Johnny F. Merceris a specialist in entertainment legal and business transactions. In addition, he handles employment matters, including contract negotiations, severance agreements and employment diversity cases.
Mercer began his representation of entertainment clients in the 1970's. He intensified those efforts in the 1980's. Along with other partners, Mercer formed a musical production company, a management company and publishing company (Seven Moons Productions and Seven Moons Music/BMI). Eventually his representation of local groups (including Trouble Funk, Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers, Experience Unlimited (EU) and Redds and the Boys) in national and international licensing agreements expanded to representation of national artists.
He and his law partner, Rick Hyde, provided legal services to Stevie Wonder in the successful effort to bring about Martin Luther King Day. They also represented Wonder during his participation in Martin Luther King birthday anti-apartheid demonstrations at the South African Embassy in D.C.

Mercer spent three years of his legal career as General Counsel for ITC, Inc., a company involved in international trade. He traveled throughout the Caribbean and Africa negotiating financing agreements for agricultural equipment with various governments and banking institutions. He spent substantial time in Nigeria, Tanzania and Cameroon in Africa, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad in the Caribbean and Guyana in South America. One of the highlights of his visits to Africa was dining with Julius Nyrere, the legendary President of Tanzania.

During the 1980's Mercer represented artists with major companies such as Island Records, Manhattan Records and Virgin Records. Artists he represented collaborated with Grace Jones to produce her hit song "Slave to the Rhythm". He expanded his entertainment client base to production companies and film/video production companies. He represented Island Film/Island Records owner, Chris Blackwell, in a film venture called "Good to Go". In that film one of the characters (also named Mercer) was based on the real Johnny Mercer's experiences in representing D.C. Go-Go musicians.

In 1988, Mercer represented artists EU in a collaboration with film director Spike Lee to provide Grammy nominated music for Spike's first film with Columbia Pictures, ”School Daze.” Mercer's daughter, Nina, at that time thirteen, choreographed E.U. for its performance in ”School Daze.” Later Mercer represented one of his clients, William JuJu House in producing and licensing music for Spike's subsequent film ”Do the Right Thing.” In 1990, Mercer was co-executive producer of a film ”Denial” which gave producer Loretha Jones her first solo production opportunity. Loretha subsequently produced ”The Five Heartbeats,”“Meteor” Man and the television series ”The Parenthood”. The Denial cast included actors Rae Dawn Chong (”Color Purple,” ”Soul Man”), Robin Wright (”Forrest Gump”, ”Princess Bride”), Jason Patric (”Rush”, ”Lost Boys”). This film also featured a young actor named David Duchovney who later became star of the television series ”X Files. ” Included among those hired by Mercer to work on that film was costume director Ruth Carter, who later received an Academy Award nomination for her work in the film ”Malcolm X.”

Mercer currently represents recording artists on major and independent labels, including Arista, Loud / Relativity /Sony, Universal, Real Deal/ EMI, Cipher Entertainment and Axis Productions. He represents songwriters, producers and recording studios.

Currently, his client Toi Horn, a female vocalist and writer, (Axis) performs with hip hop artist, Eve. He represents the child prodigy, Kimberly Scott (Cipher) who is currently working on her second album. He also represents the sensational female group Exhale(Real Deal /EMI) which has recently released its first album.

The political hiphop group, Dead Prez, was discovered by Mercer's client Lord Jamar Allah (Brand Nubian/Arista). In addition, Mercer represents radio personality CoCo Brother of WKYS (the Live Squad).

Mercer has provided representation to sports clients, included among them are Georgetown University, former Washington Wizards, Rod Strickland and Juwon Howard and Philadelphia Seventy-Sixer, Allen Iverson.

Mercer is affiliated with the American Society of Authors and Composers and has co-written a song called Shaka Zulu, which was released by Virgin Records in 1989.

In 1993, Mercer was invited to teach Entertainment Law as an outside lecturer to the Howard Department of Fine Arts (Jazz Department). In 1994 he was recognized for Outstanding Performance by the Department of Fine Arts for his efforts in teaching the course.

In 2000, Mercer, along with faculty of the Schools of Communications, Business and Arts and Sciences, developed an interdisciplinary course called Entrepreneurship in Entertainment. Mercer began team teaching the course, as a volunteer, in Spring 2001.
Through his wide-ranging entertainment career, Mercer has acquired a variety of experiences in management, marketing and intellectual property. He incorporated the entertainment magazine, Sister 2 Sister, for its publisher Jamie Foster Brown. He also provided trademark representation for Sister 2 Sister.
Mercer has represented individual plaintiffs as well as corporate and institutional clients in diversity and EEO matters.  He has litigated employment and civil rights matters before various federal courts and administrative agencies. He has accepted federal appointment to civil cases involving incarcerated plaintiffs. He has successfully garnered judgments and settlements on behalf of his incarcerated clients.In November 2003, Mercer was presented the “Chancellor Williams Award” for over thirty years of service to Regional Addiction Prevention, Inc. (RAP, Inc.) of Washington D.C.
Mercer is a member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA). He is a member of the Entertainment and Art Section of the District of Columbia Bar Association. The students at Howard Law School frequently call for his support to the Howard Law School Entertainment Law Students Association (ELSA). He has been a mentor to that organization for several years. He is frequently invited to speak on panels by entertainment organizations.

Mercer is a founder of the Howard University Bison Foundation. He is also a founder of the Howard University Sports Hall of Fame. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors and President of the Howard Bison Express organization, the successor of the Bison Foundation.

Mercer attended Howard University on a football scholarship. He graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1973.He is a member of the Bars of the District of Columbia, U.S. District Courts of D.C. and Maryland, 4th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of Claims.