Ford Says a Lemon Law Firm Turned $13 Work Into $950 Legal Bills
Ford is suing a law firm; we're used to it the other way around. The American automaker has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles-based law firm Quill & Arrow, accusing it of fraudulently inflating legal fees in California lemon law cases by passing off work completed by low-paid overseas contractors as US-based attorney work.
Ford Alleges Massive Fee Inflation
According to Ford's lawsuit, Quill & Arrow relied heavily on non-lawyers, including overseas contractors in countries such as Mexico and the Philippines, to assist with lemon law claims. The automaker alleges that work completed by individuals earning as little as $13 per hour was billed as if it had been performed by California attorneys charging between $350 and $950 per hour. Ford described the firm as a "fraudulent and illegal billing factory" in court filings. The company also claims the practice resulted in legal fees being inflated by as much as 7,000%.
California's lemon law requires automakers to replace or refund vehicles that cannot be repaired after a reasonable number of attempts. The law was designed to protect consumers from defective vehicles, commonly known as "lemons." While such cases remain relatively uncommon compared to the millions of vehicles sold each year, they can involve everything from traditional combustion-powered models to newer electric vehicles. As EV adoption has grown, so too has the number of electric vehicles involved in lemon law disputes.
Quill & Arrow Pushes Back
Quill & Arrow has strongly denied the allegations. Managing partner Jonathan Shirian described Ford's lawsuit as "nothing more than an attempt to silence firms who would dare to hold them responsible and seek justice for consumers." The firm also rejected claims that attorney billing records were fabricated, describing that such allegations are "absurd." Ford estimates it has paid the firm more than $100 million since 2021, with about half due to attorney fees.
Another Front In Ford's Lemon Law Fight
The lawsuit adds on to Ford's campaign against what it believes are abuses of California's lemon law system. The automaker is already appealing the dismissal of a separate lawsuit against several California lemon law firms, including allegations that one attorney billed more than 57 hours in a single day. Ford attorney Doug Lampe argued that Quill & Arrow's alleged conduct was enabled by "the flaws in the California lemon law." Whether the courts agree remains to be seen, but the case may cause lemon law as we know it to cease to exist.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 1:30 PM.