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Vikas Dhar

Vikas Dhar

High-Profile, Award-Winning Boston Criminal Defense Firm
  • Criminal Law, Domestic Violence, White Collar Crime ...
  • Massachusetts
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Biography

Vikas is widely recognized as a leader in the New England legal community. He specializes in white-collar criminal defense, international extradition matters and state criminal defense. He is a past recipient of the “Excellence in the Law” award by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and has been recognized by Boston Magazine annually for the past 15 years as a “Super Lawyer” in white-collar criminal defense.

He has twice been invited by the Federal judiciary to serve on Merit Selection Panels to appoint new Federal magistrate judges in Boston, served a 5-year term as a Hearing Officer for the Board of Bar Overseers and is a panel member of Senior Partners for Justice. Vikas is a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and his firm’s pro bono work and community contributions have been profiled by Forbes Magazine and Harvard Business Review.

Regarded as powerful in the courtroom and unflappable at the negotiating table, clients rave about his calming demeanor, friendliness, and never-ending energy reserves.

Education
Southern Illinois University School of Law
J.D.
Honors: John S. Rendleman Award,
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Washington University in St. Louis
A.B.
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Professional Experience
Mentor
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being
- Current
Member
Judicial Advisory Committee, Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Current
Member
Senior Partners for Justice, Pro Bono Panel Member
- Current
Member
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Current
Member
South Asian Bar Association
- Current
Member
Boston Bar Association
- Current
Member
Massachusetts Bar Association,
- Current
Member
Federal Merit Selection Panel
-
Hearing Officer
Board of Bar Overseers
-
Member
National Clemency Project - Obama Administration
-
Member
Federal Merit Selection Panel
-
Member
Governor's Commission for Revision of the School Code
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Publications
Articles & Publications
Coordinator, Forensic Psychiatry & Memory: Perspectives in Law, MCLE Program, 2008
The DHS Initiative, Massachusetts Bar Institute Section Review, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2005
Speaking Engagements
Panelist, The Intersection of Civil & Criminal Legal Issues: Exploring the Crossover, Commonalities and Differences of Both Practices, Boston
Boston Bar Association
Attorney Vikas S. Dhar has been asked to serve as a panelist for a Boston Bar Association Webinar on “The Intersection of Civil & Criminal Legal Issues: Exploring the Crossover, Commonalities and Differences of Both Practices.” The Webinar will take place on-line Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 4-6pm
Moderator, Extradition in Federal Criminal Cases - Featuring US v. Taylor (2020, D-MA), Boston
Boston Bar Association
Moderator, Practical Advice for New Lawyers, Boston
Social Law Library
Certifications
Mentor
SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being
Awards
Top 100 Massachusetts Defense Attorney
National Trial Lawyers
New England Super Lawyer: White-Collar Criminal Defense
Boston Magazine
Select Annually for the Last 15 Years
Inducted Fellow
Litigation Counsel of America
"Top 40 Under 40" Massachusetts Criminal Defense Attorney
National Trial Lawyers Organization
“Excellence in the Law: Up & Coming Attorney” Award
Massachusetts Bar Association and Lawyers Weekly
John S. Rendleman Award
Southern Illinois University School of Law
Professional Associations
U.S. District Court District of Massachusetts
Member
Current
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U.S. Court of Appeals 1st Circuit
Member
Current
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Massachusetts State Bar  # 657539
Member
- Current
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Massachusetts
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1st Circuit
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Fees
  • Free Consultation
  • Credit Cards Accepted
Practice Areas
    Criminal Law
    Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
    Domestic Violence
    Domestic Violence Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, Victims Rights
    White Collar Crime
    DUI & DWI
    Stockbroker & Investment Fraud
    Immigration Law
    Asylum, Citizenship, Deportation Defense, Family Visas, Green Cards, Immigration Appeals, Investment Visas, Marriage & Fiancé(e) Visas, Student Visas, Visitor Visas, Work Visas
Additional Practice Areas
  • Larceny
  • Embezzlement
Languages
  • Albanian: Spoken, Written
  • Arabic: Spoken, Written
  • Bulgarian: Spoken, Written
  • French: Spoken, Written
  • Portuguese: Spoken, Written
  • Spanish: Spoken, Written
Legal Answers
Q. If you please guilty to a felony crime in the state of Massachusetts can you appeal your guilty plea
A: Instead of “appeal”, I think you should reflect on the more general term of “seeking post conviction relief.”

Yes, after entering a guilty plea in Massachusetts, if you have sufficient grounds, you can attempt to go back and undo the guilty plea, which is often times done based on Rule 30 of the Massachusetts Rules of Criminal Procedure, which states that if your plea was not completed in the interests of justice, there may be a way for you to walk it back. Other avenues of relief could be ineffective assistance of counsel, constitutional grounds or procedural error. As always, you should consult an experienced Massachusetts criminal defense attorney. Good luck!
Q. I wanted to know if the federal court system take ONLINE COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS. OR DO THEY HAVE TO BE DONE IN PERSON?
A: This is a great question as it has come up previously due to the changes in the Federal court system system because of the pandemic. In the end, however, the possibility for you to perform community service online is going to be specific to the court in which your case is in, and even more specifically, what your probation officer will allow you to do. You should definitely check with your probation officer, and when you do, be prepared to provide reasons why you feel that you need to do this online rather than in-person and you should also be prepared to provide programs that you have found which will allow you to do it online. The more prepared you are to be in being persuasive with your probation officer, the more likely that your request will be successful. Best of luck to you. ... Read More
Q. If I’m on federal pretrial can I switch my lawyer in get a new one my lawyer not doin her job now bein though I’m reales
A: I’m assuming that you mean that you’re currently on pretrial release while your case is pending, correct? You can certainly terminate and hire a new lawyer at any time. If your current lawyer is court-appointed, you should discuss it with them to determine whether or not you would be eligible for another court appointed lawyer. If your lawyer is privately retained, then you can certainly choose to terminate them and hire a new lawyer. Best of luck to you!
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Social Media
Websites & Blogs
Website
Dhar Law, LLP
Blog
Contact & Map
Dhar Law, LLP
Schrafft's City Center Powerhouse
529 Main Street, Suite P200
Charleston, MA 02129
Telephone: (617) 880-6155