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HRS §480-17

When company leaders can be personally blamed for breaking the law

If a corporation or limited liability company breaks a penal law in this chapter, the people who approved, ordered, or did the illegal acts are also treated as having broken the law themselves. This applies to directors, officers, agents, members, and managers.

businesses

The statute, as written — Individual liability for corporate or company act

(a) Whenever a corporation violates any of the penal provisions of this chapter, the violation shall be deemed to be also that of the individual directors, officers, or agents of the corporation who have authorized, ordered, or done any of the acts constituting in whole or in part the violation. (b) Whenever a limited liability company violates any of the penal provisions of this chapter, the violation shall be deemed to be also that of the individual members, managers, or agents of the limited liability company who have authorized, ordered, or done any of the acts constituting in whole or in part the violation.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

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