A Pensacola native, John W. Merting has been in practice in the Pensacola area continuously since 1968.  He has decades of experience in Admiralty and Maritime claims, as well as serious personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and workers' compensation matters.  Mr. Merting has been appointed as a Mediator by Federal Judges, and he has been selected to mediate numerous complex maritime matters in his areas of expertise by attorneys in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and throughout Florida.

A three-time Director of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, Mr. Merting was elected Chairman for 2005, and is only the second plaintiff's lawyer to serve in this capacity in the Institute's 40 year history.  Mr. Merting served as Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute in which council is composed of all of the former chairmen of the Institute.  His experience and reputation help each case get resolved in the most efficient manner possible.

Mr. Merting was recognized as a 2006 Florida Super Lawyer, the inaugural year of the publication.  He has since been named as a Florida Super Lawyer in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  He was selected through an extensive process of balloting, blue ribbon panel review, and independent research.  Only 5% of the attorneys in Florida have been selected as Florida Super Lawyers.  Of the more than 78,000 Florida attorneys, just 19 were selected as 2007 Florida Super Lawyers in the field of "transportation/maritime" - the vast majority of these attorneys represent maritime employers and their insurance companies.  Mr. Merting was the only attorney in the entire Florida Panhandle who represents seriously injured individuals and their families, rather than employers, shipping companies, and their insurors.