Barrister Information

Profile

Megan appears and advises in a broad range of commercial, regulatory and white-collar crime matters, with particular expertise in:

  • Proceeds of crime and asset confiscation;

  • White collar crime, financial crime investigations and AML/CTF matters;

  • Bankruptcy and insolvency law;

  • Banking and finance disputes;

  • Corporate and commercial litigation; and

  • Civil penalties and regulatory enforcement.

Prior to being called to the Bar, Megan was a Principal Litigation Lawyer and Team Leader with the Australian Federal Police Criminal Assets Litigation team of the Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce. Megan accepts briefs requiring a security clearance.

Megan regularly advises and appears in matters (both led and unled) involving state and federal agencies, corporations, law enforcement bodies and financial institutions, in a variety of courts and tribunals.

Megan has also worked at the Victorian Court of Appeal including as a Court of Appeal Researcher and Associate to Justices Priest, Beach and McLeish. On secondment from the Court of Appeal, she worked at the Sentencing Advisory Council on an Attorney-General’s reference on restitution and compensation orders for victims of crime. Megan commenced her legal career in private practice.

Megan holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours in Law from the University of Tasmania, where she received the subject prize for Corporations Law and was on the Dean’s Roll of Excellence. She is currently undertaking her PhD at Monash University, on proceeds of crime.

In 2023, Megan was invited to present at the International Symposium on Economic Crime at Cambridge University and in 2024, attended the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Summer School on Transnational Organised Crime. Megan is a current International Editor of the Cambridge Law Review.

Megan read with Astrid Haban-Beer and her senior mentor is Justin Hannebery KC.

Recent cases include:

Commercial 
BNY Trust Company of Australia Limited v Rainford [2025] VSC 236 (7 May 2025) - Application for summary judgment concerning bankrupt individual, unled.

White Collar Crime and Proceeds of Crime
Briefed in proceeds of crime and confiscation proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria and County Court of Victoria, both for and against State and Commonwealth agencies (ongoing).

Briefed in Commonwealth tax fraud/welfare fraud prosecutions. 

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation. The information referred to above has been supplied by the barrister concerned. Neither Victorian Bar Inc nor the barrister's clerk have independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information and neither accepts any responsibility in that regard.

Admitted

24 May 2013

Victorian Bar

17 Oct 2024

Areas of Expertise

    Environment and Planning 5 Areas

    • Animal Welfare
    • Civil Enforcement
    • Fishery Licenses and Commercial Fisheries
    • Local Government
    • Valuation of Land - Rating and Taxing Appeals

    Appellate 4 Areas

    • Appellate
    • Appellate Merits Review
    • Civil Appeals
    • Criminal Appeals

    Corporations Law 3 Areas

    • ASIC investigations and Prosecutions
    • Directors and Officers Claims
    • Securities and Investments

    Commercial 7 Areas

    • Banking and Finance
    • Commercial Appellate
    • Competition and Consumer Law
    • Contractual Disputes
    • Professional Liability
    • Restraint of Trade
    • Superannuation

    Bankruptcy and Insolvency 3 Areas

    • Bankruptcy
    • Corporate Insolvency
    • Public Examinations

    Public Administrative 12 Areas

    • Civil and Human Rights
    • Compliance and Investigations
    • Corruption
    • Customs
    • Disciplinary Proceedings
    • Discrimination
    • Extradition – Public Administrator
    • Judicial Review and Administrative Law
    • Privacy or Freedom of Information
    • Proceeds of Crime
    • Public Administrative Appellate
    • Social Security and Veteran Entitlements

    Civil Procedure Law

    Inquests Inquiries 2 Areas

    • Commissions or Tribunals and Other Inquiries
    • Coronial Inquests

    Criminal 9 Areas

    • Criminal Appellate
    • Environmental and Planning Offences
    • Extradition
    • Fraud
    • Mental Illness
    • Proceeds of Crime or Money Laundering
    • Victims of Crime
    • White Collar and Corporate Crime
    • Work Health and Safety - Criminal

    Tax Revenue 5 Areas

    • Customs and Excise
    • Goods and Services Tax
    • Income Tax
    • Tax - Superannuation
    • Tax Prosecutions

    Equity 3 Areas

    • Fiduciary Duties
    • Real Property
    • Trusts

    Government 1 Areas

    • Industry Regulations

CPD Resources

Podcasts & Papers

To Engage With Megan Styles
Call us on 03 9225 7777 or Enquire Below