SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* BLACK J BRANDON (Last) (First) (Middle) 8875 AERO DRIVE, #200 (Street) SAN DIEGO CA 92123 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ENCORE CAPITAL GROUP INC [ ECPG ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) X Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) President & CEO
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 12/03/2009
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	05/28/2009		G	V	2,000	D	$0	122,900	D
Common Stock	12/03/2009		M		30,000	A	$0.51	152,900	D
Common Stock	12/03/2009		M		35,000	A	$1	187,900	D
Common Stock	12/03/2009		S		65,000	D	$17.48(1)	122,900	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	$0.51	12/03/2009		M			30,000	(2)	09/11/2012	Common Stock	30,000	$0	178,333	D
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	$1	12/03/2009		M			35,000	(3)	01/25/2011	Common Stock	35,000	$0	0	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. The shares were sold in multiple transactions on December 3, 2009 at prices ranging from $17.19 to $17.93 per share. The price reported reflects the weighted average sale price for the transactions. The reporting person undertakes to supply the Staff, the issuer, or a security holder of the issuer, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price upon request.

2. The shares became exercisable as to 69,445 shares on May 3, 2005 and as to 69,444 shares on each of May 3, 2006 and September 11, 2007 and are fully vested.

3. The shares became exercisable as to 34,000 shares on May 23, 2000, as to 33,000 shares on each of May 23, 2001 and May 23, 2002, as to 50,000 shares on May 23, 2003 and as to 35,000 shares on May 23, 2004 and are fully vested.

	/s/ Florentino Zamora, Jr., Attorney-in-Fact for J. Brandon Black	12/07/2009
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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