Richik Sarkar

Partner

Richik is a courtroom advocate, boardroom strategist, and collaborative leader with more than two decades of experience representing directors, executives, and management teams of middle-market and Fortune 1000 companies. His practice centers on high-stakes commercial and class action defense, data privacy and governance, and serving as outside general counsel to entrepreneurs and growth enterprises. Recognized as an Ohio Super Lawyer®, one of The Best Lawyers in America®, and a 2025 Crain’s Notable Litigator & Trial Attorney, Richik combines courtroom advocacy with boardroom strategy to deliver results that protect companies and their leaders, Specifically, Richik provides:

Proven Success in Complex Litigation:  Richik directs high-stakes commercial and consumer litigation across the country for Fortune 1000 companies, middle-market businesses, and their suppliers, leveraging deep industry knowledge and strong relationships within the legal and judicial communities.

Strategic Data Privacy & Governance Advisor: As a former Chief Privacy Officer, Richik helps organizations navigate evolving data privacy regulations, manage compliance, and strengthen governance frameworks. He counsels boards and executives on activist investor challenges, ESG obligations, risk management, and incident response. To do this, Richik leads cross-functional teams, uncovers the root causes of compliance problems, and connects clients with capital, partnerships, and growth opportunities. His practice reflects a commitment not only to winning cases but to strengthening long-term client resilience and success.

Broad Industry & Regulatory Knowledge Deployed to Tailored Solutions to Businesses: Licensed across multiple states and experienced in federal courts nationwide, Richik provides the geographic reach and regulatory fluency needed to support clients with national operations, particularly in consumer-facing markets and their supply chains, allowing him to deliver practical, business-oriented strategies aligned with client objectives.

Advocate • Strategist • Leader: At every stage—whether defending bet-the-company litigation, structuring governance frameworks, or guiding entrepreneurs—Richik serves as an advocate in the courtroom, a strategist in the boardroom, and a leader dedicated to client success.

In short, Richik leverages his experience and network to deliver bespoke commercial judgment, legal intelligence, and strategic solutions that safeguard client interests and create lasting business value.

WATCH: Dinsmore’s Richik Sarkar Explains Why Corporate Leadership Must Diversify (click below)

Credentials

Education

Case Western Reserve University (J.D., 1998)

University of Michigan (M.S.W., 1994)

University of Michigan (B.A., 1993)

Bar admissions

  • Ohio
  • Michigan

Court admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

Affiliations and memberships

  • Law360 Privacy & Consumer Protection Editorial Advisory Board, 2017
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), fellow, 2017
    • LCLD Fellows Alumni Executive Council, Outreach Committee vice-chair, 2018–2019; chair, 2019–2020, Advocacy Committee vice-chair, 2020-2021; chair, 2021-2022
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, member
  • South Asian Bar Association of North America, member
  • South Asian Bar Association of Ohio, President
  • Asian American Bar Association of Ohio, Board member
  • Eighth District Judicial Conference, lifetime member
  • William K. Thomas Inn of Court
    • Secretary/treasurer (2007 – 2008)
    • Executive Committee, member at large (2005 – 2007)
  • American Bar Association, member
    • Fellow
    • Business Law Section; administrative director, Cyberspace Law
    • Business Law Section; administrative director, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, member
    • Board of Trustees (2011 – 2014)
    •  Fellow
  • Ohio State Bar Association, At-Large delegate to Council of Delegates (2007 – 2009)
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
    • Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee, Steering Committee
    • Internal Investigations & Regulatory Litigation, Chair
  • Greater Cleveland Partnership
    • Government Affairs Council
    • Middle Market Committee
    • Equity & Inclusion Division – Board member
  • 50 Club of Cleveland
  • Leadership Cleveland 2015 Class vice president
  • Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Cleveland prime member
  • Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (2021)

Distinctions

  • “Crain’s Cleveland Business, “Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys 2025”
  • Crain’s 2022 Notables in Law
  • Lawyers of Color’s Nation’s Best List (2019)
  • “Who to Watch in Law,” Crain’s Cleveland Business (2016)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®,  Commercial Litigation (2021 – present)
  • Ohio Super Lawyers (2012 – present)
    • Business Litigation (2021)
    • Consumer Law
    • Appellate, Civil Litigation: Defense, Banking, and General Litigation

Publications
  • February 26, 2025

    The Director’s Guide to Avoiding Class and Derivative Action Triggers

  • December 9, 2024

    Insurance Strategies to Mitigate AI and Cyber Risks

  • October 28, 2024

    A Comprehensive Analysis of AI Regulation, Compliance and Risk Mitigation

  • October 1, 2024

    The Catch-22 of Cybersecurity in the Age of AI

  • September 26, 2024

    How Does HUD’s New Floodplain Management Rule Impact Potential FHA-Insured Projects?

  • August 30, 2024

    AI’s Goldilocks Problem: Get AI Risk Management “Just Right” or Face Uninsured Exposure

  • April 24, 2024

    Dinsmore’s Richik Sarkar Provides Strategies for Navigating AI Legal Risks to Bloomberg Law

  • April 18, 2024

    The Catch-22 of Cybersecurity in the Age of AI

  • March 22, 2024

    Dinsmore’s Richik Sarkar Answers Questions About Ohio’s Litigation Procedures

  • March 22, 2024

    Responding to a Complaint: Dinsmore’s Richik Sarkar Explains the Process in Ohio

News
  • December 17, 2025

    30 Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2026 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

  • August 21, 2025

    260 Dinsmore Attorneys Listed as 2026 Best Lawyers®, Ones to Watch

  • January 13, 2025

    Dinsmore Partners with Ohio Chamber to Propose New Pleading Standard

  • December 17, 2024

    35 Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2025 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

  • September 4, 2024

    Cleveland’s Richik Sarkar Co-Authors White Paper on AI’s Role in Future Elections and the Global Fight Against Disinformation

  • August 15, 2024

    250+ Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers ®, Ones to Watch

  • December 29, 2023

    Ohio Super Lawyers Recognizes 30 Dinsmore Attorneys on 2024 List

  • August 17, 2023

    200+ Dinsmore Attorneys Named 2024 Best Lawyers®, “Ones to Watch”

  • April 14, 2023

    Why the Duty of Cybersecurity is the Next Evolution for Fiduciary Duties

  • December 29, 2022

    Ohio Super Lawyers Honors 36 Dinsmore Attorneys

Events
  • June 13, 2024

    AI’s Goldilocks Problem for Officers and Directors: Getting Risk Management “Just Right”

  • January 24, 2023

    Greater Cleveland Partnership: Sustainability Summit

  • December 3, 2021

    Dinsmore’s Annual Continuing Legal Education Seminar

  • May 12, 2021

    Texting or Dialing Your Customers? Using Practical Insights from the Facebook TCPA Decision to Improve Your Outreach

  • February 3, 2021

    COVID-19 Vaccination Webinar

  • July 28, 2020

    Minority Business Enterprise Webinar Series: ​​​​​​​Adapting to a Changed World