Expect the e-discovery industry to remain a fairly private club for the time being. In the wake of DISCO's surprise debut on the New York Stock Exchange last week, the e-discovery provider's competitors will likely be keeping a close eye on the company's performance before launching any IPOs of their own. 

"I am positive most [e-discovery] companies are going to watch and see what happens with DISCO. … I don't know if I would call DISCO the guinea pig, but I think that people are definitely going to be watching," said Brett Burney of Burney Consultants. 

DISCO's strict e-discovery focus helps it stand out from the likes of LegalZoom and Intapp, which both went public late last month. Burney suggested that joining the stock exchange may emerge as the "next step" for e-discovery companies looking to "legitimize themselves"—especially in the eyes of customers.