Top Melbourne Criminal Defence Lawyers for Money Laundering Charges

Money laundering charges under Commonwealth law typically arrive alongside asset restraint proceedings and multi-agency investigations involving the AFP, AUSTRAC, and the ATO. The substantive offence and the asset recovery proceeding need to be managed together from the outset. 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 is Director and founding partner of Doogue + George Defence Lawyers, which he established in 1995. Admitted to practice in 1991 and an Accredited Criminal Law Specialist since 1998, he is ranked Pre-eminent in Criminal Law Defence by Doyle's Guide and listed in Best Lawyers for Criminal Defence (2025). The firm he founded has defended more than 40,000 prosecutions and carries a reputation at the serious end of Australian criminal defence.

One of the defining features of his approach is the emphasis on intervening before charges are formally laid, working at the investigation stage to prevent matters from escalating. His practice concentrates on tax fraud, white collar crime, complex commercial crime, foreign bribery, and cross-border matters. He has appeared before the High Court of Australia, appeared in courts across Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia, appeared on behalf of clients at Royal Commission hearings, and has advised clients internationally in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.

Doogue designed Crimebase, a precedent-based relational database for criminal law practice that won the C.C.H. Legal Technology Award. He is a founding member of the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance and is involved in running the Australian Criminal Lawyers Conference. His work has been reported in The Age, The Australian, The Guardian, CNN, and the Daily Mail. He served for over a decade as Chairperson of the Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre. A Wikipedia entry documents the range of his career, spanning terrorism, foreign bribery, political corruption, Royal Commission representation, and institutional abuse matters. For complex briefs where the investigation phase is as consequential as the trial, his record of pre-charge strategic intervention is what distinguishes him.

2. Chen Yang, Paul Vale and Associates

A reputation among peers for thorough preparation of contested briefs is one of the markers associated with Chen Yang's practice. He is Partner and Director of Paul Vale and Associates, where his work focuses on serious indictable matters in Victoria.

He practises in both English and Mandarin and operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor. Thorough preparation is a specific quality that peers associate with his practice, and it is relevant to referrers assessing how a contested brief will be handled. The bilingual capacity adds a dimension for matters where language is a material feature. Both are verified from the reference material provided.

3. Howard Rapke, Holding Redlich

Howard Rapke holds two distinct Doyle's Guide recognitions: Leading Victorian Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Lawyer and Leading Australian White Collar Crime, Corporate Crime and Regulatory Investigations Lawyer. That dual recognition reflects the range of his practice as a Partner and National Head of Disputes and Litigation at Holding Redlich, where he has practised for more than 30 years.

Best Lawyers lists him for Criminal Defence, Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution in its 2017 to 2026 editions. Who's Who Legal has recognised him as a global leader in Business Crime, Investigations and Asset Recovery since 2019. His practice spans complex commercial litigation, white collar criminal investigations, regulatory enforcement, and large-scale inquiries including Royal Commissions, across Victorian and Federal jurisdictions. His focus areas include fraud, foreign bribery, anti-corruption, and ASIC and ACCC enforcement.

4. Angus Cameron, Angus Cameron and Associates

Heading Angus Cameron and Associates as Principal, Partner, and Director, Angus Cameron runs his Victorian criminal defence practice with direct senior involvement in each matter. He is listed by Doyle's Guide as Recommended in Criminal Law Defence (2026).

He operates as both solicitor advocate and instructor, giving him the option to appear personally at hearing or instruct counsel as the matter requires. The Doyle's Recommended tier is a peer-reviewed standing within the Victorian criminal defence profession. For referrers whose primary requirement is direct senior practitioner handling at a boutique level, with recognised standing in the profession, his practice meets those criteria.

5. Tony Hargreaves, Tony Hargreaves and Associates

Sustained peer recognition over time is what the Doyle's Guide Pre-eminent ranking measures, and Tony Hargreaves holds that recognition in Criminal Law Defence for 2026. He is Principal of Tony Hargreaves and Associates, with at least 30 years of practice in serious criminal defence.

He practises across both Victorian and Federal jurisdictions as both solicitor advocate and instructor. The combination of a boutique practice structure and Pre-eminent recognition is itself informative for referrers: it reflects a career built on consistent performance in serious criminal matters rather than volume or institutional profile. For those assessing senior representation in serious indictable work, his Doyle's standing is the primary credential.

Selection of counsel in this category depends on the nature of the charge, the jurisdiction, the stage of proceedings, and the specific facts of the matter. Early engagement of senior counsel materially affects outcomes, particularly where decisions made at the investigation or pre-charge stage shape what is available later. The practitioners profiled above are a starting point for informed referral within Victorian criminal defence.