From a comment on a friend's post - News International

The thing that's annoying me about NI's argument is that they seem to have forgotten (if they ever knew) is that it doesn't matter what their lawyers said or what their employees did. The responsibility for what happened stays on the hands of the paper's editor and the owners. That's why they're paid the big bucks, and the bigger the bucks the more responsibility.

Specifically with lawyers, when you employ lawyers you give them instructions, and they give you advice. What you do with that advice is up to you, but whatever it is, it remains your decision, not theirs. Likewise if you don't tell them the whole truth or give them biased information, that's your lookout. They only advise you on what you told them.