Irina Sakharova is a Docent at the Department of Theory of State and Law at the Institute of Service and Business (branch) of the Don State Technical University. She also is a Lecturer at the Moscow Humanitarian Institute. Dr. Sakharova earned her Legal Science Degree (PhD in Law) in 2010 from the Northern Caucasian Academy of Civil Service and the Southern Federal University and her Law Degree in 2006 from the South Russia State University of Economics and Service. Dr. Sakharova concentrates on Russian legal regulations and law enforcement concerning financial lease.  She has written extensively about legal regulation, financial contracting and the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.  She will work with Associate Law Professor William E. Partlett at Columbia Law School researching approaches to improve the legal regulation of financial lease in Russia.