Internationally Recognized Federal & State Criminal Defense Attorney
Vikas S. Dhar is the Managing Partner of Dhar Law LLP, one of Boston’s premier criminal defense firms and a recognized powerhouse in the New England legal community. With nearly 25 years of experience at the intersection of federal criminal law, white-collar defense, and high-stakes advocacy, his practice is anchored in two principles: absolute discretion and relentless advocacy. Whether navigating a complex federal indictment, an international extradition proceeding, or a state criminal matter with life-altering consequences, Vikas brings a comprehensive risk-and-control approach designed to account for the multiple variables inherent in sophisticated criminal defense.
He is consistently listed among the nation’s and region’s top criminal defense lawyers. He has been recognized by Chambers Spotlight USA, The Best Lawyers in America®, and Massachusetts Super Lawyers in white-collar criminal defense for the past 18 consecutive years and is a past recipient of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s “Excellence in the Law” award and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
Vikas’s practice spans the full spectrum of federal and state criminal defense, with particular depth in white-collar criminal defense, international extradition, complex state matters, and crimmigration – the intersection of criminal law and immigration consequences. He has secured dismissals, jury acquittals, and asset returns for a diverse client base ranging from Fortune 500 executives, medical professionals, scientific researchers, and university students. Twice invited by the federal judiciary to serve on Merit Selection Panels for the appointment of federal magistrate judges in Boston, Vikas has also served as a Hearing Officer for the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers. A sought-after voice on federal enforcement trends, he has moderated panels at the Boston Bar Association, contributed to CLE programming through MCLE and the Massachusetts Bar Institute, and is frequently featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. His firm’s pro bono and socially conscious work has been profiled by Forbes, Harvard Business Review, the ABA Journal, the Boston Globe, and the Boston Business Journal.
Areas of Practice
- 80% Criminal Defense
- 20% Civil Rights/Civil Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Admitted: Massachusetts (2003), U.S. District Court, D. Mass., U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
Education
- J.D. with Honors (John S. Rendleman Award), Southern Illinois University School of Law
- A.B., Washington University in St. Louis (1999)
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Boston Bar Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- South Asian Bar Association
- Colombian-American Bar Association
- Brazilian-American Bar Association
- Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
