股东派生诉讼（Shareholder derivative litigation或shareholder derivative suit）是指当公司的合法权益受到他人侵害，特别是受到有控制权的股东、母公司、董事和管理人员等的侵害而公司怠于行使诉权时，符合法定条件的股东个人以公司的名义对侵害人提起诉讼，追究其法律责任的诉讼制度。股东派生诉讼制度对于维护股东的合法权益有重要的意义。

股东派生诉讼是一种独特的事后救济责任机制。该制度起源于英国。詹金斯法官在爱德华兹诉哈利厄尔一案中，作为Foss V Harbottle规则的例外总结到：当董事的行为构成对小股东的欺诈而他们又控制着公司时，Foss V Harbottle规则不适用。这时小股东被允许代表自己和其它处境相同的股东提起小股东诉讼。但是派生诉讼的概念则是在1975年才被使用。虽然股东派生诉讼制度肇始于英国，却在美国获得全面发展。从1817年的Attorney General V UticaIns Co案到现在，美国股东派生诉讼经过近200年的演进，在实体法上和程序法上形成了较为完备的规则。

以下是该词的英文释义：A shareholder derivative suit is a lawsuit brought by a shareholder on behalf of a corporation against a third party. Often, the third party is an insider of the corporation, such as an executive officer or director. Shareholder derivative suits are unique because under traditional corporate law, management is responsible for bringing and defending the corporation against suit. Shareholder derivative suits permit a shareholder to initiate a suit when management has failed to do so. Because[clarification needed] derivative suits vary the traditional roles[citation needed] of management and shareholders, many jurisdictions have implemented various procedural requirements to derivative suits.

双语例句：

（1）The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the world, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. 

罗森法律事务所代表全世界所有的股票投资者的利益，专注于证券集体诉讼和股东代表诉讼的案件处理。

（2）Shareholder derivative suits permit a shareholder to bring an action in the name of the corporation against parties allegedly causing harm to the corporation. If the directors, officers, or employees of the corporation are not willing to file an action, a shareholder may first petition them to proceed. If such petition fails, the shareholder may take it upon himself to bring an action on behalf of the corporation. Any proceeds of a successful action are awarded to the corporation and not to the individual shareholders that initiate the action.

衍生诉讼允许股东以公司的名义对据称对公司造成损害的各方提起诉讼。如果公司的董事，高级管理人员或雇员不愿提起诉讼，则股东可以首先请他们提起诉讼。如果上述人员未提起诉讼，股东可以自己代表公司提起诉讼。若诉讼成功，收益将属于公司，而不是发起诉讼的个人股东。