Company: IPST
Filing Date: 2025-08-29
Form Type: DEF 14A
Source: 0001788230-25-000148
Chunk: 11

Company: Heritage Distilling Holding Company, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-08-29
Form: DEF 14A
Chunk 11
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 proxies.

| Special Meeting Proxy Statement |     | 4 |     | Heritage Distilling Holding Company, Inc. |

Questions and Answers

What is a broker non-vote?

If you are a beneficial owner whose shares are held of record by a broker, you must instruct the broker how to vote your shares. If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in a brokerage account and you do not instruct your broker, bank or other agent how to vote your shares, your broker, bank or other agent may still be able to vote your shares in its discretion. Under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, which are also applicable to Nasdaq-listed companies, brokers, banks and other securities intermediaries that are subject to New York Stock Exchange rules may use their discretion to vote your “uninstructed” shares on matters considered to be “routine” under New York Stock Exchange rules but not with respect to “non-routine” matters. A broker non-vote occurs when a broker, bank or other agent has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner of the shares and the broker, bank or other agent cannot vote the shares because the matter is considered “non-routine” under New York Stock Exchange rules.

Proposals 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 (the Financing Proposal, the Advisory Compensation Proposal, the Authorized Share Proposal, the Stockholder Action Proposal, and the Incentive Plan Proposal) are considered “non-routine” under New York Stock Exchange rules such that your broker, bank or other agent may not vote your shares on those proposals in the absence of your voting instructions. Conversely, Proposals 5 and 7 (the Reverse Stock Split Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal) are considered “routine” under New York Stock Exchange rules and thus, if you do not return voting instructions to your broker, your shares may be voted by your broker in its discretion on such proposals.

What is the impact of abstentions and broker non-votes?

If you submit a proxy or voting instructions but do not indicate your specific voting instructions on one or more of the proposals to be presented at the Special Meeting, your shares will be voted as recommended by our Board of Directors on those proposals if using the form of proxy included with the proxy materials and as the proxyholders may determine with respect to any other matter properly presented for a vote at the Special Meeting. Abstentions will not be considered as votes cast. Accordingly, abstentions will have no impact upon the Financing Proposal, the Advisory Compensation