James Tillen was profiled as one of Ethisphere's 2014 Attorneys Who Matter. Regarding his career as Vice Chair of the International Department at Miller & Chevalier, Tillen said the firm "is the perfect environment for me and I do not think I would have been as happy or as successful at any other firm. Soon after joining, I assisted with a significant FCPA matter and fell in love with the work. Thanks to the vision of Homer E. Moyer, Jr., Miller & Chevalier was one of the few firms at the time to have an FCPA practice and I was able to focus on FCPA matters and learn from the best during my early years." Staying optimistic in the seemingly endless battle against corruption continues to be a challenge, Tillen said. "Sometimes working on anti-corruption efforts can feel like a global game of 'whack-a-mole,' where just when you think you've stamped something out, it pops up somewhere else unexpectedly. I don't think we will ever 'eliminate' corruption, but I still feel that my work is making some positive impact on the lives of those affected by corrupt actions."

Addressing the future, Tillen plans to remain engaged in the battle against corruption through his client work and his leadership role with the International Bar Association's Anti-Corruption Committee, and is particularly excited about pursuing "the increasing intersection between the anti-corruption work and Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights compliance efforts" in his practice. "Corruption isn't going away, but the schemes and methods are always changing. It's dangerous to always look at the world through one lens and assume the current issue you are looking at is the same one you have seen before," he said. "You have to ask questions you think you already know the answer to and be willing to adjust your expectations. We may not stop corruption in our lifetime, but we should never stop pursuing that goal."