The company itself can bring a claim against the erring director if it can show that it has suffered some loss. If the director has made some personal profit, they can be required to surrender the gain to the company.
Also the company may also seek:
an injunction to stop the director from carrying out or continuing with the breach;
damages by way of compensation where the director has been negligent;
restoration of the company’s property;
the rescinding of a contract in which the director had an undisclosed interest.
Claims by a company are often retrospective, brought by members of the existing board against their predecessors.Errant directors can also face claims against them when a company is sold. The new owners may appoint new directors and, if things go wrong, they may cast around for past breaches of duty and the opportunity to hold the old directors to account.
A director owes their duties direct to the company, and only the company can complain of any breach. Shareholders have no right to claim against a director for any loss they believe they may have suffered as a result of breach of duty. However much their shares have dropped in price, they cannot recover that loss of value from the directors they hold responsible.