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HRS §414D-159

Definitions for corporate protection rules

This section defines key words used in the rules about protecting directors and officers. It explains who counts as a director, what expenses and liability mean, and what counts as a legal proceeding. These definitions apply to the next several sections.

employees

The statute, as written — Definitions

Sections 414D-160 to 414D-167 shall incorporate the following definitions: "Corporation" includes any domestic or foreign predecessor entity of a corporation in a merger or other transaction in which the predecessor's existence ceased upon consummation of the transaction. "Director" means an individual who is or was a director of a corporation or an individual who, while a director of a corporation, is or was serving at the corporation's request as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another foreign or domestic business or nonprofit corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other enterprise. A director is considered to be serving an employee benefit plan at the corporation's request if the director's duties to the corporation also impose duties on, or otherwise involve services by, the director to the plan or to participants in or beneficiaries of the plan. "Director" includes, unless the context requires otherwise, the estate or personal representative of a director. "Expenses" includes counsel fees. "Liability" means the obligation to pay a judgment, settlement, penalty, fine (including an excise tax assessed with respect to an employee benefit plan), or reasonable expenses actually incurred with respect to a proceeding. "Official capacity" means with respect to a director, the office of director in a corporation and with respect to an individual other than a director as contemplated in section 414D-165, the office in a corporation held by the officer or the employment or agency relationship undertaken by the employee or agent on behalf of the corporation. "Official capacity" does not include service for any other foreign or domestic business or nonprofit corporation or any partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan, or other enterprise. "Party" includes an individual who was, is, or is threatened to be made a named defendant or respondent in a proceeding. "Proceeding" means any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit, or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative and whether formal or informal.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

Sections this one refers to

§414D-160 When a company can pay a director's legal costs

§414D-165 When the company must or may pay legal costs for non-directors

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.