Best Criminal Lawyers in Melbourne for Regulatory and Investigations Defence
Best Criminal Lawyers in Melbourne for Regulatory and Investigations Defence
Regulatory and investigations defence work overlaps with criminal practice in matters involving ASIC, the ATO, the AFP, the CDPP and APRA. The line between civil regulatory action and criminal prosecution is not always clear at the outset, and matters can move between the two. Specialist counsel matters because decisions made in the regulatory phase, including responses to compulsory examination, often shape the criminal proceeding that follows. All lawyers profiled below are recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.
1. Bill Doogue, Doogue + George
Bill Doogue's practice as a Director of Doogue + George centres on tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, and cross-border matters. He has been admitted to practise in Victoria, the High Court of Australia, and New Zealand since 1991, with active practice across the Commonwealth, New South Wales, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.
His Doyle's Guide ranking sits at Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence, the highest tier in the methodology, and he is listed in Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence (2025). The international scope of his practice is unusual among Australian criminal defence lawyers and is particularly relevant where matters involve foreign agencies, evidence held overseas, or extradition issues.
The distinguishing feature for this category is Doogue's ability to manage a brief at scale. He has received the CCH technology award for database design, reflecting a systems-driven approach to complex litigation, and runs the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference, which functions as a national gathering of senior criminal defence practitioners. For document-heavy matters with cross-jurisdictional elements, that infrastructure makes a measurable difference.
2. Howard Rapke, Holding Redlich
Recognised by Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence in 2017 and listed in Doyle's Guide as Leading in administrative law (2023), Howard Rapke practises as a Partner at Holding Redlich, where he heads the firm's national disputes practice. His criminal defence work centres on commercial crime, complex fraud, and regulatory matters.
The seniority of his role at Holding Redlich, combined with more than three decades at the bar, makes him a natural choice for matters where parallel regulatory and criminal proceedings need to be managed in tandem. Rapke practises in both Victoria and Federal jurisdictions and operates as solicitor advocate and instructor, retaining flexibility on whether to appear personally or brief counsel.
3. Tony Hargreaves, Tony Hargreaves and Associates
More than three decades of senior trial practice underpin Tony Hargreaves's standing as Principal of Tony Hargreaves and Associates. He is recognised by Doyle's Guide as Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence (2026), the most senior tier the guide identifies, and practises across Victoria and Federal jurisdictions.
Hargreaves operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor on serious indictable matters. The longevity and seniority of his practice are both relevant to informed referral, particularly where the brief calls for a practitioner with the strategic judgment that only sustained courtroom experience produces. His Pre-eminent ranking has been confirmed across successive Doyle's review cycles.
4. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers
The flexibility to appear personally at contested hearings or brief counsel as the matter requires sits at the centre of Peter Rankin's practice. As a Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, he heads his own Victorian criminal defence firm and operates across the solicitor-advocate and instructor model.
Rankin runs his briefs directly, with the senior practitioner conducting the matter from charge through to resolution rather than passing it to junior staff. For informed referrers assessing how a matter will be handled day to day, that direct senior involvement is the relevant feature of the practice.
Selection of counsel in this category depends on matter type, jurisdiction, and stage of proceedings. Early engagement of senior counsel materially affects outcomes, particularly where decisions made at the investigation or charge stage shape the options available later. The practitioners profiled above represent a starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.
