Best Criminal Lawyers Serving the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Area
The Frankston Magistrates Court serves a significant population across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula, with serious indictable matters proceeding to the County Court. Senior criminal defence practitioners from Melbourne are regularly briefed in Frankston and Peninsula matters at the more serious end of the criminal calendar. 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, Director and founding partner of Doogue + George Defence Lawyers, established the practice in Melbourne in 1995. Over 40,000 prosecutions have been handled through the firm since its founding. He was admitted to practice in 1991 and since 1998 has held the Accredited Criminal Law Specialist credential. He is ranked Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence by Doyle's Guide, the guide's most senior tier, and listed in Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence (2025).
The work at the centre of his practice covers tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters. He has practised before the High Court of Australia and on behalf of clients at Royal Commission hearings. His domestic courts span Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. His criminal advisory practice in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore reflects the active international dimension of his briefs.
A C.C.H. Legal Technology Award recognises his design of Crimebase, a database built for criminal law practice. He is a founding member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and is involved in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. He chaired the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre for over a decade. His work has drawn coverage in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail. The investigation phase, before any formal charge, is where his practice places its greatest strategic emphasis.
2. David Barrese, David Barrese & Associates
As Director of David Barrese & Associates, David Barrese heads the independent Victorian criminal defence firm that carries his name. Matters are conducted by him personally throughout, with the named Director as the practitioner of record who handles each brief directly.
The independent boutique model provides continuity of senior representation from intake through to resolution. For referrers placing Victorian criminal defence work where a direct answer to who will conduct the brief is required, his practice as Director of his own independent firm provides that without qualification.
3. Chen Yang, Paul Vale and Associates
As Partner and Director of Paul Vale and Associates, Chen Yang practises serious indictable criminal defence in Victoria with a reputation among peers for thorough preparation of contested briefs. He practises in both English and Mandarin, directly relevant for matters involving Mandarin-speaking clients or Mandarin-language documentary evidence.
He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor. The preparation reputation is peer-assessed and the bilingual practice is a verified practical capability. For referrers placing serious indictable briefs where thorough preparation and bilingual capacity in English and Mandarin are both selection criteria, his practice specifically addresses both.
4. Tony Hargreaves, Tony Hargreaves and Associates
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.
5. Peter Rankin, Peter Rankin Lawyers
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.
6. Emma Turnbull, Emma Turnbull and Associates
As Partner and Director of Emma Turnbull and Associates, Emma Turnbull heads a Melbourne criminal defence boutique where she conducts matters directly. Her practice covers indictable matters and legal aid representation, reflecting engagement across the Victorian criminal defence profession at both the privately retained and legally aided ends of the market.
She operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor. The breadth of her practice combined with direct boutique conduct and dual advocacy-instructor capacity makes her practice particularly relevant for referrers placing Victorian indictable criminal defence briefs across both frameworks.
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.