Sir Bernard Eder studied law at Downing College, Cambridge, and was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1975. He became a commercial practitioner at 4 Essex Court (which later became Essex Court Chambers), and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1990. He was a Recorder, and also sat as a commercial arbitrator, before he was made a Judge of the Queen's Bench Division, nominated to sit in the Commercial Court, in 2011. After retiring from the High Court in 2015, he returned to private practice as a commercial arbitrator and also one of the International Judges of the Singapore International Commercial Court.

Sir Bernard was the senior editor of two editions of 'Scrutton On Charterparties'. He enjoys tennis and skiing.