ALFA International is a limited member bar-type association which was founded in 1980. All member firms are independently owned and operated providing the benefits of an 'international law firm' without prejudice to the independence of its individual member firms. Member firms are free to cooperate fully with firms that are outside the Association, and firm lawyers may join and be actively involved in other professional organizations.

ALFA International's 145 member firms are comprised of approximately 9,000 lawyers and solicitors. There are 85 American and 60 International members. Member firms are located throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. The firms are carefully selected, based upon their reputation, and only after many references are reviewed and evaluated. In every case, the member firms are integral parts of their legal and business communities.

The Association does not engage in the practice of law, set or collect legal fees, compensate any member firm or lawyer for services, or limit the right of any member firm to refer any legal matter to a non-member of ALFA. The By-Laws prohibit any member firm from engaging in any activity in violation of Canons of Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct. Each firm that becomes a member pledges to provide a uniform, high-quality level of service to individual and common clients and to cooperate in developing and maintaining national programs.

ALFA members strongly believe in client education, feeling that the best client is one who is fully aware of, educated in, and conversant with the issues surrounding the legal matters with which its business is confronted. Therefore, one of ALFA's mainstream activities is a series of highly substantive, educational seminars produced in a very comprehensive fashion, to which clients are invited. There are 8 to 10 of these programs annually.

ALFA has developed national groupings of members into substantive practice areas. These groups are designed to develop educational programs, further the internal exchange of important information, develop special compendia of national issues, prepare issue memoranda, attend conferences sponsored by the clients and client associations, and to be uniformly knowledgeable about the changing nature of the law in these specialty areas. Practice groups are now very active among ALFA lawyers in Product Liability, Transportation, Labor and Employment, Workers' Compensation, Business Litigation, Retail, Insurance, Construction, Technology/Intellectual Property, International Law and Health Care.

ALFA International is professionally managed by Chief Executive Officer, Richard L. Hetke. A Chicago native, Mr. Hetke began his legal career in private practice before assuming in-house positions at Kraft and Ameritech. He also served as General Counsel and Board Member of two family-owned, manufacturing businesses that were sold to NYSE companies. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School.