Essential Environmental With Thierry Montoya

Thierry Montoya

Each new episode will cover current issues concerning the environmental, natural resources, and land use topics from the business perspective — what businesses and property owners need to know about complying with environmental regulations and protecting themselves from potential exposure, and legal strategies when litigation is involved. Thierry will use his 35 years of environmental litigation and compliance experience to disentangle and demystify the complicated world of environmental law, to help the listener understand the countless acronyms and agencies they might come across.

  1. Sep 21

    You're Not the Hero: Building Trust in Regulated Industries featuring Seth Avergon

    This episode of Essential Environmental takes a different approach to environmental and regulatory practice by exploring a question every technical professional faces: How do you explain what you do in a way that builds trust, reduces uncertainty, and helps clients make informed decisions?   Host Thierry Montoya is joined by marketing strategist Seth Avergon to discuss why effective marketing in regulated industries is not about hype, big claims, or flashy branding. Instead, it is about clarity, credibility, education, and helping clients navigate complex decisions with confidence.   Together, they explore: • Why technical professionals should think of themselves as guides, not heroes  • How trust is built through listening, clear communication, and demonstrated judgment  • The role of educational content in closing knowledge gaps and reducing client uncertainty  • Practical ways to explain complex environmental and regulatory issues without oversimplifying them  • Why case studies, stories, and real-world examples often matter more than credentials alone  • The importance of choosing content topics based on client questions rather than personal interests  • How environmental professionals can use AI as a tool without sacrificing accuracy, credibility, or professional judgment  Whether you're an environmental consultant, attorney, engineer, developer, or other regulated professional, this conversation offers practical insights for building stronger client relationships, creating more meaningful conversations, and becoming the trusted advisor clients call first.

    You're Not the Hero: Building Trust in Regulated Industries featuring Seth Avergon

  2. 08/25/2025

    From CEQA to AI: Zach Friend on Governing Through Change

    Thierry Montoya speaks with former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend about his experiences in local government, as well as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and how it can be used to impede necessary development. They also analyze the potential impact of recent state-level reforms. Zach talks about the challenge of leading a community through major environmental disasters, including infrastructure damage, long-term recovery, and the ongoing insurance crisis. Thierry and Zach then discuss the need for proactive AI governance in the public sector.    Learn more about Zach Friend at https://www.santacruzworks.org/    Watch Zach's TedX Talk, "Big Data's Coming To Your Town": https://youtu.be/VVQdehQzIOU?si=rSEXzSLsRqcPHa2N

  3. 05/05/2025

    Privileged or Discoverable? The Legal Status of Site Assessments in California

    Thierry and guest Jay Tufano (of Ring Bender Law) discuss scenarios that might or might not qualify as privileged or discoverable.   Time stamps: 04:08 — Work product doctrine 06:29 — Examples from California case law 15:16 — Crime-fraud exception 19:10 — Privilege logs 20:04 — Practical takeaways   Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at tmontoya@fbtlaw.com and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

  4. 04/28/2025

    Appraising Environmentally Impacted Properties: An In-Depth Discussion with Orell Anderson, MAI, FRICS, ASA

    Thierry and Orell discuss how environmentally impacted properties are appraised.   Time stamps: 00:07:00 — Define an environmentally impacted property 00:11:37 — Examples of contaminated properties 00:17:23 — How does a site's environmental impact affect its appeal over time? 00:20:56 — Challenges of appraising contaminated properties 00:27:25 — Appraisal methods 00:35:14 — Challenges of appraising contaminated properties 00:39:53 — How do you deal with situations where remediation is underway or future environmental outcomes are uncertain? 00:49:19 — What is your most interesting case study in environmentally impacted property 00:57:54 — How do state/local regulations layer onto federal regulations? 01:09:29 — Industry standards 01:16:36 — How is technology transforming how we assess environmental risk? 01:22:09 — How might the new Trump Administration affect things? 01:28:38 — How does the role of the appraiser evolve in response to climate change? 01:32:41 — Final thoughts   Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at tmontoya@fbtlaw.com and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

  5. 07/11/2024

    Environmental Policy & Mediation

    Thierry speaks with mediator Gideon Kracov of ADR Services, Inc. about mediation's role in environmental policy, as well as strategies and approaches to mediation in general. Watch this episode in full: https://vimeo.com/982607532/aa10d33650?share=copy  Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at tmontoya@fbtlaw.com and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.

  6. 03/20/2024

    The uncertain future of brownfield redevelopment in California

    Thierry speaks with Matt Winefield of Winefield & Associates and the Brownfield Braintrust Podcast about the uncertain future of brownfield redevelopment in California. Watch this episode in full: https://vimeo.com/924769056/15b4489c7f?share=copy Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at tmontoya@fbtlaw.com and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com. The content of this episode reflects the views and opinions of Thierry Montoya and his guests, and does not constitute legal advice.

  7. 12/17/2023

    Are You The King or Queen of Your Castle in a Common Use Development?

    Thierry speaks with attorney and author Barry Ross about his book Are You the King or Queen of Your Castle? Not If You Live in a Homeowner's Association (available for purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/47Ru3Ra) and the complex relationships between homeowners and homeowners associations.   Watch this episode in full: https://vimeo.com/894184959   Want to get in touch with us? Contact Thierry at tmontoya@fbtlaw.com and visit FrostBrownTodd online at https://www.frostbrowntodd.com.   The content of this episode reflects the views and opinions of Thierry Montoya and his guests, and does not constitute legal advice.

    Are You The King or Queen of Your Castle in a Common Use Development?

  8. 10/14/2023

    The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in Practice

    Tom Harder joins the show to help Thierry cover the ins-and-outs of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.  Learn more about Tom at https://thomashardercompany.com/ Want to watch this episode? Catch it on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/873704083?share=copy Want to get in touch with the show? Contact Thierry Montoya at tmontoya@fbtlaw.com

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Each new episode will cover current issues concerning the environmental, natural resources, and land use topics from the business perspective — what businesses and property owners need to know about complying with environmental regulations and protecting themselves from potential exposure, and legal strategies when litigation is involved. Thierry will use his 35 years of environmental litigation and compliance experience to disentangle and demystify the complicated world of environmental law, to help the listener understand the countless acronyms and agencies they might come across.

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