Anticipating a high threat level while I was working in Russia on the Khodorkovsky case, Beagelman had arranged a number of key local security contacts to provide advance intelligence on any direct threats. One of these contacts delivered a coded message to him, even before the hearing concluded, indicating he had good intelligence that it was no longer safe for me to remain in Moscow. He immediately relayed the information to me.

As I left the hearing, I flagged a taxi to take me to the Domodedovo Airport, intent on getting out immediately. But within five minutes, I realized I couldn’t leave Russia, given the heroism Khodorkovsky had shown. It would be turned into propaganda that I was running out on him. I knew I had to stay. I directed the driver to turn around and return to the courtroom, not knowing what fate awaited me.

I did not have to wait very long for the inevitable. At about 2 a.m. on Sept. 24, 2005, Beagelman called to let me know that a team of 12 Russian Federal Security Service officers were on their way to my hotel room to arrest me. He advised me to throw on a bathrobe and claim I was just getting out of the shower in order to buy time.

I kept the line open with him and managed to make three critically important calls before the pounding on my door began. After delaying as long as I could, I opened the door and allowed the officers into the room. The delay clearly displeased them.

Read the full article at Travel Weekly

“This is not our first war. It will not be the last.”

This is what we reminded our team at MB Private Clients as events unfolded in the Middle East.

For our clients, this was not simply headline news. It was real time decision making.

Executives mid trip. Families between borders. Airspace restrictions. Sudden cancellations. Rapidly changing entry requirements.

Geopolitical volatility is part of the world our clients operate in. The difference lies in how you respond.

Over the past 72 hours, our focus was clear: assess risk, create viable exit strategies and move decisively.

In moments like these, travel management becomes much more than booking flights or securing hotel rooms. It becomes about judgement, relationships, speed and calm execution under pressure.

Flights can be rebooked. Routes can be changed. Hotels can be extended. Ground arrangements can be adapted. But what truly matters is knowing what to do, who to call and how to act when the usual options are no longer available.

When tension rises, clarity matters.

When routes close, creativity matters.

When clients are vulnerable, responsiveness matters most.

At MB Private Clients, we support individuals, families, executives and private offices operating across complex international environments. Our role is to help clients make informed decisions, respond quickly to disruption and move safely through uncertainty.

This requires more than systems. It requires experience. It requires trusted relationships with airlines, hotels, local partners, security specialists and global support networks. It also requires the instinct to know when to wait, when to reroute and when to move immediately.

Geopolitical volatility will continue to shape the way people travel. For some clients, that means contingency planning before a journey begins. For others, it means urgent support while already overseas. In every case, the priority is the same: to provide calm, discreet and practical assistance when it matters most.

Global travel and mobility management is not a luxury.

It is risk management.

To our clients navigating the region right now, we are with you.

Quietly. Calmly. Around the clock.