Proforma (PPAI 196835, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 5 distributor, has filed a lawsuit through its parent company, PFG Ventures, against founder Greg Muzzillo, alleging that he has made false and misleading statements about the company’s sales, size and his current relationship with the Ohio-headquartered organization.
The complaint, filed on Tuesday in Cuyahoga County, alleges that Muzzillo has repeatedly overstated the company’s annual system-wide sales and number of franchise offices while promoting his new endeavor, Dream Big Ventures. (Read the full complaint below.)
In statements on social media and his new venture’s website, which are screenshotted and included in the complaint, Muzzillo claims Proforma has more than 900 franchise offices and sales approaching $1 billion. Proforma alleges those figures are false and conflict with its own publicly stated figures of having nearly 500 member offices and approximately $650 million in sales.
Proforma also alleges that Muzzillo has knowingly portrayed himself as associated with the company despite the fact that he’s not an officer, employee, agent or authorized representative of Proforma as of July 2025, according to the complaint.
Proforma argues that statements on Muzzillo’s Dream Big Ventures website and social media accounts could confuse current or prospective clients about his relationship with the company and alleges that inaccurate information about its finances could threaten its reputation, regulatory standing, competitive position and goodwill, the lawsuit states.
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The company further argues that Muzzillo had access to information demonstrating that the disputed statements were inaccurate, according to the lawsuit, and that, as a director for PFG Ventures, he continues to owe fiduciary duties to the organization.
In a statement to PPAI Media, Muzzillo’s attorney, David B. Weinstein of Greenberg Traurig, tied the lawsuit to financial disputes related to Muzzillo’s divorce from Vera Muzzillo, CEO of Proforma, and the Muzzillo family trust.
“Our client strongly disputes the allegations in this lawsuit and looks forward to defending this case on its merits,” Weinstein says.
Injunctive Relief
The suit alleges four main counts: a violation of the Ohio Deceptive Trade Practices Act; unfair competition; tortious interference with business relations; and unjust enrichment.
Proforma has asked the court to prohibit Muzzillo from making materially false or misleading statements about its operations or financial performance for his own business interests. Proforma also wants an injunction preventing him from suggesting a current affiliation with the company or using its name, website or trademarks to promote Dream Big or other unrelated ventures.
Proforma is also seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
David B. Weinstein
Attorney, Greenberg Traurig
“Today, in an effort to maintain the integrity of our organization and the standards of transparency we operate under, Proforma has filed a complaint against former co-founder Gregory Muzzillo Sr. due to escalating, willful false claims and misrepresentations regarding his prior business interests with Proforma,” a Proforma spokesperson told PPAI Media.
“We take our responsibility seriously to ensure that material claims about Proforma’s business, including its history, financials and leadership, are accurate and grounded in fact. This matters to us not only for legal and ethical reasons, but because we value honesty in how we communicate with our team, our clients and the public.
As detailed in the complaint, Mr. Muzzillo has knowingly misrepresented material data, financials and his involvement in Proforma’s business to many audiences for personal gain. We look forward to resolving this matter through the proper legal channels and ensuring that the facts about Proforma’s business, reputation and mission are clear.”
Muzzillo founded Proforma in 1978 and spent more than 47 years with the company before announcing his retirement in July 2025.
