Shoosmiths has advised fashion brand French Connection on its major long term licensing agreement supporting its renewed global growth strategy, as reported in The Guardian.

Published: 10 February 2026

The agreement represents a significant strategic step for French Connection as it transitions key elements of its North American business to G‑III, enabling the brand to accelerate its presence across the U.S. and Canada through a strengthened licensing and distribution platform.

Under the partnership, G‑III will develop and distribute men’s and women’s apparel and accessories across North America, leveraging deep market expertise and robust retail infrastructure to scale French Connection’s reach and reinforce its contemporary positioning. This forms a core part of French Connection’s broader global relaunch strategy and brand revitalisation efforts.

Shoosmiths’ advice on the deal reflects the firm’s top‑tier retail and consumer sector expertise, with the transaction drawing on its strength in brand licensing, commercial structuring, and complex cross‑border work. The Shoosmiths team includes Richard Millington, Luke Stubbs, Rosie Byrne, Rob Sandercombe and Kendra McCullough.

Richard Millington, Partner at Shoosmiths, commented:

“French Connection is an iconic name in UK retail, and this licensing partnership represents a pivotal next step in its global growth journey. We’re proud to have supported the business on a transaction that strengthens its North American footprint and aligns with its ambition to reinvigorate the brand for today’s consumer.”

Cross‑border expertise: support from Thompson Hine in New York

Given the scale of the transition and the U.S. footprint involved, Shoosmiths worked closely with Thompson Hine LLP in New York, whose specialist U.S. counsel supported the team on complex U.S. legal matters integral to the licensing structure and business transfer.