Frequently Asked Questions

Introductory Questions

Klea is the name of our solution. The company behind it is Legal Studio, established in 2017 with the aim of bringing engineering and design thinking into the legal world – hence the name, inspired by architecture and design.

Legal Studio began trading in 2018 and is headquartered at Avenue Louise 523, 1050 Brussels. We also have a centre for operational excellence, data and know-how in Romania (Klea Operations SRL).

As of 2 October 2024, Legal Studio is proud to be part of the British Quantios group.

Today, Legal Studio has been supporting over 100 international groups across 120 countries. Our clients – including several Fortune 500 companies – rely on Klea to manage between 15 and 500+ legal entities through our secure cloud platform and tailored services.

Klea is a best-in-class legal entity management solution designed to offer an intuitive user experience, developed in close collaboration with our clients. Integrated into the core platform, Klea also provides optional legal entity management services, enabling clients to outsource specific jurisdictions to our expert team.

The platform is continuously enhanced with the latest technological advancements, with a strong focus on the integration of AI, without exposing your data, ensuring it remains at the forefront of innovation and performance.

Klea is built to support a wide range of professionals involved in legal entity management, including:

  • Legal Teams: Streamline compliance with AI-powered workflows, automated document generation, and an extensive knowledge base. Klea helps ensure accuracy, reduce reliance on external advisors, and keep pace with regulatory changes using expert-verified, country-specific templates.
  • Finance Teams: Achieve full visibility over entity structures and ownership through dynamic org charts and advanced reporting tools. Klea supports data accuracy, simplifies due diligence, and enables the creation of investor-ready reports with ease.
  • Corporate Secretarial Teams: Manage governance more efficiently with integrated CoSec services, intelligent workflows for AGMs and officer changes, and automated compliance tracking. Klea helps reduce manual effort while supporting seamless regulatory adherence.
  • Executive Leadership & Investors: Access accurate entity data, reporting, and governance insights in real time to support informed decision-making. Klea keeps your business deal-ready, compliant, and structured for growth.

Yes, Klea is designed for global use. The platform is hosted in Germany, with a 24-hour backup in Ireland, ensuring high availability and reliable performance worldwide. Whether your team is centralised or spread across multiple regions, Klea delivers consistently strong response times and seamless access.

Klea is a cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. It is hosted on the Mendix cloud, which runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Both the application and database are located in Germany, with a 24-hour backup in Ireland, ensuring reliability, security, and easy access from anywhere in the world. There is also the option for on-premise, but we recommend cloud..

Klea stands out through its unique combination of data, expertise and service. It’s a next-generation legal entity management solution that not only centralises your entity data but also provides access to dedicated global and local expertise across more than 100 countries and entity types.

By integrating services and automated workflows, Klea makes it easier for local teams to manage annual compliance processes – reducing reliance on external providers, freeing up internal resources, and significantly lowering legal costs.

What truly differentiates Klea is our client-led approach to development. Features are designed in close collaboration with our users to ensure they’re practical, widely applicable and built for real-world use – not just niche scenarios.

We also take pride in delivering exceptional service. Every support request is handled with care and personalised attention.

Finally, Klea is at the forefront of innovation in this space. With built-in AI, the platform delivers powerful, user-friendly tools and real business intelligence, all while ensuring your data remains secure.

Compliance

Klea is designed to make staying compliant easier for international organisations. The platform includes helpful AI tools, such as a conversational assistant to quickly find information, smart filtering and search features, and document management with automatically suggested meta tags.

Klea is trusted by international groups operating across more than 100 countries, helping them meet local compliance requirements with ease. The platform is built on the Mendix low-code environment, which holds several key certifications, including ISAE 3402 Type II, SOC 1 Type II, and ISO/IEC 27001:2013.

We also take data protection seriously. Klea has a dedicated Data Protection Officer (DPO) and only partners with trusted, reputable providers – ensuring we follow best practices and meet local regulatory standards.

Klea itself is working towards ISO certification by 2026. Klea is built on the Mendix platform, which is certified under ISO/IEC 27001, along with several other recognised standards. This certification covers the full solution running on the Mendix platform, ensuring a high level of security and reliability.

Yes, Klea is fully compliant with GDPR regulations. We’ve embedded GDPR requirements into our policies and procedures and apply the principles of ‘privacy by design and by default’. Our team receives regular training on data privacy and security, and we only access data when there is a legitimate business need. We also have a dedicated Data Protection Officer (DPO) overseeing compliance.

Yes, Klea complies with data protection laws across all major jurisdictions, including the EU, China, Russia, and the US. Built with a strong focus on GDPR, Klea also works with local licensed experts to ensure compliance with specific regional rules. Our primary data hosting location is in Frankfurt, with a 24-hour backup in Dublin. We follow recognised standards for data protection, including ‘privacy by design and by default’.

Yes, Klea has appointed a dedicated Data Protection Officer, Filip Corveleyn. He is responsible for overseeing data privacy and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations.

No, Klea has not received any complaints from data subjects about the handling of their personal data in the past 24 months.

No, Klea has not been subject to any regulatory action from a Data Protection Authority or Supervisory Authority in the past 24 months.

All data added to Klea remains the property of the client. We treat client data with the highest level of care, ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability through strong security measures and compliance with relevant data protection laws.

Security

Klea follows strict security protocols to protect your data. All information is encrypted both at rest and in transit. User accounts are protected with strong passwords and optional multi-factor authentication, and we recommend using single sign-on (SSO) for added security. We also monitor for suspicious activity, such as failed login attempts, and take steps to prevent unauthorised access.

Klea is hosted on a secure cloud environment, with policies in place to protect data and restrict access to only those who need it. Employees receive regular training on data privacy, and we have never experienced a security breach. Security is built into every layer of our platform to keep your information safe.

Klea stores personal and business-related data that is necessary for legal entity management. This includes names, roles, and other relevant company and compliance information. All data is securely stored, encrypted, and protected in accordance with industry standards such as ISO and GDPR.

Klea collects and stores personal and business data required for legal and compliance purposes. This is handled securely with encryption, limited access, and regular audits. We also use anonymised data for internal analysis to improve our services. All data is accessed strictly on a ‘need to know’ basis.

Klea’s data is hosted in Frankfurt, Germany, with a 24-hour backup in Dublin, Ireland. We use the Mendix cloud, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), to ensure secure and reliable data storage.

Privacy is embedded into Klea from the start. We limit data collection to only what’s necessary, restrict access based on roles, and clearly communicate how data is used. Secure login, audit logs, and compliance with GDPR are all part of our approach. Our hosting platform also includes advanced protection measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection, and encryption.

Klea encrypts all data, both in transit and at rest, using AES-256 encryption. This ensures that your information is always protected, whether it’s being transferred or stored. We follow Mendix Cloud’s security framework for additional encryption and backup standards.

Personal data is deleted manually, based on a schedule agreed with the client during offboarding. A full list of personal data is shared, and the deletion process is carried out accordingly. Data is not automatically deleted after a set retention period.

When we’re informed that a user has left, Klea initiates a user offboarding process. The account is deleted, but the user’s name may remain in the system to preserve records such as task history. If the client uses single sign-on, access can also be revoked through their internal systems.

Klea does not typically process sensitive personal data under GDPR. In rare cases where it may occur, we follow legal requirements regarding retention and deletion. Data is never stored longer than necessary.

Yes, Klea works with trusted third parties – such as law firms and compliance service providers – who may access data on a strictly ‘need to know’ basis to perform services like document drafting or review. We also work with technology providers such as Mendix, AWS, Azure, Auth0, DocuSign, and AdobeSign. All partners meet our security and privacy standards.

No, Klea has not had any data breaches in the past two years.

Yes, Klea offers Role-Based Access Control. Users are assigned specific roles (such as admin or read-only), and access can be limited to certain companies or documents. This allows you to control exactly who can see and do what within the platform.

Yes, Klea is tested annually by a professional security firm. The results are reviewed and managed by our Chief Technology Officer, and we use these findings to continuously improve our security practices. A management summary can be made available upon request only.

Onboarding

Klea offers comprehensive support to ensure a smooth experience for all users. Assistance is available through multiple channels, including our Help Centre at https://app.legalstudio.be, a live chat feature for immediate help, and our dedicated Support Portal at https://support.klealegal.com, where users can log and track support requests.

Support is available Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM CET. In addition, each client is assigned a dedicated Klea Client Manager who is available via the Klea platform, phone, or email to assist with any questions or service-related needs – even beyond the initial onboarding and training phase.

Once a contract is signed, Klea sets up a dedicated tenant for the client. Our team works collaboratively with you to configure your environment, including the setup of API integrations, Single Sign-On (SSO), e-signatures, and more. At the same time, we begin the data migration process, working closely with you to ensure everything is correctly and securely imported.

Following this, we help onboard your users and deliver training sessions to ensure they’re comfortable using the platform. Post-onboarding, clients continue to have access to all Klea support channels.

Klea is able to support the manual input of historical data, and documents can be uploaded in bulk. While the platform does not automatically extract data from PDFs or Excel files for historical entries, our team will guide you through the best approach to ensure your data is organised and accessible in the platform.

Klea’s onboarding process is designed to be fast and user-friendly. Most of the time it is a matter of weeks. If a large volume of documents and data needs to be migrated, Klea estimates a maximum of three months, but precise timelines can be discussed in more detail.

During this time, users receive everything they need to begin using Klea effectively, with minimal disruption to their day-to-day responsibilities.

Yes, Klea provides in-depth training during the onboarding phase. These sessions, lasting around 45 minutes to 1 hour, are usually delivered live and virtually, with the option to record them for future reference. When new features are released, guidance articles are made available directly within the platform, often accompanied by a pop-up notification. For major updates, live demos may be arranged. Ongoing training can also be scheduled as needed – for example, when new team members join or additional features are introduced.

Platform

Klea leverages artificial intelligence across several key features to enhance user productivity and streamline workflows. The Ask Klea function allows users to interact with entity data using natural language queries. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is applied to scanned documents, making their content fully searchable.

In addition, Klea features an AI-augmented, in-workflow Q&A system that taps into a comprehensive knowledge base. This enables users to ask natural, question-based queries and receive intelligent, context-aware responses. Klea also offers AI-enhanced search capabilities that improve the search experience by interpreting user intent and delivering accurate, relevant results quickly.

 

Klea automatically generates organisational charts based on the company data entered into the system. These charts are dynamic and update in real time whenever shareholding or structural information is modified in the company fact sheet.

Organisational charts are highly customisable, allowing users to tailor visualisations by business unit, jurisdiction, entity name, ownership percentages, and more. Charts can be exported in various formats including PDF, image, and Excel. A group chart is also available directly from the company fact sheet, focused on visualising the ultimate ownership structure. All updates in company data are instantly reflected in the chart.

Yes, Klea retains historical versions of organisational charts. Users can access and generate a chart based on a specific past date, enabling full visibility of structural changes over time. This feature is included as standard in the platform.

Please be aware that this is only available where historical data has been added to Klea.

Yes. Organisational charts in Klea are dynamically updated based on the data entered in the company fact sheet. Any changes made to the underlying data are reflected automatically and immediately in the org chart – there is no need to manually update the chart itself.

Klea follows a structured and proactive upgrade process, with monthly releases for minor improvements and quarterly updates for major enhancements and new features. All updates are rigorously tested and approved before rollout, ensuring a smooth experience with minimal disruption – typically a maximum of 5 minutes’ downtime, scheduled over weekends.

No client-side action is required; all updates are managed by the Klea team. To support users, our Help Centre is regularly updated with articles and tutorial videos. We also host quarterly webinars to introduce and explain key new functionalities.

Absolutely. Klea is designed to be highly configurable to support diverse operational and regulatory needs. Clients can tailor the platform by defining document types, functions, and share types at the country level. Users can self-configure reports, dashboards, and key process workflows.

Klea provides over 200 pre-configured workflows covering more than 80 countries, along with features like dynamic task management, process tracking, collaborative tools, and integrated approval flows. Email notifications can be customised for key events, helping you stay informed without overwhelming your inbox.

Managed Services

In the context of cloud computing, Managed Services refer to services that are built and operated using cloud-native technologies such as microservices, managed services, and serverless infrastructure.

For Klea, this means the solution is delivered as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, i.e. with fully integrated corporate secretarial services.

As a result, clients will be supported by a Klea client manager and our operational excellence team in preparing, drafting, signing and filing of a variety of board and shareholder resolutions, notarisations, extract delivery, and data updates – this is fully handled by the Klea team, allowing you to focus entirely on your core legal and compliance operations.

Klea provides a comprehensive suite of managed services to ensure a seamless client experience from implementation through to daily use. Upon contract finalisation, we set up a dedicated tenant for your organisation, and our team works closely with yours to configure features such as API integrations, Single Sign-On (SSO), electronic signatures, and more.

Simultaneously, we carry out data migration and assist with onboarding users onto the Klea platform. Training sessions are provided to ensure your team is confident using the system from day one. After onboarding, users can access ongoing support via multiple channels including our Help Centre, support portal, and live chat.

To ensure continuity and personal support, each client is assigned a dedicated Klea Client Manager, who serves as your single point of contact for the selected services, which may include, annual general shareholder meetings, board resolutions, name changes, revoking or granting powers of attorney or proxies, data health check-ups and so much more. Discover our full range of cosec services and request your detailed brochure via our sales team.

Access

Access revocation is handled as part of Klea’s standard user offboarding process. When a client notifies us that a user has left the organisation, Klea promptly initiates the offboarding procedure, which includes the deletion of the user’s Klea account. If the client uses Single Sign-On (SSO), access can also be revoked directly via the client’s identity provider directory. This ensures secure and immediate removal of access rights.

Yes, Klea fully supports Single Sign-On (SSO) integration with a range of identity providers, including Microsoft Active Directory, SecureAuth, and Azure Active Directory. The platform supports both SAML 2.0 and OpenID protocols for seamless and secure user authentication across systems.

Yes, Klea supports Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to enhance account security. Users can authenticate using one-time passwords (OTPs) generated by apps such as Authy, Google Authenticator, Auth0 Guardian, and Microsoft Authenticator. Klea is also compatible with SecureAuth and Azure Multi-Factor Authentication solutions. These options ensure an added layer of protection for user accounts by requiring a second form of verification.

Business Continuity

Klea is committed to ensuring high availability and business continuity. In the unlikely event of a service disruption, our Recovery Time Objective (RTO) is up to 4 hours, meaning we aim to restore platform access within that time. Our Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is also up to 4 hours, ensuring minimal data loss by restoring data to a point no more than 4 hours prior to the incident.

Our infrastructure and backup strategies are designed to exceed these targets wherever possible, giving clients added peace of mind.

Ecosystem / Integration

Klea integrates with a wide range of tools and platforms via its modern REST API, enabling seamless connection with core systems such as HR and Finance platforms.

Yes, Klea offers a robust and flexible REST API designed to integrate smoothly with your existing systems or bespoke platforms. This ensures efficient data exchange and workflow continuity across your technology ecosystem.

Yes, Klea enables data synchronisation and automation with ecosystem partners through its REST-based API. This allows clients to retrieve data reliably and integrate Klea into their broader digital infrastructure for more streamlined operations.

Yes. Klea has a Zapier connection, which means that you can easily connect Klea to over 8.000 business applications such as for example HubSpot, Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack, Calendly, Google Calendar, Monday.com, Workday, Outlook, Google Drive,  Trello, Salesforce, WhatsApp, and so many more.

Yes. Klea can easily be connected to your existing DocuSign or Adobe sign license. This means you can send documents, resolutions, statements for signature directly from within the Klea environment, using your trusted e-signature solution.

Yes. Klea has an optional “know-how” pack. Included in the know-how pack is the integrated Docmosis document generation solution. Klea can generate the standard Klea templates for you (AGM’s director changes etc.) in over 80 countries. We can also customize and programme your templates in Klea ready to be automatically generated. A real timesaver.

General Questions

Klea does not offer free trials. We are more than happy to organise deep-dive demo’s where together with you, qualify the requirements and show you how to get maximum value out of Klea. Paid trials are available and cost 2,500 EUR. Included in a paid trial is dedicated access to Klea, a pre-populated data environment (your companies – we set this up for you),  a dedicated training session and guidance during the trial and a formatted end-of-trial debrief and feedback session, ensuring you can properly test the KPI’s you wish to test.

design element for Klea Legal Entity Management Software

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