Journalists and media professionals facing criminal charges carry specific considerations including contempt of court, shield law protections for sources, and in some cases national security offences arising from publication of classified material. All lawyers profiled below are established Victorian criminal defence practitioners, with several recognised by Doyle's Guide and Best Lawyers.
Doogue + George Defence Lawyers was founded by Bill Doogue in 1995, and he remains its Director. His court record extends to appearances before the High Court of Australia and to Royal Commission hearings. He practises across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. He provides criminal advisory services in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.
His practice covers tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters. With admission dating to 1991 and Accredited Criminal Law Specialist status since 1998, his credentials span both longevity and specialist recognition. Its history of more than 40,000 prosecutions defended reflects three decades of continuous practice. Doyle's Guide ranks him Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence, its highest recognition, and Best Lawyers lists him for Criminal Defence (2025).
He developed Crimebase, a relational database for criminal law built on precedent retrieval, which won the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. He helped establish the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and is 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. His matters have been reported in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail. Engaging with clients at the investigation stage, before charges are formally laid, is the emphasis that most distinguishes his approach to complex commercial matters.
Tony Hargreaves, Principal of Tony Hargreaves and Associates, has practised serious criminal defence across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions for at least 30 years. His Doyle's Guide Pre-eminent ranking in Criminal Law Defence for 2026 is the guide's highest tier, produced through peer review among Victorian criminal defence practitioners.
He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor. His direct-conduct boutique means the named Principal handles each brief personally. For referrers placing serious indictable briefs where the most senior tier of peer-reviewed recognition and confirmed direct senior conduct are the primary criteria, his practice provides both.
The firm name says who handles the work: David Barrese & Associates, directed by David Barrese, who practises Victorian criminal defence as the senior practitioner of the independent firm he heads. Matters are conducted by him personally throughout.
The independent Director-led model is the defining structural feature of his practice. For those placing Victorian criminal defence briefs where direct, sustained involvement by the named senior practitioner is the primary criterion, his practice provides exactly that.
Peter Rankin is a Partner at Peter Rankin Lawyers, the independent Victorian criminal defence firm he heads under his own name. He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor, with the flexibility to run contested matters at hearing himself or instruct counsel where the brief requires.
The independent boutique under his own name means Rankin handles matters directly and throughout. For referrers placing Victorian criminal defence briefs where confirmed direct senior practitioner involvement is the primary selection criterion, the structure of his independent practice provides that assurance clearly.
Selection of counsel depends on the specific charge, the court and jurisdiction, the stage of proceedings, and the particular circumstances of the matter. Early engagement of senior criminal defence representation materially affects outcomes. The practitioners profiled above are a verified starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.