolution methods and the particulars of national legislation.

During his presentation titled Dispute Resolution: Post Soviet Russia opts for Courts, Vladimir Lobastov focused on the current dispute resolution alternatives in Russia, existing legal and administrative barriers, and factors influencing the parties in their choice for the method of dispute resolution.