Karl E. Novak

Member

Areas of Practice

Education

Capital University, J.D., 1988
College of Wooster, B.A., 1981

Admissions

1988, South Carolina
2004, Michigan
2005, Texas
United States District Court, District of South Carolina
United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association
Charleston County Bar Association
Charleston County Pro Bono Board of Directors
Martindale-Hubbell Rated: AV
Medical University of South Carolina, Storm Eye Institute Board of Directors, (Emeritus, Chairman, 2007-2011)
South Carolina Association for Justice
South Carolina Bar
The American Association for Justice

RPWB asbestos attorney Karl Novak has devoted nearly 30 years to putting together compelling cases on behalf of workers who developed mesothelioma cancer and lung disease as a result of asbestos exposure.

Novak is sensitive to the wishes of his clients and adjusts his approach accordingly. Whether that is a quick, painless resolution, justice with an iron fist or something in between, Novak puts his mesothelioma clients and their needs first.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Novak was the first in his family to attend college. He worked his way through school in the steel industry, and has devoted his entire career to representing mesothelioma and other asbestos-exposure victims. He moved to South Carolina in 1989 to work for Ness, Motley, Loadholt, Richardson & Poole, and joined RPWB as a founding member in 2002. Novak is based in Charleston, S.C.

Novak has represented tens of thousands of asbestos victims throughout the United States. With an avid interest in genealogy and oral history, he compiles documents and interviews his client, family members, co-workers, physicians and experts to tell the story of where the exposure took place, who is responsible and what impact the disease will have on the victim and their family.

Novak has two grown children. When they were younger, he enjoyed coaching their baseball and soccer teams, including one special team that went undefeated for three straight seasons. He splits his time between South Carolina and Maine, and spends a lot of time on the road working with his clients.

Representative Cases

Complex Business Disputes

Jim is counsel in Global Communications Inc. v. PDI Communications Inc. et al., in which it is alleged that DirecTV infringed upon key patents that enable the satellite provider to use a single dish unit to broadcast multiple channels throughout each customer’s house.

Mutual Fund Litigation

As fund assets grow, the cost of managing a mutual fund does not increase as exponentially as revenues generated by fees do. Jim serves as counsel in cases on behalf of investors against mutual fund advisors for charging excessive fees. A number of his cases have resulted in settlements to investors, and his work has caused some mutual funds to initiate reforms, including fee breakpoints and better oversight by boards of directors.

Insurance Industry Risk Calculations

Jim is counsel in class action litigation against AIG for its methodology of calculating a company’s risk when determining workers’ compensation premiums. The insurance company used a rolling three-year average of paid claims, but failed to consider the portion of those claims that was ultimately recouped from the at-fault party’s insurance company and other sources.

Securities Markets

Jim is counsel in a proposed class action against seven major banks for allegedly colluding in private chat rooms for years to manipulate prices in the $5 trillion per day forex market, which impacted both spot prices and futures contracts. The case, Teel v. Bank Of America Corporation et al, was filed on behalf of investors who bought foreign currency futures. It is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.