EVERETT — A personal injury lawyer who practiced in Everett has been temporarily suspended for improperly managing client money, failing to keep adequate financial records and more. Paul Novack, 63, practiced law in Washington state for almost 40 years. This month, the Everett attorney was placed on a nine-month suspension. From 2017 to 2019, Novack “knowingly” violated the state’s Rules of Professional Conduct by failing to oversee his client trust account, according to a notice of suspension recently made public by the Washington State Bar Association. Novack designated the bulk of his law firm’s financial duties to a paralegal he employed. The lawyer was the only authorized signer on the firm’s trust account, yet he took “very little responsibility” for managing the account prior to February 2018, according to the bar’s notice. The paralegal was tasked with processing client settlements and preparing checks for Novack to sign. Novack reportedly failed to supervise the paralegal’s financial management. Records showed an outside accountant helped Novack with reconciling the firm’s bank accounts, processing payroll checks and filing taxes. The accountant mailed Novack monthly reports. Novack did not review the reports thoroughly, according to to the state bar. A lawyer must maintain a trust account when holding money on behalf of clients or third parties, to ensure the trust is separate from the lawyer’s personal finances. In February 2018, Columbia Bank sent three...
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