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In the Media  |  November 20, 2025

Asian Legal Business

Several Gibson Dunn lawyers recently spoke with Asian Legal Business about the growth in M&A dealmaking across the Asia Pacific market. Partner David Wolber noted that cross-border M&A activity touching both the United States and China has grown increasingly complex.

“Cross-border M&A activity with touchpoints to both China and the U.S. continues to pose a number of regulatory, commercial, political, and reputational risk challenges, particularly in certain high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence or semiconductors,” David said.

Partner Tyler Cohen said that there has been “an extended uptick in infrastructure-driven activity, both in digital infrastructure and energy transition-related targets.”

Partner Connell O’Neill added that data sovereignty has emerged as a critical consideration that can make or break technology deals. “We are fielding more questions about data sovereignty in tech commercial and M&A deals as this issue influences technology and business direction,” Connell said.

NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took off for its historic first flight on Oct. 28 at 11:14 a.m. EDT from Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California. The one-of-a-kind aircraft flew for 67 minutes before landing and taxiing to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

NASA test pilot Nils Larson flew the X-59 up to an altitude of about 12,000 feet and an approximate top speed of 230 mph, precisely as planned. The plane’s landing gear remained down during the entire flight, a common practice for experimental aircraft flying for the first time.

Now that the X-59’s first flight is in the books, the team is focused on preparing for a series of test flights where the aircraft will operate at higher altitudes and supersonic speeds. This test flight phase of NASA’s Quesst mission will ensure the X-59 meets performance and safety expectations.

Through the Quesst mission, NASA aims to usher in a new age of quiet supersonic flight, achieved through the unique design and technology of the X-59 in future supersonic transport aircraft.