§480-14  Suits by the State; amount of
recovery.  (a)  Whenever the State, any county, or any of its political
subdivisions or governmental agencies, is injured in its business or property
by reason of anything forbidden or declared unlawful by this chapter, it may
sue to recover threefold the actual damages sustained by it.



(b)  The attorney general may bring an action
on behalf of the State , any county, or any of its political subdivisions or
governmental agencies to recover the damages provided for by this section, or
by any comparable provisions of federal law.



(c)  The attorney general of the State shall be
authorized to bring a class action for indirect purchasers asserting claims
under this chapter.  The attorney general or the director of the office of
consumer protection may bring a class action on behalf of consumers based on
unfair or deceptive acts or practices declared unlawful by section 480-2. 
Actions brought under this subsection shall be brought as parens patriae on
behalf of natural persons residing in the State, to secure threefold damages
for injuries sustained by such natural persons to their property by reason of
any violation of this chapter.



(d)  If judgment is in favor of the State or
any of its political subdivisions or governmental agencies under any provision
of this chapter, the attorney general or the director of the office of consumer
protection shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees together with the cost
of suit; provided further that in any class action lawsuit brought by the
attorney general in behalf of indirect purchasers, the attorney general shall
in addition be awarded an amount commensurate with expenses reasonably expected
to be expended in distribution of damages to the indirect purchasers. [L 1961,
c 190, §12; Supp, §205A-12; HRS §480-14; am L 1980, c 69, §2; am L 1981, c 22,
§1; am L 1987, c 274, §5; am L 1988, c 60, §2 and c 141, §§52, 53; am L 2001, c
79, §2; am L 2002, c 229, §4; am L 2003, c 13, §1; am L 2008, c 19, §5]