Absences in UK: 478/110 (employer letter) ?

[obormot]

Dear all:

I am counting my absences days and getting just below 480 days over last 5 years and about 110 days in last year. Those are worst possible numbers - I am EU citizen, so no passport stamps, and I am not sure of all travel dates.
(What happens if I do not remember some trips, but HO has some data on it? Do they have any data on EU citizens at all??)

Is my case falling under discretion rule for final year of "between 100 and 180 days, where the residence requirement across the qualifying period is met"? (if it is more then 450, but less then 480, so it is "disregarded")?
I have "established home, employment, family, property and finances" in UK, but I am here for 6 years only (from summer 2013) so I do not qualify for discretion for 5 years absences (no 2 years residency before 5 years of qualifying period)
However, 90% of my travel are business, I was sent abroad by my employer (university). My employer can write me a letter. Should they explicitly list all business trips - dates, places, reasons for travel? Is there any template? Should they explicitly paraphrase the sentence of "absences were an unavoidable consequence of the nature of the applicant’s career"?

I will not be able to wait and apply later, as I will need to travel abroad even more in coming two years (job related), so the number of absences will only become larger.

Could it be useful to talk to a solicitor? (Not sure in what they could help beyond drafting a cover letter and/or employer letter..)

[zimba]

The British citizenship application is purely discretionary. The are requirements but Home office may or may not choose to exercise discretion on your application. Solicitors are of often no use as this is not an immigration application but an application under the nationality law.I suggest to provide the employer letter and request HO to exercise discretion for the 110 days (which is often done)