Bruce Wasserstein, head of Lazard, has taken further steps to boost the firm's US and media presence by hiring three former Merrill Lynch bankers.

Jeffrey Sechrest, formerly a vice-chairman of investment banking at Merrill in the US, joins Lazard as co-head of media. Louis Zachary, who was a managing director and co-head of Merrill's media group, will take the same title at Lazard. In addition, John Chachas, previously a managing director in Sechrest's team at Merrill, joins Lazard's media team as a managing director. All three will be based in the firm's New York office.