An attorney who specializes in transactional law is likely to encounter different legal issues than one who focuses on litigation. Transactional lawyers are primarily concerned with contracts, commercial transactions, corporate formations, intellectual properties, and the like. The litigation attorneys are specialized in disputes involving corporations, partnerships and trusts. They also handle insurance claims and personal injuries cases.
There are different types of attorneys and each one has a different set of skills and knowledge. If you are looking to hire a transactional lawyer, for example, he will need to be able to prepare agreements, negotiate terms, and handle conflicts. A litigation attorney needs to be familiarized with the rules for evidence, statutes, limitations, rules on discovery, etc.
In addition, there may be other differences based on where the client is located. A New York City attorney may not be as familiar in California as an attorney working in California. A Florida lawyer would also be less familiar than someone who practices in Texas.