Ford Motor Company lost a $300 million civil racketeering lawsuit it had filed against several lemon-law firms in California. The lawsuit, brought under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, alleged that the law firms engaged in a fraudulent scheme of overbilling for legal fees. Ford claimed to have evidence of malfeasance, including attorneys billing for more than 24 hours in a single day across multiple cases. A U.S. District Judge dismissed Ford's RICO claim in the case. The company expressed its disagreement with the ruling. The lawsuit's dismissal marks a significant legal defeat for the automaker in its efforts to challenge the billing practices of law firms it accused of taking fraudulent advantage of consumer protection laws.