SEC FORM 4 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
 
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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*
HEFFERNAN EDWARD J

(Last) (First) (Middle)
7500 DALLAS PARKWAY, SUITE 700

(Street)
PLANO TX 75024

(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORP [ ADS ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
X Director 10% Owner
X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
President and CEO
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/22/2011
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 02/22/2011 A(1) 2,583 A (1) 195,874 D
Common Stock 02/22/2011 F(2) 15,038 D $77.2 180,836 D
Common Stock 02/23/2011 F(2) 6,352 D $76.05 174,484(3) 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
Explanation of Responses:
1. Based on the Company's cash EPS growth in 2010, 107% of the original award of 36,928 performance-based restricted stock units granted 2/22/10 were earned, resulting in an additional 2,583 units, for a total of 39,511 units. The restrictions will lapse with respect to 13,170 units on 2/22/12 and with respect to 13,171 units on 2/22/13, subject to continued employment by the Reporting Person on the remaining vesting dates.
2. Shares withheld by the Company to satisfy the Reporting Person's tax withholding obligation upon the vesting of restricted stock units.
3. The total number of securities beneficially owned includes: (a) 124,005 unrestricted shares; (b) 17,952 unvested units from an award of 52,800 performance-based restricted stock units granted 2/23/09; (c) 6,186 unvested units from an award of 9,232 time-based restricted stock units granted 2/22/10; and (d) 26,341 unvested units from an award of 39,511 performance-based restricted stock units granted 2/22/10.
Remarks:
Cynthia L. Hageman, Attorney in Fact 02/24/2011
** 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).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
REVOCATION AND APPOINTMENT
OF
POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby revokes and rescinds
the Power of Attorney dated November 19, 2003, which appointed Alan M.
Utay, Leigh Ann K. Epperson and Jeanette P. Fitzgerald as attorneys-in-fact,
for purposes of completing, executing and filing any applicable Forms 3, 4,
5 or 144 as further set out in that Power of Attorney.

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints Leigh Ann K. Epperson and Cynthia L. Hageman as the undersigned's
true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
capacity as an officer and/or director of Alliance Data Systems Corporation
(the "Company"), any filing in connection with the undersigned's holdings
of or transactions in securities issued by the Company, including but not
limited to, Forms 3, 4 or 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules thereunder, or
Form 144 in accordance with Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and the rules thereunder;

(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form,
including but not limited to, Forms 3, 4, 5 or 144, and timely file such
form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority; and

(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of
benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the
undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such
attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this power
of attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and
conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power
and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of
the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and
purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally present, with
full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming
all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or
substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this
power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.  The
undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not
assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's
responsibilities to comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

This power of attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, 5, or 144, or any
other form with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions
in securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the
undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this power of attorney
to be executed as of this 17th day of February, 2011.


/s/ Edward J. Heffernan
Printed Name:   Edward J. Heffernan