Company forms & group structures · Specialist
Piercing the corporate veil
Also called: lifting the corporate veil
ELI5
A court's exceptional decision to hold owners or controllers responsible despite the company's separate personality.
Used in conversation
“How are we defining piercing the corporate veil in this deck?”
Pitch context
You will see “Piercing the corporate veil” in board papers, contracts, policies, risk registers and compliance reports when the discussion reaches company forms & group structures.
Why it matters: In company forms & group structures, a loose definition can change rights, obligations, approval, disclosure or enforceability.
Caution
Meaning, enforceability and required process vary by jurisdiction and agreement; this definition is not legal advice.
Sources & evidence · 3
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- OECD — G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance 2023Direct source · institutional · checked 2026-08-16
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — EDGAR and filing resourcesDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-16
- National Institute of Standards and Technology — Computer Security Resource Center GlossarySupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-16