Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 490.830 (2026)

Standards of conduct for directors

✓ current as of July 2026
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1. Each member of the board of directors, when discharging the duties of a director, shall act in conformity with all of the following: \n Tue Dec 09 22:07:43 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 490 (142, 1) 63 BUSINESS CORPORATIONS, §490.831\n\n a. In good faith.

b. In a manner the director reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation.

2. The members of the board of directors or a board committee, when becoming informed in connection with their decision-making function or devoting attention to their oversight function, shall discharge their duties with the care that a person in a like position would reasonably believe appropriate under similar circumstances.

3. In discharging board or board committee duties, a director shall disclose, or cause to be disclosed, to the other board or committee members information which the director knows is not already known by them but known by the director to be material to the discharge of their decision-making or oversight functions, except that disclosure is not required to the extent that the director reasonably believes that doing so would violate a duty imposed under law, a legally enforceable obligation of confidentiality, or a professional ethics rule.

4. In discharging board or board committee duties, a director who does not have knowledge that makes reliance unwarranted is entitled to rely on the performance by any of the persons specified in subsection 6, paragraph “a” or “c”, to whom the board may have delegated, formally or informally by course of conduct, the authority or duty to perform one or more of the board’s functions that are delegable under applicable law.

5. In discharging board or board committee duties, a director who does not have knowledge that makes reliance unwarranted is entitled to rely on information, opinions, reports, or statements, including financial statements and other financial data, prepared or presented by any of the persons specified in subsection 6.

6. A director is entitled to rely, in accordance with subsection 4 or 5, on any of the following:

a. One or more officers or employees of the corporation whom the director reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the functions performed or the information, opinions, reports, or statements provided.

b. Legal counsel, public accountants, or other persons retained by the corporation as to matters involving skills or expertise the director reasonably believes are any of the following:

(1) Matters within the particular person’s professional or expert competence.

(2) Matters as to which the particular person merits confidence.

c. A board committee of which the director is not a member if the director reasonably believes the committee merits confidence. 89 Acts, ch 288, §89; 2002 Acts, ch 1154, §37, 125; 2013 Acts, ch 31, §28, 82; 2021 Acts, ch 165, §103, 230 Referred to in §490.832, 491.16A \n

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1991–2024 · leading case: Robert Oberbillig & Patricia Oberbillig & Frank Scaglione & Melba Scaglione v. West Grand Towers Condo. Ass'n, 807 N.W.2d 143 (Iowa 2011).
Robert Oberbillig & Patricia Oberbillig & Frank Scaglione & Melba Scaglione v. West Grand Towers Condo. Ass'n, 807 N.W.2d 143 (Iowa 2011). · cites it 6× “2d at 186 (citing Iowa Code § 490.830 (1991)). Hanrahan applied the rule codified in the Iowa Business Corporation Act, Iowa Code chapter 490.”
Midwest Janitorial Supply Corp. v. Greenwood, 629 N.W.2d 371 (Iowa 2001). · cites it 2× “2d 76, 80 (Iowa 1984); Iowa Code §§ 490.830 (1)(c), 490.842(1)(c).”
Hanrahan v. Kruidenier, 473 N.W.2d 184 (Iowa 1991). · cites it 5× “Because it is basic to all challenges, we should first state the business judgment rule, the standard by which the actions of directors are measured.”
Kendall J. Meade, Individually & on behalf of all others similarly situated v. Peter S. Christie, Stephen A. Crane, Jonathan R. Fletcher, & Gretchen H. Tegeler (Iowa 2022). · cites it 7× “Iowa Code § 490.830 (1)(a)–(b). Directors also, “when becoming informed in connection with their decision-making function or devoting attention to their oversight function, shall discharge their duties with the care that a person in a like position would reasonably believe…”
Tope v. Greiner (Iowa Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 4× “” Iowa Code § 490.830 (1) (2011). A director is not liable to a corporation unless the party asserting liability establishes the director did not act in good faith and acted in a manner “the director did not reasonably believe to be 8 in the best interests of the corporation.”
Iowa Farm Bureau Fed'n v. Daden Grp., Inc. (Iowa Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 3× “See Iowa Code § 490.830 (1); Cookies, 430 N.W.”
Iowa Supreme Court Att'y Disciplinary Bd. v. Curtis W. Den Beste (Iowa 2019). · cites it 2× “”), or as directors or majority shareholders if the firm is incorporated, see Iowa Code § 490.830 (1) (imposing duties of good faith and reasonable actions on each director of a corporation); id.”
Hora v. Hora (Iowa Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “Officers and directors also have a duty of loyalty, which imposes the duty to act “[i]n good faith” and “[i]n a manner [the officer or director] reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation.”
Brian Hora & Gregg Hora, Individually & on behalf of Hora Farms, Inc., & Precision Partners Corp. v. Keith Hora & Kurt Hora, Individually & in their capacity as Shareholders, Directors, Officers, Managers, & Employees of Hora Farms, Inc., Heather Hora, & HK Farms, Inc (Iowa 2024). · cites it 2× “See Iowa Code §§ 490.830 (1) (2017) (requiring directors discharging their duties to act in good faith and “[i]n a manner the director reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation”), .”
Brian Hora & Gregg Hora, Individually & on behalf of Hora Farms, Inc., & Precision Partners Corp. v. Keith Hora & Kurt Hora, Individually & in their capacity as Shareholders, Directors, Officers, Managers, & Employees of Hora Farms, Inc., Heather Hora, & HK Farms, Inc (Iowa 2024). · cites it 2× “See Iowa Code §§ 490.830 (1) (2017) (requiring directors discharging their duties to act in good faith and “[i]n a manner the director reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation”), .”
Carolyn Ahrens, Substituted for Richard Ahrens v. Ahrens Agric. Indus. Co., A/K/A Miraco & B. Carter Thomson, & Mike Witt & Susan Witt (Iowa Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “See Iowa Code § 490.830 (5)(b). The bonuses paid to Mike and Carter were affordable for Miraco, particularly in consideration of efficiencies captured by management and the resultant increases in workload for the president and vice-president.”
— Iowa Code § 490.830(2) — 1 case
Kendall J. Meade, Individually & on behalf of all others similarly situated v. Peter S. Christie, Stephen A. Crane, Jonathan R. Fletcher, & Gretchen H. Tegeler (Iowa 2022). “Iowa Code § 490.830 (1)(a)–(b). Directors also, “when becoming informed in connection with their decision-making function or devoting attention to their oversight function, shall discharge their duties with the care that a person in a like position would reasonably believe…”
— Iowa Code § 490.830(l)(a) — 1 case
Hanrahan v. Kruidenier, 473 N.W.2d 184 (Iowa 1991). “Because it is basic to all challenges, we should first state the business judgment rule, the standard by which the actions of directors are measured.”
— Iowa Code § 490.830(l)(b) — 1 case
Hanrahan v. Kruidenier, 473 N.W.2d 184 (Iowa 1991). “Because it is basic to all challenges, we should first state the business judgment rule, the standard by which the actions of directors are measured.”
— Iowa Code § 490.830(l)(c) — 1 case
Hanrahan v. Kruidenier, 473 N.W.2d 184 (Iowa 1991). “Because it is basic to all challenges, we should first state the business judgment rule, the standard by which the actions of directors are measured.”
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