Highland Park Real Estate Attorney was Victim in Downtown Fire

The charred body found by firefighters responding to an early morning call of a rubbish fire in a River North parking garage Jan. 17 has been identified as a Highland Park real estate attorney. Results from an autopsy conducted the following day did not make any ruling on how he died, but a source told the Sun-Times Media Wire the man's body was found lying on the ground beside an electrical box on the 11th floor of a parking garage on the 300 block of North LaSalle Street.

The victim, Louis S. Cohen, 60, of the 200 block of Ivy Lane in Highland Park, was a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law and Stanford University. He worked for 27 years for the firm DLA Piper, and, less than a year ago, joined the Business Law Department at Foley & Lardner LLP.

"He had a strong legal mind, and made great contributions" in a short time, the firm said in a statement posted online sharing news of Cohen's passing. Police tell the Sun-Times arson and Area Central detectives are investigating Cohen's death.