SG Cowen Securities Corporation, part of the corporate and investment banking arm of Société Générale, has hired six senior bankers from US investment bank Robertson Stephens to form a new US media and entertainment group.

Mark Leavitt, who joins as a managing director, will head the new team to be based at the bank's offices in New York, Boston and San Francisco. He will report to Greg Malcolm, head of investment banking at SG Cowen.