Willie Gary's law firm is tilting at another corporate giant: Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. Gary's Stuart firm represents Nicholas Mariano Jr., who claims the furniture chain wrongfully terminated his license to operate Ethan Allen stores in Stuart, Vero Beach and Melbourne. The suit alleges it was an attempt to squeeze out Mariano's company, Treasure Coast Interiors Inc. Mariano's stores will close in the next two or three months.

As with most of Gary's corporate cases, the amount sought is hefty: $500 million, the estimated value of Mariano's business, plus punitive damages.

The suit, filed in Martin County Circuit Court in September, claims Danbury, Conn.-based Ethan Allen (NYSE: ETH) plans to open corporately owned stores on the Treasure Coast.

"Basically, Ethan Allen wants to cut out the middleman to line their own pockets," said C.K. Hoffler, a partner at Gary's firm.

Spokeswoman Peg Lupton said Ethan Allen does not comment on pending litigation, "except to state that the company is confident that this case is without merit."

At 1.2 million square feet, Wal-Mart's distribution center off Florida's Turnpike in St. Lucie County is hard to miss. The project Atlanta-based Industrial Developments International Inc. is building to the north will be even more massive. IDI announced plans last week to develop 1.3 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space between the turnpike and Interstate 95 - its first project in the Treasure Coast or Palm Beach County. Construction on the first 150,000 square feet starts this summer. No tenants have been lined up yet, said Larry Dinner, IDI's vice president of leasing.

"I believe trailer traffic is within a two-hour drive of 70 percent of Florida's population, which makes this an outstanding site for distribution," Dinner said.

IDI paid $17 million last month for the 129 acres at Crossroads Park of Commerce.