Leading Criminal Lawyers in Melbourne for Robbery and Armed Robbery Charges

Robbery and armed robbery in Victoria are serious indictable offences heard in the County Court or Supreme Court. The distinction between the two charges turns on the presence of an offensive weapon or firearm at the time of the offence. Both carry substantial maximum penalties, and the circumstances of the alleged conduct, including the degree of violence, the use of any weapon, and the role of the accused, shape both the charge and the defence. All lawyers profiled below are established Victorian criminal defence practitioners, with several recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.

1. Bill Doogue, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers

Bill Doogue founded Doogue + George Defence Lawyers in Melbourne in 1995 and remains its Director, having built the practice from a standing start into one of the most established specialist criminal defence firms in Victoria, with more than 40,000 prosecutions defended across its history. Admitted to practice in 1991 and an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 1998, he holds Doyle's Guide Pre-eminent recognition in Criminal Law Defence, the guide's highest tier, and is listed in Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence (2025).

His practice focuses on tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters. The breadth of his advocacy record is unusual in Australian criminal defence: he has appeared before the High Court of Australia, represented clients at Royal Commission hearings, and practised in courts across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. He provides criminal advisory services in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore, which positions him directly for the cross-border, foreign bribery, and transnational matters that make up much of his practice.

He created Crimebase, a precedent-based relational database for criminal lawyers, which received the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. As a founding member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance, he has contributed to the profession at the national level; he is also involved in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. More than ten years as Chairperson of the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre form part of his community record. Reporting on his matters has appeared in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail. For matters at the serious commercial and cross-border end of the criminal calendar, his record is the primary reference point in Melbourne criminal defence.

2. Angus Cameron, Angus Cameron and Associates

Angus Cameron is Principal, Partner, and Director of Angus Cameron and Associates, a Victorian criminal defence boutique he heads. Doyle's Guide lists him as Recommended in Criminal Law Defence for 2026, reflecting consistent peer citation within the Victorian criminal defence profession. The Recommended tier identifies practitioners colleagues name when referring serious work, making it a peer-reviewed measure of professional standing.

He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor. The boutique structure under his own name means he conducts matters personally throughout. For informed referrers placing Victorian criminal defence briefs, his Doyle's Recommended recognition in the current edition and the direct senior involvement built into the structure of his practice are the primary verified credentials for this category of referral.

3. Chen Yang, Paul Vale and Associates

Chen Yang is Partner and Director of Paul Vale and Associates, where he practises serious indictable criminal defence in Victoria. He practises in both English and Mandarin, which is a practical capability of direct relevance in matters involving Mandarin-speaking clients or Mandarin-language documents, messages, or other evidence. He is known among peers for thorough preparation of contested briefs, a quality that is particularly relevant at the indictable end where prosecution briefs are typically voluminous.

He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor. Both the bilingual practice and the preparation reputation are drawn from the verified reference material for his practice. For referrers placing serious indictable Victorian criminal defence briefs where thorough preparation and bilingual capacity in English and Mandarin are both relevant selection criteria, his practice provides both on a verified basis.

4. Shaun Pascoe, Shaun Pascoe Criminal Law

Shaun Pascoe is Partner and Director of Shaun Pascoe Criminal Law, a Victorian criminal defence boutique he heads that is recognised by Doyle's Guide as Leading in drink driving and traffic for 2025. That specialist recognition is drawn from peer citation specifically in the drink driving and traffic category rather than across general criminal defence, making it a more precise credential for referrers placing briefs in this area than a general criminal defence ranking would be.

He practises as both solicitor advocate and instructor, with the capacity to run contested matters at hearing himself or instruct counsel where strategy requires. Heading his own boutique under his name means he conducts matters directly. For referrers placing drink driving and serious traffic matters in Victoria, his Doyle's Leading recognition in the specific specialist category and his direct-conduct practice are the primary verified credentials.

5. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers

Peter Rankin is a Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, an independent Victorian criminal defence practice he heads under his own name. He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor.

The independent boutique model under his name removes any question about who will handle a brief placed with his firm: it is Rankin, throughout and directly. The dual advocacy-instructor capacity gives him flexibility on whether to appear at hearing personally or instruct counsel. For referrers whose primary requirement in placing Victorian criminal defence work is direct, sustained senior practitioner involvement confirmed by the structure of the firm itself, his practice provides that without qualification.

Selection of counsel depends on the specific charge, the court and jurisdiction involved, the stage of the proceedings, and the particular circumstances of the matter. Early engagement of senior criminal defence representation materially affects outcomes across all categories of serious criminal work. The practitioners profiled above are a verified starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.