Encore Bancshares, Inc. to Present At the Keefe, Bruyette & Woods 9th Annual Community...

Encore Bancshares, Inc. to Present At the Keefe, Bruyette & Woods 9th Annual
Community Bank Investor Conference

HOUSTON, July 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Encore Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq:EBTX)
("Encore") announced today that Jim D'Agostino, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, and Andy Creel, Chief Financial Officer, will be presenting at the
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods 9th Annual Community Bank Investor Conference in New
York, NY on July 29, 2008 at 3:30 p.m EDT at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Interested individuals may access a live webcast of the presentation by visiting
http://www.kbw.com/news/conferences.html. Select View Webcast under the
Community Bank Investor Conference heading. The archived webcast will be
available for 60 days after the event, beginning 7/31/2008.

A copy of the presentation will be available in the Investor Relations' section
of Encore's website at http://www.encorebank.com beginning 7/31/2008.

About Encore Bancshares, Inc.

Encore Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company headquartered in Houston,
Texas and offers a broad range of banking, wealth management and insurance
services through Encore Bank, N.A. and its subsidiaries. Encore Bank operates 11
private client offices in the Greater Houston area and six in southwest Florida.
Headquartered in Houston and with $1.5 billion in assets, Encore Bank builds
relationships with professional firms, privately-owned businesses, investors and
affluent individuals. Encore Bank offers a full range of business and personal
banking products and services, as well as financial planning, wealth management,
trust and insurance products through its trust division, Encore Trust, and its
subsidiaries Linscomb & Williams and Town & Country Insurance. Products and
services offered by Encore Bank's affiliates are not FDIC insured.

The Encore Bancshares, Inc. logo is available at
http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4257

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements made during the presentation may include certain forward-looking
information about Encore Bancshares that is intended to be covered by the safe
harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of
historical fact are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks
and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to: competitive pressure among
financial institutions; our ability to expand and grow our businesses and
operations and to realize the cost savings and revenue enhancements expected
from such activities; a deterioration of credit quality or a reduced demand for
credit; changes in the interest rate environment; the continued service of key
management personnel; our ability to attract, motivate and retain key employees;
general economic conditions, either nationally, regionally or in the market
areas in which we operate; legislative or regulatory developments or changes in
laws; changes in the securities markets and other risks that are described in
our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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CONTACT: Encore Bancshares, Inc.
Andy Creel, Chief Financial Officer
713.787.3138
Rhonda Carroll, Corporate Secretary
713.787.3118