Whilst international litigation is an exciting and growing area of work for the firm, it does mean that we have to travel a fair bit. Later today I am off to Abuja, the federal capital of Nigeria to visit Government officials in relation to a very long running and complex dispute. I was last there in 1997 so I will be interested to see what changes the country has gone through since then. Other recent trips to see overseas clients or law firms have included New York and Bombay in India as well as Milan and Geneva. Later this year I will also be travelling to Vienna. Whilst young lawyers always think that international travel is glamorous, the reality is that it is tiring and that working effectively within a foreign culture is a significant challenge plus your schedule rarely allows you to see much more than the airport and inside of meeting rooms.