Brian O’Loughlin, Attorney, RN & Former UPIC Investigator

In My Own Words: Why I Built BOLO Health Law

The path from emergency medicine to the practice of law was not a straight line. Here is how I see the experiences that shaped the firm.

Why law became the destination

Becoming a lawyer was a lifelong ambition, even though my path to the profession was anything but conventional. Growing up, I knew a maritime attorney whose work fascinated me. I initially imagined a career involving marine transportation and maritime law. Life took me in another direction: emergency medical services, nursing, healthcare management, the Army, policing, and government investigations. The interest in law never disappeared. When I eventually attended law school, I brought firsthand experience with the organizations, records, and decisions that lawyers often encounter only through a case file.

The details are never just details

I first learned to pay attention to small things in emergency medical services. A subtle observation can change a clinical assessment. In nursing, you learn to combine those details into a larger picture, prioritize what matters, and act even when information is incomplete. When I managed healthcare operations, I used the same method on organizations rather than individual patients. Staffing difficulties, rising costs, compliance problems, and quality concerns can all be symptoms of a deeper issue. I learned to trace them back, examine the process, and ask what was actually causing the problem.

What leadership and government work taught me

Military aviation maintenance emphasized accountability, careful documentation, leadership, and the consequences of overlooking a procedure. State policing exposed me to the power of investigative tools and the importance of questioning assumptions. Later, as a healthcare fraud investigator for a Medicare program-integrity contractor, I examined claims, records, and patterns while distinguishing suspicion from proof. My work in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office further strengthened my approach to evidence, complex records, and courtroom preparation. Those were distinct positions, but each reinforced the need to examine the underlying facts rather than accept the first explanation.

The human story behind the evidence

My years supporting civil and personal injury litigation taught me that a case is more than a stack of documents. Facts must be accurately organized and explained in context. Medical records, financial transactions, correspondence, and witness accounts each tell part of the story, but none necessarily tells the whole story alone. I have worked with people facing serious medical, financial, and legal uncertainty, and I know that an attorney’s responsibility includes making difficult information understandable and helping clients make informed decisions.

Why I built BOLO

I had wanted to build my own business for a long time. After years inside hospitals, government agencies, and other organizations, I wanted the opportunity to establish a practice around my own professional standards. BOLO is personal: the name draws on my name and the law-enforcement phrase ‘be on the lookout.’ Healthcare is a core strength, but my work also includes business transactions, contracts, disputes, and investigations. I believe useful legal advice should account for the client’s operations, finances, people, and long-term goals, not just the immediate legal question.

How I want to represent clients

I would rather help a client avoid unnecessary litigation when a practical and lawful resolution is possible. That means listening, investigating carefully, and working collaboratively to understand the real objective. But cooperation does not mean being unprepared. When a dispute requires litigation or a government response, I believe in developing the facts, identifying weaknesses, anticipating competing arguments, and advocating vigorously. My aim is not to promise an outcome. It is to bring disciplined preparation and sound judgment to matters that genuinely matter to the people and businesses I represent.

Have a legal question? Contact BOLO Health Law to discuss the nature of your matter. Please do not send confidential or privileged materials through the initial inquiry form.