Early Years
Laurence (Larry) Kurth spent his early years moving around the U.S. and Japan with his family as part of his father’s service as an army JAG Officer. Summers were often spent visiting his grandmother in his mother’s home state of Texas. Laurence graduated from Wilmington Friend’s School in Wilmington, Delaware. Fun fact, he was taught by President Joe Biden’s sister and was a classmate of Biden’s younger brother.

Education
Laurence chose to attend college in Ohio at the College of Wooster to major in Urban Studies. It was there that he met his wife, Abby, who eventually followed Larry to San Antonio.

Following in the footsteps of his father and brother, Ed, Laurence entered the law field after graduation from St. Mary’s University School of Law. During his law school years, Laurence was selected to be an editor on the St. Mary’s Law Journal and graduated in the top of his class. The Saturday after graduating, he and Abby married at the Southwest School of Art over 42 years ago.

Career
After a year clerking for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Laurence started his work in litigation with Fulbright + Jaworski in Houston, eventually transferring to the San Antonio office. This was followed by forming his own firm, Jones, Kurth + Treat where he practiced for 15 years. Currently, his “day job” is San Antonio managing partner for the AM Law 100 firm of Akerman, LLP. He has a broad-based commercial litigation practice with a focus on commercial, personal injury and insurance disputes. Larry has significant experience in policy drafting, interpretation, fraud, malpractice, and coverage matters. His clients include both individuals, multinational corporations and top 50 insurance companies.

Larry is highly regarded among his legal peers. As a Board-Certified Civil Litigator with the Texas board of Legal specialization (less than 4% of Texas lawyers are Board Certified), he has earned the distinctions of Best Lawyers of America, Best Lawyer recognition from the San Antonio Business Journal, and was selected as a Texas Monthly Best Civil Litigator.

Community
Community participation has included serving as Chairman of the University Health System Foundation. He was the member representative to the Consejo board and served as President on the board of the San Antonio Fiesta Commission. He continues active participation in each of these organizations.

Fiesta
1989 was a precipitous year with the birth of the Kurth twins and Laurence’s first taste of Fiesta by offering to represent Rey Feo Nick Garza pro bono in a lawsuit arising out of being king.

Larry began his long involvement as a Fiesta fanatic in the early misty morning hours of April 19, 1991 when Fiesta President Nick Garza asked him to volunteer to craft and distribute signs for the Fiesta Centennial. From then on, he was hooked.

Larry has had his hand in many Fiesta events. Larry and Abby Kurth created the Colonial Hills Family Fiesta and the Circle for Life Fiesta motorcycle rally, both are Fiesta Participating Member Organizations (PMO). Larry provided the idea for Champagne and Diamonds to Lo Bello women’s club and helped that group’s formation and recognition as a PMO. Larry is an active participant in the Consejo Real de Reyes Feos Anteriores and was honored to serve kings on three courts, the last as Prime Minister for Rey Feo 61, Charlie Garza. He participated in writing the proposal for Fiesta de Los Reyes in Market Square and was the organizer behind Military Monday at that event. The crowning of Rey Feo at San Fernando Cathedral was another event where Larry was there from the start. The Kurth family is steeped in Fiesta tradition with daughter La Reina Dana serving as La Reina de la Feria de las Flores in 2007.

In 2020 Larry was awarded membership in the Order of the Cascaron which is the highest honored bestowed on super- volunteers of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission.

Larry has served the Fiesta San Antonio Commission as Presidential Appointee, and then as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, President Elect and then President of the Fiesta Commission in 2005. Larry looks forward to shaking everyone’s hand across all San Antonio as your Rey Feo 74 and personally wishing them “Viva Fiesta” in 2023.